Dialstone Lane News
Prayers of Intercession
It has been decided that for the time being our book of intercessory prayers will no longer continue.
If you know of a person or a situation that we should include in our prayers of intercession please let the duty steward or Andrew know before the start of the service and they will inform the preacher. You would need permission from the person involved if their name is to be included otherwise a general situation will be prayed for.
You can contact Andrew by phone during the week if needed on 482 4465
Four Seasons
It was lovely to get together for a Faith Lunch on Thursday 9th September. Thank you to all who came and brought such a good selection of food to share.
Four Seasons is an informal ladies social group. We meet on the First Thursday of each month at 8pm and may include a speaker / quiz / craft activity plus time to chat over a cuppa.
We next meet on Thursday 7th October.
New members are welcome – just come along or if you would like more information please ring me (0161 048702177) or Susan Conlon (0161 258 8743)
Sandra Noble
Memorial Service for Sophie Pape
On November 7th following the morning service, at 12.30pm there will be a short Memorial Service for my Mum, Mrs Sophie Pape. It will be led by Rev. Cathy Bird and will be a celebration of her long life in words, readings and music. Everyone is invited to join us for this special, and because of the pandemic, long overdue occasion.
Barbara Pape
Clocks Back
Don’t forget to put your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on the night of Saturday 30th October.
3 'M's
We will be re-starting the 3 'M's group (Monday Monthly Meeting) on Monday 11th October, we're hoping to keep the same format of Quiz, Speaker and activities, so please bring your own pen with you and have warm clothing as some doors will remain open for ventilation.
Starting at the same time 2:00pm, we look forward to seeing everyone, please pass the message on to those who previously joined us.
Gill x
Christmas Greetings
We hope to do a card with your greetings similar to last year to go out with the December Newsletter. Please let Pat and Peter have your greeting and donation to Church funds no later than 28th November but by the 14th if possible (or hand to one of the stewards who will pass it on). Thank you.
Zoom Coffee Mornings
We have not got any details for this as it has been a bit difficult to arrange recently but if anyone wishes to continue to join this, please contact me as soon as possible and I will let you have joining details. Thank you.
Peter
Thank you
From the start of October, we are returning to being welcomed into Church by members of our Door Stewards rota, rather than the Marshalls who have served us so well through all the twists and turns of our reorganisations due to Covid. I’m sure everyone would want to join me in thanking our band of Marshalls, many of whom have carried other responsibilities within the Church, and in particular Church services, at the same time.
The Door Stewards are co-ordinated by May Fidler and I’m sure she would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to join in doing this. Their role will be slightly different from before as they will be continuing to complete the Test and Trace sheets, listing who comes to each service, as we are advised to do by the Methodist Connexion. Thank you for taking this on! At least we will be making sure that any service sheets or gift envelopes, etc will be distributed to chairs before the start of the service, so one less task.
Thank you!
Catriona Stoker, Co-ordinating Steward
Chairs in Church
For a number of reasons, we are delaying putting all the red chairs back into church for now. Sixty chairs have been adequate for all our services so far and still enables some social distancing, with a wider gap down the far side of Church for those who wish for more space. Please contact me if you would like to discuss these arrangements.
Catriona Stoker
Plan for November and December
This is not yet available but when it is those, on email will receive it by email and those who need printed copies will be able to access them via Church.
Refreshments after Church
We plan to restart teas and coffees after church on October 10th. The tables will be set up in the hall rather than the coffee lounge to allow for greater social distancing and at least initially it will be just once a month, provisionally on the second Sunday of the month. You are asked to wear your mask as you move through to the hall and remove it only when you have sat down. Please put it back on when you leave the hall. In addition, please stay at your table once you have sat down and don’t add extra chairs or move tables together. Teas and coffees will be brought to you at your tables; sugar and biscuits will be on the tables.
We are grateful to Dialietots for delaying setting up for Monday morning until after the refreshments are cleared away and to those who will be setting up tables and chairs and organising the refreshments.
Methodist Church Membership Cards
Church Membership cards for the year 2021-2022 will be available in the next month. Please could Pastoral Visitors look out for their bundles of them in the foyer at Church to distribute them to their groups? Thank you.
Action for Children – League of Light Lanterns
Many thanks to Sue Judson for answering recent requests for Lanterns and to the requesters. Also, of course, to those who have collected for Action for Children using one of the Lanterns for many years.
The money raised goes to help families in great need with very hard lives. The total money raised from Lanterns in 2020 was £600 – a very good amount. More history later. Thank you,
Margaret Adshead, Action for Children Rep
Harvest 2021
Our Harvest Services will take place on October 17th, collecting goods and raising funds for the Stockport Food Bank. Its main warehouse is at Hazel Grove Baptist Church, and there are further bases at St Mark’s, Bredbury, St Martin’s Heaton Norris, The Bairstow Centre in Reddish, St Philip’s in Offerton, Trinity Church, Cheadle and the Salvation Army in Cheadle Heath. Their wish list from Churches over the harvest period is for:
Long life orange juice
Tinned tomatoes (or passata)
Tinned fish
Tinned potatoes
Tinned/long life microwavable steamed puddings
Long life milk
Treats – biscuits, chocolate, sweets
Toilet rolls
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Shampoo
Size 5 and 6 nappies
Carrier bags
If you prefer to make a donation of money, Gift Aid forms and envelopes will be available at the Harvest services.
Decorating the Church for Harvest
We like to offer some traditional decoration of the church for harvest and so will be setting this up on Saturday 16th October at 10:00am. There won’t be a lot of room at the front of church, but perhaps this year we can put something on the radiator shelves? Contributions of fresh flowers, fruits, vegetables, seeds and leaves all welcome – and helpers.
Dementia–Friendly Harvest
We have been invited to take a short Dementia-friendly Harvest Service into Lisburn Court Care Home. Because of Covid restrictions at the home only three people can go from Dialstone Lane, but we hope that in future we might be able to take this and other services, with more people able to support in person. Rev Cathy will lead the service on Tuesday 19th.
Family Fun Day – Thank You
Thank you to all those who so generously supported this event, with time and contributions, in order to make it a success.
The total taken on the day, with donations, totalled £906.
The total fund for this year’s Church Charity - Jump Space - now stands at £986. This includes the contribution from the sale of Susan Conlon’s paintings on August 25th
Thanks again,
Linda Norbury
Christmas Fair
We still hope to be able to hold a Christmas Fair this year on Saturday November 13th from 11.00- 1.00. We have the full use of the Church – sanctuary, coffee lounge and hall and extension, if necessary – so plenty of space for stalls and refreshments and people moving around. Some things will have to be organised differently this year, but it would be great to have another enjoyable event enabling us to invite the local community into our Church.
This all requires some organisation and our date is rather earlier than some years, so I propose that there should be a meeting at church on Tuesday 5th October at 1.30pm. Anyone who would like to be involved with the Fair is most welcome to come; if you are unable to attend, but would like to take part in the Fair, please could you let me know, ideally before the meeting.
We would like to run similar stalls to the past with a mixture of items for sale – cakes and preserves, indoor and outdoor plants and bulbs, crafts, bric- a -brac, Traidcraft - plus games, raffles, tombola and, of course, refreshments.
Between Sunday 24th October and 7th November, we will be collecting your kind gifts for the Christmas Hamper raffle (food or food-related items eg napkins, crackers, only please), mince pies and chocolate tombola. Other items may be added after our meeting. Boxes will be placed at the back of Church.
Many Thanks!
My contact details are:
Catriona Stoker, Tel 0161 487 2010; email cat.stoker@btinternet.com
St George’s Christmas Tree Festival
St George’s are hoping to be able to host an “in person” Christmas Tree Festival again this year, from Wed Nov 24th to Sun Nov 28th. We have booked a slot for a tree from Dialstone Lane, with the thought that we could advertise Jump Space and perhaps raise some funds, by following up on our jumping frog theme for the decoration. I wondered if anyone has the Flip the Frog game that we might borrow and be able to tie some thread round the frogs for use as decorations? It would also be helpful, if someone could lend us a silver or white tree as mainly green frogs won’t show up so well on a green tree! Please let Catriona know if you have one we could borrow (4 -6 foot tall ideally). You would get it back the week after the Festival, so in plenty of time for Christmas – and we’d return the Flip the Frog game. Thank you.
Traidcraft
The Autumn/Christmas catalogue is now available from Catriona Stoker. You can also check out goods online at https://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk
As usual it contains a good range of Christmas cards sold to raise funds for development charities including Christian Aid, CAFOD and Traidcraft Exchange in addition to the usual food, drink, sweets, chocolate, socks and household products. Special food, tea, coffee and chocolate collections are on offer as well as a range of gifts, clothing and accessories, calendars, chocolate coins and advent calendars. I am happy to order items for you, saving the postage for you if your order comes to less than £50. As usual I ask for payment on delivery rather than with the order as items are quick to disappear from the warehouse. I do my best to fulfil orders through a Fairtraders Swapshop I belong to as well as seeking out alternative suppliers.
I plan to run Traidcraft stalls on Sunday October 10th, November 14th and December 12th, alongside our coffee after Church in the hall, as well as at our Church Christmas Fair on Saturday November 13th.
Meeting our new Preachers - Sue Beatty
As part of our occasional series where we ask a Local Preacher new to our Church to introduce themselves, Andy Stoker has been in touch with Sue Beatty, who will be leading our worship on Sunday 10th October:
“I live in Marple and was accredited as a Local Preacher in 2001. Up until lockdown in March 2020 I attended Marple Methodist Church when I wasn’t preaching elsewhere, and I accompanied the church choir on the piano whenever they were invited to sing an anthem or introit.
I retired in 2016 from being a Researcher at the University of Manchester. At about the same time, I was invited to become a Circuit Steward and continued in that role when the Romiley Circuit merged with the United Stockport Circuit in 2020. I also joined the Eco Task Group.
I live opposite Memorial Park and like to walk every day, choosing circular routes along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals, along the Middlewood Way, to Chadkirk, though Brabyns Park to Etherow, to the Roman Lakes or to Cobden Edge. I enjoy seeing all the ducks, geese, moorhens and other wildlife on the canals. I encourage birds, butterflies and bees to visit our garden, by having a wildflower lawn, lots of buddleias, and birdfeeders.
I try to spend time on music every day; as well as playing the piano I also play other instruments including guitar, ukulele and flute, but for my own entertainment only unless I’m with my duet-playing friend.
As a preacher I like to get to know congregations, and try to learn people’s names. I sometimes pose questions during a service e.g. about a Bible reading, and am encouraged when people respond. I always find preparing a service to be challenging and time-consuming, so appreciate thoughtful feedback after the service.
I love the story of Ruth in the Old Testament; I admire the commitment that she made to her mother-in-law, Naomi, the leap of faith that Ruth made to go with her as Naomi returned to her home town, and the kindness of Boaz. I also think about Orpah, Naomi’s other daughter-in-law, and wonder what happened to her when she returned home.
I don’t have one favourite hymn but several favourite hymn writers, including John Bell and Graham Maule, Bernadette Farrell, Fred Pratt Green, Fred Kaan, Bryn Rees, Clare Stainsby, and Shirley Erena Murray. I appreciate hymns with singable tunes, and with words that challenge us to care for God’s creation”.
Sue Beatty
Brass Band Concert
Our friends at Woodley Methodist Church have let us know about their forthcoming Friday Night Concert.
It will feature the Vernon Building Society (Poynton) Brass Band, who will put on a Christmas Concert on Friday 6th December 2021 at 7.30pm. Roy Maddock was a great supporter of this band over many years and it is good to see them performing in the Circuit.
Tickets are £9.00 each and will be available from 10th October from Phil Taylor of Woodley Methodist Church, who can be contacted on 0161 430 8518. Proceeds are to be split between the band and WMC.
Eco- Group News
In preparation for the COP26 Climate Talks in Glasgow next month, Arocha, the organisation behind the Eco -Church award scheme has started a special section of its website:
“Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity and a growing threat to nature. But nature can provide important solutions for addressing climate change. What can Christians and churches do to make a difference?
In November the UK government will host the critical international climate negotiations known as ‘COP26’ – the 26th Conference of Parties (signatory countries) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Much is at stake at this conference, and it has been described as the last best chance to avoid global climate catastrophe. Hosting and chairing it is a unique responsibility for the British government. It also presents a unique opportunity for British Christians and churches to understand the key issues better and act on them, in service of our creator God, nature and all people.”
https://arocha.org.uk/christians-churches-and-cop26/.
Do visit the website to find out more.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 3rd October 12:00pm in church hall - Sale of Margaret Lapham Dance School’s costume stock.
Tuesday 5th October 1:30pm in Church – Planning Meeting for Christmas Fair
Thursday 7th October 6:00pm in Church - Vision Meeting for members of Vision Group
Thursday 7th October 8:00pm in Church – Four Seasons
Tuesday 12th October 10:00am in Church – Church Council. Any member of the Church is welcome at this meeting but only members of the Church Council can vote.
Tuesday 12th October 12:30pm in Church - Holy Communion – open to all
Tuesday 12th October in Coffee Lounge - Light lunch after Communion – please contact Catriona Stoker by Sunday 10th if you would like to join us at lunch, to assist catering.
Don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour overnight between 30th and 31st October.
Sunday 31st October 3.00 in Church and overflow with sound link in Coffee Lounge – Memorial Service for all those we have lost from our Church Community during the past 18 months. We welcome all to this service and extend a special welcome to family members and friends of those we are remembering.
Next Church Newsletter
Please get articles, etc for the November newsletter to Pat Wentworth or Catriona Stoker by Sunday October 31st