The Sunday next before Lent
Prayer for the Week
The Sunday next before Lent
Holy God,
you know the disorder of our sinful lives:
set straight our crooked hearts,
and bend our wills to love your goodness and
your glory in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Today
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Parish Communion
4.00pm Church at 4
Wednesday 26th February
6.30pm Ash Wednesday Service
This will be a quiet reflective service with an opportunity to receive ashes at the beginning of the season of lent. The service takes place in the chancel and will last no more than 45 minutes.
Diary – Week Commencing 23rd February
Monday 24th February
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
9.00am Morning Prayer – Chapel Deanery School
10.00am Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road
7.30pm Growing Leaders Course –
The Deanery Academy
Tuesday 25th February
The Parish Office will be closed today
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
11.30am Funeral Service for Betty Harris
Wednesday 26th February
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church Hall
10.00am The Let’s Group – Let’s Chat
6.30pm Ash Wednesday Service – Church
Thursday 27th February
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
7.30pm Choir Practice – Church
Filling Station – Lucy and Ann Marie
Friday 28th February
8.45am Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice
7.00pm Bellringers Practice
Saturday 29th February
A Date for your Diary
World Day of Prayer service at 11am on Friday 6th March at St Joseph’s Church. Further details to follow.
Opportunities to join in
Easter Rocks – Tuesday 7th April
Duck Race – Friday 8th May
Sunday 1st March 2020
The First Sunday of Lent
8.00am Holy Communion
Preacher: Revd Phill Harrison
Sidespeople: Jean Reens and Christine Wrixon
10.00am Parish Communion
Preacher: Revd Phill Harrison
Intercessions: Margaret Penfound
Reading: Genesis 2.15-17; 3.1-7
Reader: Veronica Garside
Gospel: Matthew 4. 1-11
Servers: Gillian Pitter and Petrina Kingsley
Sidespeople: Lillian Wicks and Ross Fralley
4.00pm Church at 4 – Church Hall
Leader: Joan Orman
6.00pm Evensong (1st Sunday of the Month)
Preacher: Mark Tubey
Intercessions: Marion Colton
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 6.4-9, 16-25
Reader: Helen Toomer
2nd Reading: Luke 15. 1-10
Reader: Helena Thomas
Sidespeople: Malcolm Morrison and Jean Ford
Lent Course – Talking Jesus
Did you know that two thirds of non-Christian adults in the UK say they know a practicing Christian and that a similar number would describe the Christian they know as friendly and caring. Around one in five describe Jesus as God in human form. What an opportunity! Non-Christians already know and like us, and a good number think that Jesus is God. So what holds us back from talking to them about our faith and how can we become more confident in sharing it naturally and helpfully with the people we know? We will be exploring these questions during our Lent Course this year. Sessions will be at 7:30pm in the Church Hall starting on Tuesday 3rd March for six weeks (24th March in Church).
Compline during Lent
Like last year, there will be a short said service of Compline each Tuesday evening during Lent. This will be at 9pm in the Church Hall (24th March in Church).
Kintsugi Hope Mental Wellbeing Information Evening Kintsugi hope is a charity that has a vision for working with communities and the local church to provide support for people struggling with their mental wellbeing. They hope to set up mental wellbeing groups in Swindon and are running an information evening aimed at church leaders and/or potential wellbeing group leaders, but anyone is welcome. The evening will be hosted at St John’s, Whitbourne Ave SN3 2LG on Thursday Feb 13th, 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Please email kaf@patternchurch.org for more information.
This is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2020 ‘Saying Yes to Life’ by Ruth Valerio draws on the Days of Creation (Genesis 1) to relates themes of light, water, land, the seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath rest and resurrection hope to matters of environmental, ethical and social concern. This is available via all of the major booksellers. The C of E have also produced lent reflections inspired by this book that cover each of the 40 days in Lent entitled ‘#Live Lent Care for God’s Creation’ and costing £1.99 each. We can bulk order these for anyone who is interested. Samples to look at and a sign-up sheet are available at the back of church.
Ordination of Cheryl Hawkins
We are delighted to be able to confirm that Cheryl Hawkins will be ordained as a Deacon on 5th July this year. Cheryl will be moving to Bristol, where she will be the Assistant Curate at Holy Trinity Church, Westbury-on-Trym. Please do pray for Cheryl as she prepares to embark on this exciting new phase of her journey. Our loss is very much Westbury’s gain…
Legge House – trustees needed
Legge House is operated by an independent charity, with its own board of trustees. They are currently looking to recruit new trustees to help ensure that they can continue to provide residential and conference facilities for young people and others in the years ahead. If you’re interested then please speak to Mark or Sheila Tubey and have a look at their website: https://www.leggehouse.com/
Electoral Roll Revision 2020
We are approaching the time of our annual Electoral Roll revision. If you completed a form last year you do not need to do anything. The roll is open to anyone over 16 years old who is either resident in the parish or who regularly attends our services. Being on the roll allows you to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting and, if you are not resident in the parish it gives you certain rights otherwise only given to residents. If you regularly attend our services and are not already on the roll, we would like to encourage you to join the electoral roll. If for any reason you attend our services, but do not feel able to be on the electoral roll please would you complete just page 1 and return the form so that we have your consent to hold your details so that we can keep in touch with you.
Opportunities to join in
The community engagement group are planning lots of events to join in over the next year but we can’t do it all ourselves and we are sure many of you have skills and talents that could be put to use in our attempts to connect with members of our local community. We would love some new members of our group, we only meet three times a year, so not a huge commitment. If you can’t join our group you can still help out by offering your talents. Some of our activities are aimed mostly at young families, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of it. We still need people to chat to parents and grandparents, or to run a craft table or game, or to help with food. Look out for opportunities to join in. Barbara 633024
Let’s Group
We will start again on the 26th with Let’s Chat. If you have any suggestions you would like to be taken to the Review Meeting please contact / email Martina Lewis martina.lewis@ntlworld.com or email the Parish Office office@wroughton.com
February Green Resolution
Which firm do you buy your electricity from? Does it rely heavily on fossil fuels? Our church has been buying electricity generated from renewable sources for the last 15 years, and that significantly reduces our carbon footprint.
Information about the choice of renewable electricity supplier can be found on the Energy Saving Trust’s website www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.
Swindon Youth for Christ
Sport, especially football, has come to play an important role in Swindon Youth for Christ’s ministry with young people in the town. Some of this is done in schools: they run an after-school enrichment activity of football coaching at the Deanery Academy. In other places they organise sessions on the recreation grounds around the town. At each “hub” they meet young people on a particular day of the week and organise a game and coaching, with a time of prayer and conversation before and afterwards. This has proved to be an effective way of reaching those who may have no other contact with Christians, and has led to interesting conversations, and even decisions to follow Jesus.
“Synergy” is a faith and sports event held six times a year where church youth groups can take their young people and their friends for an evening of games, testimonies and worship. It provides encouragement for the Christians who attend, and opportunities to reach out to a wider circle.
Please pray for the SYFC team as they meet with young people, and for fruitful conversations to happen.
World Day of Prayer
There will be a service at 11am on Friday 6th March at St Joseph’s RC church in Wroughton. This will be followed by a Lent Lunch in their church rooms. The service this year has been prepared by the women of Zimbabwe and representatives from St Joseph’s, St Johns, Discovery church and the Methodist church are taking part. Everyone – men and women, young and old – is welcome to attend. Further details from Janet Henderson 525856.
This week please pray for:-
- Swindon Youth for Christ
- The staff and residents of Ladymead Care Home
- Those leading and attending the Growing Leaders Course
- Those effected by the recent floods
- The teachers and children of Wroughton Pre School
- We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Betty Harris, Olive Evans, Lilian Brittan and Jeanne Duckworth. We pray for all who mourn the loss of loved ones.
The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm
01793 812050. office@wroughton.com
Revd Phill Harrison – 01793 812301 vicar@wroughton.com
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