8th March 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 14 March 2026

Hello everyone,

I must begin this message with the sad news that Isobel Wasson died in the early hours of Friday morning. Isobel suddenly declined in health on Tuesday and had all medication stopped apart from pain relief and was mostly sleeping peacefully for her last couple of days. Hazel was with her most of this time and other family members were also able to visit. I was able to anoint and pray with Isobel on Wednesday afternoon. It is always sad when someone we know comes to the end of their life on earth, but Isobel had a strong faith and we can be confident that she is now with the Lord enjoying the glory of heaven. Please pray for Hazel and all Isobel’s family. As yet there is no date for Isobel’s funeral, but I will make sure people know when it is arranged.

The really exciting news is that work on the new toilet will begin this coming week. You will see fences and a digger outside church and inside church will notice that all the books have now been moved. As explained in the service last week, while we have the money for the toilet we need to raise more funds for the servery and new environmentally friendly heating. A notice was handed out last week and more copies are available in church. These encourage people to pray about how much they might contribute to our PRAYER and GIFT DAY on Saturday 21st March from 9am to 3pm. During this time there will be time to pray, together and alone, as well as for people to make gifts to the CHURCH IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. Everyone is invited to come along, for as short or as long a time as they like, to join in the prayer and giving.
The notice also explains how people can add an extra 25p to every £1 they give by making use of GIFT AID. As a guide, if you know how much INCOME TAX you have paid on wages, salary, pension or savings them you can multiply that amount by 4 to give the amount you can donate with GIFT AID in one tax year (this is ALL Gift Aid donations, to the Gift Day, General Church Funds and any other charities you support). As we are near the end of the tax year it should be possible to find the “Tax to date” figure on your latest payslip or equivalent. If you are want to give more than the “4 times” figure you may be able to split the donation between this tax year (ending 5th April) and next tax year (starting 6th April) or only use Gift Aid on part of your donation. If you have any questions about GIFT AID please do speak with our Treasurer, Justin Dyche, or myself or a professional tax advisor.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 8th March
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – During this service the children and young people will be preparing for next week’s MOTHERING SUNDAY service, so it would be really good to see a good number of children in church. There may be an additional rehearsal for the children, on either Friday at 4.30pm or Saturday afternoon, we will be able to confirm that after tomorrow morning!
This service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uBEwVPxj8U0
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall – this is the last of the Winter Family Services in the warmer environment of the Village Hall – do come along if you are able to join us.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
The Discipleship Explored course continues this week with meetings on Wednesday 11th March at 10.30am and 7.30pm. We will look at the homework from last week, before watching the next video and discussing questions in small groups. It is possible the work on the new toilet will mean moving to the Church Hall on Wednesday morning – look out for messages or notices on the Church and Hall doors.

Friday 13th March – LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
All ladies welcome to join us for the very popular Afternoon Tea at 3pm on Friday in the Church Hall. Our speaker this month is Damian Carr from Hope Church. Please note the April tea is cancelled because of Spring Harvest.

Sunday 15th March
10.30am – Mothering Sunday All Age Worship at St Columba’s – with puppets, flowers and gifts for mums this promises to be a very exciting service, and not just for mums. Please do come along, and children make a note of the information above about coming on Sunday 8th to prepare for this service.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES
Unseen Witnesses a series of reflections on less well known characters from the Passion narratives, each one will be available in a morning and an evening session as follows:
First Reflection “The Donkey” Monday 30th March 10.30am and Tuesday 31st March 7.30pm
Second Reflection “The Man with the Water Jar” Wednesday 1st April 10.30am and 7.30pm
Third Reflection “Peter’s Accuser at the Fire” Thursday 2nd April 10.30am and Good Friday 3rd April 7.30pm
Maundy Thursday at Rockingham – 2nd April at 7pm
Hot Cross Bun Feast in St Columba’s Church Hall – Good Friday 3rd April at 10am
Easter Sunrise Service at Rockingham – 5th April at 6.30am. This is always a very special time to gather, initially round a fire outside the church, before moving to the font and then into the church for a short sermon and Communion accompanied by Easter hymns.
Easter Day All Age Celebration with Communion at St Columba’s – 5th April at 10.30am

PRAYER OF THE WEEK:
This week, rather than having a charity of the week I have taken resources from two organisations to help us pray for the situation in the Middle East. First there is a video from Tearfund that you can watch and join in with their prayer. You can watch that here: Pray for peace in Middle East on Vimeo
And second I have included a Prayer from Embrace the Middle East (formerly known as the Bible Lands Society). They introduce the prayer by saying “we watch in dismay and anguish as violence once again escalates in the region. Please join us in prayer:”

Almighty God, our refuge and our strength,
we turn to you as we once again witness the rising of conflict and the fear laid upon ordinary lives.

Trusting in your steadfast love,
we hold before you our friends and partners across the Middle East,
in communities already stretched beyond endurance.
Surround them with your protection.
Be a fortress for those who cannot flee and a shield for those whose work is to heal and to hope.

We remember before you all whose hearts are filled with dread today
and whose future feels unbearably fragile.
Do not let the innocent be swept away by the decisions of the powerful.
Break the bow and shatter the spear.

Open paths for wisdom, restraint, and justice
where none seem possible.
Give courage to peacemakers
and clarity to those who speak truth.

Let your peace take root in scorched and fearful places.
Keep our hearts from despair and teach us to stand with those who suffer,
to pray without ceasing
and to hope, even now, in your redeeming love.

Amen.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

1st March 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 7 March 2026

Hello everyone,

I am sending this email early because it has important news about Sunday and I wanted to encourage all those of you who are friends of St Columba’s to come along and hear about the vision for our CHURCH IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.

In the service on Sunday morning there will be lots more information about the project to provide an accessible toilet and servery in church, and also a new environmentally friendly heating system for the church. Everyone in church on Sunday, and over the next couple of weeks, will be given a notice setting out the vision for the Project, explaining the really good news that God has already provided over half the money we need and inviting them to the PRAYER and GIFT DAY on Saturday 21st March from 9am to 3pm, when there will more time to pray, together and alone, as well as for people to make gifts to the CHURCH IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. Everyone is invited to come along, for as short or as long a time as they like, to join in the prayer and giving. The notice people are given on Sunday will also explain how people can add an extra 25p to every £1 they give by making use of GIFT AID as well as giving details of how to donate directly. So do please come to church on Sunday, hear about the project, go away and pray about what you might give and then join us on the PRAYER and GIFT DAY on 21st MARCH..

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 1st March
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include the launch of the Church Improvement Project as outlined above. There will be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people age 3-16 and the service will be available on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/MTYaHlgnxHc?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

ST COLUMBA’S PCC
A reminder to all PCC members that we have a meeting on Tuesday 3rd March at 7.30pm in church. Details to follow.

DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
The Discipleship Explored course continues this week with meetings on Wednesday 4th March at 10.30am and 7.30pm. We will look at the homework from last week, before watching the next video and discussing questions in small groups. Don’t worry if you have not been before, everyone is welcome and each session stands alone. If you are looking for something to “take up” during Lent, perhaps this is the answer.

Sunday 8th March
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – During this service the children and young people will be preparing for next week’s MOTHERING SUNDAY service, so it would be really good to see a good number of children in church.
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall – this is the last of the Winter Family Services in the warmer environment of the Village Hall – do come along if you are able to join us.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Friday 13th March – LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
All ladies welcome to join us for the very popular afternoon tea. Please note the April tea is cancelled because of Spring Harvest.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: HOME START, CORBY
Home-Start is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age. They are a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support who help families with children under five with practical and confidential support. “Being a parent can be lonely, frustrating and overwhelming”, Home-start is there for families when they need it the most, because childhood can’t wait. The earliest years make a big difference, Home-Start helps to make those years count, so no child’s future is limited.
Please give thanks for the work of Home-Start, which continues all year round, and pray for all those they work with, and for each child who will be helped by them.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

22nd February 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 27 February 2026

Hello everyone,

I have been feeling under the weather all week, which does mean I have watched far more Curling at the Winter Olympics than is good for me. I will not be at St Columba’s tomorrow, not because of my health (or the Curling) but because I am taking a Communion service at Lowick for a colleague. It was good to celebrate Ash Wednesday together last week and as we move to the first Sunday of Lent, and thoughts about the temptations of Jesus, it is not too late to think about how you might observe this special season in the church year. You may like to think about something to give up and something to take on, although if, like me, you have fallen victim to the Curling, I don’t think giving that up after tonight will have any spiritual benefit! However, if you give up watching a regular TV programme for example, and spend the time praying, reading the Bible, studying a Christian book, or joining Discipleship Explored that will bring blessing. If you would like to borrow a book from the back of church please do so – those books are there to be read, and that means they need to be borrowed!

Work will begin on the Church Improvement Project in the next month or so. This means that our PRAYER and GIFT DAY will come at just the right time to enable the work to be completed. This will take place on Saturday 21st March and there will be more details about this in the coming weeks, but for now can I ask that you all mark out that day in your calendar and plan to spend at least some of the time between 9am and 3pm in church. If you are thinking of making a donation to the Church Improvement Project it may be better to wait until all the publicity about the Gift Day is available. In the meantime please do pray for the Project and ask the Lord to guide you about your response to the Gift Day.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 22nd February
9am – Holy Communion at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – This service for the first Sunday of Lent will include a sermon from Linda looking at Jesus’ temptations and there will be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. If you are not able to be in church you can watch the service on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/dkRZ1XBkySc?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
After the Ash Wednesday services last week the Discipleship Explored course resumes with the usual format this week with meetings on Wednesday 25th February at 10.30am and 7.30pm. We will look at the homework from session three, and any questions people have and were not able to ask after last week’s talk, before watching the next video and discussing questions in small groups. Don’t worry if you have not been before, everyone is welcome and each session stands alone. If you are looking for something to “take up” during Lent, perhaps this is the answer.

Sunday 1st March
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include ENERGIZE groups for children and young people age 3-16 and will be available on YouTube – see next week’s email for details.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: ENVISION PROJECT, CORBY
Please pray this week for The Envision Project, working here in Corby to provide medium term accommodation for people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. The Project aims to address barriers to long term housing and move residents into what they hope is their ‘forever’ home.
While staying with the Project individuals receive support tailored to their unique needs provided by staff and volunteers who help with:
• Managing debt and budgeting
• Accessing training, education, or employment opportunities
• Navigating the homelessness application and housing pathway
• Addressing physical and mental health concerns
• Developing everyday life skills like cooking, cleaning, and paying bills
• Connecting with addiction recovery networks and services
• Finding and furnishing suitable accommodation
Even after someone leaves their accommodation they continue to offer support to help their former residents maintain their new accommodation. The aim is to ensure that individuals not only find a place to live but are able to keep it, thrive in it, and feel secure in their future.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

15th February 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 21 February 2026

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to say that Vera came out of hospital on Wednesday, but she had been joined in Northampton by Roy Tosh who had a suspected TIA last weekend. Roy is still there and waiting to be assessed by Seagrave House to see if he can be discharged there. Please pray for Roy and Jessie, as well as for Vera continuing her recovery at home.

This week includes Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and Ash Wednesday, with special services morning and evening at St Columba’s (see below). This means that it is the beginning of Lent, that annual season of self discipline when we seek to give something up and take something on. You may give up chocolate (or any other treat) and then use the money to donate to a good cause (our Gift Day falls in Lent, but there are, of course, many good causes you may support), or you may give up watching a favourite TV programme and spend the time reading a Christian book or praying, or you may give up an activity outside the church to make time to attend the Wednesday Course, and although this started two weeks ago you can still join (see details below).

I am also pleased to report that our Church Improvement Project is gathering pace and hopefully work will begin in the next couple of months. This means that our PRAYER and GIFT DAY will come at just the right time to enable the work to be completed. This is scheduled to take place on Saturday 21st March and there will be more details about this in the coming weeks, but for now can I ask that you all mark out that day in your calendar and plan to spend at least some of the time between 9am and 3pm in church. If you are thinking of making a donation to the Church Improvement Project it may be better to wait until all the publicity about the Gift Day is available. In the meantime please do pray for the Project and ask the Lord to guide you about your response to the Gift Day.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 15th February
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include the final sermon in our series on evangelism, so do come along so that you are prepared to help more people discover the love of Jesus for themselves. There will also be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people age 3-16.
The service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/Qj9Sd02hihM?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Ash Wednesday Services and DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
We will observe the beginning of Lent with two services of Holy Communion at 10.30am and 7.30pm and I do encourage everyone to attend one of these. The “sermon” in the service will be the video from Discipleship Explored, and I hope we might have time for some discussion over coffee after the service. As mentioned above you may like to use this course as a “Lent Course” and even if you have not attended the first two sessions it is not too late to come along, and this week offers something of a taster so why not join us and give it a try. From next week, 25th February, the Course will return to the usual format, watching the video, discussing questions in small groups and comparing notes at the end.

Sunday 22nd February
9am – Holy Communion at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – This service for the first Sunday of Lent will include a sermon from Linda looking at Jesus’ temptations and there will be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

THEATRE NEWS!
If you enjoyed the performance of songs from “Sister Act – The Musical” by Rutland Musical Theatre in church last Sunday morning then you can book to see the whole show at the Core at Corby Cube from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April (7.30 performances daily and also 2.30 on Saturday) with tickets available from the Corby Cube Box Office, online at Sister Act | The Core at Corby Cube or in person.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – Samaritans Purse Shoeboxes
I heard this week that my shoebox, along with over 55,000 others, had been delivered to Moldova in eastern Europe. A local church partner there writes:
“Greetings, this is our first time participating in this project and we want to express our gratitude. We held two outreach events for around 80 children. There was a fun programme of games, delicious food, performances by children, a word about the true meaning of Christmas and the distribution of gifts.
The children were very happy about the gifts and their contents. For one child, receiving a sports bottle brought great happiness, while for another it was the sewing kit.
We also had the opportunity to meet some of the parents and subsequently invited the children to The Greatest Journey. Thank you very much for this opportunity. God bless you.”
Please pray for the children who received our shoeboxes, especially as they embark on The Greatest Journey, an opportunity for them to discover Jesus.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

8th February 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 14 February 2026

Hello everyone,

I must start with some news about Vera who went into hospital on Wednesday afternoon with a suspected stroke. I was able to visit Vera yesterday and she had recovered her speech and was able to tell me that it was only a mini-stroke and that she was hoping to be discharged soon. Please continue to pray for Vera to make a full recovery.

Tomorrow is the day when we are welcoming some of the cast of Sister Act to church. They will be performing three songs from the show at the end of the service tomorrow morning. This is a great opportunity to invite people along to church so do make the most of it! More details of tomorrow’s service and how to buy tickets for Sister Act, and the final performances of this year’s Panto, are below.

I was delighted with the large number who came long to our new course called Discipleship Explored on Wednesday morning last week, and the rather smaller group who came in the evening, but nevertheless had a good time of Bible Study and fellowship together. It is not too late for you to join and all the details are below.

I am also pleased to report that our Church Improvement Project is gathering pace and hopefully work will begin on in the next couple of months. This means that our PRAYER and GIFT DAY will come at just the right time to enable the work to be completed. This is scheduled to take place on Saturday 21st March and there will be more details about this in the coming weeks, but for now can I ask that you all mark out that day in your calendar and plan to spend at least some of the time between 9am and 3pm in church. As I said last week, if you are thinking of making a donation to the Church Improvement Project it may be better to wait until all the publicity about the Gift Day is available. In the meantime please do pray for the Project and ask the Lord to guide you about your response to the Gift Day.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 8th February
10.30am – All Age Worship at St Columba’s – this service will include a visit by some of the cast of “Sister Act” which is being performed at the Cube in April (see details below) – they will be singing three songs from the musical in the service, and joining with us as we think more about the theme of love! This would be a great opportunity to invite people along to church, so why not ask someone to join you for what promises to be a very special service. This service will be available to watch on Youtube, but for copyright reasons the songs from Sister Act will not be part of the livestream – the only way to see and hear them is to be in church on Sunday morning. The YouTube link for the rest of the service is: https://youtube.com/live/yGWpm6WskqE?feature=share
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

New Wednesday Course: DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
We had the first session of the new Course “Discipleship Explored” on Wednesday, and several people commented how much they enjoyed it, and one said it was better than the Bible Course or the Romans Course. This new course is in a similar format with a video and time for discussion and it is not too late for you to join in, so why not come along on Wednesday 11th February, with meetings in the morning at 10.30am or the evening at 7.30pm. The following week, 18th February, is Ash Wednesday when, instead of the usual course format, we will have a Communion service (morning and evening) using the material from that week of the course as the subject for the sermon. We are starting before Lent so as to complete the 8 sessions before Easter, but do see this as a Lent Course and part of your spiritual discipline for that important season of the year. There is a Course Handbook that can be bought for £2.

Ladies Afternoon Tea
The next Afternoon Tea is on Friday 13th February at 3pm in the Church Hall. All ladies are invited to join us for tea, coffee, sandwiches, scones, cake and conversation. The next Afternoon Tea will happen as usual on Friday 13th March but because most of the team who organise the Teas will be away at Spring Harvest there will be no Afternoon Tea in April.

Sunday 15th February
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include the final sermon in our series on evangelism, so do come along so that you are prepared to help more people discover the love of Jesus for themselves. There will also be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people age 3-16.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

THEATRE NEWS!
This is the last chance to see the GELT Pantomime “Jack and the Beanstalk“. Tickets for the performances in Hallaton on Saturday 7th or Sunday 8th February both at 3pm are available. These cost £10 for adults, £5 for children and £25 for a family of four (two adults and two children) and are available from gelttickets@gmail.com or 07771 967322.
As mentioned above “Sister Act – The Musical” is being performed at the Core at Corby Cube by Rutland Musical Theatre (after a preview in our All Age service on 8th February) from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April (7.30 performances daily and also 2.30 on Saturday) with tickets available from the Core at Corby Cube Box Office, either in person or at Sister Act | The Core at Corby Cube

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – Corby Food Bank
Please remember the Food Bank in your prayers this week, giving thanks for all the volunteers who make it happen, and everyone who donates to Food Bank. Also pray for all those who need to make use of Food Banks, both here in Corby and around the country. If you would like to make a donation to the Food Bank the most needed items list is as follows: 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, and Toilet Rolls. Thank you to everyone who does donate to the Food Bank.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

1st February 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 8 February 2026

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to say that from Sunday 1st February I will officially be the Vicar of Rockingham as well as St Columba. We are hoping to have a special service in the summer to celebrate this, and there will be more details about that once we have arranged a date.

I am delighted that after a break for Christmas and January we are starting a new course on Wednesdays (morning at 10.30 and evening at 7.30) this coming week. It is called DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED and there are more details below, but I would like to encourage you to join us this Wednesday for the first session of this course.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 1st February
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – we have changed the pattern of services slightly during the opening months of this year, and this service will include ENERGIZE groups who will be preparing for next week’s All Age Worship (see below for more details about that) so it would be great to have a good number of children on Sunday. This service will also include the third in our series of sermons about evangelism. For those who are not able to join us in church you will be able to watch the service on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/7SzyrQeqlQw?feature=share
5pm (please note the time) – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – everyone welcome to this quieter service which still includes sung worship and a sermon.
There will not be a Prayer Meeting this week.

New Wednesday Course: DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
Last year we enjoyed a number of courses on Wednesday evenings at church, including the Bible Course and more recently Romans Course. This new course, Discipleship Explored, is in a similar format with a video and time for discussion and will start on Wednesday 4th February, with meetings in the morning at 10.30am or the evening at 7.30pm. The course will run until Wednesday 25th March, which includes Ash Wednesday (18th February) when, instead of the usual course format, we will have a Communion service (morning and evening) using the material from that week of the course as the subject for the sermon. We are starting before Lent so as to complete the 8 sessions before Easter, but do see this as a Lent Course and part of your spiritual discipline for that important season of the year. There is a Course Handbook that can be bought for £2 on Wednesday.

Sunday 8th February
10.30am – All Age Worship at St Columba’s – this service will include a visit by some of the cast of “Sister Act” which is being performed at the Cube in April (see details below) – they will be singing three songs from the musical in the service, and joining with us as we think more about the theme of love! This would be a great opportunity to invite people along to church, so why not ask someone to join you for what promises to be a very special service.
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

THEATRE NEWS!
Although the GELT Pantomime “Jack and the Beanstalk” will not be performed in St Columba’s Hall this year tickets for the performances in Hallaton on Saturday 7th or Sunday 8th February both at 3pm are available. These cost £10 for adults, £5 for children and £25 for a family of four (two adults and two children) and are available from gelttickets@gmail.com or 07771 967322.
As mentioned above “Sister Act – The Musical” is being performed at the Core at Corby Cube by Rutland Musical Theatre (after a preview in our All Age service on 8th February) from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April (7.30 performances daily and also 2.30 on Saturday) with tickets available from the Core at Corby Cube Box Office, either in person or at Sister Act | The Core at Corby Cube

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – Tim & Carol Derbyshire (Hope from Above)
Here is a new Prayer Letter Snippets from the Shires. Do have a read to find out what has been happening with Tim and Carol and the wider work of Hope from Above and don’t forget to pray for the things that you read.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

25th January 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 31 January 2026

Hello everyone,

After a quiet start to January there are more things starting to happen in the life of the church and further afield over the coming weeks. This Sunday we have the Commissioning of Elaine Bavin as an Anna Chaplain in our Morning Worship. Then next month the new Wednesday Course starts and we have a very special All Age service. The annual Great Easton Little Theatre Company pantomime will be happening over the next two weekends, at Great Easton and Hallaton. Details of all these can be found below.

Last week in church I shared the fantastic news that at the end of 2025 we had made a small surplus in our finances, rather than the expected deficit. THANKS are due to everyone who gave to St Columba in 2025 – without your contributions we could not have done this. We recognise that each new year brings a new challenge and to help us meet the challenge in 2026 the diocese have launched a new package called CORNERSTONE.

Also on the subject of giving we are planning a GIFT DAY to bridge the gap between the money we have and the amount we need for the first stage of our Church Improvement Project, the installation of an accessible toilet and servery at the back of church. More details about this will be coming out over the coming weeks, but please can you be praying about whether and how much you could contribute as a one-off gift to this project.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

Sunday 25th January
9am – Holy Communion at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – this service will include the Commissioning of Elaine Bavin as an Anna Chaplain and we will be welcoming Liz Kelly, the Diocesan co-ordinator of this ministry which offers spiritual care to people in later life, as our preacher and to share in the commissioning. ENERGIZE groups will be meeting for children and young people but will be back in church in time for Elaine’s commissioning. This service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/HVYiMGRao2M?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Sunday 1st February
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – we have changed the pattern of services slightly during the opening months of this year, and this service will include ENERGIZE groups who will be preparing for next week’s All Age Worship (see below for more details about that|). This service will also include the third in our series of sermons about evangelism.
5pm (please note the time) – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – everyone welcome to this quieter service which still includes sung worship and a sermon.

New Wednesday Course: DISCIPLESHIP EXPLORED
Last year we enjoyed a number of courses on Wednesday evenings at church, including the Bible Course and more recently Romans Course. This new course, Discipleship Explored, is in a similar format with a video and time for discussion and will start on Wednesday 4th February, with meetings in the morning at 10.30am or the evening at 7.30pm. The course will run until Wednesday 25th March, which includes Ash Wednesday (18th February) when, instead of the usual course format, we will have a Communion service (morning and evening) using the material from that week of the course as the subject for the sermon. We are starting before Lent so as to complete the 8 sessions before Easter, but do see this as a Lent Course and part of your spiritual discipline for that important season of the year.

Sunday 8th February
10.30am – All Age Worship at St Columba’s – this service will include a visit by some of the cast of “Sister Act” which is being performed at the Cube in April (see details below) – they will be singing three songs from the musical in the service, and joining with us as we think more about the theme of love! This would be a great opportunity to invite people along to church, so why not ask someone to join you for what promises to be a very special service.
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

THEATRE NEWS!
Although the GELT Pantomime “Jack and the Beanstalk” will not be performed in St Columba’s Hall this year tickets for the performances in Great Easton on Friday 30th January at 7.30pm (the other performances mentioned on the poster are sold out) or Hallaton on Saturday 7th or Sunday 8th February both at 3pm. These cost £10 for adults, £5 for children and £25 for a family of four (two adults and two children) and are available from gelttickets@gmail.com or 07771 967322. See poster for more details.
As mentioned above “Sister Act – The Musical” is being performed at the Core at Corby Cube by Rutland Musical Theatre (after a preview in our All Age service on 8th February) from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April (7.30 performances daily and also 2.30 on Saturday) with tickets available from the Core at Corby Cube Box Office, either in person or at Sister Act | The Core at Corby Cube

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – Anna Chaplains
As Elaine Bavin is being commissioned as an Anna Chaplain on Sunday I thought it would be good to pray for Anna Chaplains. They are appointed and sent out under the authority of their church to offer spiritual support to older people who are living in care homes and sheltered housing complexes, their relatives and staff who look after them, as well as promoting the spiritual welfare of older people in the wider community, particularly those facing challenges while living independently.
You may like to pray The Anna Chaplaincy Prayer:
Faithful God, you have promised in Christ to be with us to the end of time. Come close to those who have lived long and experienced much. Help them to continue to be faithful and, within the all-age kingdom of God, to find ways to go on giving and receiving your grace, day by day. For your glory and your kingdom.
Amen

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

18th January 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 24 January 2026

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your prayers for the various meetings last week. We had a good PCC meeting and have several ideas that we will be following up on, including about the Church Improvement Project to install an accessible toilet and servery at the back of church. We have another meeting next week to make more detailed plans and will then be able to share how everyone can get involved in this Project. In the meantime please do keep praying for the successful completion of this Project this year.

Sunday 18th January
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will continue our short series of sermons looking at Evangelism and will have ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. For anyone who is not able to join us in church the service will be available to watch on YouTube via this link: https://youtube.com/live/9JDC6UACjZc?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Sunday 25th January
9am – Holy Communion at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am – Morning Worship at St Columba’s – this service will include the Commissioning of Elaine Bavin as an Anna Chaplain and we are looking forward to welcoming Liz Kelly, the Diocesan co-ordinator of this ministry offering spiritual care to people in later life, as our preacher and to share in the commissioning. ENERGIZE groups will be meeting for children and young people but will be back in church in time for Elaine’s commissioning.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Spring Harvest 2026
Just a reminder that anyone who is going to Spring Harvest at Minehead and has not yet paid their final balance to Miriam should do so this weekend please. Those who are going to Skegness should make their final payments direct to Butlin’s.

New Wednesday Course
Last year we enjoyed a number of courses on Wednesday evenings at church, including the Bible Course and more recently Romans Course. There will be a new course starting in February, with meetings either on a Wednesday morning at 10.30am or in the evening at 7.30pm. The course will run from Wednesday 4th February until Wednesday 25th March, which includes Ash Wednesday (18th February) when, instead of the usual course format, we will have a Communion service (morning and evening) using the material from that week of the course as the subject for the sermon. More details will be available next week, but for now do please make a note of the dates.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – World Vision
World Vision has a long history of taking action that transforms the world. Their focus is on helping the most vulnerable children, in the most difficult places, overcome poverty and experience fullness of life.
Together with supporters like us, they’ve partnered with millions of children and families to find a way out of poverty, and are often among the first to help when a crisis strikes. As a Christian charity, they help children – of all faiths and none – in some of the world’s most dangerous places. They believe it takes a whole community to create happy and fulfilling childhoods. And they work together with communities so they’re empowered to do just that. They have an integrated approach that includes water, healthcare, education, child protection and income generation, with the aim of allowing every child to fulfil their God-given potential. Across almost 100 countries, their impassioned community of supporters, volunteers and community leaders work together to transform children’s lives.
Please remember World Vision in your prayers this week.

And on the subject of charities don’t forget the latest Prayer Letter from M&H is at the back of church, either to read or take away.

God bless you,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

11th January 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 17 January 2026

Hello everyone,

It looks from the information below that we have a quiet week, but in addition to the services we have a meeting of Energize leaders after church on Sunday, a PCC meeting on Tuesday evening, looking at plans for 2026, and some of us will also be joining a webinar looking at how we can move forward with our Church Improvement Project to install an accessible toilet and servery at the back of church – if you would like to be involved in helping with this Project do let Janet or me know. Please pray about these various meetings, and after the PCC we will be able to share more about how everyone can get involved in the Church Improvement Project.

Another way we need help is to find a new Independent Examiner for the church accounts. As the name suggests this person must be independent of the church, but it may be that you know someone who is familiar with accounts (they do not have to be a qualified accountant) and who would be willing to take on this task, or at least think about it. If anyone would like to know more please do contact either James Ireland or myself.

Sunday 11th January
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include the first in a short series of sermons looking at Evangelism. This is linked to the Year of Discipleship, because all of our journeys of faith begin when we respond to evangelism of some kind, and one way that we can be more effective disciples is to think more about how we can engage in evangelism – which is not just for the specialists, but an activity that we all need to be engaged in to ensure that the church continues to grow and thrive. ENERGIZE groups will be meeting again for the first time since their wonderful Nativity performance, and as they were so busy preparing for the Nativity and did not have time for a Christmas Party they are having a New Year Party tomorrow morning!
This service can be watched on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/live/nki2e4PuM9I?feature=share
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall
Once again we are moving the Family Services from St Leonard’s to the Village Hall for January, February and March. This is warmer and more welcoming on a cold day so do think about joining us, especially if you can’t make the morning service.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

Sunday 18th January
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will continue our short series of sermons looking at Evangelism and will have ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – everyone welcome.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – CMS mission partners M&H
There is a new Prayer Letter from M&H available at the back of church, either to read or take away. Please do this and pray for them, better still, join us in praying for them at the Prayer Meeting on Sunday evening.

And finally, a way in which we may be able to help you, or someone you know who is in need of furniture. Aidan has told me about a settee, armchair and coffee table which are all very good quality and free to a good home as long as they can be collected. Here is a photo of the settee and coffee table. Please contact me if you are interested.

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

4th January 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 10 January 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope all of your Christmas and New Year celebrations went well. We have enjoyed having Ruth, Will and Alfie with us again over New Year, but they will be going home today, to be ready to return to work, and Nursery, on Monday. I am sure that will be true for many adults and children in the days ahead, returning to the routine after all the unpredictability of the Christmas season. I am sure that is one reason why people have New Year resolutions, to try in some small way to change the routine. Here at St Columba’s, 2026 is going to be a Year of Discipleship. The good news is that we are not asking you to make any (more) New Year resolutions, but there will be opportunities to join in different activities as the year progresses, and I do encourage you, yes you, everyone reading this message, to think of these opportunities as relevant to you, and helpful for you to grow your faith. I think faith can be like a plant, it is either thriving or it is dying, there is not much middle ground – just ticking along. We want everyone in the St Columba’s church family, and yes again that means you not just the usual suspects (whoever they may be), to grow closer to God during this year. If I may be excused a last look back to Christmas (although we are celebrating the visit of the Wise Men in church tomorrow) this is why God sent His Son into the world, so that faith would not be a series of rituals but a relationship – let’s all pray, and invest, in a deeper relationship in 2026. The first opportunity might be at the 6pm Prayer Meeting which resumes tomorrow evening after a Christmas break, more details below.

Sunday 4th January
10.30am – All Age Worship for Epiphany at St Columba’s – join us to reflect on the visit of the Wise Men and the last chance to sing some Christmas carols and songs before they are put away! This service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/OHjMOFuSGJM?feature=share
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – as mentioned above this is the first opportunity in this Year of Discipleship for you to grow closer to God by sharing in this hour of prayer. No need to pray out loud unless you want to, praying silently and saying Amen to the spoken prayers of others is just as valuable.

Ladies Afternoon Tea – Friday 9th January 3pm
After last month’s Christmas special when men were invited to join the ladies it is back to normal this month, so plenty of tea & coffee, sandwiches & scones, cakes & conversation.

Sunday 11th January
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Columba’s – this service will include the first in a short series of sermons looking at Evangelism. This is linked to the Year of Discipleship, because all of our journeys of faith begin when we respond to evangelism of some kind, and one way that we can be more effective disciples is to think more about how we can engage in evangelism – which is not just for the specialists, but an activity that we all need to be engaged in to ensure that the church continues to grow and thrive. ENERGIZE groups will also be meeting again for the first time since their wonderful Nativity performance.
3pm – Family Service in Rockingham Village Hall
Once again we are moving the Family Services from St Leonard’s to the Village Hall for January, February and March. This is warmer and more welcoming on a cold day so do think about joining us, especially if you can’t make the morning service.
6pm – Prayer Meeting at St Columba’s – see above for more details – everyone welcome.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK – Northamptonshire Health Charity
Nick Hayton has asked me to pass on thanks from the Hospital for our donation to the Christmas gifts for patients and staff in hospital at Christmas – here is a photo. Please continue to pray for our local hospitals, and for all those who work in them as well as for the many patients who will need them over the coming 12 months. Do also pray for the Northamptonshire Health Charity and their ongoing work raising funds for additional facilities, including the Twinkling Stars Appeal which will help create a compassionate, private space at Kettering General Hospital where bereaved families can find comfort and support during their most difficult moments.

Finally, if it is not too late, can I wish you all a very happy and richly blessed New Year.

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609