Our Vision
Aspire… to Inspire… a Desire… in JESUS!
August 2002 No 14
CIRCUIT SERVICES
Following on from recent practice, we are planning two circuit services each quarter - usually one in a morning and one in the evening. The next occasion when we meet together is at Staveley on the morning of 11 August. This will be followed by the first evening service of the new connexional year at Brimington on 1 September and the morning at Bolsover on 20 October when we have the visit from the United States of Dr R Haining. Two more joint services in the next quarter will be a Circuit Advent Service - 1 December at Barrow Hill (evening) and the Circuit Carol Service - Saturday 14 December at Staveley when once again Peter and Mark will don their pinnies and serve coffee and biscuits after the service. Churches can start looking now for their items to sing, dance or play at this service.
OWN ARRANGEMENT SERVICE
The folk at Clowne took a leaf out of Brimington Common’s book and used the opportunity of an own arrangement service to decamp to Duckmanton to share their worship on 28 July. Many thanks go to Duckmanton for the very warm welcome (and church on what must have been the hottest day of the year!) they gave us. This is definitely an experience to be repeated when the opportunity arises.
SITUATION VACANT
For the last ten years, Grace Knights has been the circuit contact for Methodist Homes. With her departure, we are looking for someone to take over this position. If you would like to help by taking over this position please contact Peter or Mark.
WHAT GOES ON…
We know what happens in our own churches, but many of us wouldn’t know when to go to another church for their coffee morning, sisterhood or whatever might interest us. I am starting with the ones I know well, but over the next few months I would like to be able to list here ALL the regular happenings in the circuit on a day to day basis…
MONDAY
2.30 pm Staveley Sisterhood, 6.00 pm Clowne Sisterhood, 7.30 (occasionally) Clowne PTA
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
10.00 am Staveley (Alternate weeks) Prayer Meeting at Hayfield Close, 2.00 pm Staveley (Alternate weeks) Wesley Guild, 6.00 pm Barlborough Fellowship
THURSDAY
10.00 am Clowne Fellowship
FRIDAY
9.30 am Staveley Coffee morning, 10.00 am Staveley Intercessions, 6.15 Clowne Junior Club, 7.45 pm Clowne Youth 
Club
SATURDAY
8.30 am (3rd Sat in month) Staveley Men’s Breakfast, 10.00 am Clowne Coffee Morning
It will not happen without input from you—so please let me know what happens in YOUR church for inclusion in the list.
The good news of the Gospel is that there is a resource of divine mercy which is able to overcome a contradiction within our own souls, which we cannot overcome ourselves.
FRED PRATT GREEN 1903 - 2000
Born 1903 at Roby, near Liverpool, England. The third child of Charles Green, a leather merchant, and Hannah, nee Greenwood. The abbreviation Fred has been used by the author for his hymn writing: his close family, and in particular his late wife Marjorie, used Derick. Pratt was the name of a relative, who was a Methodist preacher. His father resigned from the office of Wesleyan Local Preacher because he could not accept current teaching about eternal damnation for unbelievers.
Green worshipped with his family at Childwall Parish church: attended Huyton High School. The family moved to Wallasey, Cheshire, where the young Green attended Claremount Road Wesleyan Church and Wallasey Grammar School, before moving on to Rydal, a Methodist boarding school at Colwyn Bay, North Wales. In his schooldays, he showed interest in becoming an architect, but in fact took employment in his fathers leather business. During the pastorate of Rev William Rushby at Claremount Road, and after hearing a sermon on John Masefields ‘The Everlasting Mercy’, he offered for the Wesleyan ministry about the time us friend Eric Thomas offered for the Anglican priesthood. The key to Fred’s eventual choice of Methodism was its open welcome to Holy Communion.
Fred Pratt Green was sent to serve in 1924 in the Severn Valley Circuit and from 1925 to 1928, he attended Didsbury theological College. Green emerged from Didsbury convinced that fundamentalism is a grave misinterpretation of the Bible, that Christian unity, though seemingly unattainable, is an important goal, and that the Church must involve self in social concerns.
He served next in Filey Circuit and was chaplain to Hunmanby Hall Boarding School for Girls: in 1931, he married Londoner, Marjorie Dowsett, who taught French at the school. He moved on to Otley Circuit, living at Pool-in-Wharfdale.
He was appointed to Bradford (Manningham) Circuit based at Girlington where he began writing plays. In 1935 he attended the World Congress of Faiths. Later he suffered a breakdown, leading to the need for three months rest.
In 1939, as the Second World War broke out, he moved to the London (Ilford) Circuit based at Gants Hill, combining his ministerial duties with those of an air raid warden in an area about three miles from the Thames with its heavily bombed docks and major industrial sites: later the Greens became guardians to Elizabeth, the daughter of Revd Vincent Shepherd, a missionary hospitalized with leprosy in India after fleeing from the Japanese in Burma.
In 1944, Green moved to London (Finsbury Park) Circuit, based at Grange Hill. On a pastoral visit to a Sunday School member, he met Fallon Webb, a gentle agnostic poet, to begin a friendship which encouraged Fred’s poetry writing and lasted until Webb’s death.
In 1947, he was appointed to the Dome, Brighton, in which concert hall the evening congregation often exceeded two thousand souls.
In 1952 he moved to Shirley at the Southern edge of London and bordering Green Belt countryside.
He was appointed in 1957 as Chairman of the York and Hull District of the Methodist Church.
In 1964, he returned to the Circuit ministry in the London (Sutton) Circuit in charge of Trinity Church: in 1967 he was appointed to the working party planning Hymns and Songs, a supplement to The Methodist Hymn Book, a task which was to set-off his hymn writing career coincident with his retirement to Norwich at the end of his distinguished itinerant ministry.
Over two decades Pratt Green wrole around 300 hymns and songs which found their way across theological, denominational and national boundaries, his work gaining particularly wide use in the USA.
A phone call from Lambeth Palace in 1977 advised Pratt Green of the inclusion of one of his hymns in the official order of service for the nationwide celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Also in 1977 he was appointed to co-edit an ecumenical collection for all-age worship Partners in Praise (London: Stainer & Bell and Chester House Publications, 1979).
In 1982, Emory University (Atlanta) conferred upon Green an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters and in 1984, he setup The Pratt Green Trust, a charitable body for the furtherance of hymnody and church music, principally funded by the royalties from his hymn writing.
In 1990, the Greens moved to Cromwell House Methodist Home for the Aged, Norwich, where Marjorie died in 1993. The empty chair was all too poignant at low-key celebrations of Derick’s ninetieth birthday. In 1995, Frederick Pratt Green was honoured by the Queen with the award of an MBE for services to hymn writing.
Fred died quietly in his sleep at Cromwell House on Sunday 22nd October 2000.
God sees the victories that lie ahead for you and me. Although we may only see the battles, He sees the victories. He has already won the battles for us. Just as the list of unconquered territories is infinite, so is the list of victories the Lord has for you in your life. Pray for guidance into your unconquered territories. Ask Him to show you the way He would have you go. Then walk with Him into victory.
LPMAA
A note from Denis Kirk..
May I remind all church treasurers and individual members of LPMAA that their subscriptions and donations are now due, and I would like to receive them in the next two weeks so that the monies can bepaid into the bank before the year end (August 31). If there is anyone who doesn’t already support LPMAA and who would like to do so, please contact me for details.
Subscription rates are: Local Preachers—minimum £10 per year, Honorary members—minimum £6 per year, Life membership—£120. Anyone with limited income may be able to benefit from a reduced subscription.
Thank you, Denis Kirk
PILGRIMS WAY
Is a process to enable local churches to review their mission. The district coordinator for this process is Susanna Brookes (who led our circuit worship last year) and she is looking for “partners” to be trained at a district training day on 26 October. Further information is available on a leaflet sent to all churches—seek it out and see if you are a partner in waiting.
TEN MORE COMMANDMENTS
1. You shall not worry—for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities
2. You shall not be fearful—for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
3. You shall not cross bridges before you come to them — for no one has yet succeeded in accomplishing this!
4. You shall face each problem as it comes—you can only handle one at a time anyway!
5. You shall not take problems to bed with you—for they make very poor bedfellows.
6. You shall not borrow other people’s problems—they can better care for them than you can.
7. You shall not try to relive yesterday—for good or ill it is gone, concentrate on what is happening in your life and be
happy NOW.
8. You shall not become bogged down by frustration—for 90% of it is rooted in self pity and will only interfere with
positive actions.
9. You shall be a good listener—for only when you listen do you hear ideas different to your own.
10. You shall count your blessings—never overlook the small
ones for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one!
NCH Step Out for Children
The annual “sponsored stroll” takes place on 7 September 2002 at 10.00 am, when the circuit NCH Support Group has organised a countryside and ancient woodland walk around Brimington and Tapton. The distance to be covered is 6 miles, but a shorter walk has also been planned for those not wanting to go the full distance. The walk will start and finish at Brimington Common Methodist Church. Dogs are welcome and refreshments will be available. If you are under 18 you will need a parent or guardian’s consent.
Please encourage your family and friends from inside or outside the church family, to take part in the walk. The more people—the more fun and the more money raised for this worthwhile cause.
Meet old friends, make new friends from other churches in the circuit and beyond. Talk while you walk—and enjoy the day.
Consent forms, sponsorship forms and registration forms and further details are available from Graham Newton on ************
HELP NCH BY RECYCLING…
….old Mobile phones, used laser cartridges and inkjet printer tanks can be turned into cash by NCH and used to further their work among vulnerable children, young people and their families.
If any church can collect these items, Graham Newton ****** will be glad to organise their collection and transport to NCH in Sheffield.
Other Events Notified
Summer is a quiet time—and my notice board is empty!
Please note that the circuit office will be closed 6-9 August and again 26-30 August. Any messages or contributions to the newsletter can be left in the post box or on the answerphone. I hope that there will be enough material for a newsletter in September this year.
Circuit Meetings and Other Church Events
August 2002
2 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm Barrow Hill
5 Network Teas 3.00 pm Bolsover
11 Circuit United Service 10.30 am Staveley
12 Network Teas 3.00 pm Bolsover
12 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm Hillstown
17 Men’s Breakfast Meeting (AGM) 8.30 am Staveley
19 Network Teas 3.00 pm Bolsover
21 Coffee Evening & Slide Show 7.00 pm Staveley
23 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm Staveley
September 2002
1 Circuit United Service 6.00 pm Brimingto
2 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm Brimington
13 Local Preachers Development 7.30 pm Staveley
13 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm New Brimington
19 Local Preachers Meeting 7.30 pm Brimington Common
21 Mens Breakfast Meeting 8.30 am Staveley
23 Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm Duckmanton
