A warm welcome to you on this our Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday. 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’.
Good News
I am very pleased to tell you that Bishop Christopher has written to me
this week to confirm that he will be pleased to ordain Stella Bailey next
year to serve as a deacon (and then, all being well as priest) here at
St Mary’s. Over the summer I have met with Stella to discuss the
possibility of her coming here as curate and she has also met with our
wardens Barbara and John. We were all of the opinion that it would be
good for Stella to come and she too wanted to come. Having communicated
all this to the bishop he will be pleased to ordain here at a service
in the Cathedral next year on 5th July at 10.30am. Stella is currently
at Cuddesdon Theological College, just outside Oxford and comes from Peterborough
Diocese originally though she has lived in Coventry for some time, worshipping
at Stoke St Michael’s, St James Fletchampstead and also St Thomas
Keresley. She is single, in her early 30’s and was a police officer
before training for ordination.
Salvation Army Band Concert
Thank you to the members of the congregation, their families and friends
who attended last Saturday’s concert which was the best supported
to date, with those attending experiencing a really good evenings music;
the effort put in by the band and soloists being much appreciated. The
combined income from the ticket sales, raffle and refreshment donations
was £540.00, which will be shared equally between St Mary’s
Refurbishment Fund and the Salvation Army. Many thanks.
Gary Croshaw
Coffee Club
The next Coffee Club dates for October are: 15th and 29th. All at 10.30
am.
Price is £1 which includes coffee & biscuits. All Welcome.
Christmas Fayre
Our Christmas Fayre this year will be on Saturday 15th November. It is
now time to start collecting items for the stalls. Along with the usual
items needed (please see list below) this week we are again looking for
books - this week on the subject of Crime. Other items needed are:
Cakes Toiletires Christmas Items
Bottle Stall Jar Tombola Nearly New Clothes Toys
Gill T and Gill G are running the ‘nearly new’ stall at the
Christmas Fayre.
If anyone has spare hangers could they please have them, in order for
them to display their wares.
Thank you.
Prayer Cards
You should have received two prayer cards with your newsletter this week,
one green (for thank you prayers) and one yellow (for specific requests
for prayer). Please do use the cards either to acknowledge an answer to
prayer or to ask for prayer for some person or situation. It would be
extremely helpful to us too if you could fill the date in that you are
writing the cards. Cards may either be put into the collection plate or
given to Malcolm or the wardens. The yellow card gives a variety of options
- we can either say prayer after the service quietly (two people do this
each week), in the service itself or the request can be put on our prayer
tree or even given to someone to say privately at home. Whichever you
decide your prayers will also be included in the daily prayers said by
the clergy. Please do use the cards and if for any reason you can’t
find one please ask the sidespeople.
How well do you know your Christianity?
Stephen and Lorraine Baker have devised a competition to help raise money
for the Refurbishment Fund. Question papers will be available from Sunday
5 October at the cost of £1 and must be returned by Sunday 26 October.
Alternative one for young people also available at a cost of 50pence.
Bishops’ Certificate in Discipleship
We are fortunate to be the host for a six week course ‘Jesus and
the Gospels’ being led by Richard Cooke here at St Mary’s
after Christmas. This course will form one of the modules of the Bishops’
Certificate in Discipleship which you received details of a couple of
months ago. Book on-line on the Diocesan web Site or let me know if you
want to take part. Dates are: 27th Jan, 3rd Feb, 10th Feb, 24th Mar, 31st
Mar and 7th April.
Children’s Society Boxes
The year is up once again for the Children’s Society Box Collection.
I would be very grateful if people would bring their boxes to church during
the month of October. I have been told by the Doctor that I have to cut
down, so by bringing your boxes to church it would help me a lot. Audrey
Curtis
Harvest Thanksgiving
Collect: Creator God, you made the goodness of the land, the riches of
the sea and the rhythm of the seasons; as we thank you for the harvest,
may we cherish and respect this planet and its peoples, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
First Reading: Deuteronomy 28. 1-14 [8am only]
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 9. 6-end [8am only]
Gospel Reading : Luke 17. 11-19 [8am only]
Post Communion Prayer: Lord of the harvest, with joy we have offered thanksgiving for your love in creation and have shared in the bread and the wine of the kingdom: by your grace plant within us a reverence for all that you give us and make us generous and wise stewards of the good things we enjoy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This week beginning 5th October 2008
This Sunday
8 am Holy Communion
10 am “Worship for All” Harvest Thanksgiving
12 noon Baptisms
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 9 am Morning Prayer
9.30 am School Harvest Service (Key Stage I)
11 am School Harvest Service (Key Stage II)
7 pm Parish Office
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
7 pm Standing Committee
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer
Sunday 12th October
8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion, Junior Church and Lazers.
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
