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Our Lady of LourdesSt. Bartholomew's
St. Mary's
The Granary
United Reformed Church
Issue #2 of Wheatley Area Newsletter
_
Christians | | in A monthly newsletter for Christians
__| |__ in the Wheatley Area.
|__ __| - email Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
| | - please forward to those who may
the | | Community be interested, or print off
|_| if they have no email.
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"Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourselves with
strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of
Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will no longer
enter your gates. Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.
Remove the slave bands from your neck, O captive
daughter of Zion." Isaiah 52:1-2
><> EPISTLE <><
to the OX33/9/44ians
Welcome to the second issue of this newsletter!
Subscriptions have got off to a firm start and your
editor has taken the liberty of automatically signing up
the original batch of email addresses to which the first
newsletter was sent. If that includes you and you do not
wish to receive the newsletter, please email the editor
to unsubscribe.
Thank you for the comments from the last issue -
hopefully the formatting changes made will help the
readability of the newsletter on so many different
systems. Also please note that all are welcome from the
Wheatley area to join the newsletter community - not just
those from OX33 - can anyone come up with a snappy
description of the area?
If you did not get this email sent directly from the
editor but from a friend and would like to see future
newsletters, then please email Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
to secure delivery of future issues!
><> GOOD NEWS <><
Building the Kingdom Locally
><> Wheatley Action Plan
Many Wheatley Christians have been involved with the
Wheatley Action Plan project, part of which has been to
ask all villagers to complete a questionnaire drawn up by
the group. There has been a good response, and the
results are beginning to be analysed to identify the
issues that need to be addressed. Wouldn't it be
wonderful if the local churches and Christians could play
their part in meeting those needs? Please email your
editor if you would be interested in this. Other local
villages are starting or planning similar projects.
An encouragement has been initial analysis of the
question asking about worshipping habits in the village.
Of the 1,571 questionnaires so far received, it shows 192
state that they regularly attend a church service (44 of
whom worship outside Wheatley) with a similar number who
attend occasionally. If this represents half of all
adults in Wheatley, and an eighth of those in the
area targeted by this newsletter, then there are over 350
committed Christians in Wheatley, and over 1,500 in the
surrounding area, and with a similar amount who connect
with the church on a more occasional basis.
What a large body to draw strength and encouragement from
if we can all connect together! Of course, this is part
of the vision for this newsletter - it would be great if
we could get a good proportion subscribing, with the
content passed on in print or by word of mouth for those
without email. And if you have a project which you feel
could benefit by connecting with a wide set of
Christians, please send an article to the editor, and it
will be included for the next issue.
><> Christians in the Community Meeting - 24th September
A second meeting was held at the URC in Wheatley to get
together Christians in the Wheatley area and to get
involved in the many projects that are starting in the
area and to pray for them.
We heard how Kath McNee and other Christian parents are
working with Wheatley Primary School and becoming
involved in the assemblies there. There are plans to run
parenting courses too. Clive Hallett was praised for his
openness to the movements of the Christian group.
Sarah Turner is leading a project to run a Children's
Christmas Party on the afternoon of 13th December at
Wheatley Primary School. She hopes to give children and
their parents a real sense of the meaning of Christmas
and have lots of fun too. Sarah (876118) would like to
hear from anyone who would be able to help.
There will also be a Festival Fun Day on 8th November at
Wheatley Primary School - please see REQUESTS below.
Gordon Ewbank is organising singing Christmas Carols
outside ASDA on 20th December. It will be an opportunity
to spread the message of Christmas to a wide number of
shoppers! He also suggested a small gift to be given out.
Communication between Christians around the Wheatley Area
was also discussed, perhaps developing this newsletter
into a website.
During the small group time a prayer group met and prayed
for the projects, and Heather Elbourn, who worships at
the Granary, was given a powerful picture of Wheatley
windmill, which can't work without the sails being pieced
together. As all the pieces are put in place the wind can
make the sails can go round and the windmill can function
as it should. So too the body of Christ in this area, as
all the different pieces work together, the Holy Spirit
can blow and the Church can function as it is meant too.
By the end of the evening there were comments from those
attending that it had been a great opportunity to meet
together with other Christians and were encouraged and
inspired by the ideas shared.
If you are excited by what you have heard please get
involved. There is great need for volunteers to make
these projects work. There will also be a financial
outlay as we aim to offer these events free to the
community. If you would like to contribute please contact
Lucy Betts on 875436.
><> EVENTS <><
Signs and Wonders
Monday
><> 2:30pm House Group - Wheatley URC
- Jennifer Newton - 876066 or Marian Brown - 872245
><> 8pm Home Group - Wheatley - Lucy Betts - 875436
Tuesday
><> Foundations course - Marty Woods - 876596
Wednesday
><> 7:45pm House Group - Wheatley
- Jennifer Newton - 876066
Thursday
><> 7:30am Prayers & Breakfast at Wheatley URC
Friday
><> (please advise)
Saturday
><> 9:30am - 10am - Prayer - Merry Bells
><> 10am - Noon - Meeting Point - Merry Bells
- Cyril Newton - 876066
Oct 11 (Saturday)
><> 10am - 1pm - Card Craft Day - St Mary's Wheatley
- Lucy Betts - 875436 or Jennifer Newton - 876066
Oct 14 (Tuesday & every 2nd Tuesday each month)
><> Wheatley Primary School Prayer group - Kath McNee
Oct 18 (Saturday)
><> 7:30pm - One World Evening event - Merry Bells
- Ann Stephenson - 874353
or Ellen Webster - 01844 339384
Oct 19 (Sunday)
><> 3pm - St Mary's Wheatley - Licensing of James Watson
><> 6pm - Wheatley Area Churches Service - Granary
Oct 25 (Saturday)
><> 2pm - 6:30pm - Autumn in the Chilterns - Coach trip
from Wheatley URC to Wycombe Museum & Naphill
Methodist Church - £10
- Liz Barry - 872293 or Ellen Webster - 01844 339384
Nov 8 (Saturday)
><> 10am - Noon - St Mary's Bazaar - Merry Bells
><> 3pm - 8pm - Wheatley Fun Day - Marty Woods - 876596
Nov 15 (Saturday)
><> 10am - 2pm Tearcraft sale - Beckley Church
- Ian & Erica Cave - 351226
Dec 13 (Saturday)
><> 2pm - 4pm - Childrens' Christmas Party
- Karl & Sarah Turner - 876118
Dec 20 (Saturday)
><> 10am - Noon - Carols - Merry Bells - Susan Prest
><> 2pm - 4pm - Carols - ASDA - Gordon Ewbank
><> REQUESTS <><
Ask and you will receive
Karl Turner and Marty Woods are leading the group
organising a free fun day for all the family at the
Wheatley Primary School on Saturday November 8th, 3pm to
8pm. They hope to have stilts, sausage sizzle, bouncy
castle, clowns, games, face painting and barn dancing. 25
to 30 people will be needed to run the event on the day.
If you feel led to get involved with this outreach
project to connect the church with the local community,
then please contact Karl on 876118 or Marty on 876596.
><> LET US PRAY <><
He is listening...
Please pray for all the projects mentioned from the
Christians in the Community meeting. The work at the
Primary School, the Children's Christmas Party, the
Festival, Christmas Carols at ASDA and the communications
work. Please pray for all those involved and that the
resources that are needed will be found.
Please pray for the protection by God of these projects
as they are set up and for boldness as Christians work
together to reach out into our local community.
May people in our community have open hearts to hear the
message of Jesus.
Please also pray during One World Week (Oct 19-26) about
the issues being raised - what needs to happen to achieve
lasting change that benefits poor people?
><> LOCAL LINKS <><
wwjd.com
Christian Concern for One World:
http://www.ccow.org.uk/
Churches Together in Oxfordshire:
http://www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/churchinoxon/index.phtml
Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust:
http://www.ohct.org.uk/
><> REVELATIONS <><
And finally...
Please remember to forward this email to anyone who you
think may be interested in this, but may not have seen it
yet. There are over fifteen hundred committed Christians
in the Wheatley area, and your editor has an initial
target to help connect them via this newsletter to over
200 email addresses. We are 20% there!
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><> SMALL PRINT <><
Christians in the Community is a digest of Christian
happenings in the Wheatley area (OX33, OX9, OX44 and
beyond). It is compiled by Kevin Betts from information
he gets sent. All phone numbers begin 01865 unless
specified.
(Un)subscribe or News to Email: Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
Phone: 01865 875436
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