Once again we are involved in Loughborough in Bloom, taking a pride in looking after our premises and uplifting those who use the building or live nearby. It is a labour of love and we often find people sitting quietly on the bench enjoying the scene. Each garden will be viewed by the organising committee. Our date is Monday 5th August when we hope to give a good account of ourselves. If you feel you could become involved please see Hilary or Phyllis. Many hands make a light work (or garden blossom). Many thanks to Hilary, Alan, Phyllis and Christine. Your work is so appreciated.
I spent six years of my childhood in a village called Cheadle Hulme. I say village, but at the time we lived there it was growing into the suburb of Stockport/Manchester that it is today. I was recently reminded of those days when I spotted a group called “Growing Up in Cheadle Hulme” and people sharing memories of their childhoods. I found one person who is now a member at Melton, another who lived in the same house as us before we did and pictures from my school – newly built in 1966, when I went in the first intake. At that time the whole area was a building site, and a few of us were remembering playing in the partly built houses, turning piles of sand into Long Jump pits, and being free to roam.
Of course, the temptation is for those of an earlier era to look back with rose-tinted glasses at the freedoms we had and despair at the way children are raised today. But we have been part of that changing society – we know from experience that a building site is not a safe place for 8 year olds, and we have filled those almost empty roads with cars, and we know that even back then there were nasty people around taking advantage of children given freedom to roam or entrusted into the care of youth organisations. So, now, Safeguarding needs to be on every agenda.
What has not changed, is the idea that it takes a village to raise a child, even if the methods used are slightly different. If we want children of today to have good memories to look back on and to build their adult lives upon, we each need to take responsibility for the world they are growing up in and be part of making good memories. I’m sure one of the things that has held me in church is that I have good childhood memories of the various places we worshipped, communities where I was included, encouraged, given freedom to grow and develop as a follower of Jesus. I give thanks for the people who created that culture – even if nowadays, I can’t remember their names!
We are not a church that has any regular children worshipping with us but we are a church that has lots of children coming into our building (Brownies, Guides, WWW, Grub Club, Dance, Theatre, Judo, Kumon) they are each an integral part of the life of this village. I would love to find more ways to connect those who are here on a Sunday with those here through the rest of the week. And to feel comfortable saying to those families, “Sunday is also for you.” Or creating new worship times that would encourage new connections. But I know that for that to be so, we need to make some changes so that such an intention might become possible. A book I’m reading at the moment says, “We believe that God is calling us to be an intergenerational church; a church that intentionally brings the generations together in mutual serving, sharing or learning within … core activities … in order to live out being the Body of Christ.”
How might we be being called to grow this church across the generations and what are each of us who belong to this church today, prepared to contribute to seeing that come to fruition?
Be blessed, Craig
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Safeguarding: and whilst talking about Safeguarding – for young, old, client or worker, a reminder that our Safeguarding Co-ordinator is Una Hubbard, the Deputy is Daphne Beale and on safeguarding matters they should be contacted on safeguarding@loughboroughurc.co.uk
June Calendar
Sunday 2nd
10:30am
Sunday worship led by Richard Eastman
Tuesday 4th
2:00pm
Tuesdays@2.
Thursday 6th
2:00pm
Elders’ Meeting
4:00pm
Prayers@4
Friday 7th
10:30am
Bible Study; Joshua 4 in Blue Room or via Zoom Meeting ID: 893 0123 3247 Passcode: 772397
Sunday 9th
10:30am
Communion Service led by Craig Muir
Wednesday 12th
10:30am
Nature & Nurture join us for a walk at Outwoods.
Sunday 16th
10:30am
Worship led by Daphne Beale
Tuesday 18th
10:00am
Tuesday Bible Study: Esther, via Zoom, contact Geetha for link
2:00pm
Tuesdays@2. A social time in the Vestibule in which we share cakes and chat.
