A warm welcome to you on this the feast of The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Please do join us after the service to share in a cup of tea or coffee. All ages are welcome at St. Mary’s, children included. There is also a crèche in the Octagon for the very young if you need it. If this is your first time with us, please do fill in the slip at the end of the newsletter, so that we can keep in touch with you. St Mary’s is fitted with a hearing loop system. Members of the congregation who have a hearing aid with a ‘T’ switch will find that they can hear better when it is switched to ‘T’.

PLASMA
The PLASMA (Prayer Life at St Mary’s) Group has not met for some time and we would like both revive it and to think about some of the aspects of our Prayer Life at St Mary’s. If you might be interested in joining a group with the objective of widening our spiritual growth here, please speak to Tony Thistlewood or Malcolm Tyler. Please also if you don’t want to join a group but have some ideas, speak to Tony or Malcolm.

Hospital Drinks Rota
St. Mary’s covers two Wards at Walsgrave Hospital serving drinks on a Saturday evening. This usually takes about an hour. Unfortunately our numbers have depleted of late and the rota needs to be revised. If you would like to consider becoming a Volunteer would you please speak to Sheila Wick. This is a very worthwhile endeavour and is much appreciated by both patients and staff. Sheila Wick

Coffee Club
There will be no meetings in January. The next meetings are as follows: Wednesday 1st & 15th February and 1st and 15th March all at 10.45 am. All Welcome.
Edna and Alan Robinson

Annual Parochial Church Meeting
As we begin the New Year, inevitably thoughts turn to the Annual Parochial Church Meetings to elect Churchwardens, PCC Members and to receive the annual report and accounts. The Annual Meetings this year will be on Sunday 2nd April 2006.
Prior to that we need to review our electoral roll - effectively the church membership. Revision will take place from 5th February to 12th March.
If you worship with us regularly, you should be on the electoral roll. Those who live outside the parish boundary must have worshipped with us for 6 months before joining the roll but Sheila Wick our Electoral Roll officer can provide more details.
Being on the Electoral Roll allows you to participate at our Annual Parochial Meetings and to elect or stand for office on PCC.
As ever we elect 2 churchwardens, 8 members of PCC and this year, because of Karen Hauler-Davies’ departure, we have a casual vacancy on Deanery Synod (for 2 years). Please do consider standing for office - details of how to do so will appear nearer the time.

Lent Course
This year we shall be running a course called ‘Balance’ during Lent. Subtitled a 5 session course on rest, work and play for Lent you can see the main subject is our work-life balance. The first session will talk about the importance of the Sabbath rest principle.
We shall be running the course both on a Wednesday morning after the 10 am service (ending with soup and rolls) and in the evening.
Please sign up on the noticeboard if you would be interested in joining either session.

Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Collect: Lord Jesus Christ, light of the nations and glory of Israel: make your home among us, and present us pure and holy to your heavenly Father, your God, and our God.

First Reading Malachi 3. 1-5 Gill Bowser

Second Reading: Hebrews 2. 14-18 David Greenhalgh

Gospel Reading: Luke 2. 22-40 Will Morley-Brown

Intercessor: Nicola Harwood

Hymns: 395 118 82 184 527 142

Post Communion Prayer: Lord, you fulfilled the hope of Simeon and Anna, who lived to welcome the Messiah: may we, who have received these gifts beyond words, prepare to meet Christ Jesus when he comes to bring us to eternal life; for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

This week beginning 29th January 2006

Sunday 8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion, Junior Church and Lazers
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Parish Office
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer

Sunday 5th February

8 am Holy Communion
10 am Worship For All
6.30 pm Evening Prayer