Our Vision

Is to Aspire … to Inspire… a Desire… in JESUS!

 The Newsletter of the Bolsover and Staveley Circuit

April 2005                                 No 45

That Terrible Day
“Suffer Little Children to come unto me”
That where I am, forever they will be.
Faith and hope, diminished by their pain
Seeking comfort from those who now remain.
God knows their grief,
God gave His only Son.
Safe in his love, when this earthly life is done
God’s word assures us all throughout the ages
His grace and love are written in life’s pages
Like shining stars, their souls light up the night
Their lives and love burning ever bright
Memories sweet, as in our hearts we store
‘Til we like them reign with JESUS evermore. 

Oh God, oh death there is a sting
That losing little children brings
Or a loved ones look, a gentle smile
Don’t cry, I’m only gone a while
We cannot know or share their pain
We know their lives were not in vain
Amen

June Jones (Brimington Common)

A Plague – or A BLESSING?
There have been numerous sightings in this area – some in hospitals others in hairdressers and even as far afield as Nottingham and possibly Manchester – an unusual sight!  No, not white hares but strangely coloured rabbits.  Some are pink, others blue, mauve or white.  Many of them are seen with an expression of surprise, or are wide-eyed while others looked coy or shy.  They are all carrying a “sweet message” for those who take them home…
So, what are they?  Easter bunnies, hand made and sold on behalf of Network funds.  Up to date these bunnies have raised over £100.
A plague or a blessing?  I leave it to you to decide!  (and thanks too to all those who produced these Easter Bunny Blessings).

So what happened to the District Review?
The District Review first came to many people's attention with the distribution of hundreds of questionnaires which were sent around the District. Since then you might have been wondering what has happed to all those helpful responses. However, with so much information gathered it has taken much careful work and in-depth analysis before the Review Group could present its findings to District Synod, something it did last September. There, in two sessions, small groups considered the various findings and suggestions.
The feed-back from these groups then allowed the Review Group to produce a report for the District Policy Committee (DPC) which met in November in the form of nine recommendations.
The DPC agreed a response to each proposal and arranged for a small working party to arrange action on each, under the chairmanship of Vernon Marsh (District Chairman elect). These have now been passed on for action, so before long you may well see the first signs of new things happening! Keep watching this space to more details.

MRDF Update Giving for the Asian Tsunami Emergency Appeal tops £1,000,000
Thank you to everyone who has responded to this appeal. Your generosity has been overwhelming and donations have now reached over £1,000,000. Each church collection, sponsored event, cake sale or individual donation has contributed to this amazing amount. We will continue to ensure your donations go to wherever the need is greatest, through Action by Churches Together and MRDF development partners.
We will be devoting much of the money you have donated to long-term support for affected communities. For example, MRDF partner Rural Development Society in India is funding repairs to fishing boats and the purchase of new nets, so that fishermen can gradually begin to earn a living again.
A new Asian Tsunami Emergency Appeal update sheet is available from MRDF on request.

And since this report was complied we have news of a second major earthquake in this region.  Our help is on hand and our prayers are with those in the area who have lost family, friends and possessions, and also with those aid workers working so hard to clear up and save as many of the trapped and injured as possible.

Women's Network – DISTRICT NEWS
Quiet Days will be held on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 April at Whirlow Grange and Bawtry Hall respectively. The Leader on both days is Mrs. Pamela Turner of Leeds. Theme "I have seen the Lord", which will continue the Easter theme.
Our Area 4 is trying to fulfil the Covenant Agreement and already two events have been organised. On 9 May the Leeds District Network and Anglican M.U. have organised a shared pilgrimage to Ripon which will conclude with a United Service in Ripon Cathedral at 2 p.m. with the Bishop and the Leeds Chairman taking part. We in the Sheffield District are invited and some of us will be there. Then on 1 December a day of sharing will take place at Bradford Cathedral for "World Aids Day" - this again is being organised jointly by Network and M.U.
The "Women Alone" meeting on 5 February proved to be a huge success. There were 42 people present covering a wide age range who came together to share fellowship, hopes and fears on being alone and hear first hand experiences of others.   The comments at the end were very favourable and they asked if they could meet again next year to let each other know how they had got on during the year.   So we were very encouraged and will keep this request in mind.

Elaine Graham, Sheffield District Network Secretary

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
That's what the Vicar of Dibley said! And quite a few women Ministers from the Methodist Connexion who went to lobby Tony Blair in Downing Street a few days later did as well. On 29 January the Rt Hon Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and a Local Preacher, spoke at the churches' launch for Make Poverty History [MPH] in London. He said that 2005 was a kairos year, a year of opportunity for the struggle against poverty. We should, with St Paul, 'read the signs of the times' and grasp them. He of course majored on what the Government was already doing, and it is a lot, but he didn't highlight the issues that weren't being addressed. The top one here is Trade Justice, which at its simplest means the rich world needs to cease imposing trade liberalisation, or open borders, on the poor world.
MPH is about debt and aid too. How can all three be moved forward? Here are a few ideas:
Show you support MPH by wearing the white band; plastic or fabric, £1 from Christian Aid
Lobby the powerful, particularly by travelling to the G8 Summit in Edinburgh on 2 July; there's a coach from Sheffield and overnight accommodation
Get your church behind Christian Aid's Trade Justice Campaign
Carry on raising funds. Boring? Well, one of Christian Aid's church partners in South India spent its entire annual grant in the first week after the Tsunami, providing instant help long before any international aid could get there.   How could they do that?   Because of 2004's Christian Aid Week, that's why. So how about 2005?
And another way is to join either of the Sheffield CA Walks, on May Day or Overnight on Saturday 25 June; for the former only, e-mail TheArtingstalls@artingstalH23.freeserve.co.uk or ring 0114 234 8017.

To get info on any of this, and more, please contact us - Richard Buckley (Christian Aid Co-ordinator) rbuckley@christian-aid.org or on 0114 279 6215.
And let's seize the moment.

Clay Cross -A Circuit Together in Mission
God's mission comes in three tenses: past, present, and future. He takes the imperfect efforts of human beings, and uses them as the eyes and ears, the hands and feet, of his love in his world.
The early nineteenth century saw the birth of Primitive Methodism, in Staffordshire. Not long after, preachers from that district came to an area of Derbyshire south of Chesterfield. The result was a small society at Milltown, where Hugh Bourne, one of the founders of Primitive Methodism, opened the Chapel in 1824. It is the only place of worship in the village. Here, children have been taught, in Sunday School - taught to write, in early years, and taught the faith, too. The premises have also been used for social purposes, and as a Polling Station. The family-life of the Circuit benefits us greatly, as Preachers come and conduct worship.
Mission in the past hands the baton to us, today, so we can hit the ground running. At Bridge Street, Pilsley, a hundred children and young people take part in weeknight groups. Many are there on Sunday nights for worship. A music group leads the congregation in many informal modern songs. There is a real sense of reverence, as we celebrate Communion.
However, the premises have become too small, and a new porch has been built, in faith and hope, accompanied by much voluntary effort, as well as giving, and with the help of a large contribution from the Circuit Advance Fund. The Circuit Meeting has been glad to back Bridge Street in this. As the work expands in one place, we all rejoice. We rejoice in the part children and young people from Pilsley play in our Circuit Services, too: it wouldn't be the same without them.
Mission today, as at Pilsley, looks forward to the future. We build for the future, too. The Chapel at Grassmoor is also the only place of worship in the village and integral to the life of the community. It is naturally the focal point for baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Brownies and Rainbows meet there; there is a monthly Ploughman's Lunch; we are involved in local events such as the Carnival, and work with the local Primary School.
At Grassmoor, our fathers and mothers have bequeathed us a really large building - and a challenge: how to keep it up to scratch, and equip it for the twenty-first century. An ambitious building scheme is in the pipeline: transformed worship area, disabled toilet, new kitchen. A good deal of money has already been raised, but there is much more to do. Again, a substantial grant from the Circuit Advance Fund is helping this project on its way. Strongly advocated in the Circuit Meeting by a member of the next Church in the Circuit, it rests upon this basic conviction: the mission of one is the mission of all, God's mission, in which (by his grace) we share. Is all we do perfect and successful? Of course not. Are we never tempted to be too centred on our own congregations, or to dishonour the pioneers of the past, who struck out in new directions, by simply trying to duplicate what they did? We can be. But then, we do not preach ourselves. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, and the one who can make all things new.

Roger Larkinson..

For Your Diary:
There have been some complaints by people who haven’t been able to attend a meeting that they don’t find out when the next meeting is until too late…..  Secretaries please note – if you let me have the dates of future meetings as soon as they are arranged we can publish them and hopefully get a better attendance.
To start, the recent Circuit meeting arranged their next meeting for Thursday 15 September 2005 at 7.30 pm – venue: Clowne
And Local Preachers and Worship Leaders meet next on 20 June at 7.30 pm – venue: Hillstown.

A CHALLENGE…
I heard from friends at Market Weighton of one lady’s caring which has brought new life and hope into the church.
She invited those who were alone, bereaved or recovering from serious operations to her home for a friendship evening.  In no time at all there were twelve meeting to support, help and comfort each other.  Some came to a realization of the reality of Jesus in their lives – can you do the same?

Sister Elizabeth Richards

Circuit DIARY

Meetings and Other Church Events for the forthcoming months.

To have your meeting/event included in this listing – Please leave a message at the circuit office – 01246 470859. (I would rather hear the same message many times than miss it because everyone leaves it to someone else! - David)

April 2005

    1    Circuit Prayer Meeting                   7.30 pm                                 
  16    Men’s Fellowship Breakfast           8.30 am                     Staveley
  18      Deadline for material to be included in next newsletter
  22    “44” and Ascent                     from 6.00 pm                  Brimington
  24    Easter Offering Dedication            3.00 pm                 Barrow Hill

May 2005

    6    Circuit Prayer Meeting                   7.30 pm                                 
  21    Men’s Fellowship Breakfast           8.30 am                     Staveley
  23      Deadline for material to be included in next newsletter
  27    “44” and Ascent                     from 6.00 pm                  Brimington