November

Welcome to the Website of
St Thomas' Church
Newhey

November 2011

Dear friends,

Most of us will know of the sacrifices that members of families make for each other. It happens because love binds families together, and sacrifice is a natural outpouring of that love.

This month we are called to remember men and women, most not known to us, who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.

They might be those we knew, those we loved. For many others they will be people from our family histories whose stories others have told to us.

They might be men and women from our local community who died in the wars of the last century, as well as those who have died in the current conflicts on our behalf today.

To remember these people, ordinary people like us, who made the sacrifice of their lives, is to honour them. It is to respect them, and those they left behind. And it is to be grateful to them.

But it is more than that. To remember them is to make them and their sacrifice real to us. It is to recognise that their endurance of war allows us the enjoyment to live in peace.

This remembering of sacrifices made so that we might live in peace is also at the heart of what we do in church. We believe that God took upon himself the world’s pain, enduring in the body of Jesus on the cross all the anger and violence humans are capable of inflicting. His willing sacrifice of his life, and those of the martyrs throughout the years, was made so that we now can live in peace with God and with each other.

On Sunday 13th November at 9.15am in Church and at 10.50am at the Cenotaph, Milnrow Memorial Park, our communities will come together and call to mind those who have died for their country in war.

There will also be a short act of worship on Armistice Day itself (Friday 11th November) in church commencing 10.50am.

That they did not die in vain is a legacy and obligation that lays on us to live for others and pursue the gift of peace.

Every blessing,

Graham

These are the names of those remembered on our two war memorials in church

The names of the fallen in the 1914-1918 War

Joseph Bowden Lewis Holden George Edward Reeve

Henry Buckley Isaac Hope Ernest Rose

Wilfred Butterworth Alfred Hopley Fred Rose

William Butterworth Richard Hopley Albert Royds

George Cockerill Elmer Howarth Thomas Schofield

Jesse Crocker John William Howarth Earnest Wild Shore

James Crossley Albert Hoyle Alexander Sutcliffe

Fred Dean John Kay Edward Sutcliffe

Thomas Duffy John Thomas Kinder Edgar Taylor

William Fielding Francis Edwin Law Edmund Taylor

Sim Gartside Thomas Leach James William Taylor

Walter Girling Arthur Lee John Turner

Albert Goodwin David Longbottom Horace Tweedale

Arthur Haigh Albert Mallinson James Walsh

Herbert Hartley George Massey Thomas Walsh

Albert Hill Ernest Mills Joseph Walton

Harry Hill James Mowbray Alfred Wharfe

Joseph Hill John Murray Harry Wormwell

The names of the fallen in the 1939-1945 War

Fred M Barnes Leonard Leach

Leonard M Barnes Durston Mann

Frank Bramwell Frank Mitchell

Frank Buckley Deryck H Pickup

Jack Crowther William Prestwich

Vernon Fielding Gilbert Robinson

Herbert Eric Giles Leonard Smith

Eric Hambler Joseph Stringer

Edward T Hargreaves Jack Whitehead

Peter Jones Norman Wilkinson

Derrick Keen

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Bible Sentence
Peace be on this house and all who dwell in it.
John 16:13

Our Prayers
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the times when we can relax, take off our shoes and rest in our own home. Time to be still, relax our mind, think slowly, reflect and pray. We ask your blessing on our relaxed hours at home, that they may equip us better for our daily work and duties.
We ask your blessing, on our hobbies and pleasures, books and music, home life and social life, good neighbours and friends.
We thank you for your gifts of laughter and fun.
Open in us avenues of creativity and service and may we be ever mindful of what can do for others in our spare time.
Help us to recognise that leisure times are important and necessary for our minds and bodies, in Christ's name
O Lord, help those who are concerned with television and radio broadcasting and publishing to use their gifts responsibly and creatively in the furtherance of your purposes, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Parish Concerns

v Pray for the Remembrance Service at our cenotaph in Milnrow.

v The Service of Remembrance at the cenotaph in Rochdale.

v Pray for all local people who have lost relations and loved ones,
and those who suffer disabilities or mental illness as a result of hostilities.

Wider Concerns

v Pray for the Royal British Legion and its work,

vPray for all who are serving in the armed forces today,

v Pray for the national Services of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall and at the cenotaph in London.

v Pray that the world may learn our Lord Jesus’ ways of peace, that future generations may enjoy the
life that God has given them.

This Month's Readings

6th November 3rd before Advent 1 Thess. 4:13-end Matthew 25 :1-13

13th November Remembrance 1 Thess. 5:1-11 Matthew 25 :14-30

20th November Christ the King Ephesians 1:15-end Matthew 25 :31- end

Year B Readings

27th November Advent Sunday Isaiah 64 : 1-9 Mark:13 :24-37

4th December Advent 2 Isaiah 40 :1-11 Mark 1 :1-8

Welcome to our new Headteacher - report by the Chairman of the Governors

On Wednesday evening of the 12th October, together with Graham, I was invited to a special Evensong service at Manchester Cathedral to welcome some 16 new primary and secondary head teachers to the Manchester Diocese and to bless their service in our schools. The reason for our invitations was to support our new head teacher at St Thomas', Mrs Rebecca Williams, who began her teaching career at St Mary's in Rochdale before moving to Newhey as our deputy head. Together with her husband and their two boys we thoroughly enjoyed the choral service led by the Cathedral Choristers under the guidance of Christopher Stokes.

After a warm welcome from Canon Andrew Shanks the rafters echoed with our rendition of "Christ is our cornerstone, on Him alone we build;" The lessons were both well read by a local pupil of the new CE Academy School in the Diocese.

The sermon was given by the Chairman of the Board of Education - or as we better know him Bishop Mark Davies.

Following this, the new head teachers were commissioned and then Bishop Mark addressed them. He reminded us all that:
" Education is part of the church's mission in sharing the Good News of the Gospel. It recognises that all human experience presents opportunities for developing our love and knowledge of God and others."
Bishop Mark wanted the new head teachers to remember that they have "a special responsibility to ensure that everyone in their school is valued and recognised as being a child of God, uniquely gifted by Him."

In order to do that they must "ensure that their school is rooted in Christian values, principles and beliefs; and that worship and religious education are central to the whole life and work of the school."

After the prayers, the final hymn was "O praise ye, the Lord!" - a rousing end to a very stimulating evening.
It will be a special memory that will stay with me for a very long time.

The Village Fair

The Village Fair will be held in the School on Saturday 26th November between 11am and 2pm.
As well as lunches and refreshment there will be all the usual stalls with home made produce and exclusive hand made crafts.
Please invite all your friends and neighbours to come to the fair.

We have had requests from stallholders for donations of Bottles (of anything), Fun size chocolate bars, Cakes, New or second hand Jewellery, CD's, DVD's, Games for consoles, Books and Toys and craft items. Please bring along any items that you may have to church or contact one of the stallholders.

Hoe Down

There is to be a Hoe Down in the school on Saturday 19th November. The country dancing will be led by a Caller and there will a potato pie supper.
For tickets or for further information - contact Jennifer Barker.

November