Newsletter July 2025, and a final letter from Joyce Wild as she steps down as Lead Circuit Steward
Services for July
6th July: Revd. Deborah Cornish/Gabby North; Holy Communion.
13th July: Action for Children Sunday, Local Arrangement. Two representatives from Action for Children locally will be participating in the service to give insight into the support they give to children, young people and families in Dorset.
20th July: Revd. Deborah Cornish
27th July: Revd. Deborah Cornish/Revd. Andrew Pottage followed by a farewell lunch for Deborah and John.
Weekday Holy Communion
18th July at 11am held in the Stour Room
Renewal of Wedding vows
Last Sunday saw Deborah officiate when Veronica and Peter Chance renewed their wedding vows after 25 years of marriage, supported by family and friends.
We wish them much happiness in the years ahead.
Deborah and John's cream tea
A reminder that Deborah and John's very kind invitation to cream tea at the Manse will be on July 12th. There will be two sittings, 2-3.45pm, and 4pm to 5.45pm. Please sign the sheets at church in the Foyer if you haven't done so already. (I have signed for those who contacted me).
It will be time to give your personal thanks to Deborah for her dedicated ministry to us over the past two years.
Introducing Joanne
As a church we have been working towards employing a church administrator for a some while, and that day has arrived! Joanne started in the office on the 15th June. She will be working 10 hours a week. Her primary function for the time being will be to prepare the PowerPoint slides for Sunday morning worship, and taking over from Joy in terms of booking rooms at the church and dealing with the mass of paperwork that task generates.
She will usually be around during a morning, but as she only has 10 hours, which morning will depend on what is required and when will be the most suitable time to be at the office.
Deborah
Folk Festival success
Despite a rainy start to the festival, we had a wonderful time over the whole weekend. People flocked in to sample our cakes and lunches for which we have a growing reputation!
There were Morris Dancers of many different kinds and Beat – a group of youngsters performing street dance – who were wonderful to watch, and who drew a very large crowd outside. Most of the groups danced outside on the forecourt even when it was raining, others came and performed inside. To finish the weekend, a dance workshop featuring Breton and French dances took place indoors.
There was a wide variety of music, from 14-year-old Jasper playing our organ through to Weyland a folk group whose music inspired small children to dance on the forecourt. The best part of all, however, were the animals brought by "Wild Science". They were an enormous success and saw lots of children and their parents in the church cuddling anything from Gertrude the tortoise, (who has a bath once a week we learned!), through to guinea pigs, a snail, tarantula and scorpion, to the very long Royal Python snake that enjoyed a cuddle with Deborah as well as the children (and other adults).
Thanks must go to the generous donor who helped to pay for them to come as it was wonderful to see so many happy children (and adults) in the church.
We also had a quiet corner where one could go to think, or reflect, with the help of ideas put out by Deborah.
I would personally like to thank everyone who helped in so many different ways to achieve such a successful weekend. Many people worked tirelessly throughout to achieve such a great result.
The profit of £2009 will be split between FPZ and Little Buds, a local charity run by the New Life Community Church in Wimborne who also came to offer their help in practical ways. They provide access on a weekly basis to post-natal parents who need advice, or help with being new parents, in a relaxed environment and with a medical professional on hand. The remainder will be used by our church to acknowledge all the tremendous work, time and effort given by many of our people.
Thank you to everyone involved.
Christine Thompson
Editor's note; Thanks must also go to Christine for her vision for the Folk Festival and her own tireless work before and during the festival.
Organ concert – 21 June
Anyone who wondered why we had invested in an electronic organ would have been convinced by the amazing recital which was presented by two masterful organists, Colin Davey and David Warwick on the evening of Saturday 21st of June. The full capabilities of the instrument were demonstrated through an eclectic selection of music old and new, some classical such as Bach and Mendelssohn and some more modern such as Hans Zimmer and John Rutter. Everyone will have had their own favourite piece but mine was the duet for organ and piano "Clair du lune" by Claude Debussy which David and Colin had practised and perfected specifically for this recital. And who could not be invigorated by the familiar tones of Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries? Around sixty people attended, largely members of our church and of Wimborne Minster, and over £700 was raised to be divided between the charity of the Royal College of Organists and our church. Many thanks to those members of our church who helped with all of the arrangements on the night and especially to Margaret Symons without whom there would have been no posters, no tickets, no programmes and no advertisement at the Tivoli. And another recital in the future? Watch this space.
Ted Awty, Lead Steward
Future Pillars Sponsored Walk
Jenny, Gordon and I would like to thank all those who sponsored us for the FPZ walk which took place on Saturday 7th June. We raised £1,330 which will increase to over £1,500 with 'Gift Aid'. This is an excellent sum which allows the work of the charity to continue in Zambia to feed and educate vulnerable children.
This is the 5th sponsored walk we have taken part in over the last few years. All previous walks have been in glorious sunny weather but unfortunately this year we didn't see any sun only cloud and plenty of rain in the afternoon (remember what the Saturday of the Folk Festival was like for weather on that day!) We thoroughly enjoyed the friendship of all those taking part along with the wonderful Devon scenery. We were all disappointed to miss the Folk Festival but were delighted to hear of the amount raised by the church over the weekend.
Joy Morling
Christian Aid Week 2025.
A very big Thank You from Wimborne Area Christian Aid Group to all who supported us during Christian Aid Week this year, whether through events at local churches, house-to house collections, the street collection in the centre of Wimborne, the non-uniform day at QE School or in other ways. We raised just over £4247.48 – an amazing total which will increase to £4656.86 with the addition of Gift Aid.
The lunch at our church raised £819 including Gift Aid. Again, a special thanks to those people who gave their support to the event at our church and to those members who helped with the street collection on the Saturday which raised £734.07.
We are planning another lunch this Autumn. All are welcome!
If you would like regular Christian Aid newsletter, please let me know your email address.
Christopher Howell
Projectionists Required!
We have the facility for Audio Visual (AV) facilities during Sunday Services. The provision of Sound is well supported, but we lack projectionists to operate the laptop and projector to display PowerPoint (PPT) slides and videos. We now have a Church Administrator, Joanne Lockwood, who is preparing the PPT slideshows, so it is important that we do not waste her work by lack of people to display them! Jan Vincent and I are able to run the slideshows, but more people would be appreciated!
If you are able to help by sitting alongside the Sound operator to show the PPT slideshow using the church laptop (or your own, if you prefer), please let any of the stewards know. Training will be given on the laptop and projector to ensure smooth operations. We aim to have a rota of Sound and AV operators so that the work may be shared – the more that come, the less the workload on any one person! Jan and I cannot cover all Sundays!
Eric Phillips, Steward
With blessings,
Linda Bennett on behalf of the Stewards
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Final Letter from Joyce Wild as she steps down as Lead Circuit Steward:
'For the times they are a-changin'
In 1964 Bob Dylan wrote a song entitled 'For the times they are a-changin'. And
for the Christchurch and Wimborne Circuit they truly are. Rev Deborah Cornish
and her husband John and Rev Mike Shrubsole and his wife Louise begin the
new path on the road of retirement, though knowing them I feel sure it will not
be a "put your feet up and relax" sort of future. Each in their own way will
continue their service for the creator they love in new and unexplored ways,
always listening for the call of the Holy Spirit.
Rev Mark Kimber increases his ministerial contribution from September as he
takes on Wimborne, in addition to Colehill and Blandford.
Rev Sue Baker Maher joins the circuit having responsibility for Ringwood
Highcliffe, Crowe and Mudeford Lane.
Mrs Diana Middleditch becomes a Circuit Steward, whilst I step down after
eight amazing years for which I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I specifically remember when I left my role at school six years ago now that
with all the extra time I would have on my hands, I would become far more tech
savvy. However, it was only when I recently purchased a new car that I realised
I was still the behemoth or the technophobe of yester-year at heart.
You see, I could no longer play my CDs, as newer cars don't come with this
accessory. I noticed the salesman had to stifle a laugh as I bemoaned the lack of
this much needed piece of equipment. I imagined he was thinking, "poor old
soul, those things went out with the ark".
"Not to worry", the family said, "from the Bluetooth setting on your phone you
can stream music that you have downloaded from Spotify or iTunes, via an
auxiliary lead, to the stereo." Guess what, I now sing to myself whilst on the
road, having not yet learnt how to do any of the above.
So, you may ask what bursts forth whilst I meander along the highways and bye
ways of Dorset and Hampshire. Well usually several hymns and modern
choruses, some old songs from when I was in the church pantomimes hundreds
of years ago, and a selection of music from more modern Chrisitan artists. I also
rather like Dolly Parton. It is to one of her songs that I turn to encourage the
Circuit to embrace the times 'For they are a-changin'.
Unlike Jason Donavan's rich and extravagant coat in "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicoloured Dream Coat", in the song "My Coat of Many Colours", the
garment in question is made of rags and when worn to school brought only
ridicule from her peers. But for Dolly, wearing the coat made her feel rich not in
the monetary sense, but because her mother's love had been sewn in every
stitch.
As a Circuit we are like those pieces of rags. We are individual churches,
congregations and people from all walks of life who are sewn together by the
love of God. With our varied gifts and talents, we are a tapestry for the folk
around us to see. Sharing the gospel message by the power of the Holy Spirit
who nudges us, encourages us, guides us, and even rebukes us when necessary.
It has been my privilege to visit churches in our circuit, and I constantly marvel
at the myriad ways that the love of God for all people and his gospel message is
being shared.
I have been privileged to see help from church to church, care for those inside
and outside of the church who are hurting and need a little TLC. I have also
witnessed financial generosity towards those nearby, and those far away, with
ingenious ways of raising money.
Equally I have taken on board the fact that sometimes it seems hard to keep the
show on the road, so to speak. But through it all there has been a tremendous
resilience, a holding onto that hope in Christ, giving God the glory and listening
to his bidding through prayer and Bible study. Why am I ever the optimist that
revival will come? Because we have a God who sustains us through the good
and the bad, the ups and the downs. Who, if we let him, will lead us forward
however that may be.
So, dear friends, change is coming, coming in many guises. Some we will
receive with open arms, others we will be more reticent about. But following
Christ's example each new day is an opportunity to build on our relationship
with God, with each other, and with those around us.
'For the times they are a-changin' in our circuit. May I commend to you the
words below from scripture as you face those changes. With God at the helm in
confidence, and excitement at what can happen when Christians unite for the
common good.
"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I
am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:18-19
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