A warm welcome to you on this Sunday when we remember the Baptism of Christ. 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’.

Church Centre
PCC met before Christmas to consider issues facing the repair of the centre following the theft of lead in November. They have decided to follow the advice of our architect, Richard Wood, and appoint Minster Lead Roofing to make repairs to the Centre Roof. The estimate for the work is £7,987.50 plus VAT. Our insurance will only pay out £5,000 because the damage is the result of a theft of lead so PCC will have to find an extra £3,400 to meet the bill. The good news is that repairs should have begun despite the fact that we did not expect them to begin for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately the snow intervened. Thank you for your prayers which seem to have been answered for drier weather and a quicker start! As we have said PCC will be considering ways to raise the money that will be needed since the insurance will not cover the total cost of repairs. (We think we may be about £3,500 short.) Thank you already to those who have contributed to a fund to help especially coffee club members and one or two individuals already.

News of the Church Clock
Many of you will recall that PCC decided some months ago to repair the Church Clock and that the repairs were to be completed by Christmas. Sadly, the company that were to do the work, a father and son, based just over the border in Leicestershire suffered a tragedy in November. The son was killed in a car accident (he was hit whilst sitting in a parked car and killed). As a consequence the family are in turmoil and the clock will not be repaired until some time in January.
It goes to show that despite all of our difficulties someone, somewhere is always going through something worse. Please pray for Geoff Armitage and his wife as they come to terms with the death of their son and for their daughter-in-law, widowed after 6 months of marriage.


Calendars
A supply of Walsgrave calendars are available at £5. Please see Malcolm if you are interested in these. Any untaken calendars will be returned this week so this is your last chance!

Also, we have three calendars of the church available at £6 each. Any takers!

Coffee Club
The Coffee Club meets next on Wednesday 20th January at 10.45 am. Cost £1. All welcome.

Ash Wednesday and Lent
It seems that immediately we leave the Christmas season we must start to think about Lent! Ash Wednesday is on 17th February this year and starts the season of Lent. Please look out your Palm crosses over the next few weeks so that they may be brought into church for burning (to provide the Ash for the Ash Wednesday service).

We are planning Lent courses again and it is likely that these will again be held on Wednesday (both after the 10am service and in the evening.)

Baptism of Christ

Collect: Heavenly Father, at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son: may we recognize him as our Lord and know ourselves to be your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

First Reading: Isaiah 43. 1-7 Margaret Oakley

Second Reading: Acts 8. 14-17 Yuhang Xia

Gospel Reading: Luke 3. 15-17, 21-22 Stephen Baker

Intercessor: Glynis Wood

Hymns: 90 277 56 69 103

Post Communion Prayer: Lord of all time and eternity, you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son: by the power of your Spirit complete the heavenly work of our rebirth through the waters of the new creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This week beginning 10th January 2010

This Sunday

8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion
6.30 pm Evening Prayer
Monday 7 pm Parish Office
Tuesday 9 am Morning Prayer
7.30 pm PCC
Wednesday 10 am Holy Communion
7.30 pm Standing Committee
Thursday 9 am Morning Prayer
Saturday 9.30 am Morning Prayer

Sunday 17th January

8 am Holy Communion
10 am Parish Communion
6.30 pm Evening Prayer