Trinity 16
Creation – Humanity
Dear All
Thank you to all those who took the trouble to fill in our ‘moving forward’ survey back in July. PCC met last week and reviewed the results (slightly delayed by Covid!); strong themes included worship, community and our age profile. There is more work to be done on this and PCC will be reflecting further at its October meeting. It is really important that all of us keep praying and listening to God and each other as we collectively seek to discern what God might be saying to us about the future for our church community. Please do remember the church as part of your regular prayers.
Revd. Phill
TODAY
8am HOLY COMMUNIONtraditional language).
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube (no need to book a place).
12.30pm CHRISTENING SERVICE for Adeline Price
4pm CHURCH AT 4 MEETING IN CHURCH – All ages welcome (no need to book a place).
WEDNESDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER
10am MID-WEEK PHONE SERVICE
Our new mid week telephone service HAS started and the sound IS much better! Everyone is welcome to join this short service.
- To join the Wednesday service first dial this number: 03300 945 940.
- When prompted, enter the room number, followed by # on your telephone keypad: 60527473 #
- Finally, enter the guest PIN: 2656 #
- You may have to listen to some announcements, but you will then be automatically joined to the conference call. Join in with the responses in the liturgy as you would normally.
Calls to ‘03’ numbers are charged at the standard national rate and are included in your ‘free minutes’ if you have a call-plan.
SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER
Trinity 17
Creation – Sky
8am MORNING PRAYER (traditional language)
Preacher: Martina Lewis
Sidespersons: Jean Reens and Christine Wrixon
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube.
Preacher: Martina Lewis
Intercessor: Marion Colton
Reading: Psalm 19. 1-6
Reader: Tiffany Weighell
Gospel: Mark 15. 33-39
Sidespersons: Alan & Kathy Gregory
4pm CHURCH AT 4 MEETING IN CHURCH – All ages welcome (no need to book a place).
WEDNESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER
10am MID-WEEK PHONE SERVICE
Please see above for dial-in details.
Live streaming the 10am service
The 10am service will be live streamed on You Tube. Please visit our YouTube Channel on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc6wnuTqXBYTixq-NpQgeLQ (or search for Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish church) and press the ‘subscribe’ button.
Covid-19 update – social distancing
Many of us are becoming used to being in situations where strict social distancing rules have been relaxed and would welcome the chance to sit a bit closer to friends in church. We would like to take a cautious approach to easing social distancing measures, not least because there are still plenty of people who aren’t yet ready to take this step. We have therefore designated the rear section of the nave as an area where social distancing is no longer required, with social distancing remaining in place in the rest of the church.
If you want to be socially distanced then please avoid the pews in the rear of the nave.
Martina Lewis’ announcement
We are delighted to be able to announce that Martina has been selected for ordination training. Martina is being sponsored by Bristol Diocese and has started a two year course at Sarum College in Salisbury. All being well, she will be ordained Deacon in July 2023. The shape of Martina’s ministry will change as she prepares for ordination and to mark this transition the Diocese have asked that she sets aside her current role as a Licenced Lay Minister. Martina will symbolically lay-down her blue Lay Minister’s scarf at the 10am service on Sunday 26th September.
Solar panels!
It is very exciting to see the long awaited solar panels being fixed to the Church Hall roof. But you have to look very closely to spot them… Our panels are designed to look almost exactly like natural slates (which they do) and rather than being attached to the top of the roof they are part of the roof covering itself. They aren’t generating electricity quite yet though, there is some electrical work to be done during October half-term. This is a big step forwards in making our building more sustainable by reducing our carbon footprint.
Schools update
- Our newest school, The Kingfisher Church of England Academy, opened its doors to its first pupils on Thursday 2nd A small class of 15 small children successfully dealt with both their first ever day at school, as well as around 100 grown-ups all being excited by the official opening, which was led by Bishop Viv. The school will grow one year group at a time, with the size of each intake being set by Swindon Borough Council. Numbers will grow as the houses are built.
- The Deanery School continues to grow and we now have three year groups out of an eventual 7 (including sixth-form). We are currently running Youth Alpha as part of after-school enrichment. This is a series of sessions designed to help young people to engage in conversations about faith. Please pray that we will be able to have open and honest conversations and that we will be able to help some of these young people to discover Jesus for themselves.
You may have noticed the name ‘Wichelstowe Trinity Learning Campus’ being used. This is the name for the whole site used by the two schools, including the sports facilities. The shared name reflects the two schools share facilities, and in some cases staff as well. There is also a single governance structure (Academy Council) that looks after both schools.
Creation Care
A series of Zoom based seminars led by the Revd Dr Mark Siddall. Dates below. 7.30pm – 8.30pm.
This seminar series is based around Creation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World by Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo. It aims to equip preachers and church leaders for the years and decades ahead by studying the scriptural, theological and missional imperative to Care for God’s Creation. You are welcome to one, some or all of the dates below. It will help to have read the book before you attend. Copies can be purchased at Aslan Christian Books, Eden Books, Blackwell’s.
21st October Chapters 1 & 2: Methodology
4th November Chapters 6 & 7: Scripture
18th November Chapters 9 &10: Eschatology and Good News
2nd December Chapters 11 & 14: Human vocation in Creation
Register to attend here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creation-care-a-biblical-theology-of-the-natural-world-tickets-165108902171
Monday Bible Study
This will not take place on 20th September as I will be away celebrating a significant family birthday. We shall meet again on 27th at 10.00 a.m. Margaret Penfound
Refreshments after the 10am service
As we return to something a bit more normal following the Covid lock-downs we are now be offering a refreshing drink of squash (or water) and a slice of cake after the 10am service. You are ‘cordially’ invited…
Thank You from Legge House
Mark & Sheila would like to thank all of those who volunteered to help at the two events that have taken place over the last week. Overall we had 21 different volunteers who helped at one or both of the events. Many thanks to you all.
Cream teas for Prospect Hospice
Anne Moss would like to thank everyone who supported the cream teas recently held at St Joseph’s Church by providing home made scones, items for the sales table, helping on the day or just coming along to enjoy the afternoon. As a result, the magnificent sum of £1,104 was raised for the hospice.
‘Songs from the Heart’ Concert – (all proceeds to Prospect Hospice)
A concert, ‘Songs from the Heart’ will take place on Sunday 10th October, 2.30pm & 6.30pm at The Deanery CE Academy, Peglars Way, Swindon, SN1 7DA. Britian’s Got Talent semi-finalist Dennis DeMille supported by 41o Big Band, local choirs Songbids, Guys & Dolls and students from the Ridgeway School.
Tickets £5.00 now on sale www.ticketsource.co.uk
Swindon Youth for Christ
For the past 70 years, Swindon Youth for Christ has been working to take the good news about Jesus Christ to the young people of Swindon. The methods have changed over the decades from large evangelistic rallies to work with individuals in schools or on the streets.
The Covid pandemic brought most of the current activities to a halt, but has provided a space to review ways in which the work should change for the future.
Instead of SYFC working independently, but being supported by the local churches, it is planned that the churches should lead on the work, whilst being aided and resourced by SYFC.
Please pray for wisdom and discernment as opportunities are researched, and new ways of working put in place.
Eco Top Tips – practical ways to take better care of God’s creation
September – Lighting your home
Turn your lights off when you’re not using them. If you switch a light off for just a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again, regardless of the type of light. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-saving-quick-wins
Congratulations
To Will & Sarah Burgher (nee Wrixon) who were married in Church last Thursday. Best wishes to you both for your future together.
Floodlighting
The Church was floodlit on Sunday 12th September by
Sharon Hawkins in memory of her Mum, Ann Hawkins;
On Sunday 19th September by Janet Burchell & Phyl Bamford in memory of her Dad, Jack Bamford on his birthday;
On Tuesday 21st September by Ann & Karen Everden in memory of Roy Everden on his birthday;
On Sunday 26th September by Angela Little in memory of
Robin Little so sadly missed always in my heart.
Funerals
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have, died recently Eric James. Doreen Evans and Jillian Powell. We pray for all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
| The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm
01793 812050 office@wroughton.com Revd Phill Harrison – Vicar 01793 812301 vicar@wroughton.com Revd Chris Hunter – Curate 01793 814987 curate@wroughton.com Church Twitter Account – @WroughtonWichel Find us on Facebook – Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish Church Please follow us for all the latest updates from Wroughton Parish Church.
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ngaging with Living in Love and Faith.
Living in Love and Faith sets out to inspire people to think more deeply about what it means to be human and to live in love and faith with one another. It tackles the tough questions and the divisions among Christians about what it means to be holy in a society in which understandings and practices of gender, sexuality and marriage continue to change. It seeks to help all members of the Church of England engage with these issues and hear God’s voice speaking into society today. The feedback from engagement across the church this year will inform discussions next year on whether or not to change the Church of England’s stance on marriage and human sexuality.
Will you be part of the conversation?
During the Autumn there will be discussion groups running across Swindon Deanery to allow you to explore these issues in greater depth with Christians from other Church of England congregations. If you sign up to a course you can expect:
- To meet together with a facilitator and about 4 other people for 90 minutes each session weekly over 6 weeks.
- To discuss issues including identity, relationships and sex from a variety of Biblical and contemporary perspectives using Bible passages and videos.
- To have your voice heard and your opinions, after the course, fed back into the national church’s deliberations
- To be expected to be open-minded and willing to engage respectfully with those who may hold different opinions to you.
- To have access to a chaplain should you want to discuss matters further and in confidence.
We hope you will be able to sign up to the course and engage in this very important moment in the life of the Church of England.
We will be running courses at the following times and places (subject to numbers signing up to each)
| Day | Time | Venue | Start date |
| Monday | 1.30-3pm | St John’s Parks | 25th October |
| Monday | 7.30-9pm | St John’s Haydon Wick | 4th October |
| Tuesday | 7.30–9pm | Wroughton and Wichelstowe Church Hall | 12th October |
| Wednesday | 1.30-3pm | St Peter’s Penhill | 6th October |
| Thursday | 7.30-9pm | St Paul’s Dorcan (Small hall) tbc | 21st October |
| Wednesday | 7.30 – 9pm | On zoom | 13th October |
| Friday | 10-11.30am | On zoom | 22nd October |
To sign up for a course please contact David Caine (TwelveTwentyFive@msn.com or 07774 150426) and tell him your name, church, and 1st and 2nd preference courses. Also let him know if you would like to join a course in the new year instead.
You can find further information on
the Diocese of Bristol website https://www.bristol.anglican.org/transformingchurch/living-in-love-faith/
the LLF hub https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/living-love-and-faith/living-love-and-faith-learning-hub
