Your Bank:

Your Bank’s address:

Please pay:

St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust,
Coventry Building Society,
11-13 Parade,
Leamington Spa,
CV32 4DG

for the credit of St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust, the sum of £10 (ten pounds), commencing on (date)
and continuing annually until further notice.

Account number: 060561163

Sort code: 40-63-01

Name of your account:

Your Account Number:

Your Sort Code: – -

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Gift Aid Declaration

Until I notify you otherwise, I want St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust to treat all donations that I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid donations.
You must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on your donations in the appropriate tax year. (currently 28p for each £1 you give).

Your signature:

Date:

NOTES

1. You can cancel this Declaration at any time by notifying St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust
2. If in the future your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax on your income and capital gains equal to the tax that St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust reclaims, you can cancel your declaration.
3. If you pay tax at the higher rate you can claim further tax relief in your Self Assessment tax return.
4. If you are unsure whether your donations qualify for Gift Aid tax relief, ask the St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust or, refer to donations by individuals on the HMRC website, www.hmrc.gov.uk.

St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust
Registered Charity Number 1032347

St Mark’s is a familiar landmark in Milverton. Built in 1879, it is a noble and sophisticated example of the Victorian Gothic style and is a Grade II* listed building. It has national architectural importance, being the only remaining church designed by George Gilbert Scott, junior.

St Mark's church

George Gilbert Scott, junior

George Gilbert Scott junior was the son of the famous architect George Gilbert Scott, who designed the Albert Memorial, St Pancras Station and many other buildings. George, junior, was also the father of Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect of Liverpool Cathedral and the rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the designer of the red telephone kiosk. During his life George designed a few country houses and college buildings in Cambridge, the Catholic Cathedral of East Anglia in Norwich  …  and St Mark’s, in Leamington Spa.

What is the Trust?

St Mark’s Gilbert Scott Trust is a registered charity set up in 1993 to provide funds for the maintenance, care and improvement of St Mark’s church.

Why a Trust?

St Mark’s is an important building, and although it exists primarily for the Anglican worshipping congregation it is also used for many activities by the local community: weddings, funerals, school lessons and concerts.

The Trust offers the community an opportunity to help the congregation maintain the structure in as good a condition as possible.

What will the Trust Do?

•    It will raise money through appeals and events and apply this to specific projects relating to the fabric of the building and agreed with St Mark’s Parochial Church Council.

•    It will prepare information and publicity about the building and its history.

•    It will provide a link between those interested in the preservation of this historic building and the church congregation.

Another important function of the Trust is to encourage the development of the use of the church building, especially by the Milverton community.

How Can I help?

You could become a Friend of St Mark’s with an annual donation of £10.

In return we will invite you to at least one special occasion each year.

Setting Up a Standing Order

If you wish to set up a Standing Order, please download a form for completion here and send to your own bank. It will help us even more if you complete the Gift Aid form! Thank you.

Magazine for March 2010

Moldova ministries

Magazine for July 2010

Crossroads

Toasted Lubrication

There is just something different about sharing food.

Sure, in the old days we used to welcome everyone to CROSSroads sessions with a drink and a biscuit, and it was received well enough, but we were immediately sitting round on the old sofas, fixed in place, facing each other, ready to start.  It seemed okay and it was.  Yet now it’s suddenly better.

Now each Sunday evening starts with a shared focus on the toaster, the kettle and ‘George’ the toastie maker.  Everyone gathers either side of the bar, getting plates, smearing chocolate spread and waiting expectantly for the rattled pop of another 4 slices, crisp and hot and ready.

Hot margarined toast is good enough any evening, but it’s not so much the calories as the words that’s the real difference.  Around food, we chat, relax, and get to know each other, and community and caring has space to grow.  And it’s easy to be on a bar stool on the edge of the conversation – part of it without even saying a word.  Sometimes, the conversation flows naturally into the night’s topic, and seamlessly the session’s begun.

“Okay, everyone to the sofas”, and we’re on our way.

Steve Hood

Magazine for July 2010

The Cloud Family

For many years Mike and Saafa Cloud have been in Morocco, which is in the North-West of Africa, on the Straits of Gibraltar.

They have been there encouraging believers, administrating national training centres, and  helping to create two new centres each year.

Last month our missionary link, Jay Farley, received an e-mail from Mike, who had been taking a short holiday with Saafa and their four children when they had heard that they would not be permitted to return.

Mike says that it seems very unlikely that they will be allowed back into Morocco.  The courts are continuing to stall on discussing their case and many others have had their hearings rejected.  They are now beginning to think about the way ahead and a new life outside of Morocco.

Let us pray, and pray often,  for the Cloud family, and for their future missionary work, whether this is to be in Morocco, or elsewhere in God’s Kingdom.

Magazine for July 2010

Small groups

Earlier this year, Small Groups were asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves. One of the aims of which was to help each group to identify what sort of group they were and perhaps to consider what sort of group they wanted to be. It also helps the coordinators to know the “flavour” of groups so that new people can be directed to the most appropriate group.

One of the questions asked everyone in the group to choose three words to describe the group. The A-E of the answers is below:

Caring/encouraging came up in eight of the groups!
I always think that Hebrews 10: 24-25

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”

would make a great Small Group motto. I have been hugely encouraged by my own group in many different ways; and I am very pleased to see that others feel the same about their groups.

The questionnaire also showed that the Small Groups are indeed different from one another! No surprise there really, but it will be helpful for the co-ordinators to have these differences in the group’s own words rather than our own impressions from the  occasional visit.

I can’t write an article about Small Groups without thanking the Small Group leaders for their commitment, or without encouraging (!) anyone who is not currently in a group to think about joining one – ask any of the Small Group Coordinators for details, or find someone who is already in a group and talk to them – you could even ask which of the words on the opposite page they would use to describe their group!

Amanda di Giovanni

Magazine for July 2010

Harry Hammond

Many of our 11.15 congregation will remember Harry, who died in March 2009 at the age of 88. He was the first great photographer of British rock’n'roll, chronicling the first decade of that music, up to and including the emergence of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

He photographed every major American rocker who visited Britain, from Bill Haley through to Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran. His shots of Gene Vincent, newly clad in black leather, were to be particularly influential on later stars, including David Bowie and Ian Dury, while his portrait of Buddy Holly on stage was to become the image for ‘Buddy’, the long-running West End musical.

His work also embraced the first British response to rock’n'roll, with the definitive photos of Lonnie Donegan, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and Adam Faith. Many of these were taken on the sets of the pioneering television shows of the late 1950s Six-Five Special and Oh Boy!, capturing clearly the drama and excitement created by the shows’ producer, Jack Good.

A exhibition of his work opens the Leamington Spa Art Gallery within the Pump Rooms on Friday 2nd July 2010 and will stay there until 5th September. There are around 100 photographs of some of the music scene’s biggest celebrities of the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s.  Admission is free.

Magazine for July 2010

Thank you, Claire!

When Claire joined us as Youth Pastor, I knew instinctively that we would have lots of fun working together and I was not disappointed. I have found Claire to be a wonderful friend and colleague as we have plotted and schemed to make family services exciting, shared dreams and plans, disappointments and frustrations and together longed for our children and young people to be set on fire for God.

Whether sitting in the Upper Room or our living room or walking the Skegness beach at Spring Harvest, Claire has always been totally professional in her role, while at the same time, so excited and enthusiastic that it is always an infectious experience to be with her.

Her work with the young people has been creative and inspirational, always encouraging each one to grow with God and become independent and outward looking in their faith.

Torquay’s gain is definitely our huge loss – but of course we wish her and Jay well in their move, and ask God to pour out his love and blessing as they are obedient to his call on their life.

Phillipa Munday
(Children’s work Co-ordinator)

Magazine for July 2010

Visibility

The most important things in life are invisible.  Think about it. Of course we need food and shelter, and you can see those, but apart from that what are the things we look for most; success, happiness, health?  Or maybe beauty, inspiration or love?

You can see evidence that they’re there but everything we value most is invisible.  And it’s not just the good and important that are invisible, but the bad we treat as important are invisible too.  The secret motivations that we sometimes let drive us are unseen, and we’d be horrified if it was any other way.  The things we spend our lives looking for, and the things we want no one to see, they are both invisible.

But most important of all, God is invisible.  And the most important thing in every situation is what God is doing there, and we are fooling ourselves completely if we think we know that.  After all, every time Jesus had a confrontation with the Pharisees, it wasn’t like they deliberately argue against God; they’re just convinced that with all their study and all their knowledge, they know what’s right and what’s wrong.  And their friends all agree with them.

So every time we see a situation, it’s good to remember that most of the relevant facts are invisible.  And every time we carefully assess a situation, it’s good to remember we are missing out on most of the relevant information.  It’s almost enough to make me quit judging and leave it up to God.

Steve Hood

Magazine for July 2010

The Way of Prayer

Many years ago, a poorly dressed lady  walked into a village shop and in a most humble manner asked if she could have some groceries which she would pay for at the end of the week. She  explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work.

The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders and was about to tell her to leave when he realised that there were no other customers requiring attention.  So decided to have some fun at the poor lady’s expense.  He asked whether she had a shopping list and she said that she did.

He glanced at the weighing scales (this was long before present-day self service and pre-packed food) and smiled to himself.  “OK” he said. “put your list on one end of the scales and I will give you whatever  groceries it balances at the other end”.

She hesitated a moment, and then quickly scribbled something on the back of the list before putting it on the scales.  The shopkeeper placed the first item, a bag of sugar, on the other end. Nothing moved. He added a loaf of bread.  Still nothing.  He continued to put more and more groceries on the scales, until there was no more room. The scales  never moved.

The shopkeeper, in utter disgust,  grabbed the list from the scales and turned it over.  The lady had written  “Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.”  In stunned silence the groceries were put in a bag and she left the shop.

When the next customer arrived at the till, the shopkeeper discovered that the scales were broken.  So only God knows how much a prayer weighs.

P. E. Archer