A warm welcome to you on this Third 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’.

The flowers in the Lady Chapel today have been donated in memory of Ted Philips. Please also remember Audrey Curtis and her family in your prayers this week as they remember Michael who died 33 years ago today. Audrey has made a donation to the refurbishment fund in memory of Michael.

Calendars Available
Albert Abraham has some calendars available for a donation to the work of Christian Professionals Fellowship a missionary group he is attached to in India. If you would like to know more about their work or to get a calendar, please see Albert.

Coffee Club
The Coffee Club meets next on Wednesdays 7th and 21st February at 10.45 am. All welcome. Gwen and Audrey

Annual Meeting and Reports
It seems incredible that immediately after Christmas and the New Year that we have to turn our minds to the Annual Meeting and Report, but we do. This year our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday 25th March and we will need to have all reports in by the first week of March to ensure we have enough time to produce papers for everybody by 11th March. Please, if you usually write a report for the annual papers start thinking about it now. The sooner we have it in the office, the better! If you are responsible for any group or committee, please make sure you send in a report.
This year too we have to completely revise our Electoral Roll. The new roll will be adopted on 6th March but will be opened for applications on 28th January.
A complete revision, as its name implies, means that everybody has to re-apply to join the electoral roll (or membership list) of the church. If you worship here regularly you should be on it! Membership entitles you to vote at the Annual Church Meetings and also to stand for office on the Parochial Church Council.

January Tote
1st Prize No. 61 J. Hartopp £27.00
2nd Prize No. 43 A. Davoll £ 9.00

Palm Crosses
Looking forward again, Ash Wednesday falls on February 21st this year. It is our custom to collect in as many palm crosses from previous years as possible to burn prior to Ash Wednesday service to provide the Ash for the service itself. Please bring in any palm crosses you have from now onwards.

Diocesan News
You may have heard that Bishop Colin announced his resignation this week. He intends to retire in January but his last service will be at the Cathedral on Saturday 1st December at 3 pm. Also Malcolm has been appointed Area Dean of Coventry East this week.

Lent Course
From Wednesday 28th February we shall be running a Lent Course both in the morning and evening. Following the success of ‘Life Balance’ last year we shall be undertaking a similar course ‘Life Attitudes’ this year which looks at the beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel (Blessed are the poor in spirit etc) - more details to follow shortly.

Your Church Needs You
You will be aware of the amount of repair needed to be done to the church fabric - peeling paint and degraded plaster bear witness. We can, however, keep the church as clean as possible and that is where you come in. Two volunteers are needed to fill a vacancy on the cleaning rota. The work involved takes less than an hour every seven weeks. If you are prepared to help please have a word with me. Alan Robinson

Third Sunday before Lent

Collect: Eternal God, whose Son went among the crowds and brought healing with his touch: help us to show his love, in your Church as we gather together, and by our lives as they are transformed into the image of Christ our Lord.

First Reading: Isaiah 6. 1-8 [8 am only]

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15. 1-11 [8 am only]

Gospel Reading: Luke 5. 1-11 [8 am only]

Post Communion Prayer: Merciful Father, who gave Jesus Christ to be for us the bread of life, that those who come to him should never hunger: draw us to the Lord in faith and love, that we may eat and drink with him at his table in the kingdom, where he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

This week beginning 4th February 2007

Sunday 8 am Holy Communion
10 am Worship for All
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Parish Office
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Standing Committee
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
7.30 pm PLASMA
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer

Sunday 11th February

8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion, Junior Church and Lazers
6 pm Evening Prayer