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This months news:
In the Side Chapel of Chudleigh Parish Church is a book where the names of loved ones who have died can be included on a particular day of the year (typically the date of death or their birthday), along with a brief tribute. There is no fixed charge for doing this, although a donation for church funds is invited. If you would like to place an entry in the book, or to find out more details, please see Paul. Our thanks to Hilary Wright who writes the entries in the memorial book for us, and to Les Johnson who daily turns the pages of the book.
As many of you have noticed, the trees in the churchyard are growing and one, the Eucalyptus near the south door, has branches which have reached the church building. We recently met with a representative of Teignbridge District Council (who are responsible for maintaining the churchyard). We agreed that the Eucalyptus will be cut right back and a Purple Maple, near the North West gate, which is partly dead and looks infected, will be removed. At the same time, whilst contractors are on site, other trees will be cut back; for example removing branches which are near to the church or other buildings, or close to the ground over a path. The Eucalyptus was cut right back a few years ago and has rapidly grown to its current size. Hence, although it may appear dramatic, cutting back the Eucalyptus will have only a temporary impact and reduce the need for further urgent action in a year or so. It will also help to ensure that the tree retains a reasonable shape. Pam Tuckett & John Ponting, Churchwardens
Christian Response to
Eastern Europe (CR2EE)
http://www.cr2ee.org.uk/ Christian Response to Eastern Europe is a Devon-based Christian charity that aims to help those most in need in an effective and positive way without consideration of their faith. The charity focuses in particular on Moldova. The poorest country in Europe, Moldova is a land-locked former Soviet state with 3.5 million people, of whom it is estimated a quarter live on less than $2 a day (£1.39). Families, schools, orphanages, hospitals and other institutions are chronically short of even the most basic necessities. CR2EE, has been supported by our church in a variety of ways almost since its foundation in 1990, but has not featured in our Summer Project since 2002. It works to alleviate short-term problems with articulated-lorry loads of humanitarian aid, and promotes longer-term self-sufficiency by also shipping good second-hand computers for schools, providing families with an animal capable of helping to feed them and perhaps also generate a small income, and promoting employment in small businesses.
Christ Church, Yemen http://www.christchurchaden.org/
Please note that our summer newsletter is now available at http://www.christchurchaden.org/news.html If you click on the link you will get to the latest news from Aden. Note the photo of Catherine with Andrew White... We hope you enjoy reading it. Please do forward the link to others who may be interested to hear about life in Aden. With our best wishes Catherine & Nigel
Moldova – the poorest country in Europe People in Moldova are suffering unbelievable hardship. The BBC described Moldova as a European country with African levels of poverty. It is important that we help with their needs today. CREE (Christian Response to Eastern Europe) take articulated lorries laden with humanitarian aid which are distributed without charge to benefit as many as possible. They would very much like to stop these lorries as they involve a huge amount of work; however each lorry they send helps literally hundreds of families. We cannot turn our backs on these families. CREE has two main objectives, one short term and the other long term. In the short term they help the most vulnerable to survive the appalling conditions in which they live by taking humanitarian aid and running a family support scheme. In the long term they endeavour to facilitate independence. They do this by funding new business ventures, provide animals for a self-sustained life, encourage education, etc. They also run soup kitchens and orphanages. We can help by giving generously. There will be a collection in the Parish Church during March and April. A box will be placed at the back of the church clearly marked for your donations. Some of things that are needed are: Good used clothes, (no shoes or baby clothes as the authorities will not allow them) bedding, curtains, material and sewing materials, knitting needles and wool, sewing machines, knitting machines, good plastic toys, soft toys that look like new, pushchairs, bicycles, school supplies, computers, radios, unused tins of paint, new paint brushes, electric bar fires, fan heaters, medical supplies and equipment. If there is anything else you think may be useful please ring Wendy Borthwick on 01647 252385.
Paul's Christian Manifesto – Letter to the Romans John Stott refers to Romans as ‘this timeless manifesto of freedom through Jesus Christ … being the fullest, plainest and grandest statement of the Gospel in the New Testament’. So, in an election year, what could be more appropriate for Christians to study than this ‘manifesto’ that Paul wrote from Corinth in about AD57. Of course, he was not seeking election for himself, but to explain why Jesus was and is elected by God as our Saviour. To others, Paul is likened to a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer making his case to the Roman Church. He calls key witnesses and presents the evidence for the Gospel forthrightly to them. It is the most systematic, closely-reasoned and the most doctrinal of all Paul's letters. Curiously, he had not been to Rome by AD57 nor, as far as we know, had any of the other apostles. The Roman group of believers may have been established by those who had come to faith through the revelation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:10b). Not only was Rome the strategic centre, but Paul clearly feels a bond with these new Christians and is anxious to present to them the facts of the Gospel as well as its meaning – salvation is available for all, he preaches, since we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and his finished work. With this foundation, Paul moves to a discussion of the freedom that comes through faith. Paul is also anxious to explain how his Jewish brothers and sisters fit into God's plan for a united body, with Gentiles each using their spiritual gifts in love for each other. Their differences were theological, not ethnic. On Tuesday evenings during the summer, our Housegroup will be studying this letter. We do not pretend that Paul's writing is always straightforward, and that is why we will be using a good guide book by the well-known and well-respected John Stott. He guides us through this letter in four main sections: The Wrath of God; The Grace of God; The Plan of God, and The Will of God. If you would like to join us in these studies, commencing on April 13th, you would be made most welcome. We meet at 7.45pm each Tuesday at 17 Glebelands. Please give me a ring on 852779 for a programme. Many of the leading reformers, such as Luther, Calvin and Tyndale, have said that every Christian should learn this letter by heart. You will be pleased to know that this is not a requirement of our Housegroup! Rob Cowley
Stands the Church clock at ten to three?
Although it was at a quarter to three that Chudleigh church clock stopped a few months ago, these lines by First World War poet Rupert Brooke may nevertheless have been called to mind by some of the many who suddenly discovered how much they rely on the church clock as they pass for a quick time-check. The problem was a snapped drive belt for the winding mechanism, and without the clock to measure time for us it seemed to take an eternity to obtain a new one. Having had the value of our normally very accurate and reliable clock brought to our notice in this way, if anyone is minded to make a donation specifically for the upkeep of the church clock and/or bells, church treasurer Clare Lillington would be very happy to hear from them. Or a bequest on similar lines that would benefit the people of Chudleigh for years to come would be similarly welcome.
Benefice Weekend, March 2011 The BENEFICE WEEKEND for Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton, and Trusham will be held 11th-13th March 2011, at Sidholme Hotel Sidmouth. We are delighted that our guest speakers will be Revd Keith Powell and his wife Jill. Keith is a vicar in Somerset and also works for ReSource, which ‘works for the renewal of people and churches across all traditions, churches, and denominations, but with an Anglican distinctive’. Some of our parishioners heard Keith speak at ‘New Wine’ in August and were most enthusiastic – they came back saying ‘We won’t know what has hit us!’ So don’t miss this chance to hear a most exciting leader, and then help our church put his words into practice. We hope that Keith & Jill will visit us in October and you will have the chance to meet them. In the meantime we have been raising money, and are pleased to report that our Cream teas on 17th July raised £126.76 and the coffee morning on 31st July raised £415. The weekend is self-financing and takes no money from church funds. We need to pay for the speakers and children’s workers. We also pay for all the children and raise a fund to help anyone who would have difficulty with the hotel bill. If funds permit, we also pay for a drinks reception on arrival. All this can cost £1,500 or more, so we are very grateful for donations from supporters. If you can help, please approach Clare Lillington, or Roger & Jenny. Cheques payable to Chudleigh Church. The hotel is carrying out major refurbishment of many of its bedrooms, and upgrading the heating system, so we look forward to a very comfortable weekend. If you would like to know more about our weekend, please contact Roger and Jenny on 852123 or email brandon1973@homecall.co.uk
Parish Weekend 4th-6th December 2009 ‘Getting out of the Box’ - Sidholme, December 2009
Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton and Trusham churches spent a recent week-end away with John and Marje Bryant from Exeter Network Church. Here is a short report of what we got up to. Where’s Sidholme? Sidmouth. Who went? About eighty of us from Trusham, Chudleigh Knighton, Chudleigh and further afield. What did we do? We ate good food, drank hot chocolate with pink and white things floating in it. Some went swimming and played games. We had a banjo, clarinet and tenor horn; a syncopated dance routine; a history lesson and a practice for wearing purple; Scott Joplin and a defence of hedgehogs; Albert and the lion; brown boots and much more. Do you remember that man that looked like Osama Bin Laden? Or the musician with a memory problem? Perhaps not? We sang, we prayed, we listened, we worshipped. And we ate more good food. A talk in progress
We were not called to imitate any other church. Trusham, Chudleigh Knighton and Chudleigh have their own individual circumstances. But there are ideas that others have used that maybe we can apply or adapt to our local situations. And we can be more effective when we work together. God is relying on you and me to fulfil his plans where we are. The Worship sketch For that to happen, we need a vision and leadership to help us pull together. We need a sense of the big picture if we are to play our part. Without the vision and the leadership we may wander off in different directions and that runs the risk of wasting a lot of energy and creating huge frustration.
Allan Bapty sings ‘Abdul the Bulbul Amir’
PS – Some of us were lucky enough to see a kingfisher too…(If you don’t know the poem by Ann Lewin, ask me). A Next Time? – Sidholme, February, 2011: Start thinking now. The girls being very silly, but very clever John Randall
Chudleigh Parish
Church Charitable and Missionary Giving - 2009 Readers may not be
aware that Chudleigh Parish Church gives away a tithe (10%) of its income each
year to various missions and charities, at home and abroad. The tithe this year
is £7,000, and each charity gets the same amount, £700. The beneficiaries this
year are:
Overseas Missions and Charities
Bible Society Home Missions and Charities
CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society)
Why bother with fair trade? ‘If you choose to buy the non-Fairtrade product, you are actively choosing to contribute to the poverty of others’. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York
Most of us are familiar with fair trade. But there’s truth in the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. Take a moment to consider the implications: for NON-fair trade products, we do not know whether producers work in safe conditions, are paid enough to live on or have any chance to develop their communities.
In fact, we know the stark reality is that many supply chains shamelessly exploit workers and keep millions trapped in poverty.
As a prophetic action to demonstrate another way, a group of Christians started Traidcraft. Through the support of thousands of Christians, the fair trade movement has seen huge growth - but with this success comes greater competition for Traidcraft.
Traidcraft’s role is still crucial: it is dedicated fair trade organisations like us which pioneer innovations in fair trade, support producer groups and seek new groups who desperately need the development fair trade allows.
Your Traidcraft stall needs your support We know you can buy Fairtrade products more cheaply in the supermarket - but here does the profit go? To shareholders.
Buy from a Traidcraft stall and you are supporting an organisation which exists to fight poverty through trade; a company which measures its success, not by profit, but by its volume of purchases from the developing world.
The three billion people living on under $2 a day have hope in the Traidcrafts of this world, which work to bring the benefits of trade to those who need it most. Supermarkets play a role by growing volumes of purchases to existing Fairtrade producers – but these fair trade groups would not be there at all if Traidcraft and organisations like us had not invested in and worked with them.
There are millions more which still need this chance Traidcraft stalls are the backbone of everything that Traidcraft does.
Jane Riley Traidcraft Business Development Manager
Editor’s note: watch this space to find out when the stall will be available here in Chudleigh. Further details from Margaret Parsons, on 852740.
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Christ
Church is in Aden, one of the principal cities of Yemen, and is our Deanery's
link church in Exeter’s link Diocese of Cyprus & the Gulf. Yemen is a very poor
country and since the end of colonial times has been largely neglected by most
of the rest of the world. Recent security concerns connected with Al-Qaeda and
Somalia have brought it into the news and, sadly, made Yemen a less safe place
for residents, including the staff and congregation of Christ Church. The church
was built as a garrison church in 1863, but was not used as a church for 30
post-colonial years before its rededication in 1997. Part of the deal with the
Republic of Yemen enabling restoration and re-opening was that the church should
build, fund and run a medical clinic for mothers and babies, which has been
done. The chaplain at Christ Church is also the agent in the Port of Aden of the
Mission to Seafarers. That involves ship-visiting on a week-by-week basis and
pastoral care in some cases for entire crews abandoned at the port without pay.
The church also provides for the worship, pastoral and other needs of its
multi-national congregation and many visitors passing through the port.
Where
do we go from here? 
