STAR NEWS
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S T A M F O R D U N I T E D R E F O R M E D C H U R C H S T A R L A N E P E 9 1 P H |
AUGUST 2025
‘‘Father:
May your holy name be honoured;
may your Kingdom come.
Give us day by day the food we need. Forgive us our sins,
for we forgive everyone who does us wrong.
And do not bring us to hard testing.” Luke 11.1-4 (GNB)
Dear Friends,
In church on 27th July, we looked again the prayer Jesus taught us as recorded in Luke’s gospel, as above. It’s usually called the Lord’s Prayer, and Luke records a slightly shorter version than is in Matthew’s gospel.
It’s simple, addressing God as Father, so starting with that relationship, but balancing that with giving God glory and asking for His Kingdom and will to be done. That is all about God.
The prayer goes on to ask for our needs, written above as food, but originally meaning all our needs: body, mind and spirit. It goes on to ask for forgiveness, realising the call to forgive others as God forgives us. Finally, asking God not to bring us through hard testing, those things which bring us to the end of our tether. In Matthew’s gospel the prayer goes on to ask for deliverance from those things, knowing that at some point in our lives, we all have times where things happen outside our control. We can have the assurance that God will bring us through.
The picture I’ve included was one I found online, and I thought it is a really good summary of how we can pray. Like the Lord’s Prayer, it begins with praise, with honouring God. Remembering is another way of giving thanks for all God does for us. We can then come with requests, although maybe we should be yielding first, another way of saying to confess before God those wrong things we do, and putting ourselves under God’s Kingship.
Then from asking, we move to expecting. That might not be something you’ve thought about in prayer. But when we pray, we know we are speaking with the creator God, who loves to hear us and answer us. So we can expect an answer, looking for that answer in an attitude of humility. That doesn’t necessarily mean our prayers will be answered how we want them to be. Rather, how God knows best. But we can be assured that we will receive from God because we have sought God’s will and ways.
However we pray, we are in conversation with the God who came to us in Jesus. Keep up that conversation, or start one afresh.
With love, Clare
August Services
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Date |
Minister |
Organist |
Duty Elder |
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3rd August |
Café Church, Church Hall |
Ann Llowarch |
Anne |
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10th August |
Yvonne Laws, Communion |
Ann Llowarch |
Anne & Tony |
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17th August |
Rev’d. Fiona Ogg |
David Lovell-Brown |
Pam |
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24th August |
Maggie Kirkbride |
John Hall |
Thad |
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31st August |
Rev’d. David Hughes |
David Lovell-Brown |
Frankie |
All services commence at 10.30am unless otherwise stated.
Notes to Services
Flower Rota
3rd August Café Church
10th August Rosemary Walters
17th August Lisa Merriman
24th August Tony Blow
31st August Anne Thompson
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We wish Clare well on her sabbatical and her time away in South Africa & Kenya with Brian. May God bless you both on your travels and keep you safe.
Resource Area News
The Zoom prayer meeting, Thursdays at 7pm, is continuing for the first half of August, but do ask Sue, Tony or Lisa if you want a link, and for information about the rest of the month. An update will be in the September magazine for my time on sabbatical.
This month, please continue to pray for the group getting together to re-do the application for a Synod grant, as it needs to be in early September. Pray also for the Garden Party at Anne Thompson’s on 23rd August, and invite your friends.
For our Resource Area churches, please pray:
~ for St Andrew’s, as they continue the Leading your Church into Growth programme, beginning to put things into practice
~ for Spalding, for their outreach and fundraising BBQ on 23rd August
~ for Westgate New Church and Whittlesey as discussions continue over future ministry
Kenya Fundraising Event
A big thank you to all those who contributed to the fund. The final total now is a massive £473! Thank you all again.
Thanks, Clare
Job - Part-time Circuit operations manager for Stamford Methodist church
We’ve been asked to advertise this position as below and over-leaf:
Friends,
I am writing on behalf of the Stamford Methodist Circuit to ask whether you would mind passing the attached job advert around your churches.
The Stamford Methodist Circuit consists of churches in Bourne, Thurlby, Deepings, Ryhall, Stamford, Ketton, Empingham, Oakham and Uppingham.
Our Circuit is very much in need of an Operations Manager to take on some of the governance work in the Circuit and we are praying that God will ensure this advert ends up in the hands of the person being called to take on that role.
I am really grateful for any help you can give,
Blessings Rev'd Bekkie Wright (on behalf of the Stamford Methodist Circuit Meeting)
Stamford Methodist Circuit
Northampton District
CIRCUIT OPERATIONS MANAGER
Part time – 10 hours per week
(flexible by arrangement)
Salary - £26,990 FTA (Actual salary pro-rata £7,711)
Job Overview
Our Circuit is looking for someone to bring management expertise and experience to support the ministers, Churches and stewards in the smooth day-to-day business of running the Circuit.
Duties
The successful candidate will work with the Circuit staff and leadership to support mission of the Stamford Methodist Circuit.
Duties will include: Governance, Communications, Administration and Compliance.
Working hours are 10 per week to be agreed with the line manager. Some flexibility, including attending some weekend and evening meetings, will be required.
This is a hybrid role which involves working at the circuit office at Stamford and also working from home.
Essential
This post is open to all but the role requires a sympathy with the values, aims and ethos of the Methodist Church. A knowledge of the Methodist Church would be desirable but is not essential.
The post is subject to obtaining a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) disclosure.
You should hold a full driving licence and be prepared to travel to the various local churches and meetings.
Willing to undertake EDI training
Clean driving license
If you would like to be considered for this new role please request an application pack from circuitmanagerapplication@gmail.com The closing date for the submission of completed applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 26th August 2025 and interviews will be on Tuesday 16th September 2025.
Concert in aid of a Ukrainian charity
We’ve been asked to draw the attention of our congregation to a concert in Stamford in August, on the Independence Day of Ukraine on Sunday 24th August at 4pm, at Browne’s Hospital, Stamford
There will be Ukrainian songs, piano and chamber music in aid of the charity HUGS, 'Helping Ukraine - Grassroots Support'.
Tickets: £12 (if bought in advance); £15 on the door, limited to sixty seats in the venue.
Further Information at www.highnotesmusic.org/ukraine-2025/
See also the QR
code 
Many thanks,
Fergus Black
07843 058994
www.fergusblackmusic.uk
With Thanks
Jane, Chris & the Kew family would like to thank everyone for their cards, flowers and support on the passing of Megan Dartnell. We were all deeply touched by your thoughtfulness.
Thanks to all who attended the service of Thanksgiving.
We are very grateful for your kindness in raising funds for Stamford URC in Meg's memory. We appreciate your generosity more than words can say.
Sincere gratitude and special thanks go to Clare for officiating at the service and Ann Llowarch for playing the organ.
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Quote of the month:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”
Mark Twain |
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MINISTER |
COULD ANY ITEMS FOR THE SEPTEMBER EDITION PLEASE REACH GLYNN BY AUGUST 25th AT: |
HALL LETTINGS |
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REVD. CLARE DAVISON |
MRS. SUE SAMUELS |
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revclare.urc2004@gmail.com |
urcstarnews@gmail.com |
sues25@outlook.com |
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01733 260164 07476 958269 |
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07428 820671 |
WE HOPE EVERYONE IS STAYING SAFE, WELL AND HAPPY