Notices for Dialstone Lane 1st Oct 2020
Sad news
Lesley Fennell thanks everyone for the kind gift of flowers she received last week when her father – Geoffrey Stuart - was on end of life care in Stepping Hill Hospital. It has been particularly hard for the family as they have been able to visit in only a very limited way. Sadly, he died last Saturday night, 26th September; at present there is no further news of any funeral plans.
For Sale.
A second-hand roadworthy mobility scooter. Please contact Lesley Fennell on 07858 666480 for more details.
News of friends from elsewhere:
It would be lovely if this could be a regular feature. If you are in regular touch with someone who has been a member of our congregation or elsewhere in our old circuit and they are happy for news to be passed on, we’d be happy to include this in the newsletter.
News from Poynton:
Hilda Evans has been in touch with Mandy Hawkyard who often came to preach at Dialstone Lane in the past. She sends her love to all at Dialstone Lane and misses coming to lead us in worship.
Hilda also asked about a couple of our old friends. Theo Eaves – who came to us regularly as a local preacher and memorably compered our D-Day memorial concert. He remains in the Woodlands Nursing Home, following a stroke. He is now 98 years old and has some good days and some bad days.
Marjorie Harrop, who many of you will remember playing the piano or organ at Wood Lanes for Network meetings, is happily settled at Dystlegh Grange Care Home in Disley. Unfortunately for the folk at Poynton there is of course no possibility of visiting either Theo or Marjorie, but telephone and written contact is allowed.
Re-opening the Church for Worship – Plan for October
As promised in the last newsletter we have now reviewed the way in which we’ve returned to church and come up with what we hope will be a more convenient way of organising the services for everyone. October will be a mixture of the old and new systems as we make sure that everyone has heard the news of the changes. It is all laid out on the attached document. We will review progress again in the middle of October. We are only planning ahead for another month to see how that goes and how the national rules may change in the meantime.
We recognise that for many people having services mid-week is inconvenient, so we’ve decided to stop the Wednesday services from mid-October. Instead we will be having a service every Sunday morning at 11.00am and a service once a fortnight on a Sunday afternoon at 4.30pm This is a very similar pattern to that prior to lockdown in March.
We will continue to invite people back in their groups and with the change in number of services there's needed to be a bit of jiggling around to get the right size groups together whilst still enabling people to meet up with their friends. There may be space for people who really need to change their day to phone up Catriona or Andy Stoker (0161 487 2010) and reserve one of the few “spare” places.
A gentle reminder that after the service we need to exit the church promptly as we are required not to meet for “social” reasons at present.
And as the weather has turned colder and damper, a reminder to bring your umbrella in case you need to wait to come into church and to dress up warmly as we need to keep up the levels of ventilation in church.
We look forward to meeting you again soon,
Your Stewards and Marshalls
Traidcraft
I have plenty of this year’s catalogues if anyone would like one delivered. They include such favourites as the Christmas cards saying “Thinking of you at Christmas”, chocolate raisins, ginger thins and a range of new Christmas decorations and nativities.
Catriona Stoker (0161 487 2010, cat.stoker@btinternet.com)
Harvest
We have celebrated our harvest this year, partnering with All We Can in their quest to provide bicycles to a rural area of Uganda, where the huge distances to get to school mean that many young people are excluded. Envelopes for your donation can be found in church on the table by the collection plate and some are being distributed with this newsletter to those who receive paper copies.
Catriona Stoker
Sunshine Bags
Over the past few years one of our fundraising schemes was to distribute small cloth bags to our congregation during October and ask them to put a coin in throughout the winter every time we had a sunny day. These were then collected around Easter time. We are going to resurrect this idea as a way of boosting our depleted church funds but also to remind us we have lots to thank God for even during the most dark times.
The bags will be given out during the October services. If you would like one and are not yet able to return to church yet please give me a call on 0161 259 9743 and I will pop one through your letterbox.
Many thanks in anticipation
Susan C
Thanks
To the Church Family from Pauline (M).
Thank you for helping to make my 80th birthday such a special day. For your good wishes, cards and gifts and those who visited and sat in the garden with Roy and myself. It was a beautiful sunny day. We had a lovely time with friends in the morning and then shared the occasion with family in the afternoon and evening, culminating with a lovely meal at Chris and Clare’s home. So different from what we had planned months ago, but just as special and a day that I will always remember. And, yes, all within the Covid rules!! Thank you again, where would we be without the Church Family and God in our lives.
Love Pauline.
Suzie & Pat would like to thank everyone who gave Suzie donations for “Race for Life” for Cancer Research which she did on Saturday with a group from the gym she goes to. She did it in around 1hr 20 and will let you know her total when she has got all the donations in. This will go to help with vital work which has helped Pat and other members of our congregation and will help many others in the future. Thank you once again.
Pat
Thank you
Lynda has placed a lovely thank you card in the church, but as you can’t all get to see it, its message is being included here:
“As a family we thank you with all our hearts for all your remembrance cards – over 100 altogether – and your telephone calls - much appreciated, your kindness and most of all your prayers. Love to everyone – The McGaw family”.
Many thanks everyone for the cards, good wishes and the beautiful flowers during my recent illness. Am now feeling better and hope to be joining you all soon.
Diane
Thank you to everyone for the birthday cards, gifts and good wishes on my birthday, also for the plant from church.
The day was made special by your kindness during these difficult times when I’m still unable to go out.
Pat