Dear Friends, What are we drinking? Now there’s a question to get you talking in the lead up to Christmas! Let’s be honest we do a lot of drinking in the churches around the Circuit. We drink after services, at coffee mornings, at Messy Church, at Café Church, at social events and at fund raising events. We drink when we meet together as members of the fellowship and when we invite the wider community into our buildings. So clearly drinking, along with eating, is an important part of our life together and it sends messages to those we invite into our life as a church. The question, “what are we drinking?” is therefore one for us to think about in the life of our churches. The particular question that I want to ask is this: “is your church only serving Fairtrade tea and coffee when you offer refreshments?” If the answer to that question is “Yes” then great, keep up the good work supporting trade justice and fair practice as you offer hospitality. You are making an important contribution supporting vulnerable communities, providing people with proper wages and contributing to environmental protection. You are also declaring that the gospel we preach is not just fine words but has a practical impact on our lives and the lives of others. If the answer is “No” then the question follows “Why not?” Is it because you have not thought about it before? In which case I invite you to find out more about Fairtrade (visit www.fairtrade.org.uk) and then start using the tea and coffee. If you have decided that you don’t like Fairtrade tea and coffee because when you tried it many years ago the quality wasn’t very good (I would agree with you!) then try it again. The only difference these days between Fairtrade tea and coffee and other drinks is not in the quality and manufacture of the product but in the way the manufacturers source the materials from the people who grow them. But it is that difference that is crucial in providing the growers and their communities with a proper return on their labour and an opportunity to thrive and have dignity as God’s children. I heard a past President of Conference say, a number of years ago, if we chose not to use Fairtrade products if they are freely available to us we are positively choosing to support “Unfair trade”. I found them challenging words then and they continue to challenge me today and I share them with you because I think they confront us with an uncomfortable truth we all must face. At Christmas we celebrate God entering into our world, in Jesus, and we are reminded that how we live and act matters. So, what will we be drinking this season and beyond? What message will we send the world? Will we side with Fairtrade of Unfair trade? Will we send a message of hope by what we choose to drink in our churches? Every Blessing, Revd Phil Taylor
4
Embed
Dear Friends,€¦ · Barton Sat 2nd Dec 10am – 12pm – Christmas Fair; Christmas Eve Service at 6.00pm; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Redshaw at 11.00am; Boylestone Stepaside
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Dear Friends, What are we drinking? Now there’s a question to get you talking in the lead up to Christmas! Let’s be honest we do a lot of drinking in the churches around the Circuit. We drink after services, at coffee mornings, at Messy Church, at Café Church, at social events and at fund raising events. We drink when we meet together as members of the fellowship and when we invite the wider community into our buildings. So clearly drinking, along with eating, is an important part of our life together and it sends messages to those we invite into our life as a church. The question, “what are we drinking?” is therefore one for us to think about in the life of our churches. The particular question that I want to ask is this: “is your church only serving Fairtrade tea and coffee when you offer refreshments?” If the answer to that question is “Yes” then great, keep up the good work supporting trade justice and fair practice as you offer hospitality. You are making an important contribution supporting vulnerable communities, providing people with proper wages and contributing to environmental protection. You are also declaring that the gospel we preach is not just fine words but has a practical impact on our lives and the lives of others. If the answer is “No” then the question follows “Why not?” Is it because you have not thought about it before? In which case I invite you to find out more about Fairtrade (visit www.fairtrade.org.uk) and then start using the tea and coffee. If you have decided that you don’t like Fairtrade tea and coffee because when you tried it many years ago the quality wasn’t very good (I would agree with you!) then try it again. The only difference these days between Fairtrade tea and coffee and other drinks is not in the quality and manufacture of the product but in the way the manufacturers source the materials from the people who grow them. But it is that difference that is crucial in providing the growers and their communities with a proper return on their labour and an opportunity to thrive and have dignity as God’s children. I heard a past President of Conference say, a number of years ago, if we chose not to use Fairtrade products if they are freely available to us we are positively choosing to support “Unfair trade”. I found them challenging words then and they continue to challenge me today and I share them with you because I think they confront us with an uncomfortable truth we all must face. At Christmas we celebrate God entering into our world, in Jesus, and we are reminded that how we live and act matters. So, what will we be drinking this season and beyond? What message will we send the world? Will we side with Fairtrade of Unfair trade?
Will we send a message of hope by what we choose to drink in our churches?
Every Blessing,
Revd Phil Taylor
Barton Sat 2nd Dec 10am – 12pm – Christmas Fair; Christmas Eve Service at 6.00pm;
Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Redshaw at 11.00am;
Boylestone
Stepaside 10.30am – 12.00noon (3rd Thurs of every month); Farming Life Centre Social – 4th Thurs each month 1pm-3pm (All Welcome); United Village Service at the Anglican Church for Village Christmas Tree Festival on
Sun 3rd Dec; 35th Annual Chapel Evening for “Action for Children” 7.30pm on Mon 4th Dec; Christmas Eve Service at 11am;
Church Broughton
Teas on Tuesdays! 2.30pm – 4.00pm (1st Tuesday every month); Café Church 1st Tuesday each month 7.30pm;
Draycott in the Clay
Teas every Wednesday! – 2.30pm – 4.00pm; Christmas Eve Carol Service at 7pm on Sunday 24th December; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Stella Mills at 9.30am;
Etwall
Women’s Fellowship – 7.30pm on 2nd & 4th Thurs in Dec and 2.30pm on 2nd & 4th Thurs in Jan & Feb; Adelphic Meeting – 7.30pm 3rd Thurs each month; Sun Family Club – 9.30am each Sun (in term time);
Sunday Family Club Nativity – Sun 10th Dec; Carols on the Village Green on Wed 20th Dec at 6pm; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Philip Taylor at 9.30am;
Hatton Advent Service with Rev’d Jimi Kaci Sun 3rd Dec; Carol Service with Eunice Watson Sun 10th Dec;
Christmas Eve Service with Rev’d Jimi Kaci; Christmas Day Service at Tutbury Congregation Church with Mr John Cumpstone; Local Preachers & Worship Leaders Meeting at 7.30pm.
Hilton
Thursday Morning Coffee Morning 10.00am-12.00noon; All Age Nativity with Mr Mark Davies Sun 17th Dec; Carols by Candlelight with Mr John Cumpstone 6.30pm; Christmas Eve Service with Rev’d Philip Taylor
8.00pm; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Doug Allen 10.30am; Ash Wednesday Service with Rev’ds Phil Taylor & Andy Murphie 7.30pm on Wed 14th Feb;
Short Street
Knit & Natter 9.30am (every Wednesday), followed by: Quilting Group 11.30am; Christmas Fair and Coffee Morning at Short Street Sat 2nd Dec 10am – 12noon;
Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Redshaw at 9.30am;
Stanton Monthly Fellowship – 7.30pm first Tuesday at 22 Appleby Glade;
Christmas Carol Service with Mrs Teresa Tilly 6.00pm on Sun 17th Dec;
Stretton Coffee Mornings 9.30am – 11.00am (Every Tuesday); Christmas Nativity with Susan Laws at 10.00am on Sun
10th Dec; Christmas Carol Service 6.00pm Sun 17th Dec; Christmas Eve Midnight Service at 11.30pm; All Age Christmas Day Service at 10.00am; Church Council on Wed 28th Feb 7.00pm;
St Thomas’s
Coffee Mornings 10.00am – 11.30am (1st Saturday every month); Wednesday Group 7.30pm – 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month; Carols by Candlelight at 7.00pm on Wed 20th Dec; Christmas Day at 10.00am:
Stubwood Christmas Carol Service on 17th Dec at 2.30pm; United Service with Uttoxeter on 31st Jan;
Uttoxeter Christingle Service 4.00pm on 10th Dec; Christmas Carol Service 4pm on 17th Dec; Christmas Eve Holy
Communion Service with Rev’d Marian Taylor; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Marian Taylor at 10.00am;
Winshill
Sat 2nd Dec Advent Celebration 3pm-4.30pm; Messy Nativity with Tea & Coffee after service 10.45am Sun 17th Dec; Christmas Carol Service with Mr Phil Robinson 6.00pm Sun 17th Dec; Messy Angels descend on
Winshill 5.30am Wed 20th Dec; Christmas Eve Service 6.00pm; Christmas Day Service with Rev’d Jimi Kaci 9.45am;
Woodmill Bible Study – 2nd Monday every month – 2.30pm at 30 Lightwood Road;
Circuit Event
Rev’d Paul Wilson speaks on Intentional Faith Development
on Sat 20th January 2018 10am – 12noon & 7pm – 9pm
at Langan’s Tea Rooms & Uttoxeter Methodist Church(TBC)
Circuit Meeting
7.30pm
on 22nd Feb 2018
at St Thomas’s
Methodist Church
Circuit Event
Rev’d Mike Redshaw speaks on Job
on Sat 24th February 2018 10.00am – 12.30pm
at St Thomas’s Methodist Church
Mums & Toddlers Meetings (For further details contact Susan Laws – 01283 550525) Tuesday – every week 1.30pm – 3.00pm – Pram Club at Stretton Church Hall Wednesday – every week 10.00am – 11.30am – Mini Fun Factory at Winshill Thursday – 1st & 3rd 10.30am – 12.00noon – “Little Fingers” at St Thomas’s
Friday – 9.45am – 11.45am – Toddler Group at Short Street
Julian Meetings (For further details contact Susan Laws – 01283 550525) NO MEETING IN DECEMBER! Thursday 25th January and Thursday 22nd February
7.00pm Last Thursdays every month! January’s at Stanton & February at Woodmill!