Tuesday 22^nd Feb from 3.45pm till 5.00pm (service starts at 4.00pm).

Come to a service with a difference.  A chance to praise, pray, learn, play, make, compete, race.  A chance to enjoy God’s goodness all linked to the theme of Shrove Tuesday.  The service is for all ages—stuff for “newbies”, stuff for old hands. Stuff for old, stuff for young.

READ – we have learnt lots from the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings of late. We have seen time and time again that God’s people kept getting into a mess because they forgot and didn’t look to God’s word. So lets learn from their mistakes – not repeat them! So make an extra effort to read a bit of the Bible. Try one or more of these suggestions: Read a Psalm a day, or one chapter from a gospel. Sign up to the android and iphone Bible Apps that will give you a verse-a-day. Use the ‘Word for the Week’ posted on our web page or on the front page of the notice sheet.

PRAY – The best thing we can do to see God’s kingdom purposes fulfilled amongst us is to pray. Please use the prayer section on the notice sheet. I have found that using prayer diaries from different mission agencies (including the ones we support as a church) have really helped me get excited about prayer AND have stopped me becoming self centred and narrow in my understanding of where and how God is at work. If you would like a copy of Care, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Open Doors, Tear Fund prayer diaries, then please help yourself to a copy from the Fair Trade stall in the lounge.

PURGE – What is stopping us from putting God first/in the centre? Where are we asking God to share his throne with other things? When and how are we worshipping other things as gods? (A wise comment from the 8.00am congregation service – people treat everything as gods except God!). Why not keep reading through the 10 Commandments and Jesus elaboration of them (in the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew chapters 5-7) to see if God is pointing something out that you need to take action about so that you would learn to live freely and lightly.

Joe

You’re not singing any more…..

Catch up with the Vicar’s letters…. This one is about songs you dont want to sing, and songs its good to sing. Read more by going to the Home tab on the top drop down menu.

The Vicar’s letters will now be posted on the web page every other month.  Hopefully they’ll contain something to get you pausing, thinking and maybe even changing the way you live and believe so that we all might know more of the goodness of God.

 Why bother fasting?

1. Jesus fasted and assumed that any one who followed him would fast.
2. Fasting can help to develop our relationship with God.
3. Fasting strengthens self discipline – it lessens the power of habit and enables us to seek God without distraction.
4. Fasting shows our concern for others.
5. Historically fasting always linked with penitence.
6. Fasting before communion helps people to be open to the Holy Spirit through the sacraments.
7. Fasting is used as a particular intention for intercessory prayer.

How to begin
Begin with a partial fast for twenty four hours: for example the main meal is taken at lunch time and fruit juice or water is taken thereafter until lunch the following day.

Continue your usual daily activities cheerfully, as they are about the Lord’s work.  Pay attention to the prayer which arises within you.

Fasting should not lead to self righteousness so is best kept between you and God.

St. John’s will be open for prayer all day on Ash Wednesday and there will be two services:

  9.30am School Service

  9.00pm Compline

We would like to gather as ONE church family, so on the date of the APCM we are going to hold one service at 10.00am (to which all members of the 8.00am congregation and the 10.15am congregation are most welcome to.  We aim to begin the APCM at 11.00am (ish) and follow it by a church family meal together starting at about 12.30am (ish).

Want to get confirmed? Confirmation is a fantastic way for YOU to say from your own heart and mouth: “I believe in Jesus AND I want to serve him as part of THIS church family”. If you would like to have the public chance to do that then we are planning a Confirmation Service with Bishop John Goddard on April 29^th 2012 at 2.30pm.

Please contact the wardens for more information.

Please be assured that no ‘guests’ will be put on the spot. It’s not a test of people’s understanding of the Bible or Christian faith.  So no one is asked to read the Bible out loud or asked to pray out loud – we want people to feel comfortable and not on edge!  There will be some interaction and group discussions but all done in a non pressured and relaxed way.  Do take the opportunity to ask questions – and no question is too big and no question is too small – so please ask!

If you are interested in the next course, please let the wardens know

Did you know that every Friday morning during school term time around 30 children from the local area aged from 0-4 and their respective mums, dads, grandparents and carers meet for worship, friendship and fun in our church lounge?

 Tots’ Praise is run by a team of leaders and helpers headed by Joyce Teasdale and is open to all pre-school children and their carers.  At the beginning of September we met for the first time since our hugely popular beach themed end of term party (you might have seen the article in The Observer over the Summer,) and it was a great chance to catch up and share news about the things we enjoyed over the summer break. we were thrilled to welcome back so many children and their carers who had obviously missed coming over the holidays!

 Since last Spring the numbers attending Tots’ Praise have increased to the point that we now have to open the church and the lounge so that the play needs of all our children from the tiniest babies to the most active toddlers can be accommodated.  After listening to the suggestions of some of the carers we have begun to arrange the church into zones which are filled with certain types of toys – for example active ride on toys like bikes are given the most space so zooming can be enjoyed at its safest and most thrilling, and more imaginative play can be shared in the zones containing dressing up outfits, role play toys and the home corner. We also have a small world zone were the farm, zoo, dolls house and garage are always popular and a quieter zone designed specifically for babies and book sharing. 

At snack time we all sit down picnic style to enjoy juice, toast and fruit while the grown-ups enjoy a welcome brew and toast, and more toast if you can manage it…..playing is hungry work you know!!!!!

Grown ups and little ones alike all enjoy the fellowship and fun of Tots’ Praise, but it’s the “Praise” bit that’s the real highlight!! Each session the tots and their carers share a Bible story or theme told with dolls and props, multi-sensory prayers, lots of interactive songs and dancing with instruments, ribbons, streamers and all kinds of other lovely things that help even the youngest child to participate in and enjoy worship.  It is always a really special time of blessing for everyone. If you fancy being challenged by meaningful worship from a totally new perspective – come along one week!