Dear Friends,
First of all this month congratulations are due! The St John’s Newbold Branch of the Mothers’ Union is 100 years old. I wonder whether the ladies of the Church who founded the Branch in 1914 under the then Rector, Fr Cutlack, would have thought that we would be recognising their foresight and enthusiasm 100 years on?
The Mothers’ Union was founded by Mary Sumner in 1876. She was the wife of the Rector of Old Alresford, near Winchester and started the movement after the birth of her first grandchild. Remembering her own difficulties as a young mother, she sought to bring together women of all social classes to provide various kinds of support for one another as they sought to do their best within their family life. Mary gave her first speech about it in that Diocese in 1885 and it encouraged other parishes to set up similar organisations to the one she had created. It quickly became a Diocesan Organisation which spread rapidly to other dioceses and by 1892 there were 60,000 members in 28 dioceses. In 1896 the Mothers’ Union Central Council was formed and by the turn of the century there were 169,000 members. In May of 1914 the Newbold Branch was formed, only 38 years after Mary Sumner first put her ideas into action.
Today, the Mothers’ Union is a worldwide organisation. It continues its original objectives in parishes of upholding family life, but is also an international campaigning charity working against, among other things, violence against women and the trafficking of women. It continues with its campaigning too for the rights of children to have a childhood. The Mothers’ Union is open to all women, whether or not they are mothers. For many years now, perhaps reflecting its campaigning role rather than only the mutual support of mothers, it is open to men to become members.
Although the Union continues to flourish globally, it has been in decline in our own country now for some time and many parishes have had to close their branches. However, the Newbold Branch continues to meet monthly 100 years on since its founding and we should all be very proud of this. Well done ladies and congratulations! Enjoy your celebrations.
AGM and APCM The Annual General Meeting of a church is essentially to elect churchwardens to serve and represent the parish. They become the Bishop’s Officers after their swearing in before the Archdeacon. This year, Julie Franks was returned to office for a second year and Richard Peet was newly elected. We congratulate them and thank them for serving, and we offer them our prayers for the ministry and office they perform on our behalf. Richard has replaced Bob Cable who has had two terms of office over many years. Our thanks are due to Bob for the unstinting offering of his skills and energy and the diligent way he has fulfilled his office. We are delighted that he agreed to be elected as a deputy warden along with Lesley Howard, who was re-elected.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting receives reports on church activities during the year and on the work of the PCC, including the important financial report and reports from other church organisations. There are also elections to Deanery Synod, to the Parochial Church Council and of sidespeople. I am delighted to say that at our meeting all the positions were filled by volunteers – no one’s arm twisted at all! A further meeting followed to elect from the PCC the Church Officers – again, all filled by very able and willing volunteers.
I came away from the meetings feeling very encouraged and grateful that so many able members of our congregation were willing to serve in these official capacities. I hope that they will feel that they have our full support in fulfilling their tasks on behalf of Newbold Parish Church.
Holy Week and Easter The services each day during Holy Week and Easter this year were simply wonderful. There was a real sense of walking with our Lord to the Cross and pondering its meaning; then getting up off our knees to celebrate the sheer joy of the Resurrection. The Church looked beautiful; the music was so uplifting, and the first greeting of, “Alleluia! Christ is risen: He is risen indeed. Alleluia!” was just thrilling. Thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported these services.
Ascension Day The celebration of the Ascension and Coronation of our Lord is on 29th of this month. The Sung Eucharist begins at 7.00pm. I hope as many people as possible will come to celebrate this special commemoration. For some years now we have had a reception and social time in the Parish Room after the Service, and we hope to do so again. Surely such a time requires our celebration. A previous Bishop of Sheffield said that all the Church of England needs is more prayer and more parties! Perhaps it needs more than that – but it seems a good place to start. Do join us on the 29th.
With every blessing,
Yours sincerely
Fr Nigel Johnson Rector