September 01, 2005
Captain’s Log September 2005
Dear Friends,
September and October are the times of year that many churches remember Harvest in their calendars and we will be having our Harvest Celebrations on the weekend of 1st & 2nd October. Harvest is a time to thank God for His goodness and provision to us.
Yet, if you are like myself, you will have found yourself shocked and saddened by the news and images we have seen of the impact that Hurricane Katrina has had in America. There are many who have lost their lives, and many who have simply lost everything: their homes, their jobs – everything. According to reports, it will take a long time for people to recover. And at the same time, on the other side of the world, there are still many people struggling to recover from the Tsunami tragedy last year.
So what can we do? Well, we must not let these natural disasters, however inexplicable and senseless they seem to deter us from our faith in God. It is our faith and hope in God that reminds us that there will be a time when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). And it is because of our faith, that there are Christian organizations, amongst the many relief organizations providing help and assistance to those in need now.
Let us this Harvest time, simply thank God that we have a roof over our head, we have enough food to eat, enough water to drink and we do not take this for granted. Let us this Harvest keep praying for those who have been affected by these tragedies and provide help where we can such as making a donation. Perhaps then those affected will be encouraged and strengthened to know that they are not alone and that above all God is there with them too.
May God bless you.
Paul Wood
Captain
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES SEPTEMBER 2005
SUNDAY
Morning Worship at 10am
JAM Club (Sunday School) at 11:30am
Housegroup at 4pm at Captains (4th Sunday of the month)
MONDAY
2:15pm to 3:30pm – Sunshine Club (Over Sixties Club)
8pm to 9:30pm – CAMEO Club for Ladies
TUESDAY
2:15pm to 3:30pm – Home League (Ladies Fellowship)
3:45pm to 4:30pm – Home League Singers Practice (fortnightly)
3:45pm to 4:30pm – Home League Bible Study (monthly)
7pm to 8pm – Band Practice
THURSDAY
6:30pm to 7:30pm – Singing Company
The Ladybird Play & Toddler Group meet in our church on Monday to Friday mornings. Please contact Linda Woodward (tel: 233503) for further information.
The 1st Impington Rainbow Guides meet on a Monday from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Please contact Nichole Woods (tel: 233927) for further information.
The 1st Histon Brownies meet on a Wednesday from 6pm to 7:15pm. Please contact Frances New (tel: 233126) for further information.
September 2005 Diary Dates
Sunday 4th September
Worship at 10am led by Captains Paul & Louise Wood
Sunday 11th September
Worship at 10am led by Commissioners Shaw & Helen Clifton, Leaders of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom.
Songs of Praise at St Audrey’s Close at 4pm
Saturday 17th September to 2nd October
Annual Appeal by The Salvation Army for its Social Work in the UK.
Sunday 18th September
Worship at 10am led by Captains Paul & Louise Wood
Band at Etheldred House at 3pm to which everyone is invited to join with the Band.
Sunday 25th September
Worship at 10:30am led by Lieut-Colonels Peter & Maureen Wood featuring the Dedication of Caleb Joel Wood. There will be a lunch afterwards to which everyone is invited.
Saturday 1st October
Harvest Supper at 7pm
Sunday 2nd October – HARVEST SUNDAY
Worship at 10am led by Major Alison Thompson of Anglia Divisional Headquarters
SALVATION ARMY ANNUAL APPEAL SEPTEMBER 2005
Each year The Salvation Army holds an Annual Appeal to raise money for its social work throughout the United Kingdom and is reliant on having volunteers to help do this. Thanks to the generosity of general public, this Appeal raises in the region of £3 million each year.
The Appeal will be held from 17th September to 2nd October and throughout the UK, Salvationists and volunteers from the general public will be going out and collecting money for the Appeal. As a church, it is our responsibility to collect the houses in the Histon, Impington and Girton villages.
To play our part in the Annual Appeal, we need help in the following areas:
· Putting out envelopes
· Collecting using a box or collecting the envelopes
· Counting up.
Any help given is much appreciated and we are in particular need of people who can help by collecting so if you can help or know of anyone else who would be willing to help out in this way, please let Captains or Edd Stonham know.
The more people volunteering, the more can be raised for The Salvation Army’s social work in the United Kingdom..
BEDTIME PRAYERS
When we’ve washed our hands and brushed our hair,
Already for the night
We kneel quite close to Daddy’s chair
And Mummy dims the lights
And then we shut our eyes and pray
For Daddy who’s so far away
He seems quite near us while we kneel,
Before we go to bed
Why, sometimes I can almost feel
Dad’s kind hand on my head
As though he’s not so far away
As he seems to be, all through the day
Dear God, our Daddy overseas
We want him home again
Please keep him safe for us – God please!
Till the war is done, Amen!
Then Mummy says, “Goodnight now dears,
When kiddies pray, God always hears.”
Les Doggett
This poem was written by Les for his family whilst he was a Prisoner of War at
Stalag 4b during the Second World War. Thank you to Roy & Sheila Doggett for
their kind permission to print this poem.
*** NEWS AND INFORMATION *** September 2005
Prayer Requests: Please pray for:
· Dominic Carmichael as he returns to Canterbury university
· The visit of Territorial Leaders, Commissioners Shaw & Helen Clifton, to Histon on 11th September
· New Divisional Leaders, Majors Alan & Alison Burns
· The victims of Hurricane Katrina in America and everyone involved in the relief effort
· All those involved in the Salvation Army’s Annual Appeal and the generosity of the general public
Promotion to Glory
It is with sadness that Bandsman Les Doggett was promoted to Glory on the 7 August. Les was a much loved member of the corps and Sunshine Club. Please continue to remember in prayer his wife Kath, Roy & Sheila, Geoff & Janet at this time.
Weekly Activities
All weekly activities have now resumed after their summer break.
Minibus Transport To Sunday Morning Worship
There is minibus transport available for anyone who would like to attend our Sunday morning worship. If you would like to come on the minibus, please let the Captains know.
Salvation Army Congress 2005
The Salvation Army is holding a Congress at Wembley Conference Centre on Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th November 2005. Special guests include General Larsson, International Leader of the Salvation Army and Commissioner Shaw Clifton, leader in the UK. This promises to be an exciting time and a chance to share with other Salvationists around the UK. On the Saturday there is a meeting at 6pm and on the Sunday there are meetings at 10:30am and 2:30pm with other activities taking place during the day. Leaflets are available from Captains for further information.
We have booked seventeen tickets for the Sunday meetings and they are going fast. We will travel down by minibus and if you would like to come, please speak to Captains. Please note that tickets are on a first come first serve basis.
A Great Time at TMS
Earlier in the summer Dominic Carmichael attended the Territorial School of Music (TMS) and he shares with us how the week went:
This year I was lucky enough to attend Territorial Music School (TMS), which was held at Bearwood College which is just outside of Reading. The Music School is very traditional, which I enjoyed as it is very different from our divisional School of Christian Arts. There were two main options for the week, Girls’ Chorus or Band. The main option rehearsals took up most of day, but rehearsals were very good and the music progressed very quickly and started to sound good early on in the week. We also had free time during the day which was used meeting new people, playing football and resting after long main option rehearsals. Evening entertainment included a variety of things from quizzes, to an Oscar film evening with disco.
My highlight of the week came on the Sunday night. We had our evening worship, which moved into a very moving experience, where it was clear that everyone was really touched by the love of God! I would have to say that was one of my closest moments with God, and probably would have been for many other people who were also there.
We had a mid-week festival held at Bearwood College, which was attended by many parents of students at the Music School. The Band and Girls’ Chorus played and sung music which we had practiced for the first few days, but the band left some of the larger pieces for the final festival. The final festival was held at the Reading Central corps. The standard and quality of music performed was high, and the audience enjoyed the different items presented by the Band, Girls’ Chorus and also the whole school chorus.
I had a really good time, and can’t wait to go again next year!
Dominic Carmichael
VISIT OF THE TERRITORIAL LEADERS!
On Sunday 11th September, the leaders of the Salvation Army in the UK, Commissioners Shaw & Helen Clifton, will be coming to Histon to lead the morning worship at our church.
To the best of everyone’s knowledge, this is the first ever visit to Histon by any territorial leaders in our 112 year history so it is an important occasion. It would be great to have as many people possible present for their visit, so please mark the date in your diary!
Commissioners Shaw & Helen Clifton have been the leaders of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom since June 2004. Prior to that, they served as the Salvation Army’s leaders in Pakistan and New Zealand respectively
Pleasing Everyone!
A Sunday school teacher was asking her students some questions after a series of lessons on God's omnipotence. She asked, "Is there anything God can't do?"
All was silent. Finally, one boy held up his hand.
The teacher, on seeing this, was disappointed that they had missed the point of the lesson. She sighed and asked, "Well, what is it you think God can't do?"
The boy replied, "He can't please everybody."
A Great Time at ASCA
Last month both Dominic and Stephanie Carmichael attended the Anglia School of Christian Arts (ASCA) and Stephanie shares with us how they enjoyed the week:
On Saturday 13th August, Dom and I left Histon heading for Culford School near Bury St Edmunds for a week of music and Christian fellowship at A.S.C.A. We arrived about 1.30pm to discover who we would be sharing our rooms with. I shared with two of my friends from Norwich Citadel.
Our theme for the week was “Quest-one life to live; oh may I live for Thee”. We spent about 2 hours each day discovering God’s quest in our lives.
The rest of the day we divided into time for our main options (vocal, drama, dance, brass, sport, technology and art) as well as free time, sport including a water fight. Each evening there was a different activity, a live cluedo, a disco, drama, quiz night and café. On Friday evening our parents, friends and church family came to a final celebration where we presented all that we learnt through the week.
I had a great time making lots of new friends and renew friendships and I became closer to God.
By Steph Carmichael.
MEMO FROM GOD
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the man in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed his children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new grey hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!!
HURRICANE KATRINA
The impact of Hurricane Katrina has proven to be devastating to those who have suffered in America. To help those in need, The Salvation Army has been one of the organizations involved in the relief effort in America.
If you would like to make a donation to The Salvation Army’s Hurricane relief effort this can be done on the Internet by logging on to:
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/katrina
If you do not have access to the Internet, please speak to Captains who will be able to pass on your donations.
Please keep in your prayers all those who have been affected by this
tragedy and all those seeking to help in the relief effort.