Weekly News

Collect for  Mothering Sunday

God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary, shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself: strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

Notices

News…..

Please click here for latest Parish Magazine

Note from the Vicar:  Last Sunday I made an announcement at each of our services regarding Gail and just in case you mssed it please click here to read it in full.

The Ministry Team and PCCs are currently engaged in developing our “Mission Action Plan” (MAP) which is a document outlining our key priorities and plans for both the short term (1-2 years) and the long term (the next decade).  I’ve been reminded of a key principle to bear in mind:  “People often overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what can be achieved in ten years”.   While the PCCs have begun the conversation, the hope is that in a couple of weeks we’ll be able to have an afternoon where anyone will be welcome to drop in and talk through what we’ve thought about so far and also offer their thoughts and suggestions.  The future of the office and what we’ll be looking for in a new administrator will be part of our plans for ‘Governance and Administration’, which includes key areas of Church life such as Safeguarding and finances.  We are also looking at: Worship and Teaching, Pastoral Care and Discipleship, and Mission and Evangelism as our ‘broad’ headings.

The MAP will be a living document that will be pesented at our Annual Parochial Church Meetings in May, and as a living document it will be added to and updated as time goes on.  As such it will be a helpful sign of what is to come, rather than a final word.   If anyone has thoughts or suggestions they would like to be considered, please do email me – [email protected] and I’ll be glad to bring them to the table for consideration.

I share all of this with you so that you know where we are and what we’re doing about looking to the future.  As I end, I’d like to once again reiterate my thanks to Gail for her years of service among us.  Please do be be praying for her and indeed for both our Churches and our community as we seek to introduce people to the love of God in Jesus Cchrist, our Lord and Saviour.

Daily Lent Reflections   This year we are focusing on key moments throughout the whole Bible leading up to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.  If you are not receiving your daily reflectioin and would like to do so please contact me to be added to its recipients.

Exploring Lent …. with Mark’s Gospel   We have two Lent Groups this year; one on Mondays in the North Room at Holy Trinity Church Hall on Mondays at 7.30pm, the other on Wednesdays at 2pm in the Sanctuary, St Margaret’s Parish Rooms.  We  are looking at what makes the Gospel of Mark so distinct and noticing details that perhaps have passed us by when we’ve read it before.  We have made a good start and if you would like to come along please do so.

What we have disovered so far is a general overview of what happens in Mark and perhaps, mmore interestingly, noticing what doesn’t happen in Mark:  please click here for what they are.

The feedback from our sessions has been very positive and we’re looking forward to the weeks ahead.   If you would like the notes from the first two sessions please click here.  Having discovered what ‘Markan sandwiches’ are and then turning to look at the details within the Gospel,  next week we will be looking at what Mark is trying to teach us about who Jesus is.   Please come along and join us; they are friendly groups and there’s no such thing as a silly question!

My Bible reading plans  are still available by following the link below, please follow this link to a further resource.  https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sword/

Bible Reading Plans    Please find attached a link through to my Bible Reading plan which you can download, print off and use as you wish!  Let me know how you get on.  Please click here

With Every Blessing, The Revd Samuel S Thorp

As ever, feel free to contact me on [email protected]

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Bellringing – If you are curious about bellringing then both Holy Trinity and St Margaret’s are looking for new team members to join them. Please click here for more details about Holy Trinity.  St Margaret’s has a distinctively different type of bells known as Ellacombe Chimes and if you would like to know more then please  click here for more details about their upcoming taster session.

TYGRE We are in Church at the start of the 9.30am service and then cross to The Sanctuary during the first hymn for singing, a Bible story and craft activities. There is also a selection of toys available. Please note, we run on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th (if applicable) Sundays of the month.

Tuesday coffee in the Sanctuary from 10am.  All welcome

Sanctuary Cafe (previously known as Dementia Cafe) from 2.30pm in the Sanctuary starting on Thursday 03 April and thereafter weekly rather than twice a month which is exciting news!  Please  click here for more details or speak to Revd Graham

SAFEGUARDING:  There are safeguarding officers attached to both churches.  Contact details can be found in the porches.