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. | |
4:00pm | Prayers@4 | |
Friday 21st | 10:30am | Bible Study; Joshua 5 Blue room or Zoom as above |
Sunday 23rd | 10:30am | Worship led by Mike Playdon |
Thursday 27th | 4:00pm | Grub Club Volunteers Briefing |
7:00pm | Church Meeting | |
Sunday 30th | 10:30am | Worship led by Craig Muir |
12:15 | Picnic with LBC and Trinity in Queens Park | |
July Calendar | ||
Tuesday 2nd | 2:00pm | Tuesdays@2. |
2:30pm | Choir Practice (please check nearer time) | |
4:00pm | Prayers@4 | |
Sunday 7th | 10:30am | Sunday worship led by Mike Playdon |
Tuesday 9th | 2:30pm | Choir Practice (please check nearer time) |
Thursday 11th | 2:00pm | Elders’ Meeting |
Friday 12th – 15th | URC General Assembly | |
Sunday 14th | 10:30am | Communion Service led by Daphne Beale |
Saturday 27th | 2:00-4:00pm | Manse Open House |