You can download the paper copy of our news sheet from the link at the side of this page. Alternatively, read on...Church News: Week of Sunday 28th April - 5th Sunday of EasterThe Living God’s Love PrayerLiving God, draw us deeper into your love;Jesus our Lord, send us to care and serve;Holy Spirit, make us heralds of good news.Stir us, strengthen us, teach and inspire usTo live your love with generosity and joy,Imagination and courage; for the sake of your worldAnd in the name of Jesus, Amen.If you would like regular copies of this Notice Sheet emailed to you please email Rob Fox on: Robert.fox@virgin.netWHAT'S ONFri 26th April 5:45pm Town Band Set up 7:30pm-9pm Royston Town Band Spring ConcertSat 27th April 10-11:30am Church CaféSun 28th April 9am BCP Holy Communion Service 10:30am Sung Family Communion Service with welcome to visitors from the town's German Exchange, the Baptism of Kylan Murrell and Isabelle Shepherd; Church Choir and Children's Church followed by refreshments 1pm Scouts St George's Day ServiceMon 29th April 9am Morning Prayer in Lady ChapelWed 1st May 9:30am Celtic Prayer in Lady Chapel 11am Said Eucharist followed by refreshments 7pm Men's group meet up in WetherspoonsThu 2nd May 9am-11am Tots in Church 2:30pm Ladies' Group meet up in ChurchFri 3rd May 9am Book Stall Set-up 10am Staff meeting in BanyersSat 4th May 10am-4pm Book Fayre in Church with refreshmentsSun 5th May 9am Said Communion Service 10:30am Sung Communion Service with Church Choir and Children's Church followed by refreshmentsMon 6th May 10am-4:30pm Book Fayre in Church with refreshmentsTues 7th May 11am Thanksgiving Service for Sandra PollermanWed 8th May 11am Said Communion Service followed by refreshmentsThursday 9th 9am-11am Tots in ChurchFri 10th May 6pm Wedding RehearsalSay 11th May 10am-11:30am Church CaféSun 12th May 9am Said Communion Service 10:30am Sung Communion Service with Church Choir and Children's Church followed by refreshments 12:30pm Baptism of Toby and Rudy DuckINTERCESSIONS FOR THIS WEEKAs we pray for the Church, we pray for:For all Christians in AfghanistanFor all who worship at Royston Evangelical Church and the Food Bank; Pastor Jonathan ScottWe pray for the community of Royston:For all our local health centresFor our local toddler groupsAs we pray for our world and Eco projects, we pray for:For National Gardening Week in the first week of MayWe pray for the sick and suffering:Glen ThomasNealBaby Forest PikeSarah MurphyPaul and Pat TideyPeter CoatesBaby EdenPhoebe StromJan McElneyRichard MossAnn MiltonRoy RodwayJamie CovingtonLee CockerillBetty GladstoneJackson HerbertHelen YerrillVal BrownJean CoslettMargaret and John CoatesRichard Duke and AnnaBishop AlanKathy GeorgeWe pray for those who have died in the faith of Christ:Deceased BereavedSandra Pollerman Tibor, family and friendsLyn Corker Jeremy and Ben Rule, family and friendsPeter Nightingale Audrey, family and friendsWe pray for those whose anniversaries fall at this time:23 April Colin Willingale16 April Ethel Brookes27 April Alan NewtonNOTICESANNUAL MEETINGS There will be one service on Sunday 19th May at 10am, replacing the 9am and 10.30am services, and this service will be followed by a bring and share lunch, after which, we shall have our annual meetings. This is when we elect our churchwardens for the coming year and PCC members for a 3-year term and receive reports on various aspects of our parish life over the last year. Nomination forms are available at the back of the church so please prayerfully consider if you would like to stand yourself or nominate someone else. EASYFUNDRAISING: Easyfundraising uses 7,000 brands including names such as John Lewis, M&S, Viking, Expedia, Amazon, EBay, Compare the Market house insurance, all supermarkets, holiday operators, Insurance providers and a wide range of smaller online shops. Go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk Click support this cause and create an account.2ND HAND BOOK FAYRE is taking place on Saturday 4th and Monday 6th May. If you have any good quality second-hand books that you would like to donate, please leave them at the back of the church from Friday 19th April. We will need lots of help to sort books, man stalls and serve refreshments. If you could spare some time, please sign yourself up for suitable timeslots up on the sheets at the back of church. We're planning to serve scones for refreshments over the weekend, and would appreciate donations or scones, jam and clotted cream. Thanks in advance from the Social and Fundraising committee.STALL FOR BRAVE AT THE MAY FAYRE: We are having our usual fundraising stall for the Brave Trust in the park at the May Fayre on Monday 6th May. This will be a cake stall plus a ‘Hook-a-Duck’ game for children. Please could you donate a cake if possible and we also need chocolate prizes of small bars, (packs of four are a good size) or some larger bars (approx. 120gm). Cakes can be brought in on Sunday 5th or Monday morning, please give any prizes to Lynda Burns. If you could man the stall sometime between 12 and 4.30 or help set the stall up or pack away please sign the sheet at the back of Church. THANK YOU! HOME-START’S GOT TALENT' EVENT: SAVE THE DATE! Brace yourselves for an unforgettable evening of entertainment at Home-Start’s Got Talent extravaganza! Join us on Saturday, 29th June, at KJAR, Senior Site, Garden Walk, Royston. Doors open at 6:15pm for a 7:00pm start. Prepare to be wowed by a lineup of sensational acts and hosted by the incredible Jude Simpson. With a licensed bar, delicious food, judges, a trophy to be won and exciting raffle prizes, it's an event not to be missed. We still need a couple of acts for this event, so if you have a talent and would like to take part, please get in touch by calling Tracy on 01763 262262. Stay tuned for updates. To book your ticket/s – Adults £12, children under 13 £8, call 01763 262262, email events@hsrsc.org.uk or book online at www.hsrsc.org.uk/events/ OPEN GARDENS: The Bishop of St Albans will be opening his garden every Sunday between Sunday 9 June and Sunday 11 August for people to come and look at the beautiful gardens and the summer display. Those who saw the snowdrops will have seen the potential that the garden had for the summer and will be delighted at the change a different season brings. The two acres of garden is an oasis in central St Albans and visitors frequently comment on the fact that they did not know the garden was here or how extensive it is. Entrance is £5 per person (children free) and dogs on leads are welcome, there will also be plants for sale on some weekends. Please wear footwear suitable for the time of year. All money raised is donated to the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust.HASSOCKS We are selling spare hassocks (kneelers) for £20 each, all proceeds going to church funds. Limited number available. SPONSORED SWIM FOR WATERWAYS CHAPLAINCY : Emma Sivyer is raising funds to enable the work of Waterways Chaplains as they support those who live or spend time on Britain’s waterways many of whom live in poverty and suffer with their physical and mental health. Over the next 12 weeks she is going to swim 1780 lengths of Royston pool which is the length of our nearest navigable inland waterway, The Lee and Stort. She’d be really grateful if you’d like to sponsor her. Please use her Just Giving link here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/emma-sivyer-waterways-swim or if you prefer you can donate in cash by giving it to her and she will pay it in. SUNDAY READING SHEET 28th April 2024 5th Sunday of EasterA Reading from the Acts of the ApostlesThen an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’ The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.Acts 8: 26 - endGOSPEL‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. John 15: 1 - 8STAFF TEAMVicar: Revd Steven SivvyerTelephone no. 01763 243145Email: vicar@roystonparishchurch.org.ukAssistant Priest: The Reverend John FidlerTelephone no. 01763 241886Email: johnhfidler@aol.com Reader: Emma SivyerTelephone no. 07851 688610Email: emma@sivyer.org.ukReader: Canon Reg BaileyTelephone no. 01763 250637Email: regbailey@aol.com Parish Administrator: Joanne WallisWorking hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9 am to 1 pm email: roystonpc.churchoffice@gmail.comMobile: 07935 774633www.roystonparishchurch.org.ukemail: roystonpc.churchoffice@gmail.comwww.facebook.com/roystonparishchurch.herts
SUNDAY READING SHEET 28th April 2024 5th Sunday of EasterA Reading from the Acts of the ApostlesThen an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’ The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.Acts 8: 26 - endGOSPEL‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. John 15: 1 - 8
Our very own Beth Moorley is running the London Marathon on 21st April! She has been given the opportunity to do so and at the same time is supporting a fantastic charity, Keech Hospice Care where she is one of the Community Nurses on the Children's Team and everyday she meets amazing and inspiring children, young people and their families. Beth says "I know what a difference the charity is able to make in their lives, showing compassion, support and care in some of the most difficult circumstances. Please sponsor me, if you are able, and share my page far and wide! Every penny will make a difference. Thank you" https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/beth-moorley
