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THREE PARISHES NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2016 Dear Friends
“In todays world hospitality and love are our most formidable weapons against hatred and extremism.”
(Archbishop Justin Welby 2016) Our Archbishop shared these words in his New Years message, and this phrase has stuck with me since then. Are we as a community, as a church, as families, as individuals hospitable enough? Do we welcome strangers? Do we love the stranger, the poor and the weak? What are we doing that demonstrates hospitality and love in today’s world? St Paul describes love as patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-‐seeking, it is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. To love some one, we know and care for like this is difficult enough, how much more difficult it must be to love a stranger? The author, CS Lewis divides love into four categories, affection, friendship, eros and charity. He says that while the first three come naturally to us, the fourth, charity, is needed to ensure that love does not become distorted, bitter and even dangerous. Love defined as charity, is self giving, doesn’t expect anything in return, puts others first and requires us to choose to love and put it in action. A friend’s daughter recently had her 7th birthday. Like most children she had a party with friends, but there was a difference. This little girl decided she didn’t want any gifts but wanted her friends to give some money to a local charity for homeless people. A wonderful demonstration of hospitality and altruistic love to a stranger – by a child aged 7. Again the Archbishops words ring in my ears, are we hospitable enough to welcome and love the stranger in need? Ash Wednesday -‐ there will be two opportunities to attend a service of Holy Communion with Ashing 9.30am at St Marys Saltford and 7.30pm at All Saints Corston. Lent Course 2016 This year’s Lent Course is entitled “The Church as a Community” and will be a launched on Wednesday 17th February 2016 at St Marys Church Hall. Refreshments served from 7.15pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm. We are meeting as a Benefice for the first week and
subsequent weeks will be in home groups, and the final week we will join together again to share with one another what we have learnt. If you are not a member of a Home Group and would like to join one for the Lent course or for more details contact Teresa Austin at NSL, Anthony Acton at Corston and Robin Dixon at Saltford. Parish Administrator and Parish Office I am pleased to announce that our new parish administrator is Liz Benden. She will be working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings (term time only). The Parish Office will be open between 9.30am and 11.30am. Liz can be contacted on 01225 872275 (there is an answer phone if Liz is busy) or [email protected]. When the Parish Office is closed phone calls will be redirected to The Rectory. New Pattern of Worship Don’t forget January saw the start of our new pattern of services across the three churches. This is to be trialled and reviewed in the summer. There has been a concerted effort in weekly and monthly notice sheets to ensure everyone was aware of the new pattern, but it seems that a few may have missed hearing about it, for which I am sorry. Please do check the service rota for times and type of services. Blessings,
Daile Parish Registers SALTFORD Baptisms 3rd January Sirena Claewen Darling Metcalfe Funerals 7th January Baby Lara Elizabeth Jones
Parish Roundabout
Holy Communion at Home or a Visit: If anyone is unable to get to church and would like either Holy Communion at Home or just a visit, please contact the Parish Office. Copydate for the next newsletter is 10th February at the latest. Please deliver all copy to the Parish Office. If you produce it on a computer it would be a great help if you would please email it to: [email protected] Transport: for transport to a service in the benefice, please ring the Parish Office. The Less Able: if anyone needs assistance to fully share in a church service please ring the Parish Office.
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St Mary’s Saltford www.stmaryssaltford.org.uk The Parish Office, St Mary’s Church Hall, High St., Saltford, BS31 3EL Tel: 01225 872275 Email: [email protected] Churchwardens: Dave Faulkner 01225 874133 John Norris 01225 872750
The next Men’s Breakfast will take place on Saturday 27 February at 8.30 a.m.
in St Mary’s Church Hall. The speaker is Mark Scott, Communications
Manager for Christians in Politics. In a talk called Christians in Politics: Saints or Sinners. Mark will share his Christian journey with us and tackle tough questions like ‘What does the Bible say about politics?’ and ‘Can Religion and Politics mix today?’ Do come and bring a friend! Tickets (£3) are available from Robin Dixon (359014), Dave Faulkner (874133) and Ian Freemantle (0117 9090496). Circle of Friends : will not be meeting in February, but instead we will arrange an event in August when we can enjoy better weather. On Thursday 3 March, Sue and Robin Dixon will relive their holiday in Greece in a talk called ‘In the footsteps of St. Paul’. This will be in the Church hall and the start time is 7.30pm. Every one is invited including those in Corston and Newton-‐St-‐Loe who would like to join us. Hilary Smedley 873189 Theatre Trips : Tickets are available for GUYS AND DOLLS at the Bristol Hippodrome on Wednesday 13th July 2016 at 2.30pm. They are in the stalls priced at £25.00, they need to be paid for by 10th May 2016, contact Olive Wilkinson on 873965 for further details Evening Praise – Evening Praise on the third Sunday of February (21st) is entitled “”
HOUSE GROUPS IN SALTFORD
Tues Evenings: 18 High Street, 7.45pm Contact: Ken Plant Tel. 01225 872904
Wed Evenings: 14 Golf Club Lane, 7.45pm
Contact: Sue & Robin Dixon Tel. 01225 359014
Wed Evenings: 5 Vernon Close, 8.00pm Contact: Julia & John Norris Tel. 01225 872750
Mens’ House Groups (meet monthly)
2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm for 8.00pm Contact: John Norris Tel. 01225 872750 or Dave Faulkner Tel. 01225 874133
2nd Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm
Contact: Robin Dixon 01225 359014
☩ All Saints, Corston www.allsaintscorston.org.uk Parish Office Tel:01225 872275 Churchwardens: Jane Jones 01225 873475 Liz Acton 01225 873955 Bible Study: There is just one evening of Bible Study this month – on 4th February, 7.30pm for 8.00pm at Brook Cottages. Then it is Lent...
CORSTON/NEWTON LENT COURSE 2016 WEDNESDAYS 24th February and 2nd and 9th March at 7.30pm
Good company....a tasty meal.....interesting discussion – what better way to spend an hour and a half on a winter evening? That’s how we’ve run our Corston/Newton Lent Courses recently and it’s been a great success, so we are doing the same this year. As you can see elsewhere in this Newsletter, Daile has prepared a 5 week course called “The Church as a Community”. The first and fifth evenings (17th February and 16th March) are for the whole Benefice, meeting together in Saltford Church Hall, but we at Corston and Newton will meet locally for the second, third and fourth evenings. As before we’ll share a meal of soup, fruit and cake, and spend some time thinking about our own village communities and our church communities. What makes for a good community? What’s special about the village communities of Corston and Newton St Loe? And how do our church communities measure up? Come along and enjoy the evenings – or just some of them if you can’t come to them all! Each evening will start at 7.30pm and will finish promptly by 9.00pm. Wednesday 24th Feb -‐ Corston Church. Wednesday 2nd March – Newton St Loe Parish Room. Wednesday 9th March – Corston Church. Any questions – please ring Anthony on 873955 or Teresa on 319322. Ash Wednesday: Ash Wednesday falls on 10th February this year when there will be a service of Holy Communion at 7.30pm at All Saints, Corston. This is the only evening service in the Benefice on that day an dwarm welcome awaits anyone who would like to join us.
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Holy Trinity, Newton St Loe www.holytrinitynsl.org.uk Parish Office Tel: 01225 872275 Churchwardens: Rosemary Denning 01225 872617 Ian Tadd 01225 426489
Holy Trinity Newton St Loe: First Sundays –Evening Praise at 4pm Following our first Sunday Evensong on 3rd January we have planned further 4pm services. SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY will be a SONGS OF PRAISE service with favourite hymns and readings chosen by the congregation so a real opportunity to sing your favourite hymns. This will be followed by refreshments SUNDAY 6TH MARCH -‐ A MOTHERING SUNDAY CELEBRATION with gifts of flower posies followed by seasonal refreshments. We hope you can come and join us.
Best wishes, Teresa and Revd Daile This years Women’s World day of Prayer will be held on Friday 4th March at Saltford Church Hall 2p.m. This service has been prepared by the women of Cuba. The service is interdenominational and everyone from the 3 villages will be warmly welcome. It is estimated that 6000 services will be held in the U.K. and 3 million people from all over the world will take part. Our service will commence at 2 p.m. and there will be tea and biscuits afterwards.
☩ How Do You Pray?
We are a month into 2016. To take our minds off resolutions broken or needing effort to keep, may I suggest a few minutes spent reflecting on and pondering a straightforward question. Questions are always useful. Which of the following five scriptural encouragements to pray is the most difficult to follow? Give thanks in all circumstances. Give thanks for everything. In everything, present your requests to God. Pray without ceasing. Be still and know that I am God. Which is the hardest to do? You may like to put them in order of hardest to easiest! A few minutes spent pondering these things can really help. Prayer is a precious privilege, granted by our gracious God and we are talking about it. Let us pray…….in all four ways suggested in these quotations.
Ken Plant (1Thess5 v 18; Eph5 v 20; Phil4 v 6; 1Thess5 v 17)
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Schedule January 20th Alpha Supper ‘Is there more to life than this?’ January 27th Who is Jesus? February 3rd Why did Jesus die? February 10th How can we have faith? February 17th Why and how do I pray? Why and how should I read the Bible? February 24th How can I resist evil?
March 2nd Why and how should I tell others?
March 9th Does God heal today?
March 16th How can I make the most of the rest of my life? What about the Church?
February 20th Holy Spirit Day 10.00 - 4.00 pm
Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do?
How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Venue: Emmaus Centre, Whitchurch tbc
For more details please talk to either: Pat Clarke Tel: 07510104037 (St Dunstan’s Church) Rev Mike Burke Tel: 0117 9099425 (Keynsham Parish) Rev Ian Rousell Tel: 0117 9860031 (Keynsham Parish)
Over 2 million people in the UK and 11 million worldwide have now attended an Alpha course.
It is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life and explore the Christian faith, in a relaxed informal setting over several weeks.
There will be a two course meal provided free of charge* Time: Wednesday’s 6.30 – 9.30pm
Venue: St Dunstan’s Church Hall Keynsham *Donations gratefully accepted towards cost.
BENEFICE LENT COURSE 2016
“The Church as a Community” 7.15pm for 7.30pm
Wed. 17th Feb: Saltford Church Hall Tue/Wed. 23/24th Feb: House Grps Tue/Wed.1/2nd Mar: House Grps Tue/Wed. 8/9th Mar: House Grps Wed. 16th Mar: Saltford Church Hall If you are not already in a House Grp and would like to join one for the Lent Course, do please contact: For Newton – Teresa Austin For Corston – Antony Acton For Saltford – Robin Dixon Advance Notice: Please put these dates in your diary! The Annual 3 Villages Coffee Morning in aid of Cancer charities will be held in Saltford Hall on Monday February 15th 2016 at 10:15 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The Annual Soup and Cheese lunch in aid of Christian Aid will be held in Saltford Hall on Thursday March 3rd at 12 noon until 2 p.m. A New Year Message from Bishop Peter Dear Brothers and Sisters, As the new year gets underway so our thoughts turn to spring time and new growth. Even in the midst of a wet winter and the sometimes seemingly relentless flow from news channels of strife between nations and stories of sadness for individuals, we look forward in hope. Hope is a peculiarly Christian virtue which St Paul puts alongside faith and love and it’s a mindset for everyday life, not just for the afterlife. Our trust is in the promises of Christ that this life is not the end but those same promises can also renew us daily. The world is God’s good gift and we are a special and much loved part of it – individually, and collectively. Shaping our future is a part of what following Christ is all about.
As I write I am preparing for a Bishop’s Staff residential at Abbey House. We will meet in a spirit of prayerful reflection, seeking wisdom in the quiet and listening carefully for the voice that calls us and compels us to action. We are looking for ways to grow the church and to shape the future of what ‘church’ means in this part of the world. We will be rejoicing in all that we have and love and looking forward to see where the Lord is leading us. Seeking prayerfully and carefully to the call and leading of the Holy Spirit will be at the heart of all we will discuss together. At the heart of our faith is the call to worship God, to proclaim Christ, to make disciples, to serve our communities and to further the Kingdom. The words Sumorsǣte ealle (all the people of Somerset) come from the County motto. God’s love is for “all the people of Somerset” and it is our task to be channels of that love. As 2016 unfolds may it bring you much joy as we continue to put our faith and trust in Christ. With warm Christian greetings
+Peter Bath & Wells
FEBRUARY 2016 DIARY
1st Monday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Local Ministry Group, Marksbury 2nd Tuesday 7.45pm Prayer Meeting, 18 High Street, Saltford 3rd Wednesday 7.30pm Daile talking at the Filling Station Meeting, Saltford Sailing Club 4th Thursday 9.00am Morning prayer, Corston 7.30pm Bible Study, 8 Brook Cottages, Corston No Circle of Friends this month 5th Friday 10.00am Coffee Shop, Hinton Close Meeting Room 6th Saturday 10.30am Village Market, Corston Village Hall 7th Sunday 11.15am Teen Church
8th Monday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Local Ministry Group, Marksbury 10th Wednesday 12 noon Soup and Pudding Lunch, Corston 7.30pm Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday, Corston 11th Thursday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Corston 7.30pm Worship Meeting at The Rectory 12th Friday 10.00am Coffee Shop, Hinton Close Meeting Room 15th Monday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Local Ministry Group, Marksbury 10.00am The Three Villages Coffee Morning, Saltford Hall 17th Wednesday 10.15am Prayer Meeting, 4 Roundmoor Close 7.30pm Start of Lent Course, Church Hall, Saltford 18th Thursday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Corston 19th Friday 10.00am Coffee Shop, Hinton Close Meeting Room 21st Sunday 11.15am Teen Church 22nd Monday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Local Ministry Group, Marksbury 25th Thursday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Corston 7.30pm Benefice Committee Meeting, Saltford 26th Friday 10.00am Coffee Shop, Hinton Close Meeting Room 7.00pm Choir Practice 27th Saturday 8.30am Men’s Breakfast 29th Monday 9.00am Morning Prayer, Local Ministry Group, Marksbury 7.30pm PCC Newton St Loe