7th January 2018

 

Sunday 7th January 2018

Epiphany

A PRAYER FOR THIS YEAR

Bless us, O Lord, and bless this year,

the time and seasons yet to come.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Fill this new year with your kindness,
that we may be glad and rejoice
all the days of our life. Amen

Today

8.00am     Holy Communion

10.00am     Parish Communion

4.00pm     Church at 4

6.00pm     Evensong

Diary – Week Commencing Sunday 7th January

Monday 8th January

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Church

10.00am       Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road

7.30pm        Wichelstowe Planning Group

Tuesday 9th January

The Parish Office will be closed today

8.30am         Morning Prayer

6.00pm        Clergy Surgery

7.30pm        Churchyard Committee Meeting

Wednesday 10th January

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Parish Office

6.00pm        Learning Disability Group – Church

Thursday 11th January

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Church

7.30pm        Choir Practice – Church

Filling Station         – Neen & Chris

Friday 12th January

8.45am         Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice

7.00pm        Bellringers Practice

Saturday 13th January

9.30am         Healing on the Streets – Ellendune Centre

Ladies who Lunch

Next meeting will be on Thursday 18th January, 12.30pm at the Crown, Broad Hinton.

Sunday 14th January 2018

Epiphany 2

8.00am       Holy Communion

Preacher:      Revd Barbara Abrey

Sidespeople: Jean Reens and Christine Wrixon

10.00am     Parish Communion

Preacher:      Revd Barbara Abrey

Intercessions: Diane Phillips

Reading:       Revelation 5: 1-10

Reader:        Ann Stone

Gospel:        John 1: 43-end

Servers:        Cheryl Hawkins and Andrew Kirk

Sidespeople: Lillian Wicks and Ross Fralley

4.00pm       Church at 4

Led by:         Teresa Townsend

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to Claire Winter, Gordon Barclay,Joan Hazlett and Jill Hinds on their birthdays during the coming week.

Floodlighting

The Church was floodlit on Saturday 6th January by Chris Collins in memory of Barbara Collins; on Monday 8th January by Jeanne Howland in memory of her father, Joe Camden, who died 1972.

Vacancy Update

Thank you to everyone who participated in our day of prayer, it was good to spend a day seeking God and asking Him to lead the right person to us. The PCC recently reviewed and agreed the advert and paperwork that will be used in recruitment. The intention is to advertise the post over a period of 4 weeks, starting just before Christmas. Shortlisting and interviews will take place in February.

Do please continue to keep this matter in your prayers, and please circulate the advert as widely as possible in due course. We will continue to keep you updated with any developments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask Nick Orman or Paul Woolley.

Games afternoon

Brighten up a wintery Sunday afternoon with a few board games amongst friends! Come and join us next Sunday afternoon (14th Jan) from 2.30pm at the Parish Hall- and maybe stay on for Church at 4.

New Year’s resolution?

Whether you make them or not, why not try something new this year? Read a book that helps you to grow in faith, develop a spiritual discipline, join a small group. come and pray, share your faith… what will be your next step with God as you begin on the journey of 2018?

The Harbour Project

If you are having a clearout before Christmas and are discarding men’s warm coats (Small sizes are particularly needed), please consider donating them to the Harbour Project. During this cold weather, many of the asylum seekers are ill equipped – any gloves and hats will also be gratefully received. Please speak to Margaret Penfound if you can help.

Love and Blessings from New Creation this Advent season! Love and Blessings is the title of a 3-track CD we have just produced to thank Michael Johnson for his support over the years and to mark his retirement. The CD features the song specially written for Michael which we sang after the service in May. There are also two more of our songs, previously unrecorded. We’re giving the disc away free of charge and hope that you enjoy it! We hope it will make you feel happy to make a small contribution to a cause of your choice (perhaps The Children’s Society which is currently one of our chosen charities). Please feel free to ask for more than one copy if you think the album would make a good seasonal gift. Helen Toomer and Andrew Bond are the people to ask.

Can you help?

Some of you have met Joyce who comes from Kenya and some of you will know that I have been selling beaded bags, the proceeds from which go to the well project that Joyce helps to run. She has been over here working on Berkeley farm and is now childminding while her Kenyan friends are on holiday. She applied for a course in Devon called “Beyond development 2018” and she has been offered a bursary to do the course in Totnes. However she has to find £150 deposit and her bus/ train fare and has asked for our help. Clive and I support her 100% and hopefully some of you will be able to help. Sally Parker

The Listening Post

This month’s prayer meeting will be ecumenical and will be on 30th January at 7.30pm in the Church Hall. Please join us for one hour of prayer with our Christian brothers and sisters from the other churches. Together we are stronger and more effective. 

New Team Member wanted – Legge House

Required from February a flexible, friendly, versatile and hardworking individual to join the small Legge House Team ensuring our guests have a homely, clean relaxing environment that makes “Quality Time Possible.”

Although the individual will initially be expected to concentrate on cleaning there will be the opportunities to learn other tasks including hosting, welcoming and assist with the catering too. In other words to become an all-rounder. Training given. Pay may be only £8 per hour or minimum wage if under 25 years old (for initially a sixteen hour week) but the rewards in terms of service and job satisfaction far exceed any monetary value that a job can offer.

Are you the team member we are looking for? Contact Mark or Sheila for an informal discussion and to discuss options.

leggehouse@btconnect.com

Women’s World Day of Prayer

This year’s service will be on Friday 2nd March at St Josephs Church at 11am and will be followed by a Lent lunch. It focuses on the women of Suriname. I will be looking for readers for the service nearer the time but feel free to let me know if you are interested.

Thank you Janet Henderson 525856 

CHURCH IN THE WIDER WORLD

The Children’s Society

This Christmas, more than 2,000 children will go missing from home. Some of them may also be criminally exploited by gangs. Gangs deliberately target vulnerable children, such as those in care or living in poverty. Most are boys, but some are girls. Gangs groom, deceive or threaten these children and young people into carrying and selling drugs for them. Children and young people criminally exploited in this way often also experience child sexual exploitation and abuse, serious violence and psychological trauma.

These young people will often go missing for days at a time, as they are trafficked around the country by gangs.

The Children’s Society, along with Missing People, is providing support to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on young runaways and missing children and adults. In December the APPG is holding an event in parliament to raise awareness of children and young people who go missing because they are exploited by gangs.

Please pray:

  • For the safety of children missing from home this Christmas
  • That the Children’s Society will be able to make contact with missing children and help them resolve their problems
  • For the Society’s influence on the government to tackle the increase in child exploitation
  • That every child will have the opportunity to see the light of Christ coming into the world at Christmas

Knitting for Mission to Seafarers

Thanks again to all our keen knitters. I have received a letter from The Mission to Seafarers thanking us for the knitware I sent in September and last week I was able to send off another batch of 22 hats and 21 scarves to the charity. Also thanks to those who have donated wool – there is a good selection in the white boxes on the bench by the choir vestry together with patterns, so please help yourselves if you want to get started on a hat, scarf or gloves. Completed items should be put in one of these boxes. As the weather gets colder and the nights draw in this is an ideal time to get those needles busy. For further information talk to Janet Henderson (525856).

This week please also pray for:-

  • Swindon Youth for Christ
  • The residents of Woodland View and Croft Road
  • Bible Study groups
  • Patients, Staff and volunteers of the Prospect Hospice
  • Our Churchyard Committee
  • We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Donald Evans, Barrie Howell and Marion Smith. We pray for all who mourn the loss of loved ones.