Author: Justin Dyche

16th August 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 21 August 2026

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to say that John Lynch and Rosie Hughes are both improving but not out of the woods. John has been discharged from hospital and has care at home while waiting to see if his spine heals naturally or if he will need an operation, please pray that it is the former. Rosie has had further tests and is able to get out and about, but not drive, please continue to pray for a clear diagnosis and for complete healing. John and Rosie are both grateful to everyone for their prayers.

I must also say congratulations to Dereck and Tadiwa who both passed A levels and are able to go to University in the autumn. This is both a great achievement by them and an answer to our prayers for them earlier in the year.

I am sorry for the problems with last Sunday’s livestream, but was pleased to be able to upload the recording to YouTube during the week. The link for that service is https://youtu.be/3BdFyAMVATw

Please keep reading for details of all the events coming up over the next few weeks, including our Sunday services and Quiz Night as well as our I Will Hear Clearly Then Appeal and Charity of the Week.

SUNDAY 16th AUGUST
10.30am Holy Communion at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 103. There will be children’s activities at the back of church, but children will need to be supervised by parents. The livestream of the service will be available here: https://youtube.com/live/57OjEm8Zi7o?feature=share

SUNDAY 23rd AUGUST
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham – everyone welcome.
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 116. There will be children’s activities at the back of church, but children will need to be supervised by parents.

SUNDAY 30th AUGUST
10.30am All Age Communion at St Columba’s with a Back to School flavour. All children and young people are especially welcome as we seek to equip them for another year at school. Is there someone you could invite to this service?

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
I am delighted to say that work has begun on installing new sound equipment at church. The immediate result is a much clearer sound, but I must warn people that there may well be some teething problems over the next couple of weeks as we adjust to the new system – please bear with us. Thank you so much to Kev Speirs who has designed the new system and is installing it, and to everyone who has contributed to the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN appeal to enable everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group, to hear clearly. It is not too late if you would like to donate, either by cash or cheque in the wooden box at the back of church, or on the Card Reader (please ask Justin or myself to switch to the appeal from General Funds) or direct to the bank account using the reference: HEARING APPEAL. If you can GIFT AID your donation, making it worth 25% more, please use the Gift Aid declaration by the wooden box, or simply email ianpullinger@btinternet.com and we can arrange the paperwork. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating. THANK YOU.

QUIZ NIGHT
The next St Columba’s Quiz will be on Saturday 19th September at 7pm in the Church Hall. Please do book the date, invite your friends, especially those who might be able to help you answer quiz questions, and come along.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Children’s Society
Children’s Society is another charity we often think of at Christmas, when the collection at the Christingle service goes to them. They work all year round, and at the moment are campaigning for young people not to lose access to the support they rely on during term time when schools close for the summer. At a time when families are already struggling to make ends meet, this can leave children and teenagers without the help they need. You can find out more about this campaign by watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FbM6jDVQvIM
Children’s Society are also asking people to support their campaign, calling the Government to:

• Align eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme with the expanded Free School Meals criteria from September 2026 so more children can access holiday support.
• Invest in safe, affordable spaces for teenagers to build community year-round.
• Strengthen HAF requirements for secondary-age provision so teenagers are not left behind.
  Please pray for the success of this campaign and, if you would like to support it, you can do so here:
  https://act.childrenssociety.org.uk/page/193372/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=website

God bless you all,
Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

9th August 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 15 August 2026

Hello everyone,

I have two prayer requests to begin with, for John Lynch and Rosie Hughes. John had an accident on Monday and has a fracture in his spine, he is now able to sit up but still needs our prayers for healing and relief from pain. Rosie had a suspected TIA (mini stroke) on Tuesday although the doctors now think it was not this and will be conducting more tests. Rosie is at home so please pray that she stays well and that a clear diagnosis can be reached, and that she is completely healed.

On a happier note can I thank everyone who helped with the Family Fun Day last Saturday, which includes both John and Rosie who were busy in the kitchen. I understand it was a great success with about 100 people attending and one mum contacting me to say “Thank you for putting on the amazing fun day today, all the kiddies had fun”.

The below includes details of all the events coming up over the next few weeks, including our Sunday services, Afternoon Tea, Quiz Night and details of our I Will Hear Clearly Then Appeal and Charity of the Week.

Do keep reading for details about all of these exciting happenings.

SUNDAY 9th AUGUST
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 139. There will be children’s activities at the back of church, but children will need to be supervised by parents. We hope to be able to livestream this service, if so it will be available on YouTube via this link:
https://youtu.be/3BdFyAMVATw

LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
The next Afternoon Tea is on Friday 14th August at 3pm in the Church Hall. All ladies are welcome for tea and coffee, sandwiches, scones and cakes, along with good conversation.

SUNDAY 16th AUGUST
10.30am Holy Communion at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 103.

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN appeal to enable everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group, to hear clearly. It is not too late if you would like to donate, either by cash or cheque in the wooden box at the back of church, or on the Card Reader (please ask Justin or myself to switch to the appeal from General Funds) or direct to the bank account using the reference: HEARING APPEAL. If you can GIFT AID your donation, making it worth 25% more, please use the Gift Aid declaration by the wooden box, or simply email ianpullinger@btinternet.com and we can arrange the paperwork. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating. THANK YOU.

QUIZ NIGHT
The next St Columba’s Quiz will be on Saturday 19th September at 7pm in the Church Hall. Please do book the date, invite your friends, especially those who might be able to help you answer quiz questions, and come along.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Samaritans Purse
We usually think of Samaritan’s Purse in the weeks before Christmas as we pack shoeboxes, so this is a reminder, first of all, to be looking out for items to go in a shoebox. Second the work of Samaritan’s Purse goes on all year round and I was recently sent a copy of their Impact Review for 2025 which said that after the hurricane in Jamaica they produced over a million litres of clean water, in Gaza they delivered over 200 tonnes of emergency food, in Myanmar they treated over 5,800 patients after another earthquake, in Ukraine they have repaired over 4,000 homes for families affected by the war, in Ethiopia they helped thousands with the installation of safe sanitation facilities, in Mongolia they have given 1,600 children life saving heart surgery, in Liberia more than 8,300 people have received cataract surgery from them, in Sudan 9,149 people received care at their emergency field hospital as well as the distribution of 11.9 million shoeboxes in over 100 countries and helping 5.5 million children participate in The Greatest Journey to deepen children’s understanding of the gospel and grow as followers of Jesus. Please give thanks and pray for all this work.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

2nd August 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 8 August 2026

Hello everyone,

This page includes details of all the events coming up this week, including our Sunday services, Family Fun Day and more, together with details of our I Will Hear Clearly Then Appeal and our Charity of the Week.

Do keep reading for details about all of these exciting happenings.

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday 1st August 11am to 2pm outside church
This event is aimed at children and families, those who come to church and those who don’t. If you know someone who would like to join in with some free food, games, face painting, singing, bouncy castle, puppet show, and the only thing you need to pay for is the ice cream van!
Do spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.

SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s when we will be thinking about Psalm 23, the most famous Psalm, with a child friendly approach. The service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/HP1gIkYi5ck?feature=share

6pm – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s our regular Sunday evening service which last month attracted 26 people, so why not come along and experience the different atmosphere of this service.

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
PCC have agreed to some much needed work on the church sound system. We are most grateful to Kev Speirs for looking into this and coming up with proposals to update the system, while keeping all that is working well. Sadly nothing is cheap and even with Kev’s careful planning and generous offer to do much of the work himself, we still need to find £2400.
So we are launching an appeal called I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN, because the aim is that, after this work, everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group, will be able to hear clearly.
We will be most grateful for any donation to this appeal, and the wooden box at the back of church will be re-designated for the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL for the next few weeks. Don’t forget that you can GIFT AID your donation so that it is worth 25% more – details on the Gift Aid envelopes or from Justin. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Fusion books for young people going to university
Recently we prayed for children about to leave primary school and move to secondary school. This week the focus is on those leaving secondary school and preparing to go to university. The church has donated two books to each of the young people who attend our Get Closer group, one with general advice about university and the other with encouragement to continue in the Christian faith while at university. Please pray for those who received the books here, and for many others across the country who will receive these books over the next few weeks, especially asking that their Christian faith will flourish at university.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

26th July 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 1 August 2026

Hello everyone,

This page includes details of all the events coming up in the next couple of weeks, including our Sunday services, Family Fun Day and more, together with details of our I Will Hear Clearly Then Appeal and our Charity of the Week.

Do keep reading for details about all of these exciting happenings.

SUNDAY 26th JULY
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 100. There will be activity sheets for children at the back of church, but children will need to be supervised by parents as the Energize leaders will be taking a very well deserved break. The service will be available on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/geQkEDUvvA0?feature=share

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday 1st August 11am to 2pm outside church
This event is aimed at children and families, those who come to church and those who don’t. If you know someone who would like to join in with some free food, games, face painting, singing, bouncy castle, puppet show, and the only thing you need to pay for is the ice cream van!
Do spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.

SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s when we will be thinking about Psalm 23, the most famous Psalm, with a child friendly approach. The service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/HP1gIkYi5ck?feature=share

6pm – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s our regular Sunday evening service which last month attracted 26 people, so why not come along and experience the different atmosphere of this service.

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
PCC have agreed to some much needed work on the church sound system. We are most grateful to Kev Speirs for looking into this and coming up with proposals to update the system, while keeping all that is working well. Sadly nothing is cheap and even with Kev’s careful planning and generous offer to do much of the work himself, we still need to find £2400.
So we are launching an appeal called I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN, because the aim is that, after this work, everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group, will be able to hear clearly.
We will be most grateful for any donation to this appeal, and the wooden box at the back of church will be re-designated for the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL for the next few weeks. Don’t forget that you can GIFT AID your donation so that it is worth 25% more – details on the Gift Aid envelopes or from Justin. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Fusion books for young people going to university
Recently we prayed for children about to leave primary school and move to secondary school. This week the focus is on those leaving secondary school and preparing to go to university. The church has donated two books to each of the young people who attend our Get Closer group, one with general advice about university and the other with encouragement to continue in the Christian faith while at university. Please pray for those who received the books here, and for many others across the country who will receive these books over the next few weeks, especially asking that their Christian faith will flourish at university.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

19th July 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 23 July 2026

Hello everyone,

This page includes details of all the events coming up in the next couple of weeks, including our Church Family Picnic, Sunday services, Family Fun Day and more, together with details of our I Will Hear Clearly Then Appeal and our Charity of the Week.

Do keep reading for details about all of these exciting happenings.

SATURDAY 18th JULY 10.30am ALPHA
The Alpha course meets for the last time before taking a summer break. The final couple of sessions will be in September.

SUNDAY 19th JULY
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with the next sermon in our series looking at the Psalms, this time Psalm 22. ENERGIZE groups for children and young people will be meeting for the last time before the summer holidays and so the children will be having a party!. The service will be available on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/bgBy2axkPSs?feature=share

CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park
Please join us for this new activity with fun and games for ALL the church family. Pack up your picnic and drinks (no barbecues) as well as chairs and/or blanket and come along! Don’t worry if you have not signed up just drive out and join us. We will be on the right as you drive in, near the car park, and will be there after coffee at the end of church, so maybe from about 12.45.

WEDNESDAY 22nd JULY 10.30am and 7.30pm Andrew Ollerton’s Course looking at “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics” reaches its conclusion with a look at at Revelation & Judgement. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you have not been to the previous sessions.

SUNDAY 26th JULY
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm 100. There will be activity sheets for children at the back of church, but children will need to be supervised by parents as the Energize leaders will be taking a very well deserved break. The service will be available on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/geQkEDUvvA0?feature=share

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday 1st August 11am to 2pm outside church
This event is aimed at children and families, those who come to church and those who don’t. If you know someone who would like to join in with some free food, games, face painting, singing, bouncy castle, puppet show, and the only thing you need to pay for is the ice cream van!
Do spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.

SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s when we will be thinking about Psalm 23, the most famous Psalm, with a child friendly approach. The service will be available on Youtube here: https://youtube.com/live/HP1gIkYi5ck?feature=share

6pm – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s our regular Sunday evening service which last month attracted 26 people, so why not come along and experience the different atmosphere of this service.

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
PCC have agreed to some much needed work on the church sound system. We are most grateful to Kev Speirs for looking into this and coming up with proposals to update the system, while keeping all that is working well. Sadly nothing is cheap and even with Kev’s careful planning and generous offer to do much of the work himself, we still need to find £2400.
So we are launching an appeal called I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN, because the aim is that, after this work, everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group, will be able to hear clearly.
We will be most grateful for any donation to this appeal, and the wooden box at the back of church will be re-designated for the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL for the next few weeks. Don’t forget that you can GIFT AID your donation so that it is worth 25% more – details on the Gift Aid envelopes or from Justin. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Fusion books for young people going to university
Last week we prayed for children about to leave primary school and move to secondary school. This week the focus is on those leaving secondary school and preparing to go to university. The church has donated two books to each of the young people who attend our Get Closer group, one with general advice about university and the other with encouragement to continue in the Christian faith while at university. Please pray for those who received the books here, and for many others across the country who will receive these books over the next few weeks, especially asking that their Christian faith will flourish at university.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

12th July 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 18 July 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all coping with the heat? If you need any help please do get in touch. I think the temperatures are going to drop a little over the weekend, and through next week, and that the forecast for Sunday 19th July is for dry weather with a maximum temperature of 23°, which sounds like perfect weather for a picnic! This is great because it is the date for our CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park. We do hope you will be able to join us. We will have coffee after church as usual and then gather at East Carlton between 12.30 and 1pm, although you are welcome whatever time you arrive. Don’t forget your picnic, we will organise fun and games!

Do keep reading for details about this, an exciting FAMILY FUN DAY with free food and much more, our new appeal and all our upcoming events.

I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL
At the PCC meeting this week we agreed to some much needed work on the church sound system. We are most grateful to Kev Speirs for looking into this and coming up with proposals to update the system, while keeping all that is working well. Sadly nothing is cheap and even with Kev’s careful planning and generous offer to do much of the work himself, we still need to find £2400.
So we are launching an appeal called I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN, because the aim is that, after this work, everyone in church, including those watching online and the Worship Group will be able to hear clearly.
We will be most grateful for any donation to this appeal, and the wooden box at the back of church will be re-designated for the I WILL HEAR CLEARLY THEN APPEAL for the next few weeks. Don’t forget that you can GIFT AID your donation so that it is worth 25% more – details on the Gift Aid envelopes or from Justin. If the appeal raises more money than we need for the sound system we will use the extra towards the cost of replacing the church heating.

SATURDAY 11th JULY 10.30am ALPHA
The Alpha course continues on Saturday morning in church.

SUNDAY 12th JULY
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with a sermon looking at Psalm119, famously the longest Psalm and chapter in the Bible. Don’t worry we won’t be reading it all but there is a little guide to help you to read this Psalm at home. There will be ENERGIZE groups for children. The service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/6DRv8zHYnbA?feature=share
3pm – FAMILY SERVICE at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

WEDNESDAY 15th JULY 10.30am and 7.30pm Andrew Ollerton’s Course looking at “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics” continues. This week we will be looking at “Why the New Testament’s teaching on sex is not outdated” before concluding the course next week with a look at Revelation & Judgement. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you have not been to the previous sessions.

SATURDAY 18th JULY 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 19th JULY
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s
followed by:
CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park
Please join us for this new activity with fun and games for ALL the church family. Pack up your picnic as well as chairs and/or blanket and come along! There is a sign up sheet in church to let us know if you are joining us, and if you need or can offer a lift – or you can email ianpullinger@btinternet.com with that information.

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday 1st August 11am to 2pm outside church
This event is aimed at children and families, those who come to church and those who don’t. If you know someone who would like to join in with some free food, games, face painting, singing, bouncy castle, puppet show, and the only thing you need to pay for is the ice cream van!
Do spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: It’s Your Move books for children leaving Primary School
Every year St Columba’s give a copy of the Scripture Union book “It’s Your Move” to children in Year 6 at Rockingham Primary, Studfall Juniors, and Woodnewton learning academy to help them as they prepare to move to secondary school. Please pray for the nearly 300 children who have received (Studfall) or will receive (Rockingham on Tuesday and Woodnewton on Thursday) one of these books, and ask God to help make a smooth transition to secondary school. Also pray for the thousands of children across the country who will receive a book during their final weeks at primary school.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

5th July 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 10 July 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you have all booked the date for our CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park, after church on Sunday 19th July. Everyone is invited to join us, even if you are not regularly in church as it will be a good opportunity to enjoy our picnics, have fun and play some games together. Everyone is also welcome to our World Cup themed All Age Worship this Sunday, which, surprisingly, has very little to do with football! Also on Sunday we have a service of Communion at 6pm, not a Prayer Meeting. Finally, this week’s charity is the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal and there is both a prayer and a link to donate to Tearfund in response to this disaster below.

More details for these and all our upcoming happenings can be found below:

SATURDAY 4th JULY 10.30am ALPHA
After the Away Day last Saturday the course continues with a normal Saturday morning session in church.

SUNDAY 5th JULY
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s with a World Cup theme, so why not come in your team shirts?! And don’t be put off if you are not a football fan, there will be plenty of prayer, praise, worship, and a reading in two halves, with a half time team talk and added time! If you can’t be in church (and I do encourage you to be there if you can) the service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/ydy3bxkOmvY?feature=share
6pm HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s. This a quieter service, but still with songs, reading, sermon and prayers as well as Communion.

TUESDAY 7th JULY – St Columba’s PCC in church at 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 8th JULY 10.30am and 7.30pm Andrew Ollerton’s Course looking at “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics” continues. This week we will be looking at Gospels & Miracles, followed in the next couple of weeks by Letters & Sex and Revelation & Judgement – so plenty there to get us thinking. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you have not been to the previous sessions.

FRIDAY 10th JULY 3pm – LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
All ladies are welcome to this monthly gathering in the Church Hall for good conversation, accompanied by tea, sandwiches and cakes. No need to book just come along.

SATURDAY 11th JULY 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 12th JULY
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with the next sermon on one of the Psalms and ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.
3pm – FAMILY SERVICE at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

SUNDAY 19th JULY
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s
followed by:
CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park
Please join us for this new activity with fun and games for ALL the church family. Pack up your picnic along with chairs and/or blanket and come along! There is a sign up sheet in church to let us know if you are joining us, and if you need or can offer a lift – or you can email ianpullinger@btinternet.com with that information.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Venezuela Earthquake Appeal
There are two ways in which you can respond to this crisis. First by joining in the prayer below and second by donating to Tearfund’s Emergency Appeal here: https://tearfund.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cd19eb0b2a74af14054950f15&id=8833e94a29&e=a59eb6981f
Tearfund are a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) but I always think it is best to donate direct to them rather than through DEC so that our donations help the churches to respond.

Heavenly Father, we lift the people of Venezuela to you. We pray for the families who have lost loved ones and those still waiting anxiously for news, please be their comfort and their peace. We pray for healing of all those who were injured or traumatised by the earthquakes. We give thanks for all the first responders and rescue teams from around the world who worked tirelessly to save lives. We pray for your wisdom and guidance for the government of Venezuela, and generosity from nations and individuals around the world. And we ask your blessing on local churches and Tearfund’s staff and partners as they care for people who are suffering. Amen

And finally, also on the subject of prayer, please find here the latest Prayer Letter from Tim and Carol Derbyshire who were with us last month. If you look closely at the photos you will be able to see Miriam and I, with Tim and Carol, eating lunch at the bottom of a lighthouse on Lundy Island! (Editor’s note: Apologies for the box at the bottom of the second page being wonky. I had to squash the PDF to get it to load.)

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

28th June 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 3 July 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you have all coped with the heat this week. I am told it is going to start cooling down soon.

A quick update this week with details of all our upcoming happenings, including details of a CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park, after church on Sunday 19th July.

SATURDAY 27th JUNE 10am – 4pm ALPHA AWAY DAY
Members of the Alpha course have received details about this but please do pray for God’s blessing on the day, and that it would not be too hot! See below for our Charity of the Week.

SUNDAY 28th JUNE
9am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham.
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children who will be preparing for the All Age service on 5th July. The service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/ItL72nU1ZgA?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

WEDNESDAY 1st JULY 10.30am and 7.30pm Andrew Ollerton’s Course looking at “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics” continues. This week we will be looking at Exile & Suffering, followed by Gospels & Miracles, Letters & Sex, Revelation & Judgement – so plenty there to get us thinking. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you were not able to be at the previous sessions.

SATURDAY 4th JULY 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 5th JULY
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s which may mention the World Cup, but don’t be put off if you don’t like football, there will be plenty of prayer, praise, worship, and a thought about what to do when you can’t see!
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park, after church on Sunday 19th July
Please plan to join us for this new activity with fun and games for ALL the church family, so pack up your picnic along with chairs and/or blanket and come along! There is a sign up sheet in church to let us know if you are joining us, and if you need or can offer a lift – you can also email ianpullinger@btinternet.com with that information. Listen out for more details but please do put the date on your calendar, plan to be there and join in the fun!

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Alpha
Please pray for our Alpha Course at St Columba’s, and especially for the Away Day which is happening tomorrow (Saturday) when we will be thinking about the Holy Spirit. Give thanks for all the people who are a part of this course and pray for those who are unable to join us tomorrow that there would be another opportunity for them to spend time thinking about the Holy Spirit. Also give thanks for Nicky Gumbel, the author of the Alpha Course, and all those who have developed it into the most popular way of introducing people to the Christian faith today. Please also pray for the many churches, in this country and around the world, who are running Alpha Courses and for the many more people attending those courses.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

21st June 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 27 June 2026

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who came to the Vicarage Tea Party last Sunday, a good time was had by all, especially Alfie who loved the cakes and picking Grandpa’s strawberries. We also enjoyed having Tim and Carol Derbyshire with us and it was great to hear on Monday that the constitution of the new charity Hope Beyond Barriers had been returned by the solicitor with only minor changes needed before it can be submitted to the Charity Commissioners. That was an answer to prayer and we now join them in praying that the Charity Commissioners would approve the application swiftly.

One important message today is that Trevor Wade has had his computer hacked and as a result messages have been sent out saying he is not well and then asking for money. Please be assured Trevor is well and you should NOT reply to this email. In fact it is best not to reply to any emails from Trevor until he has set up a new email account.

Dates of all the upcoming events can be found below, including details of a CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park, after church on Sunday 19th July.

SATURDAY 20th JUNE 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 21st JUNE
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. If you are not able to be in church the service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/x4bCAhgg0Ew?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

WEDNESDAY 24th JUNE 10.30am and 7.30pm Andrew Ollerton’s Course looking at “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics” continues. This week we will be looking at Conquest & Violence, followed by Exile & Suffering, Gospels & Miracles, Letters & Sex, Revelation & Judgement – so plenty there to get us thinking. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you were not able to be at the previous sessions.

THURSDAY 25th JUNE
10.45am – FUNERAL of Duncan McAllister in church
Some of you will remember Duncan McAllister, son of Sue, who has died from cancer at the age of 53. Duncan’s funeral will be at St Columba’s on Thursday 25th June at 10.45am, followed by Cremation and then refreshments in the Church Hall. Please do come along and support Sue at this most difficult time.

SATURDAY 27th JUNE 10am – 4pm ALPHA AWAY DAY
Members of the Alpha course will receive details about this tomorrow (Saturday 20th June) or by message if you are not able to be with us tomorrow.

SUNDAY 28th JUNE
9am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham.
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children who will be preparing for the All Age service on 5th July.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

ADVANCE NOTICE – CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC at East Carlton Park, after church on Sunday 19th July
Please plan to join us for this new activity with fun and games for ALL the church family, so pack up your picnic and come along! There is a sign up sheet in church to let us know if you are joining us, and if you need or can offer a lift – you can also email ianpullinger@btinternet.com with that information. Listen out for more details but please do put the date on your calendar, plan to be there and join in the fun!

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Corby Food Bank
Please give thanks for all the donations to the Food Bank, and all the volunteers who make it happen week in week out. Please also pray for those who need the help of the Food Bank and for long term answers to the causes of their food poverty. And don’t just pray, you can also be part of the answer to our prayers by donating to the Food Bank. The items they are most in need of are: Tinned Spaghetti in Sauce, Tinned Tomatoes, Tinned Vegetables, Tinned Meat, Tinned Fish, Tinned Fruit, Tinned Custard and Rice Pudding, Coffee, Long Life Juice, UHT Milk, Disposable Razors, Shampoo, Shower Gel, Toilet Rolls. Just bring these things to church any Sunday morning.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

14th June 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 19 June 2026

Hello everyone,

What an amazing Sunday we had last week, with the children telling us the story of Noah’s Ark in All Age Worship, which also included the baptism by immersion of Shaquille, Nathan and Denisa. This was followed in the afternoon by the service in St Leonard’s, Rockingham, with the Bishop of Peterborough, to celebrate our joint benefice, and with the Confirmation, not only of those baptised in the morning, but also Colette, Lorraine, Riaan and John Bradbeer. There is a recording of this service, made on a mobile phone, which gives a flavour of what went on even though it is not possible to see everything. The film ends abruptly in the final hymn as the phone’s memory was full! You can watch this here: https://youtu.be/KUPsB-kINQc

This week we welcome Tim & Carol Derbyshire to our service on Sunday morning, in fact Tim has already spoken at the Ladies Afternoon Tea today. We will hear more about the challenge of sharing the good news of Jesus in some of the hardest to reach places in the world. Tim & Carol will also be with us for the Vicarage Tea Party on Sunday afternoon, so there will be opportunity to have longer conversations with them about their work. We will finish the Tea Party with our Prayer Time, which may not be at the usual time and will be in the Vicarage garden. Please do join us for the Tea Party and bring children along as there will be plenty of garden games for adults and children to enjoy!

There is one piece of sad news to pass on this week. Some of you will remember Duncan McAllister, son of Sue, who has died at the age of 53. Duncan’s funeral will be at St Columba’s on Thursday 25th June at 10.45am.

More dates of all the upcoming events can be found below.

SATURDAY 13th JUNE
10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 14th JUNE
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children. We welcome Tim & Carol Derbyshire to this service who will be updating us on the launch of a new charity in the UK, Hope Beyond Borders, to complement the work of Hope From Above in Australia.
If you are not able to be in church you can watch this service on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/4stxSRfFbJ0?feature=share
3pm VICARAGE TEA PARTY everyone is invited to join us in the Vicarage Garden for our annual tea party, with plenty of tea & cake as well as garden games and lots of opportunity to chat. Tim & Carol will be there and at the end we will have our PRAYER MEETING in the garden, possibly before the usual time of 6pm.

WEDNESDAY 17th JUNE 10.30am and 7.30pm Our new Course continues, looking at Andrew Ollerton’s latest work “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics”. This week we will be looking at Exodus & Slavery, followed by Conquest & Violence, Exile & Suffering, Gospels & Miracles, Letters & Sex, Revelation & Judgement – so plenty there to get us thinking. Everyone is invited to come along to share in fellowship, bible study and prayer, it won’t matter if you were not able to be there for either of the previous sessions.

SATURDAY 20th JUNE 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 21st JUNE
10.30am – HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Tim & Carol Derbyshire
In their last Prayer Letter (still available at the back of church) Tim & Carol asked us to pray for:

• For wisdom as we prepare the Charity Documents for the new UK based charity Hope Beyond Barriers (Hope BB).
• That Hope BB will be registered in the UK this year.
• A new worker is joining the team in the Australian Workshop. Pray for the work of completing one water craft in readiness for testing.
• Pray equipment from Germany will arrive safely for the other craft to be fitted out later in the year.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609