Dunholme Community

The Parish Church of Dunholme is dedicated to St Chad.

The parish Church of St Chad's

Dunholme Parish Church of St Chad's

There has been a church on this site for at least 700 years and there may have been a worshipping community in the village for even longer. The fact that the Doomsday Book (1087) makes no mention of the church in Dunholme does not neccessarily mean that no church existed. It is one of 31 churches dedicated to St Chad, a native of Northumbria.

Above: St Chad's from the spring at the bottom of Holmes Lane

Above: View of the church from Holms Lane.

Below: Showing the church tower

WELTON & DUNHOLME METHODIST CHAPEL

FROM THE METHODIST MINISTER

The current protest being staged outside St. Paul's Cathedral seems to have captured more public attention than we might have anticipated. The political reverberations combined with the resignations of two senior figures within the Church of England have increased the scope of the ‘story' enormously. The decision by the Church to take legal action to evict the ‘Occupy London' group from the west side of the Cathedral is to my mind an understandable but regrettable consequence of the protest. The problem is that this has now become the story, rather than the very laudable aim of the campaign to raise the issue of economic injustice. Someone needs to!

Whilst watching a news broadcast from outside St. Paul's, I was interested to see one man dressed as Jesus holding a placard which read, ‘I threw out the moneylenders for a reason'. This refers to the time when Jesus found trading (and cynical profiteering) happening inside the Temple grounds. What was meant to be a place of worship had become in part a place of commerce. Jesus, however, wasn't just objecting to moneymaking; the religious establishment's whole attitude to God, their ethical behaviour and their treatment of others had become shot through with self-interest. The time had come, Jesus was announcing, for the old, corrupt, Temple apparatus of ‘worship' to be dismantled and for true God-centred worship to take its rightful place - the prime hallmark of which is to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart...and love your neighbour as yourself.' (Mark 12:30,31)

Let's not forget that Jesus lost his life protesting against the morally bankrupt practice of ‘religion' that had taken the place of true faith - faith that calls people not to grasp all they can, but to give all they can to honour God and to live with compassion. When we reach the point in our world where one person can say ‘I am worth my millions' while another says ‘I am worth nothing', we must surely recognize the need to seek radical change in the way society operates. We must protest.
Rev. Andy Burrows

Welton & Dunholme Methodist Chapel

Methodist Services

Feb.5th Rev. Stephen Brown H.C.
     12th Jeff Dukes
     19th Led by Holiday Club
     26th Duncan Franks

Saturday Coffee Morning

What could be better on a winter's morning than to enjoy a hot cuppa in warm & friendly surroundings. The Chapel offers this every Saturday morning from 10.00-11.30am in their schoolroom. The following folk will be on hand to serve you:-

Feb. 4th Jane & David
11th Sheila & Cyril
18th Anne & Yvonne
25th Betty & Sheila H.

Film Club

If you are at home on the first Thursday of the month, why not pop along to the Chapel at 2.00. There you can join like minded people to enjoy a film followed by afternoon tea. A good afternoon of entertainment plus food all for £3.00, that can't be bad. Our next showing will be on February 2nd phone the booking office on 860998 to book your seat.

Krafty Kids

Have you a pre-school child to look after? If so why not pop along to the Chapel Schoolroom on Thursday February 23rd at 2.00pm. You will meet others in the same position and the children will have fun with the toys as well as messy play, stories and songs. If you would like more information ring Linda McCree 860998

Chapel New Build- Update

As announced earlier, your local Chapel is in the happy position of being too small!

By the latter end of 2011 we had managed to secure the land adjacent to our present site. We have now employed a local architect to draw up plans and will very shortly be in the hands of the planning department. So watch this space!

The Chapel is very much here to serve God by serving the community and we have been very pleased with the support and interest shown by our local villagers. Naturally this project is going to cost a lot of money and this will be on top of, not instead of, the Chapel's usual giving to worthy causes. So we are organising extra fund raising events and we ask for your support.

So far we have raised £2.500 through collecting oddments of gold - so if you have any odd earrings, broken chains etc we will be happy to collect. Other events to date have included Winter Wonderland, raffle, cake stalls, Big Breakfast, ceilidh, manicures etc. We are grateful to the magazine for advertising our many events and we ask for your support by coming along to some if not all of these. If you would like more information please ring 860998.

Dates for the diary
Feb 13th Half Term Holiday Club ‘The Olympians' for primary School Children ring 860998 to book Saturday March 31st 7.00pm Lindum Ladies Choir at The Chapel. Tickets £5.00 incl. Coffee & Cake. Ring 860998 for tickets.

Saturday June 9th 2.30pm Chapel Garden Party at The Hollies 21 Ryland Rd.

Prayer-pop-In.

Welton & Dunholme Methodist Chapel provides lots of opportunities to socialise and make new friends. Among one of the most popular events is our Coffee Morning which takes place every Saturday between 10.00 and 11.30 in our schoolroom. Currently we are extending this event to give those who wish an opportunity to spend a short time in prayer. Prayer-pop-In will take place in the Chapel on the fourth Saturday morning in the month from 11.00 to 11.15. Please feel free to come into the Chapel for just a few minutes or for the whole period, just as you wish. If you don't feel comfortable at this time to come in but wish to have a prayer said for yourself or for someone close to you, speak to David (861461), Elaine (860252) or Doug (960486). If this event is a success we will try to make it a regular feature of our Saturday mornings.

WELTON AND DUNHOLME METHODIST CHURCH LADIES FELLOWSHIP

Our January meeting was held at the home of Rev Andy Burrows, when he gave us an interesting insight into the Salvation Army, his previous ministry.

The next meeting is on the 9th February and is an evening with a representative from the charity "Cornerstone" at Juniper House, 34 Cliff Road , Welton, starting at 7.45 pm. Our meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, usually at each other's houses. If you would like to join us or would like further details, please ring Barbara on 860823.

MOTHER'S UNION.

In mid December we enjoyed a Faith Lunch followed by Christmas Meditation with carols here at St. Mary's Church.
Tuesday January 10th is corporate communion at St. Mary's Church at 12.15pm.
On Wednesday 11th January is Lunch at the Black Bull Welton at 12.30pm then afterwards the AGM in the church vestry.
A Happy and Peaceful New Year to every one.
Anne Loom.

WELTON & DUNHOLME MEN'S BREAKFAST.

These informal social events are organised by Welton & Dunholme Methodists, and are open to all men, whether church goers or not, interested in meeting new friends. The Black Bull at Welton serves an excellent full English breakfast, which is usually followed by a short talk. We now meet at 9.00 and hope to be finished by approximately 10.30. The Breakfast is normally held on the third Saturday of each month, which for February will be on the 18th. Anyone interested, please contact John Ryland (860823) or David Wilson (861461).

Community Bible Study

CBS has spent the last year studying the Book of Genesis, and it has been a fascinating twelve months. Discussing the Creation and Noah's Ark, walking with Abraham and his descendants to the Promised Land, examining God's faithful promises, and realising that the God of the Old Testament is the same today and tomorrow, has been wonderful.
Over the next few months, we will be looking at what are often known as the Pastoral Letters, the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, and then at the letters of John and Jude. Next summer we shall be returning to the Old Testament to study the Book of Daniel. Coming from several different churches as we do, I'm sure that the studies will provoke some lively debates! There are currently 26 of us - not bad for a village - drawn from eight different churches, and it is great to study God's word together.
We meet every Wednesday (in term time), 9.30 - 11.30, at the Old School Rooms, Dunholme. Our first meeting of the term will be 21st September, to register for the year and catch up with each other after the long summer break. If you would like to join us, you would be more than welcome. We can provide a crèche if necessary, so if you have young children, you can still come! Please ring me for more details on 01673 866467.
Jane Hutchinson

For Community Bible Study International click here

ST CHAD'S CHURCH

Christmas - Vicars letter
Once again this year I'm looking forward to all the Christmas activities which, as Parish Priest, I'm privileged to be invited to share in - the many and creative ways in which friends in these villages tell and retell the Christmas story - Nativity plays at the junior and infant schools; Carols on the Green; Carols by Candlelight; Carol services and concerts where we retell the story in music and readings; Sunday School and Creche's pictures.

The Christmas story, however we tell it, is a familiar one ‑ how a homeless couple found shelter in the stable of an inn. How Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in the manger. And how this child was no ordinary child, but was in fact God's own Son and the angels sang to the shepherds on the hillside.

It's more than just a good story. It's a story which touches us at a deep level. In seeing this small baby lying in a manger we instinctively know we are experiencing something important about God himself, about our human nature, about the very essence of what it is to be human. And all the fun and creative ways we find of telling and retelling the story seek to engage us with what it might mean for us.

The story that we tell in such creative ways each year tells us in a very special way that God is with us, that God loves us and will never stop loving us and that nothing can ever separate us from that love, not even life's darkest or most frightening experiences. In this baby, God declares that he is present with us in the ordinary things of the world - in the cry of a newborn baby, in the warmth and love with which that child is surrounded, in the dark coldness of a stable, in the empty rejection of a stranger's back room. In becoming a human being, sharing our humanity, God ensured there is no corner of our humanity or our human experience - both bad and good - where his love cannot reach.

So once again this year, through our Nativity plays, our carol-singing and readings, our cutting, pasting, sticking and colouring, we go with the shepherds and the angels to the stable, and we see the child lying in the manger. As we gaze into the face of God, his weakness speaks to our weakness, his vulnerability speaks to our deepest insecurities and fears, his need for warmth and human love speak to our deepest longings for fulfilment and acceptance. And we know there is no part of our life ‑ whatever we might go through ‑ that God, in this tiny baby Jesus, and in the man crucified on a cross will not go through with us.

The story does not end at the stable. That's the beginning. The child lying in a manger shows us the beginning of a new relationship with God, a God who is truly "with us" in all that life brings, every step of the way. No wonder the angels sang, and we join in "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth".
Happy Christmas!

Revd. Jenny Rowley

SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE IN FEBRUARY 2012

February 5^th	9.15	Scothern: Morning Prayer
3^rd Sunday before Lent	11.00	Dunholme: All Age Worship
3^rd Sunday before Lent	11.00	Welton: Holy Communion

February 12^th	9.15	Scothern: Holy Communion
2^nd Sunday before Lent	11.00	Dunholme: Holy Communion
2^nd Sunday before Lent	11.00	Welton: All Age Worship

February 19^th Sunday next before Lent	9.15	Scothern: Morning Worship
	11.00	Dunholme: Morning Worship
	11.00	Welton: Holy Communion

February 26^th 1^st Sunday of Lent	9.15	Scothern: Holy Communion
	11.00	Dunholme: Holy Communion
	11.00	Welton: Morning Worship

FROM THE REGISTERS:

We share in the sadness of those who mourn the death of a loved one, remembering those whose funeral has taken place, or cremated remains have been laid to rest this month:
1 November Lionel Hinds
2 November Doreen Edge

ST CHAD'S DUNHOLME
What's in a name?

If you are asked to name a celebrity, who comes to mind - your favourite popstar, actor, comedian, model, footballer? It probably isn't the name of a Saint that's, uppermost, yet in their day they could be called the celebrities of their time. Many of them came from wealthy or noble families, as did St. Chad, and gave up their lifestyle to follow Jesus' teaching and spread His word. St. Chad ended up as Bishop of Mercia and Lindsey. It is interesting to consider that he died in 672 and we still remember him today - how many celebrities will be remembered in 1300 years time?
Dunholme will be celebrating St. Chad's day on March 13^th to remember the qualities of our patronal saint. When we read about the life of St Chad, we come to realize that having given up a privileged and noble background he took on a humble and obedient way of life, disciplined by prayer, study of the scripture and care of others. It does seem that he gave up a comfortable life, but in fact he gained far more than he gave up. He responded to God's call and fulfilled his destiny, escorted to heaven by a choir of angels on March 2^nd.
March is the month when we are heading into spring and we are also in Lent in the Christian calendar. The word Lent comes from the old English name for this season, ‘Lencten' and was adopted by the church for the time leading up to Easter. This time symbolizes the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert.

A lot of people think that Lent is a time when you give something up. But maybe by taking an example from St. Chad we should take up something as well! So even if you don't agree with giving up something for Lent, can we use this time to take something up for God?

Addendum: On Mother's Day a warm welcome awaits you and all your family at our special Mothering Sunday service March 14^th at 10.45am

Yours in Christ Sarah Gaydon and Yvonne Pullen, Members of St. Chad's Ministry Team

YOUR CHURCH - ST. CHAD'S CHURCH - YOUR HERITAGE
Continuing the series on the condition and proposed work to the Church
With regard to the information provided on the restoration of the pinnacles of the Church Tower (October) and the general condition of the main building last month, I am please to advise that the Parochial Church Council (P.C.C.) has now made a formal application to the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the necessary Planning Permission. Whilst the P.C.C. has been able to raise funds towards the cost it is not sufficient to enable all the work to be completed.
In that respect a grant application has be made to the Lincolnshire Old Churches Trust and we are hopeful that our submission will be successful and allow us to commence work in the New Year. Hopefully more about this in January.
In last months addition I briefly mentioned that woodworm infestation and fungal decay had been found in the four raised floor areas in the nave of the church and discovered during a survey carried out in May 2008. The combination of fungal and insect activity has weakened some of the floor joists significantly. Whilst the floor was still able to support the pews at the time of inspection, it must be appreciated that the timbers are in an ongoing cycle of deterioration and a decision has to be made to replace them sooner or later. The P.C.C. is looking at various options which would enable the floor to be levelled throughout the nave of the church, thus providing a more flexible space, and allowing easy access for those with mobility difficulties. The temporary removal of the pews to replace the floor has also provided an opportunity to look into the seating requirements. A small sub committee was set up to establish available options and to assist with this process a number of visits were made to churches with similar flooring problems to that of St Chad's.
Nothing is straight forward when changes are being contemplated within any building but these are amplified when dealing with a building that has significant historical interest. Before our architect can provide the necessary detailed drawings and specification for the lowered floor a faculty (church planning permission) has to be obtained and before that a full archaeological investigation is required in the areas below the wooden platform to ensure that we do not disturb any area of special interest (e.g. - preliminary investigations under the north west wooden platform in April 2009 exposed part of a much earlier flagstone floor.
Whilst this floor area had been lifted to facilitate the archaeological work we were able to confirm that the wooden floor was in a very poor condition.
The supporting joists were in such a state (i.e. little more than dust) that it was not possible to reinstate the old pew platform. Replacement floor joists and a plywood floor have been constructed as a temporary solution in order that the church could be returned to a fully usable state.
The remaining three wooden floors have to similarly raised and inspected archaeologically.
We have now received the necessary permission from the Church Authorities for this work will continue. The next available time when the archaeological specialists are available is February 2010.

* see link to the British Geological Survey web site
(http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/uk_special/market_rasen_2702200.htm

David Rosier St. Chad’s PCC

Rebuilding the Church
ST CHAD'S needs your help.
Over hundreds of years St Chad's Church has continuously needed work to keep it open and working for the people of the village. By 1900 it was in need of serious restoration and the energetic and popular Vicar Samuel Wild spent two decades making the much needed improvements. This was only made possible with the help of the people of the village.
We are now acing the same situation again and once again we need to call on the people of the village for help.
Throughout our lives we call on the Church to be there for us, it is the centre of the village and is a cornerstone we come to rely on for:-
Christenings & Baptisms Weddings Remembrance
Easter & Christmas A place of refuge & prayer Funerals
We need to raise money to improve the building and make it accessible for the whole community.
If you feel you can help any way, through donations, sponsorship, volunteering at an event or if you have any ideas for fundraising and would like more information the Church will be open; for coffee and cake at the Coffee Stop on the 1st Tuesday of the month.
There is an envelope inside this newsletter for any donations or ideas. Please put them through the letter box to Heater Hunter at the Old Vicarage, next to the Church.

St. Chad's Church -
Your Church - Your Heritage
Continuing the series on the condition and proposed work to the Church
Our plans for the repairs and restoration to the Church have been approved and we now enter the formal stage of obtaining planning permission (a faculty) before work can start. I am pleased to inform you that pre-application consultation with West Lindsey District Council and English Heritage has been both supportive and positive.
We have modified the schedule of work to include the restoration of all eight tower pinnacles together with other repair work to a number of exterior walls consequently this has increased the overall cost to approximately £47,000
As reported previously it remains our intention to raise funds to cover the cost of the work from money set aside for repairs and from other sources of grant funding which currently stands at £22,000. We have made application to a number of other grant making organisations and if these are successful a further £18,000 will be added to the fund. This will leave a shortfall of £7,000.
We are working on a number of ideas which will help us to reach the target and in this respect will be holding:
"A day of Music" in Church on Saturday 13th March from 09.00 to 18.00.
By the time you read this article each household in the village will have received a personal invitation to the event to celebrate the life of Saint Chad.
The church bells will ring a quarter peel to mark the beginning and end of the programme and there will be organ recitals throughout the day a various times on the hour. There will be a number of interludes (Alison Godden solo soprano at 11.00, a performance by the children from St. Chad's at 12.00 and a further change in musical style with St. Chad's Band - "Enlighten" at 16.00).
Stewards will be available to assist you should you have any question regarding the restoration and repair programme.
Please join with us for some light refreshments, friendship and relaxation against a background of music. Drop in at any time and stay as long as you wish. Whilst there is no charge for entry a donation towards the restoration, repair and maintenance of the church would be appreciated. For further details please refer to your personal invitation.
David Rosier
St. Chad's PCC