A warm welcome to you on
this the Fourth Sunday before Lent.
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’.
Giddeons
A special welcome too to those couples with us today who are to be married
at St Mary’s this year. Please do have a cup of tea or coffee after
the service. We shall start again with the wedding preparation in the
meeting room at about 11.15 am.
Audrey Curtis has made a donation this week to the Refurbishment Fund in memory of her husband Michael who died 32 years ago this week. If others would like to do a similar thing, please speak to Malcolm, Barbara or Sheila.
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.
Bishops visit to the Deanery
On Sunday 19th Bishops Colin and John will be visiting the deanery to
talk about ‘Vision and Values’. This will take place at St
Peter’s, Hillfields and all members of churches in the deanery are
welcome to attend. The meeting will be from 6pm-9pm. Light refreshments
will be available. I am told that Bishop Colin and Archdeacon Mark are
particularly worth hearing. If you would like to come, please have a word
with Malcolm, so that lifts may be arranged (if possible).
Coffee Club
The next meetings of the Coffee Club are as follows:
Wednesday 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.
January Tote
1st Prize No. 14 Janet Potter £27.00
2nd Prize No. 31 M. Moore £ 9.00
Fourth Sunday before Lent
Collect: Lord of the hosts of heaven, our salvation and our strength, without you we are lost: guard us from all that harms or hurts and raise us when we fall; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading Isaiah 40. 21-end [8 am only]
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9. 16-23 [8 am only]
Gospel Reading: Mark 1. 29-39
Communion Prayer: Go before us, Lord, in all we do with your most gracious
favour, and guide us with your continual help, that in all our works
begun, continued and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and
finally by your mercy receive everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
This week beginning 5th February 2006
Sunday 8 am Holy Communion
10 am Worship For All
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Parish Office
7.45 pm Quinquenniel Group
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer
Sunday 12th February
8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion, Junior Church and Lazers
12 noon Baptisms
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
