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Mayor & Mayoress Meet Junior Church
 During Lent, St Giles' Junior Church
had been working on various craft displays all of which were
on view, in the rear hall, ready for inspection by parents and
friends, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Hillingdon. As well as
the displays, there was coffee, tea, and cakes plus a variety
of stalls.
The children's Lent collection, which comprised filling Smartie
tubes with £1 coins, raised a preliminary £400 for
the Mayor's Charity The Sara Marie Foundation
which provides outings, treats and holidays for seriously ill
local children.
The Coffee Morning, itself, raised another £160 and with
more Smartie tubes, yet to hand in, the final total is expected
to exceed £600. Rebecca Chandramohan presented the cheque
to the Mayor who gave a short speech of thanks.
As Bishop "Pete" was already in the Church Hall that
morning, he met the Mayor and joined in the fun with everyone
else. It was a very special, and exciting, morning for everyone
there.
Editor
'6.30 Specials'
In St Giles' Church Hall
Sunday 27th June - Worship Space prayer and contemporary
songs
Elegy For A Drop-Out
My mother never cared for Cousin John -
The family drop-out with his coat of hair.
She could not understand what led him on
To the wild desert - what could draw him there?
She feared his challenge to the powers that be,
And saw, too clearly, where it all might end:
But most, she feared his influence on me,
For he had always been my closest friend.
We spent long hours together through my youth
In pondering what my destiny might be,
And John it was who led me to the truth
Revealed at Jordan for the world to see.
I miss him more each day that he is gone
Truly, there was no greater man than John.
John Fowling
(St John the Baptist is commemorated on 24th June.)
Bishop 'Pete' Addresses Men's Breakfast
 On Saturday 24th May fifty-six
local men assembled in St Giles' Church Hall for a simple breakfast
and to listen to the Bishop of Willesden, the Rt. Revd. Peter
Broadbent, speak to them on the topical and thorny subject, The
Church of England in a Changing Culture.
Having put his own role in context, Bishop 'Pete' then went on
to look at our postmodern world and its mistrust of overarching
explanation or to use the jargon, metanarratives.
He looked at changes in the self-understanding of the C of E
and how it has become harder to maintain the reality of the 'parish
church'. Continuing, he highlighted the changes taking place
in the Churches' relationship with the State, and the manner
in which the Church now engages with society. The changing political
scene was explored, and was shown to have created public apathy,
disillusionment and disinterest. People, in general, are disinclined
even to join local clubs, societies and activities. Many residential
areas have no community sprit at all, and how blessed we are
to be living in Ickenham. All these difficulties have brought
pressure to bear for change within the Church, and 'Pete' ventured
to draw some conclusions.
 He considered that, in the present
climate, the C of E must adapt, or die. There are 'drivers' of
change, but these people are faced with pockets of great resistance.
He thought that the future of urban ministry, and mission, depend
on a healthy attitude, from the entire church, that insists it
will not renege on its commitments. New ways must be found to
draw in people to church fellowship. These must include community-based
options, not just the easy ones.
Finally Bishop Pete held up the U.R.C./St Giles' Covenant as
a way forward, and suggested we be bold and break a
few rules in our efforts to do even more with each other
and in our joint outreach to the Parish.
Editor
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