Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is a day to celebrate Something Wonderful – the motherly love of God in our lives. Mother church is called to be the hands and feet and voice of Christ in the world – be it by tending the sick, feeding the hungry, welcoming the weary or befriending the stranger. Mary Sumner prayed to touch as many lives as possible with God’s love. So in Benwell and Scotswood we celebrated with a symbolic gift of 40 lunch plates – to support the spirit of mothering in making ‘Something Wonderful’ in the community.

Here is Leahan Garratt of Benwell and Scotswood MU, Shirley Irving, an Anna Chaplain and catering volunteer, and Revd Chris Minchin – with one of 4 boxes of plates ready for service. Looking on were 70 very smiling hungry faces!

Internet Branch

Christmas food First Internet Branch

For the fourth year running the First Internet Branch provided a  complete Christmas Day Menu of food for the families at Harbour Refuge.  We were supported financially by member from Ponteland and St Columba`s branches plus donations from many who are not MU members but wanted to help with the project which they felt was so worthwhile.

This year for the first time we supplied both Harbour Refuges, North Tyneside as usual, but also, by request, the Northumberland Refuge too.  This meant that we actually provided food for 26 family units in total.

Friends and members ready to fill the bags	Bags ready to be delivered to the Refuges	Each bag contained a complete Christmas Day menu

Commissioning

Happy New Triennial – as we journey on together with Mothers’ Union members world-wide into our current 3-year commitment, during which we shall be celebrating 150 years since Mary Sumner founded Mothers Union.  
Our Commissioning Service for this triennium was held in Newcastle Cathedral on 25th January, by invitation of the Dean, the Very Reverend Lee Batson, and attended by our newly appointed Provincial President, Christine Sharp. 
And what a wonderful commissioning service it was. Our choir were in tuneful accord; Margy re-told a story from Acts; our banner was lifted high by Malcom Cairns; images of all the other MU banners were projected onto two screens; Dean Lee Batson preached and he commissioned all the officers and trustees; and Catherine Groves, archdeacon of Lindisfarne, presided. (Catherine had become a grandmother the day before so the event was extra special for her; she promised to become a member in celebration of the event.)
A number of visitors to the Cathedral joined in the worship and engaged in conversation; the café was full of Mothers’ Union members; and by no means least – we remembered all those who never made it despite their good intentions, many of them prevented by bad weather and unexpected, restricted rail and bus transport. Our new Provincial President, Christine Sharpe, was delighted with everything. 
A big thank you from MU goes to all involved in the planning and events of the day – including the amazing team of vergers who set all the chairs and managed the magic technology. All that remains is for us to go forward in faith into whatever circumstances life leads us, rejoicing in 150 years of Mothers’ Union world-wide, and to spread the good news of God’s love in the words we speak, the prayers we breathe and the lives we live.