Weekly Email w/b 12th July 2021

July 15, 2021

“It’s coming home?” Sadly not this year, though it’s been good to dream and great to watch the football over the last few weeks. Like me, did you stay up late on Sunday evening and watch the penalties with your head in your hands and a faint sense of ‘deja vu’? But what a team, and what an achievement to read the final of Euro 2020.

Many of us have been more taken up with the aftermath of the game, and the racial abuse towards some of the team. Rashford, Sancho and Saka showed incredible courage in stepping up to take penalties, and those who are racially abusing them show the exact opposite.

One writer commented “When you win, they become colour blind. But when you lose, they talk about the colour of your skin.” This sort of racism is desperately sad and deeply troubling, a reminder that there are still deeply ingrained prejudices in the way that we view one another in society and as humanity. I find also myself encouraged however by the wave of support and call for equality which perhaps wouldn’t have been so clearly expressed thirty years ago.

Perhaps this is what “proclaiming hope” is all about, whether in the world of football, family, finance or whatever else. Where there’s brokenness to speak healing, where there’s division to bring reconciliation, where there’s hatred to sow love. It’s seldom quick, never easy, and always costly. But that’s life in the kingdom of God, this topsy-turvy kingdom where the first shall be last, where the the meek will inherit, the mourning will be comforted, the hungry will be filled…. and, one day please, we won’t lose on penalties and football will come home.

With thanks and prayers, as always, as together we are “growing faith, proclaiming hope, and living the love of Jesus.”

Phil Cansdale
Vicar and Area Dean of Shrewsbury

This Sunday – 18th July – we continue to meet at 9am and 11am for our Sunday celebrations. The weather is finally looking pretty good for the weekend, and so we’re also very much hoping to be able to be outdoors at 9.30am for our Radbrook Green celebration. There is also our midweek service taking place this coming Thursday (15th July) at 10am at Holy Trinity Church.

We’re keeping a close eye on government and church regulations in the light of the PM’s announcement of the beginning of “Phase 4” on Monday 19th July. We are hopeful about some of the opportunities which may be opening up again in our church gatherings, though we fully recognise that while cases are rising that we all need to continue to act carefully and cautiously.

As always, we would love you to join us, and whether online or in person find ways in which we can encourage each other and build up the life of our church.

Let us know you’d like to come to one of our services

Find us on Facebook Live

As we all know, Judith Clarkson will be retiring from her work as Children’s Minister at the end of July. The next fortnight will be lots of “last” events like toddlers, Messy Church, baptisms, midweek groups etc. We’ll be praying for her, and saying our customary “thankyou” on Sunday 25th July at the 11am service in particular.

We’d love for as many people as possible to write a note of thanks and appreciation in a virtual ‘card’. You can do that by clicking on the link below, and it will take you to a really simple way of leaving your message.

We’d also love to give Judith a gift from all of us as congregations across Trinity Churches. The easiest way if by giving online by bank transfer, details below. There will also be some envelopes available at Holy Trinity church into which you could put a gift. Thankyou.

PCC Holy Trinity Meole Brace, Christ the King Radbrook
Account Number: 01317554
Sort Code: 30-97-62
Reference: JUDITH

Leave a short message to say thankyou

We are looking for a new full-time Operations Manager. You’ll be working with the wider staff team and the hundreds of people who make up Trinity Churches to ensure our operational life remains strong, with particular oversight for personnel, finance and our premises. If you’ve got exceptional admin skills, and experience of ‘getting stuff done’ we’d love to hear from you. For more details go to www.trinitychurches.org/jobs.

Find out more about the Operations Manager role

Over many years the New Wine Summer Conference has been an important part of life for quite a few of us at Trinity. This year’s summer conference – online – starts on 29th July with some really great speakers. We’re exploring some of us getting together on the late afternoon of Friday 30th for some food in the area around the Trinity Centre, and then we’ll join in with the evening celebration on a big screen. If some people want to camp on the Glebe then that’s hopefully possible, and we might could do something on the Saturday morning for those still around.

We’re also going to be joining with New Wine on the evening of Sunday 1st August for our monthly celebration.

If you’re interested – or want to find out more – chat to Fi Iddon or Craig Silcock.

More about New Wine 2021

Let’s be honest, the last year has been really tough on many of us. In our own lives, in our families, in our workplaces, in our church. At this stage of our COVID journey we’re finding that quite a few people are benefit from having conversation to try and process something of what’s been going on, and – in a safe space – talk about their pandemic experience. And looking forward what life as a follower of Jesus might look like from here.

Over July and August we’re wanting to have a “BIG conversation” about our pandemic experience. Would you like to meet one-to-one with someone for a guided conversation? Or use a resource in your small group or family? You’ll find more details on our website, and are able to let us know you’d like a “listening ear” to help you think around these four words.

Find more resources for the BIG Conversation

With continued lifting of some of the COVID principles we’re pleased that Cafe Connect and CLOISTERS continue to be places of warm welcome. Cafe Connect remains open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday as well as Saturday mornings. And CLOISTERS pop-up cafe continues at its new opening times of 10am to 2pm.

Meanwhile we’d love a discussion with anyone who’d like to join the team at either Cafe Venue. Got some spare time? Would love to get alongside others and make a difference? Come and have a conversation with us and we’ll put you in touch. It’s great fun, a good way to serve God and be a blessing in the local community.

Our dear friend John Crum died on 1st May 2020, from Parkinson’s not COVID. As with many others there has not been a suitable opportunity to remember him.

Our bellringers have organised a tour of John’s favourite bell towers on Wednesday 21st July. This is the anniversary of the Battle of Shrewsbury when, faithfully every year, John would go to Battlefield Curch to toll their bell. The tour will start at Meole, progress to Battlefield and finish at St Mary’s and St Chad’s in Shrewsbury. Then ringers and friends will meet at 7.30pm at The Brooklands for a meal. Michael Carding, Andy Digby and all the ringers extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to join this celebration of John’s life at Meole.

The ringing is at 3pm followed by a short service at 3.30pm. Just turn up, listen to the bells and join the service. If you would like to eat at the Brooklands at 7.30pm please contact Michael on 01743 369325 or 07814 567363 or michaelcarding@btinternet.com.