10th April 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 10 April 2022

Good morning everyone, I am sending this email out early because of Margaret Singh’s MEMORIAL SERVICE in church this afternoon at 3pm to which everyone is most welcome. There is lots of news below about all our upcoming activities for HOLY WEEK and EASTER as well as PRAYER NEWS and, of course, information about our services tomorrow. But with Holy Week in mind I wanted to start with a mention for Steve’s Puzzles and Other Stuff which is here (this is a large file and if you have trouble opening it let me know as there is a compressed file available). It contains an article from the archives about celebrating a Passover Supper at St Columba’s (perhaps you remember it?) and as Steve suggests this is something we can do again, or, to paraphrase the words of the Passover “next year in…Corby”. SUNDAY’S SERVICEWe will be celebrating Palm Sunday in church tomorrow at 10.30am while the children and young people will go out to prepare for not one but two services in the coming week (Hot Cross Bun Feast on Good Friday and Easter Day – see below). Everyone in church will be given a Palm Cross, if you are not able to be in church and would like a Palm Cross please do let me know and I will deliver one to you. (Please note as I am sending this early the playlist is not yet complete but all will be in place later today ready for watching tomorrow). There is the usual PDF of the service here. UPCOMING EVENTSTomorrow eveninh we have our regular HIA PRAYER MEETING at 6pm in church. This will be a little different tomorrow as it will include a Reflection for Holy Week. This will be the first of a short series of HOLY WEEK REFLECTIONS taking place on Monday and Tuesday evening at 7.30pm and everyone is very welcome. On Thursday we have a MAUNDY THURSDAY COMMUNION remembering the Last Supper, also in church at 7.30pm. 

Then on GOOD FRIDAY there is lots going on:

• We have a HOT CROSS BUN FEAST for the first time since 2018 so let me explain what this is. Simply it is an activity based event for everyone, but especially children and families, to think about why we have a Cross on our Hot Cross Bun. Held in the Church HALL from 9.45 for a 10am start on Friday it will last for just over an hour and includes Hot Cross Buns to eat (other options are available) and coffee, tea or cold drinks. The children will be preparing for this in Energize tomorrow so do come along, bring your friends, and join in the fun.
• There is a gathering in the Town Centre, outside McDonald’s, at 1pm on Good Friday but no walk of witness this year.
• The timing of this is not ideal because we would also like to encourage people to attend a quieter HOUR BY THE CROSS at Rockingham church at 2pm on Good Friday. This is a quieter more reflective service. Access to the church is via the main Castle entrance off the A6003, drive up to the post where there is an intercom and the gates will open (if you drive beyond the post the gates won’t open), then drive through the Castle grounds to the tower gateway where you will see cars parked down the hill and then you have to walk to the church.

On Saturday 16th April at 11am we are going to gather with Alois, Nicole, Kye, wider family and friends for LINDA MATEYO’S MEMORIAL SERVICE in church. This will be a bi-lingual service with some songs sung in Shona and I hope many people will join us to remember and celebrate Linda’s life. EASTER DAY will begin very early with a SUNRISE SERVICE at Rockingham at 5.30am (yes that is right 5.30 in the morning, just before the sunrise). If you have never been to a Sunrise Service I do recommend it and encourage you to make that special effort on Easter morning, it will be worth it. Later we have our ALL AGE EASTER CELEBRATION with COMMUNION at 10.30am in St Columba’s, and weather permitting, I hope we might finish the service outside (as we did last year when we could not sing in church) for a rousing rendition of Thine be the glory. Again the children will be preparing for this in Energize tomorrow. SPRING HARVEST AT HOME 18th – 22nd AprilA group of us are going to Spring Harvest at Minehead but, due to popular demand, Spring Harvest Home is back for 2022. Taking place at the same time as Spring Harvest in Minehead, their streaming website will bring incredible worship, fun kids sessions and insightful teaching directly to you in your living room. Featuring a combination of live sessions and pre-recorded videos, you’ll experience the essence of Spring Harvest without having to leave your home. It promises to be an incredible time so if you can’t join us in Minehead why not join us online? Tickets are just £49 and are on sale NOW! 

Further details, speak to Miriam or go online to https://www.springharvest.org/events/news/spring-harvest-home-is-back-for-22

LOOKING AHEAD

After Easter and Spring Harvest we hope to start some new groups in church to continue the fellowship, Bible Study and Prayer from our Lent Groups. Look out for more details of these but I expect they will be on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings like the Lent Groups.

And of course we have our PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATION on Sunday 5th June and BISHOP JOHN’S WEEKEND from 1st to 3rd July. We will have FIVE MINUTES OF PRAYER for these in our Sunday morning services, but why not start giving them five minutes of prayer every day at home?

PRAYER NEWS

I am pleased to say John Pender is recovering and hopes to be home from hospital soon. Please continue to pray for him as well as Maureen McCluskey as her recovery is taking rather longer. Sadly Mandy Niemandt’s father Alfie died on Monday last week, his funeral will be on Friday 6th May at 10.30am in church – please pray for Mandy and Riaan and their family. Also please pray for Cathy and Rachael Smith as Richard’s funeral takes place on Wednesday 13th April. Also that day Revd Nat White is being installed as minister of Grange Park Church in Northampton so please pray for Nat and Pete as they begin this new chapter in their ministry.

And finally, there is a Newsletter from HOPE FROM ABOVE in Australia with lots of news for prayer so do have a look and…pray.

May God bless you all in this coming Holy week,

Ian

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