Minister’s Letter

I read today of the remarkable story of some 200 year old seeds discovered inside a red leather-bound notebook at the National Archives in London.  Somehow the seeds have been nurtured to life by botanists and the plants are now growing vigorously.  

The seeds were collected by a Dutch merchant during a visit to the Cape of Good Hope in 1803.  On his return journey, with a cargo of tea and silk, his vessel was captured by the British Navy and all documents, including his notebook, were seized.  

The book passed on in time to the Archives where it was rediscovered recently.  Inside were found 40 tiny packets of seeds.  Most were labelled with Latin names but others bore intriguing tags like “Seeds from a tree with crooked thorns” and “Seeds of the wild melons eaten by the savages along the Orange River ”.

  To attempt to revive the seeds, a few of each variety were given to ecologists at the Millennium Seed Bank.

  There, a seed ecologist exposed them to smoke, exploiting the fact that many seeds from the region are germinated by bushfires.  They were then transferred to a jelly-like medium to see if they would grow.  Incredibly, the team at the Seed Bank now have 2 shrubs around 10cm high and an acacia which is nearly at waist height!

  This is not meant to happen.  Even the toughest seeds should have died long ago after being held so long in such bad conditions.

  At Harvest time, this remarkable event reminds us of the mysterious imperative for life that is wired into Creation.  Things that may appear dead and gone can regenerate.  Sometimes, we can only wonder and marvel!

  The story reminds us to be patient too.  Life comes when God is good and ready.

  The September Church Meeting voted overwhelmingly to accept the tender for the Building Project and work is now, at last, ready to begin in the New Year.  We have raised £170,000 in different ways in 2 years.  This is a remarkable effort.  We have another £60,000 to find, to bring the seeds to fruition and to create new life.  I have every confidence that we will meet the challenge however.

  The changes to the building will help us to regenerate in other ways too.  We will have new opportunities to engage with our local community.  The new glass entrance makes the statement that we welcome everyone in.  But it will also be an exit.  We take out our faith and our love, as Christ leaves with us.

  The new chapel will be a visible reminder that prayer is at the heart of all we are about.  But also it can be a resource for the whole community – a new spiritual space in which all can be still and take stock of their lives.

  Our new kitchen and toilets will provide a new resource too for church and community life and it is exciting to think of the opportunities which will flow from this.

  We have been through a time of transition and waiting over the last couple of years in many ways.  I sense many possibilities ahead!  As the Harvest hymn declares, “For the ploughing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping; future needs in earth’s safe keeping, thanks be to God!”

  Thanks indeed!

  God Bless.

  Nick

Building Project Update

            At the Church Meeting on 18 September, it was formally agreed that we should proceed with the Building Development Project, on the basis of the tender from D & J Cole and the total forecast expenditure resulting from that tender.  The Church Meeting supported the proposal to proceed almost unanimously, with one vote against and one abstention.  The Joint Church Council, the body authorised by our three parent denominations to make formal decisions on building development, has agreed unanimously that the project should go ahead.

            This now means that we shall contact D & J Cole to do the building work, which will begin in January and is expected to finish in May.  Details of restrictions on our use of the church and other rooms during this period are being worked out and will be made public as soon as they are clear.  Obviously, we will seek to have as little disturbance as possible.

            A summary of the financial situation was provided to Church Meeting.  In brief, the total forecast expenditure on the project is £231,100.  Since we started raising money for the project in the summer of 2004, the total money collected or pledged now stands at £170,000.  This includes approximately £50,000 grants from outside Trinity and £10,000 transferred from the Trinity Buildings and Development Fund (reflecting the inclusion in the total building project of a substantial maintenance element, which we would have to have funded if there had not been a new building project).

            We therefore need to raise a further £61,100 to complete the project.  There are some continuing possibilities of new or improved external grants, but otherwise we are committed to raise the remainder ourselves.  We have agreed a low-interest loan facility of up to £40,000 with the URC Synod, allowing a longer time period for raising the full amount.  Please continue to support fund raising efforts and, in particular, to make further pledges and donations.  Pledge forms and donation envelopes are at the back of the church.  Also, please pray that the whole church will enable the money for this project to be ready for the completion of the project next May.

            The Buildings Working Group has done an enormous amount of work to make this project possible, and they will continue to oversee the project, working with David Ensom and D & J Cole.  If there is anything that you can help with, please be willing to give your help when asked (or even before!).

Roger Mead

Chair, Joint Church Council

Christmas Cards

Cathy MacLennan

designed the collage.

A group of Trinity people

 organised and ran Holiday Bible Club.

The children at Holiday Bible Club made the collage.

Alex Robinson has turned the collage into Christmas cards.

You can buy the cards

to raise funds for the Buildings Fund.

Only £3.99 for a pack of 10

There is a paper copy for you to see the design

and a list for you to place your order,

on the board at the back of the church.

If you prefer, you can contact the church office

or any of the fundraising team –

Andrew Curnow, Jill Duncan, Julia Little or Sarah Moore

£1 Jars

Have YOU stuck a little picture of the new building on a jar?

Have YOU started saving in your jar?

There are over 200 members of our church:

If we all save £1 a week from now until Advent Sunday,

we will raise £2,000.

If we all leave it to someone else, we will not.

On Advent Sunday,

bring your jars to church

and empty then into the Buildings Fund collection box.

(If you are a tax payer, put the money in a gift aid envelope.)

Stick a “Jar of Grace” label on the other side of your jar

and continue to put your £1 a week in the jar

over the Christmas period,

this time for UNICEF.

Chocoholics Catalogues

Copies of the Winter 2006 catalogue are available in church.  There are only a few, so please only take them away if you can return them quickly.  You can also browse online at www.chocolate-parties.com.

Orders need to be given to Karen Green with payment (cheques to “Sheila Kirrane”).  Remember to include contact details so I can deliver your order.

Please note that Chocoholics do sell out of items.  So, remember to place your order early.  We get 7.5% commission once we have sales over £125. 

Queries to Karen Green - family.green(at)tiscali.co.uk

Appointments made at the September Church Meeting

The following appointments were made at the Church Meeting on

Monday 18 September 2006 :

Gaynor Davies as Librarian

            Dave Brayshaw as a member of the Education & Nurture Committee

Both these appointments are for a first term of three years.

The rain in Spain … is running down the drain

Riding Lights Theatre Company is supporting Water Aid.  Their new show, “Pipe Dreams”, is all about water.  The tour of 57 venues over two months is now in progress.  Even Paul (Holloway) is a little challenged by the prospect. 

Please pray for his team of four, as they try to keep going.  The white van has to be driven by them all over the country.  They will be relying on local hospitality for B&B and meals.

Please pray that they will be able to draw strength from the Fountain of Life, and be truly refreshed every day.

Church Directory

Our Church Directory should provide the most comprehensive list of all those people who are associated in a regular way with the worship and activities of Trinity Church .  It is important that the directory should be up-to-date and therefore we produce a revised directory each autumn.

We are asking all people who feel themselves to be part, in a small or a large way, of Trinity to check that their names are in the directory and that the information about them is correct.  There will be copies of lists derived from the old directory available in the church and the hall.

Please would you all:

1) confirm that the existing information is correct  or

2) make appropriate corrections, then

3) sign against your name to indicate that you have confirmed the details for inclusion in the revised directory.  (You only have to confirm your details in one of the copies!)

Where information has not been confirmed, we will do our best to obtain confirmation.  However, if that is not successful, it may be necessary to omit unconfirmed information, in the interest of being sure that the directory is correct when revised.

Please help us as much as you can by confirming or correcting the current directory information as soon as you can.  In particular, please can you include an email contact address if possible, because it is clear that information will increasingly be conveyed through email.  Several people already provide an email contact through a spouse or relative and this, too, is helpful.  Obviously, there will continue to be a substantial proportion of our congregation for whom email communication is not possible and we will, of course, ensure that they receive all information through other means, such as the magazine, service leaflets or church noticeboards, at the earliest opportunity.

From Our Constitution

This month’s extract from the Trinity Church constitution concerns worship.

“Worship at Trinity Church shall safeguard and present the doctrines, practices and traditions of each participating denomination in such a way that newcomers will each recognise their own tradition.

Both the Ministry of the Word and the celebration of Holy Communion shall be conducted in accordance with forms authorised by any of the participating denominations, or ecumenical rites approved by the Sponsoring Body.

Ordained Priests or Ministers and any other authorised person shall preside at Holy Communion as permitted by denominational legislation or by dispensation therefrom.  All those recognised as communicants by the participating denominations may receive the sacrament at such services.”

Pamper Evening

Thank you to those who came to the Pamper evening; it was very relaxing and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  We raised £240.  Well done.

Thanks also to the many organisers of the evening:

Emma Davies, who contacted all the therapists and stall holders.

Jane Page and Clare Tran for organising the refreshments.

Linda Booth for selling raffle tickets.

Jill Duncan for providing a listening / prayer link service.

The therapists and stall holders are all local small businesses, their contribution to the evening really helped to boost the money raised.  As a thank you to them, I have included their details in this magazine.  Please think about hosting a party to do your Christmas shopping at home and boost the buildings fund at the same time.

Karen Green

Thanks, too, to Karen for all her work on this!  [Editor]

Pamper Evening Stallholders

If you were unable to attend, then why not host a home party?  It is very simple and so much fun.  Contact one of the people listed below for more information.

To help with the fundraising, you will be able to donate your commission to the Buildings Fund - please ask how.  Host gifts will also be very welcome as donations for the raffle at the Christmas entertainment evening.

Prayer Handbooks and Diaries

From the United Reformed Church

I have received order forms from the URC for the 2007 Prayer Handbooks and Diaries.  I would be pleased to receive requests for copies at any time, but it would be particularly helpful if you could place orders with me by 22 October.

A new Heaven on a New Earth – The Prayer Handbook Advent 2006-2007 (£3.95)

This is in the traditional form of readings, prayers, stories and reflections, and is an admirable stimulus to regular bible reading and prayer.  If you have not tried the handbook before, why not see if it helps you?  Last year, we took about twenty copies at Trinity, and I believe that the handbook is helping a good number of the Trinity congregation in their prayer life.

URC Pocket diary for 2007 (£5.00)

These are admirable pocket diaries, which not only have the traditional space for each day in 2007, but also a reduced space section for each day in 2008.  I have always found this latter section invaluable when dates are being planned, as it avoids the problem many people seem to have of being unable to know what they are doing after the end of their diary period.  The diaries also contain information on URC Synods and the usual road maps and sundry date information.  The diaries are available in Red, Green, Brown or Blue covers.

The diaries are also available as inserts to fit standard Personal Organisers.

Roger Mead

Operation Christmas Child

Trinity Church will be a collecting point for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes again this year.

For those that don’t know, the idea is that you get a shoe box, wrap it in Christmas wrapping paper and then fill it with presents for a child.  The shoe boxes are then sent to Eastern Europe and Africa to children that are unlikely to get any other presents this Christmas.

Around Christmas, there are lots of things like this and there is no way of knowing that they actually make a difference.  I can personally tell you that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes do!

Most of you know that I spent 2 years living in Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina.  I was working as a volunteer youth worker with a charity called Novi Most.  (See www.novimost.org.)  One of the amazing things I got to do was give out 1,000 shoe boxes sent from England .  About 2 weeks before Christmas, we got a phone call to say the lorry was on its way.  Workers from Novi Most and 2 local churches, as well as some of the young people we worked with, met the lorry at a car park and unloaded about 3,000 shoe boxes.  (Virtually every child in Mostar got one, they were given out by the two churches as well as Novi Most.)

Novi Most was responsible for giving out boxes to all the kids who live on the East side of town which was the Muslim side.  We went into all the schools in the area as well as to the refugee site and children’s home.  It was great fun.  The days we were in school, they had pretty much full attendance.  We’d go into the classrooms with the boxes and hand out appropriate ones (you get to choose what sex and age you want your shoe box to go to).  The kids would all wait until everyone had a box and then the frenzy of opening and grinning would start.  Everything was coming out of the boxes and they’d be looking to see what each other had got.  At the refugee site and children’s home, the scene was repeated.  I know all of the kids who live at the refugee site and visited most of them in their homes.  They were so proud of the things they got in their shoe boxes.  The hats, gloves and scarves would be on, the toys would be played with and ,for the girls, any make up and jewellery would be tried on.  For many of them, these are the only presents they would get all year.  Their parents couldn’t afford to buy them toys.  Buying food and stuff for school was the top priority, so the shoe boxes were an opportunity for things that were “theirs” and were fun.

Many of the churches across Bosnia use the shoe boxes as an opportunity for mission, as well as an opportunity to bless the people around them.  They would put on plays, puppet shows or special services and invite all the children in the area to come along, see the message of what Christmas really means and what they mean to God and then they give out the boxes.  Everywhere I went where they were doing shoe boxes, there were smiles all around.  If most kids in England were given a shoe box for Christmas, they wouldn’t be particularly grateful but the kids we gave shoe boxes to were so grateful and kept saying “thank you”, although they didn’t know who to.

A shoe box doesn’t cost much to make up but it makes a massive difference to the kid who is going to receive it.  Yes, food and education are the priority but kids also need the opportunity to be kids.  Many of these kids are trying to fit school in around just surviving and these boxes are their opportunity to be kids and have toys, colouring things and other things that we just take for granted.

Please make up a shoe box and bring it along to church some time in October.  I know that is early but they need to be checked (they collect over a million so that is a lot of checking), sorted into countries and driven to the country in time for the people there to give them out before Christmas.

There are some recommendations (and some limits) on what can go in boxes. Please see www.samaritanspurse.uk.com for more information.

Thank you.

Anna Hedley

Wanted: Experienced Singers

for the choir for the Regenerate Commissioning Service,

6:30pm Sunday 21 January 2007 .

There will be 2 rehearsals and the dates are

12 & 19 January 2007.

If people are interested in joining the choir,

could they please let Janet Parkin know by 1 December

and also whether they are Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass.

Replies can be sent to janet.parkins(at)gmail.com

.

Chalfont District Guides and Brownies

Chalfont District comprises one Rainbow unit, three Brownie packs and one Guide unit. 

Rainbows, age five to seven , meet 5.15-6.15pm

1^st – Wednesday, Salvation Army

Brownies, age seven to ten , meet 6.00-7.30pm

6^th - Tuesday at Hillside School

2^nd – Tuesday at Radstock Community Centre

1^st   - Wednesday at Radstock School . 

Guides, age ten to fourteen, meet 7.45-9.15pm

4^th - Tuesday at Hillside School . 

You may remember the last time that we were in church, we were all dressed up as characters from children’s literature.  The girls were so excited at being picked up by a double decker bus that they all sat upstairs on our journey to Dinton Pastures!  Once there, we had a ‘Party in the Pastures’ for the Queen’s 80^th birthday, with orienteering, a picnic lunch, tiara making and party games, ending with birthday cake of course.

This term, as well as welcoming new Brownies, we welcome Sarah, who is joining the Guiders in our District and has started up a brand new Rainbow Unit.  They have played lots of “getting to know you” games and are looking forward to an exiting term!

2^nd Brownies’ highlight was their Pack Holiday at the start of the summer holidays.  They spent 4 days in a wonderful old cottage in the woods of Basildon House, Pangbourne, where their theme for the holiday was ‘Animal Safari’.  A great time was had by all, despite thunderstorms and a flash flood coinciding with their arrival.  The activities varied from jungle challenges and a trip to Basildon House, to learning how to live and work together, by cooking, washing and clearing up and entertaining each other.

This term, we are looking forward to a drama evening, and two of the packs are having First Aid taster sessions, as well as preparing for Harvest Parade and the Church Fayre.

If you would like to be added to the waiting list, or feel you could help at one of the meetings, or have time to help with administration, then please contact

Tracy Wilson 

Events

Chalfont Club

Meetings at Trinity Church Hall

on Thursdays from 2pm until 3.30pm

Everyone welcome.

Autumn Programme 2006

5 October            The Humble Brick                           Alan Pritchard

                          Look at buildings in a new way

                          Bring & Buy Stall

12 October           Harvest Praise                              Nick Thompson

                          Committee Meeting

19 October           Travels in Switzerland                     Peter Harms

                          Enjoy the beauty

26 October          Greenham Common                          Ian Paine

                          from military base to Nature Reserve

2 November          A look around Cheshire                    Trevor Ottlewski

                          its development

                          shown with slides & comments

9 November          King Charles II:                       John Brearley

                     An Oak Tree and all that!

                          What happened in Reading after the Civil War?

                          A follow-up to last year’s popular talk                      

16 November        Preparing your Garden for Winter  Mike McGibbon

                          Grovelands Garden Centre

                          Your questions answered

                          Bring & Buy Stall

23 November        Traidcraft                             Pam Thompson

                          An opportunity to buy cards & gifts

                          which support the makers

30 November       Odd Odes & True Stories           Alan Stockwell

                          Sounds intriguing!

7 December          Christmas Lunch

14 December        Christmas Praise - Carols            Nick Thompson

Restarts Thursday 11 January 2007

Contact Rosemary Reece for more details.

Prayer & Praise House Group

The new twice monthly group will meet

on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of the month:

9 & 23 October

13 & 27 November

at 8pm at Lisa & Keith’s

2 Mitford Close

(off Whitley Wood Road )

Join us for a time of fellowship with praise and worship.

ALL WELCOME

Study Groups

A Thursday Morning

Bible Study Group

will meet in church

from 10am until 12 noon

from Thursday 5 October until 14 December.

During this time, we hope to study John’s Gospel in detail, enhancing and enriching our faith and

increasing our knowledge of the Bible.

All who are free during Thursday mornings are welcome.

Please register for the group

by signing the list at the back of the church

or by contacting me. Rev Nina Mead

Wednesday Evening

Discussion Group

A chance for us, the Earley Christians,

to look at the lives of the early Christians,

as we read and discuss “The Acts of the Apostles”.

The first meeting will be on

Wednesday 11 October at 8pm

at the home of Christine & Robert Adamson, 42 Clevedon Drive .

Pilots

Aged 5 -16?  Nothing to do on a Monday evening?

Come and join the Pilots at Trinity…

We meet every Monday during term time

at Trinity Church from 6pm to 7:30pm .

If you’d like to find out more, come along one week,

or contact Anna or Emma.

If you’re too old but think you could enjoy helping out with Pilots, we would love to hear from you.

Earley Youth Net

We're a Christian youth movement supported by Trinity Church , Lower Earley Baptist Church and St Peter’s Church and with involvement from many other places. 

If you are over 11 and fancy exploring what Christianity is all about (and having fun while you do it), join us on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of every month, at Trinity (7:15 – 8:45pm).

Meetings this term on:

11 October                                 25 October

8 November                                22 November

13 December

Want more information? 

Then talk to Mike Bushnell, Michael Whiteman, James Pollard or Bethan Jones, or go to our website: www.earleyyouthnet.co.uk

The Boys’ Brigade

1^st Earley Company

Trinity Church

After one of our best camps, which took place at Viney Hill Christian Adventure Centre, Gloucester , we look forward to a most enjoyable 2006/7 year. 

Our Anchor Boys, aged 4 to 8 years, meet every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm .

The Company Section, aged 11 to 19, meets on Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9pm.

The Junior Section, aged 8 to 11 years, meets on a Friday from 6.30pm to 8pm.

There is much to do, learning different skills, drama, games, etc.

Boys between the ages of 4 to 19 are most welcome to join us.  Come and visit us in your age group.  A warm welcome awaits you.

Les Bainton

Captain

Nursery Services

Greetings Cards

Every third Sunday:

Greetings cards on sale

Proceeds going to the

Trinity Buildings Fund.

15 October

19 November

3 December

Any special requests or customised designs

can be arranged - please just ask!

Helen Dyson

Empty Nest Group

The next meeting of the

Empty Nest Group

will be on

Thursday 5 October

8pm onwards

at the home of Kate & Alex Robinson

40 Springdale , Earley

Come for coffee, cake and chat.

Further information from:

Lynda Brannelly 

Sue Brickell      

Kate Robinson    

Harvest Supper

Come and join us at the

Harvest Supper

at 6pm

on Sunday 8 October.

There will be a choice of

hot main meals

and apple pie or crumble

to follow.

Carole Cull will be talking to us

about her work with Diabetes Research.

This will be followed by an auction

of the perishable harvest gifts in aid of this charity.

The tinned goods will be given to

the Churches in Reading Drop In Centre.

Fun, food and fellowship,

and all for £3.50 for adults and £2 for children!

Please sign up on the list

on the notice board at the back of church.

Autumn Fayre
Autum Fayre

 Quiz Night

Saturday 21 October 2006

7.30pm

at Wesley Methodist Church , Reading

Tickets:  Adult £6 or OAP/Student £5

including delicious desserts, coffee and mints

Soft drinks for sale

All proceeds to NCH

Contact Andrew Curnow for more information.

Church Walk

                Saturday 28 October 10am

Morning walk with a pub lunch

Meet at the church at 10am

Led by Andrew Curnow

Notice From Churches Together in Earley & East Reading :

Theme: The Christian Teacher: Making a Difference

(Being a Christian witness in school/college)

On Saturday 28 October from 10.30am - 3.30pm ,

the schools work trust is putting on an event for

Christian teachers and support staff

working in primary and secondary education.

The training day is led by

Rupert Kaye from the Association of Christian Teachers.

Venue:  Earley Christian Fellowship, 153 Wokingham Road , Reading , RG6 1LP

Cost: £7.50 for ACT members;  £12.50 for non-ACT members

Price includes lunch, refreshments and all resources.

To book a place, please contact:

Rupert Kaye, email act(at)christian-teachers.org.uk

Andrea Smith, email schoolsworker(at)yahoo.co.uk

Pastoral Pages

Welcome to

Carole & John Cull, as Carole comes to us as an Anglican Non-Stipendiary Curate from 1 October.

Congratulations to

Joan Guile and Lynne Hill, upon retiring from work!

Paul and Pauline Tonks, as they enjoy a service of blessing for their marriage on 7 October.

September Baptisms

Jack David, son of Brian and Karen Rawlins

Katja Celeste, daughter of Stephan and Charlotte Siemen

In memoriam

Tom Anderson from Rowan Court , who died on 11 September

Please pray for

·          Charlie Croal, who has moved to Calcot.

·          Claire Knight and Laura Thompson, on moving away to University.

·          Eleanor Moore, after her recent appendix operation

·          Linda Szadowski, facing possible further painful surgery on her back.

·          James Pollard, on the death of his mum.

·          Denise Wise, recovering from a broken foot.

·          Those who are in debt.

·          Those who are depressed or anxious.

·          Young people who are making decisions about careers and courses.

Prayers for the Parish

Please pray this month for those who live and work in these parts of our parish:

Area B

Prayers for those who live outside the Parish

Please pray for those who live outside our parish in these streets:

Area B

Diary

October 2006

Deadline for November Diary and Magazine: