SJN1503 - St John the Baptist Parish Church
Transcription
SJN1503 - St John the Baptist Parish Church
St John’s News The newsletter of St John the Baptist Church, Crowthorne www.crowthorneparishchurch.org.uk March 2015 The Vicar’s Column At our January PCC meeting, we identified six vision priorities for this year, in line with our parish vision. The actions are being fleshed out and will be outlined at the APCM. Meanwhile, here is a snapshot for you. Priority Firmly establish a pattern of Messy Church once a term Living out our commitments as a Kairos Community Take responsible action to address climate change R&R project phases: 3: Replacement AVS & 4: Organ refurbishment Enrich church prayer life Continue to support and monitor HopeZone Correlation to Parish Vision Christ: Offer a wide range of relevant worship Community: Find appropriate ways to share the good news of the gospel with those on the fringe or outside of church Creation: Raise awareness about issues of global peace & justice and take appropriate action Creation: Promote an eco-friendly Church Christ: Encourage and support the development of music and singing as a means of glorifying God Christ: Immerse the life of the church in prayer Community: Work in partnership with CTC to identify and serve the needs of our community If you do not have a parish vision bookmark then do ask for one. Fuller details of St John’s Parish Vision can be found on the website. Information about the APCM can be found inside. Please do also prayerfully consider whether it might be the right time for you to stand as a PCC member. Rev’d Lisa Cornwell Holy Week and Easter Worship March 29th – Palm Sunday 8 am: Holy Communion & dramatized reading of The Passion 10 am: Sung Eucharist & Procession including “Jerusalem Joy”, the story of the Passion, performed by the choir April 2nd – Maundy Thursday 8pm: Sung Eucharist & stripping of altar followed by silent vigil until midnight. April 3rd – Good Friday 10 am: Churches Together all-age worship followed by a walk of witness 2 pm: Meditation before the cross April 5th - Easter Sunday 8am: Service of Light and Sung Eucharist 10.30 am: All-Age Eucharist, blessing of the Easter Garden & Easter egg hunt ANNUAL SPRING CLEANING Saturday 21st March 9am - sweeper downers 10am - clearer uppers 2pm - polishing and finishing offers!! Bring long canes/extension poles with dusters on. Your own spare Henry type hoovers, with your own extension leads also welcomed, tea / coffee + bickie volunteers for 10am also rewarded with smiles!! Mike Thackray - [email protected] Tel: 01344 772413 Come and join us for MOTHERING SUNDAY All-Age Worship 10am on 15th March Flowers for mums Simnel cake after the service 2 EMMAUS Course Confirmation preparation for Adults Are you thinking about Confirmation or would just like to know more or need a brush up on the basics of the Christian faith? Then this course is for you. nd Commences on Monday 2 March 8pm at The Vicarage. Flyers will full details now available at the back of the hall. Please return your sign up form to the Vicar. Parish Quiet Day at Ascot Priory Priory Road, Ascot, SL5 8RT Called to Holiness Saturday 7th March Cost: £15 including soup & sandwich lunch The day will be led by Fr Paul McLaren-Cook Approximate timetable: 9.30 am Arrivals and coffee 10 am Simple Opening Worship 1st Address 12 noon Eucharist & 2nd address Lunch 2.30 pm 3rd Address 3.45 pm Closing Worship 4 pm Depart The day will be in silence following the opening worship/ first address. There will be pockets of free time, during which you might like to have a devotional book with you to read, go for a walk around the grounds, engage in personal prayer, journal or sign up for a “spiritual chat” with either Fr Paul, Lisa or Hazel. Booking has now closed but it may be possible to squeeze extras in so please speak to the Vicar or Hazel Berry immediately. To celebrate Palm Sunday on March 29th the choir will be singing ‘Jerusalem Joy’, a cantata for Easter by Roger Jones. As always, we welcome any members of the congregation who would like to come and sing this with the choir. It would be great if you would like to join us for all the Easter services too. Practices for ‘Jerusalem Joy’ will begin on Thursday, February 26th at 7.45pm. Please talk to David, Jill or Maggie if you want to know more. We look forward to seeing you. Our next Messy Church will be MESSY PENTECOST on Saturday May 16th. Do come next time. All ages are welcome to join us! Forgiveness a photographic exhibition A powerful photographic exhibition exploring the idea of forgiveness in the face of atrocity and telling the stories of victims as well as perpetrators www.allsaintswokingham.org.uk/forgiveness ALL SAINTS PARISH CHURCH Wiltshire Road WOKINGHAM 27th February - 5th March ADMISSION FREE Open every day: 10am - 5pm ( except during church services) (Wednesday 11am -5pm; Sunday 12 noon - 5.30pm) St Patrick's Day coffee morning Thursday 19th March from 10am to 12.00 am Crowthorne Baptist Church. It would be most appreciated if you could support this event by either baking a cake or something savoury, or donating books, or just visit for a cuppa and a slice of something - all of the proceeds for the morning goes to Corrymeela. 3 Stewardship On 1st March, Stewardship Sunday, we will undertake our yearly review of our giving in support of the mission of St John’s Reading the financial pages of the newspapers or listening to the news bulletins may leave many of us with a more comfortable feeling than for several years. Even filling up the car is no longer the bank-busting experience it was a few months ago. Our domestic energy providers are reducing their prices by up to 5% even if they have been a bit slow off the mark. The knock on effect can be felt in the prices of everyday items including food and, if you are contemplating a break in Europe, your pound will buy more Euros than a year ago. Many challenges remain – wage growth is low, low wage jobs often prevail and returns on savings remain very low. However, in election year is it hard to resist recalling long-gone Prime Ministers; in 1957 Harold Macmillan said “you’ve never had it so good” and Harold Wilson in 1967 referred to “the pound in your pocket….” So, with many costs falling in this low inflation world, what is on the mind of the Stewardship Committee? When the 2014 accounts are finalised they should show a small surplus over where we ended 2013. This is thanks largely to a reduction in the Parish Share and careful management of the running costs of the Church. When we look at the pattern of income however, 2014 saw a progressive decline in Planned Giving after a strong start to the year. If we do not stop this decline and achieve an increase in Planned Giving the opportunity for cost savings will be exhausted and we will slip back into deficit. The message today is very simple. As a church we must ALL take personal responsibility to ensure that we are making a genuine and proportional contribution. The level of critical Planned Giving has fallen despite the excellent response over recent years. This is due largely to people moving away from the area and from deaths within the congregation. The Stewardship Committee asks every family and individual on the Church Electoral Roll to take a close look at their financial situation in the light of some of the positive changes in the country’s economy. Hopefully lower costs and the better employment outlook are positive factors for some members of the congregation. Please also consider carefully the value St John’s Church brings to so many aspects of your life here in Crowthorne; friends, social life, schooling and education and, crucially, the spiritual aspect underpinning the lives of us all. We need to see an increase in giving of around £5,000 per year to balance the budget and avoid moving back into an annual deficit. This is around 5% of giving. We would ask you to consider your level of giving against this background. As usual we’d ask you, where possible, to give in a planned way using a standing order or a regular payment set up via an on-line account. Also, of critical value to St John’s, is that if you are a standard tax payer, every pound you give will attract over 25 pence in Gift Aid from the taxman if you complete a Gift Aid declaration. It is easy to start your tax efficient Planned Giving by talking to any member of the Stewardship Committee or the PCC who will provide you with the necessary forms; or you can set up the regular payment through your online bank account. Remember, it is our goal to have every family on the Electoral Roll signed up to Planned Giving. We would like to thank everyone who has recently signed up to Planned Giving or has been a supporter of St John’s over the years. It is your generosity that enables St John’s to continue its work locally and further afield; we even increased the amounts given to the chosen Missions last year. Together with our thanks, we ask you to continue to make your annual review of the amount you feel able to give and, where possible, increase it to allow St John’s to avoid running at a deficit. Thank you for considering this topic. Whilst there is no room for complacency, with your generous support St John’s can continue to grow and fulfil its place in the community of Crowthorne. Stewardship Committee Rev Lisa Cornwell Anne Mohan – Church Warden Anna Pearce – Church Warden Steve Pope Colin Rosekilly Ian Lobley Annual Parochial Church Meeting The Annual Meeting of Parishioners (AMP) will be held th on Sunday 26 April in the Church Hall at 11:45 a.m. AGENDA 1. Opening Prayers 2. Apologies 3. Minutes of the Vestry Meeting of Parishioners 2014 4. Election of Churchwardens The Annual Parochial Church Meeting of the PCC to be held immediately following the AMP. AGENDA 1. Minutes of the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Parish 2. Matters arising from the Minutes 3. Parish Vision Update 4. Update on Renovation Projects 5. Approval of the Annual Report 6. Report on numbers entered on new electoral roll 7. Presentation of Parish Reports 8. Elections: Parochial Church Council, Deanery Synod 9. Appointments: Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Hon Independent Examiner, Welcome Teams 4 10. 11. Notices Closing prayers CTC have donated £100 to Rachael Marsh towards the technical equipment she needs when she visits Chidamayo in Zimbabwe. The first meeting of the new PCC will then follow. Please make every effort to attend. This is your opportunity to participate in important decisions about how, and by whom, the Parish is run. There are expected to be vacancies for 4 new members on the PCC. There are also vacancies for many of the subcommittees. Would you be able to stand? Any existing PCC member or a Churchwarden would be happy to explain what is involved. To vote at the meeting you need to be on the Electoral Register. Tracy Perrett is preparing the electoral register please contact her if you would like your name added to the register. You need to have returned your th registration form by 6 April to qualify to vote at the meeting. Hope Zone grows from strength to strength and is well used by youngsters after school who leave each session very reluctantly. More helpers would be welcome. It was generally agreed that the Carol Singing outside the Co-op was the usual success, and will be repeated. 150 portions f soup were sold at the Late Night Shopping. Although a considerable loss was made last year, a very vociferous gentleman demanded its return! The contribution made by the bell ringers was much appreciated. The Baptist Church will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day two days later on 19th March at 10:30am. Enrolment on the Church Electoral Roll The Electoral Roll is the Parish Church’s register of electors and is the list of those qualified to attend and to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting which this year will be held on Sunday 26th April. Regular worshippers to this Church are asked to consider applying to enrol on the Church Electoral Roll. Anyone who has not yet had their name added to the roll, and wishes to do so, should apply for entry by completing a form and returning it to Tracy Perrett, the Electoral Roll Officer, no later than the 6th April. Those on the roll are voting members of the Church of England and so help to ensure that all the synodical councils of the Church – the Parochial Church Council, our Deanery Synod, the Oxford Diocesan Synod and the General Synod – are fully representative of its members. Members of the Parochial Church Council and Parish Representatives to Synod are required to be on the Electoral Roll. The number of years on the electoral roll is also a qualifying factor for a parental applicant to Ranelagh School. Forms are available in the entrance lobby or from Tracy or by downloading from the Church website. The current Electoral Roll is also on display in the entrance lobby. If you have any queries about the Electoral Roll please have a word with Tracy (01344 773808). CHURCHES TOGETHER IN CROWTHORNE Notes from meeting held on Tuesday 3rd February We were addressed by David McCleod, a member of the ministry team of St Sebastian’s Church, and Heather Bull, a social worker employed two day week by Home for Good, an organisation striving to find foster and adoptive parents for children. Heather is financed by Faith in the Community and Wokingham District Council. Both David and Heather are eager to visit and talk to every church in the diocese on this desperately important subject. Lent groups will be meeting for 5 weeks at the Methodist Church at 2-4pm and 8-10pm every Wednesday beginning on the 25th February. Participants are encouraged to see the film ‘Chocolat’ on which the course is based beforehand. The Annual Walk of Witness around the parish stopping at various stations will start from St John’s at 10am on Good Friday 3rd April. 10th to 16th May is Christian Aid Week. The opening service will be held at the Baptist Church at 6:30pm. The Crowthorne branch of Good Neighbours gave more evidence of their valuable work. From 26th Nov 2013 to 23rd Nov 2014, 1,248 customers were given lifts to 64 destinations. A splendid example of outreach. Hilary Burton The Children’s Society Calling all Box Holders Will all box holders kindly let me have their boxes for emptying during March. Before handing them in please ensure that your name appears on the box. Please bring them to Church and pass them to me or, just leave on the side in the foyer. Alternatively please ring me to arrange collection. Many thanks Tracy Perrett (tel: 01344 773808) Crowthorne Good Neighbours Set up by Churches Together in Crowthorne, Good th Neighbours is now in its 44 year of providing transport to help people in Crowthorne get to doctor and hospital appointments, or shopping if required. In the past year over 1,200 journeys took place to 64 different venues. As well as a team of volunteer drivers, there is a small group of people who ‘man’ the telephone each 5 weekday morning from 10–12 noon in the Baptist Church. If you need a lift to a medical appointment (no charge but hopefully a donation) or would like to join the team of volunteers by becoming a driver or telephone operator, please phone 01344 761001. Sue Hester, Co-ordinator March is an extremely busy time for the Mothers’ Union. The month begins with with our meeting on Tuesday 3rd March at 7.30pm with a Lent Eucharist to be conducted by the vicar. The following day there will be a meeting at Benson for the diocese from 10.30am until 3.00pm when the speaker will be Lucinda Hassell from the London headquarters at Mary Sumner House. Friday 6th March is the annual Womens World Day of Prayer ecumenical service at the Methodist Church at 10.30am. This year the service has been written by the Christian ladies of The Bahamas focusing on the theme of ‘Jesus said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?”. We have a special afternoon to look forward to on 11 March at 2pm when Kath Coutts will create a Mary Garden with flowers, accompanied by music and readings. It will be a time of reflection in this season of Lent. The following Saturday, 14th March, we will be making posies for Mothering Sunday the following day. We will welcome all offers of help and greenery on the day. We will also be providing Simnel cake at coffee after the 10 o’clock service. Lady Day is on the 25th March and there will be a service at St Michael’s, Easthampstead at 2.00. We extend a warm welcome to everyone to any or all of our meetings. There are programmes in the foyer and notices about our meetings on the Mothers’ Union notice board in the hall. Penny Rickards Praying for Streets In March we will be praying for:1st Church Street, St. John’s, Church Road West 8th Dormer Close, New Wokingham Road 15th Mothering Sunday – No PFS 22nd Brookers Corner, Bracknell Road, Cheyney Court th 29 Palm Sunday – No PFS If you can help deliver leaflets at any time contact Anne Pelham 774973 / [email protected]. Kairos Update Holy Land Trip Our Church is planning a ten day trip to the Holy Land on 12th-21st February 2016. This trip will include many of the important Christian sites and be suitable for people visiting the Holy Land for the first time. It will also engage with local groups and offer opportunities to hear their stories. We will stay for part of the time in Bethlehem, from where we will visit the Christian sites in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. The second part of the trip will be in Galilee, some 100 miles to the north. There we will see the sites associated with Jesus’ life and early ministry. We expect the cost to be around £1,350 per person. The trip will be organised for us by Su McLellan of Embrace the Middle East and will use a tour company based in Bethlehem. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Ken Perrett. Kairos Britain You may remember that our Church signed up as a Kairos Community with Kairos Britain. Ken has been assisting Kairos Britain with the launch of their new website. Do have a look at it – http://www.kairosbritain.org.uk. As a Kairos Community we now have access to the members forum. Talks on Israel/Palestine As part of our continuing efforts to tell others about the situation in Israel and Palestine, Ken gave the first Lent Lecture at Finchampstead Church on Tuesday 24th February. This arose from a similar talk given by Ken to the Deanery Synod, which has been very supportive in sharing our concern for Justice and Peace. Ken will next be speaking at the open Bracknell U3A meeting on Maundy Thursday (2nd April). Women's World Day of Prayer (International and Interdenominational) Order of service written by Christian women of the Bahamas Jesus said to them: 'Do you know what I have done to you' (theme taken from St John 13 1-17) Friday 6th March, 10:30am Methodist Church Everyone welcome to attend, men, women people of all ages 6 CTC Lent courses and activities As in previous years, there are a variety of different activities organised by our member Churches. These started in the week commencing Monday 23rd February and run for 5 weeks (but it may still be possible to join groups). They will culminate in an AGAPE on Monday 30th March at 7pm in the Methodist Church Hall, to which all are welcome - please let Avril Doyle (Tel: 01344 775512 email: [email protected]) know that you would like to come. CTC Lent Course The Lent course will be “Christ and the Chocolaterie”, by Hilary Brand based on the Oscar nominated film Chocolat Hilary Brand is skilled and experienced in using the visual impact of art and film to explore Bible themes and their life changing application. Hilary takes the story and characters of the ‘Chocolat’ to explore what it means to be truly and completely human as God intended. Setting out five group sessions for each week of Lent, the course takes events from the film and relates them to key Bible message of Lent. Recognising Lent as a chance to embrace change and renewal, Hilary’s meditations lead into private thought or group discussion around the daily challenge of growing, giving and getting real with life. It is advisable to be familiar with the film before the course starts, so it was be shown at the Methodist Church on 19th February at 8pm. The sessions themselves will take place on Wednesdays during Lent between 2 and 4pm and again between 8 and 10pm also at the Methodist church (25th Feb, 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25 March). Please sign up either for the afternoon group or the evening group. Evening Services during Lent There will be no joint evening services during Lent. However, you may like to use Lent as an opportunity to attend services in other Churches. The evening services during Lent are as follows:When Time Where Form of Service Leader Preacher Feb 6:00pm St John the Taizé Lisa Cornwell Irene 22nd Baptist Simmons (Lent 1) Encounter – A loosely structured, interactive 7:00pm St Sebastian’s service, giving plenty of space to worship, listen and respond to the Lord and to be equipped ready for service March 6:00pm St John the Choral Evensong David 8th Baptist Ramsbottom (Lent 3) Encounter – A loosely structured, interactive March 7:00pm St 22nd Sebastian’s service, giving plenty of space to worship, (Lent 5) listen and respond to the Lord and to be equipped ready for service Lent Lectures at St James’ These will be held in the St James’ Church Centre, RG40 4LU, starting at 8pm, with coffee from 7:45pm, and ending at 9:30pm. When Subject th Right and Wrong in the Occupied West Bank – a presentation by Ken Perrett. Ken is a Tues 24 Feb longstanding member and former churchwarden of St John the Baptist Crowthorne. Following an earlier pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land, he spent two months last year living with a Palestinian family in Bethlehem. His presentation will be based on his experiences and reflections. Anointed Saviour, Anointed People - a lecture by Rev'd Canon Andrew Marsden Tues 3rd March reflecting this week's theme of Jesus as Messiah. Andrew is Vicar of St Sebastian's Church Wokingham, a long-term member of Bishop's Council in the Diocese of Oxford and Adviser on Spiritual Transformation to the Bishop of Reading. He is a member of the editorial group for Grove booklets Ethics series and regularly writes Bible study notes for Scripture Union. Living Reconciliation - this is the title of a book published last year about the Continuing Tues 10th March Indaba process within the Anglican Communion initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and its broader implications for churches and individual Christians: what is an active life of reconciliation? Angharad Parry Jones helped facilitate the process within the Anglican Communion Office and co-authored the book. She is currently training for the priesthood in the Church in Wales at St Michael's College Llandaff. Jesus and Women - Rev'd Dr Jenni Williams is Tutor in Old Testament at Wycliffe Hall Tues 17th March Oxford and Associate Minister at St Peter Wootton near Oxford. She has a particular interest in feminist interpretations of the Bible. She wrote God Remembered Rachel: Women's stories in the Old Testament and why they matter published by SPCK in 2014. Paralysis, and the bid for freedom in life and faith - a lecture by Ven Olivia Graham, Tues 24th March Archdeacon of Berkshire, based on this week's theme of Jesus as Son of Man. Before her appointment as Archdeacon in 2013, Olivia had a number of other varied ministerial roles within the Diocese of Oxford. She has also lived in Africa where she was involved in relief and development work. 7 For further information please contact the Parish Office on 0118 973 0133 (Mon – Fri 10 – 12) Christian Meditation Group You are welcome to attend the Holy Ghost Christian Mediation Group. Please contact the leader beforehand: When Where Leader Telephone Monday morning at Holy Ghost Parish Gilly Withers Angela Greenwood 11am Rooms 01344 774254 Stations of the Cross These will be held at the Holy Ghost Church on Fridays, from 12 o’clock until 12:30, followed by Lenten Lunch (soup, bread and cheese). Open to all, no booking required. Other Services All our Churches will come together for a joint service and walk of witness on Good Friday. When Time Where Good Friday 10am St John the Baptist All age Service, followed by Walk of Witness and (April 3rd) Parish Church Hot Cross Buns at the Baptist Church A European (Musical) Grand Tour The world is full of glorious music and it is sometimes a matter of luck whether we hear a piece that is not immediately on our “radar”, such as Vaughan Williams Mass in G minor which might be short but is perfectly formed! Thames Voyces concert on 14th March (date updated from last month’s SJN) also includes pieces by Brahms, Faure (Cantique de Jean Racine), Lotti, Stravinsky, Greig and John Rutter whose Birthday Madrigals were written as a tribute to George Shearing on the occasion of his 75th birthday. The concert is entitled A European Grand Tour and is at St Johns Church Crowthorne starting at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £13 (£11 concessions); under 16s are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available from Alan Jackson (tele 776663), on 01189 677319, on the door or see our website www.thamesvoyces.org.uk. Fairtrade We run our Fairtrade stall once every two weeks on average and we appreciate the support you continue to give us. We stock only a small range of the Fairtrade goods that are available. Please do look out for the Fairtrade symbol when you do your weekly shopping. Buying these products does make a difference to the lives of the producers. We have already ordered some “Real Easter Eggs”. Please consider buying your Easter eggs from our stall. There is a sign-up sheet on the Fairtrade notice board, beside “The Net” cupboard .We can even keep them for you, so that you don’t have to find hiding places at home for them, till you require them. We will be open for business on the 8th March and the 22nd March. Anne Pelham The Church Library As part of your observance of Lent this year you could take out one of the books from our library here at St. Johns. We have a selection of books relevant to Lent. These include, “When they Crucified my Lord” by Brother Ramon. This book is written as a lentern pilgrimage from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day. The introduction to the book suggests that you set aside 1 hour a day. There is a passage of scripture followed by a reflection and a prayer for every day. Another book we have is “With Jesus in the Upper Room” by David Winter. The book invites the reader to spend forty days reflecting on five chapters of St John’s Gospel. This book is also written so that it can be read as a reflection or study for each day in Lent. Please take the time to have a look in St. John’s library, which is in the foyer. It has a very wide selection of books from novels with Christian themes, to books on prayer, bible study and poetry. Anne Pelham BOOK CLUB We met on the 17th February to discuss “The Weeping Chamber” by Sigmund Brouwer. This is a novel based around the events of Holy Week. Almost everyone in the book club enjoyed reading this book. One person wasn’t sure of the genre of a biblical story written as fiction. On the whole we found the characterisation convincing and even illuminating, for instance, the exploration of Judas’s character, which gave possible reasons for his actions. The character of Jesus came over as someone very powerful, very understanding and strong, who was in control of the events and when they would happen. All the other characters in the book came over very well and drew you into the story. The book also went into the politics of that time and place; it showed the tensions and power struggles between the different groups. In addition there were 8 conversations between Caiaphas and Jesus as well as between Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate. Everyone said that they would read the book again. It is a very good book to read in Lent. We found one review of the book in which the reviewer said they read the book every Holy Week. We would thoroughly recommend this book. The next book will be ‘Hilda of Whitby - a spirituality for now’ by Ray Simpson. Irene Simmons wrote about the life of St Hilda in a recent edition of St John’s News and recommended this book. There is a copy in the library which you could borrow. Otherwise, you could buy your own copy which I am sure would be available from the Quench book shop. The next meeting will be on 16th June at 8pm. Anne Pelham Coffee and Cakes for Edgbarrow School Staff As an outreach into the community, Debbie Harris, the previous Youth Worker at St Sebastian’s Church, set up the provision of cake and coffee for the staff of Edgbarrow School once a week. This requires a number of volunteers to bake the cakes and other volunteers to serve the staff. Sue Thomas at St Sebastian’s has carried on the co-ordination of this and could do with a few more volunteers to add to the rota. Folk from St Sebastian’s, Crowthorne Baptist Church and the Vineyard are currently involved, but it would be great to have more volunteers from these and the other CTC churches. Bakers people will be required to bring their passport on the first visit. You cannot volunteer to serve if you have a child currently at the school, due to confidentiality. As with any rota the greater the number of people volunteering the better as the load is spread! Queries If you have any queries about any of this, please contact Sue Thomas on 07949 962207 or email her on [email protected]. She will be happy to answer any questions and explain how the system works! Winter Talk Series at St Michael's Church, Lower Church Road, Sandhurst GU47 8HN th March 18 Ven. Olivia Graham, our Archdeacon, will speak about “God in the life of an Archdeacon.” April 15th Rev Lisa Cornwell will speak about “The challenge of the Enlightenment legacy to the Christian world view.” Meeting in the Church at 8pm. There will be an opportunity for questions and the evening will finish at 9.30 pm. Minus Fives Come join us….. For fun, music, storytime and craft with friends When: 9:30-11.30 every Wednesday (not August) At St John’s Church £1 donation towards craft activities Join us on Facebook The bakers need to provide 20 cakes (or a whole cake which can feed 20 people) about every four weeks during term time. The cakes need to be dropped at St Sebastian's Parish Centre (open 9am to 3pm) by 10am on Friday morning. If this isn't convenient then they can be dropped at Crowthorne Baptist Church and left in the lobby on the side. www.facebook.com/pages/Minus-Fives/225824250772921 All bakers need to clearly label their boxes with their name, that they are intended for Edgbarrow School and from where they will be collected afterwards. Empty boxes are normally returned to St Sebastian’s Parish Centre on the following Sunday, for collection as soon as possible please, or they can be left at Crowthorne Baptist Church. At St John’s using our time and talents in God’s service has always played a key role in church life and stewardship. Everyone has a skill they can offer. Everyone is a valuable part of the body of Christ. Check out 1 Corinthians 12:4-31. Servers The servers need to be able to be at Edgbarrow School between 10.30am and 11.45pm on Fridays. All equipment is provided including the coffee, tea and milk. Break-time is between 11.10am and 11.30am, but some time is needed before and after break to set up and wash up. On a ‘normal’ Friday at least 50 cups of tea or coffee are served! Edgbarrow School would prefer people to have a current DBS certificate, but if this is not possible new or if you’re already on Facebook just search for Minus Fives. ST. JOHN’S SITUATIONS VACANT New recruits for the Fabric Committee Monthly meetings and ongoing maintenance tasks in church. If you cannot join the committee but could still get involved, especially on Saturday mornings, you are welcome to just help out on our working parties during the year eg. Spring cleaning, hedge cutting – more muscle needed! Flexible working arrangements available! Contact Mike on [email protected] 9 New recruits for the Outreach Committee ... to further the ongoing vision target: “Find appropriate ways to share the love of God and good news of the gospel with those on the fringe or outside of the church”. Speak to the Vicar or Rev David Ramsbottom. Pathfinder Leaders Required Would you be interested in getting involved in the work that we do with Pathfinders? Any involvement - whether it be supporting occasional social activities, weekly meetings or taking a more active role – would be welcomed by the current leadership team. Please contact us if you would like to find out more. David Rance. Sunday School Teachers Sunday School needs more teachers. Your Sunday School needs YOU. Do you enjoy working with kids? Are you looking for a new challenge? Fancy a chance to nurture our children in their Christian journey? Additional hands required for the running of our Sunday School Join a friendly and enthusiastic team. If you are interested in any way – or would simply like to find out more - please contact Zellah Barrett on 0771 9300167 or [email protected] Sonning Deanery Prayer Cycle In the Deanery in March we are particularly asked to remember on St James Finchampstead and St Mary and St John California in our prayers. Please remember their ‘Lent well spent” lecture series, their Youth Ministry, a smooth transition for the new Head of Finchampsted CofE Prmiary School, their community outreach projects and their negotiations for the Strategic Development Location at Aborfield Garrison. In the wider Deanery please remember • St Mary the Virgin. Winnersh for the Hall redevelopment project and ongoing meetings with the Architect. • St George's Owlsmoor for the appointment of a new incumbent. The advertisement currently in the Church Times. • That “The F Word; Image of Forgiveness” exhibition at All Saints Church Wokingham, 27th Feb – 5th Mar will make a positive impact and speak to the hearts of those who need to hear that message. • For all Lent Study Groups and for each of us as we seek to keep a holy Lent The website Do make a habit of having a look at www.crowthorneparishchurch.org.uk It’s full of interesting information and more news! You can also see the SJN pictures in colour! Twitter : @stjohnsberks You can now find out what's happening at St John's on Twitter by "following us" using the address @stjohnsberks. If you don't have a twitter account you can still access what we are saying from the church web site. Just logon and look at the column on the left hand side called "Twitter Feed" and read the text and click on the web links. Looking ahead to St. John’s Crowthorne MAY FAIR 2015 Bank Holiday Monday 4th May YOUR FAIR NEEDS YOU! The May Fair is our key annual fund raising event which cannot function without the energy, help and support of the parishioners of St. John’s. Please free your diary and save the date! With a huge volume of local people attending the event we really do need your help, many hands lighten the load! We will be seeking people to man stalls, donate items (Tombola, White Elephant, plants, cakes etc.), ‘lift and shift’ equipment, purchase raffle tickets and all sorts of things. Every contribution large and small matters and is very much appreciated! The May Fair committee has now started planning work and we are more than keen to welcome new members. So if you feel you can help us plan and co-ordinate the event please do contact us. As our ‘experienced’ parishioners will be aware we display a May Fair helpers list in the church foyer – please keep a look out as it will printed in the next few weeks. Mike Thackray will be contacting ‘regular’ helpers presently but as always we will have spaces for new helpers, so please do get involved and consider signing-up for a task. Please keep a look out for our regular updates within SJN and our weekly notice sheet. For any general questions feel free to speak to or email me, David Rance: [email protected] or Tel. 01344 780967 Chair, May Fair Committee 10 PARISH DIARY March st Sun 1 Stewardship Sunday 8am Holy Communion 10am Sung Eucharist 12.30pm Lent Lunch 6pm No service Mon 2nd 8pm Start of Emmaus Course Tue 3rd 7:30pm MU Lent Eucharist Wed 4th MU Diocesan meeting at Benson th Fri 6 10:30 MU Women’s World Day of Prayer, Methodist Church Sat 7th Parish Quiet Day th Sun 8 Fairtrade Stall 8am Holy Communion 10am Sung Eucharist 6pm Choral Evensong th Wed 11 2pm MU A Mary Garden with flowers th Sat 14 7:30pm Thames Voyces, European Grand Musical Tour th Sun 15 Mothering Sunday 8am Holy Communion, BCP 10am All age Mothering Sunday service 6pm No service Thurs 19th 10:30am St Patrick’s Coffee Morning, Methodist Church Sat 21st Annual Spring Clean Sun 22nd Passiontide, Fairtrade Stall 8am Holy Communion 10am Sung Eucharist 7pm Encounter Service at St Sebastians Wed 25th 2pm MU Lady Day service at St Michaels, Easthampsted Sun 29th Palm Sunday 8am Holy Communion and dramatised reading of the passion 10am Sung Eucharist and Jerusalem Joy April Thurs 2nd Maundy Thursday 8pm Sung Eucharist, foot washing, and stripping of altars, followed by Vigil till midnight. Fri 3rd Good Friday 10am CTC All age service, followed by Walk of Witness to Baptist Church (with hot cross buns). 2pm Meditation before the Cross April 5th Easter Sunday 8am Sung Eucharist and service of light 10:30 am All age Eucharist, blessing of Easter Garden and easter egg hunt 6pm No service Regular Weekly Services: Sunday 8am, 10am and, on some Sundays, 6pm The dates/form of the 6pm service varies, see above Wednesday: 10am Communion, 9.30-11.30am Minus Fives! Friday: 6.15pm Prayers for the Sick Keep in touch: www.crowthorneparishchurch.org.uk Church Office (! 761521) open Weds 9.30am–noon Vicar: Rev Lisa Cornwell, (! 772413 messages left will be responded to) Email: [email protected] Curate: Rev David Ramsbottom (! 0118 9736374) Email: [email protected] Churchwardens: Anne Mohan (! 774973), Anna Pearce (! 773811) Copy for next issue by 22nd March Editor: Richard Ireson (! 777444) Email: [email protected]