Mother's Union - Special Feature (February 2010)
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News from the Mother’s Union
There couldn’t be a better time of year for Christians to think about our troops in Afghanistan and try to raise their spirits. And that’s what Mothers’ Union in the Newcastle Diocese have been doing.
The Rev. Marion Penfold, Mothers’ Union Chaplain and vicar of Otterburn, has strong links with the Army Camp. She and the Commandant came up with the idea of Operation Dolly Mixture, a project involving filling shoe boxes with small items that Service personnel – both men and women - simply cannot get in Afghanistan.
Contents of the shoe boxes can include lip balm, cotton socks, toiletries, puzzle books, cotton buds, boiled sweets and chewing gum. (Items such as aerosols, paperbacks and other sweets aren’t appropriate.) Provided the boxes weigh less than two kilos, postage is free.
The scheme has the blessing of both Bishop Martin and Canon Pat Johnson and Mothers’ Union branches throughout the diocese have been invited to take part. Since the autumn, hundreds of shoe boxes have been sent, all of them including messages of good will from Mothers’ Union branches and, of course, a packet of Dolly Mixtures. And a number of letters have been received in reply from serving personnel who have expressed their thanks and appreciation.
MU member Jenny Lee and her husband have been sending parcels to troops for some time and letters back have included such responses as : "It made me feel wanted" and "Knowing that someone back home is proud of the job we are doing makes it all worthwhile". One officer wrote: "It's the fact that a complete stranger in the UK cares enough to go to the trouble of sending a parcel to someone working in extreme danger. Funnily enough, the parcels have a habit of arriving just when a morale boost is needed!"
Jenny’s own son is now serving in the armed forces and is due to go to Afghanistan shortly. She says: “Once again our lives will revolve around the weekly phone call, letters and parcels. Making up parcels filled with treats and bits of home, lovingly put together, is just as much a boost for us as it is for him. Over the years I have spoken to him about the work of the Mothers' Union and he was very moved to hear about Operation Dolly Mixture. Yet again the Mothers' Union is making a loving, supportive, praying and practical difference to our young men and women who sacrifice so much in their duty to their country.”
Now the Christmas rush of family parcels is over, there’s the inevitable low period of the early months of 2010. Mothers’ Union branches have avoided clogging up the postal system between Newcastle and Afghanistan over the festive season. So, now renewed vigour is being applied and what better time could there be for sending a shoe box?
If you’d like to make a contribution and help Mothers’ Union in this worthwhile project, please contact your local Mothers’ Union Branch or contact Jane Pannell on 01289 388321 or e-mail at janepannell@aol.com.
Contributions could comprise shoebox contents or money to buy contents. And if you are a manufacturer or supplier of cotton socks or other products that could be used, we’d be really pleased to hear from you.
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Watching out for women in the church
WATCH was formed in 1996 as a forum for promoting women’s ministry in the Church of England, and also to provide a national network and support group for women priests and all who are working for an inclusive church.
Our priorities are: the appointment of women at all levels in the Church, honesty and openness in all appointments, support for women in lay and ordained ministries, and for all those who suffer because of their advocacy of women's ministries.
As you might expect, Watch has been helping to prepare the ground for the time when the Church of England has women bishops: writing letters, speaking at synods and in recent months making representation to the Revision Committee who are preparing the draft legislation on women bishops – planned for discussion at the February General Synod but now postponed until July.
The North East branch covers both Newcastle and Durham dioceses. Our most recent meeting was in November on a rainy night in warm church in Bensham. We were introduced to the Sheila Bamber (Residentiary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral elect) who spoke to us abut her role as advisor for women’s ministry in Durham Diocese. Miranda Threlfall Homes (chaplain at University College, Durham) reported back from the Watch AGM and her presentation to the revision committee.
Watch NE will meet again on March 2. Anyone, lay and ordained, female and male is welcome to come to this meeting: to find out what the issues are around women bishops, to ask questions and to discuss the implications of any forthcoming legislation.
The meeting will take place at St Mary’s Church, Heworth which is situated near Heworth Metro on the Felling bypass.
If you would like to join WATCH and support the campaign or to be added to our contacts list, please get in touch with: Chris Petrie: Chris.Petrie@newcastle.ac.uk Miranda Threlfall Holmes: miranda.threlfallholmes@durham.ac.uk. Allison Fenton:
allison@fentonius.net. www.womenandthechurch.org
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Holy Sepulchre Church MU branch reborn
The Mothers’ Union branch at Holy Sepulchre, Ashington closed more than 30 years ago, but when I moved to Ashington nearly two years ago, interest was expressed for re-starting the branch.
So with the support and encouragement of our vicar, the Rev. Elizabeth Bland, a series of meetings was organised during 2009.
Potential new members, returning members and just the plain curious turned up! We heard about overseas work, local projects and spiritual growth.
Now 15 women have signed up as members – of whom six are returnees. Throughout this period the concept of a MU branch has been welcomed by the congregation, in particular by the churchwardens and the clergy. So now from Sunday January 24, Holy Sepulchre Church will again have a MU branch.
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