Good News!

Good News Stories for this week 27 June 2020
The Methodist Church, Stoke-on-Trent South Circuit
Collected by: Hil Hands (Local preacher)
Dear friends,
Many of us will have been blessed to have spent time in our gardens and other outdoor settings during these last few days. God’s blessing of very warm sunshine and now the return of refreshing rain is surrounding us with the beauty of summer flowers and the first crops of fruit and vegetables.
We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time in our garden and greenhouse this year – more time because of Lockdown. I am no expert but have been learning more about growing from seed and the potatoes, courgettes and butternut squash are looking healthy whilst the bedding plants are starting to bud! It is exciting!
I am also learning about protecting, pruning and deadheading. The rabbits up our garden enjoy nibbling the butternut squash leaves and so we have surrounded that bed with chicken wire. The cherry trees are laden with fruit which the birds have their eyes on; they are now cherry and CD trees as old disks on thread move around in the breeze keeping some of the lower fruit for human enjoyment. The rose bushes we had for our Silver and Pearl wedding anniversaries did not like the recent heavy downpours and strong winds and need regular deadheading. A friend gave us a Garden Encyclopaedia many years ago – we’re starting to use it!
As I have worked in our garden or walked around our locality, the pace has given me time to reflect and pray. I continue to learn so much about the nature of God the Creator and gardener, as He protects us, prunes away our bad bits and prepares us to bear more fruit as we share our faith. The Bible gives us our reference book:
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
God bless.
If you have good news, please let me know: email - hands.hilary@yahoo.com Please send news to me by Friday 3rd July, ready for next weekend.
 
From Glenn at Temple Street
Taking the Tablets!
Friday 19th June was the final day of Loneliness Awareness Week and we had some exciting news at Temple Street - we have received funding from #NETCoronaVirusAppeal via the Community Foundation for Staffordshire to enable us to try and tackle some of the problems of social isolation and digital exclusion in our community, brought sharply into focus by the Coronavirus outbreak.
In a pilot project called ‘Taking the Tablets’, we’ll be working with local partners in giving some people the opportunity of connecting with others digitally by providing:
· a Tablet with the virtual assistant Alexa
· a Mi-fi device
· three months unlimited internet connection with one of the world’s leading technology communications companies
· telephone support
This will give people the opportunity of trying out a tablet device for a limited period at no cost to see if it’s something that they would find helpful in enabling them to keep in contact with others, to join activity groups online, to learn how to use emails and emerging technology, to view shows and musicals, drama and learning, and so much more.
If they like their new device, they will be able to extend the contract with the telecom company and keep the tablet and the mi-fi device. If they don’t find the equipment useful, they simply hand the equipment back to us and we will re-issue it to someone else to try.
We hope that this project will have a positive impact on people’s lives!
 
From Stuart (in reply to Broadway asking about his grandson)
They have moved Ashley on to a ward again, but he is still very poorly.  He is in a lot of pain from the pancreatitis. They have now inserted a tube up his nose to feed him through. They believe some of the pancreas has died so he is being given insulin to keep his blood sugar more stable. He is also on morphine to help the pain.
Altogether he is not in a brilliant place. Your concern and prayers are much appreciated. Please keep praying for him and Debbie his mum and Jess his sister who is left alone at home with Debbie staying at the hospital. She has been tremendous.
Thanks once again
God bless
Stuart
From Katrina at Forsbrook and Blythe Bridge
I spotted this whilst out walking in Blythe - how thoughtful and lovely for children out for a walk. I could see some had contributed to the display.
God Bless X K
  From Alison at West End
West End Centre allotment.
We opened the community allotment just prior to us going into lockdown and what great timing it was particularly for our volunteers. They have spent the last 12 weeks going down there daily working on it to get it to what it is today. All the produce is intended to be used in the West End Cafe.
We have sold vegetable plants and potting plants to the community, all the money we raise goes back into the allotment for more seeds and compost.
The allotments given the volunteers something to focus on through this time and you will see from the photos how much time and effort they have put in.
 A Thanksgiving for Gardens
God of grace, in the story of creation,
you made the earth a garden
and entrusted it to us to till and to keep,
a place of peace and beauty
where we could walk with you.
In the story of redemption,
the one who died for us was buried in a garden,
and there you raised him up
to greet us with new hope and risen life.
In the story of the Church,
you tend us as a garden,
a place of careful pruning and abundant harvest,
where we can work with you.
Meet us, we pray,
in all the gardens where we go
for nourishment, refreshment and prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(The Anglican Church of Australia)
 
We can use our fingers to pray for everyone:
Little finger – for children and grandchildren
Ring finger – for relationships within communities across the UK
Middle finger – for all Church leaders, as they guide our way through easement of Lockdown rules.
First finger - for all Key Workers.
Thumb – for ourselves, that we act lovingly upon that nudge from the Spirit.