11th February 2024
By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 17 February 2024
Hello everyone,
I am sending out our weekly email earlier than usual because it includes details of the Night of Prayer happening at St Columba’s tomorrow, with different themes for each 20 minutes session between 6pm and 9pm. Also included are details of Sunday’s services, our special Ash Wednesday services, Lent Groups, the Support Group for Bereaved Parents, Games Night, and more. I do hope to see you at one or other of the many events detailed here.
NIGHT OF PRAYER
Our first special event for our Year of Prayer will be happening TOMORROW, FRIDAY 9th FEBRUARY with a NIGHT OF PRAYER at St Columba’s from 6pm to 9pm. I do encourage you to come along, either for the whole three hours, or any part of it. The evening will be divided into 20 minute sections with different topics as shown below, so you might just want to join in for one or two of these that especially concern you, or come at a time that suits you.
6:00 – 6:20pm = Give Thanks To God + Forgiveness
6:20 – 6:40pm = The Church (as a whole ) & St. Columba
6:40 – 7:00pm = All who are struggling (financial, health, mentally, grieving, etc )
7:00 – 7:20pm = King Charles, our government and all other world leaders
7:20 – 7:40pm = Schools & Teachers
7:40 – 8:00pm = Corby
8:00 – 8:20pm = Marriage, parents and children
8:20 – 8:40pm = War & catastrophes
8:40 – 9:00pm = Thanksgiving & the Blessing
People are welcome to pray out loud but there is no expectation about this (other than the occasional Amen), several people come to our regular 6pm Prayer Meetings on Sundays and only pray silently.
LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
This is also happening on Friday 9th February at 3pm in the Church Hall, with tea, sandwiches, scones and cake. All ladies are most welcome to this occasion which are always most enjoyable and includes Linda Coleman’s next talk on what faith means to her.
SUNDAY 11th FEBRUARY
We have a choice of service next Sunday with HOLY COMMUNION at 10.30am in St Columba’s, with the next in our series of sermons looking at Prayers in the New Testament, and then a FAMILY SERVICE at 3pm in Rockingham Village Hall. The St Columba’s service will include ENERGIZE groups for children and young people and will be available as a livestream via this link: https://youtube.com/live/uHN3Atw-lfc?feature=share
We will also have a PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.
LENT 2024
Lent begins next week with two identical HOLY COMMUNION services on ASH WEDNESDAY, 14th FEBRUARY, one at 10.30am and the other at 7.30pm, both at St Columba’s. These services will be an introduction to the Lent Groups that will follow at the same times on the following weeks, also in St Columba’s. These groups are designed to bring the whole church family together to look at “Real Prayer – connecting with our heavenly Father”. Our HOME GROUPS will be taking a break during Lent, but will in most cases resume after Easter – look out for more information about this. Again I do encourage you to come along and join in the Ash Wednesday services and the Lent Groups that follow.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR BEREAVED PARENTS
Following a very well supported first meeting last month the new Support Group for Bereaved Parents is meeting again on THURSDAY 15th FEBRUARY at 7.45pm in the Church Hall. This is the initiative of one bereaved parent in our community and if you would like to join the group, or know someone who may find it helpful, please come along or pass on the details. Although the group is not a church group I will be attending and offering spiritual support to those who come along. The group will meet on the third Thursday of each month.
GAMES NIGHT
Our Games Night is happening on SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY in St Columba’s Church Hall from 6pm. This is an event for all the family and will involve people playing table top games (snakes & ladders, ludo, dominoes, etc) for a fixed time and then moving on to a different game.
The evening will begin with food at 6pm, soup & roll with tea & coffee for adults and hot dogs with squash for children, but you are also welcome to bring your own drinks. The games will start at 6.30pm with an aim to finish about 8.30pm. There is a sign up sheet at the back of church, essential for those who would like food, helpful for everyone. There is no charge for this evening but there will be an opportunity for people to make a donation.
SUNDAY 18th FEBRUARY
We have just the one service next Sunday, Holy Communion at St Columba’s at 10.30am, with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people and there will be a livestream available.
PCC
The PCC decided last week that we would object to the proposed Pastoral re-organisation (which has been the subject of notices in church over the last few weeks). The reasons for this are complicated and simply by objecting we don’t stop the scheme happening, only delay it while further discussion takes place. If you would like to know more about our thinking please do contact me, either by replying to this email, using the phone numbers below, or after one of our services.
MOBILITY WALKER
Someone in church is offering a mobility walker with basket free to anyone who needs it. We don’t have space to keep things like this at church, but if you are interested do let me know and I will arrange for you to be able to see it.
AND FINALLY
Steve has produced another Online Puzzles and Other Stuff about which he says: “Among the other stories and puzzles there is a piece about our being Ambassadors for Christ, with some amusing personal confessions, and including two great stories about groups of young people being ambassadors to one another. Also the story of a family in Tanzania in trouble who prayed for God’s help received it via the Compassion Christian organisation that aims to help young people around the world. You can sponsor a child through them. I’ve included a link to their website. Hope you enjoy it all.”
There is also last week’s print edition of SCANS available in church if you did not pick one up last week.
May God bless you all in this coming week.
Ian
01536 400225
07903 644609