Hello EveryoneThis Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, and our usual Sunday morning services will take place:9.30am Holy Communion Service at Chalgrave - led by Rev Nigel Washington11am Holy Communion Service at Toddington - led by Rev Nigel Washingtonand there is Messy Breakfast in Wilkinson Hall at 9.15am too, which is a family time to gather for breakfast, with crafts too.Nigel is covering at Toddington and Chalgrave churches this week so I can cover services at Harlington and Westoning during their vacancy ( a certain irony there!) so I am sorry not to be with you and will miss you, but you will be in safe hands with Nigel.This week's events:NovemberMonday 21st 9.30am Morning Prayer - Toddington ChurchTuesday 22nd 10.30am Knitting Group - Wilkinson HallWednesday 23rd Winter Warmer 10.30am until 3pm with lunches served at 12 noon at Wilkinson HallWednesday 23rd Chalgrave's monthly Pop Up Tea Room 11am until 1pm Tebworth Memorial Hall (with lots of home made cakes and good company)Friday 25th Painting for Pleasure group 10.30am Wilkinson HallFriday 25th Messy Church 3.30-5.30pm Wilkinson HallSaturday 26th November 9am Christmas Bazaar at Wilkinson Hall, followed at 10.30am by Coffee MorningCouncil fun afternoon on the Green and lighting of the Christmas LightsSunday 27 November 9.30am Holy Communion, Chalgrave11am Holy Communion,Toddington1pm Baptism Service ToddingtonLooking ahead: dates for your diaries:29 November Youth group, Wilkinson Hall30 November 7.30pm Dunstable Deanery Meeting1 December 12.30am Funeral of Rita Stares2nd December 7pm Scouts' Carol Service9 December - preview evening for Christmas Tree Festival- Toddington10 and 11 December - Christmas Tree Festival - Toddington11 December - Chalgrave Carols by Candlelight 7pm (note Sunday evening this year)13 December Youth Group 5.30pm Wilkinson Hall14 December local schools' Christmas services at Church14 December Chalgrave Christmas Pop Up Tea room 11am15 December Lower School Christmas service at church16 December Christmas Messy Church17 December Toddington Band Christmas Concert in church pm18 December 9 Lessons and Carols Service, Toddington 6.30pm (unless changed to later in the week tbc)24 December Crib Services: Chalgrave Church 3pm, Toddington Church 4.30pm24 December Midnight Mass Service Toddington 10pm, Chalgrave 11.15pm25 December Benefice Christmas Morning Holy Communion Service 10am ToddingtonHow time flies by! Have a good week, and see you soon,God blessLinda (and Nigel)
Hello EveryoneThis has been a week of sensitive remembering of loved ones who have died. Last Sunday we held special 'In Loving Memory Services' at Toddington and Chalgrave churches and people took time to light candles in memory of loved ones. On Friday, I was fortunate to be invited to two special school Remembrance services: the first at St George's Lower School where each child laid a poppy petal to create a large school poppy, to remember the soldiers who had died. The year four children capably spoke out about the importance of Remembrance day and also sang a beautiful Remembrance Song. Parkfields Middle School kindly invited me to their special Remembrance Service where we all gathered outside to pay our respects, with class wreaths being laid, a two minute silence observed, poems read by students, and the Last Post played ably by a student. It was a moving service and such a privilege for me to attend both of these special services with our young people. Sadly, I was not able to attend the community service on the Village Green this year, which was at the same time, but it was rather lovely to hear the bugle sound in the distance on the Green as the school's Last Post fell silent, reminding us of being united in the act of Remembrance. This Sunday, our local village communities will gather on Toddington Green at 10.40am and at Tebworth Memorial Hall at 3pm for their respective Remembrance services with the British Legion, and wreaths of poppies will be laid in solemn tribute to local soldiers who gave their lives so selflessly in the different wars. Do please join us if you can.There will also be a short time of remembering with the laying of a wreath at Chalgrave Church memorial at 2pm All welcome. This week saw the successful launch of Wednesday Winter Warmer gathering at Wilkinson Hall from 10.30 to 3pm. This will take place on Wednesdays leading up to Christmas. All Welcome. There will be other events too. This Sunday's Services.. Remembrance Sunday9.30am Toddington and Chalgrave benefice Holy Communion Service at St George of England Church, Toddington 10.40am Remembrance Service on the Green at Toddington2pm a short time of Remembrance - Chalgrave Church3pm Tebworth, Wingfield and Chalgrave Remembrance Service, Tebworth Memorial HallThis week's services and events:Monday9.30am Morning Prayer - Toddington ChurchSeated Pilates 2pm- Wilkinson HallTuesdayKnitting Group 10.30am- Wiilkinson HallWednesdayWednesday Winter Warmer 10.30-3pm Wilkinson HallThursdayFellowship Group 2.4pm - Wilkinson HallToddington PCC Meeting 7pmFriday Painting for Pleasure 10.30am- Wilkinson HallDates for Diary: Chalgrave next Pop Up Tea Room at Tebworth Memorial Hall is on Wednesday 23 November.The Funeral for Rita Stares will be at Toddington Church, 12.30pm on Thursday 1st December. The service will also be live streamed (link to be released later)As we reflect on the week ahead, let us take time each day not only to remember and to give thanks for our lives today but to bear in mind the words of Kohima Epitaph which we will hear tomorrow: ' When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today'Let us in these challenging times, consider what we can do today to make someone's tomorrow better. God blessLinda
Dear All I'm sorry to be sending a last-minute short email this week. It hasn't turned out to be quite the week I was anticipating.. but then when does it! I spent two days preparing for and dealing with workmen cutting back the hedge, shrubs and apple tree at the rectory,..so if you would like any apples, pleeeaase do get in touch. We have so many! Following a great school governors' meeting on Wednesday eve, I returned home with thoughts buzzing through my head about the school assembly the next morning and about how much work there was to do to prepare for this Sunday's services...when, suddenly I was struck down by a grotty sickness bout - probably food poisoning. Thursday pretty much passed me by as I slept for virtually 24 hours, emerging rather gradually on Friday. Saturday has been spent glued to the computer to prepare for our four special services tomorrow and I am looking forward to being back in the swing of things tomorrow, and to meeting up with many of you again, relieved that I am married to a lovely clergy husband who will be alongside tomorrow offering support. Over the years we have tended to minister in separate places, so it will be rather special to minister together tomorrow and we look forward to seeing you. This Sunday our services are: 9.30 am Chalgrave Church, In Loving Memory Service - lead by Linda and Nigel 11.00 am Toddington Church, Holy Communion Service - lead by Linda, with Nigel presiding at Communion 1.00 pm A Baptism Service for Amelie, Toddington Church - lead by Linda 4.00 pm Toddington Church, In Loving Memory Service - lead by Linda and Malcolm, (with Nigel preaching). Other events this week are as mentioned in last week's email apart from: Tuesday 8th November 5.45 pm, Wilkinson Hall, Youth Group - 9+ years of age. Rebecca will be sending out invitations. Please get in touch if you know someone who would like to come along. Wednesday 9th November, Wednesday Winter Warming time – 10.30 am – 3.00pm with soup and baked potatoes for lunch Thursday 10th November, 2.00 pm Meet with Friends, Wilkinson Hall Friday 11th November Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial led by the British Legion 10.40 am Packing Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes, 2.00 pm Wilkinson Hall. All help will be most welcome! Saturday 12th November No activities planned! Sunday 13th November - Remembrance Sunday 9.30 am Benefice Holy Communion Service at Toddington Church 10.40 am Remembrance Service on the Green 2.00 pm A time of Remembrance at Chalgrave church by the memorial 3.00 pm Remembrance Service, Tebworth Memorial Hall Our thoughts and prayers go to all who grieve, remembering those who will be attending the In Loving Memory services tomorrow, and those who are not able to. If you would like to come to pay respects to a loved family member or friend, please do join us. You will be warmly welcomed and this type of service can offer comfort and healing. It is a service which offers time to remember, time to step aside from the busyness for a while and time to light a candle in memory of a loved one. Our particular prayers go out to Roger, Sally and Matthew as they grieve the loss of Rita who died suddenly this week. We thank God for all Rita offered to the Church of St George. She will be very sadly missed. with best wishes Linda and Nigel
Hello EveryoneIt seems a long time since I sent my last email with information about October's services when Nigel and I were about to head off for a rest. I hope October has been a good month for you. The weather has been so mild, sunny and unseasonably kind. We enjoyed some wonderfully relaxing days in Dorset and then last week we spent a week in the Lake District and were thrilled to see 3 otters emerge from the shrubbery alongside us at Derwent Water heading out for a swim. Such simple moments but very special. I am now back in the flow and led a wedding at Harlington Church today and will be picking up momentum this week. Tomorrow's services will be lead by Archdeacon Dave at Chalgrave and Toddington Churches, and I look forward to seeing you all either during the week, or next Sunday to catch up.I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has helped to cover during my absence. I am so grateful to you. Malcolm Curtis, Rev Roger Wood and Archdeacon Dave have covered Sunday services and Malcolm also kindly covered funerals, Morning Prayer, a school harvest assembly and several services at short notice in September when I was unwell. This enabled me to have a sabbatical and a holiday and I was so glad of the opportunity to sleep and rest. Thank you!It seems impossible that it is already over a month since the wonderful Petal and Purl festival, which was such a glorious event, organised and inspired by Angela, Rita, June and their trusted team of knitters and flower arrangers. It was so very special. So many hours were poured into the organisation, and preparations to create a truly memorable occasion with the 800 year old church of Toddington looking resplendently beautiful - a fantastic setting for the later Harvest Service and for my formal licensing service as Rector, and the service of Commemoration to HM the Queen. Thank you to all involved for your generous time and dedication.So much happened in September, and in October, and now as we approach November, we anticipate the 'In Loving Memory' services at Chalgrave and Toddington next Sunday to remember and give thanks for special friends and family loved ones who have died and we light a candle in their memory. If you would like to include a name to be read out at either service, please either contact me, sign the church lists tomorrow at the services, or pop into Toddington church this week to add names to the appropriate list in church. I'll leave out a list for both Toddington and Chalgrave churches for you.This Sunday's servicesAll Saints, Chalgrave, 9.30am Holy Communion Service led by Archdeacon Dave Middlebrook.St George of England, Toddington, 11am Holy Communion Service led by Archdeacon Dave MiddlebrookEvents and services this week:Monday 31st October9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington ChurchTuesday 1st10.30 Knitting for all, Wilkinson Hall.Thursday 3rd12 noon hot Ploughman’s Lunch, Wilkinson HallFriday 4th10. 30 am Painting for Pleasure, Wilkinson HallFuture November Events and ServicesSunday 6 November9.30am In Loving Memory Service at Chalgrave Church11am Holy Communion Service at Toddington Church1pm Baptism Service, Toddington Church4 pm In Loving Memory Service at ToddingtonMonday 7, 14, 21, and 28 Morning Prayer 9.30am Toddington Church14th Seated Pilates, 2pm Wilkinson Hall tbcTuesdays1, 8,15, 22 and 29th Knitting for all, Wilkinson HallWednesday 9, 16, 23 and 30th 10.30am – 3.00 pm WARM WINTER WEDNESDAYS with tea/coffee, soup, jacket potatoes, new/old friends and conversation. See attached poster.Thursdaysa variety of different weekly activities.Friday4, 11, 18, 25th Painting for Pleasure, Wilkinson HallSunday 13th - Remembrance Sunday9.30am Benefice Holy Communion Service, Toddington10.40am Remembrance Service on the Green2pm Time of Remembrance at Chalgrave Church Memorial3pm Remembrance Service, Tebworth Memorial HallSunday 20th9.15 – 10.30 AM - Messy Breakfast (will usually be on 2nd Sunday of the month but delayed due to Remembrance Sunday)Friday 25th3.30pm Messy Church, Wilkinson HallSaturday 26th9 am Pre-Christmas Mini Bazaar10.30 - 2.30pm Saturday Coffee Time3.30 pm Village Community event on the GreenWishing you all well and looking forward to seeing you soon. Do please get in touch if you would like a visit, Home Communion, a chat or have a prayer request.God blessLinda
