Church Life, 1839 to 2023
Church Anniversary 23
Celebrating 184 years of Old Newton Methodist Church
We held our Church Anniversary on Sunday 21st May when Revd Stephen Yelland conducted our special service of thanks, praise and rededication.
It was a delight to welcome Stephen back to Old Newton. He was our Minister and Superintendent Minister of the Circuit from 2001 until 2014. As we listened to him speaking to us from the pulpit it felt as if he had never been away.
Stephen is retired and living near Woodbridge where he keeps busy helping out in the Circuit and with his other interests. He is now delighting in being a Grandpa with the birth of his little grandson recently.
After the service we enjoyed a time of Coffee and Fellowship in the Chapel before going into the hall to share in our Anniversary Lunch. We were delighted to be joined for the occasion by friends from other churches in the Circuit.
Our Coronation Lunch
On Friday 9th May we held a special lunch to celebrate the Coronation in a hall decorated for the occasion. Many of our guests enhanced the atmosphere by dressing in their glad rags or red, white and blue sometimes with crowns or tiaras. Thanks to Sharon, Neil and their helpers we all enjoyed Coronation Chicken and quiches named after members of the royal family served with new potatoes and salad. This was followed by deserts such as Fruit Pavlova Royale and Union Flag Fruit Sponge.
Many thanks to everyone who supported or helped with this happy occasion.
Anniversary Weekend
4th and 5th May
We are 180!!
Our chapel was built in 1839 as a home for the fellowship which had been meeting in the open or a farmer's barn. It has been in constant use ever since.
Our celebrations were held over the first weekend in May and we were delighted that Deacon Stephen Roe agreed to travel from Wales to lead our anniversary. It was a delight to have him and his wife Angela and daughter Emily back with us. Stephen was a dayworker based in Old Newton and he and his family were very much part of our fellowship and village life.
Our weekend began on the Saturday when folk from several churches came to meet up with the Roes again and to share fellowship over a cup of coffee.
Stephen led out morning Anniversary service which had an Easter theme.
Afterwards we shared lunch in the hall when we were joined by friends from the Stowmarket and Cotton churches.
A beautiful Anniversary cake, made by Merle Smithers and Christine Newton, was cut by Hilda Marshall who has been part of the Old Newton Chapel fellowship for longer than anyone else. She was assisted by Emily Roe.
Our celebrations concluded in the evening when Stephen led Anniversary Praise in which several members of the congregation took part.
Easter at the Chapel
On Good Friday our Minister, Revd Rita Carr, led our service of quiet meditation and reflection, and the last symbols, the nails, were added to our Lenten Cross. After the service we shared tea together in the hall.
On Easter Sunday were up early to share Easter Breakfast featuring Neil's fantastic eggs,
before preparing for the morning service of Easter Communion
when all the symbols of suffering were removed from the cross and it was transformed with flowers into the Cross of Glory.
The day ended with a service of Easter Praise in the evening.
Carols and Candles
Our preparations to welcome the Christ Child again culminated in our special Carols and Candles evening on the fourth Sunday in Advent and Christmas Day services.
Advent Crown 2018
December was again a busy, happy time at Old Newton Chapel. The Chapel was decorated and lit by candlelight, our Chrismon Tree was erected and decorated and the candles of our Advent Crown were lit to mark the Sundays of Advent.
At the beginning of the month we held our Christmas Lunch when we welcomed a hall full of folk to enjoy fellowship and a festive lunch with all the trimmings.
Then on the third Sunday in Advent our Minister, Revd Rita Carr led a Christmas Cafe Service. The smells, the nibbles and the coffee were all wonderful and the fellowship warm and friendly.
Harvest 2018
We celebrated our Harvest Festival on the first Sunday in October with a Harvest Communion Service at 10.45 led by our Minister, Revd Rita Carr. Our Harvest weekend was dedicated to the work of All We Can as we supported the project in Malawi to provide solar panels to power irrigation pumps for farmers and families.
At lunch time we welcomed friends from the churches at Stowmarket and Cotton who joined us for our Harvest Lunch when we all tucked into various casseroles, jacket potatoes and vegetables with a great selection of home-made puds to follow.
In the evening Rita led us again this time at a special Harvest Praise when we enjoyed singing Harvest hymns both traditional and modern.
Members and friends of our fellowship had been saving loose cash in little coloured buckets for weeks. These were arranged around the pulpit for the day. This money together with donations given to the harvest Lunch and at the services were all given to the All We Can Appeal. This amounted to £428.
Remembering Them
Our tribute to those who fought in the First World War, many of whom never returned, was displayed for the first time at the Harvest Festival. The poppies were made by members of our congregation and Craft Circle. The display will remain in the Chapel for the whole of October and November.
Toilet Twinning
We joined the village Country Fayre again this year, running a stall to help Toilet Twinning.
We were delighted to raise enough money to supply two more toilets which will help small communities in the developing world who are desperate for clean, safe, hygienic toilet facilities.
Craft Circle
Our Craft Circle meets monthly on the third Wednesday. It is a time for learning on new crafts and working on familiar ones, making friends, nattering and drinking tea.
We had a lovely time in July making greetings cards from stencils.
Previously this year we have enjoyed sessions on decoupage, flower arranging, cake decorating and making jewellery. In August we will be learning to make angels.
Mr and Mrs Scarecrow
Our Parish Church, St Mary's, organised an Open Gardens Day and Scarecrow Competition on a beautiful sunny Sunday in June. We entered the Scarecrow Competition- the theme was 'Weddings'. We hope you like our happy couple.
Any resemblance to another couple who have recently tied the knot is entirely intentional!
Our 79th Anniversary
Pentecost Sunday, 20th May 2018
On Pentecost Sunday we celebrated our Church Anniversary.
We are 179 years old!
In the morning friends joined our usual congregation for an inspiring Family Service led by our Superintendent Minister, Debbie.
The floral arrangements in the Chapel were done for us by Sylvia.
After the service whilst most folk enjoyed coffee and fellowship lunch was prepared. our own Minster, Rita and friends from Cotton and Stowmarket came to join us and we enjoyed further fellowship over a Celebration Lunch in the Hall.
Anniversary day was rounded off in the evening with a beautiful Anniversary Communion Service inspired by the Iona community led by our Minister, Rita.
Easter at the Chapel 2018
We met together early on Easter Sunday morning to enjoy a special Easter Day Communion Breakfast which featured eggs cooked by Neil.
Afterwards, in our Easter morning Family Service, our Lenten Cross was transformed into a Cross of Glory as we celebrated our risen Lord and lit our Easter candle. Afterwards we enjoyed a time of coffee, Easter cakes and fellowship in our beautifully decorated Chapel.
The day concluded with a special service of Easter Communion.
Mothering Sunday
We had an interesting Mothering Sunday Family Service in which a number of members of our church family took part. The theme of the service was 'Honour our Mother and Father'. There were several sketches and readings, a beautifully sung solo and appropriate lively music led by our music group. Our technology was used to full advantage to provide illustrations. Flowers were distributed to all the ladies and refreshments were enjoyed by everyone- these included some delicious Mothering Sunday cakes.
Later flowers were taken to ladies who were not able to join us for the service.
Pancakes and Breakfasts
Recently we have had two very successful meals.
Soup and Pancakes
On Shrove Tuesday we welcomed lots of hungry folk into the Chapel Hall to enjoy a lunch of Homemade Soup followed by traditional pancakes. We were supporting All We Can.
The Big Breakfast
The following Saturday everyone was welcome at Linda and Roger's home where Team Martin were serving breakfasts all morning. There was a constant stream of people from our own chapel, other churches and the village who all enjoyed a tasty breakfast in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This time we were raising money for our own church funds.
