A warm welcome to you on this Fifth Sunday of 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’.

Coffee Club
There is no Coffee Club this week..
In April they will meet on Wednesday 4th and 18th at 10.45 am. All Welcome.
Gwen and Audrey

Annual Meeting
Papers are available today if you haven’t picked them up already.

The meeting will begin as close to 11.15am as we can make it. Nominations closed on Thursday morning for Churchwardens with only 2 nominations, Barbara Hancox and John Aspden. They are therefore elected to the post of churchwarden. There still remain some vacancies on Church Council and you are welcome to stand for office.

Welcome Booklet
If you might be able to give a little time to help Jean and Derek Hudson put together a welcome pack for newcomers to St Mary’s, please speak to either of them as soon as possible.

Lent Course
Two groups are meeting during Lent, one in the morning (10.30 - 12 noon) and the other in the evening (7.30 - 9 pm). The course ‘Life Attitudes’ looks at the beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel (Blessed are the poor in spirit etc). The morning session concludes with a soup and roll lunch. You are most welcome and either of the groups.

Knit a River for Water Aid
We take our water supply for granted. We turn the tap on, flush the toilet etc. However many millions of people in the world are unable to do this. Water Aid are a campaigning group asking that much more be spent around the world to ensure that water is available to all regardless of where they live. Water Aid currently have programmes in 17 countries in Africa and Asia. Since June 2006, Water Aid and I Knit London and have been asking for knitted blue Squares. Can you knit? Could you learn? Could you knit a six inch square in blue wool? - any shade will do, or could you stitch knitted squares together. If so please speak to Pennie who is collecting in knitted squares which will be sewn together to create a knitted river! This will then be used at various campaigning events in the UK during 2007. In Coventry the River will be at Spirit of Life in the Cathedral on Monday May 7th 2007. The whole river will then be displayed at Downing Street in July this year so let’s make an impact.

Holy Week and Easter Services

Monday in Holy Week 7.45 pm Holy Communion
Tuesday in Holy Week 7.45 pm Holy Communion
Wednesday in Holy Week 10 am Holy Communion
7 pm Servers Rehearsal
Maundy Thursday 8 pm Parish Communion with Foot Washing and Vigil
Good Friday 10 am Walk of Witness (St Philip’s
to ASDA)
2 pm Good Friday Service
Easter Day 5.30 am Vigil and Dawn Eucharist
8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion
6.30 pm Evening Prayer

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Collect: Gracious Father, you gave up your Son out of love for the world: lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion, that we may know eternal peace through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood, Jesus Christ our Lord.

First Reading: Isaiah 43. 16-21

Second Reading: Philippians 3. 4b-14 Pennie Hartopp

Gospel Reading: John 12. 1-8 Bernice Greenhalgh

Intercessor: Karen French

Hymns: 310 461 30 426 522

Post Communion Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever.

This week beginning 25th March 2007

Sunday 8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion, Junior Church and Lazers
11.15 am APCM
2 pm Wedding
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Parish Office
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
10.30 am Lent Course - Octagon
7.30 pm Lent Course - Octagon
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer

Sunday 1st April

Palm Sunday 8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion for Palm Sunday,
Junior Church and Lazers
6.30 pm Evening Prayer