SIGNPOST

God’s Light on a Hill

in the Heart of the Town

40p

Stranton and Burbank Community Church

Dec/Jan 2015/16

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ALL SAINTS CHURCH, STRANTON CHURCH SERVICES

Sunday 8.30am. Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) 10.30am. Service (with children’s groups for 3-14s) 1st Sunday of the month will be Holy Communion 2nd Sunday of the month will be Morning Worship 3rd Sunday of the month will be Holy Communion 4th Sunday of the month will be Lighthouse Service 11.00am. Morning Worship at Burbank Community Church, at Ward Jackson School. 7.30pm Youth Fellowship (14 years +) On the Third Sunday of each month, Messy Church takes place at St Matthew’s Community Centre at 4.00pm. This is a time for parents/carers and children to have fun together, doing crafts and various activities, based on a bible theme. Occasionally, (2 or 3 times a year) the congregations at Stranton and Burbank all come together for the 10.30am service, and this is followed by a bring and share meal.

Wednesday Morning 10.00am. Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) at St Matthew’s Community Centre.

Please note that the next Messy Church will be on 6th December & 17th January 2016 and will continue to take place on the Third Sunday of each Month

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Happy Christmas or Happy Holidays

There seems to be a few discussions, especially on social media, about how we say “Happy Christmas” to each other and how some of it’s tradition and some of it is about not offending people who don’t have the same beliefs. Some of the argument is due to the Coke advert that says ‘Happy Holidays.’

On Facebook people seemed concerned we might be asked to say “Happy Holi-days”, but they said let’s be proud of saying “Happy Christmas” and SHARE that by hitting the SHARE button. My thoughts were what are we really saying any way?

Happy – That is a nice start - we want people to be happy at this time of year and in these different activities, let’s be happy together, of course this can sometimes be changed to Merry which in the same way depicts joyful and positive thoughts.

Christmas – It is traditionally linked to the celebration of the birth of Christ which is celebrated in Western tradition on 25

th December. There is of course some debate

over when the actual date is, for me, I think having one set date actually helps me to be fully focused at that time, in giving thanks to God for the birth of Christ. The word is also in two parts Christ and Mass The first word is talking about Jesus, the son of God. The second is linked to the Roman Catholic tradition of Mass. The name ‘Mass’ comes as the final blessing said by the priest in Latin ‘Ite missa es’ meaning “to send out” as Jesus Christ sent his disciples out, into the world, to take his teaching to everyone. So you could say we have something of a message and meaning behind our phrase ‘Happy Christmas.’

I can also understand that people who do not believe in Christ at all, might want to say something different, as a survey just taken said 40% of people do not think there was such a man called Jesus, I am only guessing but I think this could be one of the reasons that they want to change the saying ‘Happy Christmas’ to ‘Happy Holidays.’

Happy Holidays This seems to say we will enjoy the holiday period that you reli-gious people are celebrating without joining your beliefs. I do find it interesting that ‘Holiday’ is also made up of two words which are Holy and Days. Do people who say holidays know of that meaning? If they did know, would they want to change it? So what does this all mean for me? Personally I will be saying ‘Happy Christmas’ to people, probably singing ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’, and hoping to have a happy holiday as well. This is my way of saying you will make it what you will…

What I think we should be doing this Christmas regardless of how we say it, is cele-brating the fact we do know who God is, we do know Jesus loves us and that we are all special to him. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son”

Happy Christmas from Clive

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M O T H E R ` S U N I O N

Dear Friends,

We began our meeting in November by `dwelling in the word` from Luke 10 v 1-12. We began by reading and then sitting silently and hoped, expected, God to highlight a word etc. After singing `Be still in the presence of the Lord` each member shared with her neighbour. Various thoughts came out and some found it very strange and others continue to think about what they had read when they reached home.

If you remember at our last meeting we planted bulbs to take home. Mine are on the kitchen windowsill so I have watched them grow. Two are growing quite tall and the third is short, but looks sturdier. This is like us in our Christian walk. Some take a while to understand and accept, but when they do their roots are strong and can face whatever problem comes their way. When listening to God we don’t only need spiritual ears, but most importantly a listening heart. A heart that God has renewed – Ezekiel 36 v 26 says `I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you`.,

We look forward to our Christmas meal together on the 7th December and on the

14th we will have a carol service also incorporating specific prayers for our Link

Dioceses. As you know we used to have a week in January when the whole of M.U. worldwide prayed for us and our link Dioceses, but as more have been added this year it has necessitated a new format.

Please remember gifts for the Mission to Seafarers – mainly confectionery and toiletries.

2016 is a notable year - 140 years since Mary Sumner obeyed God and begun M.U. It is amazing what can happen when you listen to God! Our meeting in January will be on the 11

th.

Firstly it will be Advent, a time of expectation and hope, but let us approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last minute rush.

Kathy

Gifts for Seafarers

Church will be collecting donations of gifts during December to give to visit-ing Seafarers far from their homes during the festive season, through the

Mission to Seafarers.

If you would like to give something – toiletries, confectionary, gloves, hats and scarves are greatly appreciated.

Wrapping paper is gratefully received too!

Please put donations in box at the back of church

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From the Home Front

We often find ourselves reflecting on the past year as December arrives – for me it is when I write my Round Robin letter to accompany our Christmas cards. Frequently I consider what I might have done differently given the time again, or how something may have changed if those words had never been spoken or that event had not occurred at that point in time! Sometimes we can find ourselves racked by guilt or giving thanks for joyous events and occasions, for friends and family or answered prayers. Alternatively we could be questioning why prayers weren’t answered how we wanted or why awful things have happened to us, or our dear ones or in the world around us…

For me this year has been so stressful at times that I didn’t know how I would get through some days; so worrying at certain points when I thought the anxious sick feeling would never recede; so emotionally hurt at times that my heart felt broken; so unhappy and sad it was as if the tears would never end… But then the year has also had times filled with so much compassion and love that my heart felt full of gladness; so much joy and fulfilment I have felt overflowing with pride; so much pulling together that family ties have proved themselves meaningful. So many prayers have been answered in abundance…

Our God never gives us more than we can cope with – plus He gives us everything we need to get us through those tough times. Life is all about learning to turn to God, to trust in Him, to wait on Him and to know that He never abandons us. It is also very important to remember to thank Him for all the wonderful things, to praise Him for his goodness and generosity and to acknowledge his sheer awesomeness on occasions. I know sometimes I am too busy asking or complaining that I forget to find the quiet places and to just wait and listen or to engage in conversation (that is a two way action!) with my loving Father.

So as this year draws to a close I will try harder to listen, to think, to consider and to respond to all that God has given me during the last twelve months – and to give thanks for each event and emotion, knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me no matter what my faults and who provides for each need as it arises.

J.A.R.

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“Those with ears to hear, let them hear…” If you have been around church or reading Signpost recently, you will be aware that we have begun a process called “Partnership for Missional Church”. This aims to accompany us over 3–4 years and to help us as individuals and as a church become more missional (i.e. more aware of and committed to how God is calling us to engage with his world). During this first year of the process there are two key “disciplines” we are to engage in, both of which are about careful listening: Dwelling in the Word and Dwelling in the World. The first is a reflective way of reading one passage of Scripture (this year Luke 10.1–12). Several groups have already had a go at this and it will be rolled out to more groups as time goes on. It is all about listening to what God is saying to me through Scripture, and listening to what he has said to others through the same Scripture passage.

The second discipline, Dwelling in the World, involves listening to our context. There are two parts to this: 1) The first is to collect lots of information and data about our parish to help us understand its cultural, demographic, socio-economic state of affairs and trends over time. 2) The other part involves listening to individuals. We will be building a picture of the recent history of the church at an event in January. Before then, we are also conducting a series of interviews with people connected with church, asking the same 8 questions of each person. These will be carried out over the next month or so by a “listening team” (Ann Courtenay, Pam Harkness, Peter Hart, Nathanael Poole, Rachel Wilson, and me). If you are approached please do take part, as you will be helping us discover how people view our church and their faith. Similarly, whether or not you are interviewed, please make the January event a priority.

Above all, let’s pray and work towards making listening a central part of our lives, not just “part of a process”. Listening to God in his Word on Sunday, in small groups, in private devotional reading. Also listening to other people, both inside and outside the church – really listening, in a way that allows others to speak freely, honestly, and openly. Through this “double listening” may God grant us understanding so that when we do speak we are able to offer fewer – but more meaningful, necessary, loving, and useful – words!

Nick Moore

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Persecuted Church: SAUDI ARABIA

Leader: King Salman Population: 29.9 million (1.25 million Christians) Main Religion: Islam Government: Monarchy World Watch List Rank: 12 Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam, dominates life here, and all Saudis are considered Muslims. The legal system is based on Sharia, and it is illegal to evan-gelise Muslims; conversion to another religion is punishable by death. There are no church buildings and house churches are raided; Christians risk arrest, impris-onment, lashing, deportation and sometimes torture. Most Christians in Saudi Ara-bia are expatriates or migrant workers There is a growing community of believers among these migrant workers, but their employers or 'sponsors' have a great deal of power over them, and they are frequently exposed to verbal, physical and sexu-al abuse - there have been reports of workers being threatened with rape unless they convert to Islam. There are a small number of Muslim-background believers, but they often live out their faith in complete secret. Satellite TV and the internet are enabling Saudis to hear the gospel. There are many reports of God revealing Himself to Muslims through dreams and visions.

PERSECUTION IN SAUDI ARABIA Rashid had never been in prison before, so when his cell mate, Tareq, stared at him as he entered their cell, he was scared. "You're the man I'm supposed to talk to," Tareq said, finally. "I don't think so. I've been arrested for my belief in Jesus." Rashid had become a Christian during his time at a Western university. When he returned to Saudi Ara-bia, someone overheard him telling his brother about his new faith, and reported him to the religious police. But Tareq insisted: "In my dreams a man was shown to me. It was your face. You have something to tell me." Rashid couldn't believe it; even here, God was at work. He shared the gospel with Tareq, who prayed to receive Jesus Christ.

CHRISTIANITY IN MIGRANT COMMUNITIES In Saudi Arabia, of its eight million-strong migrant workforce, it is estimated that one million of them are Christian. Many of these Christians are from the Philip-pines, India, and African countries such as Ethiopia and Eritrea and they have to meet in secret.

MIRACLES IN THE MIGRANT COMMUNITY 30 October 2015 While churches are strictly forbidden in Saudi Arabia and converting to Christianity is punishable by death, the stories of Indian migrants Jaywant* and Prabhakara* show how God's work is continuing in that country.

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JAYWANT'S STORY Jaywant, a nominal Hindu from the heart of India, moved to Saudi Arabia to work, but quickly gained a notorious reputation for being badly behaved. He also entered a relationship with a woman in Saudi, acting unfaithfully to his wife and children at home. "Then, one of our believers invited him to come to a secret meeting," an Indian Christian working secretly in Saudi Arabia recalls - this worker ministers to a group of believers, 80% of whom come from a Hindu background. "I will come to the meeting, but only once," Jaywant had responded. He kept his word and attended the meeting. And there, while worshipping, Jaywant came to faith in Jesus - just like that! He left feeling amazed and began to change his lifestyle. "Through counselling he quit his addictions and ended the relationship with his mistress," shared the Chris-tian worker. "Though difficult, he was able to reach out to his wife in India and ask for her forgiveness."

PRABHAKARA'S STORY Prabhakara grew up in a Christian Indian family, but he had broken away from the church in his teens and had refused to pray ever since. A few years ago he ran away to work in Saudi Arabia. Life there had turned out to be harder than expected. One day, one of the Christian brothers asked him to help paint the room where the worship services were held. His decision to do so would change his life. "It began with him painting. The next step was his decision to join one of the Chris-tian meetings and him allowing us to pray with him afterwards," the group leader shared. He befriended Prabhakara and invited him to stay at his house for a week while Prabhakara took driving lessons nearby. "We shared the Word of God with him day and night," one of his friends explained. "When the time was right, another friend asked Prabhakara point blank: 'Please ask God to come into your life tonight.' He read Matthew 16:26 with him: 'What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?'" Prabhakara began to cry and continued crying throughout the night. The following day he skipped his driving lessons and fully committed his life to Jesus. "Not only that, but he made the decision to serve God completely," his friend recalls. Prab-hakara was later baptised and he restored his relationship with his family.

PLEASE PRAY: Praise God for the work He is doing in the Christian migrant communities in Saudi Arabia, using people there to spread His love in this country Praise God for the testimonies of Jaywant and Prabhakara, new followers of Christ Pray for the Body of Christ in Saudi Arabia —in all its forms— oppressed, meeting in secret, and persecuted. Pray for the Christians to remain steadfast, to love their oppressors, and to live Christ-like lives. *Names changed for security reasons. Source: Open Doors Mary Tones

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Clive’s Update I felt I wanted to keep people informed of what is happening in my life at the moment.

My main role is still the leader in charge of the Burbank Community Church and I will continue to do this whilst studying to be a Lay Reader. As part of the Reader course I have been asked to go on a placement for 3 months to St Aidan’s Church in Hartlepool. During this period the Burbank Leadership Team and the Clergy of Stranton Church will work together in running Burbank Community Church. I personally am deeply appreciative of all the support I am being given, but please continue to pray for me and the family through this very busy time.

My placement will start in January until Easter, which means I will be at St Aidan’s every Sunday till Easter. I will be also working one day a week (midweek) with their clergy. This is to give me a different perspective on the diverse approaches and views of the Church of England.

In my role as Overseer for Children and Youth work, at the moment I am meeting with Team Leaders and addressing budget and new expenses sheets and how to work better together - both now and in the future. This role will also continue to be one of my main priorities. I am still Chair of Hartlepool Foodbank and we continue to do well. We are in need of more volunteers at the moment especially male volunteers. Anyone interested should ring the Coordinator Al Wales on 598404.

We are also coming up to Christmas and if you are someone who loves to sing the traditional carols then you may be interested in coming along to:

Burbank Court, Burbank Street - 6:30pm on Monday 14th December Schooner Court, Maritime Avenue - 6:30pm Thursday 17th December Burbank Estate, Start at Ward Jackson School - 6:30pm Monday 21st December

If anyone is interested in joining us, or would like more information about my role, then do please contact me on 01429 278504 Or clive.hall7@ntlworld.com

Kind Regards

Clive Hall

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Diocesan dealings... It's all change for the structure of the administration of the Diocese here in Durham. Bishop Paul has been instrumental in reorganising the com-mittee structure, leading to many of the old committees and boards be-coming redundant.

In recent years, I've had the pleasure of representing the Deanery of Har-tlepool on the Board of Finance, the Houses Committee and the Mission Fund Allocations Group. These have all now been restructured, leaving the Bishop's Council as the only major decision-making group in the Di-ocese.

Now, the Bishop's Council members are: the 2 Bishops (fairly obvious that one!), the 3 Archdeacons, a smattering of Canons, the Dean of the cathedral, the Diocesan Secretary, the Administrative Secretary, the Chair of the new Finance Group a few other worthies including the Diocesan Registrar plus 9 elected members from the laity and 9 elected members of the clergy plus the 2 Chairs of Houses on Diocesan Synod (that is the Chair of the House of Clergy and the Chair of the House of Laity). Stay with me please, there is a point to all this...

A couple of weeks ago, I was approached and asked if I would put my name forward for the post of Chair of the House of Laity of the Diocesan Synod, as the previous Chair was retiring. That was rather flattering, and last Saturday I was duly installed as said Chairperson! So I'm automati-cally (ex officio is the correct term) on the Bishop's Council!

To make matters even better, leading to sunny Hartlepool having even more influence on Diocesan affairs, Norman is one of the clergy reps on the Council. The meetings should be interesting as neither of us are "backward in coming forward", as my old grannie would say.

I'll try and be good and attempt to compose regular briefings keeping everyone up to date on what's what and who's who.

Andrew Rogers

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Messy Church is growing! We have recently drawn in some new families at Messy Church with over 70 people at the October session. Some have seen our new banner on St Matthew’s wall the week Messy Church meets. Some are baptism families and others are drawn in through other contacts such as Toddlers.

The session begins with table top games and colouring, and once everyone has arrived, we have a bible story, song and prayer. Then the children choose from the 6 crafts/games linked with the theme, enjoying as many as they can fit into the 30-40 minutes available.

After this we enjoy tea together where there is more time to chat with each other. It’s great to see whole families learning, playing and eating together. Many of the families have been coming for some time which means our friendship with them is growing and giving us more opportunities to get alongside them and share our faith.

We are very thankful for our team – those who meet to plan and prepare the teaching and crafts and those who prepare and serve our tea. It had been great to see new people joining us on the team this term, bringing inspiration to our planning and energy and enthusiasm to the sessions.

It is a privilege to share the love of God and our prayer is that many, both adults and children, will come to faith. Do consider popping in or offering to help with a craft or refreshments. We meet on the third Sunday of the month from 4-5.30pm.

In December we have a new event – Messy Carols - which will take place on December 6

th where we will share the good news of Jesus birth, sing some

Carols and enjoy Christmas crafts and tea – all are welcome.

Julie Shave

Christmas Fair Saturday 5

th December 10.00am till 2.00pm

This year come and join us in St Matthew's Community Centre for a whole heap of family Christmas fun. Children will be able to meet Jack Sparrow the Pirate and his shipmates in the Crow's Nest or have fun with the Red Dreams Princesses. You can even come dressed as a pirate or a princess if you like. There will be lots of other children’s activities including Christmas cracker and card making, biscuit decoration and colouring.

Everyone will have the opportunity to join in the Carol singing and you can browse our craft fair and find special presents for your family and friends. There will also be super raffle and tombola stalls.

All our children's activities as well as entrance is free and Christmas refreshments will be available for a small charge.

So come along and join us for a lovely family day. Carol Laud

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A Christmas Message of Peace From A Muslim In the Name of God: the Infinitely Compassionate and Merciful Beloved Lord

As is the case every year, Christmas Day is just another calendar day for me. In fact, I will be working in the hospital on Christmas Day this year, one of 11 shifts I am scheduled to work until the end of the year. Yet, that does not mean that Jesus is not in my heart. Christ, in fact, is a major part of Islamic belief. There are dozens of verses in the Quran that speak about Jesus, including his birth (3:45-49), his miracles (5:110), the Last Supper (5:113-115), among many others. Chapter 19 of the Quran is named “Mary,” after his mother, and many verses speak very highly of Jesus Christ.

Jesus, as the Quran says, “shall be of the righteous” (3:46). “Peace be upon me the day I was born,” says Jesus in the Quran, “and [will be upon me] on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life [again]!” (19:33). The Quran also calls upon its readers to remember “she who guarded her chastity, whereupon We breathed into her of Our spirit and caused her, together with her son, to become a symbol [of Our grace] unto all people” (21:91), referring to Mary and Jesus. Many will be surprised to know that Jesus Christ is mentioned by name in the Qur’an many more times than the Prophet Muhammad himself, peace and blessings be upon them both.

Still, despite all this love and devotion for Jesus Christ, Muslims – including this one – do not typically celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. You know, it is funny: when I say “Merry Christmas” to someone, I usually get widened eyes of surprise. He or she does not expect a Muslim to say something like that to them. Likewise, so many people – who know I am Muslim – will say, “Happy Holidays” to me – thinking that I would get offended if they said to me, “Merry Christmas.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. When I say, “Merry Christmas” to my Christian friends and colleagues, I mean it sincerely: I pray that they have a very happy time on Christmas, that special day when they get together with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Christ. And when it is said to me, it is also a very nice wish: that I have a happy time on Christmas Day. There is nothing over which to be offended. Nothing whatsoever.

The birth of Christ was a very momentous occasion in the religious history of the world, and it makes me, as a Muslim, just as happy as my Christian brothers and sisters. And so, during this Christmas season, I say to one and all: A Very Merry Christmas. From the bottom of my heart, I send a message of peace, love, brotherhood, and sisterhood to all my Christian sisters and brothers. May the grace of our Lord, Hallowed be His Name, be with us all, and may He bring all of us – Christian and Muslim – closer together as common worshippers of the Lord our God and lovers of Jesus Christ and his mother. Lord our God hear this prayer, which I make in Your Most Holy Name. Amen.

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world.

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LINENS Fabric and Design

Dress, bridal and dance fabrics Rhinestones,

machines and haberdashery. Help and advice with your

sewing projects. Shop in store, telephone or on line.

Linens, Fabric & Design

97 Park Road Hartlepool TS26 9HP

Tel: 01429 891755

Steven McConnell Roofing Contractor

37 Greta Avenue

Hartlepool TS25 5LE

Tel: 01429 221784 Fax: 01429 281609

Mobile 07850 925183

Member of the National Federation of Roofing

Contractors

Adam Barton Joiner & Carpenter

Time served joiner, Maintenance work carried out,

Internal replacement doors a speciality

07877 316030 adam.barton@live.co.uk

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Joanna’s Poochies Paradise

147 Elwick Road Hartlepool TS26 9BW

Pet Shop &

Dog Grooming

01429 270056

K. W. Monkman Building Services

Joinery, Glazing,Property Repairs & Building Work

Reg. Office: 104 Elizabeth Way Seaton Carew Hartlepool

Telephone: 01429 277385

Hartlepool & District Hospice

Provides free palliative care for patients. Offers of voluntary help are always welcome ,

as are donations. Please contact us at:

Alice House Wells Avenue Hartlepool. TS24 9DA

Tel: 01429 855555

Stranton Business Centre

Colin B Griffiths, FBII 49 Stockton Road

Hartlepool TS25 1TX

Telephone: 01429 280444 Mobile: 07932333779

Email: strantonbusinesscentre@hotmail.co.uk www.strantonbusiness.co.uk

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Keith Walker Ophthalmic Opticians

28 Victoria Road, Hartlepool

Tel: 01429 275551

BRABINER CARPETS

249 – 251 YORK ROAD

HARTLEPOOL TS26 9AD

TEL: (01429) 272298

LET US HELP YOU GET THROUGH YOUR LOSS

We’ll guide and assist you through all the funeral arrangements. Call us 24 hours a day.

MASON & GERALD MARTIN FUNERAL DIRECTORS

01429 862021

129 Park Road, Hartlepool. TS26 9HT

John Harrington

BRICKWORK AND BUILDING

New Builds, Alterations & Extensions

Tel: 01429 420019

Mobile: 07960381258

Free Estimates

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Good books to get children into the Good Book! As Christmas approaches, here are some ideas for books that would make great presents – not only for our own children/grandchildren, but also for godchildren and the children of friends and family. These are great to give to those who do not attend church because they are bright and colourful, professionally produced, accessible, and point to the heart of Christmas. First up is The Christmas Promise, an accessible retelling of the Christmas story. Here’s what two reviewers said: “The illustrations are gorgeous and fun with lots of detail. The text is clear and faithful to the Bible. The whooshing angel is wonderful!” “Love the illustrations and freshness of the Christmas story.”

From the same incredible illustrator, Catalina Echeverri, comes Alby’s Amazing Book. This is a favourite in our family – Alby is a squirrel who loves to read and goes on all sorts of adventures through his amazing book. I won’t give away the ending but it is heartwarming!

Then there is Bake through the Bible at Christmas, which provides a retelling of 12 Christmas Bible stories, each connected with a baking activity which backs up the story’s message. Like the original Bake through the Bible, it is aimed at younger children, but can work with people of any age and stage – we’ve heard of it being used in groups, families, even old people’s homes! Naturally I confess to a slight bias here, as Bekah co-wrote Bake through! But that means she has copies available to sell at cost price (£4.50 for Bake through the Bible at Christmas, £5 for Bake through the Bible – contact her if you would like to buy one). This is just scratching the surface – take a look at the wide selection of children’s books available to browse and buy on www.thinkivp.com and www.thegoodbook.co.uk (including all of the above).

Nick Moore

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Chris & Ros Smith November 2015 Email CnR.Smith@omfmail.com or c/o 28

Springfield Road, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1PW

After many steps on the way, it is good to be able to let everyone know that the process of OMF medical clearance for all of has been successfully completed, PTL ! The whole sequence of practical events (though not necessarily in this order) that has to be completed with OMF during our stay in the UK looks like this:

Home side Clearance, which means that OMF UK indicates that it is content that

we should return overseas for another term of service, usually around 4 years.

Field side Clearance, is the mirror image of the above, ie that OMF Philippines is

content that we should return to them and that there is something for us to do over

there!!

Medical Clearance, that there are no pressing or debilitating medical issues that

would render us unable or unfit to work overseas or put our health at risk in a

foreign country.

Financial Clearance, that we have sufficient financial support to function well

both as a family and as active members of the Fellowship

We are working on the remaining three Clearances, although it may come as no

surprise to you that we anticipate Financial Clearance to be the greater remaining

challenge. Please pray as we thoughtfully work through these Clearances.

We have been working through several training events and mini conferences which would benefit us in the event of getting back to the Philippines.

As far as news about our work situation goes, Chris continues to get some work from the Hertfordshire supply contract. Not much new work has come from Bucks schools, despite some pleasant chats with local headteachers. This has had the “plus” of some time to collect boys from school, although it also means creating less income for the household. November has so far been fairly busy, work-wise. Ros has chosen to work as a member of the serving team of Kings Roast rather than manager. She recently had the belated surprise of being offered a part-time library assistant post at the London College of Fashion, and so accordingly has moderated her hours and time commitment at Kings. We both still felt it was important to continue to sustain her librarianship skills.

We would welcome invitations to visit supporting prayer groups and prayer partners in order to talk more about what we have been able to do, and what we hope to do in the event of full clearance to return to the Philippines. It has been a while since we visited some places and it would still be appropriate to “reconnect” and share our vision for the future.

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Boys’ Brigade

Sporting Glory for the Juniors

On Monday November 16th we held the Battalion 5 a side at St. Matthew’s Community Centre. With both our A & B teams playing brilliant soccer it turned into a close competition between our A team and the 8th A (Westbourne). Our team won by one point and our captain Billy Wright carried off the trophy! Has the BB got talent? Both the Anchors and the Juniors have had a go at Street Dance Talent taken by Michelle Brown - who knows we may yet get a phone call from Simon Cowell… Christmas Plans This year our plans include Christmas Crafts, visits to Tea @ Hart, the Marine Hotel, 5 a side, the Merry Go-round and Hartlepool Snooker Club. We still have space for new starters anyone between 6 – 16years of age is welcome to join us. George Bainbridge

St Matthew’s Community Centre Stranton's Centre

Your Centre

At this moment in time we are busy sorting out the heating (Those darn

gremlins!!!) and tackling the enormous deposits of Autumn leaves around the building.

Future plans include buying posters for outside to carry different Christian messages, to raise a smile and pose inward thinking,

similar to the existing Messy Church and Boys Brigade Posters

St. Matthew’s Community Centre Committee

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Remember, remember the 5th

of November..... Well, actually this year it was 7th November! We held the second Fireworks Party at St Matthew’s Community Centre. The event proved popular last year and tickets sold out well before the day!

The evening started with firework crafts and toys in the large hall which were enjoyed by all the children. Nick then gave a short pause for thought about Jesus.

This was followed by hot dogs, fruit and cake and then we all went outside to watch the fireworks and have some sparklers – we were so thankful that the rain had stopped in time…

It was a wonderful evening and drew in many families from the community, some with links to Messy Church and Toddlers.

Our thanks go to Bekah and Nick who organised the evening and bought all the fireworks, food and craft materials and drew together a team of helpers. Thank you to all who helped on the night with crafts, preparing and serving food, setting off the fireworks and clearing up afterwards; and also to those who baked cakes for the event.

We hope to run the Fireworks Party again next year – you would be very welcome to join us. Julie Shave

Recipe for a Happy New Year Take twelve whole months Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate and jealousy. Make them just as fresh and clean as possible. Now cut into twenty-eight, thirty or thirty-one different parts, but don’t make up the whole batch at once! Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients: Mix well each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part of courage, and one part of work. Add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity and kindness. Blend with one short prayer, one part meditation, and one good deed. Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play and a cup full of good humour. Pour all this into a vessel of love. Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile and serve with quietness, unselfishness and cheerfulness.

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Why does

Santa have 3

gardens?

So he can

Hoe Hoe Hoe

How many chimney

does Father

Christmas go down?

Stacks

Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney? Because it soots him

Why is Prancer

always wet? Because he?s a ?rain?-deer!

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Christmas Humourand funny s

s, jokes

Cryptic Christmas Card A man sent his friend a cryptic Christmas card. It said: A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. The recipient puzzled over it for weeks, finally gave up and wrote asking for an explanation. In July he received the explanation on a postcard: "No L." True story The nativity play was going as planned and Joseph and Mary were going from house to house knocking on the doors and asking it there was any room for them. As they continued to get "no room" answers a little voice called from the back "YOU SHOULD HAVE BOOKED!" bringing the house down. Who is the Real Virgin? A ten-year-old, under the tutelage of her grandmother, was becoming quite knowledgeable about the Bible. Then one day she floored her grandmother by asking, "Which virgin was the mother of Jesus? The virgin Mary or the King James Virgin?" No Room In The Inn? A boy wanted to be Joseph in the Sunday School pageant. He was cast as the landlord and objected loudly, but to no avail. When the pageant was presented, Mary and Joseph knocked on the door and asked him if he had a room for them. The boy smiled and said, "Yes, sure. Lots of room. Come on in!" God's Not Deaf Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents' house the week before Christmas. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers. The younger one began praying at the top of his lungs: "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE..." "I PRAY FOR A NEW NINTENDO..." His older brother leaned over, nudged him and said, "Why are you shouting? God isn't deaf." to which the little brother replied, "No, but Grandma is!"

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Actual children's versions of Christmas Carols: "...sleep in heavenly peas"; "Joy to the world, the Saviour rains"; "This is he whom Sears of old..."; "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plane"; "While shepherds washed their socks by night

None of Them Are Toys! When my daughters were little I would always tell them around Christmas that this is Jesus' birthday and he only received 3 things so do not be disappointed in what lies under the tree. When it came time for worship on Christmas morning, I asked the children what they thought Jesus would think of Santa and all the hype. Would he ask Santa a question? My youngest daughter replied, "I think Jesus would ask how come he only got three things and none of them were toys?" ... Viking Mary When my son was 8 years of age, He was in a Christmas Pageant at our church. His line started "And the Virgin Mary was with Child." He did his line correctly at every rehearsal. On the night the of the presentation everything was going wonderful. All the children were relaxed and reciting their lines without flaw. It came time for my son to recite his line and this is exactly how it came out: "And the Viking Mary was with Child." It was quite a job for all the adults watching the presentation to restrain ourselves and not bellow out in laughter. ...

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SCOTCH MIST 1 large egg white 4 tablespoons Drambuie (1 minature bottle) ½pint cream 2 tablespoons clear honey

Whisk the egg white until stiff In another basin whisk the cream till just standing in peaks – add Drambuie and honey and whisk carefully till thick. Fold egg white into this with a metal spoon till thoroughly mixed. Transfer to small individual glasses and leave to stand for several hours till flavours blend. Serve with thin shortbread fingers.

PARFAIT AU MARRON ¼lb bitter cooking chocolate 2½fl.oz water 2 large eggs 6oz softened butter chocolate vermicelli 3oz castor sugar 1lb tin unsweetened chestnut puree Whipped cream

Break chocolate into pieces, put in a saucepan with sugar and water and stir over a VERY gentle heat till chocolate has melted. Leave to cool slightly. Separate the eggs and beat yolks into the mixture one at a time. Cut the butter into pieces and beat them in, an electric beater makes this stage must easier. Whisk the egg whites till stiff, then fold into mixture using a metal spoon, as this cuts through without breaking down the air that has incorporated in the whisking.

Grease 1 large or 2 small moulds or basins and transfer the mixture into them – cover and place in the fridge until next day. When required. Quickly dip the mould in warm water for a few seconds only, then turn onto a dampened plate. This will allow it to be moved easily. Decorate with whipped cream and chocolate vermicelli.

QUICK LEMON SYLLABUB ½pint double cream 2 - 4oz castor sugar 1 tablespoon Brandy 2 lemons 1 small glass sherry Beat the cream and grated rind of one lemon and as it thickens add the juice of both lemons and the sugar. Add more sugar if needed. Flavour with the Brandy Pour into small glasses and chill for 1 hour before serving with shortbread biscuits.

RASPBERRY DELIGHT 5oz double cream 4oz Philly cheese 8oz pureed raspberries 5oz plain yoghurt 1½ – 2oz castor sugar Grated plain chocolate

Whip cream until thick. Reserve a little to decorate. Add yoghurt, sugar and cheese, previously beaten to a soft consistency. Place layers of cheese mixture and raspberries into a small glass finishing with a layer of raspberries. Pipe a little cream on each dish and sprinkle with chocolate – chill well before serving.

A Blast from the Past! Recipes from Mary Baines Recipes from Mary Baines – 1987/1988

Boozey Christmas Puddings

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On the 12th December 6.30pm

at St Matthew’s Community Centre

Stranton Church Christmas Social Party

with

entertainment from

Michelle Brown Academy & Theatre Arts

Tickets: Which includes food & soft drinks.

Adults £5, Family Tickets £14 (2 adults & 2 children), Children £3

Evening of good family fun ; Entertainment, Games & Raffles.

For tickets please call

Trish at the office on

894006.

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Celebrate!Celebrate!Celebrate!

December Wedding

Anniversary Congratulations to

Jack Rogers & Gina Guo

Rob & Michelle Butler

January Eve & Ben Coils

If you have something to celebrate we would love to share it - email admin@stranton-church.org.uk

or phone 864006. All entries to be in by the 16th of the month.

December/ January HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

to

Congratulations

to Chloe Greenwood & Jordan Thornhill

on their engagement on November 10th

God Bless

December

Noah Coils Siobahn Connell Anne Courteney Lauren Davison Eloise Dobbin Chloe Greenwood Diane Greenwood Benjamin Hall Joseph Hall Pam Hutchinson Heather Jennett Catherine Padgett Mark Sanders Julie Shave Robbie Spoors Ella Spoors Lilly Spoors Mary Tones Mark Tones Emmanuel Uchendu Josie Watson

January 2016 Tyler Blenkinsop Frances Boyd James Boyd Michelle Butler David Craig Nancy Fearnie Clive Hall Daniel Hart Carol Moore Bekah Moore Trish Playfor Catriona Robertson Kieran Scott Isabel Spoors Luke Tones Alice Gilhespy- Swann

Congratulations Alan & Catriona Robertson

on the birth of their latest granddaughter Amelie Sarah - 8lbs 7 oz born on Tuesday

10th November third daughter for Jeni & Colin

Happy 90th Birthday to

Doreen Lathan

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Dates for the Diary Dates for the Diary November Mon 30

th 7.30pm Men’s Night with Rev David Wilkinson,

Duke of Cleveland pub, The Headland December Wed 2

nd 7.30pm Christmas Family Service Planning, The

Vicarage Sat 5

th 10am-2pm St Matthew’s Fayre

Sun 6th 4pm Messy Carols, St Matthew’s Community Centre

Sat 12th 6.30pm Christmas Family Social, St Matthew’s

Sun 13th 4pm Christingle Service

Sun 20th 10.30am Nativity Service Stranton

11.00am Nativity Service Burbank

January Mon 11

th 7.30pm Lighthouse Planning, The Vicarage

Tues 12th 7.30pm Prayer & Praise, Fulthorpe Chapel

Wed 13th 7.30pm Standing Committee

Sat 16th 9.15-12.00pm Breakfast followed by Church Timeline Event

Fulthorpe Chapel Sun 17

th 4pm Messy Church

Mon 18th 12noon Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Lunch,

Fulthorpe Chapel 5.30pm Pastoral Group, St Matthew’s Community Centre Tues 19

th 7.30pm Buildings & Finance Group, The Vicarage

Sun 24th 4pm Service of Prayer, Week of Prayer for Christian

Unity. Mon 25

th 7.30pm PCC, Fulthorpe Chapel

Sun 20th 6pm Carol Service with Bishop Paul

followed by refreshments in church

Thurs 24th 4.30pm Christmas Family Service

Thurs 24th 11.15pm Midnight Communion

Friday 25th 8.30am Holy Communion

10.00am Family Communion

Toys at Christmas Please bring toys for donation to the Women’s Refuge

to services on Sunday 6th

December Please leave gifts unwrapped

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Sidespersons

8.30am 10.30am

6 December P Porritt D Greenwood B Greenwood 13 December P Thompson S Shepherd K Shepherd 20 December M Hutchinson J Young S Boyd 27 December I Walker A Craig Volunteer

Baptisms

8 November Chloe Wilson Caitlyn Wilson Casey Wilson Erin Murphy Piper Murphy Jessica Hughes Taylor Hughes Bella Hughes 22 November Amelia Grace Harper

Funerals

17 November Maud Skinner 90 Years

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Who’s Who

Vicar Revd Norman Shave 34A Westbourne Road 233609 E-Mail: nshave1@btinternet.com Associate Minister Revd Andrew Craig 25 Egerton Road 422461

Burbank Community Church Worker Clive Hall 10 Clarkson Court 278504

Curate Revd Nick Moore 40 Browning Avenue 597284

Readers Alan Robertson 2 Northbrook Court 276926 Mary Tones 40a Blakelock Road 265625

St Luke’s Revd. Linda Butler 5 Tunstall Avenue 272893

Ecumenical Partners Revd. Michael Griffiths St Joseph’s RC 272985 Revd. Alison Wilkinson Methodist 219914 Grange Road Methodist 287782 St George’s Church Office 425847

Authorised Pastoral Assistants Patricia Vaughan 144 Elwick Road 429178 Barbara Butcher 55 Arncliffe Gardens 298241

Church Wardens Kathy Webster 38A Owton Manor Lane 265798 Angela Craig 57 Claremont Drive 234279

Music Group Kevin Tones 40a Blakelock Road 265625 PCC Secretary Maureen Anderson 22 Thetford Road 871266 Treasurer David Craig 57 Claremont Drive 234279 Asst. Treasurer Maureen Anderson 22 Thetford Road 871266 Loyalty Treasurer Peter Anderson 22 Thetford Road 871266 Notice Sheet The Office (Notices by the preceding Wednesday) Signpost Editorial Jacqui Rogers 19 Trentbrooke Avenue 265527 Signpost Advertising Maureen Anderson 22 Thetford Road 871266 Signpost Subscription Maureen Anderson 22 Thetford Road 871266 St Matthew’s Booking Trish Playfor Church Office 894006

Church Office St Matthew’s Community Centre Arncliffe Gardens TS26 9JF Administrator Trish Playfor 01429 894006 E-Mail: stranton.church@durham.anglican.org Web Site: www.stranton-church.org.uk

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