Sunday Service

Category: Sunday Service

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

7th June 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 13 June 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you are planning to join us for two very special services on Sunday. In the morning at St Columba’s we have a service of All Age Worship, thinking about Noah’s Ark, with an ark in church! Parents please note the details below of an extra rehearsal. This service will also include the baptism by immersion of Shaquille, Nathan and Denisa. This is a wonderful witness to people who are not sure about the Christian faith, especially young people, and so do have a think if there is anyone you could invite along.

Then in the afternoon we have a service at St Leonard’s, Rockingham, with the Bishop of Peterborough, which will not only be a celebration of our joint benefice, but also include Confirmation, for those baptised in the morning as well as Colette, Lorraine, Riaan and John Bradbeer. There will be Communion in this service and it will be followed by tea and cake in Rockingham Castle.

There are more dates below, with full details, of more events including the new Wednesday Course, Ladies Afternoon Tea on Friday and the Vicarage Tea Party on Sunday 14th.

SATURDAY 6th JUNE
10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.
4pm – REHEARSAL in the Church for Sunday’s All Age Worship. All children are welcome, especially those who were involved in the first practice on Sunday 24th June, but we will need more so don’t stay away!

SUNDAY 7th JUNE
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP with BAPTISMS at St Columba’s Do come along and support those being baptised as well as the children who will be taking a lead in the first part of the service. If you are not able to be in church you can watch this service on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/yhLEhBGvsKU?feature=share

5pm CELEBRATION SERVICE, CONFIRMATION and COMMUNION with the Bishop of Peterborough at St Leonard’s, Rockingham.
This service is a double celebration, first the formal partnership between St Columba’s and St Leonard’s, known as a joint benefice, and second the faith of those being confirmed (see above) so do come along to support them. There will also be Communion and an opportunity to meet the Bishop over refreshments in the Castle.

To get to the church you need to take the entrance to the Castle just near the roundabout at the top of Rockingham Hill. The gate will be open and there will be a caretaker on duty showing you where to park – do say if you have mobility issues and you will be able to park closer, but there will still be a walk. If you would like to be present but don’t think you can manage the walk it will be possible to sit in Walkers House (the Castle Tea Room) during the service. Unfortunately, because the mobile signal is not good in the church, we won’t be able to live stream the service, but it will be filmed, and a link will be provided once this has been uploaded to YouTube.

WEDNESDAY 10th 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 Creation & Science, followed by Exodus & Slavery, 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 the introduction last week.

FRIDAY 12th JUNE 3pm – LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
All ladies are welcome to the Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall, with hot drinks (and cold drinks if is hot!), sandwiches, cakes and good conversation.

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.
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.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Those being baptised and confirmed on Sunday
This week please pray for Shaquille, Nathan and Denisa who will be baptised on Sunday morning, and for them, as well as Colette, Lorraine, Riaan and John Bradbeer who will all be confirmed by the Bishop on Sunday afternoon at Rockingham. This is a significant step so please do remember them, not just on Sunday, but in the weeks ahead.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

31st May 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 6 June 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you have all coped with the hot weather this week. This does remind me to say that, if at any time you are in need of some practical help, please do get in touch. There is someone in our church family who will be able to help with all those little tasks (shopping, travel to appointments, completing online forms, and more) that can become difficult in the heat, or when you are not feeling well, or experience restricted mobility, or when age catches up with you. Please contact me using the phone numbers below if we can help in any way.

Please make a note of all the dates below, including the new Wednesday Course starting on 3rd June, an extra children’s rehearsal on Saturday 6th at 4pm before the All Age Worship, Special Service on Sunday 7th at St Leonard’s, Rockingham with the Bishop of Peterborough, Ladies Afternoon Tea on 12th June and the Vicarage Tea Party on Sunday 14th. Details of all these events and more are as follows:

SATURDAY 30th MAY
10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 31st MAY
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children. The service will be available to watch on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/hJeUBDlMgKc?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s. After a break we gather once more for an hour of prayer – everyone is welcome.

MONDAY 1st JUNE 7.30pm – St Columba’s P.C.C. meeting in church. Agenda to follow.

WEDNESDAY 3rd JUNE 10.30am and 7.30pm
Join our new Course each Wednesday, either morning or evening, looking at Andrew Ollerton’s latest work “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics”. The first week is an Introduction, and then we will look at Creation & Science, Exodus & Slavery, 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.

SATURDAY 6th JUNE
10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.
4pm – REHEARSAL in the Church for Sunday’s All Age Worship. All children are welcome, especially those who were involved in the first practice on Sunday 24th, but we will need more so don’t stay away!

SUNDAY 7th JUNE
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP with BAPTISMS at St Columba’s
5pm CELEBRATION SERVICE, CONFIRMATION and COMMUNION with the Bishop of Peterborough at St Leonard’s, Rockingham.
This service is to celebrate the formal partnership between St Columba’s and St Leonard’s, known as a joint benefice, will also include Confirmations, so an extra reason to come along to support the candidates, and Communion. It is also an opportunity to meet the Bishop and it will be followed by refreshments in the Castle.
There will be a SIGN UP SHEET at St Columba’s for people to say if they are going and either need or can offer a lift. Please note there will still be a walk when you arrive, down quite a steep hill when you arrive and back up the hill after the service.

WEDNESDAY 10th JUNE 10.30am and 7.30pm
Our new Course looking at the Bible’s 7 Toughest Topics continues.

FRIDAY 12th JUNE 3pm – LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
All ladies are welcome to the Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall, with hot drinks (and cold drinks if the temperatures are anything like this week!), sandwiches, cakes and good conversation.

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.
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.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: CMS mission partners M & H
This week we are praying for mission partners M&H who visited last summer. Please do pick up a copy of their prayer letter from the back of church, take it home, have a read and then pray for them, not once but regularly. We will also be praying for M&H at our Prayer Meeting on 31st May.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

24th May 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 29 May 2026

Hello everyone,

I hope you have had a good week. I managed to pick up a cold during our week away, but otherwise had a good time in Devon, visiting Miriam’s sister as well as Tim and Carol Derbyshire, who will be here in Corby next month, before returning home via Miriam’s brother. To keep the sibling theme going I am seeing my brother tomorrow after the next session of our Alpha course (see below). It was exciting to come home to see the work that has begun on the Servery in the Church, and we look forward to these new facilities being completed soon. I hope those of you who needed it found the link to last week’s livestream, as there was no email last week.

Please make a note of all the dates below, especially the new Wednesday Course, starting on 3rd June, and the Special Service on Sunday 7th June at St Leonard’s, Rockingham with the Bishop of Peterborough to celebrate our formal link with Rockingham in a joint benefice. This is the first time the Bishop will have been involved with a service for us, and it would be great if as many people as possible could attend. All the necessary information is below.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SATURDAY 23rd MAY
10.30am – ALPHA in the Church. After a week off last week the course resumes tomorrow, and it is not too late to join if you would like to know more about faith in Jesus, then do come along.

SUNDAY 24th MAY – PENTECOST
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham just drive up to the post with a keypad by the gate to the Castle and the gate will open.
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people who will preparing for the All Age Service on 7th June. This service will be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/ARUInkylFxQ?feature=share

No PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s this Sunday.

SATURDAY 30th MAY 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 31st MAY
10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children. The service will be available to watch on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/hJeUBDlMgKc?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s. After a break we gather once more for an hour of prayer – everyone is welcome.

MONDAY 1st JUNE 7.30pm – St Columba’s P.C.C. meeting in church. Agenda to follow.

WEDNESDAY 3rd JUNE 10.30am and 7.30pm
Join our new Course each Wednesday, either morning or evening, looking at Andrew Ollerton’s latest work “God’s Book: An Honest look at the Bible’s 7 toughest topics”. The first week is an Introduction, and then we will look at Creation & Science, Exodus & Slavery, 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.

SATURDAY 6th JUNE 10.30am – ALPHA in the Church.

SUNDAY 7th JUNE
10.30am – ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s
5pm CELEBRATION SERVICE with the Bishop of Peterborough at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. This service is to celebrate the formal partnership between St Columba’s and St Leonard’s, known as a joint benefice, and is also an opportunity to meet the Bishop. The service will be followed by refreshments in the Castle.
There will be a SIGN UP SHEET at St Columba’s for people to say if they are going and either need or can offer a lift. Please note there will still be a walk when you arrive, down quite a steep hill when you arrive and back up the hill after the service.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: CMS mission partners M & H
This week we are praying for mission partners M&H who visited last summer. Please do pick up a copy of their prayer letter from the back of church, take it home, have a read and then pray for them, not once but regularly. We will also be praying for M&H at our Prayer Meeting on 31st May.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

17th May 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 23 May 2026

Hello everyone,

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SUNDAY 17th MAY 10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children. The service will be available to watch on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/r9gJbvaWVWQ?feature=share

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Children and Young People taking exams
This week we invite you to pray, not for a charity, but for all the children who are taking exams over the next few weeks. This includes Year 6 children (who will be leaving Primary School this summer – those in our local schools will be given an It’s Your Move book from our charitable giving) who are taking SATs next week, and also those taking GCSEs, A levels, and any other College or University exams. At our PCC meeting last week we decided to donate books to the young people in Get Closer (our group for young people at Secondary School) who are going to University this autumn. These books will help equip them to maintain their Christian faith amid all the pressures of university life.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

10th May 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 16 May 2026

Hello everyone,

This email was meant to go out last night – in fact I sent it to myself, but forgot to copy it to everyone else. It is now rather short notice to remind you about the Quiz Night this evening. Also below are details about Roy Tosh’s funeral on Monday, with a livestream link for those unable to be there, and the Deanery Ascension Day service on Thursday evening at Stoke Albany, as well as Sunday services and our Charity of the week.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SATURDAY 9th MAY
7pm – QUIZ NIGHT in the Church Hall. You are very welcome, either on your own or in a team, please bring your own drinks and nibbles, questions, but not answers, provided.
SUNDAY 10th MAY
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. This service will be available to watch on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/O1A3RcuHK6Y?feature=share
3pm FAMILY SERVICE at St Leonard’s, Rockingham just drive in to the Castle and tell the kiosk that you are going to church.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

MONDAY 11th MAY 1.30pm – Roy Tosh’s Funeral
Please do come along and support Jessie and her family at this celebration of Roy’s life. Jessie asks that people do not wear black. This service will also be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/jevfsnUXuqk?feature=share

THURSDAY 14th MAY 7.30pm – DEANERY ASCENSION DAY SERVICE at Stoke Albany
Everyone is welcome to celebrate Ascension Day at this service for the whole of Corby Deanery.

SUNDAY 17th MAY 10.30am – MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children. The service will be available to watch on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/r9gJbvaWVWQ?feature=share

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Children and Young People taking exams
This week we invite you to pray, not for a charity, but for all the children who are taking exams over the next few weeks. This includes Year 6 children (who will be leaving Primary School this summer – those in our local schools will be given an It’s Your Move book from our charitable giving) who are taking SATs next week, and also those taking GCSEs, A levels, and any other College or University exams. At our PCC meeting this week we decided to donate books to the young people in Get Closer (our group for young people at Secondary School) who are going to University this autumn. These books will help equip them to maintain their Christian faith amid all the pressures of university life.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

3rd May 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 9 May 2026

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who came to our Annual Meeting last Sunday, to those who prepared the lunch afterwards, to all those who serve the church in any way, and to all those who were elected to PCC, Deanery Synod or as churchwarden. On the subject of churchwardens, I would like to thank John Lynch (who has now stepped down but will continue to be available as an unofficial deputy churchwarden) for his years of service as churchwarden, Janet Taylor for continuing to serve as churchwarden and David Bavin who has taken on this role (again – those of you with long memories will recall David has been a warden before).

I must also share the news that Roy Tosh died last Sunday morning, and that his funeral will be in St Columba’s on Monday 11th May at 1.30pm. Jessie has asked that people who are attending do not wear black as the service will be a celebration of Roy’s life, complete with saxophone music!

It is not too late to join our Alpha Course which begins tomorrow, Saturday 2nd May, at 10.30am in church. This day and time seems to work for some people, and if that is you, and you are interested in exploring faith in Jesus, new to faith in Jesus, want to make sure you have strong foundations for your faith in Jesus, or want to bring someone else along so they can find out about faith in Jesus, then do plan to be there.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SATURDAY 2nd MAY 10.30am – Alpha in the Church – see above

SUNDAY 3rd MAY
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s with lots of involvement by the children and young people. This service will also be available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/vruqYJtKMFs?feature=share
6pm HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s this is a quieter service than on a Sunday morning, and everyone is welcome.

TUESDAY 5th MAY 7.30pm – PCC
St Columba’s PCC meets in church.

FRIDAY 8th MAY 3pm – AFTERNOON TEA
After a break in April Afternoon Tea is back for all the ladies in the church. Please do come along to enjoy tea, coffee, sandwiches, cakes, scones and good conversation.

SATURDAY 9th MAY
10.30am – Alpha in the Church – see above
7pm QUIZ NIGHT in the church hall. Please bring your own nibbles and drinks and come either on your own or in a team.

SUNDAY 10th MAY
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.
3pm FAMILY SERVICE at St Leonard’s, Rockingham just drive in to the Castle and tell the kiosk that you are going to church.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

MONDAY 11th MAY 1.30pm – Roy Tosh’s Funeral
Please do come along and support Jessie and her family at this celebration of Roy’s life. Jessie asks that people do not wear black.

THURSDAY 14th MAY 7.30pm – DEANERY ASCENSION DAY SERVICE at Stoke Albany
Everyone is welcome to celebrate Ascension Day at this service for the whole of Corby Deanery.

SPRING HARVEST 2027
If you asked to be booked in to Spring Harvest next year, and have not yet paid your deposit please can you do so on Sunday if possible. Deposits are £35 for adults and £20 for children.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: The Children’s Society
We usually think about the Children’s Society at the time of our Christingle Service, but their work goes on all through the year. This work includes, helping families who can’t afford their next meal; children who are manipulated into carrying drugs but have no one to talk to; young carers who miss out on school because they’re looking after mum and dad; refugees, 15 years old, alone in a new country, trying to find a house, get to school, start a new life; and neglected young people who run away from home, sleep rough and get sexually abused by strangers. Despite all they go through, they hang on to hope, they know a brighter future is possible. The Children’s Society are helping make this happen – please pray for their work.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

26th April 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 2 May 2026

Hello everyone,

I have several invitations for you this week. The first is to St Columba’s on Sunday, for our 10.30 service, which is followed by our Annual Meetings and then a cooked lunch. If you are planning on joining us for lunch, and you have not signed up in church or otherwise let us know, please do so by emailing ianpullinger@btinternet.com. All the details of the meetings are below, but please don’t think they are for other people, they are for everyone in the Church Family, which, of course, includes you.

The second invitation is to our next Alpha Course which will begin on Saturday 2nd May at 10.30am in church. This day and time seems to work for some people, and if that is you, and you are interested in exploring faith in Jesus, new to faith in Jesus, want to make sure you have strong foundations for your faith in Jesus, or want to bring someone else along so they can find out about faith in Jesus then do plan to be there. There is no need to book, although it will be helpful to know if you are coming so we can be sure to have enough, chairs, cups and croissants!

Mary Craig has also invited people to her belated birthday celebration for a bring and share lunch on Saturday (details below).

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SUNDAY 26th APRIL
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. When you go to Rockingham for a Sunday morning service drive up to the post with the keypad and wait there for the gate to open.
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people who will be preparing for next week’s All Age service so it would be great to have plenty of children there. This service will be available to watch on YouTube for those who are unable to be in church. Just go to:
https://youtube.com/live/HCykfG3LQ5g?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

ST COLUMBA’S ANNUAL MEETING and LUNCH
St Columba’s Annual Meeting will follow the service and coffee on Sunday and will take place in the Church Hall, and be followed by lunch. If you have not already signed up and would like to come to the lunch please email ianpullinger@btinternet.com to say that you will be coming and to let us know about any dietary requirements you have.

The meeting will be electing churchwardens, PCC members and Deanery Synod representatives, as well as hearing reports on the life of the church over the last year, and hearing from me about the coming year. I do encourage all those who are part of the St Columba’s family to come along and join in this time of reflection on what God has done through us, and what we hope He will do as we move forward with Him.

MARY CRAIG INVITES…you to join her for a belated Birthday Celebration
Mary has invited us all to join her at 62 Sutherland Road, Corby, NN18 9LU for a Bring & Share Lunch on Saturday 25th April from 12noon to 5pm. Everyone is very warmly welcome.

SPRING HARVEST 2027
If you asked to be booked in to Spring Harvest next year, and have not yet paid your deposit please can you do so on Sunday if possible. Deposits are £35 for adults and £20 for children.

SATURDAY 2nd MAY 10.30am – Alpha in the Church – see above

SUNDAY 3rd MAY
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP at St Columba’s with lots of involvement by the children and young people.
6pm HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: St Columba’s
As it is our Annual Meeting on Sunday I thought it was a good opportunity to give thanks for our church and all those who serve it so faithfully in so many ways. This year we have much to give thanks for and I hope you will be able to think of some of those things in advance of our meeting on Sunday. I would especially like to thank our churchwardens, Janet Taylor who has driven through the Developments in the church and hall over recent years, culminating in the new toilet in the church (which may be open on Sunday but I’m not sure if the electrician has finished) and also John Lynch, who is stepping down as churchwarden but will still be on the PCC to offer his wise advice. Thank you John for everything you have done, especially all those little jobs that you quietly completed out of sight.
We also need to look forward, and it is good that we have an Alpha course starting, as well as our next Wednesday course and, hopefully, a Holiday Club in the summer. Please pray for God’s continued blessing on our church as we move forward under Him.

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

19th April 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 25 April 2026

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who helped with Isobel’s funeral last Tuesday. It was a special occasion as we said goodbye to her and discovered more about her earlier life in Ireland, including picking up her grandchildren and their friends late at night! Isobel had clearly shared her faith with her family, and in doing so was an example to us all.

Those of you who use the church car park will notice that the holes have been filled in, so it now has a better surface than most of the local roads!! We need to thank All Weather Home Improvements who did this work free of charge. Anyone who needs work doing on their patio, paths, fences, turf, driveway, block paving, brickwork or cleaning of patios, driveways or roofs should contact them on 01536 507130 or 07775 782154.

I should also mention that our accessible toilet is just waiting for the electrics to be connected, which we hope will happen during next week.

Our next Alpha Course will be on Saturday mornings, starting on 2nd May. This may seem a strange time but for people working shifts it is useful, avoiding evenings when they are either at work or in bed ready for an early start. The course is open to everyone so if YOU are interested in exploring faith in Jesus, new to faith in Jesus, or want to make sure you have strong foundations for your faith in Jesus then do plan to come along. It is also a great opportunity to share faith with friends and family members so do invite them along to a relaxed meeting where questions are welcomed, and plan to come with them. More details next week.

For those who have done Alpha in the past there will be a new Wednesday Course happening soon.

Can I encourage you to come along to St Columba’s Annual Meeting on Sunday 26th April and to share in a cooked lunch afterwards. More details are below, but please do sign in if you are coming to the lunch.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SUNDAY 19th APRIL
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. This service will be available to watch on YouTube for those who are unable to be in church. Just go to: https://youtube.com/live/_ZxPqJKVSoE?feature=share
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

ST COLUMBA’S ANNUAL MEETING and LUNCH – 26th April
St Columba’s Annual Meeting is on Sunday 26th April and will take place in the Church Hall after the morning service and coffee, and be followed by lunch. Please either email ianpullinger@btinternet.com or use the sign up sheet in church to say that you will be coming to the lunch and letting us know about any allergies you have.

The meeting will be electing churchwardens, PCC members and Deanery Synod representatives, as well as hearing reports on the life of the church over the last year, and hearing from me about our vision for the coming year. I do encourage all those who are part of the St Columba’s family to come along and join in this time of reflection on what God has done through us, and what we hope He will do as we move forward with Him.

SUNDAY 26th APRIL
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. When you go to Rockingham for a Sunday morning service drive up to the post with the keypad and wait there for the gate to open.
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. After the service we have the ANNUAL MEETING and LUNCH in the Church Hall – see above.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

MARY CRAIG INVITES…you to join her for a belated Birthday Celebration
Mary has invited us all to join her at 62 Sutherland Road, Corby, NN18 9LU for a Bring & Share Lunch next Saturday 25th April from 12noon to 5pm. Everyone is welcome. Mary is away this weekend, but if you would like more information please contact me.

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.

Finally thank you to everyone who responded to the invitation to fill the churches again last Sunday. Both St Columba’s and Rockingham had more people than usual which was such a blessing, let’s see if we can do it again tomorrow!

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

12th April 2026

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 18 April 2026

Hello everyone,

I returned yesterday from a wonderful week at Spring Harvest in Minehead, and I hope those of you who were not able to be there managed to watch something online. Attention at Spring Harvest moves to 2027 even before we have left Butlin’s in 2026! There is a change to the booking process this year so if you are at all interested in going next year I would like to draw your attention to the notice below about Spring Harvest 2027.

Thank you to everyone who made our Easter morning worship so special last weekend, whether that was at the Sunrise Service at Rockingham or the All Age Celebration at St Columba’s. It always helps when there are a good number of people present, and we can all help make that happen by attending services regularly, including those tomorrow at both churches.

At St Columba’s I mentioned that we will be starting an Alpha Course after Easter, and this is YOUR invitation to be part of that. For those who are not familiar with Alpha it is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for anyone who is exploring faith in Jesus, new to faith in Jesus, or who wants to make sure they have strong foundations for their faith in Jesus. It is also a great opportunity to invite friends and family members along to a relaxed meeting where questions are welcomed. We have not yet decided on a day or time, because we want to find the best time for all those who are interested in joining the course, so if that is you, or someone you would like to invite, do let me know when is best for you.

For those who have done Alpha in the past there will be a new Wednesday Course happening soon.

Details of all the upcoming events are as follows:

SUNDAY 12th APRIL
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. This service will be available to watch on YouTube for those who are unable to be in church. Just go to: https://youtube.com/live/eqVnwfkGRdA
3pm FAMILY SERVICE at St Leonard’s, Rockingham. If you are going to Rockingham for a Sunday afternoon service in the summer months when the Castle is open to visitors, you simply have to tell the person in the kiosk that you are going to church.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

ISOBEL WASSON’S funeral is on Tuesday 14th April at 11.30am in St Columba’s and everyone is welcome to attend. If you come please don’t wear dark clothes as Isobel loved bright colours, and, as she is now enjoying life in heaven where everything will be brighter than we can imagine, this is so appropriate. The service in church will be followed by a Cremation and then refreshments in the Church Hall and everyone is welcome to both of these.

ANNUAL MEETINGS
St Leonard’s Annual Meeting is happening on Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

St Columba’s Annual Meeting is on Sunday 26th April and will take place in the Church Hall after the morning service and coffee, and be followed by a shared lunch – more details of that next week. Thank you to those who completed Electoral Roll applications and are now on our membership list and able to vote at this meeting, if there is anyone else who is not on the Electoral Roll please do speak to me.

Please do join us for whichever is the appropriate meeting for you and to find out more about what the Lord has been doing in the life of the church over the last year.

SUNDAY 19th APRIL
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.
6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s

SPRING HARVEST 2027 “The Adventure of a Lifetime”
The booking lines open on Thursday this week (16th April) for next year’s Spring Harvest at Butlin’s, Skegness from Monday 5th to Friday 9th April 2027 (this is the second week of the school Easter holidays, with Easter Day being on 28th March). We realise this is much earlier than usual, but it does give you more time to pay. If you would like to be included in our booking or would like more information please speak with Miriam or me by Wednesday.

We are suggesting that, like this year, people book a Room and Butlin’s food. The cost will depend on the type of room chosen (and availability) but the options are:
Standard Room £185 per adult (£165 per child 14 or under)
Comfort Room £239 per adult (£219 per child 14 or under)

Food Court (as this year) £79.50 per adult (£47.85 per child 6-14 and £22.35 per child 2-5)

It is also possible to book apartments (like we have had at Skegness in the past) at a cost of £285 per adult (£265 per child 14 or under) – this is the only way to have a lounge at Skegness.

PLEASE NOTE – all units have to be fully booked, so if there are 3 people in a 4 berth unit then 4 have to be paid for, although there is more flexibility of Comfort Room size (subject to availability). If we book together we receive one free place for every 15 paying places booked which is always helpful, and a good reason for booking together.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Tim & Carol Derbyshire serving with Hope from Above
When we joined the M5 yesterday on our way home from Spring Harvest, and the traffic was moving very slowly, Tim & Carol were driving past and spotted us! We were able to stop at the next services and enjoy a short time of fellowship with them. Here is their latest Prayer Letter, so do open it up, have a read and pray for the points raised. When you do you will notice that they mention coming to Corby, which will be on Sunday 14th June.

As I said earlier thank you to everyone who joined us for our special Easter Day services, and can I encourage you to help give us full churches again tomorrow!

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609