Hello Everyone On Thursday afternoon Nigel and I spent a few lovely hours at Anglesey Abbey enjoying the beautiful snow drops which are in full flower. Different varieties of snowdrops were mixed in areas with yellow aconites, winter cyclamen, winter roses and a few discreet crocuses, all offering a sense that Spring is in the air, despite the cold biting wind. On today's walk at Wrest Park I noticed dead looking twigs beginning to display new buds. How wonderful nature is, that despite the cold ice still lingering on the water, the ducks and birds abound, and each day now draws us all forward to brighter, longer days, sunlight and new growth. Today, we received a wonderful surprise visit from 2 members of the church family and are still smiling with joy after a most enlightening conversation with a very articulate young man. What joy these short moments in time offer. We give thanks and praise to God for special times of blessing and joy and we pray that this week you will receive a blessing of encouragement and joy to ease you forward. This Sunday's services: 9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave Church - Linda 11.00 am A 'Healing' Service with Holy Communion, Toddington Church - Linda and Nigel Services and Events this week: Monday 13th 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church 2.00 pm Seated Pilates, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Tuesday 14th 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Wednesday 15th 10.30 am - 2.30 pm Warm Winter Wednesday - with soup and baked potato lunch, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Thursday 16th 2.00pm St George's Fellowship, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Friday 17th 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 12.30 pm Memorial Service for Philip Henden, St George of England Church. Services and events for February and beyond Sunday 19th February 9.30 am Service of Holy Communion, Chalgrave - Nigel 11.00 am Service of Holy Communion, Toddington - Nigel Monday 20th Morning Prayer, 9.30 am Toddington Shrove Tuesday 21st Knitting Group 10.30 am, Wilkinson Hall Youth Group 5.45 pm, Wilkinson Hall (and Tuesday 28th February) Ash Wednesday 22nd February (The start of Lent) Final Wednesday Winter Warmer gathering, 10.30 am, Wilkinson Hall - (to be replaced by Wednesday Lent lunch, 12.00 noon) Chalgrave Pop Up Tea Room, Tebworth Memorial Hall 11.00 am – 1.00 pm Ash Wednesday 6.00 pm evening service, with Holy Communion, Toddington Church Thursday 23rd 11.30 pm Funeral of Sheila Parks, Chalgrave Church 7.30 pm Quintet Choir Rehearsal, Toddington Church - (Looking towards Easter) - all welcome Friday 24th 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group, Wilkinson Hall 2.00 pm Rehearsal for World Day of Prayer service, Toddington Baptist Church 3.30 pm Messy Church, Wilkinson Hall Sunday 26th 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Monday, 27th 9.30am Morning Prayer, Toddington 11.00 am The Lent Course, Toddington, Mondays, 27 Feb, 6, 13, 20 and 27 March and 6 April. All Welcome. Come when you can. Location Rectory or Wilkinson Hall. tbc 2pm Seated Pilates, Wilkinson Hall 7pm Chalgrave PCC Tuesday 28th 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall 3.00 pm Toddington PCC 5.45 pm Youth Group, Wilkinson Hall Wednesday March 1st 12.00 noon, Lent lunch, Wilkinson Hall Chalgrave Lent Bible reflection group (each Wednesday evening during March) time tbc Thursday March 2nd 12.00 noon Ploughman's Lunch, Wilkinson Hall Friday March 3rd World Day of Prayer, Toddington Baptist Church, 2.00 pm Please hold the people of Turkey, Syria and Ukraine in your prayers this week. And so, the weeks speed forth into Spring, towards Easter. Have a good week. Sending you every blessing. Linda (and Nigel) Rector Toddington and Chalgrave
Hello Everyone Last Sunday we celebrated Candlemas remembering Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus in the temple, and the joy of his discovery by Simeon and Anna who had been waiting so many years for the coming of the Lord. We also considered the Candlemas Bells (Snow drops) which appear so faithfully, popping up through the frosty ground each year marking the occasion. Their pure white and beauty also remind us of Mary's purification and admittance into the temple following the birth of Jesus. This week has had many special moments.. mainly through meeting people and having a chat. How important conversation is! This Sunday, as our congregations continue to grow and settle post lockdown, we are looking forward to introducing the first of our 'Healing' services. Special services like this were laid down during Covid lockdown when we had to keep apart and masked, but how good it is now to be able to gather to pray together and to pray for each other. Tomorrow at 9.30 am the service at Chalgrave will allow time to pray special prayers for the sick and to offer anointing with oil as we ask God to heal in body, mind and spirit. There will be a similar service next Sunday (12th February) at 11.00 am at Toddington Church. The services will be gentle and non-threatening and will aim to offer peace and blessing. Do please join us to either pray for yourselves or for someone else who is on your heart. You will be most welcome. This Sunday's Services 9.30 am A service with prayer for Healing and Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church - Linda & Nigel 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington, Malcolm and Linda Services and Events from Monday 6th February Monday 6th February 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church 2.00 pm An Introductory course about Prayer Ministry, The Rectory - information from Linda Tuesday 7th February 9.30 pm Prayer Group 10.30 am Knitting Group - Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Wednesday 8th February 10.30 am - 2.30 pm Wednesday Winter Warmer, with soup and baked potato lunches, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Thursday 9th February 2.00 pm Afternoon with friends - refreshments, games, conversation and a warm welcome, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Friday 10th February Painting for Pleasure group, 10.30 am, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Saturday 11th February 10.00 am - 12.00 noon Coffee Morning, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Sunday 12th February 9.30 am Morning Service, Chalgrave 11.00 am Healing Service, Toddington NB: Seated Pilates will now take place twice a month, on 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, 2.00 pm, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Ploughmans lunches will start in March and will be on the first Thurs of each month. Looking ahead: There will be a weekly Lent course for Toddington Church from w/c 27 February (day tbc). and a weekly Wednesday evening Lent Bible Study course for Chalgrave Church, during March. More information to follow. We are looking to reintroduce Open the Book visits to the Lower School for collective worship on a few Thursdays each month (about 10.00 am) If you would be interested to be part of a team going into school to 'act' out some of the Bible Stories with us at Collective Worship time, please do let me know. The lower school are seeking helpers to listen to children read. If you have time to offer, please let me know. It would be lovely for some of our church members to be able to offer support. The lower school is also seeking a new Foundation Governor.. someone who has Christian faith, who would be willing to offer to support the school. Please let me know if you may be able to help. Thank you all so much for your support in so many different ways. It truly is the body of Christ coming together, using your time, gifts and talents. Thank you.. your help is so appreciated. Wishing you all a very blessed week. Linda Rector Toddington and Chalgrave
Hello Everyone Can we really be heading to the end of January already? I must admit that I feel a certain joy to see the lengthening days with the extra daylight and the chance to be outside a little longer each day. The days have been particularly pretty with frost and blue skies recently, although Wednesday's pavements and roads were treacherous with the freezing fog. There have been special moments to celebrate this week with Chalgrave Pop Up Tea Room being well attended with a wealth of cakes and provisions and smiles; Messy Church at Toddington on Friday was a time of creativity focused on the Epiphany story of the three kings and their camels; the lower school assembly on Thursday was joyful with children high fiving Nigel as they left after he 'acted' enthusiastically the part of Peter, the fisherman, hauling in a large catch of fish! Toddington church folk welcomed visitors to Wednesday Winter Warmer with hot soup and fellowship and again this morning with cakes and conversation to the Friends' coffee morning. On Wednesday evening Bishop Richard joined us at Chalgrave PCC meeting and shared a Biblical reflection which inspired lots of conversation. It is good being together.. and thank you to everyone for providing such wonderful opportunities to gather. Spring is in the air! This week I have been encouraged to see buds appearing on the hydrangea and on other trees and shrubs; early bunches of daffodils and hyacinths are appearing in the shops and just in time for Candlemas this Sunday, the snowdrops are starting to push through the frozen soil. Snowdrops have a certain traditional symbolic link to Candlemas: 'Snowdrops have, in Britain, been closely associated with Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ into the Temple (February 2nd). This is the day when Simeon took the child in his arms and proclaimed him a light to the world, and Anna proclaimed his glory'. This Sunday's Services: 9.30 am Holy Communion Service at Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion Service at Toddington Church Other Services and Events this week Monday 30th January 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church Tuesday 31st January 10.30 am Knitting Group 5.45 pm Youth Group, Wilkinson Hall Wednesday 1st February 10.30 am - 2.30 pm Wednesday Winter Warmer gathering (soup and baked potatoes) Wilkinson Hall Thursday 2nd February NO Ploughman's lunch this month Quintet Choir rehearsal Harlington Church (7.30 pm?) - more information from Nicholas Hopton Friday 3rd February 10.30am Painting for Pleasure, Wilkinson Hall Saturday 4th February Trefoil Guild coffee morning at Methodist Church Sunday 5th February 9.30 am Healing Service with Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church - Linda and Nigel 11.00 am Holy Communion Service - Malcolm and Linda Sunday 12th February 9.30 am Morning Service at Chalgrave Church. 11.00 am Healing Service with Holy Communion, Toddington Church- Linda and Nigel As we move forward there will be more information about Lent courses but for now, I wish you a wonderful week. God bless Linda
Hello Everyone Looking ahead to tomorrow's services we have the usual 9.30 am Holy Communion Service at Chalgrave and 11.00 am Holy Communion Service at Toddington to which you are all warmly invited. After the 11.00 am service I lead baby Archie's baptism in a separate service at 1.00 pm. Malcolm and I told the story of Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan at the Lower School Collective Worship last Thursday.... but we won't be fully immersing Archie in the font tomorrow! We have had some wonderfully cold and frosty days this week with beautiful sunshine and blue skies and the weather is forecast to continue cold well into next week so please don't forget to pop along on Wednesday to Tebworth Memorial Hall for the Pop Up Tea room with a wonderful selection of cakes and savouries, and soup, from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm or to Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Wednesday Winter Warmer gathering which is from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm, with soup and baked potatoes for lunch. Each gathering will offer you good company and a warm welcome. Other events this week are: Morning Prayer on Monday at Toddington Church at 9.30 am, Tuesday Knitting Group at Wilkinson Hall at 10.30 am Wednesday Pop Up Tea Room, Tebworth Wednesday, Winter Warmer, Wilkinson Hall (See poster) Wednesday eve Chalgrave PCC look forward to Bishop Richard's visit Friday Painting for Pleasure group 10.30 am Wilkinson Hall Friday Messy Church, Wilkinson Hall, 3.30 pm (See poster) and every 4th Friday of the month. Saturday, Friends January Sale 9.30 am – 12.00 noon with refreshments, Wilkinson Hall Have a good week Best wishes Linda
