Cotteridge Kings

A story of how Cotteridge Churches congregation in Birmingham got really involved in 2007, they are doing it again this week!

It was the first service of 2007 so when the congregation of the Cotteridge Church were told by Canon Michael Blood that the Kings had arrived, they naturally thought about the bible story. What a surprise they got! The children of the Cotteridge Church had prepared their very own version of the story.

From the back of the church a procession started – it was the Cotteridge Kings, proudly wearing crowns brought back from Jerusalem – but what were they carrying? It didn’t look like Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and there were certainly more than three Kings.

When they arrived at the front Michael asked them what they had brought. “toilet rolls,” said one little boy, “a duvet,” said another, “a frying pan,” said a little girl, “washing up liquid,” “duvet cover,” “chopping board” and so it went on . Each child proudly held up a gift. Suddenly a young voice called out – “but who are all these things for?” then Michael told the story of the work of St Basils.

After that Rita Sutton, a church member, explained how everyone could help provide starter kits for young people at St Basils. A table covered in a big red cloth had intrigued people as they arrived at church. Now, they were told, the items under the cloth would be revealed – all the things that someone would need to start off in a bed-sit or slat.

In the middle of the table was a large cooking pot and half an hour after the service it was bursting with donations – almost £600, enough to provide TEN starter kits.

Now you might wonder how we could make the money stretch that far?? Ah well, we went to the sales at Woolworths and what wasn’t on the shelves at Woolworths was ordered for us. That was not down to the wise men nut the “wise women” of The Cotteridge Church who know how to make every penny count!

What a way to start off the New Year! We hope that the “gifts from the kings” will go a long way to help a lot of people.

Rita Sutton.