Mother's Union

The Mother's Union is a world-wide fellowship with more than a million members in over 70 countries, all working towards improving family life in our communities through practical action and prayer. Membership is open to all who have been baptised and who declare their support for the Mother's Union aims and objectives.

Our meetings are held on the second Thursday evening of each month at 8.00pm and on the last Friday of each month at 2.30pm both in members' homes. The programme covers a wide range of talks and discussions. A Corporate Communion is held in St Andrew's Chapel in St Mary's at 10.00am on the first Tuesday of the month and there is a monthly Prayer Group at the home of Mary Taylor.

The Mothers' Union Prayer

As a young woman, Mary Sumner took a special interest in women and their families. When she started meeting with mothers of the parish in 1876, Mary wrote the first Mothers' Union prayer. The current prayer, like the original, focuses on the real concerns and needs of women throughout the world

Loving Lord
We thank you for your love so freely given to us all.
We pray for families around the world.
Bless the work of the Mothers' Union
as we seek to share your love
through the encouragement, strengthening
and support of marriage and family life.
Empowered by your Spirit,
may we be united in prayer and worship,
and in love and service reach out
as your hands across the world.
In Jesus' name.
Amen

All this day, O Lord,
let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;
and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken,
whether through the word I speak,
the prayer I breathe,
or the life I live.
Amen.

Speakers

Talks at our meetings were given by a variety of interesting speakers, most were concerning varying aspects of the work of the Mothers' Union including the Mothers' Union in Australia, pilgrimages and meditations for Advent and Lent. Social concerns were discussed and we heard about the functions and organisation of the Open University. During March our Diocesan President, Eileen Smith, gave a presentation after the 9.35 a.m. church service on the work of the Mothers' Union worldwide with some members of the congregation staying to watch.

Outings and Social activities

Once more we had beautiful weather to enjoy our Garden Party, but were not so fortunate for our outing to Benington Lordship, which although enjoyable was rather damp.

Fund Raising

We supported the Church Fair in September by holding our usual cake stall in addition to our regular fund raising and coffee mornings. A Mosquito Drive was held in October to raise funds for 'No Gnats for Nebbi" a project in Africa to train 170 local Mothers' Union workers as Community Health workers to help raise awareness of the causes and prevention of malaria which is very prevalent in Nebbi. £220 was raised by the Mosquito Drive.

The Committee are grateful to Sonia Bloom for chairing meetings and dealing with much of the branch organisation. They also thank all those who help in various ways to aid the running of the branch, among them Audrey Forde and helpers who have made tea for the afternoon meetings as well as members who have hosted meetings and supplied refreshments. We look forward to another successful year in 2008.

Report for 2006

Our Committee, we hope you will agree, have been successfully running the Branch now for three years as sadly we still have no Branch Leader.

We began our meetings in January with an interesting talk by Daphne Pike on "A Village in Wartime". Our AGM as usual was held on the last Friday of the month. February we had Jimmy Dawson speaking on his Pilgrimage Experiences and the afternoon group had a fun and games meeting with Joan Burton. During March we had our Easter Meditations. No evening meeting was held in April as it was Maundy Thursday so we attended the church service. At the afternoon meeting we had an MU Resource pack entitled "Relationships Matter" which included member participation and a discussion period. In May a tour of St Mary's Bell Tower followed by tea in church was a very successful evening and well attended. We thank John McCutcheon and his assistants who took us up to the church roof so we were able to take photographs from that wonderful vantage point. "So you think you know all about the Mothers' Union" was the title of Alison Bailey's talk at our afternoon meeting.

Our Town walk and quiz, concluding in a pub supper, was an enjoyable evening and some husbands came on this occasion.

At the end of June we had Cyril Harding speaking on "The Johns of the New Testament". Our Cheese & Wine in July was well attended and Jean Stovin came along to tell us about her brother who had been presumed killed in the war, but after six years absence it was discovered he was still alive, although very sadly when he returned home he was a broken and very sick man. July saw our Garden Party kindly hosted by Audrey Beal - a successful afternoon and enjoyed by many, including guests Eileen Bennett (a past Enrolling Member) and her daughter Sheelagh. In September Wendy Zimmerman did flower arranging for us, and she not only demonstrated some beautiful ways of making the flowers look good, but included personal moments experienced as a flower arranger in St. Mary's. 'The Life of Mary Sumner', was the talk given by Shirley Dodgson at the afternoon meeting and this was well attended. Shirley took us back to the very beginning of the MU and was very knowledgeable about the Founder Member and her family. Eileen Smith, Our Diocesan President came in October to speak on the time she spent in Australia early this year when she met MU members and she was able to visit her two daughters who emigrated there. An afternoon of music and prose by Paul Lanham, our Deanery Chaplain, set the scene at our afternoon meeting in October.

MU Members at the 'Time Out' day held at Plinston Hall for Mothers and Daughters on 14th October 06.

Jane Mainwaring did a lovely Advent Meditation, giving us modern readings of all who were involved in the Nativity and the Birth of Christ. At the November meeting we had a very short service compiled by the Mothers' Union for St. Lukestide. As usual our Christmas Socials were arranged by the Committee and we thank Helen and Les for hosting the evening party, well attended. A big "thank you" was extended to Judith Duggan for auditing our finances. We thank Pem for all her hard work as our Treasurer over the past five years and also acknowledge all the assistance Pem's husband Richard has given her. We thank all the members who have welcomed us into their homes for the evening meetings and Audrey Beal who kindly sees that all members of 70 years and over receive a birthday card each year. Thank you to Audrey Forde for arranging our evening meetings and Sonia Bloom for being our Contact and arranging the afternoon meetings. We also thank Brenda Wiseman who is our very competent Minute Secretary and we thank Joan Burton for being our Link Correspondent. Last but by no means least our thanks go to all of the Committee who work very hard on our behalf and to Julia Walker for being our Action & Outreach representative. Please watch the Church Bulletin for any changes to our programme.

We have reached the end of another successful year- our second without a Branch Leader. The Committee is still working well together, sharing out running the meetings, and other tasks, including attendances at Deanery and Diocesan meetings. However we would be very pleased if someone would come forward as Branch Leader!

We meet twice a month apart from August. The second Thursday in members’ homes and the last Friday in Church House, apart from December, when the Friday meeting is brought forward to the second Friday.

Our meetings vary from serious meditations and talks, to light hearted social events, such as a Cheese and Wine Party, and Garden Party. We usually have an evening outing during the summer.

Last June some of us were able to go to the Mothers’ union National AGM. at Ipswich, where the MU had taken over the Football Stadium!

In a few weeks we shall be going to St. Albans Abbey, for a Diocesan Mothers’ Union President will be speaking. We provide cakes for the Garden House Hospice once a year, and also sometimes provide cheer-up bags for children in hospital. They have items of interest in them.

We have Corporate Communion on the first Tuesday in the month, and Prayer Group once a month at the home of Mary Taylor.

We would welcome anybody who would like to join our Branch, or visit us without commitment. For information please contact a member of the committee.

St Mary’s Mothers’ Union Committee

We have reached the end of another successful year – our first without a Branch Leader. The committee has worked well together and has tried to share as many tasks as possible. However, it would be wonderful if someone would come forward as Branch Leader.

2004 was the International Year of the Family in which we had celebrations including a Diocesan Family Picnic at Shuttleworth and special services.

Our thanks to Judith Duggan who audits our accounts and John Beal who kindly puts our Newsletters onto the computer for us. Jean Williams has handed over the evening Secretary position to Audrey Forde, who we are pleased to welcome back to the Committee. After many years of doing an excellent job as our Minute Secretary, Jean Pay has now handed over this responsibility to Brenda Wiseman. Our grateful thanks to both these ladies and to Jean Williams.

We would very much welcome anyone who would like to join our Branch and for information please contact a member of the Committee. A list of our Committee is on the MU Notice Board in Church House. Our programme is usually a mixture of Social and Spiritual occasions and we enjoy an annual outing, a Cheese & Wine evening and a Garden Party.

In addition to meetings, held on the second Thursday of each month and the last Friday of each month, we have Corporate Communion on the first Tuesday of the month and a Prayer Group once a month at the home of Mary Taylor.