Verwood URC

Tuesday (in term time): Toddlers, parents and carers, 9.30 -11.15am Contact: Helen on 07860367955

We are a Fair Trade Church and our Traidcraft stall is available at Coffee 4 All on the fourth Saturday morning each month and after Worship on the following Sunday. If you live in the Verwood area you can order Traidcraft items through us by email to dorothy.macro@dandjm.plus.com. More information available at http://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk

Other activities include “Coffee and Chat” on Monday mornings from 10am onwards till about 11.30am at the Heritage Centre on Ferrett Green – all welcome to join in;“Music for the Mind” at 10.30am on fourth Monday of the month.

10am to 11.30ish “Coffee and Chat” at the Heritage Centre - all who would like to join in for some or all of the time most welcome. A wide variety of topics discussed. (Not 26^th - Bank Holiday)

We are delighted that the Revd James Whately is moving to Verwood early in August to be Minister of the Shared Ministry Pastorate of Parkstone, Verwood, and West Moors United Reformed Churches.

We welcome him and his wife to Verwood and trust they will soon feel at home in our community.

We are very grateful for the help and support our three retired Ministers have provided over the years we have been without an appointed Minister. Now we are thankful that James comes as full-time Minister for our shared Pastorate, to encourage, guide and help our three congregations as we seek to serve our communities, ‘Walking the Way’ of Jesus. All who are looking for a way of life that values our world and all it’s people are invited to join us and share in the hope and peace that faith in a loving God can provide.

Our three Churches will come together on 24^th August in Verwood for the special Service of Induction in which James will formally become Minister of our Shared Pastorate. May God richly bless James as he begins this new phase in his ongoing Ministry and the communities in which he will be involved.’

Under promise and over deliver

Such wise advice, how rarely followed. Think of the estate agents who tell us that they will be able to sell our property for more than rivals have indicated: they get the commission, fail to find a buyer at the inflated price, come up with stock explanations/excuses, tell us we have to accept a lower offer – but they still pocket their commission.

You may be able to offer your own illustrations of those who make unrealistic promises and fail to deliver. How pleased we are when someone delivers more than expected!

Perhaps it has always been the case but too many politicians these days make rash promises of what they will deliver (rather than stating honestly what they hope to be able to deliver) with the result that their currency is devalued and we are tempted to say “a plague on you all.”

Which is unhealthy for democracy and for society at all levels.

Unrealistic expectations are a blight on human activities and relationships – and those who encourage such unrealistic expectations, seeking to deceive others into trusting them, deserve neither sympathy not support.

May we never be guilty of such sly and underhand behaviour. Matthew 5.37 records Jesus as saying, “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Ours was the first Church in Verwood, founded in 1802 when some fearless missionaries came from Ringwood hoping to tame and convert the wild heathen on the heath: the work goes on, joined over the years by other Churches with whom we have an excellent relationship in Churches Together in Verwood. Our present building dates from 1906 with major improvements in 2000. The previous building is next to us; after the new Church was built it became the local school and is now the Library. We were originally known as an Independent Church, later Congregational and since 1972 a United Reformed Church which also includes Presbyterian and Church of Christ traditions.

The church is awaiting the arrival of the new Minister, but the Revd Julian Macro (01202 814270 and 07586 255311, email, julian.macro@mansfield.oxon.org is available to offer pastoral support.

Our Church Secretary is Dorothy Macro (also 01202 814270) and our Church Treasurer is Chris Lyndon, (mobile no. 07789 834 520) Our email address is verwood@urc-eastdorset.org.uk . If you would like to receive our weekly emails please send us an email and we shall be happy to add you to the circulation list.

We could tell you a lot more, but hope you will come and find out for yourself –