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I have missed the deadline for submitting this article so I don't know whether it will appear in the May edition or not! So I'm going to write about timekeeping and use of time.

At Brailsford we have been doing a series of studies on "The Fruit of the Spirit". We were looking at "faithfulness" and talking about reliability and dependability. Someone said "It's okay for you, you were brought up to be like that - as for me I am never on time. That's how I am."

Being "on time" is a very British (and European) thing. When you travel to the West Indies or to Africa timekeeping is a different thing altogether. In these cultures church services often begin with only a handful of people in the congregation. I was told never to have the collection early in the service or most people would miss it! The congregation drifts in 30 - 60 minutes late and the service is then expected to go on for at least another hour beyond that.

In Africa, the person you are with is more important than the person you are going to see. So if you are "on the way" to see someone but bump into someone unexpectedly. The unexpected encounter takes priority - you give them time.

Europeans find this approach to time rather difficult. When we invite guests for tea at 6pm, we expect them to arrive on time. The dinner is all prepared, ready for them when they arrive. But Africans may have someone else to deal with so they may turn up - an hour or two late, or even a day or two late! And you are expected to provide for them when they do turn up!!

When we look at Jesus he often gave "time" to people who came to him. Each encounter was important. Each person was important. This is something I try to make sure is part of my ministry - giving time to people as they need it. Being available for people. Ministers who "burn out" are often the ones who do not leave space in their diary. Space for people. Space for the unexpected. Space for God.

So if you are a busy person, always rushing from one thing to another,
perhaps you need to slow down a bit. Build some space into your day. Time for God, time for the unexpected.

And if you are not a good timekeeper, maybe a little discipline is needed to set off a few minutes earlier. Use the extra time to observe, to appreciate what there is all around, to chat with someone on the way.
Give God your time and see how he will use it!

God Bless, Chris
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CHURCH LIBRARY

It has been encouraging to see the library books being borrowed and returned each month.

For those people who do not know what to read, there is a new addition called "I don't know what to read."
It gives tasters of 30 books to sample, to challenge and inspire.

For those who like to question while they read, Philip Yancey's books bring a refreshing approach. There are various titles on the shelves.

For those who long to walk closer with Jesus, then "Hungry for Jesus" by David Wilkerson, is a wonderful meal for daily living.

For those who would take seriously Christ's call to follow Him with His demands fordiscipleship,there are a range of books on the "Discipleship" shelf.

Please keep the book reviews coming for the Connections magazine. Share with the church family.Pass it on. Encourage others.

Please also search your book shelves at home for church library books you no longer read, and for any suitable Christian books in good condition you may wish to donate.

Thank you, Mrs Chris Morris

MISSION MATTERS

Methodist Mission Partner Circuit visit
Jonathan & Isabel Hill and their children, our Methodist Mission Partners in Zimbabwe, will be visiting our Circuit on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th June. Our Circuit event for all ages (children included) is 5 - 7pm on Saturday 23rd June - please put the date in your diaries. In the Century Hall at Ashbourne there will be a bring and share tea followed by a presentation and question and answer time. We also hope that as many people as possible will be able to chat to them at the barbeque after the Ashbourne Sunday morning anniversary service. More information is available about our new partners at: http://hillfamilychristmas2006.blogspot.com

Phakamisa , South Africa events in our District
Tuesday 8th May:
12.30pm-3.00pm Ashbourne Rd. Methodist Church Derby
Have Lunch (£1) and hear the latest news from Glenda
Contact. 01332 556502

6.30pm Bring & Share Buffet at Chesterfield Rd. Sth. Methodist Church Mansfield. 7.30pm Hear Glenda and see the work we are supporting.
Contact 01623 473471

Wednesday 9th May:
12.00pm-3.00pm Bring & Share Lunch at KingsWood Methodist Church Nottingham. Meet Glenda as she tells her story about Phakamisa Contact 0115 9282010

Evening-PHAKAMISA CELEBRATION DINNER (£6)
At Melbourne Leisure Centre. Glenda will be sharing again all the news from Phakamisa Contact 01332 863716

News from Glenda Howieson about the Phakamisa project is also available on the mission notice board.

World Mission Conference
"The Earth is the Lord's so what are we doing about it?
Swanick, Fri June 1st - Sunday June 3rd.
For further information and booking form contact: Meg Bailey 0161 432 3854 or Email: meg@baileymm.fsnet.co.uk or see www.mwm.org.uk

Let's Celebrate
In Bratislava, Slovak Republic (50 km from Vienna). If you would like to join in this European Methodist Festival between 1st-5th August 2007 please contact the Europe Desk at the World Church Office. Tel: 0207 467 5164 or email: wco.Europe@methodistchurch.org.uk Website: www.methodist.eu

The importance of the Bible
Many people have no favourite verse from the Bible because they have no Scripture in their own language. At the end of 2006 there were: 2,403 languages in the world with some or all of the Bible. 1,941 other languages where Bible translation was still in progress and 2,286 languages with no Scripture at all. Wycliffe Bible Translators along with other Christian
agencies want the Bible translation to begin in all these remaining languages by 2025. At the present rate of progress this should be possible by 2039. If you would like to partner Vision 2025 in prayer or giving or use your skills to support this work please contact: Wycliffe Bible Translators, Horsleys Green, High Wycombe, HP14 3XL. Tel: 01494 682268. Email: askus@wycliffe.org

2007 A Reason To Celebrate
We have much to celebrate in Methodism in 2007. This year is the 300th anniversary of Charles Wesley, 200 years of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, 75 years of the Methodist Union and 100 years of the Methodist Prayer Handbook. We need to celebrate the faithfulness of today's people in spreading the Good News too. All of us doing everyday things can be encouraged that we are also part of God's mission of love to his world. Mission is about participating in the work of God's kingdom, bringing healing, love and hope. Adapted from an article by Susan Johnson

Prayer
Lord Jesus, what must it be like to wake daily with only a drop of water, little or no food for the family, nowhere to go, no hope of escaping from a slum camp or city street?
Lord Jesus, you showed your compassion for those pushed to the margins of society, healed the broken-hearted, gave hope to those without hope, showed love to the unloved, gave them peace.
Lord Jesus, we pray for the millions in our world trapped in poverty.
Inspire and help us to be informed, to share our concern for others, to
support those who are enabling lives to change, to give of ourselves. Amen.
By Robert Mortimer, MRDF Trustee. From the Methodist Prayer Handbook.

NCH Needs Your Help.

A new NCH project at South Normanton isthe old police cells to house homeless and disadvantaged youngsters.have been asked by the organisers if we can help in any waywith vital supplies needed by the young people to set up home.required come under two headings: one for any tinned foods and the other for certain items for living. The latter category includes towels, bath towels,towels, knives and forks, toothbrushes, tin-openers, screwdrivers and other basic tools, cups or mugs, ironing equipment and torches.

Can you help with any of these?If so there will be cardboard boxes in the vestibule on Sundays May 13th, 20th, 27th and June 3rd for tins and smaller items.We would ask you to bring any larger or bulky items on June 3rd only ( or give to any Support Group member prior to that if necessary).

does not spend as much on advertising as many other charities and soare not always aware that it looks after more children and young people in the UK than any other children's charity.We would like to thank you all for your constant and caring support of the work of NCH and, in particular, the fundraising efforts of this support group.

Val Howse - The Support Group

Dates for your Diary

Wed 9th May 12,30pm Network Lunch and Meeting Brailsford
Sun 13th May 2.30pm Parwich Chapel Anniversary Parwich
START OF CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Wed 16th May 9.30am Walk and Talk Group
Thurs 17th - 20th Tissington Well Dressings
Sat 19th May 9.30 - 1.00pm Derbys/CNI Partnership St Mary's Wirksworth
7.00pm PRAISE! Century Hall
Mon 21st 6.00pm Altzheimers Open Meeting Beresford Arms Hotel

SMILE LINES

If God had voice mail…
Most of us live with voice mail as a necessary part of our lives. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if God decided to install voice mail? …
Thank you for calling heaven.
For English, press 1; for French, press 2; for all other languages, press 3.
Please select one of the following options: Press 1 for request; press 2 for thanksgiving; press 3 for complaints; press 4 for all others.
I am sorry, all our Angels and Saints are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.
If you would like to speak to: God, press 1; Jesus, press 2; the Holy Spirit, press 3.
To find a loved one that has been assigned to heaven press 5, then enter his social security number, followed by the # key. If you receive a negative response, please hang up and dial 666.
For reservations to heaven, please enter JOHN followed by the numbers, 3 16.
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, life and other planets, please wait until you arrive in heaven for the specifics.
The office is now closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday. Our computers show that you have already been prayed for today, please hang up and call again Monday.

If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact your local minister. Thank you and have a heavenly day.

Charles Wesley - Orpheus to the Christian Church

A tercentenary look at the hymns of Charles Wesley
Celebrating Pentecost
Celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church on the Day of Pentecost was very important for Charles Wesley. With Christians in general he saw this great event as marking the beginning, the first birthday, of the Christian Church. The Spirit came upon the disciples, as Jesus promised he would, and they were 'filled' with the Spirit (Acts 2:4). The Spirit made them bold in their witness and preaching and on that first Pentecost Day, some three thousand people believed in Christ, were baptised and added to the Church (Acts 2:41). Charles Wesley longed for this kind of Pentecostal evangelism in his own generation. A significant revival broke out in the Methodist Society in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, in 1760. It quickly spread to other areas in England and Ireland and Charles wrote of it as 'the Day of Pentecost' coming again.
In his many hymns on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, he expressed prayer and longing and expectancy that the Spirit will come in reviving and renewing power upon the Church. 'O that the Comforter would come!' 'Come, Holy Ghost, all-quickening fire.' 'Pour Thy Spirit from on high.' 'Send the Promise down.' In 1742 Charles published a hymn entitled, 'Hymn for the Day of Pentecost.' Running to twelve stanzas, it linked the events of Pentecost with Jesus' promise that the Comforter would come.
Our Jesus is gone up on high
For us the blessing to receive…
'The Holy Ghost, if I depart
The Comforter, shall surely come.'
But the promise of the Spirit's coming does not just relate to the past. In every age the Church must believe this promise and pray and expect the Spirit to come.
Lord, we believe to us and ours
The apostolic promise given
We wait to taste the heavenly powers
The Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
At Pentecost the Spirit's coming was attended with the signs of 'the rush of a mighty wind' and 'tongues as of fire.' Charles Wesley interpreted these phenomena as indicating God's plan to fill his people with the fire of his Spirit and shake the world to acknowledge God. So he prayed.
Come as a mighty rushing wind
To shake our earth come down from heaven …
Kindle in each Thy living fire
And fix in every heart Thy seat.
In particular Charles Wesley longed for such a Pentecost-like outpouring of the Spirit that would empower the Church to proclaim the gospel to the whole world. Should we not join with him in praying that such will be the Church's experience in 2007?
Open our mouths and utterance give
To publish our Redeemer's praise …
And spread through all the earth abroad
The wonders wrought by Jesu's name.
Dr H B McGonigle is Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology, Church History and Wesley Studies at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester.
Pentecost Prayer We beseech you, O Lord, to ignite our souls with love, faith and hope by the fire of your Holy Spirit. And may the wind of your Spirit so inspire our minds, that we may proclaim your gospel to others in words which they can understand. Amen
From the Gelasian Sacramentary (c 500AD) This is the oldest official prayer book of the Western Church.

Dear Friends
Hope you find something of interest in the May edition of your Magazine.
Thank you for your contributions, please keep them coming. Special thanks to Arthur Cook for single- handedly photocopying, stapling and labelling each edition.
Hope to publish the next edition on June 3rd. Copy deadline 9.00pm Wednesday May 23rd. Please E-mail to
ashbournemethodistmagazine@supanet.com put in the Newsletter pigeon-hole at AMC or post to me at 2 Hambleton Close Ashbourne DE6 1NG.
Arthur Watts

Alzheimer's Society Event News

The local branch of the Alzheimer's Society has two forthcoming events to which you are all invited. Firstly, their Annual Open Meeting on Monday, 21st May at the Beresford Arms Hotel. We start at 6pm with tea and coffee, have a few very, very short local health-related or branch updates then finish with free light buffet and drinks.

Secondly, our annual Midsummer Barbeque is being held at the home of Ian & Jacqui Marsh this year, on Monday, 18th June at 6.30pm. This is not just a social gathering but also an opportunity for a bit of fundraising. Tickets, at a cost of £5 for adults, including food, are available from me.

We hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend one or both of these events.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many of you who already support your local branch of the Alzheimer's Society, particularly Gwenda and Hedley Alcock, Margaret Smith, Helen Flinn, Elizabeth Hurfurt, Chris Dakin, Enid Stubbs, John Perkins and latterly Eric Matthews for all they do to help with the Alzheimer Café every month.

Jacqui Marsh
Branch Co-ordinator, Alzheimer's Society, South Derbyshire & Dales Branch (Home tel: 345210; Home email: marsh.ashbourne@lineone.net)

More news from Powersource.
During the last 2 months we have been having a super time in our groups.

The themes we have been covering have been : Jonah and Ruth and Naomi. We have also been involved in All Age worship.

We asked our Young People what they had enjoyed doing during the last few months.

'Dancing in the service' (the young people planned the dance.)

'Having food and drink at the beginning of the session' (The Grid group begin with a chill out and catch up with each other over a cuppa and food !)

'Doing the questionnaire' the older young people were asked about their views about our church and how they like to be involved and do things within Powersource. They were very honest with their answers and we have taken on board their comments and altered the way some things are done.

'Making posters for All Age worship'

'Making pancakes' in xstream

Thinking of things we would give up for Lent!'
'Water tasting' - an intro into Jonah!
'Making a wall of issues that get in the way of us and God'

IT'- a group prepared a Power point presentation for All age Worship.

We look forward to the next series of themes. We will be looking at Elisha the Prophet, The gift of the spirit and Illustrated
Letters.

The Grid group (11 years plus) will be looking for a charity to support in the next quarter and planning a fund raiser. They
decided to do this after the series of Ruth and Naomi - serving others. We will keep you up dated with our plans !
Becky Dutton
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WOMEN'S NETWORK

Lunch and Meeting at Brailsford
This is to be held on Wednesday next 9th May. If you would like to go, please see Alma TODAY (343751) The Lunch will commence at 12.30 (Tickets 4.00) and the meeting at 2 pm. The Speaker will be Deacon Ann Howard. Why not join us for a time of good food and fellowship?

And coming soon

2Oth Birthday Celebrations of Women's NetworkOur Circuit Celebrations will take place the weekend 16 and 17 June. On Saturday, activities will be based at the Millennium Hall, Hulland Ward, with a family walk, tea and Praise. On the Sunday morning, there~wil1 be a Circuit Service at Ashbourne led by Lyn Jones (former Circuit and District President) and Sandra Lewer (our own Connexional President). Please book the dates and come along! Watch out for further details, posters etc.
District Day
The next District Day will be held on Monday, 18 June, at Chilwell Road Methodist Church, Beeston, when the speaker will be Janet Patrick. Why not come along?
Alma Swan

Diary of the Connexional President of Women's Network in the Methodist Church
3rd May Jersey
11th May Forward Together Day - Taunton
16th May Chester and Stoke District - Winsford
19th May Connexional Meeting-London.

Sandra Lewer

Gift Aid

Many of our community Gift Aid their giving and will have noticed in the last budget a change to the basic level of Income Tax.
This reduction in tax has a direct impact on the amount we can claim back per pound given and instead of it being 28p it will now be 25p.

A very simple way to correct this in terms of the gross income to the churches is for everyone to increase their giving by 2.5%.
Please consider this and implement it in your regular giving immediately to ensure we do not lose income.

As always any one who does not Gift Aid can have all the information and an explanation at any time by contacting the undersigned.
Cliff Lewer - 324404

Tissington Well Dressings 17 - 20 May.

Each year the One World group and the Traidcraft group organise a joint stall at the Tissington Well Dressings. We sell Traidcraft goods and slices of cake to the visitors. The One World group's share of the proceeds goes to Christian Aid water projects.

We desperately need new helpers for the joint Traidcraft - Christian Aid stall. No previous experience necessary.

Several of our regular helpers can no longer do as much as they used to. Also there are other claims on peoples' time. This year the well dressings coincide with Christian Aid Week, the 30th anniversary of the Derbyshire Churches - Church of North India link and there are welcome services for the new Priest in Charge at St. Oswald's. So please consider carefully and prayerfully whether you could spare a couple of hours (or more!!) to help.
It is not onerous work and is a good opportunity to meet both visitors to the Well Dressings and your fellow helpers from other churches or none.

We also need people to bake cakes for the stall of the sort which we can sell by the slice. If you can help in either way please sign up on the lists in the vestibule. Please try and help this very worthwhile event.

John Hurfurt 342859

Electrical Testing - Saturday 19th May 2007

Any electrical appliance with a 240-Volt plug on it, that is over a year old, needs to be tested for it to be used on our church premises.
A tester has been arranged for 19th May 2007 to test all our electrical equipment and provide the certificates.
If you have any church equipment, or any of your own that you use for church activities, then it has to be at church by 9am, to be laid out on a church pew with a label saying whose it is.
If you are involved in a group renting our premises (e.g: Guides or Brownies), then your equipment must also be tested. The services of the tester will also be available to any group or individual, to have their group- or individual-owned electrical equipment tested, but there will be a charge.

Please speak to me if you think you have any equipment that you think may need to be tested.

Ian Marsh 345210

Archive Material

We recently received a letter asking the churches and chapels in the Circuit to be aware of the importance of saving records of the work of the Methodist church. This applies not only to the obvious ones such as Minute books, registers of baptisms, marriages, membership lists, etc. but to each of the organisations within the church.

The object of this exercise is to build a picture of Methodism in Derbyshire through the ages. We are looking not only at things which are now of historical interest, but of present-day records which will become the archives of tomorrow. If, for instance, you have photographs of events which have taken place in the social life of the church, provided they are labelled as far as
possible with information regarding date, event, people, etc., these are the kind of things we are looking for. You may have in your possession old
photographs and details of Sunday School outings, anniversaries, concerts, etc.

If you have memories of happenings in the past and can write an account this would be excellent. For instance, how did the local preachers get around the Circuit for services in the days before cars became common place? Do you have memories of social activities in the church before the days when
television largely took the place of church social evenings?

Anything you let us have will be taken to the County Records Office in Matlock. Too much is better than too little - the Derbyshire County
Archivist reserves the right to dispose of material which is not relevant. You can give the material to one of the stewards, or place it in the labelled pigeon hole in the photocopier room. If you prefer to take or send it to the record office yourself the address is County Record Office, County Hall, Ernest
Bailey Building, New Street, Matlock. Tel: 01629 585 347.
Betty Hadley

Spring Harvest

A group of 19 from Ashbourne attended Spring Harvest at Skegness this year. What is it? Spring Harvest is a Christian gathering held for three separate weeks (6 days/5 nights) usually over Easter each year. Next year, because of Easter being so early, the dates are 26th March - 10th April (Skegness) and 5th April - 20th April (Minehead). The accommodation is provided by Butlins, at Skegness or Minehead, in modern chalets (half-board or self-catering), self-catering caravans or you can stay in your own touring caravan.

The theme for 2008 is 'The Big Story - One Hope - Celebrating the One True God' - this promises to be an exciting experience both for those who have attended Spring Harvest before and for those who have not yet been. All ages are catered for with a programme for nursery, infant, junior and secondary school children, for students and for adults. Worship, learning and fun are enjoyed by all!
A group from Ashbourne will be attending Skegness from Saturday 5th April to Thursday 10th April. If you are interested in going to Spring Harvest 2008, join the group booking that will be made. Reservations will be made on 6th June so please give your details to Carole before that date.
For more details look at the web-site www.springharvest.org or contact Carole Thorpe (346535) for a brochure.

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Annual Church Meeting - 22nd April 2007

The afternoon started at 1:20pm with a short time of worship.
Election of church stewards. The following were elected as stewards to serve from 1 September 2006:
David Bale, Nigel Glossop, Paul Haslam, Ruth Mallard, Jacqui Marsh, Joy Watts and Diana Whitmill.
Election of representatives to church council. The following were elected to serve as representatives on the Church Council from 1 September 2006:
Tim Dutton, Daphne Dyster, Catherine Green, Elizabeth Hurfurt, John Hurfurt, Andrew Lewer, Cliff Lewer, Nigel Marsh, Ian Marsh, Eric Matthews, Clare Sales and Carole Thorpe.

Presentation of all written reports
Reports had been received from Ashbourne Churches Together, Audio/Visual, Basement, Children's Church, Church Council, Community Bus, Cornerstone coffee shop, Finance, Gateway, House Groups, Library, Lunch Club, NCH, Network, Operation Christmas Child, Pastoral Visitors, Powersource, Property, Sound, Stewards, Walk and Talk, Women's Fellowship, World Church Mission, Worship Development Group, Youth Alpha, and Youth Club. Comments and questions were invited.
After the conclusion of the reports, John and Elizabeth Hurfurt gave a presentation on the Ashbourne/Patna Partnership.
Patna is a very poor state within North East India. In 1998 Bishop Philip Marandih visited Parwich and the ecumenical partnership was suggested. A group went out to India in 2000 on a fact finding mission and over the next few years £12,000 was raised to repair the roof of St Lukes Hospital. Visits have since been made to both countries and in 2005 a sponsorship scheme started to sponsor girls at the St John's Middle School in Taljhari.
The benefits of working together with our ecumenical partners are in the learning about each others cultures, organising events and entertaining visitors.
Further visits from India are planned. There is a need for generators, training for nurses, bibles and hymn books. What should our involvement be?
David Bale then talked about the previous mission work from our church in Bolivia, Mooiplaas, Belarus and Patna. The following questions were handed out for people to think about:
How do we want to be involved in overseas mission?
What can we do to maintain and develop our Patna Partnership?
Would you be willing to become more involved in the Patna
Partnership and what would your contribution be?
The afternoon concluded with a hymn and closed at 2:50pm with the grace.
Carole Thorpe
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Prayers for Patna for May

Please pray for the Headmistress, the staff and the students at St. John's School Taljhari, especially for the girls and boys who have to live in the hostels because their homes are too faraway for them to travel. Pray for the girls' that we sponsor, especially those who will have started at the beginning of the new school year in May.

May - Christian Festivals

17th Ascension Day - Forty Days with the Risen Christ
May continues the season of Eastertide, and 40 days after Easter comes Ascension Day, not usually given much attention in the Methodist Church.
It may seem crazy to call it Eastertide when Easter is clearly over! - but these are the forty days during which the Risen Christ appeared again and again to his disciples, following his death and resurrection.
The Gospels give us little of Christ's teachings and deeds during those forty days. Jesus was seen by numerous disciples: on the road to Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee, in houses, etc. He strengthened and encouraged his disciples, and at last opened their eyes to all that the Scriptures had promised about the Messiah. Jesus also told them that as the Father had sent him, he was now going to send them - to all corners of the earth, as his witnesses.

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27th Pentecost
Pentecost was the old Jewish festival of Firstfruits, which took place at the beginning of the wheat harvest. It was exactly 50 days after the Passover, the time of Jesus' crucifixion.
A feast day to celebrate the country's wheat harvest does not sound exactly world-changing, but that year, it became one of the most important days in world history. For Pentecost was the day that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit - the day the Church was born.
Jesus had told his apostles that something big was going to happen, and that they were to wait for it in Jerusalem, instead of returning to Galilee. Jesus had plans for his apostles - but he knew they could not do the work themselves - they would need his help.
And so the apostles and disciples waited in Jerusalem, praying together for several days. And then on that fateful morning there was suddenly the sound as of a mighty rushing wind. Tongues of flame flickered on their heads, and they began to praise God in many tongues - to the astonishment of those who heard them. The curse of Babel (Genesis 11: 1- 9) was dramatically reversed that morning.
That morning the Holy Spirit came to indwell the apostles and disciples of Jesus: and the Church was born. The Christians were suddenly full of life and power, utterly different from their former fearful selves. The change in them was permanent.
Peter gave the first ever sermon of the Christian church that morning: proclaiming Jesus was the Messiah. His boldness in the face of possible death was in marked contrast to the man who had denied Jesus 50 days before. And 3,000 people responded, were converted, and were baptised. How's that for fast church growth!
Of course Pentecost was not the first time the Holy Spirit had acted in this world. All through the Old Testament there are accounts of how God's Spirit guided people and strengthened them. But now, because of Christ's death and resurrection, he could INDWELL them. From now on, every Christian could have the confidence that Jesus was with them constantly, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Race for Life
Ruth and Hannah Lowe will be walking/running the RACE FOR LIFE for CANCER RESEARCH UK at Darley Park. Derby on Sat: May 12th. Any sponsers or donations however small will be most appreciated and can be given to Ruth Lowe when at Church or if not to David Heaton.
Many thanks, Ruth Lowe 0129884258

Methodist Prayer Handbook - August 2007
If you would like one ordered for you please let me know. I shall automatically re-order for those who had one last year. Many thanks.
June Shaw Tel 360202 (evenings)

Open the Book Project - Hilltop School Team

Heather Garbutt, Joy and Arthur Watts and Margaret Heaton have now presented Bible Stories beginning with Creation and including Noah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and Gideon. We have used a variety of props to help the children engage with the stories. The highlight so far has been Samuel hears a Voice, presented with puppets. We were asked by the children for an encore - the Head-teacher kindly agreed - so that's just what we did!

Your prayers, encouragement and support for the project, our team and the teams that visit other schools are much appreciated. Many thanks.

Margaret Heaton

Gateway Bookings - May

1st - 4thLiving Group, Birmingham
4th - 7th Family Group
11th - 13thst Fairfield Brownies, Buxton
15th - 18thLiving Group, Birmingham
18th - 20thTutbury Brownies
23rd - 25thPark School, Doncaster
25th - 27th2nd Mickleover Brownies

Derbyshire Churches Church of North India Partnership (www.northindia-derbyshirechurches-partnership.org.uk/ )

Two events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the partnership

Saturday 19th May from 9.30 am - 1 pm
at St. Mary's Parish Room, St. Mary's Gate, Wirksworth DE4 4DQ parking in Market Square off Coldwell Street

"Mission and Ministry in Derbyshire and India" - An open discussion involving cross-cultural comparisons

Speakers to include:
The Revd. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary, Church of North India
Richard Jordan, Derby Diocese Council for Social Responsibility
Revd. Christopher Harrison, Chairman, CNI partnership Council

- Workshops on areas of mission and ministry arising from the experience of the Derbyshire Churches group which visited India in March

ALL WELCOME - NO NEED TO BOOK - NO CHARGE

Service of Celebration for 30 years of partnership between the Derbyshire Churches and the Church of North India
Sunday 20th May at 10.00 am at St. Peter's Church, Littleover, Derby (Opp The White Swan)

Preacher: Rev George Kovoor, Trinity College Bristol
Celebrant: Rt Rev Joel Mal, Moderator, Church of North India

Followed at 12.30 by lunch and AGM of the Partnership

Help Wanted!

My 18 year oldcousin, Alessandra from Tuscany is looking for an English familychildren, where she could possibly work as an Au pair, she wants her& visit England. She speaksEnglish, excellent& Italian; she could help with the house chores, ironing, babysitting, cooking, etc. Could be a great opportunity for the children to learn languages/cultures and for the parents as well.

She is available from 01-07-07 until 31-08-07

More detailscontact: Gabriela Ciacia-Lewer 0133547931, Mob 07917665190 gabyciacia@yahoo.com

 

CIRCUIT CHURCH SERVICES
Sunday
Ashboume 10.30am with young people’s groups. - Becky Dutton (343494) and 6.30pm
Brailsford 10.30am United service 10.45am monthly on 1st Sunday
Hulland 6.30pm
Kirk Ireton 6.30pm monthly on 4th Sunday
Kniveton 2.30pm Family service 11am monthly on last Sunday
Milldale Special services - see Dates for Your Diary
Parwich 2.30pm 2nd and 4th Sunday
Stanton 2.30pm
Tissington 2.30pm monthly on 3rd Sunday

 

ASHBOURNE CHURCH ACTIVITIES

 

Circuit Staff

Rev Chris Eddy; 33 The Green Road;Ashbourne; DE6 1ED Ashboume DE6 1EE ;Tel 01335 342408 Tel 01335 343793
Sister Merle Wilde; 124 The Green Road; DE6 1EE; Tel 01335 343793

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