National Marriage Week: The BIG Promise

Marriage vows are the most long-term promises we ever make – to love and care for someone else for the rest of our lives! They are a commitment to put someone else’s interests as equal to our own, and they involve setting aside our own short-term ‘wants’ for long-term stability and satisfaction.
They are life changing – and have a huge impact on the way our lives work out. For those that make them they are ‘the BIG Promise’.

Every year more than a quarter of a million couples across the UK signify their commitment to each other by getting married – they make, explicitly or implicitly, promises to each other that form the bedrock on which successful marriages are built.

And every year Marriage Week (7th – 14th February) celebrates all those promises down the years, and seeks to encourage and support couples in their marriages.

The Mothers’ Union vision is of a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships. This is not a vague hope, but a goal which is actively pursued by working with people of all faiths and none in 83 countries to promote stable marriage, family life and the protection of children through praying, enabling and campaigning.

There is a natural fit between the aims of the Mothers’ Union and those of National Marriage Week which is why our MU branch at St John's Seven Kings regularly organises a display in the St John’s Centre for Marriage Week. This is in addition to its ongoing work of running our Contact Centre and Pram Club plus fundraising for MU projects and a regular programme of branch meetings. This year our display focuses on those in our congregation with significant Wedding Anniversaries during 2014.

Marriage Week celebrates healthy marriages as this social institution, which has been enshrined in the history of civilization, provides vital inter-generational links and stability bringing benefits to all of society. So, it is a Week, not just for those who are married, but for everyone who loves healthy marriage. Similarly, the members of the Mothers’ Union are not all mothers, or even all women. They are single, married, parents, grandparents, or young adults just beginning to express their social conscience; anyone who wishes to promote stable marriage, family life and the protection of children through praying, enabling and campaigning.

Does that describe you? Why not find out more about the work of Mothers’ Union during Marriage Week?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love.

Contact Centre celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Contact Centre run at St John's Seven Kings by the St John's branch of the Mothers' Union celebrates its 20th anniversary this Saturday.

A Child Contact Centre is a friendly and neutral place where the children of divorced and separated parents can meet, by arrangement, and spend time with their non-resident parent. In general, a Child Contact Centre is used by separated families who want their children to have contact with both parents and maybe other members of the family such a grandparents.

The St John's Contact Centre is part of the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) which promotes safe child contact through a national framework of Child Contact Centres and is the supporting membership body for around 350 child contact centres and services located throughout England (including the Channel Isles), Wales and Northern Ireland. More information about the St John's Contact Centre can be obtained through the NACCC website - http://www.naccc.org.uk/find-a-contact-centre - or National Infoline (Monday to Friday 9 - 1pm) - tel: 0845 4500 280.

Brynna Kroll has written that "There is no doubt that contact centres are an increasingly essential resource in the area of family support. Without them, the rights of many children to sustain a relationship with a departed parent in a safe place would be either undermined or lost completely."

In 1990 Jean Richards was approached by Diana Bandy, of the Mothers' Union in the Chelmsford Diocese, with the idea of starting a Child Contact Centre at St John's Seven Kings. A first meeting was held in May 1991 to take this proposal forward and in August 1991 the Contact Centre became operational with Jean as the first co-ordinator. She was succeeded by Madge Pettit, who ably followed by Janet Hull.

 

In addition to being the co-ordinator of the centre, Jean was very active in visiting other interested ecumenical groups and Mothers' Union branches to pass on information about setting up Contact Centres. Janet Hull served as both the co-ordinator and team leader of the Centre until 2009. Janet was instrumental in successfully applying for accreditation of the Centre with the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC).

Margaret Skinner is the present co-ordinator of the Centre and Margaret Streeter is her deputy. Jean Richards, Helen Jacob and Michael Streeter help them. Sheila Ramasamy does the clerical work for the Centre.

Initially all referrals to the Centre were from the Court Welfare Service, but after a few years referrals were taken directly from solicitors, CAFCASS and clients. Until 2007, all monitoring and evaluation of the centre was done by the Court Welfare Service. In January 2007, the Centre was accredited by NACCC. In November 2010, the centre was re-accredited by NACCC following a successful evaluation and monitoring process. The centre has until last year been successful in applications for grants from CAFCASS.

Today the centre has 18 volunteers working on a rota basis serving an average of 17 families and 22 children. Contact visits are on Saturdays between 10.00am and 12.00 noon. Families are allotted a maximum of two hours fortnightly. The centre charges a small fee of £2.00 per family per visit.

The Contact Centre 20th Anniversary was attended by present and former volunteers and included: a speech by Diane Bandy (Chelmsford Mothers' Union); cake-cutting by Diane Bandy and Jean Richards; refreshments; awards for long service; and presentations to all volunteers.

The Mothers' Union Mothers' Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. In 83 countries, it's members share one heartfelt vision - to bring about a world where God's love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships. This is a goal which is actively pursue through prayer, programmes, policy work and community relationships. By supporting marriage and family life, especially through times of adversity, the Mothers' Union tackle the most urgent needs challenging relationships and communities.

Members of the Mothers' Union are not all mothers, or even all women. The membership includes single, married, parents, grandparents, or young adults just beginning to express their social conscience. For all 4 million members what Mothers' Union provides is a network through which they can serve Christ in their own community - through prayer, financial support and actively working at the grassroots level in programmes that meet local needs.

The Playgroup, Pram Club and Contact Centre at St John's Seven Kings all owe their origins to the Mothers' Union branch which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. The Pram Club and Contact Centre continue to run through the commitment of Mothers' Union branch members. The Mothers' Union branch also has a programme of branch meeting and other activities which raise funds for Mothers’ Union projects in the UK and overseas.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?