St Peter's
There was a fairly good congregation at St Peter's on Thursday in last week, when the first of a series of Lenten services was conducted by the vicar (Rev. A. Howard).
The Rector of Wyddiall (the Rev. W. Mc C. Kerr) had intended to preach, but was prevented from attending owing to indisposition.
St Peter's
The interior of the church was prettily decorated with evergreens in profusion, interspersed with chrysanthemums, and at Holy Communion on Christmas Day, which was administered by the Vicar (Rev. A. Howard) to over thirty communicants, the lights from the gas enhanced considerably the decorations.
At the morning service, at which the Vicar spoke to a good congregation on the joy which the first Christmas Day brought to the earth, touching upon the same happy lot which might be ours if it could be realised that the Babe Who was born in the manger at Bethlehem was sent as the Saviour of man. The season of Christmas could only be enjoyed in the heart by knowing the relationship of Him Who was born in the manger in the fields while the shepherds were watching their sheep because there was no place to accomodate for Joseph and his espoused wife Mary when the time came for her to be delivered.
Appropriate hymns were used, and the Holy Communion was also celebrated after the service.
On the Sunday preceding Christmas Day there was a special carol service during the afternoon. Thanks to the excellent training of Mrs Pateman, who accompanied singing on the organ, the children sang exceptionally well, some of the carols being "O little town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "Good King Wencelas" and "A Child this day is born," Mrs Fiddaman delivering the air for the latter and the children singing the chorus.
A further carol service will be held on Sunday next.
Sunday School Treat
Not quite the usual number of scholars attending Layston Sunday School were present at the annual treat, several of them having gone away for the summer holidays.
The scholars, accompanied by teachers and a few mothers, assembled early on Saturday afternoon last at St Peter's for a short service, and from there made their way to Aspenden House (the infants being taken by car) at the kind invitation of Capt. and Mrs Williams.
Games whirled away the time until the bountiful tea was served on the lawn. Following this, the usual programme of races was carried out, bucket ball for mothers and teachers concluding the events.
After the distribution of prizes, the Vicar (Rev. A. Howard) expressed his thanks to all who had helped to make the treat so enjoyable, and called for cheers, which were heartily given.
The National Anthem concluded the proceedings.
Lantern Lecture
On Thursday evening in last week, Miss Rose Box, of the Colonial and Continental Church Society (Juvenile Branch), gave an interesting lantern lecture at St Peter's.
The lecturer gave an account of the Society's work in Kenya Colony, and the 80 slides were photos of the conditions in that Country.
The Rev. A. Howard opened and closed the service with prayer, and Miss L.M. Davies presided at the organ for the two hymns which were heartily sung.
Mr B.E. Thody kindly operated the lantern.
St Peter's Church
The Rev. Taylor Wood, Organising Secretary of the Church Missions to Jews, preached morning and evening on Sunday last, and also addressed a children's service in the afternoon.
Mr Taylor Wood is a master of his subject, and his services were listened to with deep interest.
In the morning he dealt with the remarkable change which has taken place in the attitude of the Jew to Christianity, and in the evening on the strategie position which belongs to the Jews at the present time in fulfilment of prophecy.
Over £3 was collected for the Jews' Society.
Harvest Festival at St Peter's
The Harvest Festival services were held on Thursday in last week and were continued over the following Sunday.
The church was beautifully decorated with a profusion of corn, flowers, fruit and vegetables, which had been brought as thankofferings.
The corn had previously been weathered at the Parish Room by Mrs Pateman, Mrs Corp, Miss Woodley, Mrs H. Clark, Miss V. Feasey, Mrs Howard and Miss Brodie, the actual decorations being tastefully carried out by Miss Boniwell, Mrs Butler, Mrs Coleman, Mrs White, Miss M. Howard, Miss Lushington, Mrs Ambrose, Mrs J. Pateman and Mr H.L. Baker.
The Rev. H.B. Webb-Bowen, R.N., Vicar of Barkway, preached on Thursday evening to a large and attentive congregation. The anthem "Song to the Lord of the Harvest," was well rendered by the choir, and the whole service was a hearty and happy one.
On Sunday, in addition to the morning and evening services, a Flower Service was held in the afternoon.
The church was well filled, and many generous offerings were brought by the children of flowers, fruit and eggs, accompanied by appropriate texts, which been warmly appreciated by the sick and needy. The Festival closed with a very hearty service on Sunday night.
Owing to the special fuel and lighting difficulties, the offertories were for that object, over £6 being received, but in addition nearly £3 was given for the hospitals.
St Peter's Church
Last Sunday was to have been the last service at Layston this autumn, but owing to the weather and darkness, the Parish Church was not used, and is now closed for the winter.
C.P.A.S.
The Rev. T. Stevens, of the Church Pastoral Aid Society, was the lecturer at a lantern service held at St Peter's on Thursday in last week.
There was a very good congregation, and the address was listened to very attentively by all.
The subject was "The heart of the Empire," and the slides, all of which were pictures of London, depicted the worked [sic] of the C.P.A.S. in the thickly populated quarters like Whitechapel and Spitalfields.
Mr Stevens spoke with authority on the subject, as only last month he was engaged in working in Lodging Houses and slums near Spitalfields.
Mr B.E. Thody operated the lantern.
St Peter's Annual Social
The annual social for the adult members of the Layston Choir and Sunday School Teachers, given by the Vicar and Mrs Howard, was held at the Vicarage on Thursday, January 13th.
A splendid repast of refreshments was served, and indoor games of every description were indulged in.
Songs were also sung by Mr H. May (the Lay Reader), and Mrs May, Mrs Corp, and Mr C. Miles. Miss M. Macklin presided at the piano.
At the close, Mr Miles proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Vicar and Mrs Howard for their kindness in entertaining the party who had all spent a most enjoyable evening, this was seconded by Mr Pateman.
The party broke up at 11.30.
Layston Annual Church Meeting
This meeting, which has been held annually in St Peter's in accordance with the Enabling Bill (1919), and which is open to all on the Electoral Roll, and which has in the past been very poorly attended, was this year made the occasion of a social gathering at "The George" Assembly Room on Wednesday night.
Over 60 responded to the invitation sent in the name of the Vicar and Churchwardens to every elector, and undoubtedly the number would have been considerably larger but for the prevailing influenza, from which many electors and their families are suffering, including several of the Parochial Church Councillors.
From 6.30 to 7.30 the business meeting of the year was held, enabling many of the first time to understand what lies behind the regular working and provision of the Church's services, which many look upon as a matter of course.
After the opening prayer, the Vicar welcomed those present, reminding them that it was at the suggestion of Mr Claud Fraser, who was really the "host" of the evening, that the meeting was taking its present form.
Mr Maughan, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer to the P.C.C., read the minutes, and then presented his financial report for the year, which, with additional help from an appeal to electors who did not regularly attend church, and a jumble sale, showed a balance of 6/9 on the right side.
The report of the Churchyard Committee was also read, and the Free-will Offering Fund was shown to have contributed £25 17s. 9d. during the year to the Parochial quota to the Diocesan Board of Finance, new subscribers being invited to join. Subscribers were asked to come and hear Canon Shorting, who is preaching on the subject at St Peter's on the evening of February 27th.
The financial report having been passed, the next business was the election of four representatives to the Ruri-Decanal Conference: Mrs Butler, Mrs Macklin, Mrs Howard and Mr C. Fraser; the election of Mr C. Fraser to represent Layston on the Diocesan Conference, and the election of the Parochial Church Council for the ensuring year, which resulted in last year's Council being re-elected en bloc.
Rev A. Howard then informed the electors of the urgent necessity of having the organ at St Peter's thoroughly cleaned for the first time in its life of 25 years, which would involved from £45 to £50, and asked for united effort to meet this need.
Mr Fraser emphasised another expense which would have to be met in the near future, namely, that involved in the proposed addition to the Churchyard. The ground had been given by the Vicar, but fencing, fees and other outlay would arise, but this would be a matter affecting the whole town.
The business meeting having been closed with prayers, the guests were served by the ladies of the P.C.C., in whose hands Mr Fraser had left this part of the entertainment, and others, with tea and refreshments, and a pleasant social time was spent, after which a programme of music and singing was greatly enjoyed, of which the programme is appended.
Every item was appreciated, and at the close very hearty thanks were given by the Vicar to all who had helped to make this new departure a thorough success.
Piano duet, Misses Macklin; song, "The Little Hero," Mr Henry May; part song, "The Gardener"; song, "My Hope," Miss Bartlett; Community Singing, Mr E.E. Dennis; Piano, Miss M. Macklin; song, "Orpheus with his Lute," Mrs Scarborough Taylor; part song, "Music when soft voices die"; song, "The Bonny Blue Kerchief," Mrs Armstrong; Community Singing, Mr E.E. Dennis; God Save the King.
St Peter's
Canon Shorting, of St Albans, Secretary of the Diocesan Board of Finance, preached on Sunday evening.
He pleaded for the observance of the Bishop's week of prayer and self-denial, which is being held this year from March 6th to 13th. The money contributed in this way yearly, is used to relieve cases of urgent necessity amongst the clergy and their widows, of which he gave instances.
The remaining part of his address was an explanation of what is done with the parochial quota, which in the case of Layston, is raised by the Freewill Offering Scheme. He specially emphasised the help given by their means towards the training of promising young men, who feel the call of the ministry, but whose parents could not afford the long and necessary training for Holy Orders.
As there are now 5,000 less clergy than there were some years ago, the number ordained not making up the yearly wastage by death and retirement, this help is an urgent matter, supplementing the help already given by the C.P.A. and other societies.
It is hoped that new Free-will Offeringsubscribers may come forward as a result of the Canon's visit.
St Peter's
The services on Good Friday and Easter Day were well attended, the number of communicants on Easter Day being very gratifying.
The Church was profusely decorated by Mrs Howard, Mrs F.W. Butler, Mrs Pateman, Mr F.W. Butler, and Mr S. Howard, and the services were bright, the joyful Easter hymns being sung by all.
For the first time for some years there was no Easter anthem, owing to the state of the organ. The organ has not been thoroughly cleaned since it was built, and it is hoped to overhaul it in the near future.
The collections on Easter Day were given to the Vicar as a personal gift, and amounted to £16 9s.
St Peter's
On Sunday last, sympathetic reference was amde both morning and evening by the vicar (Rev. A. Howard) to the loss sustained by the parish and congregation in the death of Mrs Coleman, who had for some years been an active Church worker, a member of the Parochial Church Council, and a regular communicant at S. Peters, and one who would be greatly missed.
The deepest sympathy was felt by all with those most nearly concerned.
Bible Society
Sunday next will be observed as Bible Society Sunday at S. Peter's.
The deputation, Rev. H. Cossar, M.A., of Cambridge, will preach morning and evening, and at the Children's Service at 3 o'clock.
Mothers' Union
A large number of members of the Buntingford branch of the Mothers' Union assembled at St Peter's on Thursday afternoon of last week to hear an address on the work of the Ladies' Home Mission.
Mrs Alex Dixon presided, being supported by Mrs Howard.
Mrs Mould, who gave a very interesting address, referred to the work the Mission was doing at Spitalfields, and showed some very interesting photographs depicting the home life of some of the poorer people.
Part of the Mothers' Union service was used, and hymns taken from Mothers' Union sheet.
At the close a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mrs Mould, and a collection for the Mission Funds amounted to £1 10s.
Bible Society
Sunday last was observed as Bible Society Sunday at St Peter's, when the special preacher was the Rev. H. Cossar, M.A., of Cambridge.
The Rev. Cossar preached at both morning and evening services and at the children's service during the afternoon.
His very helpful addresses dealt with the great work the Bible Society was doing. The collections, which were for the funds of the Society, amounted to £3 6s.
St Peter's
An organ recital on the organ, which has been put in excellent repair by Messrs. Corps & Son, will be given on Thursday, June 9th, at 7.30 p.m., by Mr E.E. Dennis.
Soloist - Mr S. Daniels.
Collection for organ fund.
Church Pastoral Aid
Sermons were preached on Sunday last in St Peter's and in the evening at Layston on behalf of the Church Pastoral Aid Society by the Rev. C.P. Newell, Curate of Christ Church, Ware, who effectually aroused the interest of his hearers in the cause he was advocating.
In the morning he preached from Micah vii, 3, "With both hands earnestly," contrasting the zeal and earnestness usually displayed in the search for this world's advancement and gain with the half-heartedness of even professing members of the Church in carrying on God's business.
In the evening his text was from Proverbs xxiii. 23, insisting on the value of truth, the cost of truth, and the paramount duty of not selling it, but sharing it with those who have it not.
This, he said, was the main object of the C.P.A. which assists the clergy in crowded parishes, provides them with assistant clergy and lady workers, and also helped to train for Holy Orders men who are otherwise fitted, but are unable to pay for their own training.
The offertories during the day amounted to £3 5s. 4d.
Confirmation
Bishop Lander, the Suffragan Bishop of St Albans, conducted a Confirmation Service at St Peter's, Buntingford, on Thursday in last week.
There were 20 condidates for Confirmation from the following parishes - Layston 16, Bedford 1, Totteridge 1, and Meesden 2.
The Bishop gave a very helpful address, his text being "I have set before thee an open door."
In the evening the candidates were entertained to tea at the Parish Room by the Rev. A. and Mrs Howard. The Vicar also presented each of the candidates from Layston with a suitable book.
Easter at St Peter's
Bright and hearty services were held on Easter Day in St Peter's, which had been tastefully decorated with spring flowers and plants by Miss F. Feasey, Miss E. and Mr S. Howard, Miss Brodie, Miss M. Macklin, Miss Bell, Mr S. Thody, Miss J. Sayer and Miss E. Winters.
The Holy Communion was celebrated at 8 a.m., mid-day and evening, when there was a large number of communicants.
A children's service was held in the afternoon, followed by baptisms. At the morning and evening service the anthem "He is not here, He is risen" (Caleb Simper) was well rendered.