Money & Property Matters – and Barry’s Babblings February 2023
It was a delight to see the church so beautifully decorated for Christmas and our thanks to all who help to make the celebrations so special. The services were well attended and included the Candle of Hope and an adult nativity with the Carols by Candlelight worship. From donations given, we were also able to make a gift of £220 to the ‘Action for Children’ charity.
Looking back a little further there was a full church for the Christchurch Singers concert and £1167 (including Gift Aid) was raised for CAP (Christians against Poverty). Now we look forward to the summer concert that is planned for June.
The Flower Rota for 2023 is now in the vestibule – if you are able to sponsor a Sunday, please do add your name (around £ 20 per week). For an anniversary, birthday etc this can also be included in the weekly diary notes. Carol or Sue will be pleased to tell you more. Flowers do enhance our worship (as well as being distributed to folk linked with the church) so please do help.
You never know what might happen if you write a letter!! I sent a ‘Straight to the point’ brief letter to the Daily Mail and it was printed on 21st December. It said ‘A poster outside of my local Methodist Church ‘If you leave Christ out of Christmas, all you have left is M & S’. A few days later I received an email from a lady who recognised my name, found my email address (on our church website) and emailed me. She used to stay each year with her family in my parent’s Guest House in Jameson Road, Bexhill in the 1950/60’s! Happy days – and the brochure that I still have says that full board for a week was around 5 guineas!
Keeping the temperature at an acceptable level is never an exact science. We are grateful to Clive who deals with the time clocks to try to keep us all happy. We all know how the fuel costs are rising and at present we have a fixed price contract until the end of March. We will then have to wait and see what increase we have to cover. It may be of interest to mention that for the month of December our fuel costs (gas and electric) totalled £528. (Another monthly charge is for insurance and this totals £253).
The 1066 Wing Chun Bexhill School has met in our hall every Tuesday since June 2019 but sadly have had to cease at our church due to illness and costs. We have been delighted to have them rent our facilities, and the leaders of the School (Neil and Sarah) have made a generous leaving donation to our church funds. We wish them well with their other outlets and, perhaps, we will welcome them back some time in the future.
Next month on 5th March 2023 we will be celebrating our 116th Church Anniversary and our special service will be led by the Rev Crawford Logan. The church was dedicated and opened on 20th March 1907. The main hall was not built and opened until 24th May 1939 (Wesley Day). Over the weekend of our celebration there will be the usual annual Gift Day appeal and envelopes should be in the March issue of The Messenger. There will also be a Gift Day Coffee Morning on Saturday March 4th from 10am – 11.30am please do come along. We are most grateful for all the generous giving at Christchurch – not just financial but in talents and time as well.
February sees the celebration of Valentine’s Day and the Fun and Friendship Social group will be open on that afternoon so please feel free to join with us – maybe there may be a special cake!!
In conclusion, and on behalf of all of us, thank you to all those who plan, prepare, play and lead our worship each Sunday. It really is a team effort and everyone has a part to play. Our thanks particularly to the Stewards, ably led by Jill, who do an excellent job. All please take a bow!!
‘Love is a four-letter word spelled T-I-M-E’. 1 Corinthians 13 is well worth a read – it is all about love in the wonderful words of St Paul.
Barry Turnwell, Church Treasurer and a Property Steward.
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