Ministry in the South Cluster

Jazz Mass

2012-01-16T11:39:00.000Z

Well I have to report that jazz mass at Jazz Church last night was one of the most profound acts of worship that I have ever been involved with. The music was magnificent, Adam had brought in a larger band and also a choir formed specifically for the event and the mass was sung in Latin. I can not begin to put into words the ambience that these highly gifted singers and musicians brought to this act of worship nor the way in which they led us through the Eucharist which was absolutely core to the service. It was truly a transcendent moment and one that will stay with me for a very long times.

Thank you to all those involved and to all who came and embraced this very different approach to Eucharistic worship

Jazz Church

2012-01-09T21:08:00.000Z

Hi everyone, it seems a little while since I checked in here. I hope you are well and back in the swing of 'ordinary time' I just wanted to remind you that this coming Sunday is Jazz Church - 7.00pm. This is going to be unlike any Jazz Church we have done so far in that it is our first ever jazz mass. If you are going to come along then we will be practicing the music from 5.30 and you are more than welcome to join us for that. I do hope that you are able to come along. If you have not already joined the mailing list for Jazz Church please send your email address to me via the contact page here and I will make sure that you are added to the list.

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday. God bless, J X

Happy Christmas everyone

2011-12-25T09:20:00.001Z

"For unto us a child is born,

Here's wishing all my readers a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-22T11:00:00.002Z

Many thank to Linda Bates for posting this on FB earlier today - hilarious.

Kings Cross Nativity

2011-12-21T11:07:00.002Z

I absolutely love this.

Beat Box Nativity

2011-12-16T10:42:00.003Z

Love this twist on the Nativity.

Christmas Parties

2011-12-14T12:23:00.001Z

Yesterday was a great day for me even if I rather overindulged. At lunch time, following a ministers meeting we enjoyed the kind hospitality of Rev'd Mike Crocket and his wife Jo when they prepared a wonderful lunch. Immediately after that I made my way to Shirley Women's Fellowship for their Christmas party. We enjoyed a very humorous monologue read by Jean entitle "I bought myself a present', we sang Christmas carols ad enjoyed lovely party food. After doing a few admin jobs in the afternoon I then went along to the Midi's Christmas party where we enjoyed wonderful cafe Jazz played by Adam Sanders and, you guessed it more party food. It was a wonderful evening which we brought to a close by singing Christmas carols together.

So all in all a great day even if I now need to work off a few pounds!

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-08T21:29:00.002Z

Thought you might like this little festive piece. Enjoy!

Breakfast Praise in Advent

2011-12-05T22:55:00.002Z

Breakfast praise yesterday was just great. Apart from enjoying the bacon sandwiches we had a really good time of worship as we explored modern advent songs, lit candles and explored the idea of waiting for Christmas morning.

Then we went on to look at the advent themes of Hope,Peace, Joy and Love in a little more detail using poetry - mor specifically Haiku poetry. If you have not come across this before this is verse which is in 3 lines, the first line has 5 syllable the second 7 and the the third 5. I wrote a verse just to give an example of the style - I called my verse Christmas Eve and it went like this.

Frosty starlit night
Cant bear to wait much longer
The gift arrives - Love

Then I asked different groups to come up with Haiku verses based on the themes of advent. They were all exceptionally good and so I am posting them here for you all to enjoy.

Well done all of you and thank you for your grat contributions, budding poets that you are. Jx

Breakfast Praise

2011-12-02T10:51:00.001Z

I was just about to tuck into this yummy bacon sandwich this morning when I remembered I should just post to say that Breakfast praise is on on Sunday morning at Shirley at 9.15. Lively worship and bacon rolls - You can't beat it. Jx

Pastoral Visitors Training - Bereavement

2011-12-01T10:19:00.001Z

We had a great turn out for the pastoral visitors training which I led on Monday evening. Our subject was Bereavement and we covered this in some depth looking at the stages of grief and how we might best support those who are coming to terms with loss. I was very encouraged by how everyone engaged with the discussion and offered very valuable contributions. It was a good evening for learning, sharing and discovering and it was a privilege to lead this event. Many thanks to all who attended and for your helpful and open discussion. J x

Jazz Church review

2011-11-16T08:29:00.000Z

Hi everyone, I have just written a review of the last Jazz Church event for the website. I thought I would post it here too. Jx

Well we enjoyed a great evening of praise and worship at the lat jazz church event. There was a good number in the congregation, who all seemed in fine voice. We opened with a fabulous arrangement of O come all ye faithful which seemed the perfect opening to the theme for the evening which was worship.

During his message Adam reflected on how strongly held opinions about worship can divide congregations. Some churches respond by offering all different opportunities for worship with the aim of suiting everyone but resulting in splitting he congregation, whilst others stay together but lose members. Then there is the issue of the rapidly changing world, should worship meet these needs or, since worship is the heart and soul of church life should it not meet the needs of the membership? He then explored styes of worship and named many form the contemplative to the charismatic and to exemplify the variety he showed an hilarious clip fro the Blues Brothers in which James Brown led the worship which was lively to say the least. Adam then posed an interesting question about what happens if we take the spotlight off the preacher in worship and instead focus it on the congregation and ask - How good was your worship today?

Having explored the nature of worship we then listened to a performance of Revelations chapters 4&5. This was particularly good and I was surprised how different these chapters seemed when performed compared with simply reading them. The central theme for the 2 chapters reminds us that worship is about God not about us and as we understand this we understand that we pale into insignificance. After this we sang an amazing arrangement of Holy Holy Holy is the Lord. I really do believe that the music just goes on getting better and better at Jazz Church and in this case was so right in terms of the theme, the atmosphere and it led us deeper into our worship. For our prayers we made paper crowns as we reflected on the Kingship of God.

All in all it was an excellent service in which we not only explored the theme thoroughly but we were led into a state of worship by the wonderful musical arrangements, the readings and the opportunities to respond. Well done to the team, Jazz Church continues to go on getting better each time and is a real must for all who are seeking new approaches to worship, and if you love your Jazz - well this is definitely for you.

Jayne

Beetle Drive

2011-11-11T21:50:00.003Z

Don't forget that tomorrow night we have the fundraising Beetle Drive at Shirley. 6.00pm. See you there Jx

Ministry Meeting

2011-11-08T12:55:00.001Z

A great meeting of the ministry team last night who are embracing my challenge to engage with the community. Last night Sgt Paul O'Reilly paid an impromptu visit and we invited him to join our meeting. We had a good and thorough conversation about the challenges of engaging the community and particularly certain age groups within the community. Some great ideas emerged and we will be looking at these in our coming meetings.

Many thanks to Sgt O'Reilly for his helpful contributions and we look forward to working alongside each other in serving our community. Jx

Church Anniversary

2011-11-07T12:28:00.002Z

I just wanted to let you know how well the Church Anniversary service went at Shirley yesterday morning. It was a great team effort with many contributions from right across the church community. The band were in fine form, the choir in fine voice and the young people did a really great drama on prayer. It was good to hear Mike and Rebecca share their thoughts on what the church means to them. Rev'd John Ashplant gave us quite a bit to think about on how we age ourselves 17years of age which was when the church was built, 273 years of age which was when Methodism began or 2000 years of age when christianity began. Whichever way we look at it we were encouraged to continue in our call to be the body of Christ and to remain young enough to be able to answer the call to serve in the here and now.

Nice afternoon at Earlswood

2011-11-05T20:17:00.001Z

I popped into Earlswood's craft sale today. As ever it was very well supported indeed - at one point there were so may people that there was not room to move at all. The cakes stall was completely sold out - but then what do you expect with Earlswood's cake making ability.

Also the church was looking really good having recently had new windows and painted throughout. Earlswood is such a great church, well loved, well supported and just great people working hard to serve the community.

Well done guys. J x

Jazz Church

2011-11-03T09:27:00.002Z

Jazz Church on Sunday was just brilliant. Based on the theme of worship the team explored a variety of ideas through music, preaching and readings - in particular a performed reading from Revelation. We also watched a clip about a very lively approach to worship from the film The Blues Brothers this gave rise to some rather unhelpful suggestions afterwards about how we might make our worship at Shirley more lively and I can state categorically that I will not be introducing cartwheeling down the aisles in our morning service (or indeed any other service).

Next Jazz Church will be in January and a new venture in that it will be our first ever Jazz mass. Watch this space for more details. Jx

Another update from Rachel in Zambia

2011-10-26T13:54:00.002+01:00

It was good to hear from Rachel a few moments ago. Here is here email bringing us up to date with her placement activities in Zambia.

hey,
well lots has happened since i last e-mailed. I have been on placement
in ndola now for 10 days and we have had loads packed into that time,
have visited a hospice, a children's hospital, 2 schools, 3 cemetries
(to see the huge contrast between one near a shanty compound which has
around 10 funerals a day, mud graves and metal grave markers which
show how a huge number of the people arent much older to me in
comparison to one in the town where plots cost $5000 and have grave
stones etc).

on saturday i went to a kitchen party which is the zambian equivalent
of a hen party, the girl sits on a stage looking "humble" but this one
kept crying so i think something was wrong, after eating and a sermon,
each person presents the girl with a present for her kitchen when she
is married and gives her advice on what to do with it, then they
dance. there was one present that the giver had left so they made me
present a set of pots and I gave the advice "you cook with it" (i dont
know what zambians cook in specific utensils) and then they made me
dance. I forgot to mention they had decided that because i had got my
hauir braided to keep my head cooler that i should wear zambian dress,
so i was bought (i know its the thought that counts) the ugliest
african dress ever, and so embaressed danced. one sunday because of my
hair the minister described me as a zambian musungu (the african term
for a white person)

on monday it was zambia independence day which is a bank holiday to
celebrate 47 yrs since they became independent from England and we
spent the day at a country park, we went fishing, had lunch, went for
a SHORT walk, went for a swim (which was amazing, so cool compared to
the heat, went for a game drive but only saw impala and antelope and
then went to a snake house and i held a baby crocodile and snake, but
the boys were too scared.

this week we are looking at the church activities so spending each day
visiting a different cell group and having meals in peoples houses.
today we are driving out to a farm for lunch to visit a retired
teacher and a still active lawyer (he is going to be late because in
court) retirement age here is 55 so many are free to spend time with
us.

on saturday night we are going to a boys brigade formal fundraising
dinner which should be fun and we have been told we might not be home
till after midnight and then on sunday the three of us on placement at
St andrews, myself, Fitzroy from Guyana and Amin from India (those
have become out names, because our countries are as important as our
names) are doing the two services, firstly the english one at 8:15 and
then the one in bemba (hopefully with assistance) at 10:30. the church
have really accepted us and we are the sixth year they have been part
of the programme.

on monday we head to our next placement where we are more spread out
so i might be on my own but Jacob from the Netherlands, Prethap from
India and I are going to central province. but until we arrive we
arent sure where in the province or what we are doing. i have been
told that province eats a lot of caterpillars so that will be a bit
scary, but i have been really brave so far with food and eaten lots of
different things.

anyway hope you are all well,

love and God bless
Rachel

Singing the Faith

2011-10-24T08:27:00.001+01:00

Yesterday we celebrated 'Singing the Faith' in both our services. We explored many new hymns and it seems that everyone was in fine voice and very happy to try out new songs. It really is a great work and we are very grateful to all who put so much into this publication. In the coming months we will be holding a 'songs of praise' style service to celebrate more widely.

,

PS If anyone would like a copy of Hymns and Psalms to keep please let us know within the next week or so.

Jazz Church

2011-10-20T20:51:00.003+01:00

Just a quick reminder that Jazz Church is on the Horizon.

October 30th at Shirley Methodist Church. It is to be led by Adam Sanders. See you there. J x

Round up of the week

2011-10-15T17:22:00.006+01:00

Here is a round up of some of the things that I have been up to this week. Sadly, as is all to often the case these days the week was marked with two funeral services for two very strong, proud Methodist women, Dorothy from our own church and Doris who had recently moved to Shirley from Newcastle to be nearer her children. Their families will continue to be held in my prayers as they mourn their loss.
After the first of those funerals on Monday morning I went to a meeting at Queens Foundation to discuss a piece of academic writing I am about to undertake, I am quite excited about this piece of work - but more of that in another post. Afterwards, late afternoon, I made a pastoral visit. On Monday evening I chaired our Church Council meeting at Shirley, a good meeting where, apart from the usual reports we talked about strategy and change in line with a report from the General Secretary of conference.
On Tuesday the ministers of the new circuit met for an away morning at Lozells Methodist Church to discuss supervision of ministers and to set up a system whereby we can offer support and challenge each other in our role as ministers. In the afternoon I attended a sub-group meeting of Solihull's Interfaith Forum and on Tuesday evening there was a meeting of Shirley Churches Together, an excellent meeting in which we continued our discussions regarding our continuing commitment to work together to serve our community.
On Wednesday I did a few admin jobs at church in the morning. Then in the afternoon conducted the cremation and service or thanksgiving for Dorothy, a service that went very well thanks to the usual hard work and team effort of many of our members.
On Thursday I visited some of our poorly people before going to Cranmore Infant and Junior School to talk about Harvest in their school assembly. After that, a few more visits before taking an evening off.
Friday was my day off and I spent most of the day studying.
As I write this it is Saturday afternoon and I am at Birmingham Moor Street station waiting for my train home after being the guest speaker at Epilepsy Action in Birmingam Centre.

So that is my week so far - tonight is Saturday which can only mean one thing- X Factor!

News from Zambia

2011-10-10T23:02:00.002+01:00

It was really great to receive an email from Rachel, our student minister to let us know that she arrived in Zambia safely. Here is her message as received.

hey,
hope your good. I got here fine, flight leaving bham was half an hr late but other than that everything ran perfectly on time. was met fine and then after a tour of ndola we got driven to the college in kitwe. today have had some induction sessions but mainly a quiet day. everything is good so far, i have a room to myself which is pretty big but i think i will get a room mate either tomorrow or friday when more people arrive. i have a big mosquito net over my bed so thats good and yes mum i have remembered to take my doxy. so far 7 people have arrived: mark from scotland, richard from bangladesh, prethap and amen from India, jacob from holland and fitzroy from guyana. they all seem nice. we are sharing a "hostel" at the college which is a six bedroom building around a courtyard, which also has 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and a maid/house mother who cooks us three meals a day. food so far has been interesting, on the flights i ate more than i think i have eaten on flights for my entire life put together- a sweet potato wrap on the first, then roast beef in balsamic vinegar and mashed potato, then "pancakes" which were more olike a ham omelette (but i had the potatoes) then on the last flight a chicken cous cous salad and while I was in frankfurt i also ate 20 chicken nuggets and chips so was pretty full. here tho food is a little less me but tonight i had rice and a drumstick and just left the vegetables covered in mayo, lunch was a sort of beef and veg thing with mashed potato and carrots, this morning martha our cook tried a full english breakfast which was good but i don't think I've ever seen spicy battered tomato slices before but I ate them all. I've been eating most of meals but i think the "western" bits arent really liked by many such as pickled gherkins.

not sure what else to report, fone is fine, so text as much as u want.

the plan for time here is a week in college in kitwe, then a 2 week placement in a church in the copperbelt which seems to be the wealthier bit of zambia and we are in groups of three staying with local hosts, then a 2 week placement again in groups in various parts of zambia which has been described as more rural although some may have luxuries like internet. then the last week is a debrief in livingstone and victoria falls which should be awesome and we get to do the touristy bit. and then i fly home. This week every day begins with a service in chapel at half seven and this morning i decided to brave the shower which was freezing and just after i shampooed my hair the water ran out so had to finish in the sink. water seems a bit tempremental but we have a water fountain in the dining room so always have available clean water to drink. In zambia there are 7 different local dialects and so the services in the chapel use hymns each day from a different language, todays was bemba and I was complimented on my accent and how quickly I picked it up :)

anyway i should be able to check my e-mail most nights this week so thats until saturday but not sure after that. hope you are all well,

Worth reposting

2011-10-07T21:18:00.002+01:00

I was looking back over my blog posts of the last year and thought that this one was definitely reposting. I hope you enjoy it. Jx

Shirley Churches Together United Service

2011-10-05T19:27:00.003+01:00

Just to reming you that Shirley Churches Together united service will be held at SMC this coming Sunday at 6.30pm. We will be exploring the different gifts our churches bring which enable us to engage with our community. Promises to be a great service. Hope to see you there. Jx

Guest Post for Earlswood

2011-10-02T20:06:00.002+01:00

I am grateful to Paul for sending me this post reporting on their Harvest Festival this morning.

Just had to drop you a note about Earlswood's Harvest service and lunch. As usual our ladies did us proud with the church decoration it looked really superb,secondly what a super congregation we had,it was very nearly a full house with friends and family joining us (Pats Grandson William giving his gifts then during the hymn taking them back to his Mom and Dad) also we had the pleasure of some of our new Guide company and their families,plus Vicki's service all made for a great morning.Then on to lunch while the more energetic took a walk in the woods again our wonderful ladies prepared us a grand spread for lunch,so that we all went home fed in mind and body. A big thank's to all who supplied the gifts and our lunch and to the Rev's family making the day complete.

God Bless

Paul Spence

The Ministers Week

2011-09-29T17:00:00.004+01:00

Just a bit of an update on my week so far. On Monday I spent the morning in my office at church catching up on a few admin. jobs and one or two meetings. After a brief spot of lunch (cheese on toast from our own coffee shop) I went to do a few home visits to see a few people all of whom had recently been discharged from hospital and all, I am pleased to say, definitely well on the road to recovery.

On Tuesday morning, back in the office I again had several meetings, one of which was with Rev Vicki Atkins. During our meeting we discussed ideas for the South Cluster. We talked about a confirmation course which we hope to run in the coming months especially for our young people, two of whom are thinking about membership. We also talked about youth generally and how we might continue to build upon our work in all areas such as TNG, Junior Church and the uniformed organisations.

On Tuesday afternoon I went hospital visiting to Heartlands Hospital, again I am glad to report that those I saw were well and truly over the various ops. and procedures and looking forward to coming home.

On Tuesday evening I attended a circuit meeting at Selly Oak Methodist Church. This was a meeting of the new Worship and Learning Forum - a group whose remit it is to explore and facilitate worship, music, small groups (such as house churches), communication, circuit cohesion and training. With my heart for training it will come as no surprise that I came away tasked with convening the training strategy group for the circuit, which I am more than happy to do as I am one of those rare breeds that actually gets quite enthusiastic about training and development.

On Wednesday morning, back in the office to meet with Kath for our regular catch up and a chat about the notices and so on. I also began planning my two services for Sunday, one of which is Breakfast Praise and the other, an evening service at Acocks Green. Wednesday afternoon, back to hospital visiting - this time to Solihull where two of our members are undergoing treatment. Wednesday evening I attended the management meeting met where there was much discussion about property and financial matters and priorities for work needing to be done on the building.

Today is Thursday. As usual I began my day in the office at church - I had planned to do the shoppers service plan today but our student Rachel came along and was happy to undertake the job for me while I prepared some information for our church strategy meeting. After a spot of lunch we both went hospital visiting and have now just returned. So, here I am taking a few minutes to update the blog as we wait for a meeting at 6.00pm.

After that meeting I plan a night off and a little space to catch up with Annie and Stu to see how this, their first week at Uni is going for them.

So there you are, a week (or at least four days) in the life of the minister at SMC.

I hope you are all enjoying this glorious weather - make the most of it though its almost definitely the final fling of summer.

God bless, Jayne

PS At one point during the course of these busy few days I popped into Sainsbury's, Shirley and couldn't resist taking this picture of the stunning autumn trees in the car park. The photography is a bit rubbish but the colours are glorious and well worth seeing before the Autumn is through.

Harvest Festival

2011-09-26T10:50:00.005+01:00

So many people have said how much hey enjoyed our harvest festival this weekend. It truly was a great time of thanksgiving, celebration and sharing which were the themes on which we focused. The church looked really beautiful, Joan and her team worked hard on Saturday to decorate it with all the produce and also with the flowers which we traditionally send out to the house bound following the service. The main window, decorated by Alison and Wendy also looked fabulous.

The produce went to our own day centres which provide and excellent service for the elderly with a good, home cooked meal at lunch time, and also to Solihull Welcome which provides for those seeking refuge and asylum in the Solihull area.

Here are a few pics from the weekend.

Harvest Supper

2011-09-24T22:30:00.009+01:00

Just to let you know that this evenings harvest supper at Shirley Methodist Church was a really great event with much fun, friendship, food and fellowship. Apart from enjoying a good ploughman's supper we also enjoyed a quiz, a beetle drive and a game of bingo with chocolate for prizes.

There was also a great competition in which people were invited to enter animals made from fruit and vegetables. There were some excellent entries. Congratulations to Joe who won the under 16's, Alison who came first in the adults, Kathryn and David who came second and Wendy who came 3rd. Here are all the winners for you:

First Prize to Alison:-

Under 16's First Prize to Joe:-

Second prize to David and Kathryn:-

Third Prize to Wendy:-

The Next Generation meeting dates

2011-09-19T12:40:00.002+01:00

Just a quick update for those of you who come along to TNG (The Next Generation)

The next dates are as follows:

25th September,
9th October,
30th Ocotber,
6th November,
20th November,
4th December,
18th December

All at 6.30 and all at SMC

Best wishes, Jx

Earlswood Craft Fair

2011-09-19T12:11:00.003+01:00

I just wanted to draw you attention to this notice about the Earlswood Craft Fair. I can guarantee that it is a really good event and an excellent opportunity to buy beautiful bits and bobs for Christmas pressies. Do go along if you are able to.

Best wishes, Jayne x

EARLSWOOD

METHODIST CHURCH

Corner of Wood Lane & Rumbush Lane

CRAFT &

GIFT FAIR

BARGAINS GALORE!

WIDE VARIETY OF STALLS

IDEAL FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS

LIGHT LUNCHES AND REFRESHMENTS

AVAILABLE ALL DAY

SATURDAY 5th NOV

10.30AM - 3.00PM

ADMISSION 50P- CHILDREN FREE

IN AID OF CHURCH FUNDS

A wonderful celebration

2011-09-17T18:10:00.005+01:00

Well I am glad to report that my week ended on a much brighter note than it started given all the funerals I conducted over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday. Today I went to a fabulous 100th birthday celebration of someone who is very close to the heart of Shirley Methodist Church. And I can report that dear Agnes was absolutely radient as so many went along to wish her well on this very special day. I asked whether she would mind my posting her picture on here and she was very pleased that I should do so, so here she is showing me her card from the Queen.

And here is the lovely cake she was presented with. It was a really wonderful celebration and Agnes is a great inspiration to us all.

Jazz Church

2011-09-15T23:40:00.006+01:00

Here are details received in an email from Adam concerning the first Jazz Church Gathering

Hi everyone,

The first Jazz Church community gathering is to take place this Sunday afternoon at 15:30pm in Birmingham City Centre at a place called Cathedral Heights which is on one of the roads which face St Philips Cathedral - http://www.cathedral-heights-birmingham.com/

Come in the main door in the picture and use the lift to go to the top floor.

The community gathering is a very different type of thing to the worship events, it is an opportunity to discuss some of the ideas, have some coffee, listen to some music, hear something about the story of jazz church so far and help to shape its future. Everyone is welcome but we anticipate this being a much smaller group compared to the congregation for the worship events at Shirley.

In other news we have recently back from Greenbelt 2011 at Cheltenham Racecourse where Jazz Church lead worship in a venue which was bursting at the seams with interested festival goers! Unfortunately there were still 200 disappointed people waiting outside as the service begun!

The short worship was mainly congregational singing punctuated with some Bible readings and some jazz music. While the band continued to improvise, Themba read a short message encouraging people to be creative improvisers around the vision of new creation is Revelation 21, allowing that text to shape their everyday lives. We also got a write-up in the festival paper!

We are looking forward to an exciting new year of events and gatherings and would love to see you there.

Adam

What a week

2011-09-15T22:21:00.005+01:00

Well it is now 10.20 on Thursday evening and this week has been every bit as busy as I predicted and more! As I said in my last post I had six funeral services to conduct over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, all of whom were connected with Shirley MC in one way or another and so it has been sad and hectic at the same time. As ever, SMC worked extremely well as a team ensuring that all went smoothly, especially on Wednesday afternoon when we hosted teas for two of the services as well as a wonderful celebration service for Mary's life which she would have loved.

Last night I attended the first meeting of the circuit assembly for the new Birmingham Circuit. The Circuit Assembly is a meeting of the Trustees of the Circuit. It is where the business matters of the circuit are attended to and decisions ratified, it will be held twice per year with the next meeting being in March. Last night we were updated on property and finance issues, we briefly looked a the report given to conference by the General Secretary of the Methodist Church, Martyn Atkins, who focuses on discipleship and being shaped for mission. It is an excellent report and one that I will be bringing to the church Council for further discussion. It will also form the basis of a wider discussion at the March Circuit Assembly. One especially good item on the agenda last night was the testimony of a young woman from Lozells Methodist Church who feels called to diaconal ministry. It was an excellent testimony and the meeting agreed unanimously that she be recommended to go forward to the next stage in pursuing this call.

At lunch time today I attended the Shirley Churches Together ministers lunch, usually we meet at the Bridge (the church opposite SMC) with a packed lunch and have an informal business conversation. Today we discussed the next Churches Together service which will be held at Shirley Methodist Church on October 9th at 6.30 where we plan to celebrate the gifts we bring as churches which enable us to engage with the local community. We also talked about our signing the statement of commitment to work together as churches in Shirley and decided that this should happen at our joint service in the new year during the week of Christian Unity.

This evening I went along to the meeting of the Interfaith Forum in Solihull where I will be taking over from Susan Height as the representative for Shirley Churches Together. I am especially interested in interfaith dialogue and so I am very pleased to be appointed to this particular group. Somehow I managed to come away having taken on the role of minutes secretary for the group as well as volunteering to start a blog to share its work and various events that it will be promoting!

Tomorrow, well it should be a day off but I really need to catch up on admin and planning services for Sunday. Oh and, speaking of Sunday, don't forget we have our very first Jazz Gathering at 3.30pm I will post Adam's email on this shortly so that you have all the details you need if you are thinking of coming.

And Saturday? Well on Saturday I will be popping in to see Agnes, one of our members, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday. I'll be posting on that on Saturday evening.

See you than if not before. Jx

An update and a warm welcome

2011-09-11T08:04:00.005+01:00

Wow, what a start to the new year, hear we are 11 days in and I have not had time to draw breath never mind post on the blog. All too sadly a lot of my time has been taken up with preparing funeral services - 6 in total for this coming week and all connected with Shirley MC in one way or another. We continue to hold those bereaved in our prayers.

On a brighter note, the launch service for the new circuit went very well indeed. I now have some photo's to share with you which I will probably pose later today. It was an excellent time of worship and celebration and still people are talking aout what a great event it was.

Yesterday we attended Synod. This was held at Stratford Methodist Church whose hospitality was superb and the homemade biscuits very yummy. We discussed the theme of discipleship and what it means to be mission shaped as a church. So important was this discussion (which began at conference with a report form the General Secretary) that it warrants a post in int own right. Hopefully i will do this in the coming week and I urge you to look out for this, especially Shirley members as I think this really will impact upon our strategy discussions.

Todays post however is really concerned with introducing our new minister Vicki Atkins. Vicki is looking after Cheswick Green, Earlswood and sharing Trinity Monkspath with Baptist Minister Ken Hawkins. I asked if she would be prepared to write something for the blog that would help you to get to know her better. Here it is;

Hello!

My name is Rev Vicki Atkinson and I’ve newly arrived ready to roll up my sleeves and start work in the Shirley Cluster of Methodist Churches in September 2011.
So, here are few things you might like to know about me and my role as I begin partnership in the Gospel with you. There are 26 things to be precise, as I’ve created a kind of alphabetical guide to ‘Who is Vicki Atkinson?’.

A is for ACOCKS GREEN – where I’ve spent the last 6 years of my ministry.

B is for BOOK WORM – treasuring the Truth and Fiction.

C is for CHESWICK GREEN – where the manse can be found.

D is for DRAMA QUEEN – not histrionics but I’m first to volunteer for
sketches, monologues etc.

E is for EARLSWOOD – my most rural chapel.

F is for FACES – so many faces to remember, and names too!

G is for ‘GOD’S LOVE’ – my message and my motivation.

H is for HALF-TIME – my working week is 20 hours plus my Sunday
commitments.

I is for IDEAS – I’m full of fresh ideas and value the input of more practical
folk keeping my feet on the ground.

J is for JAYNE WEBB – my presbyteral colleague in the Shirley Cluster

K is for KEN HAWKINGS – my Baptist colleague at Trinity Monkspath Church

L is for LINCOLNSHIRE – where I was born and bred.

M is for MUM – I’m mum to two daughters.

N is for NEIGHBOURS – I’m always eager to share good news with neighbours
of all faiths and none.

O is for OUTREACH – I’m passionate about playing a part in communities.

P is for PRAYER – a vital ingredient because in our roots are our strength.

Q is for QUEENS COLLEGE – where I did my ministerial training.

R is for RESURRECTION – a symbol of new life and hope.

S is for SHIRLEY – the final link in the chain of my involvement in the cluster

T is for TRINITY MONKSPATH – an outlet for my ecumenical enthusiasm.

U is for UNITY- encouraging shared vision and action in the church communities

V is for VERY fond of VISITING.

W is for WIFE to Richard.

X is for eXcited at fresh opportunities in the new Birmingham Methodist circuit

Y is for YOU – looking forward to getting to know YOU.

Z is for A-Z map – very useful in exploring new territory.

Hope this gives you a flavour of who I am and what my role involves.
In the coming months, it will be a privilege for me to get to know individuals, churches and neighbourhoods, their hopes and concerns.

Wishing you all an A-Z of God’s blessings,

Vicki

Picture Competition Results

2011-09-05T22:03:00.005+01:00

Here as promised are the results of the picture competition which proved to be very popular throughout August. First the answers:

Picture 1 Ashleigh Road Solihull
Picture No 2 St Martins in the Field
Picture No. 3 Th Dirty Duck, Stratford on Avon
Picture No. 4 The Island at Birmingham airport the sculpture being 'Take Off'
Picture No. 5 Chapel Rock, Perranporth beach
Picture No. 6 Wells Cathedral
Final Picture - Gordon Ramsay's, Claridges

And the winner(s)

Well in joint first are Linda Bates and Paul Brazier. Well done to you both. If you would like to message me with where you would like you prize to be sent to I will send it to you straight away.

This competition proved to be so popular I am thinking of another one for December with an advent theme, so watch out for that if you have enjoyed the picture competition.

Best wishes, J x

Breakfast Praise

2011-09-04T23:42:00.003+01:00

I just wanted to report on all the great feedback we are getting about Breakfast Praise this morning. It was a really good and informal time of worship in which we thought about the values of our church community and used street dance as a metaphor for doing so. I am hugely grateful to Conner for coming along to perform and to help us understand the origins of street dance. We all came to the conclusion that celebrating diversity whilst being united in Christ was an important foundation for us as a worshipping community.

I was so pleased that it was well attended, that everyone joined in and of course that there was enough bacon butties to go around.

I sam really looking forward tot he next one, first Sunday in October - do try to come along if you are able to.

Best wishes, J x

Back in the Saddle

2011-09-02T12:03:00.003+01:00

Well here I am back in the saddle, and what a start to the new Methodist Year and a new Birmingham Circuit. The launch service last night at Symphony Hall was just stunning. A wonderful celebration of singing, drama, dance, readings and of course a great message preached by Leo Osborn, President of Conference. I was interested to learn that he was back in home territory last night as Birmingham is the city where he grew up. During his sermon he took us on a bus ride that had been familiar to him as a child from Harbourne to Handsworth and up to Broad Street, at each place exploring the theme of water and linking it to our theme for the evening ' The River of Life'.

All in all it was a great service and a tremendous start to a great new venture for Methodists across Birmingham.

Now that my holiday is over the picture competition has come to a close and I will announce the winner next week. If you want to enter you still can, just take a look at all the pictures I posted over the holiday and tell me where they were taken. There are currently people vying for first place with all correct answers.

We welcome Reverend Vicki Atkinson into the cluster who will be looking after Earlswood and Cheswick Green, I will be spending some time with her over the weekend and I am hoping to talk her into doing a guest blog here so that you can get to know her a little better.

Well, there is a quick update for you for now, its good to be back and for all you Methodists may I wish you a very happy New Year.

Jayne x

final picture

2011-09-02T00:49:00.003+01:00

Here is the final picture in the competition. Earlier this month I went out to dinner in a very posh restaurant. Where?

(this should be a doddle for my facebook friends!)
Winner will be announced next week.

Picture no. 6

2011-08-25T11:53:00.003+01:00

Sorry to all of you about posting this picture so late but I have had a break and not had internet connection. Here is a picture for you - which english Cathedral is this?

Picture No 5

2011-08-18T17:45:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone here is picture number 5. You need to tell my the name of the rock in the centre of the picture and why it was significant for me earlier this year.

Picture No 4.

2011-08-14T16:22:00.004+01:00

Let's see how you get on with this one then! I took it earlier today, not the best picture but it should be adequate. No clues (unless none of you get it in the next few days).

A peace gathering

2011-08-13T00:06:00.001+01:00

Thank to James Pritchard for posting the following information on Facebook:

'Peace Gathering for the whole of Birmingham, this Sun. 14 Aug from 3pm at Summerfield Park, Dudley Road, Winson Road; this is to show a United Birmingham - 1 City, 1 Voice, For Peace and is supported by the families of those tragically killed earlier in the week. This event is supported by Birmingham Council of Faiths (BCF) too. Please do feel free to circulate this information to other contacts and networks you may have.'

Best wishes, Jx

Picture No 3.

2011-08-11T10:25:00.003+01:00

Here is today's picture. A famous pub. Area? Well anyone living around Birmingham could pop out to this popular town for a spot of lunch! If no one has got it by tonight I'll post a clue in the morning. Jx

Competition picture no 2

2011-08-07T09:42:00.003+01:00

Well I have decided that the last picture was way too easy (probably the clue was too much of a giveaway) so here is picture no. 2 without any clues. It was taken yesterday whilst I was out and about in London. Send in your entries as before via email, facebook or the contact form here.

Best wishes Jayne

All the answers will be published at the end of August.

A Warm Welcome

2011-08-06T09:10:00.006+01:00

Mornin' all
It is a pleasure to introduce a guest blogger this morning. He has recently moved into our community and I am deligted to welcome him here on the blog. I'll let him introduce himself.

Hello Hello Hello. Who's this then?

Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Paul O'Reilly and I been a police officer for nearly 22 years. I had spent the majority of my career policing South Birmingham before I moved across to Chelmsley Wood in 2005. After twelve months of varying roles, I started a four-year stint as neighbourhood sergeant for Castle Bromwich before I moved into the Council House in 2010 where I worked within the Safer Solihull Partnership.
On 1st June 2011, I returned to my passion - neighbourhood policing - when I was awarded the post of sergeant on the Shirley West and East Neighbourhood Policing Team following the Continuous Improvement Programme changes to policing in Solihull Local Policing Unit. I look forward to meeting as many of my constituents as possible during my term here, under the right circumstances of course!

The team and I are based at Shirley Police Station, next to Morrison's Supermarket, on the Stratford Road. We can be contacted via email to shirleywestandeast@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk or via telephone on 0345 113 5000 extension 7928 6231.

You can also follow me via Twitter @SgtWestMidsPol or read my blogs at sgtwestmidspol.wordpress.com

The team also have an official page on the West Midlands Police website at http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/np/solihull/

If you see team or I while you are out and about, please feel free to say hi.

Have a happy and safe summer.

Best wishes

Sergeant Paul O'Reilly

Great response

2011-08-05T08:18:00.004+01:00

Well there has been an excellent response already to the picture competition. If you haven't already done so, please send me your answer to picture no 1 through the contact page here. Actually I think the first picture was not enough of a challenge for you so its time to get more tricky. Watch out for picture no. 2 tomorrow

Competition Picture 1

2011-08-04T11:39:00.006+01:00

Here as promised is a fun competition whilst I take my summer break. This beautiful tree lined road is in Solihull. But then many of the roads in Solihull are beautiful and tree lined so that will not be much help, so here is a cryptic clue. Cheryl Cole's husband might have lived here!

Next picture on Saturday.

Don't forget, the person who gets the most right will get a box of chockies. xx

Summer Break

2011-07-30T11:40:00.010+01:00

Well folks on Monday it will be August, that month when all goes quiet before the start of the the new year (at least for the Methodist Church) on Sept 1st. I tend to take a break during August, if only to take to my sofa and recharge the batteries, so I may not be posting too much. However, just for fun I have decided on a new competition for August which will take the form of posting pictures, either locally or further afield, and you have to guess where the picture is taken. As I said its just for fun so don't expect to win a cruise or an iphone or anything, but do post your guess via the contact form, I may run to a box of chockies for the person making the most correct guesses.

Other than this competition during August, I will also check in now and again to post any interesting snippets of news or even just to let you know what I am up to (which probably won't be that interesting to be fair) however I am considering giving the blog a facelift so you may see some changes when you do log in.

Anyway, have a great summer. Do pop in to the blog during in August though normal posting will resume on September 1st.

Image courtesy of

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

London's West End Musicals

2011-07-23T22:48:00.004+01:00

What a wonderful evening we were treated to at Shirley Methodist Church this evening! Two's Harmony and the Church choir gave us a full and varied programme of songs from some of the best of the West End shows. Not only did we enjoy great performance but we were also encouraged to participate in the singing.

Mike Ray gave the vote of thanks and reminded us of all the hard work and practice that Graham and Jean and the choir put in to a concert such as this, which is precisely why they are so good. Mike also informed us that the evening had raised almost £1000 in total, all in aid of Methodist Homes. So, all in all a great night for an excellent cause.

This Saturday - a great night out

2011-07-22T19:50:00.003+01:00

If you are free on Saturday evening do go along to the 'London's West end Musicals' concert which will be held at Shirley Methodist Church on Saturday 23rd July. You can look forward to the Church Choir and Two's harmony - both of which are guaranteed to give wonderful performances. You will hear music from The Sound of Music and Les Miserables to name a few and can be sure of a lovely evening.

Tickets are £6 adults and £1 for children. These are available from Choir members or Graham Lowe or, if you just want to drop an email to me through this site then I will ask that some be reserved for you on the door.

The proceeds from the concert are in aid of Methodist Homes.

A round up of the last two weeks

2011-07-18T08:29:00.011+01:00

Well here as promised is a round up of what has been happening over the last 2 weeks whilst I have been too busy to check into the blog. Since the weekend of the Earlswood Fete 2 weeks ago we have also had the junior Church Festival at Shirley. Now I know it was a brilliant event because everyone keeps telling me so but unfortunately i was preaching at Maypole on that morning so I was not able to be there. Hence I have no photographs to show you or any report for you but if someone would like to send me a little more information I will be happy to post it here.

Last weekend was the carnival in Shirley park. This was a great event and especially so because of the presence of Shirley Churches Together who had a refreshments and prayer tent which proved to be very popular indeed. The weather was beautiful and as you can see from these pics Daisy also enjoyed her afternoon at the carnival, here she is enjoying a cuddle with Rosie.

On Sunday afternoon of last weekend we had our final service of the Moseley Road and Sparkhill Circuit. This too was a great event and very well attended by many ministers who had been stationed in the circuit in the past. We enjoyed a superb performance from the joint Shirley Methodist and Shirley Community Choirs and also an hilarious sketch on change written by Keith Dennis who also performed it along with Peter Bates and Jean Hamilton. The service was both a sad but uplifting occasion which prepared us well to take with us all the treasures of the circuit and prepare to move forward toward a new vision for Methodism in Birmingham.

On Saturday of this weekend there was a fundraising strawberry tea at Mike and Ruth's at which the band played and a wonderful time of fellowship was enjoyed by all. Again I was not able to be there as I was at a family wedding but it was by all accounts and excellent event and well over £200 was raised.

And finally, last night, we enjoyed Jazz Church led by Neil Johnson. Jazz Church has now been going for a year and it was a superb service, not intended to celebrate our first anniversary but none the less a fitting service for the occasion. I am convinced that Jazz Church goes on getting better and better and this coming year we have a new programme of events which is intended to take the notion of Jazz Church and develop it in new ways. I will be writing a post all about this but in the mean time here is the flyer so you can earmark the dates in your diary.

Quick catch up

2011-07-16T00:48:00.003+01:00

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that I have not dropped off the face of the earth - its just that some weeks are so busy that I just don't manage to get to my blog, which is a shame as blogging is one of my great joys and i do miss it when I am not able to find the time to check in.

It is is now 1.00 am so I wont stay long, however, just to say I will do a round up of what has been happening, since my last post, sometime over the weekend. Of course there has been lots happening which is precisely why I have been too busy to post!

In the meantime, don't forget Jazz Church tomorrow night 7.00pm

TNG also tomorrow night 6.30pm (unless you have signed up to the new band for Breakfast Praise then it's 6.00 for a quick meeting).

Earlswood Fete

2011-07-02T23:46:00.012+01:00

If you went Earlswood Fete today you will know that it was everything I promised and more. What a great day! The weather was perfect, dry and sunny but not too hot. There was an excellent turnout and everyone had a great time. The music was provided by a group called 'Impact'. They used to play together as a band when they were at school and have now reunited (via friends reunited ) after some forty years - I can recommend them if you are looking for great music for an event. There was also Conk the Clown - very funny indeed and recently back from Denmark where he has been performing. The dance act was 'Cast Off' the Appalachian Step Dance Team who left everyone marvelling at their stamina and fitness ( I was exhausted just watching). And as for the cake stall, don't get me started! But of all the attractions the prize, if there was one, for the most eccentric was the sheepdog who did a great turn herding ducks. Yes, that's right, herding ducks. The farmer apparently has around 15 ducks which he keeps for the sole purpose of training the dogs to herd. Completely quackers if you ask me but it was good fun all the same.

The proceeds from the Fete will be split between the church and Troopaid - truly an excellent cause.

Later this week I will feature Troopaid and its work and also I will look in a bit more detail at some of the attractions we enjoyed today.

So watch this space for more updates but in the meantime here are some images from the day.

A busy weekend

2011-07-01T22:53:00.005+01:00

A big weekend coming up! Fete at Earslwood Methodist Church, 2.00pm, Saturday. Junior Church Festival, Shirley Methodist Church, Sunday 10.30 am. TNG, Shirley Methodist Church, 6.30 pm Sunday. Hope to see you there! Jayne x

Oh, BTW, TNG - got some exciting news for you. J

Anyone for Breakfast

2011-06-30T14:08:00.007+01:00

Just a note to inform you of a new venture that we are staring in September at Shirley called Breakfast Praise. This is geared towards families and young people and will happen on the first Sunday in every month at 9.20a.am for an hour. Does this sound a bit early to be getting up and ready for church? No worries, breakfast will be served! So you can get up at the last minute and just wander down to church for breakfast and some fun filled worship. If any of you are interested in playing in the band for this service (or serving breakfast, stewarding etc.) please drop me an email through the contact sheet here.

Best wishes, Jayne

Croissant Newspaper And Tea by Petr Kratochvil

A great local blog

2011-06-27T12:05:00.007+01:00

I was really happy to come across this useful site and blog all about Forshaw Heath and Earlswood. I have linked it in the side bar as well so you can check it out.

Carrie, if you are at the Fete on Saturday do say hello, I'll be wondering around in a dog collar -not literally of course!

http://earlswoodlakes.blogspot.com/

Best wishes, Jayne

Earlswood

2011-06-26T13:22:00.007+01:00

We had a lovely service at Earlswood this morning. It was a glorious morning and the window behind the communion table was shown at its best.

As you know if you read my post of a few weeks ago http://revjayne.blogspot.com/2011/06/grand-fete-earlswood.html Earlswood is preparing for the Fete next Saturday. It promises to be a great event as ever and if the forecasts are to be believed then we are in for some good weather for it. Do try to come along if you can, as Fete's go this is one of the best ever, last year we had over 800 visitors.

Here are the details again:

Shirley Women's Fellowship trip to Ledbury

2011-06-22T11:07:00.013+01:00

Yesterday was women's fellowship outing. We went off to Herefordshire, first for a potter in the craft centre and then on to Ledbury Methodist Church where the Women's Fellowship there provided a wonderful tea. Last year Ledbury Women's Fellowship paid a visit to Shirley and so this was the return visit. The weather was warm and sunny and though the odd shower threatened we did manage to stay dry.

Ledbury Methodist Church was of course my previous appointment so it was good for me to be able to catch up with old friends and Church members and the new minister there.

I took lots of pictures to show you.

Firstly here are some of the Hop Pocket Craft Centre where you can buy anything from a pack of frozen sausages to a grand piano.

From local wines to pretty ornaments

The driveway to the centre was very pretty, lined with beautiful roses.

And then on to Ledbury Methodist Church.

Where we all enjoyed a fabulous tea.

Oh and I did get a few moments to take a look in my favourite interior design shop, Butler and Sweatman (right next door to Ledbury MC)

So all in all a really enjoyable time was had by all.

A sunny morning

2011-06-19T15:45:00.005+01:00

Sometimes it is very hard to navigate ones way down the staircase at the manse, especially first thing in the morning when the sun is streaming in through the window and this little group gather to bask in the warmth. I took this at about 8.00 this morning.

Aww bless!

Something new

2011-06-18T15:37:00.006+01:00

Well it has been such a busy week this week that I have not managed to get to my computer to post anything yet. But here I am now with news of a new venture as of 1st September at Shirley. On the first Sunday of each month we will be holding a further service which will be aimed at families but all are welcome. It will be from 9.20 am to 10.20 am and will include breakfast, worship and fellowship especially for our younger members. It will take place in the small hall and will not affect any of our other services at all - they will continue as normal.

This new service is intended as a 6 month trial and after that we will review its progress. Do come and see what we are upto. First one will be on the first Sunday in September - look our for the new plan for more details.

Best wishes, Jayne

What a difference a day makes

2011-06-13T10:58:00.004+01:00

Well what a difference in the weather over Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday Nancy and Alan hosted a fund raising coffee morning. We were blessed with glorious sunshine which showed their beautiful garden off to its best. It was a great morning, very well attended and as usual some very yummy cakes.

On Sunday we had the circuit fun day at Earlswood but the planed games on the field were a complete wash out as we had torrential rain all day long. Never mind, with Tony Malcolm and Jan Smith at the helm we all had a great time anyway with indoor games, face painting and a fabulous young magician. Well done to all who made this a great event and thank your to all who supported it despite the rain.

Staff Sleepover

2011-06-10T10:17:00.007+01:00

Just to let you know that I am back from the staff away day. For those of you that don't know, the ministers and lay staff of the current circuit spend some time together each quarter in order to discuss business, to offer mutual support and for our own development. Since this was our last meeting as a group in the current circuit we decided to make this a 24 hour retreat and off we went to the Redhill Christian retreat center just outside of Stratford on Avon for a sleep over. It was a good, relaxing time for us. The food was excellent as was the accommodation. We spent some time reflecting on this place of transition as many of the group are moving on to different places - but thankfully not to far away. We enjoyed communion together before a very hearty lunch yesterday and then we went our separate ways.

This has been an excellent group for me over the last two years and I am very grateful for the support I have found there. It will be strange for us to no longer to meet in this context. But, as I said it was easier to leave our retreat knowing that none of us would be that far away and almost all of us will stil be involved in the new circuit in some way or another. Here are a few pics.

Grand Fete Earlswood

2011-06-07T13:53:00.003+01:00

It hardly seems like a year ago since I was introduced to my first ever Earlswood Grand fete. I was promised it would be a good one and it certainly lived up too all the expectations that had been set. In just a few weeks the 2011 Grand Fete is to be held. Please come along if you can it is well worth a visit with great attractions, refreshments and lots of interesting things to do, see and or buy.

Here are the Details

Grand Fete

Earlswood Methodist Church

Corner of Wood Lane and Rumbush Lane

Saturday 2nd July

2.00pm - 4.30pm

Miniature Train Rides, Aerial Glide, Lots of Stalls and Side Shows

Music provided by the Impacts

Arena events include:-

The Appalachan Dancers

Duck Display & Juggling Display

Homemade Refreshments and Teas

Served All Afternoon

Supporting Troop Aid and Church Maintenance

Here is Daisy enjoying last years Fete (Daisy is the one in the foreground!)

Cluster Youth Group

2011-06-06T13:47:00.005+01:00

A great night at Cluster Youth Group last night. It really was a good fun evening. I have no idea who won the table tennis game in the end as we lost the plot when Rosie S. introduced a new ball into the game so that we were playing with two at once. Still it was a good laugh and highly entertaining. Joe B proved to be the champion of the 'just a minute' game (based on the radio 4 programme) though there was a lot of competition as most of the youth have no problem filling a minute, or two, or even ten on just about anything (and nothing for that matter) just kidding guys.

Here are the next meeting dates if you want to join us

Sunday 19th June
Sunday 3rd July
Sunday 17th July

A big day at Shirley

2011-06-03T18:36:00.003+01:00

Well yesterday was a big day at Shirley. Firstly we said our sad farewells to Margaret - a cremation service followed by a service of thanksgiving at SMC. During the process of preparing the service I discovered just how much a core part of our church Margaret was with her involvement in so many things from the office to the choir and from flower arranging ( in the distant past) to making the pulpit falls, the curtains in the hall and organising the making of the kneelers. It will be hard for us all to come to terms with her no longer being with us. This morning I received an email from her family thanking everyone for their contributions to the service and the tea which followed. They were very pleased with how it all went, how welcome they were made to feel and the lovely memories that people shared about Margaret as the afternoon unfolded.

In the evening we hosted the circuit service. This was the Ascension Day service at which I preached and presided at communion. It was good to see so many from around the circuit to what was one of our last services in the current circuit (excepting the celebration service on 10th July).

I would just like to say thank you to Steve who worked extremely hard yesterday to ensure that both services went ahead without a hitch and also everyone who contributed in one way or another. Ann and her team, as usual, ensured that our good name for hospitality went unchallenged and David, reserve organist, also did an excellent job at both services. There are many others I have not mentioned but I am extremely grateful to.

A visit from UNCLE

2011-05-30T10:44:00.003+01:00

Most people know that Nepal is the home of Mount Everest (and possibly the Yeti). However its recent history has been turbulent ans is the twelfth poorest nation on earth. The UN estimates that about 40% of nepalis live in poverty. About 80% of the population is Hindu, with about 0.5% Christian.

UNCLE (Uplifting Nepal's Children with love and Education) is a small charity working with the poorest children in Nepal. It runs two orphanages in the capital, Katmandu. It also supports the small Christian population in Nepal through education and support for those in Christian ministry.

On Saturday evening 11th June we will welcome the Chair of UNCLE, Rev Ian Smarts and two of his colleagues from UNCLE.

By telling us about some of their visits to Nepal and the real stories of the the children they will explain how and why the charity came into existence and some of the problems that have been overcome in setting up the orphanages. They promise an illustrated talk that is entertaining, through provoking and inspiring.

Do come along if you are able to 6.00 - 8.00pm.

Drinks will be provided, but please bring some food to share for a Faith Tea at 6.00pm

Jazz Church Planning Meeting

2011-05-26T20:09:00.002+01:00

“Hot can be cool, and cool can be hot, and each can be both. But hot or cool, man, jazz is jazz.” Louis Armstrong

The next Jazz Church is on the horizon (17th July) and we look forward to welcoming our speaker, Reverend Neil Johnson who will be exploring Jazz and Gospel, Music and Movement. If you are interested in attending the planning meeting for this event it will be on 6th June 7.45 in the Coffee Shop.

Reflecting on change

2011-05-25T07:50:00.002+01:00

Since Teamspirit is now published and about to be distributed I thought i would today post my letter for those who do not receive this publication. Grappling with change is an important issue and will increasingly be so as the work of the strategy group unfolds.
So, to to get us thinking about and reflecting on change, I wrote this.

Dear Friends,

So we prepare to enter a new era in term of our circuit life. As of 1st September we will no longer be a part of the Moseley Road and Sparkhill Circuit, instead we will be part of a much larger circuit comprising 42 churches and covering a huge geographical area across Birmingham and Solihull. In reality I suspect that it will change little at a local level, rather this change will be felt more by those of us who regularly engage at circuit level.

Does that mean we can breath a sigh of relief and get on with life in Shirley as normal. Well it depends what we want and since so many of you talk about how important growth and development are, and so many of you reflect on how you want to see younger generations becoming a part of our community then the answer has to be that no, we cannot carry on with church life as normal. Staying the same is only an option if decline is our goal and I don’t think I have heard one voice yet who embraces decline as the state we should be aiming for. But I do understand that people don’t want the pain that change often brings with it.

In recent months a small group at Shirley has been looking at opportunities for growing and developing as a healthy church. We have already begun to generate many ideas about activities and fresh approaches, all with a view to our becoming all that God calls us to be as a community church in Shirley town centre. Achieving this though will mean accepting that somethings will need to change and the starting place for that has nothing to do with changing worship or decor, seating arrangements or offering new activities. The real change begins with our preparedness to face the challenges before us, to take risks and to let go of our fear enough that the spirit finds the freedom to move amongst us.

So as we look forward to a new era in our circuit life let us be brave enough to look at ourselves, our church and to let go all that holds us back. CS Lewis puts it like this:

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Best wishes, Jayne

My new office

2011-05-21T21:24:00.006+01:00

Today I added the finishing touches to my new office which many of you will have already seen. I plan to 'move in' next week so if you are around, do pop in and say hello. There will be a post box situated just outside the office so if I am not there but you have a message for me or some news or any pastoral matters you think I should know about just post them in the box and I will pick them up on a daily basis. I couldn't resist taking a picture for you, so here it is - my shiny new office.

Another Wedding

2011-05-21T21:11:00.003+01:00

Well the day of David and Kathryn's wedding finally dawned today. The sun was shining and all was set for an excellent service. As usual Joan did stunning flower arrangements which complimented the purple and silver theme chosen by the bride. The service was conducted by Reverend Catherine Minor whilst I, as the authorised person to conduct marriages at Shirley Methodist Church, oversaw the signing of the registers. As usual my iphone photos do not do the occasion justice but I am sure there will be plenty to see before long as there were lots of people taking pics.

In the meantime here are one or two, firstly the bride and groom (obviously) and secondly the chief bridesmaid and the best man.

More good news

2011-05-20T18:24:00.006+01:00

While I am on the subject of sharing good news (see the last post) there is yet more to celebrate. Today I went to church and was delighted to discover that I could actually get in! What I mean is, it appears that the saga of our automatic doors has been solved. This has been a long and arduous process which has been costly, particularly in terms of the time and effort on the part of our property stewards who for weeks have had to arrive at church before the start of every group and event in order to let people in. They have spent a huge amount of time negotiating with the firm responsible for dealing with what was beginning to look like an insurmountable problem and have managed to keep us up and running through the whole debacle. So, a massive thank you to the property stewards for all you have done. Lets hope this is now an open and shut case - sorry couldn't resist that!!!

Coffee Morning update

2011-05-20T18:09:00.005+01:00

Just an update for you on the coffee morning held at Liz and Malcolm's last week. The grand total raised was £367.00. This is really good news and Liz, Malcolm and the team should be applauded for all their hard work. Well done guys.

The next one will be held at Alan and Nancy's on 11th June from 10.00 to 12.00. See you there. Jayne

My week so far

2011-05-19T09:01:00.005+01:00

So here is a catch up on some of the things I have been doing this week. On Monday I measured up my new office with a view to furnishing it and hopefully will be able to move in next week. From there I went to a meeting of the new strategy focus group in which we are exploring opportunities for reaching out to a broader and wider cross section of our community. Next some pastoral visits, unfortunately with an emphasis on funeral visits so a rather sad afternoon all in all. After that came the job I dislike most - administration, and because I dislike it I am notoriously bad at it. It involves form filling and completing various bits of documentation for the registrar which is a legal requirement so no matter much I procrastinate there is no getting out of it!

Tuesday morning I began the preparation for my service on Sunday morning, which will be at Earlswood. And later on Tuesday I had two speaking appointments firstly at women's fellowship where I spoke on the theme of 'rural ministry' which as many of you know was the focus of my last appointment in Ledbury. In the evening I spoke at Midis on the theme of 'what job I would do if I was not a minister'. The answer I will not reveal here as it may form the theme of a blog post later on.

On Wednesday we had our staff meeting this is a regular meeting of the ministers and lay workers where we spend time in devotion, we talk about or work and offer mutual support. I left this a little early to attend a meeting with our new minister Vicki Atkinson so that we could look at the plan for the next quarter together. That meeting too was cut a little short as I had a funeral at 3.00 at Robin Hood. Wednesday evening was one of those evenings where there was a clash of dates, Shirley management meeting clashing with a circuit meeting. As it was I sent my apologies to both as my son Stuart was performing over in Stratford so I took the evening off to support him.

So that has been my week so far, today is a day off, my mum is here and we are going to potter in the local shops just as soon as I have posted on the blog.

Have a good day whatever you're doing. J x

Goodbye to Pat

2011-05-16T08:05:00.008+01:00

On Saturday evening the stewards met to say thank you and goodbye to Pat as she steps down from her role a steward. We went out to dinner at the Horseshoes on the Stratford Road and had a really good evening. Excellent company and really good food too.
Pat was given a copy of The Message and a lovely celtic cross. It was also good to welcome Barbera to her first 'stewards do'. I took some pics to show you but they are not great as the lighting was not good but still you might catch a glimpse the the lovely evening we shared.

Coffee morning at Liz and Malcolms

2011-05-14T13:00:00.008+01:00

A great fundraising coffee morning was held at Liz and Malcolms this morning. I am really glad that there was such a good turnout and that the rain held off. The cakes were yummy and there were lots of lovely things to buy as well as a tombola. Thank you Liz and the team for all your hard work and and effort towards making this such a good event. If you were not able to be there here is a sample of what you missed!

A reflection from the great hymn writer Isacc Watts

2011-05-13T18:32:00.007+01:00

"...What unknown myriads of insects in their various cradles and nesting places are now working toward vitality and motion! And thousands of them with their painted wings just beginning to unfurl, expand themselves into fluttering and daylight.

An exquisite world of wonders is complicated even in the body of every little insect - an ant, a gnat, a mite - that is scarse visible to the naked eye. Admirable engines! which a whole academy of philosophers could never contrive - which the nations of poets has neither art not colours to describe - nor has a world of mechanics skill enough to frame the plainest or coarsest of them. Their nerves their muscles and the minute atoms which compose the fluids fit to run in the little channels of their veins, escape the notice of the most sagacious mathematician, with all his aid of glasses. The active powers and curiosity of human nature are limited in their pursuit and must be content to lie down in ignorance.

It is a sublime and constant triumph over all the intellectual powers of man which the great God maintains every moment in these inimitable works of nature- in these impenetrable recesses and mysteries of divine art."

Isacc Watts, from 'Meditation on the First of May'

Heaven and Earth

2011-05-11T08:11:00.003+01:00

“Earth is crammed with heaven
And every bush aflame with God
But only those who see take off their shoes.”

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A baptism on the beach

2011-05-08T21:16:00.007+01:00

This weekend has been both hectic and fabulous. It was a real privilege to have been asked to baptise baby Baylin on Perranporth Beach, Cornwall. Mum and Dad (Kirsty and Leo), being the surfer dudes they are, planned a great day where the only thing that wasn’t cool was the weather which turned out to be glorious. Baylin looked stunning in her wetsuit especially made for the occasion. A lovely celebration was enjoyed by all.

By the way, the rock which you see in this picture, where the baptism took place, is known as chapel rock.

A warm welcome

2011-05-06T19:02:00.002+01:00

I want to say a huge welcome to to Irene, our new student minister in the South Cluster who will be with us on placement for the next few months. Irene is studying at Queens Foundation and is in her first year as a student Deacon. You will see her around at meetings and services and the various events that go on in the cluster so when you do please give her a warm welcome.

She is pictured here with her two adorable children whom we might get to meet during the course of her placement.

Peace Jayne

Back to the grindstone

2011-05-04T13:58:00.012+01:00

Well it seems that the spate of weddings which have taken up a few blog posts in recent weeks is over (well almost, we still have Kathryn and David's to look forward to on 21st May) so life is pretty much back to normal to the manse.

Last night I hosted the Shirley stewards meeting. That is always a long one, rarely finishing before 10.45 but it is also a very productive one and last night was no exception. We talked about and decided upon many things ranging from our circuit celebration service on July 10th and the logistics of that, through to the harvest festival and we even glanced at the Christingle service. Of course issues relating to the new circuit took up some of our discussion as the 1st of September is fast approaching. Christians Together was also on the agenda especially with a view to having a space in the park at Shirley Carnival on 8th July. This has already been decided by the Churches Together meeting and volunteers are required on a number of different fronts from face painting to tea making. If you are interested in getting involved with this please see me or one of the steward it would be good to have a good presence from the Methodist Church.

Today continues to be a busy one. I began this morning by wading through a huge pile of emails in my inbox and then went to do a funeral visit. After that I met with all the ministers from Christians Together in Shirley for lunch and a chat. We talked about the various activities we had undertaken together in recent months such as the last joint service and the Good Friday walk of witness and we also reflected upon how else we can draw closer together in our witness and service in Shirley. I left that meeting a little early as this afternoon I had to conduct a funeral service for someone who had connections with three of the four churches that I look after and it was good to see people from Shirley, Trinity and Cheswick Green there.

Tonight I am leading the pastoral visitors training. We will be exploring the role of the pastoral visitor and recapping some of the things we have covered in sessions before such as the nature of relating in pastoral practice. Do feel free to come along it is open to anyone. There will be opportunity for plenty of discussion and questions on all aspects of pastoral care.

Don't forget that tomorrow night is Take 5 our time for quiet contemplation. This is at the new time of 8.00pm and is held in the chapel.

Best wishes, Jayne

Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-03T09:38:00.004+01:00

How did I feel on learning of the news of Osama Bin Laden this weekend. Well to be honest not great? I don't sense any triumph in this killing and yet I struggled to articulate why this news left me cold.

This morning, thanks to Linda Bates, the quote that sums up my feelings precisely was brought to my attention:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

And another wedding!

2011-05-01T12:40:00.006+01:00

It was a real privilege yesterday to conduct the wedding of David and Sian. What a wonderful celebration it was. They all looked gorgeous in a coordinated soft shade of purple which was very classy and understated. The bride stole the show obviously, beautiful (but then we already knew that) and radiant on this most special of days.

Thank you both, it was such a pleasure to be involved in the day and we all wish you the very best for a long and happy marriage.

God bless, Jayne

Another Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T14:24:00.002+01:00

A great time was had by all at the royal wedding on the big screen at Shirley Methodist Church. After a few technical hitches which were quickly sorted out we all enjoyed the event, toasted the couple with sparkling orange juice and then tucked into a bring and share lunch.

Thank you to those who organised this, and those who worked hard to put the lunch together and cleared away afterwards. A great idea which worked well on the day.

A Royal Wedding

2011-04-28T20:31:00.003+01:00

This morning I went to this school, Cranmore Infant School, to help them as they spent the day thinking about weddings and especially the royal wedding. I was invited to take the assembly, but it was rather an unusual assembly as I actually conducted a wedding service in which many of the children played a role. We had William and Kate, bridesmaids, a best man and the bride and grooms parents. The bride processed up the aisle to some very grand music and looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress. William wore a smart suit and a crown and the bridesmaids too looked so pretty.

They made their promises, exchanged rings and signed the register before the entire school sang and then they processed down the aisle, again to very grand music. It was a really great occasion. I was very impressed with how good all the children were and how much they enjoyed this special occasion. It was a really great morning I I thoroughly enjoyed this time with the children.

Lets hope the events at Westminster tomorrow go as smoothly as our wedding did today.

Congratulations William and Kate.

A Cream Tea

2011-04-25T20:59:00.004+01:00

Well I have spent this beautiful easter monday enjoying a cream tea in the herefordshire countryside. I couldn't resist posting this for you. I hope you are enjoying your easter whatever you are doing.

Jayne

2011-04-25T12:36:00.007+01:00

Well here we are at the start of a new week, Easter Monday! The weather is glorious despite forecasts to the contrary and we are in celebratory mode as the resurrection life fills us with hope, confidence and joy.

Last week was a hectic but fulfilling week, we enjoyed meditations on Holy Week themes every morning at Shirley and I am thankful to those who attended and for the positive comments which have got me thinking about a more regular slot for quiet meditation in the mornings. The Maundy Thursday service at Shirley was very well attended again this year and it was good to welcome people from other churches in Shirley to that service. The Good Friday shoppers service led by Rev John Ashplant was also very well attended with many going on to the Churches Together walk of witness afterwards. Wow what a walk of witness that was, several hundred people processing along the Stratford Road was a pretty impressive sight. I was privileged to be asked to preach at the Baptist Church, which was the the closing point of the walk, afterwards we enjoyed the hospitality of the Baptist Church in the form of Hot Cross Buns and coffee.

Yesterday at Shirley we followed the usual tradition of bringing the decorated cross to the front of the church. I felt that both the morning service and the evening service were a wonderful celebrations of the risen Christ and all that that means for us in our broken world.

God bless and happy easter, Jayne

Joint Circuit Meeting

2011-04-06T19:57:00.001+01:00

Right now I am at the first joint meeting of the new circuit. There is a buzz and sense of excitement as the meeting opens. It is very well attended and Peter Bates is chairing the meeting which is set to be a long one since it is a fairly hefty agenda. Watch this space for a more detailed report for how this meeting unfolds.

Incidentally as we waited for the meeting to begin Adam and I put the final touches to Jazz church. It is shaping up to be a great evening. Don't forget, Sunday 10th April 7.00pm Shirley Methodist Church.

Youth Cluster Meetings

2011-04-03T18:18:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post for the Cluster Youth Group, the following dates are for youth group meetings. They all take place from 6.30 to 8.00 pm at Shirley MC. Look forward to seeing you there.

Sunday 27th March
Sunday 3rd April
Sunday 8th may
Sunday 22nd may
Sunday 5th June
Sunday 19th June
Sunday 3rd July
Sunday 17th July (Jazz Chruch)

Minuted at Synod

2011-04-03T09:50:00.004+01:00

In September of last year I posted this http://tinyurl.com/3ge3nsb. It is with horror that I discover the church in America did indeed burn a copy of the Koran and I am still struggling to understand. I was very pleased that Synod took a decision yesterday to minute that this act was not done in the name of our God.

Gospel Choir concert

2011-04-02T21:56:00.004+01:00

The Gospel Choir concert was held at Shirley this evening. It was a fabulous event, as we confidently predicted it would be, and we heard some fabulous singing. tonight was a real pleasure and all the hard work of the rehearsals really paid off. It was especially good to hear soloist Matt Stone and of course the lovely Laura Mvula whom many of you will know from Jazz Church.

The money raised from this evening is to go to the Children's Hospital Arts Department, some of the projects the department are involved with include;

The Lullaby Project, where members of the CBSO play soothing music to help children under 5 go to sleep on cardiac and oncology wards. Also there is the Long Term Project with children who have mental health issues. They learn to write lyrics, play and instrument and eventually record their own CD.

So all in all, a great concert for an excellent cause and I am sure those involved would want to thank all who attended for their support. The Gospel Choir has proved to be very popular and continues to go from to go from strength to strength, Adam and Steph are to be congratulated for the way they have shaped the choir and for its continuing popularity.

A busy evening

2011-03-27T21:28:00.006+01:00

There were two events this evening that I wanted to attend but they clashed so I spent the first half of the evening at one event and the second half at the other. The first was the Shirley Christians Together united service where we explored the various overseas projects that each church is involved with. It was real eye opener to see how much can be achieved when there is a will and a passion to help the worlds poorest people. Hearing first hand the work that is being done by the Christian community of Shirley was inspiring and gave us all a sense of unity and support as we realised the similar joys and struggles, and the highs and lows of this work. Many of us came away moved and inspired to look again at how richly we are blessed and we we might go further to share with the world.

The second event was a meeting of the cluster youth group which seems to be going from strength to strength. The group was in full swing when I arrived with excellent turn out of the young people. There was a great buzz about the place as they enjoyed table tennis the Wii and various other activities. We now have sunday evening club dates published for up until July and we will also be publishing special events evenings where we will do things on other evenings, one of which I hope will be an evening at the ice rink and another, a BBQ at the manse in the summer. Details will be published as soon as these events have been set.

A meeting at the manse

2011-03-25T07:23:00.006Z

I just wanted to share this picture with you. It is a scene from the manse last night. It made me laugh as it looks as if the cats are having a meeting and the dog arrived too late to get a seat. I posted this on facebook last night and someone commented on the post asking whether it was like a stewards meeting and the dog was rather like the minister banging her head on the floor!!

I'll leave the stewards to judge that comment for themselves. Best wishes, Jayne

Shirley Christians Together United Service

2011-03-24T17:22:00.005Z

Just a reminder to everyone that Shirley Churches Together will be holding a united service this coming Sunday at 6.30 pm. The service will be exploring and praying for the various overseas projects that each church is involved with. Do come if you are able, it is good to meet, worship and pray with other denominations in our town. And, incidentally did you know that research has shown that individual churches tend to grow when they are actively engaged in working together with other denominations!

The service will be held at The Bridge - 6.30pm

Thank you

2011-03-21T10:50:00.001Z

I would like to thank all those across the South Cluster who have supported me through the sad loss of my father. I have received so many cards and flowers and messages of concern that I have felt constantly cared for by you during the last week. On behalf of my family I would also like to thank all those at Shirley Methodist Church who helped to make the funeral service last Tuesday such a wonderful celebration of Dad's life. We were all really appreciative of the kind efforts of all who were involved. I have discovered for myself this week that this truly is a community of love you and I am so thankful for that love and for your ministry.

God bless, Jayne

Baptism at Earlswood

2011-02-28T07:58:00.003Z

I just wanted to comment on what a wonderful service we enjoyed at Earlswood yesterday which included the baptism of baby William. We thoroughly enjoyed having so many toddlers and young people who really seemed to enjoy themselves, which is precisely how it should be for young ones in church. William was the star of the show and looked stunning in a little cream suit. The entire service was a great celebration of Gods love and grace and I thank all the children who were there for reminding us of the sense of fun, laughter and freedom that really should be present in our worship more often.

A brief catch up

2011-02-25T20:51:00.003Z

Hi everyone, I expect many of you have been wondering where I have got to since it has been a while since I last posted. Many of you though I am sure are aware that I have been juggling my work with my Dad's recent admission to hospital where he has been very poorly, this has led me to let go of one or two things for the time being whilst I manage a few more pressing needs.

Anyway here I am with a brief update to let you know that I am still here!

Since I last posted Graham and Jean put on the most fabulous concert at Shirley entitled Two's Harmony in America. It was a truly wonderful performance and very well supported. I am delighted to report that it raised over £800 which is just brilliant.

The church councils have met across the cluster and all have decided to take up the offer of reduced rates which is being made to those who purchase 'Singing the Faith' early. I am really pleased that everyone has decided to embrace this important work and I am just wondering whether it might be worth setting up a few evenings for all cluster members to attend where we might explore and learn some of the newer hymns together. If anyone is interested in this please let me know and I will put some wheels in motion to organise it. Having said all of that the Methodist Recorder reports a delay in publication of about 3 months owing to printing difficulties. Watch this space for further news on that.

Across the cluster I have been kept busy with weddings and baptisms over the last two weeks - always great occasions and yet another baptism to look forward to at Earlswood this coming Sunday. Sadly though we have also said our farewells to 3 members at Shirley this last week and we continue to hold their families in prayer.

Looking ahead you will know by now of the two up and coming circuit services to be held in the summer. The first is on the 10th July at Shirley and will be a celebration service for the for the current circuit and of all that we have shared together over the years. Tea will also be served at this event.

Then in September we have the launch service for our new circuit. This is shaping up to be a fabulous event. It will be held at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and will be attended by both the President and the Vice President of Conference. All are welcome to this service and whilst there is no charge you will need a ticket. These are not available yet but as soon as they are the churches will be notified.

Finally, Jazz Church is looming again, the open planning meeting for this will be held on 14th March at SMC but watch this space for details on that meeting and please come if you are able to.

So there you, a brief catch up on the cluster. See you soon, J

Thank you

2011-02-06T08:53:00.003Z

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the quiz last night which was a fund raising event for the cluster youth. I was very well attended and everyone enjoyed a supper of very yummy pizza and salad. I particularly want to thank the Gilyead family and Carolyn and Bill Russell for all of their hard work in organising and preparing for the evening. And of course to all the young people who did an excellent job in tasting pizzas a few weeks ago to make sure we served the best on the night.

Well done all of you and thanks for a great night

Church Website

2011-02-04T14:26:00.004Z

Well the new site is up and running and looking very good I might add. If you haven't visited yet, do go and browse around there and if you think you have any information that needs to go on the site then please let either Adam or myself know.

Here is the link to the site www.shirleymethodist.org.uk/

Take Five

2011-02-03T15:57:00.001Z

Don't forget, Take Five is on tonight 7.30 to. 8.30 in the chapel at SMC!

Last day of voting

2011-02-01T12:25:00.002Z

Do you remember a while back I asked for support from you by voting for Annie in the photography competition (cutest pet)? Well tomorrow is the closing day. I would be really grateful if you could give some last minute support. You are allowed to vote again so please give it one last thumbs up. Here is the link.

http://tiny.cc/7yfte

Many thanks, Jayne