Ashby and Coalville Methodist Circuit

Hall Lane Newsletter Winter 2006
Issue 12

LETTER FROM SISTER BARBARA CROCKETT
Dear Friends

As we approach Christmas hopefully there is an air of excitement and anticipation as we prepare to get together with family and friends and take time out just to ‘be’. Whether that means sitting in front of the television and eating too much or dusting off the party games that come out each Christmas. Yes - there will be the usual rush to get too much food from the supermarket and even the annual dilemma of getting a gift for great aunt Sally.

However, in all these preparations let us remember yet again the real meaning of Christmas. That:

• God incarnate came down to earth as a weak and vulnerable baby;

• Born to an unmarried teenage girl and an older man;

• Born homeless in a filthy and squalid environment;

• And within 2 years of his birth was a refugee escaping people who were bent on the genocide of all children under 2 years of age;

• Only to die 33 years later on a cross carrying all our sins with him that we might be free to receive eternal life.

As we do this let us remember that today in this world there are still:

• Children being born to teenage girls some of which have been raped;

• Born homeless in a filthy and squalid environment;

• And who are still in fear of being killed by people bent on genocide - they are the women and children of the Sudan.

Because the Western Powers don’t need anything from the people of this country they are not protected and defended as we are and if it were not for Christian Charities would starve and die even more quickly.

Jesus came for the people of Sudan just as much as he came for you and me and I would ask this Christmas that all of us consider giving the equivalent cost of our Christmas dinner to Christian Aid or some other Aid agency.

Christmas is about giivng and showing love, not just to our family and friends but also to our brothers and sisters across the world who don’t know Jesus because they have no life, only an existence which leads to death.

Where is Jesus in this situation you may ask - he is in our giving, loving, supporting and praying.

So this Christmas, take the time to enjoy the love of family and friends but also to pray for those who are closer to Christ’s experience than we are.

Yours in Christ

Sister Barbara

Mini Skirts and Hot Pants!

The 2006 Ladies Fellowship party was held in October and friends from Marlborough Square, Whitwick and St David’s, joined in with the celebrations.

Our theme for the evening was ‘the 60s’ and several of our ladies dressed up for the occasion. We had hippies, mini skirts and hot pants!

The entertainment started with a sing-a-long, led by Mark Bennett dressed up as Elvis, and after a ploughman’s supper, continued with two games from the era – the ‘Yes–No’ game and ‘Pick-a-Box’. The evening was concluded with another sing-a-long of Beatles songs.

An Evening with Nicholas Martin

Alex and Nicholas A concert by Nicholas Martin, internationally renowned organist was held at Hall Lane on Saturday 25th November.

It was an evening of popular music including songs from the shows, marches, classical and light hearted

pieces and was finished with a medley of sing-a-long carols.

Tickets weren’t a sell-out this year meaning not quite so much was donated to this year’s charity. However, £100 was still raised for Cancer Backup and the rest was given to church and kitchen funds.

Date for

Everyone’s Diary

There will be a meeting at church of everyone interested in the future of Hall Lane on

8th January 2007 at 7.30pm.

THIS MEANS YOU!

Please come along and join in the discussion of how we want Hall Lane to grow and how we are going to achieve this.

Come along with ideas and be ready to be open to new ideas.

New Kitchen

An architect has visited the church to look at the possibilities for our new kitchen layout. It was agreed that it is feasible to have the kitchen moved to where the vestry is at the moment thereby giving us more room for preparation space and storage, although it would be cheaper to simply refurbish the existing kitchen. A decision will be made shortly as to which option will be best for our future needs. We’ll keep you informed.

Remember the 60s?

Ladies Party It was perhaps inevitable that the 60s preoccupation with clothes and style would have its effect on the successors to the Teddy Boys of the 50s. Now many young people were either ‘mods’ or ‘rockers’.

Compered by David Jacobs, the BBC’s JUKE BOX JURY was essential viewing for every teenager, and to be picked for the jury to predict whether a new release was a hit or miss was an accolade in itself.

It is hard to believe that people in their 30s cannot remember the notation £.s.d., and that they look blank at talk of ‘half-a-crown’ (2s 6d) or a farthing (¼d).

Ladies Party In January, 1963, the Mersey Sound made a national breakthrough. A band called The Beatles released their second single PLEASE PLEASE ME. It shot to number one in the British charts and unleashed a mania for everything Liverpudlian. Fame followed for Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, The Searchers, the Swinging Blue Jeans and many more.

Mary Quant’s exciting new ideas helped make London, rather then Paris, the centre of the fashion world in the 60s.

TW3 had its beginnings in 1963 in BEYOND THE FRINGE, a small revue starring Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett. It was an instant success.

The hippie-culture flourished in the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere of the 60s. It could be summed up in a few words: peace, love and ‘getting stoned’.

Ladies Party Everyone recognises the stars of the Carry On films. From the first — CARRY ON SERGEANT, in 1958 — the humour was unsubtle, slapstick and sometimes blue, but producer Peter Rogers said "We’re vulgar, but never crude". The public agreed, and the films became an institution throughout the 60s.

Priced at £497 for the standard and £537 for the deluxe models, the Mini managed to project a jaunty personality that was entirely classless. It fitted in perfectly with the casual, happy-go-lucky atmosphere of the 60s, appealing as much to pop stars and peers as to housewives and postmen.

Have you been Bubba Gumped?

A series of 6 bible studies have been arranged by Sister Barbara based on the film Forrest Gump. The film portrays how the main character, Forrest Gump, not only shares his innocence and purity with others, he also manages to retain that innocence and purity through some very difficult times.

Everyone from Barbara’s four churches was invited along to Hall Lane to watch the film which was then followed by the weekly studies. Each week a different subject has been discussed such as the importance of friendship and the effects of bullying. We all watched a clip of the film relevant to the subject and then discussed, in small groups, what it meant to characters in the film, what it means to us as individuals and then related it to references in the bible.

An average of 16 people have attended the group each week. It has been a refreshing approach to bible study and a good time of fellowship with many of us getting to know people better from our own and other churches.

Look out for the next session.

Quote from film:

Mrs. Gump I happen to believe you make your own destiny. You have to do the best with what God gave you.

Forrest Gump What’s my destiny, Mama?

Mrs. Gump You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Questions, Questions, Questions

Radio Leicester Logo Hall Lane played host to a live recording of BBC Radio Leicester’s Gardener’s Question Time in September.

The church was full with people wanting answers to gardening questions ranging from ‘how to move an acer tree?’ to ‘what plants would be suitable for an aviary?’.

It was an interesting evening seeing how an outside broadcast is made and having to follow instructions of when to stay quiet and when to applaud madly.

The programme was broadcast the following Sunday at lunchtime but despite the excitement of our moment of fame, most of us somehow managed to forget to listen to it!

All proceeds went towards the Ladies Fellowship charity, Cancer Backup.

Save Your Postage Stamps

Please collect your used postage stamps for The Leprosy Mission and put them in the envelope on the notice board.

Thanks Sister Barbara

Congratulations!

Love and best wishes go to Jo and Gareth following their wedding on Saturday 4th November. The event couldn’t have been more perfect with the sun shining brightly all day. Good luck for your future together!