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Dear friends,

During the second world war, a bombing raid left a church destroyed completely except for the East wall and, miraculously, its lovely stained glass window. The people who worshipped in the church lovingly removed the stained glass and carefully stored it away until peace returned.

When the war was over, the church was rebuilt with the window restored to its former position. However, when the glass was being reassembled, the craftsman in charge of the operation discovered that there was a piece missing It was a piece which contained the letter ‘E’, which meant that the sentence which should have read:

‘GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST’

Now read:

‘GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGH ST’

The vicar and the worshippers were asked whether a new piece of glass containing the letter ‘E’ should be specially made and fitted into the gap. After careful consideration, it was decided not to do this. A plain piece of glass should be placed in the space, so that every time a worshipper approached the altar and looked at the window, they would be reminded that it was just as important to glorify God outside in the High St as within the church.

One of the opportunities we have in the season of Lent is to spot where God is at work and then joining in. I have been asked whether any of the congregation would be willing listen to children read in the newly opened Clifford All Saints school. An hour or so a week is all that is needed. Please ask me if you are interested. I am sure you will receive more than you give.

Peace

Tim

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If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.     Ian Turgenev

Services during March

Holy Communion

Church Family News

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Keep in our thoughts

Edith Aisthorpe's Mum, Mary, has sadly passed away - she was surrounded by family, who all made the journey to Scotland.

Please pray for Edith and her family at this sad time.

Please continue to pray for Duncan and Jane Storey.

and for all who don’t get to church very often or at all.

Leonora Hopkinson, we thank God that her condition has improved and that she is able to stay at Darnall Grange Nursing Home. We thank Jackie in particular for her tireless work in helping Leonora so much and to secure this placement.

We ask for prayers for Bryan and Shirley Coates, who are struggling with health problems and needing extra help.

Helen, Lawrie’s daughter in London, is at present very ill in St Mary’s Hospital. Pray for Lawrie and Helen and the family at this time.

Dora Kirkwood, who has had a knee replacement in February – we wish her a continued good recovery.

Chris

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Funny Church Bulletins

"Say 'hell' to someone who doesn't like you."

Mr. Smith is also a close relative of his brother Wilbur in the church.

After today's service, coffee and donuts will be served in the basement. Please come down and say hell to the pastor.

Life groups meet on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM for food, fun, and fellowwhipping.

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

Don't let worry kill you off – let the Church help.

Services, Events and Meetings at Banner Cross in March and April

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The Holy Habit is “Breaking Bread”

Friday March 1st. 11am World Day of Prayer at St William’s RC Church on Ecclesall Road. Worship followed by refreshments and the opportunity to chat with Christian friends in our Ecclesall churches.  Come and support our members who are taking part.  Service prepared by Christians in Slovenia.

Saturday March 2nd. Walking Group meet at Church at 9.30am for a walk at Chatsworth. Have a word with Paula Jones for further details. 

Saturday and Sunday March 2nd and 3rd. A Fairtrade Stall will be in Room 2.

Sunday March 3rd. Church Action on Poverty Sunday. [Soup lunch – to be confirmed]

Monday March 4th. Church Leadership Team Meeting – contact a member of the CLT if there are any issues you wish to raise.

Shrove Tuesday March 5th. 6 to 7.30pm Pancake Pop-In at Millhouses Church. Homemade pancakes with a choice of sweet or savoury fillings. Sign-up sheet in the Porch. 

Thursday March 7th. 7.30pm in Room 2, Church Council Meeting.  All welcome, but only Church Council members can vote. 

Wednesday March 13th. 7.30pm in Room 5, Holy Habits Planning Group Meeting.  All welcome. 

Saturday March 16th. 7.30pm, a meal at the Fresh Habesha (on Exchange Street). This restaurant serves Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine.  Have a word with Paula Jones if you wish to go.

Sunday March 17th. 6.30pm, Holy Communion service led by Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE, former President of the Methodist Conference and author of “A Table for All”.

Thursday March 21st. 7pm, the inspirational, Christian film, “The Shack” will be shown in Room 2.  Drinks and snacks will be available. Further details from Chris Rowe. Resume item below.

Thursday March 28th. trip to see “Hello Dolly!” at The Montgomery Theatre starring our own Jane Jefferson-Blythe as Dolly.  Have a word with Chris Rowe if you wish to go.

Monday April 1st. 7.30pm, Worship Group Meeting in Room 5.  All welcome.

Sunday April 7th.10.45am, Café Worship. From approx. 12.15pm–1pm, in the Quiet Room, the Holy Habits Book Group will meet to discuss Graham Greene’s The Power and The Glory. See flyers or have a word with Alison Russell.

Palm Sunday April 14th. No morning service. We shall be offering refreshments and our facilities to participants in the Sheffield Half Marathon. There are plans to bake bread in the afternoon and then serve it at a Tea with cheese, jam and cakes. The Evening Service for Palm Sunday will be led by Rev Tim Crome. 

Tuesday April 16th. Church Leadership Team Meeting – contact a member of the CLT if there are any issues you wish to raise.

Maundy Thursday April 18th. Sheffield Methodist Circuit has arranged for a dance company to put on a production at Wesley Hall on the theme of “Communion”  – look out for the poster. All encouraged to watch.

Good Friday April 19th. 8pm, Tenebrae service led by Rev Tim Crome. 

Easter Sunday April 21st. 10.45am, Easter Sunday Morning Service led by Jenny Bywaters. 

Information correct as at 18 February 2019.  Some events may be subject to change.

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The Shack  (Thursday 21st March, commencing 7pm)

We’ll be showing this excellent and thought provoking film and serving some refreshments- but not a meal so have some tea first.

After a family tragedy, Mack Philips spirals into depression causing him to question life’s purpose and innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to visit an abandoned shack.

Despite his doubts he journeys to the Shack and encounters a trio of strangers. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of the tragedy and change his life forever.

Hope you can come - it won’t disappoint.

Chris and Caroline

Welcome to My World

Christine Rowe

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Can you briefly tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Gateshead in the 60s and we lived in the North East during my early childhood, until my Dad, who was in retail, got a transfer to John Lewis in Sheffield, before I started at Greystones Primary School. My Mum’s family were in Sheffield.

I’m very proud of my Geordie roots and we have enjoyed many trips to Newcastle and to beautiful Northumberland and still do.

I didn’t always want be a nurse, I thought I wanted to do Social Work, but have been nursing for 30 years now.

I’ve been married to Jonathan for 28 years and we have two grown up children, Jennie who is studying nursing and Simon who is making all the hips and knees we’ll need one day.

What role(s) do you have in our Church?

Nowadays I work most weekdays and mainly attend just on a Sunday, so my jobs now are, in the main, in church itself, reading, leading prayers, singing with our Singing Group, welcome and coffee.

In the past I’ve been a Rainbow Leader, was one of the founders of

Little Fish, I was a Junior Church leader, loved our pantomime days

and organising social events in my time as ‘Queen Mother’.

Who was, or what were, the main influences in your early life?

My lovely parents, they were amazingly supportive and both very positive role models in all kinds of pastoral care and outreach, as well as encouraging me with (almost!) anything I set my mind to do. 

As I didn’t have siblings they went out of the way to encourage me to socialize with friends and neighbours and went on the kind of holidays such as Christian Guild, where I would share accommodation with other young people.

My other main influences were our Junior Church teachers and youth and uniform leaders, many of whom are still amongst us. I’m worried about missing anyone out if I try and name them. Just know how loved you are.

When did you first come to Banner Cross Methodist Church; and

what were your impressions at that time?

My mum brought me to Junior Church when we came to Sheffield at around 4 years of age although I’ve had a few spells of not coming, particularly with study and work.

I’ve always felt that very loved and that it’s like having a big extended family.

Have your first impressions changed at all?

The church is very different now, we’re older and smaller. I’m delighted that my own children were also brought up in a lively, vibrant Junior Church, but worry that my Grandchildren (assuming there will be some) won’t experience this.

We are a close knit group always ready to love and support each other. During my difficult times of losing my parents and Jono’s illness, which all came in quick succession, I honestly don’t know where I’d have been without you all.

We’re really good at outreach and the Eco work some members are involved with, is amazing.

I’m super proud of all of us.

What hobbies or interests fill any “spare” time?

I’ve always belonged to choirs, normally at least two at once.

I love spending time with friends and family, walking and travel.

Running (albeit slowly) is a more recent hobby, but am shocked to now be running 5k and 8ks at least weekly with an occasional 10k thrown in.

Watching musicals, (some) comedy, theatre and cinema. I could live without the telly. I love all animals and little children, games and having fun and laughing a lot. Oh and eating.

What books do you enjoy reading?

I don’t read nearly as much as I did, but when I do, it’s normally bibliography, or books about health, well-being or travel.

What music do you enjoy listening to?

My tastes vary enormously, I love pop and dance music, 80s of course, especially new romantic, as well as classical, all things Rutter, and Christian music such as gospel music, hymns and some choruses.

Are you involved in any other charities or organisations?

There are couple of things we support regularly, and I’m always ready to do my bit for Christian Aid, house to house collecting, carol singing and (normally) the May Day walk.

 Every time I enter (an organized) run it’s always for a good cause – another reason to keep going for now. In April I’m running at, and for, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, if we’re anywhere near the lions and tigers I may suddenly get quicker!

Please give us one fact about yourself that we may find surprising.

Can I have two?

There’s probably nothing actually, I’m a bit of an open book ……

I wanted to do the Worship Leader course, and perhaps go on to preach, but our minister at the time didn’t support me.

I had a nice chat with Queen Elizabeth when I was 11, she was on Fargate and I was there from Guide camp. She recognized our camp dresses and spoke with us about her own love of Guiding. My Mum was appalled as a photo was in the Star and I hadn’t showered for days, my hair was like rats tails!

If you had one prayer request for moving forward the life of Banner Cross Methodist Church in any way, what would it be?

To carry on doing what we do well, to shine a light in our

community, and not to be afraid of change, necessary if we’re to have a future,

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The Schoolroom !!

We have now received the final agreement from the Manchester Methodist District Legal officer to go ahead with the sale by auction of the Schoolroom premises, in line with the Sheffield City Council Planning Permission stipulations of February 2018.

This means that we can now contact Solicitors and Estate Agents to commence the sale procedures.

It also means that any of you can put a bid in to buy the Schoolroom property if you so desire! However, we expect that a property developer will be interested in the purchase, and this developer will have to abide by the terms of SCC Planning Permission and other requirements in changing the site to residential or other uses.

As the sale progresses, we will keep the Church membership informed of further developments.

Phil Brown

If the mountain seems too big today

then climb a hill instead

If the morning brings you sadness

it’s ok to stay in bed

If the day ahead weighs heavy

and your plans feel like a curse

There’s no shame in rearranging

don’t make yourself feel worse

If a shower stings like needles

and a bath feels like you’ll drown

If you haven’t washed your hair for days

don’t throw away your crown

A day is not a lifetime

A rest is not defeat

Don’t think of it as failure

just a quiet, kind retreat

It’s ok to take a moment

for an anxious, fractured mind

The world will not stop turning

while you get realigned

The mountain will still be there

when you want to try again

You can climb it in your own time

just love yourself ‘til then.

Sent in by Christine

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Holy Habits Book Club

April 2019 Discussion

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The Holy Habits Book Club here at Banner Cross Methodist Church will be meeting after the morning service on Sunday 7th April. We will meet in the Quiet Room from 12.15 pm to 1.00pm approximately.

The Holy Habit for February, March and April 2019 is “Breaking Bread” and suggestions for reading material can be found in that ‘habit’s’ resource booklet. All are welcome to join in our informal discussions.

We will be discussing The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene (Vintage Classics, originally published in 1940). Arguably one of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century, this moralistic thriller is set in Mexico in the late 1930s. A paramilitary group has outlawed the Catholic Church and executed its clergy. Now the last priest is on the run, fleeing, not just an unshakable police lieutenant, but also his own wavering morals. As he scraps his way toward salvation, haunted by an affair from his past, the nameless “whiskey priest” is pulled between the bottle and the Bible, tempted to renounce his religion yet unable to ignore the higher calling he has chosen. The “Breaking Bread” resource booklet tells us that, although deeply anxious that he has been a failure, the priest continues to administer the Mass at a time and in a place where the practice has been banned.

We are hoping that a few people might also be able to get hold of another book suggested in the resource booklet: Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE’s A Table for All: A Challenge to Church and Nation (Penistone Publications, 2000). Inderjit Bhogal may be familiar to some of you.  He is a leading theologian and a former President of the Methodist Conference. He lived in Sheffield where he worked in multi-faith inner city contexts. Inderjit is the founder and President of City of Sanctuary. The resource booklet summarises his book as follows: a prophetic challenge to the practices of breaking bread and Holy Communion, and how they can be experiences of radical hospitality, justice and change.

Since preparing this note, I have seen on the Preaching Plan that Inderjit will be taking the Evening Service of Holy Communion at Banner Cross on 17th March at 6.30 pm. His book is very interesting and there are connections with our city, so it would be marvellous if lots of people can come to that service to hear what he has to say. 

Alison Russell

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Smalls for All

Smalls for All® is a Scottish Charity which collects and distributes underwear to help women and children in Africa. We help those living in orphanages, slums, IDP camps and schools, as well as providing underwear to hospitals to help those suffering from medical conditions.

If you’d like to donate underwear, here’s the brief’

All you have to do is buy a packet of ladies’ or children’s pants and send them to us. They must be new and while we collect all sizes, those we need the most are for children aged 3-15 or ladies size 8-14. And while we collect all colours, the ladies’ pants in greatest demand are black – in full brief, midi, mini or high leg (in the smaller sizes).

We also accept new or ‘gently worn’ bras which can be any size, including sports and nursing bras, but not teen, cropped-top style or bikini tops. (By ‘gently worn’ we mean bras that are in good condition and still have good wear left in them.)

Sending donations

If you’re able to include a small donation of £3 to help us with our work, that would be pantastic too. Donating a little more like this means that together we can help so many more people.

Please send your smalls to:

Smalls for All
108 Buchanan Crescent,
Eliburn, Livingston, EH54 7EF
United Kingdom

Please enclose your email address so that we can acknowledge safe receipt of your donation.

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Save these Dates

Shrove Tuesday 5th March from 6-7.30 pm.  Millhouses Methodist Church are having a Pancake Pop-In.  There will be homemade pancakes with a choice of sweet or savoury fillings (including meat and vegetarian options).  There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer so that Millhouses have an idea of how many they are catering for.

In our current Holy Habit – Breaking Bread, I thought it would be

good to share a meal together. I have booked the Fresh Habesha

which is Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine for Saturday 16th March at 7.30 pm.  The restaurant is situated next to the Market Tavern on Exchange Street.  Please let me know if you wish to join us.

Paula

The Walking Group plans to have a Weekend Away in June: Friday 7th to Sunday 9th. More details regarding accommodation for campers and non-campers to follow. We plan to visit the Filey/Brampton area of North Yorkshire.  We will plan to eat together in the evenings. Walkers and non-walkers.  All are welcome.

Paula

This year the show is Hello Dolly, and our own Jane Jeffreson-Blythe is starring as Dolly!

I thought it would be fun to go together again as a group form BX - last year we had some tea at The Crucible Corner and it was a lovely evening, which we can repeat.

I'm suggesting we go on Thursday 28th March. The tickets are £12.

Please let me know if you'd like to join in this outing.

Chris Rowe

Film Club

The Film Club is STILL taking place . The first Saturday in each month starting at 1.30 and refreshments are served during the afternoon. For reasons beyond my control I have had to change    some of the films.

So here is the revised programme

March 2nd Flower Drum Song: April 6th Calendar Girls:

May 4th South Pacific: June 1st My Fair Lady.

It is open to all so please do come along.You will be most welcome.

No booing at the projectionist though!!

Alan

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

There will be a Fairtrade sale on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March.

If would like us to get a particular item from the Fairtrade shop

please let Pat Dickinson or Hazel Harrison know.

This is the end of Fairtrade Fortnight. Look out for Fairtrade goods in Supermarket's and support their efforts to stock Fairtrade's items.

Pat

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35 Chapel Walk Art Space

35 Chapel Walk is the charity for the coffee collections during the current quarter, that is March, April and May 2019.  It is an art space in the heart of the city centre working to promote creativity, community and spirituality.

It offers:

• exhibition space for individuals and groups in a bright, open environment on a busy shopping street;
• an Art Psychology service including therapeutic space for use by therapists in private practice;
• premises to rent by outside groups.

Look out for:

• a programme of exhibitions throughout the year;
• a programme of art activities for all ages;
• weekday reflections and meditations in a peaceful, solitary space.

Its founding member is Ric Stott, an artist and Methodist Minister.  Ric also uses our premises here at Banner Cross Methodist Church.  Some of you may remember the exhibition he, and other creative people, held during Holy Week 2010, called Via Crucis (Way of the Cross). 

www.35chapelwalk.com

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Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art, is knowing which ones to keep.      Scott Adams

“ECO CHURCH?”

‘Done and Still to Do’.

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This is the second of three short articles updating you on Banner Cross’ Eco Church journey.

On the 18th of March 2015, with the backing of the Church Council, Banner Cross Methodist Church registered to become an Eco Congregation, and work towards a greener Church life at

Banner Cross MC began. Our first task was to complete a comprehensive benchmarking survey covering all aspects of Church life in12 different categories and I have used that as the basis of

this update. In January 2016 the similar but more streamlined Eco Church became available; we migrated to that and achieved our Bronze Award. Eco Congregation still runs in Scotland.

When Banner Cross joined Eco Church there were only a handful of Churches enrolled, that number is now in excess of 12,500 and growing! Also growing is an awareness that for Christians

this work is a work of discipleship and mission. In the beginning this was overshadowed by arguments from ‘climate change doubters' and misunderstood because of the need for persistent

and polite political engagement. Man-made climate change matters to us and our representatives need to know it.

As to what has been happening ‘on the ground’ in Church – well lots really! To give you an idea I’ve used the 12 categories from the original benchmarking questionnaire – popped them into the

following table and given some examples of what we have already done in each category. I hope it is obvious that this has been a whole Church effort. Much of our progress is down to individual

acts of ‘greenness’ (e.g. recycling your old specs) and the work and support of I think all the other Church groups e.g the ‘property’ and ‘worship’ groups.

Worship e.g have dedicated Eco services / pray for climate / use glass (not plastic) communion cups / ran creation focused Lent course.

Theology e.g. attended the North of England ecumenical climate conference where one of our number was present as a speaker.

Children’s Work e.g. the Brownies made a highly informative recycling display Youth Work N/A but Guides very knowledgeable.

All Age Adult Education e.g film showing/noticeboard/petitions and printed materials.

Church Property e.g. now have green energy supplier/moving to all LED lighting/using water hippos/upgraded timers and thermostats.

Church Management e.g. confirmed ethical banking/now buy eco cleaning products & recycled paper/now recycling specs; phones; batteries shoes etc.

Church Land e.g. reclaimed dump site for allotment garden/now gardening for wildlife/put up bird boxes and feeders/installed insect hotel/started native planting in garden/left uncut area of grass.

Personal Lifestyle e.g. many making more green lifestyle choices/we publish green tips/provide recycling points/make ‘green’ literature available.

Community Outreach e.g. made links with other ‘green’ organisations & churches/held eco fairs for the community/recycling point is available to church users.

Overseas Concerns e.g. raised funds for Christian Aid farming projects/sent gardening tools to Africa individual members support various ‘green’ causes.

Managing our Climate Footprint e.g. giving lifts to Church/ establishing links with ‘carbon reduction’ groups and other Churches/double glazing in room 2.

In short, we have done quite a lot (I am tired just thinking about it) but I’ve run out of room to include the ‘….. Still to Do’ part of this piece. There is work ‘…. Still to Do’ and it feels great to be a part of it. Christians of old built cathedrals with no hope of seeing them completed and not so long ago Christians built Banner Cross Church for their time and for the future and here we are, still serving at Banner Cross. We might not see the results of Eco Church ourselves but then we’re not doing it just for us!

Sunday Services start at 10.45am.

All the very best

Yvonne McIntosh

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We must become the change we want to see.    Ghandi

Summary of Recycling

1/12/17 -30/11/18

During the 12 months to 30/11/2018 we have collected and passed for re-cycling the following:

Mobile phones             25 including 5 with chargers

Spectacles                   67 pairs

Batteries                     15.776 kg

Shoes                          34 pairs (including 2 pairs of boots that were passed to Ben's Place)

Toner Cartridges         66

Stewart McIntosh

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Shelter's Campaign On Letting Fees

The government has finally approved the Tenant Fees bill, which will ban letting agents and landlords charging ridiculous letting fees. These fees include things like reference, credit check, administration, and contract renewal fees. The ban on letting fees was first announced in Autumn 2016.

Early in 2018, Shelter successfully closed a potential loophole in the bill which would have allowed bad landlords and letting agents to continue charging ridiculous fees under the term ‘default fees’.

4,283 Shelter supporters emailed their MP about default fees, with 335 tweeting their MP. 68 people sent Shelter examples of what they had been charged which helped close this loophole.

All the campaigning and pressure on MPs by ordiary people helped to get the fees banned. The passing of the bill wraps up a campaign which began in 2013. Officially the bill comes into force on 1 June 2019. Shelter supporters and tenants eagerly await the day.

Andrew

Shelter's Campaign On Affordable Housing

There are many private renters trapped in rented accommodation, unable to buy a home. They are struggling to put down roots and find long term, secure housing. - People like Lucie, who says, 'I've had to move so many times, and rents are so high – the financial implications have been devastating. Just a little bit of stability for me and my children would have made a big difference. I really feel that if I’d been offered social housing and I’d been able to live somewhere affordable for the last 10 years. I think I’d probably be in a position now where I could buy my own property, and my social home could then go back to someone else who needs it.'

Shelter says that social housing would offer this stability, but last year the government delivered just 6,500 social homes. Right now, we're in the middle of a housing emergency. Many of the housing issues we see today are a result of the decline in social housing over the last four decades. But this can be reversed. The government must invest more in social housing, and it has to be affordable, secure and for everyone who wants it.

Shelter is calling on the government to deliver 3.1 million social homes over the next 20 years. If you believe the government should invest more in social housing go to the Shelter website and sign the petition.

By becoming a Shelter supporter you can make the government sit up and pay attention and force them to deliver more social homes.

Andrew

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Items for the April edition of the

Headlines

can be sent via e-mail to

 terrykirkwood@virginmedia.com or by using the good old-fashioned methods of either popping it into the pigeonhole at church, through my front door or even by phoning me on 255 3771 but whatever method you use, can I have it no later than 15th March, please. Thank you,

Terry

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If you print a “perfect” job, somebody will always find a ‘typo’ in it.

The chances of something going wrong with the press is directly proportional to how far away you are from it.

Porter Valley Dementia Café

The Dementia Café opened on Thursday 6th December at Bents Green Methodist Church.  GPs in the Porter Valley area recognised there are few activities their patients could access in the local area and are providing 18 months of funding for the new café.

The café offers a social afternoon with snacks and refreshments, a range of activities and relevant speakers and guests.  It is for people with dementia who live in their own homes, and for their families and carers.

It is held on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 2-4 pm in the church (come in by the main door of the church).

More details are available from Kath Horner, the Chair of Sheffield Dementia Action Alliance: 07757 619 009; or email  kathmhorner@gmail.com

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All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Escafeld Chorale

Registered Charity Number: 1110334

                   CONDUCTOR                                                                               ORGANIST

          Nigel Russell-Sewell                      Joshua Stephens

FROM SCHUBERT TO FINZI

100 years of choral music

SCHUBERT                                                                   MASS IN G

FAURÉ                                          CANTIQUE DE JEAN RACINE

BRITTEN                                                 REJOICE IN THE LAMB

FINZI                                        LO, THE FULL FINAL SACRIFICE

with

Sarah Leffler, Keren Hadas, Lindsey James and Matthew Palmer

Holy Trinity Church, Millhouses

Saturday, 30th March 2019; 7.30pm

Tickets: £12 (concessions £10, students £6, accompanied under-16s £3)

Available through the web site, on the door, or from choir members

www.escafeldchorale.org.uk

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Tickets for Escafeld Chorale's 50th Anniversary concerts can be purchased from: Alison; Ann and Chris; Jackie and Roger; and Sylvia Graves.

Mothering Sunday

Sunday 31st March

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Although Laetare Sunday – the fourth Sunday of Lent – had been associated with mothers and family since medieval times, it wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that a push towards an official day celebrating mothers in England was started. Constance Smith, a vicar’s daughter from Nottinghamshire, was inspired to start the Mothering Day Movement after reading an article on Anna Jarvis and her campaign for an official day to honour mothers in the US.

Unlike Anna Jarvis, Constance Smith did not start an entirely new movement for a day to honour mothers. What she actually did was to bring back a century-old tradition, as the title of her booklet The Revival of Mothering Sunday, written in 1920, shows. Mothering Sunday was celebrated in England as early as the 17th century, making it the first country in the world to have a special day in praise of mothers.

So, when choosing the date for Mothering Sunday in England, she went back to the Laetare Sunday, which was when children who worked away from home received a day off to visit their mothers and their mother church or cathedral.