30th June 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 7 July 2024

Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to see so many of you in our garden last Sunday for the Vicarage Tea Party. Thank you so much for being there and sharing that special time together. We managed a few games of croquet and finished by having our Prayer Meeting in the garden as well.

1,2,3,4,5 CHURCH FINANCE UPDATE
We continue to address the prediction that our church income looks as if it will be almost £12,345 less than our expenditure with a 1,2,3,4,5 point strategy. The first two points are:

1. PRAYER – please can everyone connected with St Columba’s pray about this situation, if possible at 12.34 for 5 minutes. Obviously if you can’t pray at 12.34 please try and find another five minutes in your day to bring this situation to the Lord and to ask what your response might be…
2. GIVE WHAT YOU CAN NOW – because everyone’s circumstances are different it is impossible to say what you should give. One off gifts of £123.45 would help, but even better would be increases in weekly/monthly giving, perhaps 12.345% more!
   Can I say a huge THANK YOU for all the extra gifts we have received over the past two weeks, responding to these first two points.
   Today I can reveal the third point:
3. This is GOOD NEWS – the target is less than we thought! The reason for this is because of GIFT AID. If we as a church family give just £9876 AND it is all gift aided, the church will receive £12345 because of the tax refunded by the government, so no cost to you. You do have to pay Income Tax to be able to claim Gift Aid so not everyone will be eligible but if you do pay Income Tax PLEASE make sure that your donations to the church are GIFT AIDED. If you have questions about Gift Aid please do ask, in fact point 5, which will be revealed in a couple of weeks, will tell you how to find answers to ALL your questions about giving to St Columba’s.
   The fourth point will be revealed next week.

SUNDAY 30th JUNE|
There is just one service on Sunday:
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups. There will be a Livestream of this service available at the following link:
https://youtube.com/live/BQY5Xi3s4Sc?feature=share
We will once again have the PRAYER MEETING in church at 6pm.

GENERAL ELECTION
Please keep praying about the General Election and for the new government who will be elected. When you vote in person don’t forget you need to take photographic identification with you. A list of acceptable forms of ID is on the back of your Poll Card. Please note expired documents (eg Passports) are acceptable as long as the photo is still a good likeness.

SUNDAY 7th JULY
There are two services next Sunday:
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s
6pm HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s, so no Prayer Meeting next week.

LOOKING AHEAD
We have two special services coming up in July. On 14th July we have a BAPTISM by IMMERSION for Michelle Doran which will be very exciting. Then on Sunday 21st July we have a CONFIRMATION SERVICE for a number of people all from St Columba’s at 10.30am so please come along and support all those members of our church family who are being confirmed. After the service there will be a LUNCH in the Church Hall to celebrate. The food will be provided so do plan to come along and join the Confirmation candidates in celebration. There will be a SIGN UP sheet available in church so we have an idea of numbers for the lunch, or you can reply to this email to say you will be there.

Best wishes,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609