GRATWICH NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2021
GRATWICH SERVICES IN MARCH
SUNDAY 7th 7.00pm Evening Prayer via ZOOM
PALM SUNDAY 28th 7.00pm Evening Prayer via ZOOM
There is also an Area Service at 10.00am each Sunday via Zoom
Here is the link for the Area Service – it is the same each week
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88104504862 Meeting ID: 881 0450 4862
Spring seems to be on its way, snowdrops and crocus out in flower, daffodils not far behind. At last the fields are dry enough to let our sheep and lambs out, lets hope the grass keeps growing (except the lawn of course!).
The church in Gratwich are looking forward to being able to have an Easter Sunday service in St. Mary’s, not sure what time yet so watch this space!
We are going to have an Easter themed Messy Church on 27th March via Zoom.
Please join and let’s see how crafting and singing over Zoom works
Contact Jenny for more details. ([email protected] Tel: 01889 502471)
100 CLUB – February - drawn at the Zoom Service on 24th January
1st Jayden Hulin 2nd Cynthia Bailey 3rd Angela & Matt Downing
The next draw will be at the Zoom service on 28th March
DOG FOULING - Please could anyone in Gratwich with a dog be aware of where it
is ‘going to the toilet’ as there is still a problem with dog excrement outside the main church gates. There is a bin on the telephone pole at the end of church lane, please use it.
Thank you.
After the success of our Zoom Quiz we are having a
CHURCH CRIME EVENING
It should be a good evening – come and test your detective skills
please book in with Jenny by 3rd April.
Can you help solve the crime??
Join Detective Inspector Solvit
On April 10th 2021
7.30pm
Via zoom to interview the suspects
Teams of up to four can enter
Fairtrade Fortnight 22nd February – 7th March, 2021
Fairtrade Fortnight started on 22 February 2021. This is an annual opportunity to particularly promote Fairtrade, highlight Fairtrade products and help people in the developing world who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Fairtrade gives farmers and workers in developing countries a minimum price for the goods they produce and extra help for their community, enabling them to provide a better life for themselves and their families. Climate change is making things worse and Fairtrade is helping them deal with the effects of climate.
The Covid 19 pandemic has made this an extremely difficult year for everyone and the usual ways of promoting Fairtrade Fortnight aren’t possible, but we can still do our bit in supporting people in the developing world by buying Fairtrade goods as and when and how we do our shopping. There is a range of excellent Fairtrade products in all our local Supermarkets, bananas, chocolate, wine, sugar, coffee, tea etc. Look out for the Fairtrade logo.
Clergy Letter for March 2021 – by Rev. Chris Brown
Dear friends
I began this letter sitting at dad’s house waiting for the gas man to come and repair dad’s boiler, no heating but plenty of hot water Thankfully dad is in St Marys Mount at the moment and enjoying every minute. My thoughts drifted to where we are as a world at this moment. We have to stay at home, keep our distance and wash hands. Unfortunately this means contact with our communities is very limited. The few people we come into contact with, either by phone or electronic media, are absolutely delighted that we have bothered to contact them. As a member of the clergy team I am conscious of the restricted pastoral care we can give to our community, often when they are in dire need of it. Time on the phone or social media do not seem the same as a face to face conversation, it always seems to be lacking something. The same applies to our worship, I know that Members of the team do a sterling job creating online worship for our area congregations, even farther afield. Distant worship, distant learning and distant pastoral care, our contact with others becomes more remote. I sometimes feel we are all turning into a modern Robinson Crusoe cut off from the world and all alone.
Our thoughts are concentrated on the future, when will this pandemic end, when will I be free to go out and mix with family and friends and when will we back to normal?
For many there will be a time when, although free to come and go as you choose, the spectre of the virus and fear of contagion will be always there, hovering in the background. Some will experience a time of new beginning, building up new friendships and contacts. All of us in some way will have to build up our lives virtually (the pun is intended) from scratch. How that will shape our lives and communities we do not know. Can we carry on as before the pandemic? In some ways we as a church will be like the original disciples setting out to build the new church that Jesus empowered them to do. In a way we will be sharing the same questions as those disciples. What do we do? How do we do it? Should we do it this way or that way? Do we have enough people and resources to continue?
Have people’s expectations or approach to worship changed, especially after experiencing different styles of worship on line.
Have we as Christians changed inside after lockdown or self-isolation or shielding?
As I said to the congregation at Marchington, at the end of my only service this year, be of good heart, God will see us through. As followers of Jesus we are used to having to wait on the Lord and this isolation should be treated as a time of waiting and a time of prayer that will reinforce our own inner belief in God and a time to prepare us to for the time we can gather again to worship and minister fully to all God’s people.
All God’s blessings, Chris.
For further information about anything in the newsletter, please contact:
Rev. Charles Dale 01889 500428: email: [email protected]
Jenny Talbot: 01889 50241 email: [email protected]