2nd Sunday before Lent
TODAY
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube
6pm EVENSONG in Church
NEXT WEEK
Monday 5th February 7.30pm PCC Meeting – Church Hall
Tuesday 6th February 9.00am Morning Prayer – Church
1.00pm Funeral Service for Brenda Hunter – Nwilts Crematorium
Thursday 8th February 9.00am Morning Prayer – Church
SUNDAY 11th February 2024
Sunday before Lent
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
Preacher: Mark Tubey
Sidespersons: Pat Lewis and Dee Vincent
10.00am MORNING WORSHIP in Church and on YouTube
Preacher: Revd Barbara Abrey
Sidespersons: Tony & Julia Edmonds
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/@WroughtonWichelstoweParChurch (or search for Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish church) and press the ‘subscribe’ button.
‘Sunday Club’ dates
Our Sunday morning group for primary school aged children takes place in the Vicarage during the 10am service, usually on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. Future dates are:
| Date | Adults- lead/support |
| 4/2 | Karen H/Carolyn |
| 18/2 | Sally/Miriam |
| 3/3 | Karen H/ Lyn |
| 17/3 | Hannah/Holly |
| 7/4 | Joan/Helena T |
Small Groups
If you would like to join a small group, please contact the leaders of the groups below and find out where there is space. We would love to have everyone involved in a small group.
| 22 Kellsborough Avenue | Mondays 10am-11.30 | Lillian Wicks & Louise Bessent |
| 12 Artis Avenue | Tuesdays at 7.30pm | Carolyn Kirk |
| Church Hall | Alternate Tuesday evenings | Nick Orman |
| The Vicarage | Wednesday evenings during term time. | Karen & Phill Harrison |
| Church Hall | Saturday men’s breakfast | Mike Mason |
Update on the Deanery School
Many people will have seen in the press that The Deanery School in Wichelstowe was given a Special Measures judgement by OFSTED in September. This was a very disappointing outcome for the school; it doesn’t reflect the level of care, dedication and hard work put in by staff at the school, but it is reflective of some of the significant challenges that they have faced over the last few years. As a result of this judgement, the Department for Education will be taking responsibility for running The Deanery and The Kingfisher schools away from DBAT (Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust) and joining them with another school multi-academy trust. Loss of such a large school has a significant impact on DBAT’s finances and means that they cannot continue to support their remaining primary schools in the way that they need to. DBAT trustees have therefore take the difficult decision to start the process to transferring all DBAT schools to other multi-academy trusts and cease the operation of DBAT.
Revd Owen Green (the chaplain at The Deanery and Kingfisher schools) writes:
‘I don’t have a lot of words at the moment, I both want to sit and weep, and also madly run around trying to make the future a better one than the past, as well as sit with those for whom this has happened on their watch. Jesus reminds us that “the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life in all its fullness.” ‘. Please remember to pray for Owen and the team as they navigate these choppy waters.
Swindon Deanery day of prayer – Sunday February 4th
As we are seeking to do God’s will in Swindon Deanery through our Deanery plan, Deanery Leadership Team would ask you all to join in a Deanery Day of prayer on Sunday 4th February and to include the attached Deanery prayer and prayer points in your own prayers.
Lent Lunches
Soup ~ Bread ~ Cheese
Tea or Coffee
Every Friday during Lent at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Devizes Road, Wroughton
From Friday 16th February, 12noon to 1.00pm – Donations for Christian Aid/Cafod
Everyone Welcome
Envelope Scheme renewal 2024
For those members of the congregation who’s regular giving to the church is done via the envelope scheme (weekly or monthly), new books of envelopes will be available in church for collection from Sunday 4th February.
The new envelopes are effective from 3 March.
Afternoon tea, Saturday 2nd March – tickets now on sale
Our Wednesday housegroup is organising an afternoon tea (the full works!) in aid of the Swindon Food Collective, on Saturday 2nd March in the church hall, from 3.30-5pm. Tickets are £10 and are now available from the church office. Under 12s are free, but please let us know and bring an item to donate to the Food Collective with you. Please do come and treat yourselves in aid of a very worthy cause!
Pancake Races
As Shrove Tuesday falls in school holidays this year we will be having Pancake Races on Tuesday 13th February. As usual we will meet in Willow Brook Gardens at 11.30 am and then move to the Church Hall at midday to eat pancakes. If the weather is wet we will race in the Church Hall. We need some extra help in the kitchen and to chat to people (and eat pancakes). If you can offer help in the kitchen please speak to Jean Ford. Those racing (all ages welcome) should bring their own frying pan. Volunteers speak to Barbara.
Knitting for charity
This week I have posted 66 hats and 11 scarves to Mission to Seafarers. A big thank you to all our knitters and especially to Jenny and her friends from Rodbourne who recently gave me a big bag full of beautiful hats. Please keep knitting.
Also I am always grateful for 6inch squares made from Double Knitting yarn to be made into blankets for the End of Life unit at GWH. They can be knitted or crocheted but please check the size. For more details about our knitting projects please contact Janet Henderson 01793 525856.
The Hiding Place – Oddments Theatre Co.
Come and watch the true story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family, who rescued Jews during the 2nd World War. Oddments Theatre are partnering with Maranatha Christian School and Barnabas Aid to bring this story to Swindon at 7pm on Friday 8th March (at Barnabas Aid, SN2 8UN). Tickets are £10 at www.oddments-theatre.co.uk.
New font cover
A big thank you to Peter Wheals who has created an oak cover for our font. The simple design is in-keeping with the rustic style of our Norman font and the oak has been stained to match the colour of our oak pews. The design incorporates trefoils that echo those on the ends of the choir pews and in the outer pair of South doors; the cross has rounded terminals that again echo the shape of the brass altar cross. Not only does this look good, it also serves the practical purpose of preventing the font from being as a storage place for stray leaflets and lost gloves, which is a bit like keeping spare biros in the chalice!
Eco Top Tips – practical ways to take better care of God’s creation
February – Be informed
- Are you responsible for more or less than the average UK carbon footprint of 12 tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent)? Challenge yourself to reduce by 1 tonne this year. Climate Stewards have an easy to use carbon calculator climatestewards.org
- Read a book to become more “carbon literate” and understand the greenhouse gas cost of your choices. Try “How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything” Mike Burners-Lee
- Do your own internet research to become more “carbon literate”: choose one item a day this week to find out what its carbon “cost” is. For example a kg of rice produces 4kg of CO2e in production or a kg of potatoes is 0.37kg CO2e.
Floodlighting
If you would like the Church to be floodlit for a special occasion (cost £20.00) Forms are available in Church or online please return to Janet in the Office or email office@wroughton.com.
Funerals
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have, died recently Brenda Hunter. 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 & Wichelstowe Parish Church.
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Please use the prayer and prayer pointers below in your own prayers and encourage their use by your congregation and in prayers of intercession.
Swindon Deanery Prayer
Lord God, maker of heaven and earth,
We thank you for your unceasing care for us and for calling us to serve you in Swindon Deanery.
We lift our eyes to you and ask for your help in Swindon and the surrounding communities.
As we share the hope, love and good news of Jesus in our neighbourhoods
Guide us by your Spirit,
Unite us in your Son
And lead us to the people and initiatives where you want us to be.
Transform our Deanery so that more people know your love and hope in their lives
As we commit to serve one another and our town and villages
With love which reflects Jesus’ sacrifice, compassion and priorities
In His name we pray
Amen
Please pray:
- For clarity of thought as we plan and implement the Deanery Vision
- For human and other resources to make the plan a reality
- For clear priorities making best use of available resources
- For good communication and cooperation within the Deanery and with those elsewhere in the diocese who can help us
- For effective sharing of the hope, love and good news of Jesus in our neighbourhoods.
- For God’s kingdom to become more visible in Swindon and for more people to be impacted by God’s love
