28th January 2018

Sunday 28th January 2018

Candlemas

For the cold and homeless

God of compassion,
your love for humanity was revealed in Jesus,
whose earthly life began in the poverty of a stable
and ended in the pain and isolation of the cross:
we hold before you those who are homeless
and cold especially in this bitter weather.
Draw near and comfort them in spirit
and bless those who work to provide them
with shelter, food and friendship.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Today

8.00am     Holy Communion

10.00am     Parish Communion

4.00pm     Church at 4

Diary – Week Commencing Sunday 28th January

Monday 29th January

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Church

10.00am       Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road

10.00am       Funeral Service for Barrie Howell

7.30pm        Buildings Committee Meeting

Tuesday 30th January

The Parish Office will be closed today

8.30am         Morning Prayer

6.00pm        Clergy Surgery

7.30pm        Listening Post – Church Hall

Wednesday 31st January

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Parish Office

Thursday 1st February

8.30am         Morning Prayer – Church

4.00pm        Church & Worship Group

7.30pm        Choir Practice – Church

Filling Station         – Tony and Tracy

Friday 2nd February

8.45am         Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice

7.00pm        Bellringers Practice

Saturday 3rd February

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.

Sunday 4th February 2018

2nd Sunday before Lent

8.00am       Holy Communion

Preacher:      Marion Colton

Sidespeople: Gillian Pitter and Sally Speller

10.00am     Parish Communion

Preacher:      Kate Quarrell – Link Missionary with CMS

Intercessions: Carolyn Perry

Reading:       Colossians 1: 15-20

Reader:        Ben Cooper

Gospel:        John 1: 1-14

Servers:        Jean Ford and Louise Sampson

Sidespeople: Rose Humphries and Pat Herring  

4.00pm       Church at 4

Led by:         Revd Nicola Such and Cheryl Hawkins

6.00pm       Evensong

Preacher:      Mark Tubey

Intercessions: Janet Henderson

1st Reading: Genesis 2: 4b-end

Reader:        Sarah Ruck

2nd Reading:          Luke 8: 22-35

Reader:        Sophie Houlton

Sidespeople: Pat Brown and Sylvia Woodward

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to Tim Winter and Ruth Woolley on their birthdays during the coming week.

Congratulations

We are really pleased to announce that after the completion of her ordination training course in June 2018, Teresa Townsend will serve her curacy of approximately 4 years  as a self supporting curate in the West Swindon and Lydiard Tregoze Ecumenical Partnership and Parish. We look forward to being present at her Ordination at the end of June.

Vacancy Update

Thank you to all those who have been praying and fasting- the post is now being advertised with a closing date of Monday 29th January. 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.

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.

Lent Lunches

Lent lunches start on Friday 16th February at St Joseph’s Parish Centre every Friday during Lent from 12 noon to 12.45pm. Donations for Christian Aid / Cafod. Do come along for Soup and support this event. 

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

Thank you to everyone who has donated warm items of clothing, for which we are most grateful.

If anyone has a working vacuum cleaner surplus to their requirements, please let Margaret Penfound know (812139) as some of our asylum seekers are in urgent need of one.

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 Artis Avenue and Brentfore Street
  • Our Church & Worship Group as they meet this week
  • We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Julia Kavanagh, Patricia Harris, Betty Long, Andy Kachkan, Clarice Hardiman, Joyce Ryan, Barrie Howell and Marion Smith. We pray for all who mourn the loss of loved ones.