Weekly News - 11th February 2024

This weekend’s Bible readings: 

1 Chronicles 29:10-17 (p 434) and Luke 6:37-38 (p 1034)

All Saints@6 this weekend: 

This Sunday’s meeting will be the next in the Christians Together series, bringing together Christians of all denominations for fellowship and mutual support. All are welcome.

All Saints@6 in March: 

On Sundays 3rd, 10th and 17th March, the All Saints@6 team will be leading a Lent course, open to all (as always), on The Promises of Jesus. Please join us if you can.

Ash Wednesday service: 

The start of Lent this year will be marked as usual with our Ash Wednesday service at 7.30 pm on Wednesday at St Catherine’s. Please join us if you can.

Soup ‘n’ Snowdrops 17th February: 

This year’s event is on 17th February. Home made soup, bread and cheese will be served in St Catherine’s between 12.00 and 2.00.

Sunday lunch at the Star: 

Heather’s next Sunday lunch at the Star will be on Sunday 25th February at 12.15pm. If you would like to join us please phone on 07909 065550 by Monday 19th February.

World Day of Prayer: 

This year’s service is on Friday 1st March at St Mary’s Church, Standon at the earlier time of 2.30 in the afternoon, with refreshments afterwards. This is an ecumenical service open to all. The service is prepared years in advance and this year’s service has been prepared by the Christian Women of Palestine!

If you would like to help in any way or would like to know more about World Day of Prayer please speak to Margaret.

Thank you from the Food Bank: 

We have received a thank you card from Gemma. She writes: ‘Huge thanks for your continued support, it really does help a number of vulnerable families and individuals.’

Hope for Rural Churches 16th March, 9.30 – 4.30: 

The Diocese is running this day conference at Putteridge Bury Conference Centre, LU2 8DL. The Venerable Stewart Fyfe, Archdeacon of West Cumberland will be the keynote speaker. Stewart has a vast amount of experience of and a real heart for the rural church. The aim is to bring together those who serve in and have a heart for the rural churches across our diocese, to gather together, to connect with others, to be inspired, equipped, to worship and pray together and to leave with renewed hope for all that God is doing and will do in our rural churches. The event is open to ministry teams and any others who would benefit from the day. There is no charge and lunch and refreshments are included. Please book before 29th February, as catering numbers need to be finalised two weeks before the day. Rebecca will be collecting names and will make a block booking for our benefice; please let her know if you would like to go.

St Mary’s hassocks need some TLC: 

Several of the hassocks in St Mary’s have lost their D rings, which we use to hang them on the cup hooks on the back of the pews. If you would be willing to help sew on new tapes to re-secure the D rings, please speak to Marion.

Hospital transport looking for volunteer drivers: 

The dedicated hospital transport team offers lifts to local people who need them. It could be simply picking up someone in the village and taking him or her to the surgery, or it might involve a trip to an outpatients appointment at hospital. If you think you can offer some of your time (however little or large an amount), please speak to Wendy. Volunteers receive reimbursement for their petrol costs.

Website: 

Our benefice website is on the www.achurchnearyou.com platform. The benefice page can be reached via this link: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/benefice/32-240BF/. The forward from https://ubsms.org.uk should point to that page.

Services for the next few weeks

Midweek services each week:

Tuesdays, 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP), St Catherine's

Wednesdays, 9.30am Morning worship & Bible study, St Mary's

Sunday services:

11th February 10.30am Holy communion, St Mary's

6.00pm All Saints@6, All Saints

18th February 8.00am Holy communion, St Mary's

10.30am Holy communion, All Saints

6.00pm All Saints@6, All Saints

25th February 10.30am All age worship, St Mary's

6.00pm Choral evensong, St Mary's

3rd March 8.00am Holy communion, St Mary's

10.30am Morning worship, All Saints

6.00pm All Saints@6 Lent course, All Saints

10th March 10.30am Holy communion, St Mary's

6.00pm All Saints@6 Lent course, All Saints