With effect from the first Sunday in January 2024, Sue Waterston will be leading this service on the first Sunday of each month. You are very welcome to join us for this informal service, and have a cup of coffee afterwards.

We are joining our neighbouring churches in The Bereavement Journey®, which is an award-winning series of films and discussion that gently guide people bereaved at any time through the most common aspects of grief and bereavement, enabling them to process the implications for themselves and discern next steps.

The course is being held at Sutton Bonington Methodist Church on Tuesday evenings from 17th June to 29th July at 7 pm to 9 pm. The course is being facilitated by all three village churches and will be jointly facilitated. Cost is £5 per person to cover the cost of the manual.

To find out more, click on https://www.thebereavementjourney.org , where you can watch an introductory video. Booking is essential – so if you would like further information or to book a place, please email Karen Gray at [email protected] .

It is good to meet together, and each week we have enjoyed hearing the bells being rung before the services – so, many thanks to Shirley Barnett and her team of volunteer ringers. We are now meeting in the Chancel, which is much easier to heat! We are serving coffee & biscuits after our services, giving us the opportunity to chat! All are welcome to join us.

You are very welcome to come along to this short service, using some of the lovely Taizé music, with readings and quiet stillness.

Every Tuesday in August at 8 pm, like the last few years, we will have a short service of music, prayers and poetry; a time to be still and quiet in our beautiful peaceful church, and share this special time with others. Do come and join us.

At the end of May, a few of us went to a superb concert at Launde Abbey by classical guitarist Yvonne Bloor. Yvonne is a classical guitarist and composer, based in Leicester. She gained her Master of Music in solo guitar performance from the Royal Northern College of Music and she is also a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music and a Licentiate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London College of Music.

Yvonne has published three books of her music which have been described as ‘excellent publications containing mature, melodic, interestingly harmonised, lovely little pieces’ (Classical Guitar Magazine.) Her composition “Promise” is published by Trinity College of Music in the 2016 examination series, and her piece “Majesty” was composed for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and is included in the Jubilee Time Capsule.

She has given concerts in the UK and abroad including appearances at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and broadcasts on BBC Radio Leicester. Her charity concerts have raised over £2,500 for Leicestershire Churches. We thought that it would be just the sort of thing that would be enjoyed in St James Church – so we have arranged for Yvonne to give a concert for us on Saturday 9th August at 4 pm, followed by Prosecco & canapés. Donations to the St James Church Improvement Fund, towards a proposed toilet extension

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Preparations are now underway for our Church Fête in the grounds of St James Church, so please put the date in your diaries. As usual, it will be held on the second Saturday in September which, this year, will be 13th September from 2 pm to 4 pm. We have invited Ken Godfrey’s Central Jazz Band to perform again, and there will be all the usual stalls – plus some new ones!

Our friends at Soar Boating Club have kindly agreed to do some boat trips from the Fête, which is always appreciated.

If you can help in any way at the Fête or have any new ideas, please have a word with Brian & Sue or any member of the PCC.

It’s always an enjoyable day!