Winchelsea

Ash Wednesday: Following Shrove Tuesday, aka pancake day, comes the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday March 1st. The 40-day period reflects Jesus’ time of fasting and prayer in the desert before his death and resurrection which is celebrated on April 14th and 16th (Easter). St Thomas’ Primary School will be having its service of reflection at 9am on Ash Wednesday in St Thomas’ Church. Then in the afternoon there will be a Joint Benefice Communion Service with ashes led by Rev. David Page in Icklesham Parish Church at 2pm.

Lent Group: This year’s Lent course will be led by Michael McFadyean and once again will be held at 5 Villages in Icklesham in March on Wednesdays 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th and on April 5th at 6.30 till 8pm. The programme is based on the York Course, taking the form of discussion groups and the theme is, Receiving Jesus Christ. If you would like to participate please sign up on the list at the back of the churches.

Visit to Wisley: As an affiliated society the Garden Society is entitled to a free visit to Wisley RHS Garden in Surrey each year. The garden is home to some of the largest plant collections in the world and there is opportunity to observe alpine plants in the Display Houses. A small coach has been booked for Thursday March 30th (2017) leaving the Town Sign at 9am and returning at approximately 6pm. The cost of travel is £16 a head and if you would like to come, please let Howard Norton know. Sending him your name will be taken as a commitment to pay although some members signed up at the AGM so there’s no need to send your name in again.

Golf challenge: Icklesham Casuals Football Club is 80 years old in the 2016-17 season and as part of the celebrations members of the club are organising their own European Golf Tour and attempting the ambitious challenge of playing 80 holes in five different countries in less than two days. The charity challenge will be taking place in June on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th with the first ball being struck in England at around 6am and the final putt sunk 40 hours later in Germany. Along the way they will have played in France, Belgium and Holland. Money raised from the challenge with be shared between the Alzheimer’s Society and the Motor Neurone Disease Association while donations can also be made to fund the new community sports pavilion at Icklesham Recreation Ground. The Football Club website is: www.icfc.co.uk for details about donations and the challenge.

Different churches: In his talk on Non-Conformity last Saturday in the Wesley Chapel, historian and minister Edward Preston shared his research on the many different non-conformist churches in Hastings built between the 17th and 21st centuries. He began with reference to Martin Luther in 1515 who was inspired by reading in Romans 17 ‘The just shall live by faith’ also to be found in Habakkuk 2:4, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38 and the term ‘just’ meaning righteous. The 95 thesis which he nailed onto the university’s chapel door in 1517 were a devastating critique of the use of indulgences as corrupting people’s faith. This was a direct attack on the papacy which led to Luther’s excommunication from the Church and set in motion the Reformation. Edward Preston’s chosen hymn at the talk was ‘We limit not the truth of God To our poor reach of mind’ which was based on parting words of Pastor John Robinson to the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620 whose reforming influence was the seed of American democracy. He then gave a slide show tour of numerous different free churches, each with their own grand and distinctive styles that were built in Hastings in response to the Reformation and the established church of the time. The numbers of buildings reached their peak in the 19th century with hundreds making up the congregations and filling Sunday Schools but in post-war late 20th century attendance fell and many churches closed in the town. The range of churches included the Brethren, Independent, Unitarian, Presbyterian, Methodists, Primitive Methodists, Ebenezer Strict Baptist, Salvation Army, Calvinist, Society of Friends, Pentecostal, Congregational and Full Gospel, amongst others. Despite life’s adversities and distractions many continue to thrive and are part of the town’s rich heritage.

Winchelsea Beach

Next service: During the vacancy period services at St Richard’s Church are held fortnightly on the second and fourth Sundays. The next meeting is this Sunday February 26th when there will be a Communion Service at 9.30am. Visitors, families and friends are all welcome to join in.

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