GATEWAY REPORTS

Gateway joint services are no longer held, but here are some reports on past ones.

We held two Messy Church sessions in 2009 and a report on the first can be found here.

In May 2009 approximately 34 brave (mad?) adults and ten children gathered in the barn at New Park Farm in Bere Ferrers to celebrate Rogation Sunday. The wind blew, the rain lashed down, but nothing could deter us! Nick left Holy Trinity’s service convinced those of us who arrived at the farm first would decide to move to the Church Hall, but we are made of sterner stuff! And the weather was a wonderful reminder of God in nature. The service was based around a modern religious song: ‘From the highest of heights to the depth of the sea, creation’s revealing Your majesty... Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name: You are amazing, God...’ We sang this to start the service and then considered what aspects of nature reminded us of God. Rainbows, thunder and mountains were among some of the things. We then added our artistic touches to a long banner depicting the natural world. There was also a map of the peninsula and Nick had printed off labels with the names of farms to be placed in (approximately) the correct locations. Sadly he had forgotten the very farm we were on, but that was soon rectified! The rain did stop for a while, but lashed down and blew in on us once more when we sang ‘Over all the earth You reign on high... Won’t you reign in me again’. Either God’s sense of humour or he misheard us, perhaps!! More paintings were added to the banner, this time to depict what farming adds to the countryside, and prayers were offered for the farms and farming community in the area and wider afield. After singing ‘How great Thou art’ and ‘From the highest of heights’ once again, everyone enjoyed the refreshments laid out in the barn—nearly blown away at one point in the service! Although to start with we did wonder if we were mad to hold the service in the exposed barn in the awful weather, as usual it proved a rewarding, if chilly and wet, experience. June’s Gateway will be Cafe-style church in Bere Alston United Church on Sunday, 21st June at 10.30am. Why not come along and join us?

Gateway in April 2009 took a very different approach. It was a ‘taster’ for what has been termed ‘Messy Church’ – church but not as you expect it to be. It is hoped to encourage families who do not normally go to church to come along and try their hands at number of craft activities and then after about an hour join together in a short act of worship which is then followed by a meal. On Sunday 19th April around 60-70 mums, dads and children joined together in the United Church to ice biscuits, make models out of playdough, create an origami basket in which was placed nesting material and some chocolate eggs, plant seeds in a personalised flower-pot with a lollipop stick cross, colour in sheets with Celtic designs, contribute to the design of a banner on the theme of the day’s activities, which was ‘New Life’, and, if that wasn’t enough to fill the hour, there was an area set aside for games as well as a chill-out area where you could sit, relax and chat with your friends over a cuppa or read a book with your children. The sun was shining in a clear blue sky so the garden came into play as well. Jon Hodge then led our short time of worship, when we sang the songs ‘I reach up high’ and ‘How wide can your smile be’. Jon told us that ‘Custard is dangerous’ explaining how when he and a friend went camping on Dartmoor his friend’s bag of hot custard exploded, melting his trousers and burning his leg and resulting in him being rescued by helicopter. Jon explained that just as the helicopter was there for his friend in his time of need, Jesus is there for each one of us. At about 12:30 we all sat down to a well-earned lunch. It was a great morning and enjoyed by all. A different way of worshipping God. Watch this space to see when the next one will be!

In May Gateway pays its annual visit to New Park Farm, Bere Ferrers for Rogation Sunday, a time when we give thanks for the land and the new season’s crops. We will meet in the barn at 10.30am. Bring wellies if wet!

Our Mothering Sunday service at Holy Trinity Church in March was also a parade service, with cubs in attendance. After the flag was paraded, we started with two action songs, ‘I reach up high’ and ‘Have you got an appetite’, being led by the worship group from the United Church. The latter led neatly into looking at how mothers provide nourishment, with some of the cubs competing to feed one another chocolate-covered marshmallows while blindfolded! We then looked at how God provides nourishment for us in a different way with the Bible, where we can feed on God’s Word. Some favourite wise sayings of mums and grandmothers were shared. These included such pearls as ‘Wear clean underwear in case you have an accident’, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all’. Some words of wisdom from the Bible that give us positive guidance were then looked at. We sang ‘For God so loved the world he gave his only Son’ and ‘What a friend I’ve found’ before we considered what mothers would do to protect their offspring and what God did for us. We then offered personal silent prayers while pictures of mother and baby animals were projected on the screen. We finished with a rather jazzy version of ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ before tasting some of Sally’s delicious Simnel cake and sponge together with a cup of tea or juice. Next month we will have a Messy Church session instead of the usual Gateway.
Our February 2009 Gateway service was the day after Valentine’s Day, so took on a Valentine’s theme, starting with a ‘Valentine from God’ clip on the screen, reminding us that God loved us so much he sent his Son to die for us. The United Church was set out in café style, with tables and chairs around them, each table having red cardboard hearts for use later in the service... and chocolate heart sweets for everyone! After some songs looking at God’s love for us, we read the various verses from the Bible about love that had been scattered on the tables, such as ‘My command is this: love each other as I have loved you’, and ‘Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends’. We then drew up a list of words that described God’s love for us. These included unconditional, forgiving, overwhelming, warm and fuzzy (!), sacrificial, constant... Our love for God was described in many cases differently, including insufficient, impatient, childlike, personal, hard to talk about, life-changing, imperfect, trusting... We had a break for hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cake and after some more songs, more focused on our love for God, we considered barriers to loving. Suggestions included fear of rejection, lack of trust, busyness of life, stubbornness, pride, embarrassment, pain from previous disasters and wanting to stay in control. The red cardboard hearts on the tables were used to write something each person wanted to offer to God and these were pinned on a sheet of paper depicting God’s hands held out to us. There was a time of prayer and the service finished as we sang Love Divine.
The informal Gateway service at the United Church in January saw us journeying together through the celebration of praise, visiting the realities of our lives and experiencing the transformative nature of worship. The worship group of Trevor, Lesley, Paul and Ann led us in a time of celebration before we looked, in an ’open mic’ session, on the realities of life: at those things that affected us, such as the recession and the situation in Gaze and Congo. Rev Nick Law illustrated how worshipping could change our burdens. Instead of leaving them at the door when we come to church and then picking them back up when we leave, if we bring them with us while we worship they ‘change colour’ and become easier to bear. We can come in finding them hard to carry, but leave with a backpack to carry them in. Or they can be more comfortable to carry, smooth edged rather than jagged. Using our new projection system, we watched a video entitled ‘Health Check’, which was a look at our spiritual health. After more worship led by the music group, we divided into small groups to pray about any matters—personal, local or worldwide—that affected us and we felt needed prayer. The next Gateway service will also be at our church on the 15th February. All are welcome to join us.
November's Gateway, held in the United Church, was very special in that it was prepared and led completely by our young people. For the first time they were given a free hand to bring to the service whatever they thought was important. They chose the theme ‘Unity’ and they certainly were united in their task as each young person in the group was invited to take part in some way. Notices were read by Jack and Sam Hodge and Edward Larkin did the introduction. Hannah Boot-Handford and Gaby Atkinson introduced various parts of the service and Jenny Wright gave the reading and a prayer. Hannah welcomed youth worker Guy Airton, the Catalyst youth worker in Tavistock College, where he provides a resource in a variety of ways. He answered questions from the congregation about himself and his work, which includes one-to-one support, group work, PHSE activities, assemblies, class work, lunchtime clubs and support for staff. Dominic Hember gave a very moving testimony as to how he came to give his life to the Lord and David Wright, Gaby Atkinson and Hannah Boot-Handford gave the ‘sermon’ between them with the theme of using our different talents to work together. A short sketch about ‘running the Christian race’ and working together got us all both laughing and thinking. We also watched a short extract from the Lion King as we listened to the words of a song. The songs were also chosen by the young people: Everyone needs compassion, I see the King of glory, Our God is an awesome God, Over the mountains and the streams and In Christ Alone. We were led in these by the worship group of not so young people! Namely Trevor Atkinson, Lesley Wright, Paul Gill and Ann Parsons. Altogether it was a very moving event and we were very proud of all our young people – not only what they did, but because they wanted to do this and were prepared to think about it and carry it through. Our trust in them is well founded! And their enthusiasm is both amazing and infectious. Our next Gateway family service on Sunday 21st December will be a special Christmas service, following on from the children’s Christmas craft day on the Saturday and involving the children and will be in the United Church. Everyone is warmly invited to join us.
October 2008 ’s service theme was ‘Time with God – exploring through quietness & creativity’. We began and ended with songs of worship, but for the rest of the service people were free to go to different stations set up around Holy Trinity Church for activities. By the altar there was prayer ministry, with an opportunity for someone to pray for you. In the chancel there was a much appreciated quiet space, with cushions, tea lights to light if desired, pebbles to look at and hold and a dish with changing coloured lights to watch while contemplating. By the font the children enjoyed finger painting, and an opportunity to reflect while being creative. Near the pulpit were Bibles and Bible passages to read and think about. Next month’s service at the United Church on the 16th November at 10.30am will be led by the young people.

In view of the weather leading up to it, those involved with the July 2008 Sea Sunday service had wet weather contingency plans! But the day was glorious and sunny and the venue of Betsy Gallups field next to the river at Weir Quay proved ideal, with its view of boats and the water.

After the opening hymn of ‘Eternal Father, strong to save’, the St Andrew’s Singer offered their version of ‘Down by the Riverside. Rev Nick Law then asked for suggestions of what you needed to prepare for a boat trip. A game then followed where two teams of three raced to throw dice to dress their sailor in appropriate clothes first, causing much mirth! Nick then tested the clothing with water pistols!

On the serious side, we then considered what preparation we could make on our spiritual journey while still in harbour. Prayer, reading the Bible and fellowship were some of the suggestions. After we all sang ‘When there’s hard times’, the Singers this time sang ‘Master, the tempest is raging’, relating the story of Jesus stilling the storm. We were then asked to consider what we needed to get us through a storm. A nice cup of tea was one suggestion, Johnny Depp’s ‘Close your eyes and pretend it’s all a bad dream’ or Churchill’s ‘If you are going through hell, keep going’. Prayer was once again a popular suggestion. Someone or something to hold on to was another. Joining the RNLI was offered, Nick suggesting this could be the Church!

We divided into groups to write thoughts for prayers for stormy and peaceful situations on sheets of paper with appropriate illustrations. We considered God’s promises in Bible verses, such as ‘I will be with you till the end of the age’. When we had got through the storm, we considered what we should do: go to sleep, have another cup of tea, learn from what we had experienced, remember to check the weather forecast in future! Just some of the suggestions. After life’s storms we were reminded to give thanks for a safe passage.

After the reading of Jesus stilling the storm from Mark we considered the man Jesus, whom we can know and praise. Whatever we are going through, we can always turn to him and he will be with us. We then finished the service with three songs of praise before enjoying some light refreshments. Thanks to Betsy for the use of the field and electricity and to everyone who helped in any way.

There is no Gateway service in August. The next one will be at the different venue of the Primary School on the 21st September, which will be a thanksgiving.

Our June 2008 Gateway service was part of the St Andrew’s Flower Festival and took place in the church, surrounded by the magnificent and wonderful floral art. The whole service took the theme of flowers and nature, celebrating the diversity of God’s creation.

Everyone was given a quiz on flower names in the Bible as they arrived, the answers being supplied during the service. Although some were obvious, others were revelations!

We had a fascinating botany ‘lesson’ after we had all pulled buttercups apart to see how they were made, and had all the different parts and their functions explained after we made an initial attempt to dredge our memories for the names of the individual parts. Magnifying glasses were distributed to help our investigations. But Sue Belfield, who took us through the flower construction, said looking at the structure of a flower proved the existence of God to her.

We later looked at how we fitted together in the church. The principles of flower arranging were used to consider this: different flowers—different people; it should have a plan, as should the church; it should have structure; some flowers are prominent and others, like the greenery, work in the background to make it a complete picture; oasis we likened to God being our foundation. We were invited to think what flower we would choose to be.

Yellow paper petals were given to everyone to write a personal prayer on, and the petals were then stapled onto round flower centres to make prayer flowers, which had stems added and were placed in pots of sand—making a creative, thoughtful addition to the many floral displays.

The different parts of the service were broken up with songs and hymns of praise to God for creation, and the St Andrew’s Singers also contributed songs on the theme. We ended with the hymn ‘How great Thou art’. The next service will be Sea Sunday (a week late!) at Weir Quay on Sunday 20th July at 10.30am. If fine this will be in the open, but last year we had to take shelter in the yacht club! Everyone is welcome.

More than thirty relieved (because it wasn’t raining!) folk gathered at the barn at New Park Farm to celebrate Spring and new life on Sunday 18th May 08. The ‘service’ took the form of a party and after a few initial songs with guitar, flute and bongo accompaniment we launched into a ‘pass the parcel’ game, with Biblical forfeits for those who had to unwrap each layer, together with a verse from Psalm 104 to read, reminding us of the wonders of nature and God.

After some more songs, we then showed our artistic natures as we made paper flowers. This would have been easier with scissors! But instead we tore the paper into shapes resembling hands, which were then formed amazingly into flowers of various colours. Singly they did not look spectacular, but when we stuck them in a straw bale as an arrangement together they looked magnificent... Well, nearly! But a lesson for us all that singly we cannot achieve much but when we come together we can do great things. And Nick Law pointed out that as our flowers had rough edges through being torn they even more resembled ourselves—so had he forgotten the scissors on purpose?

We also remembered all the other beautiful things on the earth apart from flowers, including butterflies, rainbows, babies (when quiet!), and the view from where we were. There was a chance for us all to make fools of ourselves in the next part! On arrival everyone had been given an secret piece of paper with an animal’s name on it. Now everyone had to make the sound of that animal to find the other people in their herd or flock! If you weren’t there you missed a treat! The supposedly sane and rational in our villages at their silliest!

Once in our groups, we were given an environmental or farming theme each, either local or worldwide, to consider what we needed to pray about, and then launched into a time of prayer for those needs. The suggested special items included flood victims in South Africa and disaster victims in Burma and China, those in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, fairtrade, conservation, bureaucracy causing problems for our farmers, conservation, feed and fuel prices, bovine TB, Blue Tongue, foot and mouth disease, global warming, deforestation, pollution, recycling, drought and flooding.

At the end of our time together we enjoyed party food, including cheese and pineapple on sticks, sausages, tomatoes, strawberries and grapes on sticks, Hula Hoops and cakes with green icing.

Thanks to Steve and Vera Jackson for allowing us the use of their barn and for setting up the straw bales for us to sit on, and for everyone who helped provide the food. Gateway next month will be in the drier environment of St Andrew’s Church and will be part of the Flower Festival. See you at 10.30am on Sunday 15th June 2008.

 

 

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