Jeremy’s Jottings
On Saturday 31 August, members of the Amersham Road Cooking Club (ARCC) took part in the estate community fun day. This year the fun day was organised by the Caversham Children’s Fund, a resident-run bi-weekly fun club for children aged 6-11. Hundreds of people attended over the course of the afternoon, so it was a great opportunity to introduce people to the cooking club.
ARCC were involved in two ways. Firstly, through cooking over 200 burgers and sausages on the BBQ provided by North Reading Youth Service who operate (like us) out of the Youth and Community Centre. Secondly, through the provision of a quiet tent (though it was located near the disco!) in which people were invited to think about things they were sorry for, wanted to say thank you for, and also people they wished to remember/pray for by taking part in various activities. We saw a steady stream of people across our two venues throughout the afternoon and many good and encouraging conversations were had.
So we now look forward to welcoming a greater number of children (and adults) to our next cooking club on Sunday 15 September at 4 p.m. when we will pick up the theme of Harvest. To make it a truly local affair, we will be digging up and cooking potatoes from the youth and community centre garden to be included in our harvest hotpot! Please do keep us in your prayers as we seek to be with and to share good news with families on the estate.
Jeremy Tear
Church House – Hall Redecoration
I know many of you have followed with interest the progress of the Church House regeneration over the last two years. You have seen the redecoration of the hallway and stairs areas, the installation of new lighting, doors and windows, and a new kitchen, and the smartening up of the exterior of the building.
Well, the latest phase has now been delivered. It is the redecoration of the main hall. Gone is all that pink gloss paint. It has been replaced by a brighter, more friendly magnolia, which now covers all the walls. And all the skirting and ceilings have been repainted too. But the refurbishment does not end there:
We have also renewed the flooring with brand new floor tiles, meaning a much more pleasant environment for all hall users – especially the Pilates classes!
And we have got rid of the two old wardrobes, which served as cupboards. These have been replaced by smart built-in lockers. Each is opened with a key, meaning improved security. It also means we are now in a position to control which groups can store articles in the hall, which has been a challenge in the past. There is another built-in cupboard tall enough to store the hoover.
And by the time you read this article there will be brand new cabinets and worktop to replace the old cupboards under the kitchen hatch.
What we haven’t done yet:
- Bought a new hoover to replace the current museum piece, but we hope to soon!
- Replaced the large heavy tables with lighter ones.
- Bought new chairs, which we promise to do in 2014.
All the work took place over the summer holiday, meaning none of our regular users were inconvenienced. Many many thanks go to Mary Tucker who has masterminded and coordinated the whole project, which was paid for entirely from Church House funds.
Nigel Smith, Chairman, Church House Leadership Team
Before and after: New lockers, new colour walls, new flooring (same old chairs!)
The MillsTones Dance Band
The MillsTones Dance Band is making a welcome return to St John’s Church, Gosbrook Road on Saturday 14 September at 7.30pm. This event is part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the church. Dance or just listen to the music of the Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Duke Ellington Big Band era.
Tickets are £10. You are invited to bring your own drinks. If you would like to learn or practise some dance steps, there will be an opportunity beforehand, from 6.00pm
“Living Faithfully” with Bishop John Pritchard
Wednesday 25 September 2013, 7.45pm, St Peter’s Church
The faith we proclaim on Sunday is just as relevant to the rest of the week. However, too often the teaching and support that church life offers us can seem aimed at deepening our personal commitment to Christ and our involvement in church activities, rather than enabling us to live out our faith at work and in the world. We need to close the gap between sacred and secular, and that’s what Living Faithfully aims to help us do. Each chapter identifies an issue, explores how we might respond and encourages us – through practical ideas, stories, humour, quotes, Scripture, questions and prayer – to seek to make a difference. So says Bishop John Pritchard’s book “Living Faithfully”.
Before he moved on, Graeme Fancourt recommended that the five small groups that he helped to set up in the parish might next study this book. As an introduction, Bishop John has agreed to come and talk about the book, what made him write it and how we might best study it. Bishop John is an inspirational speaker. You may remember him from the 3 hour Good Friday devotion he gave in St Peter’s a couple of years ago. He will be speaking at St Peter’s on Wednesday 25 Sept, at 7.45pm. All are welcome; you don’t have to be a member of a small group.
Steve Jenkins
Other editions of this newsletter can be found at the archive page