Cotteridge Mug

In my last post, in which I served from 1998 to 2008, part of my responsibility was as the URC member of the ministry team at the Cotteridge Church, a Local Ecumenical Partnership of the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.

Today's, in this little series of mugs, is a Cotteridge mug and depicts the church building, situated near to Kings Norton Station in Birmingham.  Like several of the others in this series, it is a strong reminder of partnership.

However, it is also a reminder for me of the importance of being rooted in the community, which was fundamental to the Cotteridge ethos.  The Coffee Bar, open six days a week, was central to the life of the church.  Indeed, I remember being told of the person who wandered into the building after the Sunday service, looking for the normal Coffee Bar service and who, on realising what was happening around them, commented: o, of course it's closed on Sundays; it's a church!