PRAYER DIARY Monday Father, may the soul of Sheila Elliot and the souls of all the faithful departed, through Your profound mercy, rest in eternal peace. At this challenging time, we pray for strength for her family and friends. Amen. Tuesday Three young girls run to Syria; Lord, we've heard the worst? Parents, Muslim community, school and friends, everyone's shocked. Pray for all. Amen. Wednesday Tax avoidance; a “hot” issue? Really? Jesus simply says we should pay what's due (Matthew 22:18-22)? J. Welby similarly says if we take the benefits of our country, police, NHS, etc, we should pay our dues. Lord, this Lent and always, help fix our focus on Your life & example. Amen. Thursday Sheikh community providing urgent food aid in central London. Lord, in Lent, maybe we'll all see you as you really are. Hear our Prayers. Amen. Friday Think of someone you really don't like; can't stand them? They're awful? Offer Lenten witness and pray three times(?) each day for them. Amen. Saturday Usual Saturday job? Paper, milk and you see someone needing help? Don't walk on by; be a helping hand for Lent. We all know somebody who'll soon struggle with a lump of wood. Lord, let us help & aid. Amen. Sunday As Your grace fills our hearts this Lent may we be stirred into action to show your love for all peoples of our world and for all creatures that live and move on this earth. Lord, have mercy and hear our prayers. Amen. Street Prayer Lord, we pray for all homes, families and businesses in: Laxton Road, Worcester Crescent, and Coppice Road in Alresford; Thelma Drive in Thorrington; and Fenn Close in Frating. Bless all and keep them safe. Amen. PRAYERS! Any contributions of prayer requests are most welcome. Just contact Eric Day (826612) or e-mail [email protected] The United Benefice of St Andrew's and St Mary Magdalen Alresford www.alresfordchurch.net Frating with Thorrington www.thorringtonchurch.org Rector: Rev. Pauline Scott Sunday 1st March 2015 Today's reading: Genesis 15: 1-21 (p15) 8.00 am 9.30 am 11.00 am 6.30 pm STA Traditional Holy Communion (Pauline Scott) STMM Morning Prayer (Pauline Scott) STA All Age Worship (Pauline Scott) CYO Celebration @ Kingsland Church (no service @ STA) This week's diary: Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Morning Prayer is at 9.00am each day in The Sanctuary 2nd 10.30 am Shape Course in The Sanctuary 1.45 pm Scramblers in The Hub 3.30 pm Razmatazz in The Hub 7.00 pm Mission Planning & Prayer in The Sanctuary 3rd 10.00 am Bumps 'n' Babies in The Hub 2.00 pm Lent Course @ 10 Orchard Road 8.00 pm Cafe in The Hub 4th 10.00am Internet & Book Cafe @ STA 2.00 pm Pilgrim Lent Group in The Sanctuary 7.30 pm Lent Group in The Hub 5th 9.00 am Holy Communion in The Sanctuary 10.30 am Lent Group in The Sanctuary 2.00 pm Memories cafe in The Hub 6.30 pm Youth Group (11-15s) in The Hub 6th 10.30 am Women's World Day of Prayer @ STMM 7th 9.30 am Ladies' / Men's Group Breakfast in The Hub 10.00 am Book Cafe @ STMM Next Sunday 8th March 2015: Genesis 32:22-32 (p36), John 20:28-31 (p1090) Our vision: TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD AND EACH OTHER SO THAT WE MAY MORE ABLY BRING HIS LOVE TO THE WORLD Rector: Church Wardens - STA: - STMM: Rev Pauline Scott 823163 [email protected] Mr Phil Bull 827146 Mrs Wendy Wilson 825040 Mr John Jinks 255060 Mr John Palmer 302339 9.30 am 11.00 am 6.30 pm STMM Holy Communion (Pauline Scott / Nick Berry) STA Holy Communion (Pauline Scott / Nick Berry) STA Work In Progress (Pauline Scott) If you would like someone to pray with you at the end of the service, then please ask one of the prayer ministers (Ray & Sue Giles at STA who can be identified by their badges, Judith Clayton at STMM). NOTICE BOARD NOTICES FROM PAULINE Lent Appeal: Apologies – unfortunately the Tearfund speaker had been given 8th March & we had been given 1st so she can’t come. I have printed out some information booklets about Tearfund’s campaign ‘No Child Taken’ protecting vulnerable children from trafficking. Please help yourselves if you’d like to know more. Idea is we save the money from anything we ‘give up’ for Lent & the money will be collected on or after Easter Sunday for the appeal. This year our Mission focus will be ‘Celebration of Hope’ – Please do look at the boards and add your comments. Please can the leaders of different groups & others consider what they might offer during this year as part of the Celebration? Roles in the churches where help is still needed... Youth Group y6 to y10 Helper(s): Thursdays 6.30 to 8pm – maybe on an occasional basis. Maybe changing to Sunday evenings. Joint Drama Group: Members to perform drama sketches during worship at both churches. SARAH will run this team & thank you to those who have already offered to join. SCRAMBLERS: Sadly Val & Zanne are stepping down after many years working with the under 5s. We’re looking for others to join the team – maybe fortnightly? Razmatazz: Due to numbers (over 30 children now attend regularly requiring 6 adults) another helper on an occasional stand-in basis so that we can make sure we are always adequately staffed. Interested in any of these roles? Please speak to me asap. CYO Celebration: Today (no evening service @ STA) at 6:30pm, Kingsland Church, CO3 9DW (above Aldi). Please join us to worship together. You will get to hear about the work of CYO through the stories of the young people and staff we work with every week. There will be time to pray, inspired by the thoughts and prayers of hundreds of students. And we’ll be joined by guest speaker, Jill Rowe, a qualified teacher, youth worker and Spring Harvest speaker who will be sharing how Christians are making a difference in schools today. Women’s World Day of Prayer Friday 6th March 10.30am at St Mary Magdalen, Thorrington. This year it comes from the ladies in Bermuda. Everyone Welcome (including men!) St. Andrew’s is fitted with an Induction Loop. Hearing aid users are advised to switch their aids to the “T” setting. Colchester Area Vocations day on Saturday 21st March The day’s theme is “My soul, my life, my all..” and offers input, information and space to think about what God is calling you to be and do for Him in the church and the world. Workshops include information on lay and ordained ministry and special input for young people. It is at the John Owen Barn at Fordham, near Colchester and lasts from 10:00 to 16:00. You can register by email or post using the flyer available in church or at the Area webpage where you can also see a YouTube invite from Bishop Roger http://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/areas-and-bishops/colchester-areateam/events Consultation: Following on from the PCCs away day & the Mission Planning Group, we are considering how we can address 5 things: 1. Focusing of time & energy on the right areas. 2. To bring more creativity & energy into the Morning Services. 3. Provide opportunities for those interested to learn more about faith. 4. To look at where families go on to as children get too old for Messy Church. 5. To work towards building a Youth Congregation. Suggestions include moving the Youth Group (years 6 to 9 or ages 11 to 15) to a Sunday evening at 6.30pm leading into the Youth Service, as now, on a 4th Sunday. The other evening services would be replaced by a Simple Said Evening Prayer at say 5.30pm (United Service on 5th Sunday as now). Food for Thought would then be held on the 1st Friday (?) with a bring ‘n’ share supper much more accessible to those who do not attend church. We are also considering moving the Tea-time Service to the Wednesday am alternate to the Internet & Book Cafe at 11.30am followed by a light lunch or a Thursday afternoon same time as the Memories Cafe on a different Thursday. Please do let me know your thoughts – these are only suggestions! Pastoral Care: Can I please offer my apologies that I am getting very little time at the moment for visiting. Members of the Pastoral Team are taking out Home Communions and making sure those who aren’t well are OK. Please do let me know if there are any problems. Pauline Scott MOTHERING SUNDAY POSIES AT ST ANDREW’S CHURCH This year Mothering Sunday is on 15th March, so on Saturday 14th March at 10.30am we will be making the little posies in St Andrew’s church as usual. Do come along and help if you are free, no skill or experience required! We will also need donations of flowers and greenery. Please leave these at the church or at our house, 46 Wivenhoe Road. Thanks. Allan & Zanne Friston Items for the next Notice Sheet to Phil Bull by 6pm on Thursday at the latest please, either via the website or as below: [email protected] (01206) 827146 WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER It is not about 'women praying', it's about men and women of all ages worshipping and praying together using a liturgy prepared by Christian women of a particular country, this year Bermuda. WWDP is not FOR women, but FROM women; it is a gift to the whole church, to everyone irrespective of age, gender, denomination, politics, or anything else. So everyone is welcome at St Mary Magdalen church, Thorrington, on Friday 6th March at 10.30am. Please let me know if you would to take part or require a lift (01206 824328). Jill Earwaker THANKYOU Dear friends, thank you for your generous donations at our wedding, sorry it has taken so long to get the final amount. Through your giving we have been able to send £440.00 to Gifts for Romania and £340.00 to New Horizons giving a total of £780.00. Many thanks to all who gave and once again thank you all who came and made our day so special. We now have photographs on a memory stick so we will try to have them so we can show any who would like to see them. Ray & Sue Giles INVITATION BREAKFAST @ STA We are hosting a joint Ladies'/Men's group Breakfast on Saturday 7th March 9.15am for 9.30 at STA. We have Peter Holmes, the Presenter of the award winning Essex Sunday Breakfast Programme on B.B.C. radio Essex coming to speak to us (see article on the notice board). This is an excellent opportunity to invite friends and neighbours. There is a list on the notice board to sign up. Suggested donation to cover the cost £3.00 per person (why not invite and treat a friend to breakfast?). Carol Day
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