6th March 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 6 March 2022

Hello again everyone,

As well as the dreadful news coming out of Ukraine there are some serious prayer requests from closer to home in this email so do keep reading and praying. On the subject of Ukraine can I say that tomorrow’s service will not be saying much about the situation there, but we will be praying for Ukraine in the HIA Prayer Meeting at 6pm tomorrow evening, so please do join us for that if you would like to. This week’s Steve’s Puzzles and Other Stuff (the 70th!) also includes details of the DEC Appeal for Ukraine, so do make use of that if you would like to support those in greatest need. I have to say it has been heart warming to see the pictures of people in Poland, Germany and other countries taking Ukrainian refugees into their homes – it is a shame that there is not a similar opportunity here.

SUMMER 2022 at ST COLUMBA’S

We are very much looking forward to this summer, not because it should be free from Covid worries but because there are two exciting events in which we hope to share the good news of Jesus beyond our church walls and into the local community, and to your family and friends, neighbours and colleagues. The first is a BIG JUBILEE LUNCH on Sunday 5th June when, as well as inviting members of the local community to join us for lunch,  we are planning a day filled with activity. The second is a weekend with Bishop John at the beginning of July when he will be speaking about his faith and inviting others to share that faith in a series of events. More details will follow but please start praying, and thinking who you might invite, now.

THIS WEEK’S SERVICE

The service in St Columba’s tomorrow at 10.30am is All Age Worship, with significant contributions from our children and young people. Everyone is welcome to attend in person, or you can watch the online version on youtube. There is a PDF version of the service here, but an interactive service like this does not reproduce so well in this format.

LENT GROUPS AT ST COLUMBA’S

I am looking forward to the start of our Lent Groups this week. They will both be meeting in St Columba’s, one on Tuesday morning at 10.30am (until about 12noon) and one on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm until about 9pm. There is also an option to join the Wednesday evening group by Zoom, but please let me know if you would like to do that so we can make sure you have the link. As well as listening to Bishop Donald’s talks on the Four Gospels we will spend some time discussing the points raised and also praying, especially for the exciting plans we have for the summer – see above. 

NEXT SUNDAY (13th March)Our service next Sunday will include our Annual Meeting with reports, prayers, sung worship and the latest sermon looking at the book of Ezra (chapter 3). Please do make every effort to be at the service to hear how God has blessed us in what was another difficult year. We will also have to elect churchwardens (I am pleased to say that Janet Taylor and John Lynch are both standing again) and four representatives for the PCC (details of nominations will be out next week). There will be activities for children during the service, but everyone will be together for the elections and reports. 

REVD NAT WHITE

I know some of you are aware that Nat is moving to a new post at Grange Park in Northampton, hoping to start before Easter. This post feels like it is a really good match for Nat’s skills and we pray that God will bless her and Pete in this new chapter of their lives. PRAYER NEWSAs mentioned above there are a number of people in need of our prayers at this time, in no particular order:

• Margaret Singh has suffered a really bad stroke and at the time of writing is unconscious in Northampton Hospital.
• Kate Montgomery has not fully recovered after having Covid and with her underlying condition would value our prayers.
• Paul Millen has had an especially stressful time at work and also has responsibilities for our HIA house.
• Trevor and Kath Wade are both in need of our prayers and God’s wisdom for medics caring for them.
• Carole Speirs friend Trish, who we have prayed for before, had a liver transplant on Monday and is recovering.
• More positively Sue Scholes coped with her appointments this week and there were encouraging results.
• I am also aware of a number of folk suffering with heavy colds, and Donna & Brad from Rockingham both have Covid.

Please pray for all the above. I hope to see many of you at church tomorrow, at the Lent Groups in the week and at our Annual Meeting in next Sunday’s service.

May God be with you,

Ian 

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