Author: Kevin Montgomery

27th March 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 27 March 2022

Hello everyone, 

Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday and we are looking forward to celebrating together in church for the first time since 2019! Do come along and share in the joy of this special day. The service in St Columba’s begins at 10.30am (although we would ask any children to try and arrive by 10.15 so they can practice their parts in the service!). This week the service will be available as a livestream, so please go to the following link just before 10.30am on Sunday, or afterwards, and you will be able to watch the service in church. There is a PDF of the service here, although this does not contain everything that will be included in the service in church. For those who prefer a quieter service there will be a Communion service at Rockingham at 9am tomorrow. 

HOPE INTO ACTION NEWS

I am delighted to be able to report that a tenant moved in to our HIA house on Friday, after much hard work by many people on both the admin and practical side. The tenant is a single mum with a young daughter who did not know about their new home and as she went round the house finding all the new bits and bobs put in place for her there were shrieks of delight from each room she went into! This is a reward for all the work and many hours of prayer that have been poured into the house. Do come along and celebrate this moment at the HIA Prayer Meeting on Sunday evening at 6pm in church.

LENT GROUPS 

Our Lent Groups continue this week on Tuesday morning (10.30am) and Wednesday evening (7.30pm). This week we will be looking at Luke’s gospel and you would be most welcome even if you have not been to any of the previous talks.

NEXT SUNDAY

On Sunday 3rd April we have a HOLY COMMUNION service at 10.30am and a HEALING SERVICE at 5pm. This is the first healing service we have had for many months so do please come along, either if you need prayer or if you would like us to pray for someone you know.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

MARGARET SINGH left instructions with her daughters that her funeral, at the Crematorium, should be very small and they are following that request. However they have also asked if we could hold a Memorial Service for Margaret to which everyone is welcome. This will be on Saturday 9th April at 3pm in St Columba’s so do please come along to remember Margaret and give thanks for her life.

I am also pleased to say that we are holding a Memorial Service for LINDA MATEYO the following Saturday, 16th April, at 11am in St Columba’s. Linda sadly passed away during the pandemic when there were limits on the number of people who could attend a funeral so this is the first opportunity many people will have had to gather and remember her. After the service there will be an opportunity to visit her grave, where a new headstone is now in place, before refreshments in the Church Hall.

PRAYER NEWS

Please pray for John Pender who has spent most of the last week in hospital, but Sheila is cautiously optimistic that he is making progress. Also pray for John & Sheila’s son-in-law Graham who has Covid, as well as anyone else you know who is infected at the moment. Please also pray for Sue Scholes’ kidney function to improve so she does not need dialysis. Finally do remember Richard Smith in prayer, he is now in a hospice with only a few weeks to live, he is sleeping a lot but is comfortable. Do continue to pray for Richard, Cathy and Rachael.

PUZZLES

Here is the latest edition of Puzzles and Other Stuff.

Do look out for a printed edition of SCANS out next week. 

May God be with you all, 

Ian 

01536 400225

07903 644609

20th March 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 20 March 2022

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to say that I am feeling well in spite of a series of positive Covid tests that have kept me isolating all week. Thank you for all your prayers. I am looking forward to being able to be with you all in church tomorrow. My recent experience, and others in church who have Covid (see Prayer News below) reminds us that the rate of infection is very high and while most people (myself included) have a very mild case there is still a risk, especially for those who are more vulnerable. As a result I think that we should maintain our care for one another and continue to wear face coverings in church for the time being. I look forward to the time when this is not necessary, but, in spite of what is happening elsewhere in society, maybe because of what is happening elsewhere, we do need to remain careful and caring.

SERVICES TOMORROW

We have a choice of service in church tomorrow with HOLY COMMUNION services at 10.30 and 5pm. They will be similar services but with different sermons and different people leading intercessions. There will be less people at 5pm so if you are anxious about Covid and mixing with larger groups that is the service to attend. The 10.30 service will include ENERGIZE groups who will be preparing for next week’s MOTHERING SUNDAY service. For those who are unable to attend in person, like me last week, the service is available on youtube. This was filmed at home because I was isolating. There is also a PDF of the service here.

HOPE INTO ACTION PRAYER MEETING

We will be having our regular HIA Prayer Meeting at 6pm tomorrow, or immediately after the end of the 5pm service. As well as praying for the HIA house, which is nearly ready for the first tenant to move in, we will pray for other needs in our church (see below) and the wider world.

PRAYER NEWS

I am pleased to say that Michael Cain (our church member, not the actor) is home from hospital, thank you for your prayers.Please pray for all those with Covid at this time including: Barbara Bradshaw, her husband George and Carole Speirs dad Billy. Do continue to pray for Kevin and Kate and their family. Kate is waiting for more tests and their eldest daughter, Hannah, is moving to Corby next week. 

LENT GROUPS

We have had two meetings of our Lent Groups and three to go. I should say that the talks stand alone, so even if you have not been before, or have missed a talk, do come along and join in the fellowship – it is simply wonderful to be meeting together again. The groups will this week be looking at Mark’s gospel and meet in St Columba’s on TUESDAY at 10.30am and WEDNESDAY at 7.30pm.

EXTRAS

The latest HOPE FROM ABOVE Bulletin is here, as are the latest PUZZLES AND OTHER STUFF from Steve.

NEXT SUNDAY

Steve’s Puzzles does have an amusing picture to remind us that next week the CLOCKS GO FORWARD so we miss an hour in bed. This is especially tough on Mums who will not be able to enjoy quite so much of a MOTHERING SUNDAY lie in while breakfast in bed is prepared! Our service will be a special celebration for MOTHERING SUNDAY so we look forward to seeing you there. There is also a Communion service at Rockingham at 9am next week.

May God be with you all, and do get in touch of there is anything we can help you with.

Ian

01536 400225

07903 644609

13th March 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 13 March 2022

Dear St Columba Church family

We’re looking at Chapter three of the Book of Ezra this week, and in the first verse it contains the phrase ‘the people assembled together as one’, how amazing to think of people all those many years ago meeting together to come before God and worship Him just as we are still coming together today.

SUNDAY SERVICE

Over the last couple of years we have seen a lot of disruption to that coming together, and have had to meet in different ways physically and online and we are reminded this week that Covid has by no means disappeared from our lives as Ian came down positive for coronavirus earlier this week, please do be praying for him, Miriam and Jo. 

Due to this we’ve got a reduced online service this week but thankfully still have Ian’s sermon as part of his series on Ezra. 

Our Sunday service was due to have the Annual Meeting as part of it but with Ian being in isolation we are postponing that for the moment and will let you know the new date when it’s been arranged. Instead we have a Morning Worship Service and big thanks to Rosie and William for stepping up to do this service.

COMING UP

 
Our lent groups started well last week and will be carrying on this week, looking forward to those. For all of our men, we have postponed the men’s meeting for this month and are encouraging people to attend the Lent Groups instead. However gents, do put the 16th April in your diary – which is Easter Saturday, we will be having a men’s breakfast in the morning – more details to come.

EXTRAS

We do have another great Mini-SCaNS available from Steve to keep you occupied and the latest update from Tim and Carol Derbyshire.

COMMUNITY

You may have already seen the news of proposed funding cuts to Pen Green Children’s Centre here in Corby, whilst we have to appreciate funding issues within the new North Northants Unitary Authority this seems to me at least to be a serious inequity and I would encourage you to have a read here; https://www.change.org/p/save-pen-green-s-core-funding and if you feel able to sign the accompanying petition. At the same time do be praying for all those in authority; for them to serve the people they are looking after well and for wisdom as they seek to lead.

Our Hope into Action house is getting increasingly close to being ready for its first tenant and a big thanks to all those involved in getting it ready, particularly John Lynch who has done a fantastic job in getting the house ready.

PRAYER

We are called as a people of prayer, and we do still have our Hope into Action prayer meeting at 6pm this Sunday, it would be great to see you there.

I’m aware that we had a number of prayer requests last week, which I would encourage you to continue praying for and please do continue in prayer for Ukraine and the situation there and all those affected by it as well as all those trying to help.

It is with sadness that my only update so far from last weeks prayer news is of Margaret Singh who after suffering a stroke last week passed away on Wednesday, eternal rest grant to her O Lord, may perpetual light shine upon her, may she rest in peace and rise in glory. I am sure she will be much missed. Please do be praying for the family at this time and for God’s comfort to be with them. We have no information on the funeral as yet, but will let you know when we do.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Kevin Montgomery

Curate, St Columba

01536 647727

07512 822422

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 

01536 400225

07903 644609

27th February 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 27 February 2022

Dear St Columba’s Family,
I am sure you were all as shocked as me at the events in Ukraine this week. It is one of those situations when we must truly say that the only thing we can do is pray, and so pray we must. I was pleased to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury on Radio 4 on Thursday morning, concluding his message with these words:
“Right at the end of his life, Jesus Christ, on the eve of his crucifixion, spoke to his disciples and he said something very memorable. ‘In the world you will have trouble, but do not be afraid, I have overcome the world.’For me and for many of faith, the great certainty in the world, the only certainty, is that we know that God does not change. Let us find our resolution, our peace, our certainty not by screwing up our courage, but in the knowledge of the eternal arms that hold us.
May God be with those who suffer today.”

Let us hold on to our faith and turn to the God who does not change, and in whose eternal arms we are held. And let us pray for peace in Ukraine today, and in our world tomorrow.

THIS WEEK’S SERVICE

There are Communion services on Sunday 27th February in St Leonard’s church Rockingham at 9am and in St Columba’s at 10.30am. William is preaching in both services which will be led by Kevin while I am with the children and young people preparing for next Sunday’s All Age Worship.For those who can’t make it to church tomorrow the service can be watched on youtube. There is also a PDF version of the service here.

LENT

This week sees the start of Lent and so I hope you will enjoy some pancakes on Tuesday! Lent is the season in which we are encouraged to make small sacrifices in order to devote more time to God. This may be by attending the Lent Course (see below) or reading more of the Bible, or reading a Christian book (there is a great selection in the library at the back of church so do have a look on your way in or out of church – there are no rules just take a book, read it, bring it back and take another…). 
I hope many of you will be able to join us at the very beginning of Lent for one of our Ash Wednesday Communion services. These will be at 10.30am in St Columba’s and 7.30pm in St Leonard’s in Rockingham. Please contact me if you would like to go the service at Rockingham but don’t have transport or know how to get there. 

LENT GROUPS

These will start on TUESDAY 8th March at 10.30am OR WEDNESDAY 9th MArch at 7.30pm in St Columba’s. These will be looking at Bishop Donald’s series of talks on the FOUR GOSPELS, one talk on each gospel with an introduction. It will also be possible to access the evening group by ZOOM but only if you ask in advance. Just to help with planning can you SIGN UP on the lists in church for either Tuesday morning, Wednesday evening or on Zoom – although you are most welcome in church even if you have not signed up.

SUNDAY 6th MARCH

Next Sunday’s service at 10.30am will be an ALL AGE SERVICE with input from our children and young people. Do come along and support them as they contribute to our worship.

PRAYER NEWS

Do join us for the HIA Prayer Meeting on Sunday evening at 6pm in church. We will, of course, be praying for the situation in Ukraine as well as hearing the latest news about our HIA house. Here is the latest Prayer Bulletin from Hope From Above in Australia.Please can you pray for Sue Scholes who has two hospital appointments on Monday and Tuesday this week.

AND FINALLY

There are no Puzzles etc this week but the latest edition of SPRING HARVEST NEWS is available and copies can be picked up in church, but we only have a small supply I’m afraid.
May God bless you all in these troubled times,

Ian

01536 400225

07903 644609 

20th February 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 20 February 2022

Hello everyone,

 I hope you all survived Storm Eunice. The church managed to avoid any damage which is good news. There is lots of news in this email about what’s coming up in Lent, including our Annual Meeting next month, so do keep reading. 

SCANS UPDATE

Big thanks to Steve for producing both an online puzzles and printed SCANS last week. There were a couple of mistakes in the printed SCANS so do have a look at “SCaNS 148 Corrections” for details of these (including the missing set of “down” questions for the crossword). Copies of this magazine can still be found in church and there is a NEW Online Puzzles and Other Stuff here. This includes a fun and challenging Hymn Quiz so do open it up and have a go!

SUNDAY’S SERVICES

We have two services in St Columba’s tomorrow, with MORNING WORSHIP at 10.30am and HOLY COMMUNION at 5pm. They will both include a sermon from Linda looking at the creation account from Genesis 2. Everyone is welcome to either or both. The 5pm service will have less people so is ideal for anyone who is still anxious about mixing with larger numbers. For those who can’t make it to church the service can be watched on youtube and there is a PDF version here.

HOPE INTO ACTION NEWS

Our Hope into Action house has been offered some really good quality furniture and white goods for free! This is an amazing gift, thank you Lord! All we have to do is go and pick it up from Oundle on the 25th February and bring it back to the house. We’ve been offered free use of a van for that day, so if you could be available next Friday at 10am to help us that would be great. It should only take a couple of hours to sort – have a chat with Ann Rigby, John Lynch or Kevin Montgomery. Kevin is happy to provide bacon/sausage baps to anyone who gets involved! The Prayer Meeting will happen at 6pm tomorrow, or immediately after the 5pm service if that has not quite finished at 6pm. If you come to the service you won’t have to wait!

NEXT SUNDAY

There is a Communion service at Rockingham at 9am and at St Columba’s at 10.30am. Our children and young people will be preparing for the next All Age service on 6th March, and following their wonderful efforts this month we look forward to what they will share with us then.. 

ASH WEDNESDAY (2nd March)

We have two services to mark the beginning of Lent. They will be identical except that the one in the morning at 10.30am will be in St Columba’s and the one in the evening at 7.30pm will be at Rockingham. Do try and come along to one or other of these to mark the beginning of this special season in the church year. 

LENT GROUPS

The following week we are going to start LENT GROUPS in St Columba’s on either TUESDAY morning (10.30) or WEDNESDAY evening (7.30). These will be looking at Bishop Donald’s series of talks on the FOUR GOSPELS, one talk on each gospel with an introduction. It will also be possible to access the evening group by ZOOM but only if you ask in advance. Just to help with planning can you SIGN UP on the lists in church for either Tuesday morning, Wednesday evening or online. (PCC members please note the days are the opposite way round from what was discussed at our last meeting) 

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

We are going to hold our Annual Meeting in the Morning Service on Sunday 13th March. Please can I ask that anyone who has a report about what they did in 2021, and I realise this is a lot less than we would normally have because of the pandemic, can send that report to me by Sunday 6th March. We also have four people whose term on the PCC has come to an end (I will be asking them if they would like to stand again) and we would also welcome anyone else wanting to serve the church in this way. If that is you please ask me for a Nomination Form. Names can also be added to the Electoral Roll, but all those who are already on the Roll don’t have to take any action. After all those notices I hope you all have a good week. 

God bless, Ian 

01536 400225

07903 644609

13th February 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 13 February 2022

Hello again everyone,

Another week has gone and I hope you have experienced some of God’s blessing during the course of it. I was certainly blessed by a few days away and I hope to pass some of that blessing on to you with my sermon on Ezra chapter 2. As I explained last month this is one of those lists of names in the Old Testament that we all love to hate (Riaan is doing the Bible reading this week and said that there were some tricky names in the reading – even after most of them were taken out!). I discovered some exciting things, more than I imagined in fact, so there is no space in the service for a testimony from one of you to say how God has worked in your life. I thought this would show how the same God who helped the people listed in Ezra 2 is still helping people today! If you would like to share in this way on another occasion please do let me know. Do try and read the whole of Ezra chapter 2 if you have time before the service tomorrow, and if you like pick out a name from the list!

The service in church tomorrow at 10.30am is Holy Communion. There is also a Communion service that can be watched on youtube. I should say that while the reading, sermon, prayers and songs are all the same as we will have in church, the Communion is a film from last year, but using all the same words that we will use in church. Having been away this saved a little time. This can be watched online or a PDF version of the whole service is available here.

NEXT SUNDAY

On Sunday 20th February we have two services. At 10.30 there will be a Morning Worship service and at 5pm a service of Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome to either or both. The sermon will be the same in both services. The 5pm service is quieter so it is a good place for anyone who is still reluctant to mix with too many people.

CHARITY NEWS

I have a couple of thank you’s to pass on, first from Janet in behalf of the CHILDREN’S SOCIETY. Our collecting boxes raised £269.63 last year and the Christingle service raised a further £113.23. Thank you so much if you contributed to either total. We have also been advised that the CLOTHING BANK in our Car Park collected 3520kg of clothing last year. This supports the work of PLANET AID, providing support for education, health, training and environmental programmes aimed at the relief of poverty in India and Africa. Again thanks to all who contributed and if you are clearing out your wardrobe do make use of the clothing bank.

ROCK – MEN’S GROUP

The next meeting of the Men’s Group is on Wednesday this week, 16th February, at 7.30pm in church.More details from Riaan or Kevin, One of the aims of the group aim is to encourage each other and as such everyone is welcome and their input valued so we can learn from one another’s experience, but, to achieve this, we need men to attend. We are also looking at social events, but again, as Riaan says…no bodies, no fun!

SCANS AND PUZZLES, ETC

Do look out for a new PRINT edition of SCANS in church tomorrow.Available here is the latest PUZZLES AND OTHER STUFF which includes a very challenging poem written down by Steve after prompting from the Lord.

With best wishes to all,

Ian

01536 400225

07903 644609

6th February 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 6 February 2022

Hello everyone,

I am delighted to say that tomorrow in church at 10.30 we have a service of ALL AGE WORSHIP, with lots of involvement by the children and young people. I hope you will be there to join in, but if you can’t there is a version of the service online. Obviously it is impossible to reproduce the interactivity of a live service in a pre-recorded form, but it does feature some of the children and young people who were filmed last Sunday morning. There is also a PDF of the service here. 

The PCC met on Wednesday and decided that it was still sensible to maintain some Covid safety measures at the present time, while infections are still high. As a result we do encourage everyone to wear a FACE COVERING in church, we will keep the seats spaced out and will also continue to distribute Holy Communion by dipping the bread in the wine. All these are subject to review when the situation improves. We also decided that as both face coverings and social distancing are not possible while serving coffee we will not resume after service refreshments just yet. PCC also received the accounts for 2021 and while I don’t want to say everything James our treasurer will share at our Annual Meeting it is great to report that, in another difficult year when the church was closed for worship for 3 months and our Lettings income only half its pre-pandemic levels, we still managed to make a small surplus. This is primarily because of the generous and sacrificial giving of so many of you, for which I must take this opportunity to say THANK YOU. There will, as I say, be full details of our accounts at the Annual Meeting. PCC was also delighted to hear that work has continued to improve the Church Hall, with new windows being installed this week in the toilets, kitchen and Green Room. We hope to improve the church toilets as well, but need to do some more work to do before we have permission to do that work. If anyone would like to make a donation to help make that happen please speak to me or James, or simply put an envelope in the collection basket marked “Building Project”.

I do have some sad news to pass on to those who have not yet heard. Ges McCluskey passed away early last Sunday morning, at home with Maureen. Please do uphold Maureen in your prayers. Another matter for prayer is that the from the end of this month St Columba’s will no longer be open as a Foodbank distribution point on Wednesday mornings. We must give thanks for the huge number of people who have been helped with food parcels since the Foodbank first opened here, and for all the volunteers who have made that possible, and for all the donations of food that have been made. And we must continue to pray for the ongoing work of the Foodbank, based solely at St Peter and St Andrew on Beanfield Avenue, especially given the anticipated increase in demand following the energy price rises later this year.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. The Food bank will continue to operate from St P&A and volunteers from St Columba’s are being invited to join the team there.

2. Donations to the Foodbank will still be collected at St Columba’s, so please do bring your donations to church as usual.

3. There will be an emergency supply at St Columba’s just in case someone turns up and cannot get to St P&A. 

PRAYER MEETINGThe Hope into Action Prayer Meeting will be happening in church at 6pm again tomorrow, so do come along, especially as we now have a potential tenant for the house and the work is progressing to transform it into a home. Also do look out for details of a work party to help with the garden.

And finally a special MINI Scans prepared by Steve, linked to the 70th Anniversary of the Queen’s Accession to the throne in 1952.

Best wishes Ian

PS Please note I am away this coming week so if you need to contact someone from church please give Kevin a ring on 07512 822422.

30th January 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 30 January 2022

Dear St Columba’s Family,

I hope you and your families are all keeping well as the Covid rules are relaxed. In common with many businesses I think we should continue to wear face coverings at church (and at the Panto – see below) in order to protect those who are most vulnerable. We should see this as an act of love rather than a rule.

PANTO TIME

The performances of “Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood” on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 3.30pm are both sold out BUT we do expect there to be a few last minute cancellations, so if you don’t have a ticket and would like to turn up and see if there is any space please feel free to do so. Alternatively there is talk of an outdoor performance later in the year so you may like to wait for that.

SUNDAY’S SERVICE

We have a HOLY COMMUNION service at 10.30am tomorrow and everyone is welcome. The children and young people will be preparing for next week’s ALL AGE SERVICE, which will be the first time since March 2020 we have been able to involve them in this way. Since then we have, of course, started our online services and so the children will be filming part of the online service for 6th February. There is a PDF of the service here. If you are watching/reading the service at home remember to have some bread and wine or fruit juice available for Communion.

There will not be a HOPE INTO ACTION Prayer Meeting tomorrow evening as many of us will just have finished at the Panto. The Prayer Meeting will return next Sunday.

SPRING HARVEST

For those who are booked to go to Minehead from Monday 18th April – Friday 22nd April, tomorrow is the deadline for any outstanding payments. If there is anyone who is not booked in who would like to join us please do speak to Miriam (we can’t guarantee accommodation but will do our best to find room for you).

Here are this week’s “Puzzles and Other Stuff” from Steve. I am pleased to report that Sue Scholes did not have a detached retina, so thank you to everyone who prayed. She is still under investigation for low pressure in her eye so please continue to pray. Also please keep praying for Richard, Cathy and Rachael Smith as well as for Maureen and Ges McCluskey. Ges spent this last week in hospital but is now back home with Maureen but he is on end of life care.

I hope to see many of you in church tomorrow and at the Panto. 

Best wishes to all,

Ian

01536 400225

07903 644609

23rd January 2022

By Kevin Montgomery in Sunday Service on 23 January 2022

Hello everyone, 

This week we have been told that the Covid rules are being relaxed and that from next Thursday face coverings will no longer be mandatory. We continued to encourage people to wear face coverings last autumn when they were not mandatory and I think this may be wise for the time being. The PCC will be discussing whether the time is now right to commence serving coffee after church and I would ask that if you have any views about that you speak with me or a PCC member. Obviously if we are to have coffee we will need people to serve it so please also think if this is something you could do when it happens.  

PRAYER NEWS

I am pleased to report that last week’s prayer request for Sheila’s daughter was answered with the appointment moving forward to 22nd February. Sadly the news is not so good of Richard Smith a former member of St Columba’s aged 40ish. Richard’s prognosis is poor and he is currently in hospital being tube fed. To make matters worse there are visiting restrictions on his wife Cathy and daughter Racheal. Riaan and Mandy are visiting Cathy today so will have up to date news on Sunday but please do remember Richard, Cathy and Racheal in your prayers.  

SUNDAY SERVICES

Tomorrow there is a 9am Communion service at Rockingham and a 10.30am Sunday Worship service (with the same sermon) at St Columba’s. This will include ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. For those who cannot get to to church the service is available online and the PDF version is here.  

LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH (LLF)

Some people may have heard of this Project from the Church of England which is described as follows: “The hope is for people in Church of England churches across the country to use the LLF resources to study and pray together. The resources are designed to encourage and enable engagement and learning in a variety of settings. This church-wide learning together, listening to one another, and listening to God is part of discerning a way forward for the Church of England in relation to matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. The purpose of the resources is to enable the Church of England churches across the country to participate in a process of learning and praying together as part of discerning a way forward in relation to matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.”There is going to be a Discussion Group in Corby, for 6 weeks starting on THURSDAY 27th JANUARY from 7.30-9pm at St Peter & St Andrew’s. Full details are here on the LLF Discussion Group document. If you would like to attend please email fr_anthony@icloud.com to make sure there are supplies of booklets and cake! I think it is important that churches like St Columba’s, where the Bible is taken seriously, are engaged in these discussions and would encourage people to attend.  

PANTOMIME – ROBIN HOOD AND THE BABES IN THE WOOD

Tickets for BOTH Saturday and Sunday afternoon are now SOLD OUT. However it is possible for adults to attend on Friday evening at 7.30pm. Entrance will be by donation rather than ticket. If any adults want to swap from Saturday/Sunday to Friday please let me know as this will free up tickets for children and families to attend the afternoon performances. If you would like to come on  Saturday or Sunday afternoon do let me know and we can then contact you if there are any returns.  

AND FINALLY

Please find here Steve’s latest offering of Puzzles and Other Stuff. It includes a quiz on London, and as someone who thought they knew London quite well I must say I didn’t do as well as I expected. By a strange but happy coincidence there is a London reference in Kevin’s sermon tomorrow.

Best wishes to all, 

Ian 

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