Prayer for the Week
Lent 1
Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert:
help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer
that we may witness to your saving love
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Today
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Parish Communion
4.00pm Church at 4
6.00pm Evensong
Diary – Week Commencing 1st March
Monday 2nd March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
9.00am Morning Prayer – Chapel Deanery School
10.00am Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road
Tuesday 3rd March
The Parish Office will be closed today
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
11.00am Coffee & Chat – The Cornerstone Cafe
7.30pm Lent Group – Church Hall
Wednesday 4th March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church Hall
10.00am The Let’s Group – Let’s Pray
Thursday 5th March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
7.30pm Choir Practice – Church
Filling Station – Tony & Tracy
Friday 6th March
8.45am Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice
12noon Lent Lunch – St Josephs
7.00pm Bellringers Practice
Saturday 7th March
10.00am Healing on the Streets – Ellendune Centre
3.00pm Christening Preparation – Church
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 8th March 2020
Lent 2
8.00am Holy Communion
Preacher: Dr John Godfree
Sidespeople: John & Iris Smith
10.00am Parish Communion
Preacher: Dr John Godfree
Intercessions: Janet Henderson
Reading: Romans 4. 1-5, 13-17
Reader: Ann Richards
Gospel: John 3. 1-17
Servers: Alan & Kathy Gregory
Sidespeople: Colin & Jackie Ash
4.00pm Church at 4 – Church Hall
Leader: Cheryl Hawkins
6.00pm Evensong (1st Sunday of the Month)
Our next Service will be Sunday 1st April
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).
Lent Lunches
Lent lunches every Friday during Lent at St Joseph’s Parish Centre from 12 noon to 12.45pm. Donations for Christian Aid / Cafod.
Congratulations to Mark Tubey
Mark is one of our lay Ministers and also Warden of Legge House youth retreat centre. On March 1st 1990, Mark started working for Leicester Diocese in the Parish of Highfields, and as a diocesan advisor to Charities. Congratulations to Mark on 30 years working for the Church (and 26 years as a Lay Minister).
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.
Coffee and Chat
We will be meeting for our next Coffee and Chat at The Cornerstone Cafe this coming Tuesday, March 3rd, at 11am.
Please come along and join us. Christine Wrixon
Let’s Group –
Wednesday 4th March – LET’S PRAY
Please submit your prayer requests and encourage friends and family to join us in person or send prayer requests via email, text or Facebook by Wednesday 8am.
March Green Resolution
We’ve all seen pictures of the awful floods that have affected parts of the country. Global heating means that rainfall is becoming more intense, and poor land management means water enters our rivers faster. One thing that gardeners can do to help prevent this situation getting worse is to avoid buying peat. Peatlands are important to keep carbon locked in the ground and to hold water. Before buying that bag of multipurpose compost or grow bag check the label! Unless it says “peat-free” it will be contributing to the destruction of peatlands, which will in turn contribute to the climate emergency. The Royal Horticultural Society says that using peat is unnecessary, so look for the alternatives.
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
- Those effected by the recent floods
- All health workers looking after those with the coronavirus
- The teachers and leaders of Tick Tock Preschool
- The Filling Station
- We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Peter Thomas, Betty Harris, and Lilian Brittan. 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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