Good News! 

GOOD NEWS STORIES FOR THIS WEEK - 22 August
The Methodist Church, Stoke-on-Trent South Circuit
Collected by: Hil Hands (Local preacher)
Dear friends,
We have repurposed a variety of things recently. Our youngest son had a new bed, so Phil has used the slats from the old bed to make 3 garden crates for carrying items to and from the house. A variety of old scarves and shirts have been repurposed into masks. I have sorted through dresses (that I haven’t worn for far too long!) and repurposed a couple into skirts for the Autumn. Our eldest son has repurposed some wooden pallets into bench seats for their garden.
I love hearing new ways in which God’s family have worshipped during 2020: WhyPay, Zoom and YouTube to name but a few. It’s so good to read of church buildings being used for a variety of purposes too: Foodbanks, community cafes and advisory drop-in centres ensure that they are used for more than Sunday worship?
A few years ago, I remember being in Blythe one evening during the week as we prepared for a mid-week service. It was Autumn time, so we had the lights on because it was dark by mid-evening. Several voices could be heard outside the main door, so we went to see how we could help. A group of 3 teenage lads stood there and asked if the Chapel was open. One explained how his grandmother had died recently and he just wanted to remember her in a church.
We invited them in, and they chatted a little and then we left them to spend some time by themselves at the communion rail whilst we carried on putting out books etc. I noticed the recently bereaved young man taking time to bow his head. Perhaps he reached out at that moment. God definitely reached in. The lads then left to go about their evening.
Was it seeing church lights on in the week that drew them in? Did it give us an insight into re-purposing buildings so that they are available for people to spend a little time with God?
Let’s give thanks to God for the Good News that buildings are starting to re-open! And let’s be open to the inspiration and prompting of His Spirit as we make plans?
Light of the world by Tim Hughes
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, Let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
So highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly you came to the earth you created
All for love's sake became poor
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

This is the 23rd weekly edition of Good News. I will send another weekly sheet next weekend and then move to monthly sheets which I will send to Glenn on the last Saturday of each month. Please keep your stories coming – it is good to give thanks to God!
God bless
If you have good news, please let me know: email - hands.hilary@yahoo.com Please send news to me by Friday 28th August, ready for next weekend
From Glenn at Temple Street - Temple Street Methodist Church helping to save lives, spiritually and practically!
A Defibrillator has been dedicated at Temple Street Methodist Church in Fenton and will be available to the community 24/7. It seemed a daunting task to raise almost £2,000 to fund the Defibrillator, and even more so when lockdown arrived, and many Church activities had to cease. Yet despite lockdown, donations have continued to come in and the Church has now reached its target enabling the Defibrillator to be fitted. Stoke-on-Trent City Councillor Cheryl Gerrard, who made a generous contribution to the fund from her Council ward budget, is pictured at the dedication together with members of the Church Leadership Team. Tributes were paid to Marge Austin, who rose to glory earlier this year.  Marge raised a lot of money towards the appeal by selling cards and jam that she had made.  At the start of the appeal during one of the Church services, a film was shown of the story of football player and manager Glenn Hoddle's life being saved by a Defibrillator.

From Stuart and Sylvia - Update on Ashley 
I am delighted to report some good news on Ashley this week. He has had a good week.  He had a CT scan on Monday which the surgeons are delighted with.  He is looking stronger though still very weak.  He is still being sick which the surgeons are telling us is due to oedema in the stomach.  He is much more talkative.  The staff have had pictures from Deb's and Jess's phones, printed them out and stuck them on the wall of the room.  All the surgeons are happy with how he is progressing. But, he is still very poorly.  One surgeon uses the illustration of snakes and ladders and at the moment, we are climbing the ladders but we will very likely hit snakes from time to time. He certainly won't be home for quite a while yet. The second bit of good news is that Ashley, along with thousands of young people, had his GCSE results on Thursday.  They are now marked differently with numbers rather than letters but he achieved 2 '7's, equivalent to the old 'A', 2 '6's and a '5', equivalent to the old 'B' and one '4', equivalent to the old 'C' so he has done exceptionally well. Unfortunately he will not be able to take up the place at college in September - he probably won't be out of hospital by then.  But the ward staff have been fantastic.  They made him a big poster saying congratulations to put on the wall, a balloon chain with one letter of congratulations on each balloon and have hung that behind his bed. They paraded in and sang "Congratulations" to him and then they bought him two presents.  Absolutely wonderful, certainly over and above the call of duty. Thank you all, as always, for your continued prayers and support.  They do mean so much as I always say but truly mean.
God bless, Stuart
Prayer time - we can use our fingers to pray for everyone:
Little finger – for all children as they prepare to return to school, especially those who have received GCSE and A-level results.
Ring finger – for peaceful relationships across our communities in the light of redundancy and the ongoing effects of coronavirus.
Middle finger – for all Church leaders, as they prepare Church buildings to open and welcome all once again.
First finger - for all those who have helped us during Lockdown.
Thumb – for ourselves, that we show love and patience.