FROM THE METHODIST MINISTER

Dear Friends,

We are reminded at the beginning of another year of the passage of time. If we have wasted some moments of time we can never recall them and use them again correctly. They are gone for ever.

Christians believe that the whole of life is a gift from God. The time He gives us is not to be wasted and frittered away. We are to use it in His service, as His stewards. However, He does not expect more than we can give in the time, available. There should be no need to be always in a hurry and a state of tension. God has given us enough time for the work he requires from us. If we cannot fit everything in then we are either failing to plan our use of time or we are attempting things He does not wish us to do.

The ideal I think we should aim at is a prayerful planning of our day or week - a large proportion of time to daily work, some time for direct service to others, some time for recreation and so on. Then we work steadily and calmly through the things we have planned. All this is really so obvious, but do we carefully plan the use of our precious time?

Yours sincerely,

David Lapworth.

PARISH NOTES

Gift Service

Presents at this Service on 17th December went as usual to St. David's Home, Broadstairs, and to Green Porch Home, Milton. Both places are very grateful. Thank you for a specially varied and interesting lost of presents.

Altar Frontal

A completely new violet frontal in brocade and velvet, worked by Mrs. David Shephard, was dedicated at Evensong on Advent Sunday in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Shephard. New side curtains, made by my wife from the same brocade, have been added. We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Bone and Mrs. Shephard for this extremely nice gift.

Well Done

The Mannerings family! They all but achieved a family ring when they rang 5 out of the 6 bells for Evensong on Sunday, 3rd December. Those concerned were: Charles, Senior and Junior, Kathleen, Christopher and Michael. In spite of Christopher emigrating we very much hope they will still succeed, with the help of Alan and Teresa, on some future occasion.

Farewell

And very best wishes to several families who have left us recently. We are particularly sorry no longer to have Mr. and Mrs. Ted Divers living in the parish, having moved to Rainham to be near their work at the new Parkwood School. For 30 years the Divers, father and son, have worked the holding in South Bush Lane, and latterly Mr. and Mrs. Divers were in turn most willing and conscientious caretakers of .... (cont.)

J.H.G-W.G.