The Encourager - November 2001

SIMON COMMUNITY

17TH CENTURY NUNS PRAYER
 

ARCHBISHOP CRANMER SCHOOL NEWS

MISSION LINK PARTNERS
Latest news
A word from Christine
A word from Paul
Focus on water
Thankyou
Please pray

TAIZE PRAYER and REFLECTION

Second Sundays at 8.30 pm11 November  and 9 December 2001At Wigton Moor Church, High Ash Drive, Leeds 17.

The Taizé community in France was begun by Brother Roger, who gathered around him a number of people who wanted to share a life of discipline and love and service to God. The community now attracts thousands of young people who enjoy the style of worship. We follow this style here, with candles to help focus our attention, and the singing of the Taizé chants, which are sung several times. This helps us to think about the words, which gradually gain more depth and meaning. At times we can stop singing and listen to others or meditate. If you have not yet experienced this style of worship, please do come and find out what it is about.  

How do we get there?.

 By car From Leeds: Across ring road on A61 towards -  Harrogate. At end of the dual carriageway, turn right at traffic lights onto Wigton Lane. Take first turning on the right, High Ash Drive; church on the right just before shops. From Harrogate: A61 to Leeds through Harewood, continue until the start of dual carriageway, turn left onto Wigton Lane.
  By bus: Bus No 71 stops outside the church at half past the hour and starts from Infirmary Street on the hour. Further details can be obtained via the usual email address of info@stbarnabasleeds.org.uk

Simon Community
  We are again organising a collection of suitable items for the Simon Community, a voluntary organisation, providing practical   and emotional support to homeless people. Some  examples of the support given:
  • we secured a flat for Jim, a 50 year old homeless heroin user with a history of depression, and provided furniture and regular food parcels
  • we intervened to prevent Derek from becoming homeless again after he was suffering harassment in his flat by local youths - we helped him into an alcohol detox programme and then into a long-term residential rehabilitation hostel
  • we negotiated a grant from the DSS Social Fund to help Patrick decorate and furnish his new flat
  • we helped Peter, a long-term rough sleeper with a history of violence, into a new tenancy, and then to engage with several other support agencies
  • we provided crisis accommodation to Fiona, a young drug addict with life-threatening health problems, helped her start a methadone programme, and continued to support her after relapse
• we organised two short holidays in London and Leicestershire for a group of recovering alcoholics

How you can help
We are very grateful for the help and contributions we have received from friends and supporters to date.
We continue to welcome donations of:
• food, for the soup-run and for food parcels - especially tea, coffee, sugar, rice, pasta, cereals, tinned food (including fruit, meat, and veg)
• men’s clothes and shoes for the soup-run - especially jeans, trainers, gloves, hats, fleeces, anoraks, and waterproofs
• blankets, quilts and duvets in any condition
• cleaning materials, e.g. bleach, bin-bags, washing-up liquid

WE ALSO APPRECIATE ASSISTANCE WITH PROJECT COSTS (CHEQUES PAYABLE TO THE LEEDS SIMON COMMUNITY  12 Ridge Grove, Woodhouse, Leeds LS7 2LN. Tel. 0113 2936998

Further information, if required, from info@stbarnabasleeds.org.uk.
Moor Allerton Justice & Peace Group

17TH CENTURY NUNS PRAYER

Lord, you knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will some day be old. 
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it at all, but thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details give me wings to get to the point. 
Seal my lips on my aches and pains.  They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others pains, but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory but for a growing humility and a lessing cock sureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken. 
Keep me reasonably sweet, I do not want to be a saint - some of them are hard to live with - but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people.  And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
 AMEN

Archbishop Cranmer School News
Lingfield Approach, Leeds LS17 7HL tel: 0113-2930699

The Autumn Term signalled the beginning of our 10th academic year, since we opened in September 1992. How time flies!

Just before the Summer Holidays the table tennis team won the Leeds Under 11 Table Tennis League. They never lost a league match during the whole season! Congratulations to the children who played in the squad, and each of them received a trophy from the Leeds Schools’ Table Tennis Association.

Extensive renovations were carried out in the Reception classrooms during the Summer Term and the Summer Holidays. 'Reception' has been renamed the 'Foundation' stage by the government, so I suppose we will have to call them Foundation classrooms! New partition walls and doors have been added and painted, and both classrooms carpeted, so that they are even more attractive areas to work in.

The new childcare provision, available on-site, is proving very popular with working parents. Run by "A Child's Place Kids Club", the children are looked after from 7.30 am and provided with breakfast. Lots of full supervised activities are enjoyed by the children any time up to 6.00 pm.

Once again, the teachers are providing a wide range of extra-curricular activities for the children after school. These include aerobics, art and craft, boxing, circuit training, choir, chess, cricket, netball, orchestra, rugby, recorders, scrabble, soccer, table tennis, woodwind and violin.

The Friends' Association is holding a Craft and Gift Fair on Thursday 29 November, from 2.00 pm until 3.00 pm. There will be lots of good ideas for Christmas gifts and cards, and there is a rumour that Santa Claus will be there! Everyone is welcome.