I think I am even more cynical – I am not sure that it is worth turning somersaults just to have one or two reluctant adolescents in church when these days all the sports clubs in existence play on Sunday; when schools and other groups arrange music and drama rehearsals on Sundays and now there is the lure of the shops! I think there are other ways of keeping them in touch with the message of Christ – and many of them return to church in adulthood – especially when they have children of their own.

Some people do need an extra bit of encouragement, however, especially in a village where suddenly to appear in church after a gap of many years might be met with comment – friendly or otherwise.

That is why, this year, I hope we here in Turvey can join in ‘Back to Church Sunday’

It is on Sunday September 28th, and churches throughout the country will be taking part. Canon Robin Gamble from Manchester Diocese says:

‘There are loads of people who used to go to church, who moved house or just stopped coming for whatever reason. Back to Church Sunday is a simple way of reaching out to them again with a personal invitation and a warm welcome.’

In our church, 28th September is Harvest Festival – and that presents us with a particular challenge, for many people come to harvest as a one off service anyway. So – we need to set ourselves to think whom we may ask who would not even come to harvest! The idea is that each of us extends a personal invitation to a neighbour or friend who used to go to church but has not been for years. They come with us—and we make them feel welcome and comfortable. We then keep in touch, see if they enjoyed the service and when they can come again.

I will be writing more about this later – but I ask you now to get your thinking caps on! Who do you know who has expressed interest in what we are? Who do you know who used to come to church regularly but has not been seen lately? If we are serious about our faith we want to share it – and if we care for our church it would be good to fill it!

Yours in Christ

Jo

Our Parish and ‘Back to Church Sunday’

All Christians who suffer persecution because of their faith

Jack (see later article) – and all children growing up in poverty and fear

The next coffee morning will be at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday 12th July at Homelands, High Street hosted by Anne Claypole White. There will be a raffle and bring-and-buy stall for which contributions will be very welcome. Last month’s coffee morning raised £226 towards church funds. The lovely weather enabled everyone to spend a very pleasant time in Matthew and Sarah Beecham’s garden. A big thank you to the Beecham family for hosting the event and to all who helped with and supported it.

Don’t ever slam a door, you may want to go back

The extent of the Saxon remains in our church is evidence that there was a church building of considerable size in our parish by about 981 AD, when we have the first recorded evidence of a church on this site. It is possible, however, given the size of the remains of the stone built church, that there was a previous, earlier church here – unless there was some particularly wealthy benefactor who had just embraced the Christian faith and wanted to record his or her conversion. So we know that there has been Christian worship in this village for well over a thousand years. There are two former non-conformist chapels in the village and now we have an important centre of Roman Catholic worship at Turvey Abbey. Turvey is really a special place.

Throughout the years the style of worship in the parish church will have changed. Before the Reformation all Christians in this country were a part of the church centred in Rome and it was a particularly poignant moment for me to see Dom Gregory, former head of the monastery at Turvey Abbey, in our pulpit. The style of the building has also changed – most notably by the addition in the middle of the nineteenth century of the long chancel containing our beautiful organ.

Most of the changes in the fabric of the church are the result of generous gifts made by those for whom the church has been important in their life. In recent times, too, the generosity of certain individuals has meant that we are able to keep the church in good repair and to enjoy worship properly. The voice enhancement system, for example, was given by the late Lady Hanbury in memory of her husband. The bequest made by Miss Emily Osborne, and it’s careful stewardship, has enabled us to undertake many repairs and renovations to the building including those to the leads of the windows and, in some cases to the stone mullions. Gwen Wooding's generous legacy has helped to pay for a number of improvements to the church and we have been very blessed by the generosity of numerous individuals whose gifts to FAST (the Friends of All Saints Turvey) made possible the repairs to the Nave Roof.

Most recently we have been able to alter the base of the tower to include a kitchen area and a lavatory. This work was given a kick-start by a gift made in memory of the late Canon Martin Reardon. Martin was particularly involved in ecumenical work – bringing Christians of different denominations together to share their common heritage and to celebrate their joint love of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We wanted to have some way of marking our amazing heritage in this village and our 21st century contribution to the fabric of our beautiful old church. On Sunday 20th July, therefore, at 3.00pm, we are having a service to give thanks for all who have worshipped in and given to our church through the centuries. We shall also dedicate the latest phase of our building - and since part of the work is a kitchen, the short service will be followed by afternoon tea.You should receive a personal invitation, but if by some means this does not arrive and you would like to come, please let me know so that we can get the catering right.

Jo Spray

Profile by Cindy Woods

Mike was born in Norwich, Norfolk which he calls the promised land. His mother was a housewife (stayed at home to look after him!) and his father was a manager for Eastern Gas. (He will be well known to some in the village). Mike went to the local junior school and then to a grammar school in the city.

Margaret was born in Glasgow and moved to Peterborough when she was just one-year old. After leaving school, she trained as a Nurse at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge.

Mike spent all his working life in Banking, with the last thirty eight years with Nationwide. The nature of his work necessitated regular moves around the Country, and in the first fifteen years of married life, Mike and Margaret lived in nine different houses before moving to Turvey, and you all know the rest.

They met in Peterborough when Mike went to watch a performance of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" by a local amateur dramatics group of which Margaret was a member. In the Pub after the show, Margaret asked him to buy her a port and lemon and that

was it. They decided to get married 6 weeks later and were married within eight months (nothing significant there).

In their early days in Turvey, Margaret worked as a Nurse at the Manor Hospital in Biddenham and for the last eight years has been a Community Nurse for the North Beds villages, in which her yellow car is a regular sight.

They have 2 children, Ben who is a Chartered Tax Accountant for Price Waterhouse Coopers in London, and Anna-Marie, who is a Nurse in Cambridge.

In July, Ben is taking part in a Charity walk of 70 miles in 24 hours along the South Downs, with money raised being divided between Oxfam and The Ghurkhas Pension Fund. If anyone would like to sponsor him, please contact Mike or Margaret.

Mike’s interests include Golf, Horse Racing, Wine, (I’ll second that) and Gardening, and in addition to being one of the Churchwardens, works as a volunteer in the Oxfam bookshop in Olney. Both he and Ben are season ticket holders of Norwich City Football Club, and consequently, are eternal optimists!

Margaret’s interests outside work include swimming, walking and gardening, and both of them belong to the Turvey Gardening Club.

Norfolk still plays a big part in their lives and they spend regular breaks and holidays there whenever they can.

Mike is very proud to be one of the Churchwardens for All Saints, and is now in his 6th year. He feels that the Church is a major part of life in the village, not just as a dominant building but also as a community. For a relatively small village, we have a very healthy, vibrant and happy membership, in which everyone seems pleased and willing to join in and help, and assist Jo in her work. Aren’t we lucky to have her.

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed at home. He wanted her to see what he went through every day so he prayed, dear Lord, I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please trade our bodies. God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the wish. The next morning, sure enough , the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to draw money out to pay the electricity bill and the phone bill. Drove to the power company to pay the bills, went grocery shopping, came home and put away the groceries. He cleaned the cat litter box and bathed the dog. It was now 1pm so he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry and vacuum cleaning and washed the kitchen floor. Picked up the kids from school and got into an argument with them on the way home. Set out cookies and milk and got the kids organized to do homework. Then set up the Ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing. At 4:30 he started supper, after which he loaded and started the dishwasher, folded the laundry and bathed the kids and put them to bed. At 9pm he was exhausted and though his daily chores were not finished, he went to bed where was expected to make love to his partner. The next morning he knelt by the bed and said "Lord I don’t know what I was thinking, I was so wrong to envy my wife’s being able to stay home all day. Please, oh please, let us trade back" The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied, "my son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were, however you will have to wait 9 months, though, you got pregnant last night"

I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be

This little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn’t meant to protect me
From every physical harm

It’s not for identification
For all the world to see
It’s simply an understanding
Between my Saviour and me

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to know him better
In all that I do and say

It’s also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care

So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
The Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I’ll let him be

Turvey Lower School have sponsored a young boy in Kenya who wants to be a doctor. At present he is still at school and it is the gifts from our children and their friends at Turvey Lower School that keep him there. We were able to support Jack last year through our harvest giving – and through the very generous donation of a village member who was in the Pub at the Harvest Auction. Between us we paid for eight months schooling for Jack. You will know from news bulletins that conditions in Kenya are bad at present – some of the money we raised went to pay for protection at the school. Recently, however, Mrs Mapp, who coordinates the project, received the following very positive letter

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his five year old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that a proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton wool, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister’s son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said. "Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sooon, and into the hole you goooo"

Quiz

There were two correct entries submitted from Val French and Jo Spray for last months quiz. The answers are as follows: Amos, Mark, Luke, John, Joel, Judges, Job, Hebrews, Esther, Acts, James, Ruth, Romans, Titus, Matthew, Genesis, Philemon, Chronicles, Daniel, Nahum, Hosea, Lamentations, Revelation, Timothy, Samuel, Numbers, Malachi, Peter, Exodus, Kings. The winners will receive a box of chocolates each.