‘The Churches in Welshampton held a very successful ‘Evening of Entertainment’ in the marquee at the home of John and Zena Heyes, on the Sunday following their daughter Sian’s Wedding to Nic.

Over 90 people supported the event, a lovely 2 course supper was served, followed by a very enjoyable evening of wonderful music, singing, instrumental duets and solos, plus the opportunity for us all to join together to sing.

We had a selection of songs and Hymns to choose from, and enjoyed them all. For me, the Hippopotamus Song came near the top of favourites! We were especially grateful to our Minister for stepping in at the last moment to lead the entertainment; we were extremely sorry that Paul Trenberth was unable to be with us, but most grateful to Bill for ’stepping in’ Paul’s shoes!

The members of our Churches in Welshampton would like to thank everyone who supported us, but particularly John and Zena Heyes, and Mr and Mrs Adams their neighbours, for the opportunity to use the lovely marquee.  The two Churches shared the six hundred and sixty pounds raised on the evening.’

Welshampton Young Church celebrated in June with a service led by Marie Price. They performed four short plays about Elijah and Elisha, to the delight of the congregation. A birthday cake with candles to blow out completed the celebration.

Summer Evening Entertainment and Supper

On Sunday 25th July, by kind invitation of Mr and Mrs John Heyes and Mr and Mrs Edward Adams, there will be entertainment and supper in the marquee at Balmer Lodge, Welshampton.

The event starts at 6pm for 6.30pm and tickets for adults are £10 (family tickets are available). Proceeds will go to Methodist and Anglican Churches in Welshampton.

For more details, contact Mrs Gill Cartwright on 01948 710481 or Mrs Brenda Skipper on 01948 710899.

On Saturday July 17th at 7.30pm,  Jigsaw Sound choir (a mixed voice choir from Shrewsbury) will be singing for us,  followed by a finger buffet. Tickets are £5.

On Sunday July 18th at 2.30pm the  speaker at our Anniversary service will be the Rev. Philip Cooke of Brighton,  the chairman Rev Bill Huband,  and soloist Ben Tyaz. This will be followed by a cream tea and you are very welcome to join us on this special occassion.

Northwood chapel was built in 1860, after  Mr W. Williams gave the land. In  1960 due to a  growing Sunday School, another room, kitchen and outside toilets were built. The same year a Women Fellowship started  and continued until 1999. As recently as 2008 we were connected to the mains water, so we now have an indoor toilet and a small kitchen, and we are now disabled friendly.

Thanks to these alterations we have been able to host a pamper evening for ladies, the Salvation Army, plant sales, concerts, and Tea and Tots. Outside we have a small garden and a seat where anyone is welcome to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet.  We have a prayer box and welcome prayer requests, and we are always ready for new ideas.

Welshampton Study Group

The study group at Welshampton continues it’s monthy meetings looking at, contemplating and disagreeing with the studies in Douglas Connelly’s book on Good and Evil. Each meeting has a fresh topic; our next session on the last Tuesday evening in June is entitled ‘Our enemy in the World’ and is based on Revelation 12:v7-12.

The group is made up of Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Methodists. We would welcome anyone new who might like to join us, if only to try it and see if it suits them! The evening always ends with a drink and something delicious to eat. For more information, please contact Gill on 01948 710481.

Please note that there will be no study group meetings in July and August.

Welshampton Young Church

The Young Church will hold it’s birthday celebration on Sunday afternoon June 13th, and the young people welcome you to join them. Their numbers are small, but their enthusiasm is huge! There will be a birthday cake to cut (and eat!) after the Service to complete the celebration.

“Our Church along with other Churches in Wem, support the national charity, Christian Aid. A group of Methodists from the Church organise a house to house collection in Wem and the surrounding area during Christian Aid week, which takes place in May each year. Nearly £10,000 was raised for the charity last year.

A launch evening is held a couple of weeks before the collection, to which the collectiors/co-ordinators from the other Churches are invited. At the evening, a  visiting speaker explains the work of the charity, the various materials for the collectors are distributed and the evening finishes with a supper provided by members of the various churches and served by them. During the year we have other fund raising events for Christian Aid, for example a coffee morning in January 2010 which raised nearly £1300 for the Haiti eathquake appeal”.

We look forward to another good result for Christian Aid Week 2010.

For more details on the work of Christian Aid Week  click here.

We hope to attract people in our local community, visitors and holiday makers passing through Prees Green (and of course, friends from the Circuit). The dates are as follows:

• Sunday 6th June, 3-5pm
• Sunday, 4th July, 3-5pm
• Sunday 1st August, 3-5pm

We also have a table for Bring and Buy items as well as cakes and marmalade for sale. We look forward to welcoming you to Prees Green Cream Teas!

“Everybody has been very kind and encouraging about the banner that went up at Easter. So thank you for your words and cards. I was very moved. There are two other people who have been an essential part of the project. Andrew Dutton, for making the frames, transporting and hanging them (and for listening to me “witter-on”). Also to Ron Snary for his skilled design and painting of the letters. Without either of them, I could not have made and finished the hangings.”

Also as part of our Easter celebrations, the crucifixion sculpture outside the chapel, created by Paul Wheeler, was decorated on Easter Sunday and become the focus of our celebration as we made our way outside to front of the building to sing our final hymn and receive the blessing from Bill Huband.

Lent and particularly Passiontide (the last fortnight before Easter) is when we Christians focus on the unwavering commitment of Jesus Christ to fulfil scriptures and his Father’s will to go up to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) knowing that it would culminate in his degrading and painful death on a cross at Golgotha, outside the city’s walls.  That it why at Aston Street, Wem we have erected, for the duration of Passiontide, a life size Modern Sculpture of Christ on the Cross, done in iron by Mr. Paul Wheeler of Whixall, a local Artist and Craftsman, to remind all who pass by of Humanity’s part in the death of Jesus.

As we hold our focus from Passion Sunday (21^st March) onwards, we have Lent Groups at Bettisfield (Audrey Hughes’, Cadney Lane) at 10.00 a.m. on Mondays and Welshampton Methodist Church at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesdays, when we continue our examination of Lenten Hymns, both traditional and modern.

At Wem we have various Ecumenical groups through each week, studying the York Lent Course “When I survey ………. Christ’s cross and ours”.

And this is also the material being incorporated by Ellerdine Chapel in their Sunday Services.

At Prees and Fauls, we join with other Christians for Tuesday Lenten Devotions at 12.30 p.m. in various Churches, Anglican, URC and Methodist.

On Palm Sunday we have our own services throughout the Circuit, and following that in Holy Week, we hold, on Maunday Thursday evening (1^st April – 6.00 p.m.) at Wem our Circuit ‘Foot-Washing’ commemoration of The Last Supper following a simple meal and the service starts at 7.00 p.m.

On Good Friday (2^nd April), many of our members will be joining our Anglican Friends in their local parish Churches, but at Wem (Aston Street)there will be a Quiet Meditative period, with Passion Images and music, starting at 10.30 a.m. and running until 11.15 a.m. after which refreshments will be available before we join with Churches Together in Wem at 11.30 a.m. for a Silent Procession of Witness, down the High Street to finish at the Parish Church, with various stops for a Reading, Hymn and Prayer along the way.  At 6.30 p.m. Bill Huband will be preaching at a United Evening Service at Rowton Parish Church.

On Easter Day (4^th April) our worship and celebration opportunities start at 7.00 a.m. by the Mere at Colemere (short outdoor worship celebration) followed by short Holy Communion Service at Welshampton Methodist Chapel, followed by breakfast provided by Church Members there.  At 9.30 a.m. there will be a United Service with Anglicans at Ellerdine Chapel.  Also, at 9.30 a.m., a service of Holy Communion at Prees Methodist and URC Church, followed by similar at Prees Green, both taken by Miss Sue Mathews.  Meanwhile for the rest of the Circuit there will be a Service of Holy Communion at Wem Methodist and URC Church at 10.00 a.m..  This service will start by our decking the external Crucifix with flowers, as a visible reminder to the world of our resurrection Joy.  At Welsh End Chapel there will be a service at 11.00 a.m. and an evening communion service at Wem at 6.30 p.m.

So, we Methodists and our Christian Friends prepare for Good Friday, in order to celebrate the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Day, for without death there can be no resurrection.

A Happy and Joyous Easter to you all and do feel welcome to join us at any time.

Bill Huband

We all joined in with carols old and new, and enjoyed a story about grumpy Badger’s Christmas. Finally our youngest member, Luke, dressed as one of Santa’s little helpers, assisted his sister and cousins in distributing the Christingles to everyone in the congregation. We all left feeling that Christmas had truly begun after sharing in the warmth of worship together.

Each weekly session is ’stand alone’, so folk can join as many or few as they are able. This is a warm, friendly group of people of many denominations, and the evening ends with a cup of tea, coffee and cake.

Many people attending previous courses happily stayed on at the end of the evening to enjoy a chat, or further conversation about the evenings discussions. Do come and join us! Further details from Gill Cartwright on 01948 710481