Mission
Prayers, Blessing, Celebration and Farewell
A Trustees’ Meeting with a Difference - News from Mothers’ Union, June 2017
Before I launch into our June activities, I just wanted to thank you all for supporting ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ which led us prayerfully up to Pentecost. I know that many of you organised special Services and Prayer meetings and I hope you enjoyed the fellowship of those gatherings. Perhaps some of you also joined Lynne Tembey and our members in Hull on 31 May for the World Wide Special Service which was brought to us through a live podcast – what an inspiring Service!
As you know, we gather monthly on Tuesdays at 12 noon for our Eucharist Service in the Cathedral. Fr Michael Camp presided at our June Service, and it was lovely to see so many members and friends from St Peter’s, Parkstone, who came to support and participate in the Service. Thank you for coming.
The dates of our Eucharist Services are published well in advance in ‘Windows’ – the next one is on Tuesday 25 July at 12 noon. So do please come and support this beautiful Service and bring along your friends. The power of Prayer is infinite and immeasurable – please come and participate in this vital part of our ministry. I am most grateful to Jenny Harrison and Rosemary Allen who give much of their time to planning and organising the monthly Eucharists – thank you.
Our Trustees’ meetings are usually held in Church House – but our meeting last month was a bit different. As you probably know already, the Mothers’ Union in this Diocese owns a 6 berth holiday home which lives down at Rockley Holiday Park, Poole. The home is used to provide holidays for needy families who are referred to us through welfare organisations and parishes. The home is a wonderful resource and has provided much needed respite and refreshment for many, many families over the years.
The existing home had been purchased secondhand some 4 years ago, with the help and generosity of the Musgrave Trust. After 4 years of regular use and the wear and tear which accompanies that, it was beginning to look a little tired to say the least.
Knowing full well that our existing funds wouldn’t stretch to a replacement, we focussed our Prayers, and sought to find new ways of replacing the home. Well, the Holy Spirit works in wonderful ways, and within a very short space of time, funds to replace the existing home with a brand new 6 berth holiday home, through the generosity of the Musgrave Trust together with the Tindall Trust, became available to us. So what better way to give thanks to all concerned, than to combine a Trustees’ meeting with A Blessing of our new home followed by a Celebration Lunch.
On the day, our Trustees were joined by many friends, who over the years, have been associated with the holiday home. We were also very fortunate to have with us representatives of our donors. Canon Ann Philp, representing the Tindall Trust, kindly carried out the Blessing and Brendan Musgrave, representing the Musgrave Trust, travelled down from London to join in the Celebrations.
![Rockley Park [June 2017]](http://zmi-bb4.beetlebrow.com/sal/images/inside-pages/mission/mothers-union/news/rockley-park-june-2017 "Rockley Park [June 2017]")
After the Blessing and a toast, we moved across to ‘Tides Members’ Club’ for our lunch. After all, twenty or so adults was a rather large number for the holiday home to accommodate in one go! It was of course, a very special occasion but also, an occasion tinged with a little sadness. Our Community Development Coordinator, Joanne Triffitt, is leaving us this summer after 7 years of dedicated hard work and support of Mothers’ Union. The gathering at Rockley Park offered Trustees the opportunity to say a very personal farewell and thank you to her. Joanne, you have been an inspration to us all and we will all miss you greatly. We wish you all the best for the future and look forward to seeing you at our Autumn Council when our members can give you their thanks and say their farewells.
![Joanne Triffitt Presentation [June 2017]](http://zmi-bb4.beetlebrow.com/sal/images/inside-pages/mission/mothers-union/news/joanne-triffitt-presentation-june-2017 "Joanne Triffitt Presentation [June 2017]")
So, now with the celebrations over, the mobile home must be put to good use. If you know of any families who would benefit from time spent at our new holiday home, please contact
murockleyholidayhome@gmail.com, or telephone 07981 743627.
There is no time to lose, we are already receiving bookings for 2018!
As I am writing about holidays, let me remind you of our Away From It All (AFIA) holiday at the Sidholme Hotel, Sidmouth from 19 to 26 August 2017. We still need donations of craft materials (face paints, ordinary paints, brushes, crayons, coloured pencils, paper, coloured card/ tissue/ crepe paper, play dough, beads, thread, wool etc), teddies with the CE label only, biscuits, squash and money donations. Please arrange to bring your donations to the MU Office before we close at the end of July. Thank you.
And now, here are some dates for your diary:
25 July 2017 at 12 noon
MU Eucharist in the Cathedral
2/ 3 August 2017
Open Days at Mary Sumner House
9 August 2017
Mary Sumner Day
19/ 26 August 2017
AFIA Holiday at the Sidholme Hotel, Sidmouth
26 September 2017
MU Eucharist in the Cathedral
29/ 30 September 2017
Evensong, Celebration Dinner and AGM – Edinburgh
14 October 2017
Autumn Council in the Community Centre, Market Lavington
24 October 2017
MU Eucharist in the Cathedral
Rosie Stiven
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