See also the Help Required page & Archived Notices pages

MATINS (February 2006 Magazine)
For a number of years the service of Matins has only been held on the fourth Sunday in the month in months where there have been five Sundays. Regrettably there have been occasions where other services have clashed resulting in there being few services of Matins in recent years.
Matins is, for many people, a much-loved service that they grew up with as the main service on a Sunday morning. With a full choir to lead the service, it can still be inspiring.
Our difficulty at St. John's is that, because of the infrequency, fewer people are conversant with the order of service, there is normally no choir to lead the singing and participation, in parts, is virtually none existent. For many it has now become a Sunday on the calendar to avoid attending morning service.
Under these circumstances, the Parochial Church Council have reluctantly taken the decision that on the four Sundays in the year when a service of Matins would take place, a service of Choral Eucharist will be held.

SICKNESS IN THE PARISH (February 2006 Magazine)
It's only when someone gives up a job that you find out what they are going to be missed for - and so is the case with Davina. I have volunteered to pick up the job of sending out cards to those who are sick and keep a list of the sick for intercessions. As part of this I thought it worth drawing attention to the prayer board (on the left as we leave church) - I believe its use will help us all keep the sick and poorly in mind - so as you come into or leave church on Sunday, have a look, and if you know of anyone who could do with a few prayers, put their name down.
Thanks,
Pete Oldfield

ACCESS TO CHURCHYARD (February 2006 Magazine)
The provisions made to cover access to the Churchyard over the Christmas period appear to have worked satisfactorily and enabled people to visit the graves of their loved ones. Whilst the facilities are far from ideal, they do represent the best alternative available at present and we are therefore continuing the scheme outlined in the December issue of the magazine.
Whilst there can be no relaxation of the restriction of vehicular access to the Churchyard it has been agreed that a slightly longer chain may be used during the day which will enable the gates to be pushed open just sufficient to allow pedestrian access.
People arriving at the gates will find them closed and secured by chain and padlock around the bottom of the gates. By pushing open the gates in the centre, access can be obtained to the graveyard. Will everyone please note that the chain will remain in place at the bottom of the gates and it will be necessary to step over this, whilst avoiding the latch, in order to gain access. We therefore request everyone to take extreme care as we would not wish anyone to sustain injury from a fall especially during wet or icy conditions.
There is some good news in that we have just received two tenders for the repair and replacement of the Yorkshire stone paths around the Church, which have been forwarded to our insurers. With the necessary details now to hand, we are in a position to apply for a Faculty from the Church of England to enable the proposed work to go ahead. Providing we receive this, and agreement from our insurers, we shall hopefully be in a position to proceed with the work in the near future. Upon completion we shall once again be able to allow vehicular access to the graveyard.
P Haddleton
Churchwarden

ALTAR FLOWERS (January 2006 Magazine)
We are fortunate, at St. John's, to have a very competent, willing and dedicated team of flower arrangers who take great pride in producing beautiful displays in Church throughout the year. We all like to see our church nicely decorated and, in order to cover the cost, each year we invite parishioners to donate funds for the provision of flowers on a date/s of their choosing.
The "Donation of Church Flowers" list for 2006 is now on the notice board in the church porch and we shall be grateful if you will please append your name to the list if you are willing to make a contribution.

GET TOGETHER AND STAY TOGETHER - WHEREVER (March 2005 Magazine)
St John's first "Get-Together" for 2005 is on Friday 8th April at 7.30 p.m. in the Parochial Hall. By then, immediately after Easter week, we shall be in British Summer-time so please make a note of the date and do come along.

You may remember concerts last year, both in Church and at the Parochial Hall, by our own musicians of St. John's and they will be playing again on 8th April. This time two or three players from the Otley orchestra have asked to help, so we are going to call it St. John's little augmented orchestra! The main item in the programme is "Peter and the Wolf" by Prokofiev and we hope that this gory fairy tale will also appeal to the youngsters who come to our Get-Togethers.

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was born in Russia in 1891 and wrote brilliant music for films, ballets and opera as well as symphonies and chamber music. For "Peter and the Wolf" he used separate sections of the orchestra for each character as it appeared in the story. For instance the violins for Peter; oboe the duck; and French horns for the wolf. We shall not have quite the necessary instruments for all the characters (including the wolf!) so we have specially adapted the arrangement, but feel sure you will all enjoy it; along with the other special pieces and selections in the programme.

Do not forget there will be the usual excellent St. John's buffet and bar as well!
Looking forward to seeing everyone.
Colin Briggs

SIDESPERSONS 2005-2006 (March 2005 Magazine)
There will be vacancies for Sidespersons during this period. It will involve being on duty at either 10.00 a.m. Morning Service or Evensong for one month in twelve.
Will anyone interested please contact Eric Jones 240 0918

CAN YOU HELP (March 2005 Magazine)
We all like to come to a clean Church, with shining brass and flowers arranged, but help is needed.
If you could spare 1-11/2 hours each month to polish, clean brass or join the flower arrangement rota (after Easter) please contact:
Cleaning Eric Jones 240 0918
Flowers Margaret Jackson 265 6420

Flower Rota (March 2005 Magazine)
A number of unfilled spaces still remain on the Altar Flower List, to be found on the notice board in the Church Porch. If you feel that you would like to donate flowers for the altar on one or more Sundays during the year, please append your name in one of the available spaces remaining on the list.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Flower Ladies

LENT/EASTER 2005 (March 2005 Magazine)
Some time ago I mentioned the first general council of Nicaea in AD 325 set up by the Emperor Constantine, where 300 Bishops settled upon the wording of the Nicene Creed we use today.
There was a second council of Nicaea held in AD 787 which insisted that relics were to be used in the consecration of every church. In the succeeding centuries many small relics of the True Cross were reverenced throughout Christendom, until the point was reached where someone thought a ship could be constructed from all the timber!
A large relic has been kept in Turin since 1578. This has become known as the Turin Shroud, which is 14 feet of linen with images on the surface showing the body of a crucified man. Amazingly, photographs show these images far better than can be seen by the human eye and the wounds of scourging, crucifixion, and even of a crown of thorns are clear on the photographs. Radio carbon tests were carried out in 1988 on a very small square which concluded that the sheet was a fake, dating only between the 13th and 14th centuries. However research published in the science journal Thermochimica Acta this year confidently contradicts this, because the sample used was so small from the edge of the cloth and, in fact, had different properties from the main part. This was probably when restoration took place in France after a fire in December 1532, and new patches were stitched in.
But the point is, the Church today should not need relics. It certainly does not need all the current hype over the da Vinci code, the painting of Mary Magdelene and the search for the holy grail. Not even the Turin Shroud. It may have needed it in AD 787, but even by 1552 the 39 Articles of Religion clearly stated that Holy Scriptures contain ALL things necessary to salvation. So the time of Lent, without the relics, and the special Easter services give us an opportunity to renew our faith.
Mothering Sunday on 6th March, and Palm Sunday on 20th March; followed by the services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and ending with Easter Day.
Colin Briggs
Organist and Choirmaster

The Stephen Nicholson Foundation (January 2005 Magazine)
The Stephen Nicholson Foundation is a Charitable Trust, which has responsibility for the almshouses, known as Church Cottages, Wetherby Road, Leeds. Because of vacancies on the Board of Trustees, new Trustees are now needed for the Foundation.

Day to day administration of the cottages is in the hands of Anchor Trust. Trustees of the Foundation meet four times each year to oversee the work which Anchor does and make plans for the future.
Anyone who might be interested in finding out more about this valuable work should, in the first instance, contact the Reverend Dr Colin Cheeseman on 0113 266 9747.

Mollie Bulmer (January 2005 Magazine)
It was in 1947 that Mollie and her family came to St John's. From the first, Mollie took a great interest in parish activities and in 1952 Gilbert Webster and Mollie became founder members of the Drama Group which opened with "Christmas in the Market Place" - whispers in the audience - who is the lovely girl playing Mary Magdalene?

Mollie was a member of the Parochial Church Council and also enjoyed membership of the Women's Organisations, Women's Fellowship Committee and Thursday Club Secretary/Chairman from 1988 onwards.

In 1972 it was agreed work must be done on the Church Clock - money was needed - so a "Revue" was written "Knock on Wood". Mollie took to the stage again in "The Stripper". There were no seats left on Saturday night - we had come quite a way since Mary Magdalene.

Church Coffee Mornings, Mollie's Marmalade and the Strawberry Teas on Saturday mornings were all part of her work for the Church, and of course the Bazaar Sewing Stall. The sewing seemed to go on all the year round and so many of us benefited with beautiful pillowcases, duvet covers, cushions etc.
Mollie was untiring in her work for St John's and I am sure there is much that has not been mentioned here. Mollie was a friend to many over the past 57 years and she will be remembered for this and her good company.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Pat, Freda and Michael and their families.
Elizabeth Blakey

Monthly Discussion Group (January 2005 Magazine)
Will Parishioners please note that there will not be a Group meeting in January. Details of future meeting will be given in the February issue of the magazine.

Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 2005 Magazine)
The Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity 2005 commences on 18th January and concludes on 25th January. In celebration of this there will be two Joint Ecumenical Services on Sunday 23rd January. In the morning we join our friends at Roundhay Methodist Church at 10.30a.m. for Morning Service with Junior Church (Sunday School) and a Crèche. At 4.00p.m. we join together for a Service at St John's. The theme this year is "Christ, The One Foundation of the Church"
Will parishioners please note that there will not be a 10.00a.m. Service at St. John's on Sunday 23rd January.

Magazine Subscriptions (January 2005 Magazine)
The annual Magazine subscriptions fall due for payment in January 2005. We have managed to contain our costs and are pleased to confirm that the subscriptions remain the same as last year namely: £7 for postal delivery and £3.60 for those delivered by hand. It would be greatly appreciated if all postal subscriptions could be forwarded to Mrs Elsie Merrick, 31 Oakwell Crescent, Leeds LS8 4AF, cheques being made payable to 'Roundhay St John PCC'.
For those persons whose magazine is delivered by hand, payment is normally made to the person responsible for the delivery but should this not be possible for any reason, please will you forward your payment to Mrs. Merrick at the above mentioned address.

Thanks (January 2005 Magazine)
Before the end of 2004….I want to say Thank You to all those kind and thoughtful folk who took the trouble to send cards etc. on our birthdays, mine in May and my wife's in August. They were much appreciated.
Raymond Horne

Annual Bazaar (January 2005 Magazine)
The Annual Bazaar, held in the Parochial Hall on Saturday 27th November raised the sum of £715.77 for Church funds.
For those who enjoy statistics the breakdown of the takings is as follows:-
Stalls Amount
Cake £67.75
Bottle £99.04
Gifts £91.00
Books £53.07
White Elephant £59.60
Groceries £19.90
Toys £55.75
Raffle £85.50
Refreshments £44.36
Plants £3.80
Donations £136.00
Total £715.77
Thank you to everyone who helped to prepare the hall, all the stallholders including those providing refreshments, the persons who contributed items for sale and all those persons who came along to support us. We are particularly grateful to those persons who took the opportunity to make a donation to the Church.

Change Of Time For Evensong During The Winter (November 2004 Magazine)
Will parishioners please note that the time of the Evensong service will change to 4.00p.m. for the winter months with effect from Sunday 7th November.
One exception to this, in the month of November, is the Service of Light, to be held on Sunday 28th November, this being the First Sunday in Advent. This service will commence at 6.30p.m.

St Gemma's Hospice Shop (November 2004 Magazine)
St Gemma's Hospice Shop at Street Lane needs helpers. Have you time or do you know someone who would like to work in the shop? It is a very rewarding pastime and everyone, staff and customers, are very friendly. Call in for a chat!
Please save used postage stamps and bring them to Church for charities.
Jean Lawson

Harvest (October 2004 Magazine)
From Old English "Haerfest" or Old Saxon "Hervist" and Festival is a thanksgiving service for harvest, so even though this year's yield here has not been very good due to all the rain and floods in July and August, please come to St. John's Harvest Festival on 3rd October. Services are:- Holy Communion at 8.00a.m., Choral Communion at 10.00a.m and Evensong at 6.30p.m.
The Oxford Dictionary again reminds me that "Harvest" also means the product of any action, and I should tell you that my grandson, Sam, is to have his own bone marrow 'harvested' in October as a precaution against him rejecting his transplant due (all being well) to take place in November. There are many ifs and buts and dates are obviously provisional, but St James and Cookridge Hospitals have to agree a timetable for taking his and the donor's stem cell, then his preparation, barrier nursing in an isolation ward and further containment against infection and rejection.
All your thoughts and continuous prayers for Sam over the last 16 months have been wonderful and so much appreciated by his parents and family. It could be that we are entering a critical stage in his fight against leukaemia, but he is only one of 1,000 patients a year being treated for these illnesses by bone marrow transplants.
Colin Briggs

Peggy Bond (October 2004 Magazine)
Peggy was a parishioner of St. John's for many years. A stalwart member of Thursday Club, ran the Cake Stall at the Bazaar and was always there to help at the Wednesday Coffee Mornings.
Sadly, when Peggy's eyesight deteriorated she could no longer continue with these activities but with Anne's help and support, attended Church and kept up with her interests. Peggy did not allow her own problems to get in the way of helping others, always ready with kindly advice and a friendly word. She was a good friend to many of us and will be sadly missed.
Our thoughts and prayers go to Anne at this time.
Elizabeth Blakey

Honorary Canon (October 2004 Magazine)
We were delighted to learn last month that Katherine Fitzsimons is to be made an Honorary Canon of Ripon Cathedral. Her installation takes place in the Cathedral on Sunday 24th October during the service of Evensong.
A number of us are making the trip to Ripon to see her installation and wonder whether anyone would like to join us. If you are interested, please speak with The Vicar or the Churchwardens. It may be that you have spare seats available in your car and would be prepared to offer transport to others. By this means we could accommodate everyone who wishes to attend without the need of a convoy.
As the service at the Cathedral commences at 5.30p.m, there will not be a service of Evensong at St. John's on that day.

Coffee Morning (October 2004 Magazine)
The September Coffee Morning was well attended and raised the sum of £64.23 for Church funds.

Look Back - Leap Forward (September 2004 Magazine)
There have been many historic and interesting days in the month of August. Ninety years ago saw the beginning of a near global conflict that ended with three quarters of a million British and Commonwealth servicemen and women killed; and 64 years ago there began intensive air raids on Britain in the 2nd World War.

Further back in time, Gibraltar was captured on the 4th exactly 300 years ago, and on August 22nd, 1485 Richard III was killed at Bosworth Field. Then on 26th August 55 B.C. Roman forces invaded Britain.
So we look back on such days, which changed our history, but we must also look forward - particularly at St. John's Church, which needs a renewal of faith, an outreach and a confidence in the future of what can be achieved with God's help.

As summer gradually changes into autumn we should now rise up and begin afresh with added vigour; and as far as the music of the Church is concerned I am sure the Organists, Choir and Music Group will do all they can to help with modern, traditional or whatever music is necessary.
Choir rehearsals will be held on September 3rd and 24th in Church at 6.00p.m. in preparation for special services in Autumn and Winter, commencing with the Harvest Festival of Praise on 3rd October.

"One the object of our journey
One the faith which never tires
One the earnest looking forward,
One the hope our God inspires."
(Words from the past, written in 1867 by Sabine Baring-Gould,
Rector of Lew Trenchard, Devon; but still so relevant today.)
Colin Briggs
Organist & Choirmaster

Church Gardening (September 2004 Magazine)
With the recent sun and heavy rain all the plants, and especially the weeds, seem to be growing at an alarming rate. We are seeking volunteers to help with some weeding, pruning and general tidying of the flowerbeds in the turning circle, by the steps and on either side of the South porch. In addition, it would be appreciated if someone would be prepared to clear the leaves from the steps leading down to the crypt and boiler room.
We shall be grateful for all the help we can get from both able-bodied men and women. Experience has shown that organising a particular day and time to attend, deters people from offering their services. We would therefore appreciate it if as many persons as possible will come along, at a time of their choosing, and work on one of the areas mentioned. Please bring your gardening gloves and tools as our equipment is somewhat limited.
If you are prepared to help, please will you kindly advise either Peter Haddleton or Elizabeth Blakey (Churchwardens).

Consider Becoming A Hospital Chaplaincy Visitor (September 2004 Magazine)
The Chaplaincy Team at The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust invites applications to join its team of voluntary lay visitors, who assist in giving pastoral care to patients at any of the 6 hospitals in Leeds.
We simply ask those applying to have enthusiasm, commitment and sensitivity. Appropriate training is given. We ask for a regular commitment of two to three hours per week.
Our visitors make a real and valuable contribution to the Chaplain's ministry. They visit on specified wards or in other areas under the direction of and with full support from the Chaplains, and they find their involvement in the pastoral area within the hospital to be rewarding, challenging and fulfilling. They also develop skills and experience which is taken back to be a blessing to their own churches.
Those applying need the support of their own minister and must take part in a short informal training course beginning week commencing 23rd September 2004.
For further details and an application form (to be returned by 8th September 2004) please contact.
Rev Tony Ruddle MTh BD
Chaplaincy Department
St James's Hospital
Beckett Street
Leeds LS9 7TF
Tel: 0113 2064365 (Secretary) or 0113 2065935 (Chaplains)

Honorary Canon (September 2004 Magazine)
Bishop John has invited me to be an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral and I have accepted. The service of installation will be on Sunday 24th October during Evensong at the Cathedral in Ripon.
I would be delighted if people from St. John's were able to come to the service which begins at 5.30p.m.
Rev. Kathryn Fitzsimons

Discussion Group (September 2004 Magazine)
The Discussion Group meetings will continue at the White House at 7.45p.m. on the second Sunday of the month, the next meeting being on 12th September. Everyone is welcome!

Church Commissioners in 2003 (August 2004 Magazine)

Financial results in 2003
In 2003 the Commissioners achieved their best investment results for the last four years. Our fund saw a total return of 17% and the assets were worth £3.9 billion at the end of the year. For more detail about activity in 2003 do look at our annual report, available from the Policy Unit and on the website. But here are some key points:
In the last five and ten-year periods our returns have been ahead of the average for comparable funds by more than three percentage points each year. This is better than for any of the 818 funds in the benchmark that we are compared with. Our property holdings have been a big contributor to this outstanding result.

Supporting the Church's ministry
We fund all clergy pensions earned before 1998 and provide other support for the Church, especially in areas of need. In total we spent £164 million in 2003:
· £100.2 million for clergy pensions
· £3.7 million to help dioceses and parishes with the cost of clergy pension contributions
· £26.4 million for parish ministry, mainly payments to dioceses for clergy stipends. £19.7 million went to dioceses with least resources
· £17.8 million for bishops' stipends, office and working costs, and housing
· £6.1 million for stipends of cathedral clergy and grants to cathedrals, mainly for staff salaries
· £9.8 million for administration, support for other Church bodies and church buildings
Actuaries review our fund every three years (with yearly updates) to help gauge how much we can safely plan to spend. The 2003 review confirms that, thanks to recent performance, we can modestly increase spending in 2005-07. This will enable us to provide a steady pattern of support over the coming years.

Over the last three years the parish mission fund (£3.5 million in 2003) has given dioceses extra resources to provide for parish ministry. We plan for this to continue for at least the next two years. It has supported a range of activity: work with young people and with asylum seekers, tourism projects and a part-adaptation of a rural Leicester church to provide a post office for local villagers.
Containing costs and adding value
We have cut administrative costs by a third in real terms in the last 10 years and, like the Archbishops' Council, are holding costs at 2001 budget levels in 2002-04. Cost savings are just one result of looking for better ways of doing things. Other examples in 2003 include:
· We put in place new management arrangements for some of our UK stock market holdings to broaden the fund's investment base and reduce risk.
· Our review of bishops' houses aims to ensure these properties work well as homes and offices for bishops and their families, and that we optimise their full value. We replaced the Bristol see house with a better, more cost-efficient property.
· New information on the website about former churches available for sale has produced extra enquiries in 2003. We hope this will lead to increased sales and more money for the Church.
· Our review of the Church's documentary heritage is looking at issues of ownership, finance and public access for these important collections.
· We worked with the Archbishops' Council in 2003 on the review of the Dioceses and Pastoral Measures. This aims to streamline procedures to meet the Church's changing pastoral and mission needs. Synod welcomed it and agreed to fast-track a proposal to enable parts of churches to be leased for other uses without redundancy.
· We have helped press the Church's case in Parliament for VAT relief on listed building repairs. The government's welcome decision to extend the listed places of worship grant scheme to March 2006, and to increase the relief rate, now effectively reduces parishes' VAT costs on these repairs to zero.
· We carried out a review of our spending pattern jointly with the Archbishops' Council. Synod debated the issues in February this year and the work will continue in specific areas.
The First Commissioner's quarterly newsletters at www.churchcommissioners.org continue to keep readers updated on our asset management and policy.
Church Commissioners, 1 Millbank, London SW1P 3JZ