Sunday 21st January 2018
Epiphany 3
A PRAYER FOR EVERYDAY
O God, who meets us,
who finds us at our places of work,
in our homes and communities;
Holy God, who disturbs us and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary;
Living God, who calls us to find you and hear your voice in the ordinariness of our daily living,
help us, move in the power of your Spirit,
to make places of our work into places of your glory. Amen The Methodist Church
Today
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Parish Communion
11.45am Baptism Service for Noah Clark and Ruby Osborne
4.00pm Church at 4
6.00pm Prayer for Christian Unity Service
Hosted by Discovery Church,
Ellendune Centre, Wroughton
Diary – Week Commencing Sunday 21st January
Monday 22nd January
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
10.00am Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road
7.30pm Churches Together in Wroughton
Tuesday 23rd January
The Parish Office will be closed today
8.30am Morning Prayer
6.00pm Clergy Surgery
Wednesday 24th January
8.30am Morning Prayer – Parish Office
7.30pm Standing Committee
Thursday 25th January
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
7.30pm Choir Practice – Church
Filling Station – Lucy and Ann Marie
Friday 26th January
8.45am Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice
12.30pm Funeral Service for Joyce Ryan
7.00pm Bellringers Practice
Saturday 27th January
9.30am Healing on the Streets – Ellendune Centre
Dates for your diary
Wednesday 18th April- 7.30pm– Nicola’s licensing service at St Mark’s Church, Kempshott, Basingstoke
‘Walk through the Bible’
Saturday 23rd June- 10am- 4pm, Parish Hall- ‘Walk through the Bible’ is an opportunity to explore the big picture of the Bible with a trained presenter, alongside The Stowe Church. Booking fee and further details to follow.
Vacancy Update
Thank you to all those who have been praying and fasting- the post is now being advertised and shortlisting and interviews will take place in February. Please circulate the advert as widely as possible and continue to keep this matter in your prayers. We will keep you updated with any developments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask Nick Orman or Paul Woolley.
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?
You might like to consider the following questions through epiphany season:
- Do you desire to encounter God? How might you seek moments of epiphany this year?
- What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your appreciation of God’s gift of himself?
- What might you offer back to God?
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Discovery Church are hosting the service to mark this week of prayer this evening at 6pm at the Ellendune Centre. Please do come and support this event and pray with our Christian brothers and sisters in Wroughton.
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.
Pancake Races– 13th February
As it is half term we will be racing on Shrove Tuesday– races will start at 11.30am at Willow-Brook Gardens followed by pancakes for eating in the Parish Hall.
Ash Wednesday service– 14th February
What better way to reflect on the meaning of true love this Valentine’s Day? Our a short reflective Ash Wednesday service is at 6.30pm and includes the imposition of ashes.
Lent Groups– starting w/b 19th February
In our Lent groups this year we will be ‘Journeying with Jesus’. Over five studies we will be meeting five characters from the New Testament who encountered Jesus at some point in their lives and considering the effect that the encounter had upon them and what that might mean for us.
Small groups are a great space to get to know new people, ask honest questions and grow in faith– please do think about joining one as part of your Lenten discipline. A sign up sheet with various times/venues will be available soon.
Nicola’s Licensing
We have booked a small coach so we can attend Nicola’s licensing at St. Mark’s Church, Kempshott on April 18th. We will leave Wroughton at 5.30pm. Cost per person will be £15 please see Jean Ford or Ross Fralley if you are wishing to attend.
The Harbour Project
If you are having a clearout after 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.
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
World Cancer Day – Unity Bands
World Cancer day is February 4th, in support of this I have Cancer Research UK Unity bands which “sell” for £2. They are at the back of Church , please buy one to help the fight against Cancer. Thank you Jean Ford
CHURCH IN THE WIDER WORLD
Swindon Youth for Christ
This month, Swindon Youth for Christ is starting a new project. It is called Bios Sports, and it aims to use sport to reach young people, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. This ministry will be led by their new Sports Worker, Fraser Carter.
On 27th January, the new project will be launched with a 5-a-side football tournament at Kingsdown school, for teams of various ages from churches and elsewhere.
The vision is that churches will work with Bios Sport to host events in their local communities and make connections with their local young people.
Please pray for Fraser, and the rest of the SYFC team, the launch event, and for the young people that this ministry makes contact with.
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 knitwear 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 Ashen Copse Road and Yellard Walk
- Our Standing Committee as they meet this week
- Churches together in Wroughton
- We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Betty Long, Andy Kachkan, Clarice Hardiman, Baby Jesse Smith, Joyce Ryan, Barrie Howell and Marion Smith. We pray for all who mourn the loss of loved ones.
