​In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cancellation of worship services, the District will be broadcasting a worship service at 10:30am on Sunday morning via Facebook Live and it will also be available on the District Website:
If you are unable to join us on your computer, tablet or phone, the attached will enable you to journey with us as we worship together in our homes around the District.
From Ian Howarth - Chair of the Birmingham District - who was here in our chapel last month celebrating our bicentenary

As part of an ecumenical project to read the bible stories to young people in schools a group of readers have been trained many from our own congregation to deliver this programme in our local primary school. Shustoke is a C of E aided school and was one of the few in the area which was bereft of this programme. The first read happened today and was a great success judging from a few of the young people who were able to recount an outline of the event. Find out more about Open the Book here

A dry evening whilst cold but a happy band of about 18 adults and 4 children entertained households around the village. The merry band finished in the Railway pub and sang some more in the warm. With the previous singing in the Church End Brewery the Dog Inn the grand total for all is £510. This will be split between ​Methodist Homes for the Aged and Ronald Mc Donald charities.

Playing once again to a near full church Switched on Swing entertained with a range of songs from Uptown Funk to some Beatles songs. Interval tea and cakes were enjoyed with the chocolate being demolished. Many helped washing up afterwards including our young reporter. Ours thanks to the band for supporting the Methodist Chapel once again raising £272 in total.

A lovely sunny weekend allowed many to enjoy the twelve or more gardens open to view. Refreshments sold well with a wide range of cakes. Did you buy a plant to take home? We thank all those who opened their gardens and helps their visitors.
Can you spot the houses these flowers were seen in?

A grand total of over £350 was raised after a busy morning, serving the Big Breakfast. Our thanks to all those who attended and especially our servers and cooks.

A busy service where we were joined by our Romanian friends. They sang some Christmas carols both in English and Romanian which was a pleasure to hear. These families from several surrounding areas, use our church as a meeting point to maintain their Romanian traditions of worship so their children experience them. They came and joined some of us for a meal on Friday evening making the whole weekend something of a meeting between the two cultures.

At the end of the service Xavier entertained us festively.

The Parish Rogation walk 2018 was a scorcher, beautiful morning sunshine greeted the early starters at they prepared for the days walk.  Meeting at the Methodist Chapel from 9 am the 'catering team' had put together a very welcoming start to the day, tables laid out in a lovely country cafe style with dishes of butter, jams & marmalade's, plenty of tea and toast served to the tables.
The Methodists had a very busy morning serving the walkers who started arriving around 8.40 and we had a steady flow until around 10 a.m. several dogs too, whose owners opted to sit outside. We collected around £70 in donations,

The day started off in high spirits as walking attire, nobbly knees, Mike's thighs, sun hats, refreshment stops were considered in preparation for the walk. Every year the walk gets more popular, and by the 10am stop at St John's in Lea Marston for the bacon and sausage butties there was quite a crowd had gathered.

This year, the Tame Valley wetlands had also joined in the action to offer walkers the opportunity to do short circuit of the bluebell woods adjacent to the St John's which was very lovely, and promote some of their forthcoming events.
The day was fantastic, every one in good spirits.  The refreshments en-route were plentiful and lovely quality produce including the ploughmans lunch at St Cuthberts, Shustoke, followed by strawberry's/melon and cream & wine at Over Whitacre church (St Leonards), and finally on to St Giles Church, Nether Whitacre for afternoon tea/ cakes and a short church service to commend that day.
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What is especially nice is those who were unable to do the walk for whatever reason (either in part or in full) could still take part in a wonderful parish event by simply attending each of the churches.  It was lovely to see so many from the parish young & old joining in, enjoying the sunshine, or the cool of churches or enjoying a picnic on the grass.   

Thanks to our roving reporters Becky, Julie, Christine, Lynda and David.