My father died just before my nineteenth birthday, but I always remember him getting very cross about people whom, he said, ‘knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing’

On one Saturday morning recently I thought of this. I was in church in a group of five women – actually we were making Christingles. We were there for about a couple of hours, but some of the group had already done several jobs before we started and some stayed on afterwards to do several more. During the time that we were there, six men also came into church to do various things. Some of these people are retired, although they have very busy lives, but others are people who are working a full week in very demanding jobs. This was on one particular Saturday morning – I guess that on a different day there may have been a completely different set of people coming in and out. Like the week before, for example, when almost all hands were on deck for the Christmas Market - or the night before when young mums were busy rehearsing the children for their Christmas Nativity play. Then there are those who work tirelessly behind the scenes at all sorts of jobs – some in church, some in their own home – some at the important ministry of prayer.

I know well the ‘cost’ of all these ministries. I know that our church only runs as well as it does because huge numbers of people give generously of their time to make it so – and, of course of their money - but it is the time element that often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Take a little time to read the visitors book and see how many people make reference to the beauty and care of the church – and to the feeling of prayerful warmth inside the building. Take a little time, too, to reflect on the growing number of people who come to services – this is all because of the time invested by committed Christian witnesses.

There has been much in the press recently about falling numbers of worshippers in the Church of England - and about an urgent need for us to ‘stand up and be counted’. I believe that we ahead of the game here in our church – but I know that it comes at huge cost to many. This, then, is a New Year ‘Thank you’, for I am well aware of the value of your work. It is a huge privilege to work alongside you all. Together we can make a difference not only in Turvey but also in the world.

A Happy and Blessed New Year to you all

Jo

Our Christian witness in this parish

The homeless and refugees

All children who are neglected or ill-treated

‘Thank you’ sometimes seems rather an inadequate word (or two words if you want to be precise) nevertheless I send a HUGE thank you to all involved with the Christmas Market, which raised just short of £2,000! This is an important part of our income and I am most grateful to those who mastermind the day, to all who work so hard to ‘man’ the stalls – and to those who provide a super lunch afterwards. It is much more than a fundraiser. It is a place for meeting and fellowship and I and other regular church-goers often make contact with people who have recently moved to the village who may find it difficult to come into church. It is a lovely day – but a lot of work falls on a few people and sometimes they run out of ideas!! If you have any inspiration about how we might continue to make our Christmas ‘event’ fresh and vibrant each year, do let me know. It won’t necessarily involve you in doing the work, unless you want to!

At this stage it is ideas and suggestions we are after! Keep your eyes open when you are out and about to see what might be a good idea for Turvey – it might just keep us all in business!

Jo Spray

I am hoping to start confirmation classes in the New Year both for adults and for young people. If you are a regular member of the church and have not yet been confirmed, come and talk! Please telephone if you are interested – and don’t be upset if I approach you! You can say no, but it may be good at least to find out what is involved!

Jo

Our programme for 2007 starts with Colin and Keeley Bootman hosting the first coffee morning to be held at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday 13^th January at the Grange. There will be a raffle and bring-and-buy stall, where contributions of cakes and even those unwanted Christmas presents would be very welcome. We are looking for volunteers to host other coffee mornings later in the year. If you would like to host one of these please contact Anne Claypole White 881661 or Gill Betts 720615.

It is almost six months now since we began our ‘experiment’ with a different pattern of service on 4^th Sunday of the month. If you have any comments to make, positive or otherwise about the pattern of services in church I should be pleased to hear them. The PCC has been discussing attendance at various services and figures are available should anyone care to see them – figures alone, however, are not a deciding factor in making choices about the balance and type of services we have at All Saints. There is a saying that if you ask fifty different people to suggest what will work best in any organisation you will get fifty different answers and everyone will be disappointed because their idea was not adopted!! Similarly, I know we can never please all of the people all of the time – and in a village, we need to consider balance – but I should be pleased to your ideas and reactions should you have any.

Jo Spray

I am hoping to compile a list of people who would be willing to give occasional lifts to members of our congregation and community who might have difficulty in getting to the hospital or the surgery for medical appointments, or who may perhaps need transport somewhere local in case of incapacity. If you are willing to help, please would you let me know, or sign the list at the back of church?

Many thanks

Jo

Since writing this I notice a similar plea in Turvey News for those willing to drive to the surgery – I am hoping to make this slightly wider. If you are willing to help, perhaps you would let me know the extent of your willingness?

The flower rota for 2007 is now on the notice board in the church porch. Please sign up sooner rather than later if you would like to help with the flowers at the main altar or the Lady Chapel. New volunteers are always welcome. Alternatively telephone Anne Claypole White on 881661.

The Borough Council is organising Energy efficient Surgeries to help residents with advice on energy saving measures in their homes. So put Wednesday the 31^st January in your diary 1:30-3:30p.m. This will be a marvellous opportunity for all that need help especially the elderly and retired people of the village. Celia Hanbury and David Reedman will attend.

Meghan, Louise and Alice are the three youngest members of our church choir and I had the chance to get together with them to find out why they joined and what they did outside of church.

Alice is 8 years old and attends Turvey Lower School. She plays cello and is hoping to take grade 2 in 2007, she also has lots of pets which include a pet sheep called Daffy, a guinea pig called Guinea and in her bedroom she keeps two pet great African snails called Charlie and Lola.

Louise attends Bedford High and is nine years old, she has one rabbit (she used to have 2 but one unfortunately died) Louise has four siblings all younger and three of them attend Harrold Lower School.

Meghan has a pet hamster called stitch because he is black on one underside and white the other and looks as though he has literally been stitched up. Meghan attends Portfield Primary School in Milton Keynes and is the youngest member of the choir at seven years old.

As for these girls hobbies they have plenty to keep them busy. Alice besides playing the cello drives her parent’s mad trampolining in the garden and goes to swimming and ballet lessons. She also tells me she does not get along with her brother Oliver! Not sure whether I believe that. Meghan lists her interest as street dancing, swimming and of course singing and Louise is hoping to take grade 1 violin next year and loves horse riding, field hockey, gymnastics and ballet.

Meghan is keen to tell me she is the youngest and was the first of the three to join the choir, she had come to Turvey church with her grandparents before on many occasions and when she was seven she joined the choir along with Grandma and Grandad who were already members. She was followed by Louise, who tells me she was secretly jealous of seeing Meghan up in the choir stalls and wanted to join in so when Meghan advertised for new youngsters (a poster on the church door) to join her in the choir she jumped at the chance. Then along came Alice who loves singing and also saw the poster. All three love singing in the choir and they tell me Paul makes it fun and they like the songs, especially the family service.

Alice tells me she went to France for her summer holidays and always spends a week in August with her grandparents who live by the sea in Great Yarmouth. She is staying at home for Christmas and then going away for New Year. Louise went to Cyprus for a family holiday in October; she has an Auntie, Uncle and cousins living there. All three girls have not asked for anything specific for Christmas but they all say they love opening presents. Don’t we all.

All three are keen for other youngsters to join them so if any of you out there love singing don’t hesitate to talk to Paul Edwards or any member of the choir. We in Turvey are so fortunate to have a vibrant well attended choir and if you would like to sing in the choir stalls, young or old please talk to one of the members who would love you to join them. The choir now number twenty two and Nancy Walters tells me she is the longest serving member of our choir, she first joined back in 1942 when she was 11 years old! That surely must be a record.