1. No category

PRAYER DIARY
Monday
Father, may the soul of Sheila Elliot and the souls of all the faithful
departed, through Your profound mercy, rest in eternal peace. At
this challenging time, we pray for strength for her family and friends.
Amen.
Tuesday
Three young girls run to Syria; Lord, we've heard the worst?
Parents, Muslim community, school and friends, everyone's
shocked. Pray for all. Amen.
Wednesday
Tax avoidance; a “hot” issue? Really? Jesus simply says we should
pay what's due (Matthew 22:18-22)? J. Welby similarly says if we
take the benefits of our country, police, NHS, etc, we should pay our
dues. Lord, this Lent and always, help fix our focus on Your life &
example. Amen.
Thursday
Sheikh community providing urgent food aid in central London.
Lord, in Lent, maybe we'll all see you as you really are. Hear our
Prayers. Amen.
Friday
Think of someone you really don't like; can't stand them? They're
awful? Offer Lenten witness and pray three times(?) each day for
them. Amen.
Saturday
Usual Saturday job? Paper, milk and you see someone needing
help? Don't walk on by; be a helping hand for Lent. We all know
somebody who'll soon struggle with a lump of wood. Lord, let us
help & aid. Amen.
Sunday
As Your grace fills our hearts this Lent may we be stirred into action
to show your love for all peoples of our world and for all creatures
that live and move on this earth. Lord, have mercy and hear our
prayers. Amen.
Street
Prayer
Lord, we pray for all homes, families and businesses in: Laxton
Road, Worcester Crescent, and Coppice Road in Alresford; Thelma
Drive in Thorrington; and Fenn Close in Frating. Bless all and keep
them safe. Amen.
PRAYERS! Any contributions of prayer requests are most welcome.
Just contact Eric Day (826612) or e-mail ericday402188@hotmail.com
The United Benefice of
St Andrew's
and
St Mary Magdalen
Alresford
www.alresfordchurch.net
Frating with Thorrington
www.thorringtonchurch.org
Rector: Rev. Pauline Scott
Sunday 1st March 2015
Today's reading: Genesis 15: 1-21 (p15)
8.00 am
9.30 am
11.00 am
6.30 pm
STA Traditional Holy Communion (Pauline Scott)
STMM Morning Prayer (Pauline Scott)
STA All Age Worship (Pauline Scott)
CYO Celebration @ Kingsland Church (no service @ STA)
This week's diary:
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Morning Prayer is at 9.00am each day in The Sanctuary
2nd
10.30 am Shape Course in The Sanctuary
1.45 pm
Scramblers in The Hub
3.30 pm
Razmatazz in The Hub
7.00 pm
Mission Planning & Prayer in The Sanctuary
3rd
10.00 am Bumps 'n' Babies in The Hub
2.00 pm
Lent Course @ 10 Orchard Road
8.00 pm
Cafe in The Hub
4th
10.00am Internet & Book Cafe @ STA
2.00 pm
Pilgrim Lent Group in The Sanctuary
7.30 pm
Lent Group in The Hub
5th
9.00 am
Holy Communion in The Sanctuary
10.30 am Lent Group in The Sanctuary
2.00 pm
Memories cafe in The Hub
6.30 pm
Youth Group (11-15s) in The Hub
6th
10.30 am Women's World Day of Prayer @ STMM
7th
9.30 am
Ladies' / Men's Group Breakfast in The Hub
10.00 am Book Cafe @ STMM
Next Sunday 8th March 2015:
Genesis 32:22-32 (p36), John 20:28-31 (p1090)
Our vision: TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD AND EACH OTHER SO THAT WE
MAY MORE ABLY BRING HIS LOVE TO THE WORLD
Rector:
Church Wardens - STA:
- STMM:
Rev Pauline Scott
823163
pauline@pscott.eclipse.co.uk
Mr Phil Bull
827146
Mrs Wendy Wilson
825040
Mr John Jinks
255060
Mr John Palmer
302339
9.30 am
11.00 am
6.30 pm
STMM Holy Communion (Pauline Scott / Nick Berry)
STA Holy Communion (Pauline Scott / Nick Berry)
STA Work In Progress (Pauline Scott)
If you would like someone to pray with you at the end of the service, then please ask
one of the prayer ministers (Ray & Sue Giles at STA who can be identified by their
badges, Judith Clayton at STMM).
NOTICE BOARD
NOTICES FROM PAULINE
Lent Appeal: Apologies – unfortunately the Tearfund speaker had been given
8th March & we had been given 1st so she can’t come. I have printed out
some information booklets about Tearfund’s campaign ‘No Child Taken’
protecting vulnerable children from trafficking. Please help yourselves if you’d
like to know more. Idea is we save the money from anything we ‘give up’ for
Lent & the money will be collected on or after Easter Sunday for the appeal.
This year our Mission focus will be ‘Celebration of Hope’ – Please do look at
the boards and add your comments.
Please can the leaders of different groups & others consider what they
might offer during this year as part of the Celebration?
Roles in the churches where help is still needed...
Youth Group y6 to y10 Helper(s): Thursdays 6.30 to 8pm – maybe on an
occasional basis. Maybe changing to Sunday evenings.
Joint Drama Group: Members to perform drama sketches during worship at
both churches. SARAH will run this team & thank you to those who have
already offered to join.
SCRAMBLERS: Sadly Val & Zanne are stepping down after many years
working with the under 5s. We’re looking for others to join the team – maybe
fortnightly?
Razmatazz: Due to numbers (over 30 children now attend regularly requiring 6
adults) another helper on an occasional stand-in basis so that we can make
sure we are always adequately staffed.
Interested in any of these roles? Please speak to me asap.
CYO Celebration: Today (no evening service @ STA) at 6:30pm, Kingsland
Church, CO3 9DW (above Aldi). Please join us to worship together. You will
get to hear about the work of CYO through the stories of the young people and
staff we work with every week. There will be time to pray, inspired by the
thoughts and prayers of hundreds of students. And we’ll be joined by guest
speaker, Jill Rowe, a qualified teacher, youth worker and Spring Harvest
speaker who will be sharing how Christians are making a difference in schools
today.
Women’s World Day of Prayer Friday 6th March 10.30am at St Mary
Magdalen, Thorrington. This year it comes from the ladies in Bermuda.
Everyone Welcome (including men!)
St. Andrew’s is fitted with an Induction Loop. Hearing aid
users are advised to switch their aids to the “T” setting.
Colchester Area Vocations day on Saturday 21st March
The day’s theme is “My soul, my life, my all..” and offers input, information and
space to think about what God is calling you to be and do for Him in the
church and the world. Workshops include information on lay and ordained
ministry and special input for young people. It is at the John Owen Barn at
Fordham, near Colchester and lasts from 10:00 to 16:00. You can register by
email or post using the flyer available in church or at the Area webpage where
you can also see a YouTube invite from Bishop Roger
http://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/areas-and-bishops/colchester-areateam/events
Consultation: Following on from the PCCs away day & the Mission Planning
Group, we are considering how we can address 5 things:
1. Focusing of time & energy on the right areas.
2. To bring more creativity & energy into the Morning Services.
3. Provide opportunities for those interested to learn more about faith.
4. To look at where families go on to as children get too old for Messy Church.
5. To work towards building a Youth Congregation.
Suggestions include moving the Youth Group (years 6 to 9 or ages 11 to 15)
to a Sunday evening at 6.30pm leading into the Youth Service, as now, on a
4th Sunday. The other evening services would be replaced by a Simple Said
Evening Prayer at say 5.30pm (United Service on 5th Sunday as now). Food
for Thought would then be held on the 1st Friday (?) with a bring ‘n’ share
supper much more accessible to those who do not attend church. We are also
considering moving the Tea-time Service to the Wednesday am alternate to
the Internet & Book Cafe at 11.30am followed by a light lunch or a Thursday
afternoon same time as the Memories Cafe on a different Thursday. Please
do let me know your thoughts – these are only suggestions!
Pastoral Care: Can I please offer my apologies that I am getting very little
time at the moment for visiting. Members of the Pastoral Team are taking out
Home Communions and making sure those who aren’t well are OK. Please do
let me know if there are any problems.
Pauline Scott
MOTHERING SUNDAY POSIES AT ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
This year Mothering Sunday is on 15th March, so on Saturday 14th March at
10.30am we will be making the little posies in St Andrew’s church as usual.
Do come along and help if you are free, no skill or experience required! We
will also need donations of flowers and greenery. Please leave these at the
church or at our house, 46 Wivenhoe Road. Thanks.
Allan & Zanne Friston
Items for the next Notice Sheet to Phil Bull by 6pm on Thursday at the
latest please, either via the website or as below:
phil@pcjbull.force9.co.uk
 (01206) 827146
WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
It is not about 'women praying', it's about men and women of all ages
worshipping and praying together using a liturgy prepared by Christian women
of a particular country, this year Bermuda. WWDP is not FOR women, but
FROM women; it is a gift to the whole church, to everyone irrespective of age,
gender, denomination, politics, or anything else. So everyone is welcome at St
Mary Magdalen church, Thorrington, on Friday 6th March at 10.30am. Please
let me know if you would to take part or require a lift (01206 824328).
Jill Earwaker
THANKYOU
Dear friends, thank you for your generous donations at our wedding, sorry it
has taken so long to get the final amount. Through your giving we have been
able to send £440.00 to Gifts for Romania and £340.00 to New Horizons giving
a total of £780.00. Many thanks to all who gave and once again thank you all
who came and made our day so special. We now have photographs on a
memory stick so we will try to have them so we can show any who would like
to see them.
Ray & Sue Giles
INVITATION BREAKFAST @ STA
We are hosting a joint Ladies'/Men's group Breakfast on Saturday 7th March
9.15am for 9.30 at STA. We have Peter Holmes, the Presenter of the award
winning Essex Sunday Breakfast Programme on B.B.C. radio Essex coming to
speak to us (see article on the notice board). This is an excellent opportunity to
invite friends and neighbours. There is a list on the notice board to sign up.
Suggested donation to cover the cost £3.00 per person (why not invite and
treat a friend to breakfast?).
Carol Day