SWANBOURNE EVENTS
Safari Supper
A big thank you to everyone who helped out with the Safari Supper, held on 15th May, whether as hosts or providers of great food. But a special thanks are due to Donna Rooney, who did all the organising. It was a great success, was enjoyed by everyone who took part and raised £729.90 for chapel funds. I am sure there will be another one next year.
Christian Aid Week is an annual event organised by the Church across Britain when people are invited to make a financial contribution towards the work of development, emergency aid and education that is undertaken by Christian Aid in around 40 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. One of the advantages that Christian Aid has over many other aid agencies is that it is able to work through its partner organisations and churches which are already active in these countries, and so avoid some of the difficulties of training people to work in these countries and then withdrawing them when the work ends. If you would like to know more about its work, you can visit their website at http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ or borrow a DVD from Ken Harris tel: 720454.
The Christian Aid collection held in the village amounted to £182.18. Again, thanks to everyone who helped out with this.
OPEN AIR SERVICE June 6th. 2010
The Open Air Service at Brises Farm was also a wonderful occasion, even if we did have to shelter in the barn for the service itself. And what great acoustics, which made the singing and the brass band sound even better. The collection, together with the money raised through the provision of teas, raised £1,156.67 for the Methodist World Church Fund.
Christmas Nativity 2009
We hope that everyone had a good Christmas. We all enjoyed the Carol Singing and Children’s Nativity, where the children gave their usual unique interpretation of the Christmas story with its tale of harmonious family life and we enjoyed having Arthur Sara lead the service.
Heating and Kitchen Refurbishment
As most of you will be well aware, the new heating system has been installed and is working very well. In addition to heating the chapel itself, we now have heating throughout the building and running hot water as well. Thanks are particularly due to Ray Timmins for the way that he worked around the activities happening in the chapel, and getting the work done quickly and efficiently.
We are also very grateful to the Tuers for the gift of their 'old' kitchen units, which Phil Timmins has installed together with new flooring. Apart from needing to redecorate the kitchen, the chapel seems to be in good order.
Although all this work has been paid for – thanks to all the fund-raising efforts, and a grant of £2,000 from the Methodist Circuit, we are now needing to replenish our reserves as well as meeting our on-going costs.
OPEN AIR SERVICE June 6th. 2010 In 2007-8 we celebrated significant anniversaries in the life of the chapel, with a Flower Festival and Open Air Service in June 2007 to mark 100 years of the present chapel, and
the production of a chapel history in 2008, to mark 150 years since the
building of the first chapel. Copies of the history, called 'On a Firm
Foundation' and priced at £2 plus p&p, can be obtained from Frankie
Fisher (see above). Funds raised are going towards renewing our heating
system and a refurbishment of the kitchen."
The Chapel was splendidly decorated with imaginative floral displays by friends from around the Circuit.
These added to a display of items depicting the history of Methodist witness in Swanbourne over the past 150 years
Central to the display was the decorated pulpit with ribbons with all the colours of the rainbow
The celebrations ended with an Open Air Service in which the Young People from Swanbourne took a leading part.
The guest speaker was the
Rev. The Lord Leslie Griffiths
the minister at Wesley's Chapel in London.
On a beautiful warm June evening a lively service was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.