December 2017/January 2018

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REGULAR CHURCH ACTIVITIES The regular weekly activities within the church are outlined below. There are phone numbers given to ring if you need further information.

SUNDAY 10.00am The Bridge 10.00am Morning Service and Sunday Club 6.30pm Evening Service Holy Communion, morning and evening as announced

MONDAY 12.15pm Prayers for the Week 1.00pm Open Door 1.30pm Carpet Bowls

TUESDAY 2.30pm Women’s Fellowship (fortnightly) 6.00pm Boys’ Brigade - Anchor Boys 7.00pm Boys’ Brigade - Junior/Company sections

WEDNESDAY 5.45pm Girls’ Brigade - Explorers 6.00pm Girls’ Brigade - Junior/Company sections 7.45pm Prayer Walk (monthly)

THURSDAY 9.30am Toddler Thursday 7.30pm Focus (fortnightly) & Forum (monthly) 7.30pm Searchlight Fellowship Group at St Mary’s Hall

FRIDAY 7.30pm Bridge Prayer meeting (monthly) 7.30pm Carpet Bowls

SATURDAY 9.30am Meanders (fortnightly, tel: 871844) 10.00am Mini-Meanders (monthly, tel: 821845) For details of House groups phone Chris Cogan on 0191 271 2637

Minister: Rev Jona Sewell 61 Cheviot View, Ponteland, NE20 9BH. Tel: 822057

E-mail: revjsewell@gmail.com

Church website http://www.ponteland-methodist-church.org.uk/

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MINISTER’S LETTER There’s a line in Harry Potter where Voldemort asks Harry, 'Why do you live?' Harry replies, 'Because I have something worth living for.' I some-times wonder as a nation, church, or individually, what are we doing that’s worth living for? And at Christmas time, what are we living for? I did a bit of research and found these statistics about Christmas:

• 10% of adults regularly worry about paying for Christmas. *

• 33% are borrowing to pay for Christmas this year. *

• The average adult spends £500 - £700 on presents. ˄

• The average UK household will spend £300 on extras (decorations, food, drink etc.). ˄

• Over £800m was spent online on Christmas Day 2016. ˅

• Age UK estimate that more than one in three retired people feel lonely or isolated at Christmas.

What are we living for? Of course there's nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas, spending money and enjoying ourselves. But I wonder, as a nation have we gone too far? Are we too consumer and possession driven? Is it right that some people get themselves into excessive debt? Whilst others are ex-cluded? Is our focus all wrong? Here are some other truths about Christmas:

• God became human in Jesus, so that he could live with us (John 1:14)

• God came in Jesus to sacrifice himself for us (Romans 3:25)

• God wants us to want him more than we want other things (Matthew 6:23)

• Jesus lived, died and rose so that we can know God as our pro-vider, friend, comforter and saviour (Colossians 1:22)

• In Jesus, God showed us how much he loves us (John 3:16)

• Through Jesus we can have the best possible life (John 10:10) What are we living for? What's Christmas truly about for us? As we celebrate may we be a people who want God more than anything else; may we long for the best possible life with Him. May we be an ex-ample to the world that Christmas is not just about festivities, expendi-ture and excess, but about a God who loves us and who is still Immanu-el, God with us (Isaiah 7:14) – for that is Good News! Wishing you all a joyous and blessed Christmas.

Jona (*statistics from the Money Advice Trust) (˄statistics from a Babatoo survey) (˅taken from the Retail Gazette website)

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DENNIS CARSS (83) Dennis Carss passed away on Monday 23

rd Oc-

tober aged 83. Dennis was born in 1934 in Newcastle and at-tended Elswick Road School and then the Ruth-erford Grammar School. Whilst at Rutherord he started attending Elswick Road Methodist Church and joined the Sunday School and the Boys’ Brigade. The Boys’ Brigade would have a

massive influence over his life. He met a young woman, Beryl, at Paradise Methodist Church (where else) but six weeks later he began his two years’ National Service and was posted in Sin-gapore servicing Ground Wireless Equipment. On returning both he and Beryl picked up where they left off and they were still on the same wavelength. He also returned to his job as an appren-tice toolmaker at Reyrolle’s in Hebburn. Dennis might have been a menace but Beryl was never a peril! Dennis and Beryl were engaged on New Year’s Eve 1957 and married at Paradise Church on 20

th September 1958. Good

Methodists that they were they went to live at the Hydraulic Crane pub on Scotswood Road. They moved to Heddon in 1960 and were very active at the Methodist Church working in the Sunday School, helping with the youth club and the Boys’ Bri-gade. He used his building skills to convert the cycle shed into a Sunday School room. Dennis served as a Circuit Steward for eight years. At the same time Dennis still ran the BB at Elswick Road and served the Newcastle Battalion as their President from 1968 to 1972. Dennis went on to work at Burgess Micro Switches as a design draughtsman and having attended night school he started teaching at Charles Trevelyan Technical College in 1966. In 1986 he was seconded to NEI Parsons for a year to advise them on their training needs. He finally retired when he was 57. In 1975 Dennis, Beryl and the family moved to Ponteland and were again very active members at Ponteland Methodist Church. He was the Sunday School Superintendent, Church Steward and ran the Junior Section of the Boys’ Brigade. In 1982 Beryl and Dennis started to attend Milbourne chapel and were very happy there. It was here that he felt a call to preach

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and was fully accredited in 1994 and Mary Wetherall was his mentor. His preaching was greatly appreciated around the Cir-cuit. In addition he led Bible studies and Alpha courses. He was a man of many interests including photography, DIY which in-cluded building the garden wall at Milbourne, archery, plotting family trees and bookbinding. He would do anything for anyone. He used his interests and hobbies to help countless people. Dennis and Beryl had three children, Jane, John and Helen and he loved his family and was enormously proud of you all. You described him as having a great sense of humour, off the wall, unique, would talk to everybody, loving, encouraging and sup-portive, a man who saw potential in everybody. Above all there is Beryl, the love of his life and his closest friend. You described him as stubborn, determined and a man who could turn his hand to anything. He loved you deeply and would thank you for your unending love and support. He would thank you for being his love, the mother of his children and for being an anchor and a joy in his life. Dennis was a preacher, a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew his Lord and was confident that death was not the end but rather a prelude to a glorious future. At no point did I see any sign of fear in his final few weeks but rather a quiet and dignified belief that Jesus would see him safely home. The words of assurance in scripture that he knew so well took on a deeper, richer significance for him and his faith in Christ never wavered, indeed it seemed to grow deeper and firmer. He would urge me to invite you to put your faith in the Lord Jesus. For the life of Dennis Carss, husband, father, father-in-law, granddad, friend, preacher and above all Christian, we give God the thanks and praise.

Tim Thorpe

A big thank you from West End Refugee Service. People have been very generous.

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SHEILA BOUSFIELD Sheila was born on 14

th November 1938 in Ra-

venstonedale to parents Robert & Dorothy, going on to attend an all-girls’ school in nearby Kirkby Stephen. Sheila met Harold through country dancing and they began courting. When Sheila had completed her education she went to work as a pharmacist in Boots in Carlisle; Harold moved up a year later and they were wed in Carlisle Central Hall in 1962. They moved to Whitehill near Brampton and while here children arrived, with Jonathan born in ‘66 and Caroline a year later. In ‘67 the family moved to Dalton, due to Harold’s work, and Sheila took a job in the kitchens at Ponte-land High School; working term time only meant that she was able to spend time with and look after the children during the holidays. The family enjoyed many holidays in the caravan, with Bournemouth a regular destination, making new friends as they went. Sheila’s work took her to Bookless Florists on Darras Hall and finally to Grange Lea from where she retired. The family home moved to Kingston Park and, in 2007, Dinnington. Sheila could be quite creative and enjoyed sewing, knitting and making clothes; she was also a good cook and baker. She en-joyed days out at National Trust sites and walks along the sea-front at South Shields or Tynemouth, often taking the young grandchildren to South Shields for Coleman’s fish and chips and a walk along the prom. She was very family-orientated and was a proud mother to Jon-athan and Caroline, grandma to Sarah and Christopher, and al-so welcomed Mark, Justin and Mike into the family. She loved spending time with the family and, even when she became ill, through sheer strength of character, was proud to attend Sa-rah’s wedding and got through the whole day without a break. Sheila was determined and strong, and liked things done in her own particular way. She loved to be involved in family activities and times together and was generous with her time, energy, emotion and resources.

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Her generosity was also seen through her involvement with our Church, beginning in 1968. Here in Ponteland at different times she: baked cakes and scones for coffee mornings, was a Bri-gade officer, helped with the Boys’ Brigade, was President of the Girls’ Brigade, was part of the young wives group, played piano for the infants in Sunday School, was a door steward, and was on the ‘Care and share’ Committee. For Sheila, church was about far more than doing and being sociable, as she also had a deep and real faith in God and in the hope and promise of resur-rection. She died peacefully with her beloved Harold and daugh-ter Caroline at her side.

Jona Sewell

VILLAGE NEWS Ponteland Community Middle school This school has launched a consultation on plans to expand. It will run until 8

th January.

Flats on the former library site on Thornhill Road Work on these has started. Thornhill road is partially blocked as work is done to increase the electric supply to the site. The NCC development company Arch which has been in charge of the project has recently been dissolved following a review. A new company will be established that will focus on job creation, re-generation, economic growth and affordable housing. Proposed Garden Village, Dissington A further planning application has been made for up to 2000 dwellings, facilities for employment, commercial, agricultural and leisure uses and associated infrastructure and flood alleviation measures and the demolition of a small number of buildings. An environmental statement has been provided. The documents should be available at the library and Ponteland Town Council offices. You can look online at http://publicaccess.northumberland.gov.uk/online-applications . The reference number is 16/04672/OUTES. Comments must be received by 7

th December. No doubt there will be information in

the December edition of Pont News and Views. Concern over anti-social behaviour A recent meeting was held between the police, county council and town council. 60 members of the public attended the meet-ing. Jennifer Hardy

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VANESSA BROWN 1968-2017

Vanessa’s gentle presence among us is greatly missed. She was quiet, unassum-ing, never coveted attention, she pos-sessed a natural attractiveness. Vanessa could climb a mountain and still look good when she got to the top! Her fair curly hair, fine features, ready smile – and of course her petiteness - evoked the love of all who knew her. Gentle, quiet, attractive – but very brave. Vanessa possessed an inner strength beyond that of many a loud giant. Throughout her lifetime she had many trials to cope with, many disappointments to overcome – but she faced them all with true grit. From her childhood, Vanessa drew inspiration from the great outdoors. She didn’t particularly enjoy her school days, apart from her craft lessons - but she got on with it, inspired by the thought of the next family holiday on the beach or in the country-side. After school she explored many areas of work before en-tering the Civil Service at Longbenton where she bought her first house so that she could walk to and from work, drawing strength from the fresh air - but for Vanessa the best part of her working day was the walk home! Over the years of her adult life she walked with many different groups of people in this country and abroad, often with people she had never met before. She never lacked the courage to try new things. She even joined a group of people in the east end of Newcastle to learn salsa dancing, enjoying weekends away with them in Scarborough, dancing - and breathing in the sea air. However, without doubt, Vanessa’s bravery was rooted in her Christian faith. After joining the Ponteland ‘That’s It’ young peo-ple’s fellowship her faith in God began to grow. She went on to find her spiritual home at Milbourne where she worshipped, shared in Bible study and Christian fellowship and served in the mission of the Church. Her Christian faith blessed her with life to the full. It not only shaped the person she was - gentle, quiet,

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attractive, brave - but also loving, thoughtful, kind, always think-ing of others before herself – it also shaped her last thoughts. Vanessa’s final concern was that all people might come to know the fullness of life that she knew. Perhaps the highest tribute I can offer to Vanessa is that she brought the presence of Christ into our midst.

Maureen Lloyd

Living Christianity in the Holy Land 5th – 19th February 2018

Led by Rev Dr Stephen Skuce, Director of Scholarship Rev John Howard, Mission Partner Israel/Palestine,

The Methodist Church.

This is very different from a traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We will visit some of the holy sites, but the emphasis is a lot more

upon meeting the people and hearing of their lives. This will include doing some voluntary work. The focus is upon the Christian Community of the Holy Land – though in order to understand more of their situation we will also be

meeting Muslims and Jews.

Provisional Programme 5

th Arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport.

6th Mount of Olives, many of Jerusalem sites. 7

th Temple Mount/Western Wall, Yad Vashem.

8th

Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem Bible. 9

th Welcome to Bethlehem and the West Bank.

10th

Hebron and the South Hebron Hills. 11

th Worship at St Andrew’s Jerusalem. Political Tour of Bethlehem.

12th Volunteer at a local project (am), Walk from Bet Jala to Battir.

13th Visit Tent of Nations (am), Bedouin Village and desert.

14th Jericho, Mount of Temptations, "Zacheus' Tree”,

15th

Volunteer at Ibillin School (am), visit Nazareth. 16

th Sea of Galilee and sites. Return to Bethlehem Bible College.

17th Volunteer at a local project. (am), Visit Herodium.

18th Worship at Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem. 19

th Return to UK.

The internal costs will be £1400, including all meals, transport, accommodation, and admission charges. Flights are to be arranged individually and are not included.

For further details please contact John Howard John_d_howard@hotmail.com

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PEACE AND GOODWILL IN THE HOLY LAND? Greetings from Bethlehem, although by the time you read this I should, Inshallah (“God willing,” as they say here constantly) be back home after my visit to Israel-Palestine. Sitting in the town of Jesus’ birth, in the run-up to the Christmas period I’ve been thinking about the presence (or absence) in the Holy Land today of the angels’ promised “peace and goodwill”. It certainly isn’t the experience of “all people” here. The most obvious sign of a lack of goodwill is the Separation Barrier, stretching 500 miles, dividing the West Bank from the rest of historic Palestine, now Israel. In places it is not yet com-pleted or is barely more than a wire mesh fence, but in Bethle-hem huge concrete slabs tower above you, flanked by lookout posts occupied by armed Israeli soldiers, often conscripts no older than my teenage daughter. The Barrier separates Pales-tinians from their land, causing farmers to forfeit ownership as they are unable to tend their crops; it separates families, with West Bank Palestinians being unable to travel the short dis-tance to visit relatives in Jerusalem without protracted and cost-ly application for additional ID and a time-limited permit, with many conditions attached; it snakes around buildings, cutting off businesses from the source of their trade, for example a small gift shop used to be on the main route to Rachel’s Tomb, a prime spot for selling souvenirs, but today it is surrounded on three sides by the Barrier, with the road now going to nowhere. Despite the Occupation and the daily injustices, I have discov-ered many examples of goodwill. Here are just a few:

•Saliba, a Christian working in the Wi’am (Agape) Palestinian conflict resolution centre, in the shadow of the Barrier, was asked what he thought of the Jews and replied, “I love them. They are my neighbours.”

•The Nassar family, Christians and the legal owners of 100 acres of land since 1916 (with documents to prove their owner-ship from Ottoman, British, and Jordanian rule) are fighting a 26 year court battle to retain their land in the face of illegal Israeli settlements springing up all around. They have chosen to re-spond without anger and violence and have developed their farm into The Tent of Nations centre hosting people from around the world, teaching them the art of peacemaking under

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the slogan, “We refuse to be enemies.”

•Khader, who worked voluntarily for two years to turn around the finances and organisation of a Christian school offering mar-ginalised young people of all faiths an education and, in some cases, their only home. Throughout the school life there is an emphasis on educating for peace and uprooting violence.

•Staff of the Alrowwad project in the Aida Palestinian refugee camp, providing education and vocational training and a meet-ing point within one of the most marginalised communities.

•The Rabbis for Human Rights who help Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest in the face of threats from settlers.

•Usaid, Sawsan and Nasser promoting the involvement of peo-ple with physical disabilities in sport, in order to enhance their self-esteem and give them a purpose in life. The volunteers with the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), people of all ages and many nationalities spending three months observing and recording injustices and providing a visi-ble presence alongside Palestinians. This Christmas season, as you sing “O Little Town of Bethle-hem” or listen to the proclamation of “Peace and goodwill to all people,” say a prayer for the many people of all faiths working to bring peace to this Holy Land.

Bev PS, if you would like to meet some of these amazing people and see the historic and religious sites of this fascinating country, you may wish to join the Living Christianity in the Holy Land trip from 5th to 19th February (see page 9).

INSIDE SYRIA Maaloula was known as the capital of Christianity in Syria. When rebel forces took over the town in 2013 the words, “The capital of Christianity has fallen, Christianity is dead” were broadcast from the loudspeakers in the town’s minarets. The town was retaken by the Syrian Army in 2016 and I was visiting it with a group of Christians from Britain. As we found elsewhere in Syria, the destruction was colossal, but what was really shocking were the personal stories. It seems that everyone in Syria has lost a brother, a son, a father or a wife. It is harrowing to hear account after account of meaningless and at times ran-

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Tent of Nations with Daoud Nasser

The entrance to Aida refugee camp, the key a reminder of the homes Palestinians can’t return to.

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Separation Barrier in Bethlehem

Gift Shop

Usaid (back), Nasser (l) and Sawsan (r) of the Bethlehem Sports Club of Disabled

EAPPI hand-over service when one team passes the light to the next.

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dom killing. Each story is unique, but story after story tells of the terri-ble suffering of ordinary people Travelling in Syria and hearing what Syrian people say you are given a very different picture from the one we receive from the western me-dia. When the Syrian army retook Maaloula in 2016 it was greeted as liberators. Two hundred Syrian soldiers died, most of them Muslim, to recapture “The Christian Capital of Syria”. Today the town is begin-ning the long process of rebuilding and coming to terms with what took place. At Qara in the west of Syria, close to the border with Lebanon, ISIS held much of the area until mid September this year. We were there just days after the liberation of the town. The story of the monastery there is remarkable. For most of the last two years it has been unsafe for the eight nuns and four monks to go outside. Their fifth century church with five-foot-thick walls was often their sanctuary from shells and mortars. We were the first outsiders to visit them after ISIS had been driven out. What a welcome we received, including a party for my 65th birthday! One of the nuns got out her guitar, another found a large fig biscuit in which 8 candles were placed. It was a birthday cel-ebration I will never forget! The story of the monastery of St James the Persian is one which speaks of the complexity of this conflict. The monastery never fell to ISIS. It was defended by Hezbollah so Muslim fighters fought - and some died - to defend a Christian monastery from jihadist Muslim rebels. The destruction in Homs goes beyond anything I have ever seen be-fore - and I have been to a number of conflict zones. As far as the eye can see, there is not a building unscarred by the war. Most buildings are now just a jumble of wrecked concrete and reinforcing bars. Yet 20,000 people are living in these destroyed buildings as they have nowhere else to go. A woman in her thirties, who lives in Damascus and has done so throughout the war, described the terror of her young children as they have lived through years of mortar bombs being fired into their neigh-bourhood by the rebel groups occupying suburbs of the city. They were sitting down together watching a children’s programme on televi-sion when, without any warning, a mortar exploded on their neigh-bours’ house. The neighbours were all killed. Their house lost all its windows and doors. They have no means to repair them. The children shake uncontrollably every time they think of it, they have nightmares and are urgently in need of trauma counselling, but there is no help available; the sanctions applied to the country mean that almost no aid agencies are working there.

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There is of course a parallel narrative, that some of the refugees tell. I have no way of knowing where the blame lies, or who is responsible for the descent of this country into the orgy of destruction it has en-dured. I am told that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been pouring arms into the rebel groups. In Parliament the British Government indicated that they had spent two hundred million pounds supporting the Free Syrian Army in recent months. Undoubtedly American, British, Rus-sian and other armed forces have played their part. All I can speak of is what I heard with my own ears and what I saw with my own eyes. How can people behave in such ways towards each other? But there was also hope expressed. Almost everyone I spoke to said that they felt that the war was now coming to an end, so perhaps now is the time to look ahead. How can the outside world now help to re-store the people of Syria from the hell they have been through? Syri-ans described to me, as they look back, the view that very quickly what had been a conflict within Syria became an insurgency and it was people from outside Syria that made this war what it has been. Now will those same people contribute to the peace, to the rebuilding of Syria? As Churches we need to pray for Syrians, but surely we must do more than that. How can we as Churches aid the people of Syria? With sanctions it’s difficult, but surely there must be a way.

Rev John Howard, Mission Partner Israel/Palestine

A WELCOME TASTE OF SUMMER You may recall that our BBQ in July raised the record total of £2,700. This was shared between Reaching the Unreached (RTU for rural street children in India) and Unique (for those affected by rare chromosome disor-ders). RTU is conscious that the generosity of western donors means that their children are often advantaged relative to rural families liv-ing in their vicinity. In recent years they have used some of their income to improve hous-ing, water supply and education for local fami-lies. The money donated at our BBQ is enough to build one such house with running water. We have received a thank-you card and letter from India. The card invites us to “Imagine a world where every child is safe, well-fed, educated and happy. Imagine being a part of making

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THE BRIDGE IN DECEMBER There is a contemporary café-style worship service. WORSHIP: all services at 10 am in the Church hall DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Christmas service: The Bridge Family Christmas Celebration will be on Sunday 17

th at 10am and

will be led by Tim Woolley. Please be praying for and inviting friends and family! Gather: this local ecumenical prayer and praise meeting will be coming to Ponteland Methodist on Saturday 27

th January. It

will be in the evening, exact start time to be confirmed. Please put in your diary and don’t miss it! BigChurchLive: The Rend Collective (writers of “My Light-house”) are coming to Newcastle City Hall on Friday 9th Feb-ruary. Some of us have already bought our tickets, do come and join us if you can. https://bigchurchlive.com/events/rend-collective/newcastle-february

Tim Woolley

that dream a reality”. The letter from Father Antony, a Roman Catholic priest who was brought up as an orphan in RTU and is now the Director of the organisation in India, reads: ‘Dear Peter & Isobel, Greetings from RTU. With sentiments of gratitude we would like to thank you for your thoughtfulness to shelter a homeless fami-ly with the proceeds of £1,285 from your fundraising BBQ that you held for RTU this summer. As you know, house construction is a vital part of our work to give poor families who live in our ar-ea a secure and safe home in which to build their lives and the future of their children. We are very grateful that once again you have organised this annual BBQ. We do appreciate and value your support for our house-building programme and will send you photos of the house as soon as it is built. May God bless you! Yours fraternally, Fr. Antony Paulsamy (Director)’

Peter & Isobel Hindle

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I have chosen this recipe because sweet potato and butternut squash is one of my favourite soups. This recipe is for a lovely, thick, spicy soup. Ideal to warm you on those cold winter days.

Judith

1tbsp vegetable oil 1tbsp honey 2 onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks 1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks 1litre of vegetable/chicken stock 1 tsp cinnamon 1tsp grated nutmeg Salt and pepper 100ml double cream

Sweet Potato and Butternut squash soup

Heat oven to 220C/200°Cfan. Put sweet potato and butternut squash on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and honey. Roast for 40-45 mins until soft and starting to caramelise. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan, add the onion, cook until starting to go soft. Add the garlic, stock, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 mins. Add the roasted vegetables to the stock in the saucepan. Blitz until smooth. Stir in the cream. Reheat. Season to taste.

Open Door will be closed Mondays 18th, 25th December

and 1stJanuary

Happy Christmas

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METHODIST WOMEN IN BRITAIN A report of District matters and concerns

An Oak Tree has been planted at Minster-acres in memory of Mavis Golphin who died there in Spring 2017 while attending Newcastle District Women's Retreat. Ma-vis loved this place and it was fitting that

she passed away there. At the November District Meeting of MWiB a cheque for

£8,630 was presented to a representative of 'All Hands' which was the President's charity of her second year. She thanked all who had helped to raise this sum by many differing ways over the last year. The money raised is to help the people of Nepal to rebuild schools and other properties which were completely destroyed by an earthquake followed by a Tsunami. The children have been unable to go to school and were in danger playing on un-stable and damaged land and many volunteers from this country have been helping with the school rebuilding.

At the meeting our next President was commissioned. She is Mrs Gillian Patton from Sunderland. Gillian's project for her first year is 'Home Start'. This is a UK-wide network which gives support and friendship to families who are in difficult situa-tions and where children could be taken into care unless the family is helped at an early stage. The money raised for this pro-ject is to give training to volunteers, paying for rental premises and for expenses where needed. Stories were told of the sort of simple help which can prevent a breakdown of the family and some of those helped go on to give help and support to others in need. The President encouraged people to raise sums - per-haps by having small coffee mornings of two or three friends and encouraging them to go and do likewise.

On a wider scene of MWiB we are asked to write to our Members of Parliament to protest against Female Genital Muti-lation. Suggested wording could be as follows: 'Dear ........................... In the UK it is estimated that between 137,000 and 170,000 women and girls are affected by Female Genital Mutilation. This practice is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It denies women and girls the right to security, health and freedom

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CHRISTMAS IS COMING AND……….. That means there is a Concert on the way and the planning is done. Saturday 16

thDecember is the diary date and the start

time is 7pm. Once again Syd Cowan is a willing and able volun-teer looking after ticket sales and he is always happy when the tickets are selling well. So we all know what to do to please Syd and the people of Care and Share. Coming to the concert costs £7 and that includes seasonal refreshments afterwards. It all sounds very satisfying. With the preliminaries over we move to the feature of the even-ing. We give a big welcome to the Lemington Male Voice Choir. Without doubt they are one of the leading male voice choirs in the north-east and beyond. Formed in Lemington Methodist Church in 1946 their reputation and ability has taken the choir to sing in Cologne Cathedral and in Belgium where they had the distinction of taking part in the ‘Last Post’ Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres. Nearer home they have sung in both New-castle Cathedrals as well as in Durham Cathedral. Understand-ably they were proud to be chosen to sing at the opening of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. A ceremony performed by HM The Queen. Under their Director of Music Jonathan Shaw and with Accom-panist Derek Brett the choir will present a varied programme with some audience participation. The choir will expect vocal support from the audience. That is when the evening becomes ‘Come and Sing’. The choir will enjoy singing with us and we will enjoy singing with them.

Alan Kilburn

from torture. We are calling for education on FGM to be manda-tory in schools across the UK. We want young people to be ed-ucated on: What FGM is, its legal status in the UK, the possible signs that a young girl is at risk and who to call if they need help. Please help us to end this practice through greater aware-ness and education. From ………’

Kathleen Farquhar

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GARDENING FOR DECEMBER 2017 May I wish all the readers of GARDENING in Cornerstone the compliments of the Season. Enjoy time with family and friends but do not neglect the garden. It is there for you to enjoy

throughout the year. For many years now I have planted some new Paperwhite daffodil bulbs immediately after the bulb order is delivered in September. I buy 50 new bulbs each year – plant half of them when they are delivered (in 3 planters) and the other half at the end of October/early November again in three planters. The early planted ones are

now (21 November) over two feet high, in full flower producing a wonderful aroma in the porch. If you haven’t planted any you should be able to find some (or similar) at Garden Centres but be prepared to pay up to £2 per bulb in planters coming into full bloom for Christmas. For displays in porches (either enclosed or open sheltered) you can also buy other pan type planters (clay – expensive; plastic – cheaper) planted up with primulas for example (gold laced are dwarf and pretty) cyclamen, forced hyacinths and larger ones with ferns and ivy and something flowering. If you have the pans/planters you could buy suitable plants in small pots and plant them up to suit where you would like to put them. To follow on I have more Paperwhites and a white jasmine for the porch. Outdoors I have double snowdrops and Iris reticulata in pots to come to the front of the house when nearly flowering, then crocuses in troughs and planters. I have lifted the gladioli and they are now drying on the bench in the greenhouse. We have had no measurable rain for the first 19 days of November so the soil just dropped off them as I lifted them. The spray chrysanthemums in pots have been cut back and put under the bench in the greenhouse. I must remember to water them during the winter. The begonias and dahlias are boxed up and moved into frost-free storage in the garage. Wall-flowers have been planted into their flowering positions but I have not got some of the perennials lifted, split and replanted. Winter-flowering clematis have flowered for weeks and new flowers are coming on them again. Our Viburnum bodnantense shrub (created at Bodnant Garden, North Wales in 1934) is now in full flower. It stands out as the shrub itself is deciduous. If

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you are looking for winter-flowering shrubs now is the time to visit garden centres and select what you would like. If you plant any new shrubs into the garden ensure you mix in some form of compost and grit into the soil surrounding the new specimen. Fertilizer can be added as a top dressing in the spring. Any-thing tall should be secured to a suitable stake to prevent rock-ing when it is windy. We had a very good crop of “Black Hamburg” grapes this year. When we moved from Aberystwyth 40 years ago we brought four cuttings with us in one pot. When the greenhouse was erected in 1978 we planted one with the root outside and the developing cane inside and gave the other three cuttings away. I am now waiting for all the leaves to drop so that I can prune the grapevine before putting up this ceiling bubble wrap insula-tion. I cut back this year’s growth to one visible bud on the hori-zontal rods that are secured to the roof of the greenhouse. The bubble wrap is removed as the vine comes into leaf as next year’s crop will be grown on new growth. You can buy quality

bubble wrap which, if taken down carefully and stored in the dark, will last for years. The cheaper material tears easily and doesn’t last very long. I have two wooden greenhouses so I secure the bubble wrap to the wood with drawing pins forced through a square inch of milk bottle carton plastic

to give a firmer grip without damage. Some gardeners secure bubble wrap with a staple gun but the staples are difficult to ex-tract when you take the bubble wrap down in the spring. Other tasks you might attempt over the next couple of months, if not completed already, are pruning fruit trees and bushes (but not in frosty weather). Remember that plum trees should be pruned in the summer. I have no experience of peaches or apri-cots – all I know is that they must be kept warm and completely frost-free. Figs growing in planters and alongside walls will nor-mally recover after frosts. Figs in the ground tend to root over a larger area. Have a happy New Year and order quality seeds from specialist seed suppliers. Best Wishes,

Syd Cowan

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FAMILY NEWS Following their recent deaths the families of Sheila Bousfield, Vanessa Brown and Dennis Carss remain in our prayers.

My son in Glasgow who is a Methodist minister, his wife Becky and their 5 year old daughter Zoe have just had a baby boy on the 20th November. He is named Joseph William, his middle name taken after my dad, Rev James William. He weighed 7lbs 12ozs. I am a Grandma again, and thank God that mum and ba-by are well and home. Aileen Hay

Sally and Aidan Baker have had a son Leo David.

It has been good to see Ann Scott back with us after recent surgery, a chest infection, and a fall.

Another cause for celebration- Joan Varley has recently had a special birthday.

A date for your diaries - Jenny Cowey, daughter of one of our stewards, Peter, will be getting married in our Church on 19.05.18. Please come to support her on her very special day.

Noreen Green is recovering at home. We hope that she will soon be back with us again.

Viv Whyte's health remains a cause for concern. We do hope that 2018 proves to be better year for her health-wise.

Please pray for the Hindle family. There are concerns that Ste-phen, Isobel's son, may risk losing a foot. He is currently in the RVI.

Bev and Ron Dunn need our prayers.

We think of Margaret Anderson on the death of her sister in America.

Joan Arrowsmith is recovering after an operation. Rhod & Doris Dunn 60

th Wedding An-

niversary. Rhod’s knee is getting better.

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DATES FOR THE DIARY December Tuesday 5th 2.30pm Women’s Fellowship Thursday 7th 7.30pm Focus Christmas Social 730pm Forum—Rev Paul Allinson Saturday 9th 10-12am Christmas Fayre Sunday 10th 10.00am Brigades Carol service led by Rev Tim Woolley Thursday 14th 6.30pm Scots Gap - Carols in the Mart Saturday 16th 7pm Christmas Concert—Lemington Male Voice Choir Sunday 17

th 10.00am The Bridge Christmas Celebration led

by Rev Tim Woolley 6.30pm Candlelight Carol - Rev Jona Sewell Tuesday 19th 2.30pm Women’s Fellowship Sunday 24th 6.30pm Holy Communion service Monday 25th 10.30am Christmas Morning - Rev Jona Sewell January Saturday 6th 7.30pm Meanders Dinner at Golf Club Thursday 11th 7.30pm Focus 7.30pm Forum Dinner at the Badger Tuesday 16th 2.30pm Women’s Fellowship Sunday 21st 12noon Church Lunch Thursday 25th 12noon Focus Lunch at Golf Club Tuesday 30th 2.30pm Women’s Fellowship

A date for January! Sunday, January 21

st will be the

date of our next Church lunch

Please make a note in your diaries!

Church members, family, friends and acquaintances are all welcome

Invitation cards with details will be given out in the new year. ‘He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love’

Song of Solomon 2 v4

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From The Editors Don’t forget that copy for the February edition of Cornerstone should be with the editor by Friday 26th January 2018. The editor’s email address is andrew.anderson@which.net . The editorial committee is Andy Anderson, Jennifer Hardy, Jona Sewell and Viv Whyte.

Preachers December

3rd 10.00am Gray 10.00am Sewell 6.30pm Wriglesworth 10th 10.00am Woolley (P) 6.30pm Sewell 17th 10.00am Woolley 10.00am Prudoe 6.30pm Sewell (Carol) 24th 10.00am Orrock 6.30pm Sewell (S) 31st 10.00am P Brooks 6.30pm Cooper

Preachers January

7th 10.00am Sewell (Cov) 6.30pm Woolley 14th 10.00am Woolley 10.00am Lister 6.30pm Sewell 21st 10.00am Small 10.00am Sewell 6.30pm No service 28th 10.00am Sewell 10.00am Lumsden 6.30pm Thorpe