The Link Magazine

You may have the impression that the Church does not overly concern itself with the non-human parts of God's creation. The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals is seeking to address this by promoting " concern and awareness related to all aspects of God's animal creation within the Anglican Church and the wider Christian Community."

Animals were an important part of the Celtic understanding of life and they appear with the saints in numerous delightful stories. One such story is that of St. Kevin, he was so gentle and kind that a blackbird built her nest in his outstretched hand; he kept perfectly still until the eggs were hatched and the young were fledged.

In Genesis 1.26 God said:
" Let us make humankind in our image, according to our
likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

Our interpretation of this word 'dominion' as despotism can be traced back to Aristotle; his Instrumentalist philosophy has been the prevalent influence on Western religious thinking, leading to untold daily suffering for countless animals. Two million animals are heartlessly slaughtered every day in the UK alone.

A better interpretation of dominion, in line with Christ like divine generosity, is that the care of the weak and defenceless has the moral priority. It is our responsibility to tend and care for our gentle companions on earth, the animals:
" We are to be active in prayer and deed to ensure
that we reflect not just Christ like feeling for the
suffering of the world but also Christ like healing.
We are not called to be mere spectators of the world
of suffering but to be active co-participants with God
the Holy Spirit in its redemption. "
(Animal Theology, Andrew Linzey, SCM Press 1994)

It takes 12 to 18 lbs. of grain to produce 1lb of beef; if we in the west reduced our meat consumption by as little as 10%, then enough land, water and energy would be freed to feed 40 million currently starving people. So caring about animals is also about caring for people.

Please bring the animals you love to our special animal blessing service at Offton on Animal Welfare Sunday,
October 5th 2003 at 4pm.

Peta Whiting

From the Registers

Welcome to:
Lily Rosanna Thornton, daughter of Sarah and Jo of The Old Rectory, Flowton, who was baptised in Flowton Church on April 27th

May she grow in faith

Farewell to:
Ida Prentice who died, aged 86, on April 19th at Howard House Nursing Home, Ipswich. Her ashes were interred in Willisham Churchyard on May 6th. Many folk in our villages will remember both Ida and Sandy, especially Sandy's stories -some of which appeared in The Link.

May she rest in peace

Bible Readings and Psalms for our Sunday Worship taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. It is good to be sharing the reading of Scripture with Christians - both Catholic and Protestant - across the world.

1st June Seventh Sunday of Easter White
Ezekiel 36. 24-28 Psalm 1
Acts 1. 15-17, 21-26 John 17. 6-19

8th June Day of Pentecost Red
Ezekiel 37. 1-14 Psalm 104. 26-37
Acts 2. 1-21 John 15. 26-end; 16. 4b-15

15th June Trinity Sunday Gold or White
Isaiah 6. 1-8 Psalm 29
Romans 8. 12-17 John 3. 1-17

22nd June First Sunday after Trinity Green
Job 38. 1-11 Psalm 107. 23-32
2 Corinthians 6. 1-13 Mark 4. 35-41

29th June St Peter and St Paul Red
Acts 12. 1-11 Psalm 125
2 Timothy 4. 6-8, 17, 18 Matthew 16. 13-19

Betty Gabell

On Saturday April 19th we heard of the death, at home, of our friend Betty Gabell, after a long illness very bravely borne.
Betty and her husband Ron had done much in their retirement years to support Flowton Church and other charities. Betty had also delivered The Link to houses on Bramford Tye for several years. She was a willing and ever-cheerful friend and neighbour with an artistic talent which showed in her many craft skills. She will be sorely missed by Ron, the many friends who went to her funeral and others who knew her, but we are all relieved that she has no more pain to suffer.
May she rest in peace

Flowton News

Many thanks to the team of grasscutters who are making Flowton churchyard look so good; thanks also to Warren and Brenda for the refreshments they supply, which are much appreciated. If you are able to help please contact Peter Rawley (658175) or Gordon Watkins (658394) for the next date.

At the Annual PCC Meeting, Diana and Keeley were thanked for their work as Churchwardens; Keeley has resigned and her place has been taken by Margaret Laflin. Sue Pearman has resigned and we thank her for 10 years service as Secretary; we are grateful to Judith Ewing for agreeing to take on that position.

F.O.S.S.

Hope the tabletop sale went O.K. and you got a few bargains.
The bacon rolls were lovely ladies!

We are holding a Bingo session at school on Thursday 5th June and are very pleased that Hilary has agreed to come and "call" for us. The charge is £1.00 per person which includes a bingo book and refreshments (drink or two and a packet of crisps for the children) We have such fun at the Beetle Drives and are hoping this proves as popular.

Of course our BIG one is this month. The Summer Fair will be held, as usual, on the school field and new playground. There are many of the old favourites but also some new attractions including the "Flower/Produce Show". By now we hope you will be well on the way to getting things organised for the classes you are going to enter. It's such a lovely old-fashioned country thing to do, we're really looking forward to it. If you haven't got your entry form by now you can still get one from the Post Office, the garage or the school.

Look out for the posters that will be around letting you know which attractions are coming. See you all there and have a lovely time.

Offton Church News

Church fete on Saturday 21st June Items for the tombola, plants, bric a brac and books would be very welcome. Contact Ian, Lucy or Anne,

Friday 11th July - Barn Dance at Castle Farm Barn with the Jigsaws.

History of Offton Church

On 12 April last, a group of people listened to a lecture on the history of Offton Church. Those of you who did not make it that night missed a treat, as Mrs. Silke Pinson-Roxburgh delighted the audience with a thoroughly prepared talk, and, aided by state of the art equipment showed many slides, not only of details of the building but also of incumbents and prominent members of the congregation down the years.

Some of the information came from the daughter of Rev. Welsh, a vicar in the 50s. She knew of the talk through The Link, the contents of which is now available to anyone in the world with access to the Internet. Homage was paid to Rev. John Potter who started the magazine. What would he have said if he knew his local had gone global!
Thank you, Silke, for an interesting evening.
Maartje Rondeboom

Somersham CSC

The season is now in full swing but the Stars have had relatively little action due to a quirk of the fixtures, and our only league fixture to date has been at Eaton. A couple of winter signings make them look
very strong and perhaps some of the Somersham riders were beaten before they started.

In heat 1 both Richard Williamson and Andrew Mittell slid off under no pressure and this seemed to set the scene. Gary Brown was our only race winner in a lacklustre performance and 116-59 defeat. Mittell quickly returned to the same track for a British Junior League round and much better showing. Second place in the Under 16 age group was an excellent result, but a lack of support means the team is unlikely to qualify for the finals. Along with the recently launched Suffolk Junior League this competition offers an excellent opportunity for youngsters to break into the sport, but sadly not yet taken up by many from Somersham.

A recent referee's inspection has meant most of our attention has recently focussed on the track - with spades and shovels! Some aspects were not up to scratch and improvements ordered. After nearly 30 years, concreted areas were breaking up and drains blocked with shale, but these issues have now been addressed. A new concrete starting grid has been laid, and this work was carried out entirely by our hard working track manager. Well done Peter!
A big turn out is predicted for the next meeting at Somersham - the East Anglian Grand Prix on May 31 at 14:00, while June's fixtures will keep the Stars much busier than of late.

you can contact us via (01473) 831474, e-mail ovalking@yahoo.com or take a look at the
new Somersham Cycle Speedway website:
www.btinternet.com/~SomershamCSC

SOMERSHAM W.I.

"Somersham's Twin Village" is the subject of our next meeting on the 2nd June at 7:30PM to be held at Somersham Village Hall. Janet Hodge is the speaker .
Guests are welcome for a small admission of £1.00 including tea/coffee and biscuits.

In April our members enjoyed a meeting featuring the "Cycling Granny" at Somersham Pavillion, a fantastic fashion and flower show at Debenham Community Centre and then at Gt. Blakenham Village Hall a speaker on the subject of the "Escaping Society". This is a charity sponsored by the RAF for those prisoners of war who escaped and their helpers in France, Belgium and other countries who at great risk to themselves shielded and led them to safety.

Gillian Wilson (01473) 658782 President

Somersham Baptist Church

Reputations

Just outside Cambridge there is a fast food restaurant logo that, unless you look very carefully, you could mistake for a Macdonald's sign. Recently Macdonald's opened a restaurant on the same site. Surprising as Ronald McDonald is so jealous over his corporate logo. Reputations are hard won and easily lost. So it is also surprising that God tied his reputation so tightly to the Church. Just a little knowledge of history demonstrates that the Church has too often given God a bad name. But Christians who make up the Church are just ordinary people who have owned up to their faults and have come to rely on Jesus for any credit.

In the Church the love and patience of God are displayed as he takes each one who belongs to him and builds the character of Jesus into the most unlikely specimens. It's not an exclusive club, Jesus said 'it is not the healthy who need a Doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'. (Mark 2:17.)

Don't be afraid to check your local Church out, its not the finished article yet, God is still at Work, and he might even be planning to take you on too!

Regular meetings

* Junior Church for School Years 1-6.

Ladies Meetings
Women's Fellowship 2.30pm Friday 13th June.
Friends and Neighbours 7.45pm Monday 16th June, Margaret Mellor Handbell Ringing.

Children and Young People (Held during term time)
Yr. 1-6, Wednesday Club 6.30pm.
Yr. 9 on, 14+ Friday 8.00pm, (at present we are full, but we are keeping a record of those who wish to join.)

Christianity Explained; Six sessions, which deal with Jesus, Salvation and becoming a Christian, to find out more contact Mark.

Contacts;
Pastor Mark Newcombe 01473 831940 e-mail mark.newcombe@btinternet.com
Colin Low 01473 464833 or Edwin Mayhew on 01473 658100. Web site www.somersham.com

Somersham Baptist Church, Chapel Lane, Somersham, IP8 4QE

CHURCH SERVICES in our 8 linked parishes
Please be aware that service times and Sundays have changed -please check with a Churchwarden if you think that a mistake has been made in this listing.

June 1st Seventh Sunday of Easter

June 8th Day of Pentecost

June 15th Trinity Sunday

June 22nd First Sunday after Trinity

June 29th St Peter and St Paul

I must admit that writing this article is proving difficult because in the last month very little has happened on the crime front. This is of course very good for all of us except when I have to write about it.
There have been just a couple of incidents of which to be aware:
1) an attempted theft from a motor vehicle in Willisham on 25th April, when 2 youths with pedal cycles were seen, at about 6.00am, opening the door of a car on a driveway. Nothing was stolen although items were moved.
2) a woman was knocked off her pedal cycle in Bildeston Road, Offton on April 13th -a car coming towards her on the wrong side of the road around a bend forced her into a hedge causing minor injuries. The car drove on towards Bildeston without stopping.
Outside your area, both Badley and Barham churches have suffered thefts recently; please report any suspect persons or vehicles around the churches in your area.

The very light evenings are giving rise to complaints in some areas concerning noise generated by children playing in the streets. If your children are out and about, please ensure you know where they are and what they are doing; you may not be able to hear them but is someone else suffering for your peace and quiet?

Do you want to see your beat officer get soaking wet?
If so, come along to the Needham Market Raft race on June 29th at Needham Lakes, when myself and PC Paul Elding (N.Mkt. C.P.O.) will be taking part and doing our best to beat the competition.

It is the time of year when I will be visiting Ringshall and Somersham Schools for cycle safety training, but it is also a good time to remind you all to check the safety of your child's cycle. Some of those I have seen being ridden around could do with a good service to ensure brakes and steering are in good order. Don't put your child at risk for the sake of a few minutes to check their cycle.
New 'Airwaves' radio system
You will notice that the telephone numbers at the head and end of this article have changed. The old voicemail number no longer exists as all Suffolk officers now have a voicemail facility as part of our new Airwaves radio system. To leave me a message use our main Force contact number and ask to leave a voicemail message for me -PC980 Kevin Shields. The Airwaves system means that if I am on duty and available, your call can be put through to me wherever I am.
If you have any information about any crime or incident mentioned in this article please contact me

Thank you
PC Kevin Shields
01473 383390 Stowmarket Police Station
01473 613500 Police Headquarters

To go to the Suffolk Police web site please click here

Somersham Church Notes

Many thanks to everyone who supported Christian Aid Week by leaving their envelopes at designated collection points.- thanks to them too and the magazine distributors for delivering the envelopes. We will let you know how much was collected in Somersham in the next magazine.

The Flower Festival & Open Gardens Weekend 2003 - See advert elsewhere with all the details but there's always room for more helpers! If you would like to help make the weekend a success, please ring Pat Woolhouse or Christine Jarrold.

Churchyard grass - You probably appreciate how neat and tidy the churchyard always looks, and this is due to Denis and John keeping the grass cut regularly. There must be a few more who would be willing to help with this job now and again during the summer months to give Denis and John the occasional break. If so please get in touch with them or Pat Woolhouse.

FRENCH CONNECTION

SOMERSHAM / CHALLAIN LA POTHERIE

VILLAGE LINK

FRENCH VISIT TO SOMERSHAM

It was with real pleasure that we welcomed our visitors from Challain-la-Potherie to our village and into our homes over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
A party of 40 Challainois had travelled through the night to be with us. They visited London on the way and saw the Queen twice! They arrived tired but happy and were taken to hosts homes for an evening meal and well-deserved rest. The following day they savoured the delights of Cambridge, accompanied by Terry and Richard as guides.
A barn dance in the village hall got both the French and the English on their feet and we were all able to join in with both countries traditional dances. Courtesy of Anna & Max, a mini-fete and barbecue on Saturday enabled us to show off some traditional country games as well as lending a slight air of friendly competition as we tried to gain the most points.
One of the aims of a village link is to lead to understanding between different cultures and people. It is certainly succeeding. Real friendships have been made, not only between the two villages, but also within our own villages as people meet others and work together with a common aim. A great weekend, with lots of hard work, lots of fun and lots of friendship. Very many thanks to all involved to make it such a success.

Gill Fordham: 831529 David Haughton: 831511
Janet Hodge: 832296 Pat Woolhouse: 831080

Somersham & District Community Association

Playingfield Project - Update

Since our last article in February we have been working on the large amount of preparation that is needed just to get a project off the ground. We have created a Business Plan, Project Plan, Cost Analysis and Development Plan. All of these will be refined as we consult more widely and gather more information.

We have received good support from Mid Suffolk District Council who employ development officers to help these initiatives.

At the moment the sub-committee see our plans falling into four parts:
Part One - Football Development
Part Two - Multi Sports Development
Part Three - Play Development
Part Four - Amenity Development

It has not been decided yet whether to tackle these parts altogether, in groups or singularly.

The sub-committee is interested in hearing from anyone who is keen to organise a new sport in the village, particularly where the sport would use an all-weather multi sports arena. This would help support Part Two of the plan.

In the meantime, we are holding discussions with Somersham Football Club to see how their aspirations for the future of football in Somersham can be linked with the project.

If you would like to help with this project or have any comments please contact any of the following:

Terry Fordham - Tel 831529 Mike Shelmerdine - Tel 831661
Steve Woolhouse - Tel 831080 Richard Fordham - Tel 830602