MOTHERING SUNDAY, LENT 4
TODAY
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
10am MORNING WORSHIP in Church and on YouTube
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday 12th March 9.00am Morning Prayer – Church
Thursday 14th March 9.00am Morning Prayer – Church
Saturday 16th March 8.45am Men’s Group – Meeting at Waitrose Car Park
SUNDAY 17th MARCH 2024
Lent 5
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
Preacher: Revd Chris Hunter
Sidespersons: Pat Lewis and Dee Vincent
10.00am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube
Preacher: Revd Chris Hunter
Intercessions: Andrew Francis
Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34
Reader: Veronica Garside
Altar Server: Jean Ford and Kathy Gregory
Sidespersons: Jean ford and Lyn Hezlett
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 |
| 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 |
Lent Lunches
Soup ~ Bread ~ Cheese
Tea or Coffee
Every Friday during Lent at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Devizes Road, Wroughton
12noon to 1.00pm – Donations for Christian Aid/Cafod. Everyone Welcome
LENT STUDY
During Lent the Tuesday evening small group, which meets at the church hall, will be studying a course produced by the Diocese of Bristol, based around the diocese’s “Transforming Church. Together” project. There are four sessions, starting on 20th February, and we will meet on the Tuesdays in Lent except when there is a prayer meeting. If you would be interested in joining us please speak to Nick or Joan Orman, or email joan.orman@btinternet.com
Electoral Roll Revision 2024
Our annual church Electoral Roll revision runs from 4th March to 17th April 2024. The roll is open to anyone over 16 years old, who is baptised and 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 on Sunday 12th May 2024, 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. Application forms are available in church or from the Parish Office – tel 01793 812050 or email: office@wroughton.com. Completed forms should be returned to the Parish Office by Wednesday 17th April at the latest.
Cream Tea thank you!
Thanks to everyone who was involved in last week’s Cream Team in aid of the Swindon Food Collective. Thanks to all the bakers, sandwich makers, shoppers, table layers, waiters and waitresses, chair stackers, washers up, floor sweepers and of course to everyone who came along and everyone who donated. Together we were able to raise a magnificent £750 for our local foodbank. Further information about the Swindon Food Collective can be found on the back page.
Out of the Ashes – Christian Band
They are performing at Christ Church (in the community centre) this coming Saturday evening 9th March. Tickets available here: https://ccccswindon.co.uk/events/11/details
Men’s Group
The next meeting of the Church Men’s Group will be on Saturday 16th March, gathering at Waitrose car park at 8.45 am for a walk around the green spaces of Wichelstowe. There will be coffee and chat afterwards at the
H & W, winding up around 11.00 am.
Anyone interested in attending for the first time, please contact Mike Mason on masonmj@ntlworld.com
Easter Extravaganza!
We will be holding an activity morning for families on Tuesday 2nd April at 11.30 am in the Church Hall. There will be crafts, games and story followed by lunch. This will be a free event so tell your friends and neighbours. No need to book. As usual we need the whole congregation to help by coming along to chat to people, help with crafts etc. and to provide food and drinks. If you can provide food or come along to help please sign the lists on the table at the crossing. Many thanks. Barbara
Date for Diary – Spring Ramble
Our next walk will be on Sunday 21st April at 2pm – hopefully by then it will be somewhat dryer underfoot!
Do come and join us ….. it’s a lovely way to explore our local area and come together in fellowship. As usual there will be tea & cake at the end. More details nearer the time. Helena Thomas
WILTSHIRE GREEN OPEN HOMES
As part of the Wiltshire Green Open Homes week, we are opening the church hall on Saturday 9th March from 1pm to 4 pm to demonstrate the energy saving measures that we have taken. Youn are welcome to come to see if anything we have done could be applied in your home.
The improvements that we have made, improved insulation, improved heating controls and the solar slates mean that the energy use of the church and church hall in 2023 was only 37% as much as it was in 2019.
All visitors to any of the properties will be eligible for a FREE home energy survey from the Centre for Sustainable Energy. This is a great offer because the surveys can cost several hundred pounds, and will provide information on the best energy saving measures for your home. There are also two other homes open during the week in Wroughton including Helena Thomas’. https://wwb.greenopenhomes.net/wiltshire-and-swindon-green-open-homes-292
News from the Eco Church Group – caring for God’s creation:
Lifestyle Audit – Working towards the Eco Church Gold Award, we have committed to undertaking a lifestyle survey to review our personal approach to creation care and we hope you will participate as part of our church life together. It’s a one page questionnaire that is completely anonymous (so please be honest – none of us are perfect!). If you don’t have the questionnaire, copies are available from church (near the Baptistry) or the Parish Office (or email helenaxthomas@hotmail.co.uk for a copy). Please return completed surveys to the box in church (near the Baptistry) or to the Parish Office. Thank you for your support, and we’ll reveal the findings in due course 😊
Toilet Twinning – we’ve recently ‘twinned’ our church hall toilets with one in Nepal and one in South Sudan. Toilet Twinning is an initiative from Tearfund, one of our mission partners. Twinning helps enable a poor community to build their own basic toilet, access clean water and learn about hygiene. If you’re interested in twinning your own toilet and saving lives, do click on this link for all the information you’ll need: Home – Toilet Twinning
Green Christian – thank you to Deborah Tomkins, our speaker on climate justice a few weeks ago. If you missed her talk, do catch it on the service ‘You Tube’ link. One take away was that just 20 letters to MPs, government etc can make a difference – so our church community can definitely be part of that! We now have church membership to ‘Green Christian’ and will keep you updated on issues of climate justice and how we can get involved.
The Big Plastic Count – I am taking part in the Big Plastic Count – organised by Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic. From 11th – 17th March I will count and report on every piece of plastic I use (recycled and otherwise) along with thousands of other individuals and schools – to highlight the national and world plastic problem – and gain evidence to push for proper action to end the ‘age of plastic’. If you’d also like to get involved, visit the website: Home | The Big Plastic Count I’ll let you know how I get on! Helena
Eco Top Tips – practical ways to take better care of God’s creation
March – Lent Lament
- For each day of Lent pray of one thing in creation that you care about, for example birds in the garden, your favourite food, your car. Thank God for it, lament if it is being damaged by human action or causing harm, and intercede for wisdom and Christ’s renewal.
- Set aside time each week in Lent to go for a walk (or look out the window if you are not able) and actively appreciate Christ’s creation, remembering that we are wholly dependent on it for our survival.
- Join a prayer group at church (or start one if you have to) and intercede for the renewal of creation, for example pray local eco projects, halting species extinction, slowing down climate change. Find monthly intercession updates at prayandfastfortheclimate.org.uk
Knitting for Charity
Here is a photo of the latest blanket that I have taken to GWH for the end of life unit.
I have also received emails from GWH Brighter Futures and Mission to Seafarers thanking us for the blankets and hats and scarves. Both charities are very grateful.
Please keep knitting. There are patterns for hats in a box by the front pillar on the north aisle in church and there is also some spare wool. Remember squares for the End of Life unit blankets should be Double Knitting yarn and 6 inches (15cm) square. Please measure carefully and thread in loose ends. You can either crochet or knit these items.
Many thanks for all your hard work. Janet Henderson
Pastoral Care
As a church community we are getting better at looking after each other, but some will always slip through the net. If you feel that you or someone else would like some care or prayer from the church family, please contact Janet Burchell in the office and she will pass the request on. Don’t forget that you are part of the church and can visit and pray with others too.
Royston Fisher – Happy Birthday
Many happy returns to Royston who celebrated his 90th birthday on the 5th March. Hope you had a good day and many more to come.
Floodlighting
The Church will be floodlit on Tuesday 12th March by Ann & Karen Everden in memory of Roy Everden much loved husband and father.
Funerals
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have, died Lionel Bird and Brenda Thomas. We pray for all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
The Church Office
Next week I will be working Monday to Thursday. The will be closed from Friday 15th March and reopen on Wednesday 20th March. Janet
Easter Services
Maundy Thursday – 28th March
7.30pm Maundy Thursday Service
Good Friday – 29th March
10.00am Good Friday Service followed by
Walk of Witness from Church to the Ellendune Centre
2.00pm Last Hour at the Cross
Holy Saturday – 30th March
7.30pm Easter Vigil, The lighting of the new fire
Easter Sunday – 31st March
6.30am SonRise’ at Barbury Castle (main car park)
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
For more information please contact
Parish Office 01793 812050
office@wroughton.com
www.wroughton.com
