27th July 2025
By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 2 August 2025
Hello everyone,
Please do pray for Kath Wade who went into hospital on Friday night as her pain had increased greatly. She has been admitted to a ward and is waiting for an MRI scan. Please pray especially that Kath’s treatment, and that of of so many others around the country, is not delayed by the doctors’ strike that is happening this weekend.
As we enter the summer holiday season we would normally expect a pause in activity at church, but there is actually still lots going on over the next few weeks so do keep reading.
BIBLE COURSE
We completed the Bible Course in church last Wednesday and will now have a break before a new course begins in the Autumn. I know some people were already on holiday last Wednesday and so missed the final part of the Bible Course, but you can catch up by going to:
https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/explore-the-bible/the-bible-course
where you will need to create an account so you can watch any episode of the course as well as access the digital hub which was referred to many times during the course. This option is also available to anyone who missed out on attending the course in church.
SUNDAY 27th JULY
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with children and young people’s groups in the Hall preparing for next week’s ALL AGE service (when Jason, our potential new curate, and his family will be with us – see below). This service will be available to watch on Youtube here:
https://youtube.com/live/u7jJM6Vwmdc?feature=share
3pm HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. If you are coming to this service just tell the person at the kiosk that you are going to church.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s
SUNDAY 3rd AUGUST
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s, which Jason, our potential new curate (from July 2026) and his family will be attending. This will be followed by a BRING YOUR OWN PICNIC LUNCH, hopefully in the Vicarage Garden, or the Church Hall if wet, in order to give them an opportunity to get to know us. Please come along to this if you are not on holiday and bring your own lunch and cold drinks – we will provide tea and coffee as well as chairs and garden games. Please also still come to the International Food Fair (see below) the following week – it is not ideal having these two events less than a week apart, but various factors meant 3rd August was the best date for Jason and us.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR Saturday 9th August 12 noon to 4pm
Following the success of our first International Food Fair last summer we are having a second this year. Once again there will be food from five different countries available to buy as well as desserts and cakes. It is really helpful if people can buy tickets in advance so that the team have an idea of how many they are catering for, although the nature of this event is that people can just drop in and buy food, and it is therefore an opportunity to witness to the community. To help with this we have an inflatable that will hopefully attract people to the Fair.
Tickets are on sale after church and cost £10 for all five meals, or £2.50 for one. Help will also be needed to set up from 8am on Saturday 9th August, please speak to Riaan if you can help with this.
SUNDAY 10th AUGUST
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s when we have a preacher from CMS and there will be children and young people’s groups in the Hall for a special activity thinking about the world church.
3pm TEA, CAKE & HYMNS at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. If you are coming to this service just tell the person at the kiosk that you are going to church.
CHARITY OF THE WEEK – CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Christian Concern are a national charity who are passionate about bringing the love, justice, truth, freedom and hope of Jesus Christ to the heart of society. They believe that Jesus Christ is good news for society, as relevant today as he has ever been, and that a flourishing future is a future shaped around him. But they also know that it’s becoming harder to be a Christian in the UK today, so they work to make Jesus and his ways known, to protect the freedom to live and speak for him, through the work of the Christian Legal Centre, and to empower Christians to be compassionate and courageous ambassadors. They also communicate God’s truth in public debate, especially in the media (giving interviews on TV and radio and quotes for newspapers and online news sites) and politics (engaging with government policy, and working with parliamentarians and public officials).
Lots to look forward to over the next few weeks, and I know that for some that will include time away. If that is you then I hope you have a really good holiday and…don’t forget to pack your Bible!
Best wishes to all,
Ian
01536 400225
07903 644609