Dear Friends,

We have just started our period of Lent with Ash Wednesday. We normally do a Lent course with a book or videos. This year we are running the Alpha Course in the Church rooms at St Luke’s Church starting on this Tuesday at 6.30 p.m. and every Tuesday evening for 8 weeks. It starts with a free meal, a short 20 minute video on big life topics followed by informal discussions to share thoughts, ask questions or just listen. No pressure, just good food and good conversations. To book your meal or ask questions email [email protected] It will be a chance for fellowship and to explore our faith. It would even suit someone with little or no faith who just wants listen.

Lent is a time to make space to grow in our faith. Fasting is not just to test our ability to abstain from food or treats but a way to remind us that we need to feed our souls as we learn to trust the Lord.

Live courageously this week as you trust him in the storms of life. He is with you in your boat even though he can seem to be asleep.

Peter

If you are needing to contact Louise, please use either email or mobile phone, text or call.

[email protected] or 07779585908

Safeguarding

For any safeguarding concerns, please contact one of the following:

Revd Louise Grace: 07779585908 [email protected]

Katie Gray: [email protected]

Caryll Ingerslev – St. Luke’s: [email protected]

Jane March-Mcdonald – St. Margaret’s - [email protected]

For issues with rough sleepers:

Elizabeth Reed: [email protected]

Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by the end of [email protected]

Material for A Church Near You to Tony Raven: [email protected]

Services and calendar for the week

Sunday 9th March

10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s

3pm…Open the Story…St Luke’s Forest Church

6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’s

Monday 10th March

10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s

12.30am…Funeral for Lynda Plain…St Margaret’s

2.30pm…Contemplative Prayer…St Margaret’s

7pm…Compline…Zoom

Tuesday 11th March

9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s

3.30pm…Anna Friends Support Group…St Margaret’s

Wednesday 12th March

10.00am…Morning Worship…Zoom

2.30pm…Coffee and Cake…St Margaret’s

Thursday 13th March

10am…Mini-Messy Church…St Margaret’s

11am…Holy Communion…Watermeadow Grange

11am…Memorial Service…St Margaret’s

Friday 14th March

9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s

11am…Holy Communion…Pym Court

12noon…Lent Lunch…St Margaret’s

2.30pm…Thanksgiving Service for Wendy Turner…St Margaret’s

Sunday 16th March

8am…BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

10am…Joint Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)

Bookings

St. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.

Contact: [email protected]

St. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy.

[email protected] or phone 01392 271458

St. Luke’s church is open on Wednesdays afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.

St. Margaret’s church is always open from approx. 9am, but closure times depend on the season. The church is now being closed at around 5pm.

Message from Louise

The church of England now allows same sex couples to have their union blessed within regular worship. I have been approached by Kris and Matt, a couple who love Choral Evensong, and so it's a joy to be able to bless their long relationship within evensong on the 23rd March at St Margaret's. Please do hold them in your prayers as they approach this poignant milestone in their faith and relationship, and all are welcome to come, of course, to the service.

News and Notices

Lent Lunches

St. Margaret’s, Holy Cross and St.Nicholas Methodist churches will be offering lunches on Fridays during Lent between 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.. A simple meal of soup, bread and cheese will be served with a donation of £4 suggested.

14th March at St. Margaret’s Parish Church

21st and 28th March at St. Nicholas Methodist Church

4th and 11th April at Holy Cross Catholic Church

All are very welcome!

Tea and Cake

Please see attached flyer for details of this new regular event on a Wednesday afternoon!

Dream Big

The official faculty (church planning permission) has been granted and an enlarged copy is on a notice board in the social area – conspicuous by its impressive red seal. That is one big hurdle crossed, with thanks to our professional team, architect and project manager, who helped us get here. The overall project budget is also published in church, both in numbers and as pie-charts for those who prefer them. Several applications to grant-giving organisations (such as National Lottery and the National Churches Trust) have already gone out. As our contribution to the remaining amount, we will be appealing to the local community for £15,000. There will be no further pressure on the regular congregation – although if we are offered donations, they will not be refused – but you could always raise the project in conversation with generous friends. We won’t be able to plan a start date for the building work until some grants have been received.

Electoral Roll

Thanks to all those early birds who have already signed up, either on paper or online. We are approaching 90 applications so far. Do join these if you haven’t yet got round to it. The prize draw closed on Tuesday, but as there was no event in church that day, the draw itself will take place after the 10am service on Sunday. Winners not present will be notified by e-mail if we have it, or by post. Even if you are too late for entry into the draw, applications will be accepted right up to the end of April.

Paul Jakeman

Alpha Course

St. Luke’s will be running an Alpha course as our Lent study group on Tuesdays at 6.30 p.m. from 11th March, in St. Luke’s Church Rooms. A meal, a talk and great conversation will be included!

Message from Louise:

This Lent, the benefice offering for both churches is the Alpha course. If you have previously been attending courses in either St Luke's and St Margaret's, demonstrating availability and a commitment to weekly attendance, you are very much encouraged to sign up for the Alpha course. Whilst many would see Alpha as only for enquirers, it is true that we come back to the same Bible readings year in year out, but each time with fresh insight because of experience and study in the preceding twelve months. No one is too mature for Alpha, in other words. Be open and prepared to be surprised by the joy and wisdom of others; and also as maturer Christians, it is a wonderful opportunity to serve the wider church community.

All of us can serve by holding the course in daily prayers.

At the very least, hold in your prayers the principal organiser, warden Jackie Crozier, and all the volunteers who are making it happen, as well as the folk who will be coming. Everything from making sure we have enough food to feed everyone to praying that the wisdom in the room will lead us further into God's grace.

Volunteers – If you would like to get involved with readings, intercessions, verging, administration of the bread/wine, please let Gill Yates know.

Volunteers are also needed for the cleaning rota, flower arranging and the coffee rota.

More people are always very welcome and very much needed!

[email protected]

Please find newsletters for St. Luke’s and St. Margaret’s attached.

Exmouth Food Bank

We are currnetly focusing on replenishing our core stock so that we can continue to feed those in need.

In particular we would welcome donations of :

• Cereals
• Porridge oats & instant porridge
• Pasta
• Stir in pasta/pasta bake sauces
• Tinned fruit
• Tinned vegetables (sweetcorn, mixed veg)
• Fruit squash/juice
• Longlife milk

In addition toiletries such as hair shampoo, conditioner, body wash and deodorant would also be helpful. Also bags for life.

Thank you for your support. You are AMAZING !

For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511

Prayers

For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:

Jill and Adrian, Fay, Kirsten, Chris Whitehead, Tony Bradford, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Carol Walker, Wendy Lockwood

Housebound or in nursing/care homes:

Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear, Peter Gwynne

John Davies

Please pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.

Anniversaries

Jack Heal, Marjorie Richards, Peter Burdick, Molly Tothill, Vicki Morton, Ronald Mellor, Pamela Simpson, Florence German

Recently departed

Wendy Turner, Lynda Plain

Gospel Readings for the coming week

Sunday 9th March Luke 4: 1-13

Monday 10th March Matthew 25: 31-end

Tuesday 11th March Matthew 6: 7-15

Wednesday 12th March Luke 11: 29-32

Thursday 13th March Matthew 7: 7-12

Friday 14th March Matthew 5: 20-26

Saturday 15th March Matthew 5: 43-end

Sunday 16th March Luke 13: 31-end

Collect and reading for Sunday 9th March

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so we may know your power to save; though Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

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