September Services at Ansley Churches
| 7th September
Trinity 12 |
St John’s
|
10.45 a.m. | Holy Communion |
| 14th September
Trinity 13 |
St Laurence | 10.30 a.m. | Morning Worship |
| 21st September
Harvest |
St John’s | 10.30 a.m. | Harvest Service |
| 28th September
Trinity 15 |
St Laurence |
10.30 a.m.
|
Holy Communion |
From the Registers
Funeral
Report next month.
Harvest at St John’s
The annual Thanksgiving Harvest Service will be held at St John’s on Sunday 21st September at 10.30 a.m. All are invited to come along and give thanks for all the good things God provides for our needs. As this notice is being written the crops from local fields are being gathered in after what has been a difficult year for farmers, horticulturalists and gardeners. Your food gifts will be very welcome. Long lasting food in cans, packets and jars will be most suitable as donated food will be stored until Harvest at St Laurence in October. After the service there, food items will be taken to a local food bank. Cash donations are also welcome and will be given to the Nuneaton branch of The Salvation Army.
Open Church
Sunday 28th September from 12 noon to 6.00 p.m. will be the last Sunday Open Church of the year.
Prayer Meeting
The next meeting will be Tuesday 30th September in St John’s at 2.00 p.m.
Coventry and Warwickshire Ride and Stride 2025
This sponsored event on Saturday 13th September is held annually to raise funds for the Historic Churches County Trust. Fifty per cent of money raised by an individual participant is returned to his/her nominated church. The trust uses its funds to give grants for the repair of church fabric. It is not too late to volunteer to be a participant! More information is available by searching Ride and Stride 2025. Let us know if you intend to take part.
Art Exhibition and Sale by Ansley Village Art Group 2025
This 14th Art Exhibition and Sale will be in Ansley Village Church Hall (CV10 9PS) on Saturday 13th September from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. There will be an abundance of art work on display, created by group members using a range of media. Some items will be clearly marked FOR SALE. Entry is free. Cards and other hand- made items will be on sale and light refreshments will be available. Ten per cent of sums received by the artists will be given to Ansley Church funds plus the takings from refreshment sales.
VJ Day 80th Anniversary Bell Ringing at St Laurence
On 15th August 2025, as requested by the Guild of Bell Ringers, the bells at St Laurence were rung for an hour from 6.30 p.m.; joining in with other tower teams around the country. Grandsires, Bob Doubles, Call Changes and rounds rang out. This gave eight of our bell ringers the opportunity to ring and two new bell ringers from Fillongley also had a turn.
Children’s Society
It is good to note that the small contribution (£90 approximately) given by Ansley from the Christingle Service contributed to the £800,000 received by the Society for their work. This is a reminder that even small amounts can make a huge contribution if made by lots of groups. .
Back in Time Event August Bank Holiday Monday
At St Laurence Church 1.30 to 5.30 p.m.
A full report will be included next month. The final setting out of marquees and other preparations were being made as this issue was about to be printed. We pray that all will go smoothly and that visitors will have an enjoyable time.
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Prayer Requests
If you would like someone, or a particular situation, to be remembered in prayer, please make contact by email or phone one of the contacts on the front cover.
Looking back in time in Ansley Church magazines.
June 1945
At this time the vicar was the Reverend J. C. Dunham. The letter from the church magazine issued a month after VE Day holds thoughts that seem very relevant today although some of what was included may seem old fashioned tu us nowadays. From the letter heading it is clear that he is not living in Ansley Vicarage but serving in some capacity in Essex and writing just two weeks after VE Day.
Extract from The Church Magazine of Ansley
June 1945 Issue No. 246
159 M.) H. A. A. Regt. R.A.
Essex
22nd May 1945
My dear Friends,
Now that victory on the Western Front is an accomplished fact many of us find it hard to believe it true. Nearly six years of cruel warfare with its bombings and battles, and black-out, and rationing coupled with hard-work and discomfort and anxiety for our loved ones, has left in most of us a mental inertia which only time can cure.
But nothing could prevent that great spirit of thankfulness which swept over the civilised world and our own nation in particular. All God-fearing people flocked to their churches to give humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God. In one church in London it is estimated that about 30,000 people came to the service(s) which were continuous throughout the day. I had the privilege of conducting services on nearly all my sites, more than twelve in number, and covered about 100 miles in the process. Most of the services were held in the proximity of the gun-pits, as no risks could be run with the treacherous Hun, even after his unconditional surrender. It was an unforgettable experience, to see these men and girls joining in wholehearted thanksgiving to God.
Let us never forget the debt we owe to the anti-aircraft personnel. Most of their sites are in isolated places near the edge of the sea. For months many of them slept under canvas under the most trying of wintry weather and often with the barest necessities of life. They had to be in a state of constant readiness and, on occasion, they have had as many as fourteen alerts in one night. Some of their achievements have already been related by our Prime Minister, but the full story will one day fill the nation with real appreciation. And what is true of the A.A. gunners is also true of the rest of our great Army and Navy and Air Force. What a debt we owe to them all and how warmly we shall welcome them back to their homes. Some will not return. Our hearts go out in love and sympathy to their loved ones, who, with them have paid so dearly for Victory.
War is a costly business. We have found that out and we shall continue to pay for our Victory for many years. It is costly in blood, sacrifice and treasure. It has had to be paid for in the torment of a whole continent. It has cost forty millions dead.
We thank God for Victory but that is only a beginning. The least we can do is to desire and determine that we shall all of us, as individuals, become different men and women, more serious and responsible, a little more larger-minded, less petty and obsessed with our own selfish concerns. Let us make our thanksgiving for our Victory and Deliverance the beginning of a change in ourselves. Out of such change there may come a strange and real hope of a better world, but, not on the vain dreams of bureaucrats and dictators, but on the Spirit of God working in our individual wills and hearts and minds. Then our dead will not have died in vain and they shall become a living inspiration in the struggle to create a better world for our children. So let us dedicate ourselves to the service and kingdom of God.
Your sincere friend and vicar,
J.C. Dunham
A Lay Evangelist, Captain G. Haynes was living in Ansley Common and wrote a letter in the same issue entitled St John’s Notes.
My dear Friends,
Mrs Haynes and myself desire to sincerely thank you (both St John’s and the Parish Church) for the splendid Whitsuntide Offering. In spite of very bad weather, you shown great sacrifice and love of your Church and of those who work among you. It was a joy to know of the gift to us of nearly £20. This is a good expression of appreciation of what we have tried to do in these last seven months especially, and now I do hope that the Vicar will soon be back to take over the responsibility of this lovely sphere of work.
With many, many thanks and good wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Geo. Haynes.
September 1945
This letter from the Vicar, C. J. Dunham is written after the VJ Day announcement on 15th August of the end of the war. The vicar is back in the parish and a lot is happening in the life of both churches.
Both magazines note weekly and monthly activities outside of the church services being held on Sundays.
Extract from The Church Magazine of Ansley
September 1945 Issue No. 249
Ansley Vicarage
27th August 1945
My Dear Friends,
What a joy it is to be able to record that peace is now an accomplished fact and that the war is over. We now look forward to the return of our brave young people, many of whom will have very interesting experiences to relate.
[A Thanksgiving had been held on Sunday 19th August but it was not well attended because of people being on holiday.]
I am pleased to see the congregations steadily increasing in numbers. There are still far too many vacant places. We can assure everyone of a hearty welcome to Ansley Church and I would dearly love to see more parents and children coming to worship together especially on Sunday evenings at 6.30. Why not develop the Churchgoing habit? It is the best and most helpful habit in life.
[The vicar went on to urge people to send their children to Sunday School, giving times of a session in the parish church and one in the Church Room plus two sessions at St John’s.]
Our Sunday School outing to Sutton Coldfield Park was a very happy event and our sincere gratitude is due to Mr. Arnold for his excellent organising.
The Mother’s Union outing to Matlock was another very happy day and we owe Mrs. Bates and her helpers a deep debt for making it so successful.
[The Reverend Dunham encouraged his parishioners to attend a pageant at Coventry Cathedral which would be held over three days in September. He offered to charter a bus if sufficient people were interested in going.]
We hope to hold our Harvest Festivals on the old dates on which we held them before the war, namely in St John’s on the last Sunday in September and in the parish church on the second Sunday in October.
The date of our sale of work has yet to be fixed.
In conclusion let me quote the concluding sentence from the official form of thanksgiving which we used on August 19th.
“Let each one go forth from this Thanksgiving to practise his dedication, advancing in the service of God, and making his daily work and life an offering to the Creator for the new creation : to the praise of His Holy Name and the Good of all.”
Your sincere friend and vicar, J. C. Dunham.