UNITARIAN MEETING (UMB)
BS2 8PE
FRENCHAY CHAPEL
FRENCHAY COMMON
At the DeskKarl Stewart
Dear All,
I am this months editor for the newsletter. Thanks to all for your contributions. I shall in due course produce a chairs report as regards Summer School – but for now here are a few reflections:
I am this months editor for the newsletter. Thanks to all for your contributions. I shall in due course produce a chairs report as regards Summer School – but for now here are a few reflections:
It was my first time at summer school this year, and it was a very profitable experience. I’m sure that much of what I learnt will feed into the services I take in the future. It was wonderful to worship with Unitarians from across the country and from America
Every morning there was also a theme talk, tied to the topic for the week which was ‘Walking the Talk’. In these we gained different perspectives about how to put our faith into action, from looking back to the example of our forebears at Rochdale Unitarians, to learning to inhabit your body and own your feelings, as a way of being more authentic in the world.
On the last morning of the week at breakfast, before everyone departed, I was allowed to share a prayer which I had been inspired to write the night before. I would like to share it with you here:
Take with you what is holy – Bless your walk
Take with you what is sacred – Tell your story
Take with you what is the truth – Teach well
Take with you the peace of the spirit - as you walk your journey may your Gods bless every mile.
Go forth in peace, in the understanding and knowledge, and in the light of the spirit.
Amen
Thoughts from your minister-Revd. Lindy Latham
Remembering well.........
Recently, on a warm Saturday in August, I was delighting in the beauty of the north coast of Anglesey – the striking coastal paths across the cliffs – scenes of my childhood where I spent many holidays catching shrimps in rock pools and worrying my mother as I scampered out of sight across the rocky beach.
This island was also home to a well loved minister of the Unitarian Churches in Bristol Oakfield Road Bangor
Those of you who knew him will, I am sure, be filled with grateful memories for his ministry. Our love goes to his family at this time.
...My love to you all.... Lindy
Women’s LeagueSusan Wildman
In July six of us met at IKEA and enjoyed Swedish meatballs!
Our next meeting will be at St Stephen's Church Café on Wednesday 28th September at 2 pm . The church is in
Stephen's Street, between the Centre and Corn Street
We will be selling refreshments at UMB on Saturday and Sunday 10/11th September when the chapel will be open for Heritage Open Doors Days. Proceeds will go to Combat Stress, the National Women's League project for 2011/12. Please note that this year we will be opening on two days, from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday 10th and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday.
Come to the Big Equality DebatePaul Wheeler
Ever wondered what effect this country's wide income inequality has on our society and maybe thought that income inequality is only an issue for people with low incomes?
Richard Wilkinson, co-author of the acclaimed, and Bristol Festival of Ideas award winning book "The Spirit Level" and Hugh Annett, Director of Public Health, NHS Bristol will address these questions at Oddfellows Hall, West Park, Bristol BS8 2LT on Wednesday26th October starting at 7pm. Light refreshments will be available from 6.30pm .
The event is being hosted by Equality Bristol. For more information see www.equalitybristol.co.uk or speak to me.
Heritage Open Doors Day at UMBSusan and Peter Wildman
Once again UMB will be open on the Heritage Open Doors weekend - this year for two days, on Saturday, 10th September from 10am to 1pm and on Sunday 11th September from 11am to 4pm . There will be display of photographs of our past and present activities as well as the Unitarian burial records held by Bristol Records Office.
The gardens have had relatively little publicity in Bristol
We will be serving refreshments and would be grateful for help during the day. If you can help please contact us on 01454 412993.
Frenchay Chapel Services for September
4th Lindy Latham
11th Benard Omar
18th Karl Stewart
25th Frank Butler B.Sc.
OCT 2nd Harvest Festival – Lindy Latham
(N.B. A Harvest Lunch will follow to be organised by Nicola. Please bring your own contributions of food and drink.)
UMB Services for September
Services on Sundays 4th and 18th, with Bright Lines in the afternoon on 25th.
Frenchay Flower Show Report
Bernard Omar
Frenchay Flower Show on 16th July was our opportunity to open the Chapel with stalls and refreshments. The chapel was often packed and a satisfying sum of £295 was raised. Thanks go to all who helped especially to Diane Roberts who coordinated this effort.
Chapel WindowsBernard Omar
These continue to be a cause for concern. Our listed building status means that English Heritage and South Gloucestershire Listed Buildings Officers have been consulted over many months. Outline agreement has been reached that two windows are beyond repair and must be replaced. Provisional estimates of £12000 have been obtained. Building Permission has now to be sought from South Gloucestershire Council. Fundraising is necessary and events are being planned.
Bernard Omar
3rd September, Council and all interested people meet at Bridgwater Chapel at 10.30am when the paucity of professional ministry is bound to feature. However, we hear signs of new growth and interesting initiatives from most of our churches, chapels and fellowships.
Bristol Group OutingBernard Omar
This year the outing on July 10th was to Marshfield Chapel where the Bath Fellowship meets for Services on the second Sunday in the month. We were all joined at the Service by members of the Reading Fellowship. There were many opportunities before and after the challenging Service to meet new people.
Most people then went on for a convivial lunch at The Lord Nelson for 1.30pm , enjoyed so much that the proposed afternoon visit to National Trust Dyrham House had to be postponed. We thank our hosts for their very warm welcome.
Thanks for continuing help in maintaining chapelBernard Omar
Regular help continues to be appreciated with transport, flower arranging, cleaning and refreshments, while our Authorised Persons deal with the Registration documentation at weddings, which our Minister conducts.
Inter Faith AGM Notice
On 21st September Bristol 7pm at the Friends Meeting Hampton Road 7.45pm . Your presence and/or ideas will be welcome.
Winter Celebration Notice
On Wednesday 7th December at 7pm , after several years meeting at Hampton Road
Next Poetry Group
Poetry is on Tuesday 20th September at 58 Old Gloucester
Road
Road
Further Dates for your Diary
11th September Sales table will be available after Frenchay Service
3rd December Open morning at Frenchay Chapel with cake and coffee and sales table.
2nd October Frenchay Chapel's harvest service followed by a harvest lunch. Please bring some food you would like to share. Everyone is invited.
Frenchay Chapel congregation would like to invite UMB's congregation to their harvest lunch on Sunday 2nd October immediately after the service. Please bring some food you would like to share.
Bright Lights
Our programme will start again on September 25th at our Meeting House in Brunswick Square 3-5pm . Do join us to start our new season with a swing!
(Bright Lights is our “Doing Church Differently “ initiative where all are welcome to share an afternoon of companionship, creativity and friendly support... not to mention a spot of meditation – good food and fun!)
Lives to celebrate in Bristol
There will be a service of remembrance for the lives of Mary Carpenter and Rajah Ram Mohan Roy at the Arnos Vale Cemetery 12 noon . All are welcome.
A Voyage of Discovery - Exploring what we believe…Lindy Latham
This course is now fully booked and Paul and I are looking forward to the first session on October 3rd , 7.00 – 9.00pm at UMB. Participants will be receiving more details ahead of time.
If you have any questions please talk to Paul or myself.
Summer Concert Review
Marie Eastman
There was a full house at Frenchay Chapel on the evening of 5th July, when a Summer Concert was presented. Bob Cook, our organist, delighted the audience with a range of music from the baroque era to modern times. The first half of the concert gave us music by Bach and Pachabel, with Bob giving us useful information about the music. Bob also played some of his own arrangements of well known music such as Ashokan Farewell. This part of the concert ended with Delydd’s solos. She enthralled the audience with her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. She was accompanied by Bob on the organ for items by Handel and Karl Jenkins. Her last item by Eric Satie was actually a narrative with complicated piano accompaniment – it needed great concentration by both artists, especially Delydd, fitting in words in at odd times! Quite an achievement and much enjoyed and appreciated by the audience. After the interval, Bob played a varied selection of music by Messiaen, Elgar, Laurisden, Ravel and Liszt, as well as an extract from his own composition entitled ‘Frenchay Chapel’. Bob’s anecdotes about some of the composers were most interesting. Particular thanks must also go to Diane Roberts, who has prepared a refreshment table ahead of the audience’s arrival. She had also baked four different kinds of cakes, the favourite of the evening being bread pudding. The refreshments alone made £28, and the whole evening contributed £229.07 to church funds. This musical evening was absolutely delightful as well as a huge success – from the treasurer’s point of view a financial dream!
Brahmo Samaj Commemoration serviceCarla Contractor
There will be a joint Unitarian / Brahmo Samaj Commemoration service for the Rajah Ram Mohun Roy – the great Indian reformer who called himself a Hindu Unitarian in 1821. It will start at 12 noon sharp on Sunday 25th September, and Lindy will be there with Geoff Gollop (Bristol London Bristol Arnon Vale Cemetery Bath Road
Finally there is a tour planned (payable) of the cemetery in the early afternoon, for those of you who would like to see the graves of Mary and Lant Carpenter, the Breillats, Matthew Davenport Hill and other Unitarian notables buried there.
Joni-Come-Lately ConcertMark Gartside
On Wednesday 31st August UMB played host to a musical sharing evening entitled ‘Joni-Come-Lately’, showcasing songs from the popular Canadian Singer-Songwriter Joni Mitchell. Over 10 people contributed to the evening, performing Joni’s hits, and even reinterpreting a couple of them through modern dance. Joni Mitchell has been writing songs since the late 60’s, and her latest album was released in 2007. Although not a Unitarian herself, her work chimes in with the Unitarian spirit, characterised by an attitude of questioning, and an exploration of spirituality, emotions, and relationships between human beings, and with our planet.
The setting was candlelit, and audience and performers alike sat in a big circle. We charged £2 entry per person, and raised £60, to be divided equally between Chapel funds and the Send a Child to Hucklow charity.
Reflections on Summer SchoolMark Gartside
I’m very grateful to the Stokes Croft fund, and to the Summer School bursary system, which enabled me to attend Summer School this year for the first time. I feel like I learned a lot during the week, and feel more committed to Unitarianism than before! The beautiful Peak District setting of Great Hucklow provided a very inspiring setting, and the food was excellent. It was really interesting getting to know all the Unitarians there. I was especially interested in getting to know more about the Unitarian Universalist side of our movement, which the many Americans at the Summer School told me a lot about. I was part of a small group looking at Peace in our Daily Lives. One of the particularly interesting things to come out in the group was the Model for Non-Violence Communication, which expanded the definition of what we consider to be ‘violent’. Also we practiced a technique called ‘Co-Counselling’ in which you pair up and take it in turns to talk about your feelings in response to various questions. Another really enjoyable part of the week was the ‘Writing the Talk’ creative writing workshops, with Nancy Crumbine – a minister who travels from America Bristol
Open Circles Summer Solstice Celebration
On Tuesday 21st June Andrea Clark-Ward hosted the first monthly Open Circles event at Frenchay Chapel. A group of about ten people were in attendance, sitting outside at the back of chapel around a blazing fire. We sang songs, and read poems, and offered up prayers to mark the longest day of the year.
------------------------------------------------------
SERVICE TIMES
FRENCHAY CHAPEL: Every Sunday at 10.30 am
UNITARIAN MEETING: 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Sundays of each month at 6pm (November to February at 3.30pm ). Bright Lights All Age Group on 4th Sundays, 3 - 5pm all year.
