The start of a new venture… clearing and making way for our living churchyard.
Men’s Night In2Out
Sometimes, just sometimes God seems very close. And sometimes, just sometimes we are given the opportunity to hear his voice, however distantly.
The Men’s Night held at Clinton and Jean’s was one of those occasions. 25 men from different backgrounds listened to Terry Wilcox, Project Director with In2Out a Leeds based charity working with young people with convictions. Photo attached!
It’s the only such organisation in the country. It has 4 paid staff and 30+ volunteers, many of whom are mentors. It meets all the standards set by the Government and has worked with 70+ young people.
Terry is a man whose life is shaped by his desire to follow Jesus. He was a successful businessman who found himself in the unusual position firstly of simply talking to prisoners and who was then encouraged to start working with them when they were out. In2Out was set up. For details have a look at their website http://www.in2out.org.uk
If we had stayed till 2am there would still have been someone wanting to ask Terry another question. He did not claim to be a plaster saint. He was well aware of his own fragilities and fallibilities.
But in his telling his story and the story of those with whom he, his wife and his team worked, there was to me a sense that here was a man who was Jesus to them – on the basis “that Christ has no hands but our hands.”
He reminded us that the runaway slave Onesimus referred to in Paul’s letter to Philemon was described as – once he was useless, now he is useful. Many of us may feel useless. God seeks to make all of us useful.
Thanks again to Jean for the wonderful gift of hospitality – her apple pie was Great British Bake Off standard and the Shepherds Pie would have called many from the Harden Moss Sheepdogs Trials! And £180 was given to In2Out!
Nigel
Jigsaw Ministries
Help us raise funds to buy a new van for Jigsaw:
Jigsaw is a Christian Children’s ministry working to change poverty in the lives of children and families in the Philippines.
Jigsaw vans are an integral part of the ministry picking children up from street areas, taking children to hospitals, taking kids workers to Jigsaw’s different community projects and much more. Another Jigsaw van will help Jigsaw to expand their capacity to respond to the needs of children and Kate Lee and Mandy Latimer are running a half marathon to raise funds towards a new Jigsaw van.
Can you support Kate Lee & Mandy Latimer in their challenge to run a half marathon (The Perkins Great Eastern Run) to raise funds for Jigsaw to buy a new van. Date of run 11th October 2015.
How you can sponsor:
You can sponsor per mile or as a fixed gift.
Cheque: Jigsaw Kids Ministries (write on the back Van sponsorship please) Send to: Jigsaw Kids Ministries, 1st floor Chapel House, Chapel Lane, St Ives, Cambs – PE27 5DX.
Just Giving Text: Text JIGK13 £10 (amount is variable) to 70070
Direct Bank Transfer: Account name – Jigsaw Kids Ministries , Sort Code 30-94-43, account No/ 03952804 Lloyds Bank. Reference – van sponsorship
Just Giving website: Search for Jigsaw Kids Ministries (not live until next week)
Thank you very much, from Kate and Mandy
Harvest Celebration at St Mary’s
Dear Friend,
You are invited to share a Harvest Celebration on Sunday October 4th at 11am. This year we need more donations of food than in any other year. As usual fresh food will go to local people in need (please let us know if you know of a person who is in need) and the tins & rice etc. will go to the Meltham food bank. The food bank has been struggling with the recent high demand so we’re hoping to help them this year. Hopefully we will see everyone on Sunday but if you can’t make the service please consider a donation of food.
With warm wishes From All at St Marys
St Mary’s Cheese & Wine Social Evening
Pew leaflet – 4th October 2015
Operation Christmas Child – 45000 extra shoeboxes needed for refugee children
Operation Christmas Child – 45000 extra shoeboxes needed for refugee children.
Could you, as an individual or as a corporate group, help us to achieve this target?
This year has seen many tragedies across the world with families forced to leave their homes, children orphaned, and many thousands fleeing from war and terror, seeking refuge in other countries.
Every year Operation Christmas Child sends over 10,000,000 shoeboxes to needy children in 120 countries with 850,638 sent from the UK in 2014.
This year, with the refugee crisis in Syria, Operation Christmas Child aims to send 45,000 extra shoeboxes from the UK to the refugee children, this is in addition to the boxes that will go to children in other parts of the world!
Shoeboxes are gifts of love containing educational supplies, hats, gloves, scarves, a small toy, toothbrushes, toothpaste, facecloths, soap, small cuddly toys, sweets, jewellery, hair accessories etc. (please NO war toys, scary animals or broken toys). We would also request a donation of £3 to help with the transport costs of sending the boxes to their recipients.
If you are able to donate filled shoebox(es) please drop it off at St James’ Church, Meltham Mills on any Friday between 10am and 3pm or anytime from 2nd November to 27th November 2015 or at the Crossroads Shop in Meltham.
If you would like an Operation Christmas Child volunteer to come and talk to your group or business or would like any more information please contact Judith Powell on 01484 859460 or Grace Dronsfield on 01484 850955
Men’s Night – Food, Drink & Talk – Friday 2 Oct 7:30pm
Fancy an alternative night out this Friday?
Men’s Night – Food, Drink & Talk – Friday 2 Oct 7:30pm
The speaker is Terry Wilcox: Project Director at In2Out based in Leeds sharing his experiences in helping the rehabilitation of young offenders. Food and drink at 7.30pm – talk and reflection a bit later.
Please contact Nigel Priestley if you would like to attend: nigel.priestley@ntlworld.com
Terry says about himself:
“I came from working class beginnings in Bolton. My early business life was in Software – Taking new products to market, opening new markets, building new companies.
I’ve had a change of identity in the last 5 years – working with young people who’ve made bad decisions and now have criminal convictions. Check out http://www.in2out.org.uk
I’m helping them to re-adjust and resettle as they rebuild their lives ‘on the out’ – challenging, often frustrating and, occasionally, immensely rewarding.
I am motivated by personal Christian faith – I’ve been married (39 years) to Lis, with two grown-up children. I live in Harrogate and keep a dozen sheep.
Hope that’s enough!”
Below is an article about a recent visit:
The work of a local prison chaplaincy project helping the rehabilitation for young offenders has been highlighted with a visit to Wetherby Young Offenders Institution and Wetherby prison by the Bishop of Rochester, the bishop for prisons.
The Rt Revd James Langstaff met staff of In2Out, a community chaplaincy initiative based at Wetherby Young Offenders Institute which is supported by the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust.
The Bishop is pictured with Terry Wilcox, the In2Out Project Director
Terry said, “In2Out focuses on young people aged 15 – 21 who have offended and are involved in a Criminal Justice process. They may be completing a custodial sentence in, say, a Young Offender Institution; or perhaps contributing to a community based reparation scheme.
“That means we work in the community, rather than just inside the prison. We help ex-offenders who tell us they want to change their lives and we provide a mentor to work with each young person one to one . We work alongside the young person, faith groups, employers and statutory organisations to ensure the transition to a less chaotic life.”
