Sunday Service

Category: Sunday Service

27th October 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 2 November 2024

Good morning everyone,

First can I remind you all that the clocks go back tonight, which for some people means an extra hour in bed, but if you want to spend your extra hour more constructively can I suggest you read and meditate on Psalm 19. This wonderful Psalm points us back to creation and the heavens which declare the glory of God; it points us back to God’s law, statutes, precepts, commands, and decrees, which sound awfully dry, until you read how they refresh the soul, bring wisdom, give joy and light; and it serves as a warning and an encouragement as we reflect on our own lives, a warning about sin, including our hidden faults that I mentioned in last Sunday’s sermon, and an encouragement that if we obey God there will be great reward.

Second, I have rather shocking news about Joan Dyche who was told on on Monday by her cancer doctor that her life expectancy is only weeks up to 3 months at most. Please pray for Joan, and Justin as he seeks to make Joan’s remaining time as good as possible.

Third, as well as details of services tomorrow and next Sunday, and recaps about Shoeboxes, Big Quiz Night and Christmas Fayre there are notices about two other events coming up in November, an opportunity to order ADVENT CALENDARS, a new Charity of the Week and attached the latest mini SCaNS. Keep reading for information about all of these.

ADVENT CALENDARS
If you would like to order a Divine Fairtrade Chocolate (milk or dark) Advent Calendar at the reduced price of £4.99 please either reply to this message or speak with Miriam. This offer is only available this weekend so we need to know by Sunday evening so that we can place the order.

CHARITY OF THE WEEK
This is a new weekly article to focus our attention on the different charities that St Columba’s supports. This week the focus is on our CMS link missionaries as there is a new Prayer Letter from them which is available to read at the back of church. There are some printed copies if you would like to take one and pray at home.

SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER
We have two services on Sunday as follows:
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE who will be preparing for next week’s All Age service. For anyone not able to be in church tomorrow we hope that we have sorted the technical issues that stopped last week’s livestream and that this service will be available to watch here: https://youtube.com/live/Na2XWGmVPRU?feature=share
We also have the PRAYER MEETING at 6pm.

SUNDAY 3rd NOVEMBER
There are two services at St Columba’s next Sunday.
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP for ALL SAINTS with children’s participation and activities.
5pm SERVICE TO REMEMBER THOSE WE LOVE BUT SEE NO LONGER. If you have lost someone you love, either recently or many years ago, and would like to come along to light a candle and remember them, then this is the service for you. Please pass this invitation on to anyone you know who may be missing a loved one.
As a result of the evening service there won’t be a Prayer Meeting on 3rd November.

SHOEBOXES
There are two ways in which you can support the 2024 Samaritans Purse Shoebox Appeal:
1. Collect a Shoebox and a leaflet from church, choose whether you are packing for a boy or a girl and what age, and then buy all that you need (see the lists below) to fill the box and bring it back to church by Sunday 17th November. Don’t forget to make a donation for the cost of your box, either online or by cash/cheque with your box.
2. Look at the list of suggested items below and buy what you can and simply drop the items off at church where they will be used to make up shoeboxes.
The list of suggested items includes: dolls, footballs, cuddly toys, school supplies including pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, notebooks, solar calculator, toy cars, torch, skipping ropes, yo-yos, toys that light up/make noise (with spare batteries), personal care items such as toothbrushes, socks, combs, hairbrushes, sunglasses.
DO NOT INCLUDE: toothpaste sweets, lotions and liquids, used or damaged items, war related toys, seeds, chocolate, food, religious literature, medicine, aerosols, sharp or fragile items.
I received a postcard from Samaritans Purse saying that shoeboxes would be going to Malawi this year – something to bear in mind when buying.

BIG QUIZ NIGHT – Friday 15th November starts at 7pm in Church Hall
Do come along to have fun quizzing with friends and family and raise money to help alleviate poverty around the world. Bring your favourite snacks and drinks to aid you in your quizzing! You can come in a team or we can put you in a team with others, so no-one will be left out! Please bring cash to donate or use the church card reader. All donations will be going to Tearfund.

CHRISTMAS FAYRE – Saturday 23rd November 11am – 1pm in Church Hall
Do put this date in your diary and plan to come along and support this event. There is a sign up sheet for helpers in church. If you know anyone who would like a table to sell their own crafts, gifts, etc please get them to contact Miriam on 07950 818315 asap.

BIG SING CHOIR CHRISTMAS SHOW at Corby Cube – Saturday 23rd November at 7.30pm
Some of you may have seen the Big Sing Choir on Britain’s Got Talent last year. “They will bring a ground-breaking, modern twist to Christmas Carols that we all know and love. Hear their new, fresh and passionate performances of stunning Christmas songs that will leave you feeling festive and uplifted. Featuring show-stopping arrangements to well-known carols such as ‘Oh Holy Night’, ‘The First Noel’, ‘Mary did you Know’ and ‘Joy to the World’, they even promise to get you singing along with them!” All tickets cost £22 and are available from the Cube or online at:
https://tickets.thecorecorby.com/93168/93169

AN EVENING WITH ROB PARSONS at Christ the King, Kettering – Thursday 28th November at 7.30pm
Many of you will know Rob Parsons, either from his speaking at Spring Harvest or from his 35 years at Care for the Family. Rob writes “During this event, I’ll share stories with you that I’ve never told before – stories that I hope will encourage you to make the very best of your gifts, your goals and your relationships”. Early bird tickets (booked by 29th October) cost £6, after that they are £11 or £8 for a group of 3 or more and are available from:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-rob-parsons-kettering-tickets-903184257427?aff=webpage

MINI SCANS
Please find here the latest mini SCaNS about which Steve writes:
“You can read about how God wants the best for you in which I share a personal example of how He stopped me changing jobs which opened amazing new doors for me…as we approach Remembrance Sunday, a story of how brave Czech enslaved prisoners, at risk of their lives, thwarted a plan by their Nazi oppressors to make munitions to blow up Allied aircraft. Lots of funnies, including, “What not to include in a job application” and quotes from when the media gets it wrong, my favourite being, “Was Diana alive in the hours before she died?”! Peanuts and other cartoons to give you a laugh – and some new home-made quizzes I’ve enjoyed creating. Hope you enjoy!”

May you find blessing this weekend, however you choose to spend your extra hour,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

20th October 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 27 October 2024

Hello everyone,

It is another wet Saturday morning so do grab yourself a hot drink and sit down to read this week’s email which has details of lots of upcoming events: Sunday services, including our annual service to remember those we love but who are no longer with us, as well as Social events and opportunities to support those in need.

But first I have a couple of thank yous. Last Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful Harvest Lunch so big thanks to all the Events Team who organised that, to everyone who contributed the food which was delicious, and to all those who came along. Second, I would like to thank all those who were at Cups on a String last Tuesday and especially those who helped in any way. It was a really good evening of live theatre with a challenging message about the issues facing some young people in school.

SUNDAY 20th OCTOBER
We have just one service on Sunday, HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s at 10.30am. This will include the next sermon in our series on the Lord’s Prayer, looking at “forgive us our sins as we forgive…”. There will be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. For those who are not able to be in church the service will available here: https://youtu.be/-eB-odysXf4

There will also be the PRAYER MEETING at 6pm.

SHOEBOXES
We are launching the 2024 shoebox appeal tomorrow in church. There are two ways in which you can support this:
1. Collect a Shoebox and a leaflet from church, choose whether you are packing for a boy or a girl and what age, and then buy all that you need (see the lists below) to fill the box and bring  it back to church by Sunday 17th November. Don’t forget to make a donation for the cost of your box, either online or by cash/cheque with your box.

2. Look at the list of suggested items below and buy what you can and simply drop them off at church where they will be used to make up shoeboxes.

The list of suggested items includes: dolls, footballs, cuddly toys, school supplies including pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, notebooks, solar calculator, toy cars, torch, skipping ropes, yo-yos, toys that light up/make noise (with spare batteries), personal care items such as toothbrushes, socks, combs, hairbrushes, sunglasses.
DO NOT INCLUDE: toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids, used or damaged items, war related toys, seeds, chocolate, food, religious literature, medicine, aerosols, sharp or fragile items.

I received a postcard from Samaritans Purse saying that shoeboxes would be going to Malawi this year – something to bear in mind when buying.

BIG QUIZ NIGHT – Friday 15th November starts at 7pm in Church Hall

Do come along to have fun quizzing with friends and family and raise money to help alleviate poverty around the world. Bring your favourite snacks and drinks to aid you in your quizzing! You can come in a team or we can put you in a team with others, so no-one will be left out! Please bring cash to donate or use the church card reader. All donations will be going to Tearfund.

CHRISTMAS FAYRE – Saturday 23rd November 11am – 1pm in Church Hall

Do put this date in your diary and plan to come along and support this event. There will be a sign up sheet for helpers in church next week. If you know anyone who would like a table to sell their own crafts, gifts, etc please get them to contact Miriam on 07950 818315 asap.

CHARITABLE GIVING
At the PCC meeting earlier this month we continued our policy of giving away 10% of our Stewardship income, based on last year’s income which meant we had £8000 to give away. The charities we agreed to support and the amounts we gave them are as follows:
Hope from Above (Tim & Carol)    1500
CMS (M&H)                                        1500
Christian Concern                             312
Christians Against Poverty             312
Tear Fund                                           312
Open Doors                                       312
World Vision                                     344
Mercy ships                                      500
Home for Good                                312
Rooted in Jesus                                312
Hope into Action                              720
Home Start, Corby                           564
It’s your move (year 6 books)         531
Spring Harvest bursary fund          469

Please pray for these charities and the work they do, both locally and around the world. We will be praying for them over the next few months at Sunday evening Prayer Meetings so if you don’t know what they do come along and find out (or you could google them!).

SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER
Next Sunday we have two services as follows:
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s with ENERGIZE.

And we will have the PRAYER MEETING at 6pm.

SERVICE TO REMEMBER THOSE WE LOVE BUT SEE NO LONGER – Sunday 3rd November at 5pm in St Columba’s

If you have lost someone you love, either recently or many years ago, and would like to come along to light a candle and remember them, then this is the service for you. Please pass this invitation on to anyone you know who may be missing a loved one.

And after all that I hope to see you in church tomorrow,

God bless,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

13th October 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 19 October 2024

Hello everyone,

Sorry about the absence of emails over the last two weeks while Miriam and I were away. There is a lot going on in the next few days so I am sending this message on Friday with all the details – please do come along to as many of the following as you are able:

AFTERNOON TEA
The ladies AFTERNOON TEA is happening today, Friday 11th October, from 3pm in the Church Hall – all ladies welcome for tea, sandwiches, scones, cake, conversation and the next episode of Linda’s testimony.

HARVEST AT ST COLUMBA’S
We are celebrating Harvest this Sunday at St Columba’s, with our ALL AGE WORSHIP at 10.30am followed by a HARVEST LUNCH. Everyone is welcome to both the service and lunch. If you are able please bring a gift for the CORBY FOOD BANK which we can add to our Harvest offering. The list of most needed items at the moment is: Soup, Tinned Spaghetti, Tinned Tomatoes, Pasta Sauce, Tinned Vegetables, Tinned Meat, Tinned Fish, Tinned Fruit, Tinned Custard, Tinned Rice Pudding, Biscuits, Tea, Coffee, Long Life Juice, UHT Milk, Disposable Razors, Shampoo, Shower Gel, Toilet Rolls, and Toothpaste.
If you can’t make the service we will try and livestream it using this link: https://youtube.com/live/MnqNIwjzoas?feature=share
I say try because there have been some problems for the last few weeks with the livestream which we hope to overcome before Sunday.
After the service we all move into the Church Hall for LUNCH.

ROCKINGHAM FAMILY SERVICE
There is a Family Service in St Leonard’s at 3pm on Sunday afternoon, focusing on Prisons Week (which starts on Sunday), as St Leonard is the patron saint of prisoners.

PRAYER MEETING
We will be gathering in St Columba’s at 6pm on Sunday for an hour of prayer – everyone welcome.

CUPS ON A STRING
This production by Riding Lights Theatre Company in partnership with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good is happening at St Columba’s on TUESDAY next week, 15th October at 7.30pm. Tickets are available either from the Riding Lights website
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy
or on the door where cash or cards will be accepted.
Please do come along and support this event, as well as to be entertained and informed about the challenges facing many young people and what one charity is doing to address those challenges.

SUNDAY 20th OCTOBER
Next Sunday there is a service of HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s at 10.30am with ENERGIZE groups for children and young people.

AND FINALLY
Some of you received a message from our former vicar Rod Lee this week and I am forwarding this request so that everyone has a chance to sign this petition:
Another young Pakistani Christian, Ehsan Shan, faces a death sentence for allegedly posting a damaged Quran image on TikTok. The 22-year-old is the latest victim of false blasphemy charges. His tragic case is hauntingly familiar to Asia Bibi’s case and, unfortunately, many others. Together, we helped set Asia Bibi free. We need you to help do the same for Ehsan. Please sign the petition to the UK Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon David Lammy MP, urging him to intervene and help save Mr Shan from this unjust sentence by clicking on the link below:

https://em.citizengo.org/dc/0LqJl4Fgk6_ebdTLr2iGVetViNJOd94p9pTsHXjBTpBhj3DpGxrU9wwGJwp66YcU1BwDOit-Z29gUm2n6TQvlNbdUesRPVf-_UCML4Z_4XPE5C1irv7BJqu6YYFD70LddFPm8c-oVyvMhPpQw83GbFi-GTStECMnhURpm1T7r84REc74igzWsoA7eEE1FvaJFm_EDzi2JxkeI2J2buk5vqoetEvRWI5TadLxLu4AO4fvtGx6V8ziHvlScO19OA8m8upN9lIIebD8RD5LCLsU2tZUoesrta0A3xeGwJoAsfTmT_D4Ps9tPYJ2l3AoEYtpUxevVUnX50Aq7S_9TWbF8cGukjpeDdBWaak1DCfX1ICzBpg2oIvMgmLnqualEvT_XtdbbUIuKfzLoDBtJP7H2g8-ytXDoZVndcJrSMSQOX8ORGbEHtL7O7a3Ggc5VgSbUOoatQ-9NqKqCL2NwhPCew==/OTA3LU9EWS0wNTEAAAGWFRFoSGKcIOE1hyqEnGHeQf1tT0mUysqkysxj1IkjERMCdy4ejTT3Ug5bgNcGOQYQmY0WqxQ=

Every action counts as we fight this injustice. Your signature can help save Ehsan’s life! Thank you for embracing this cause.

STEVE’S PUZZLES AND OTHER STUFF
(Editor’s note: this paragraph was added on Saturday)

Because I sent the email early yesterday it did not include the latest edition of Steve’s puzzles and other stuff.

Steve writes: After a few weeks’ break during which we have had a new bathroom fitted and I’ve learned to use the slow cooker to make delicious beef and pork casseroles (you’re never too old to try something new) I’m pleased to send you another magazine to stimulate your faith – which is the focus of the lead article, to boggle your mind at some of the wonders of creation, and to challenge your brain with some new puzzles – including a Bible cryptogram. There’s some fun stuff, as usual – do read about the Indian chief’s secret message sent to the moon, and see if you can copy Charlie Brown’s Old English script in Peanuts. Sue and I are rather busy over the next two weeks, so the next mag will be out on the last weekend in October when we put the clocks back an hour and can enjoy an extra hour in bed…. doing my puzzles!

With best wishes to all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

6th October 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 12 October 2024

Hello,

As Ian said two weeks ago, there is no email this week but please see useful information below, extracted from Ian’s email of two weeks ago.

Sunday 6th October
There will be a service of MORNING WORSHIP in St Columba’s at 10.30am with ENERGIZE groups.
There will also be a PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.

Alpha
We are looking forward to the Alpha course that will be starting next month. If you would be interested in joining it, or know someone who might be, then do let Ian know. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. We expect the group to meet on Thursday evening so do keep that night free if you are interested in joining.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and there are flyers available in church for you to give to friends and family who you think might be interested, which could be anyone concerned for the mental health of young people, either as a parent, carer, teacher, Christian…More details are on the flyer and tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

May God bless you all,

Editor

29th September 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 5 October 2024

Hello,

As Ian said last week, there is no email this week or next week but please see useful information below, extracted from Ian’s email of last week.

FAMILY FORTUNES – Saturday 28th September 7pm in the Church Hall
Please come along to this month’s social event which promises to be great fun for everyone, whether you come as a family or on your own, everyone will be included. Nibbles will be provided but please bring your own drinks and extra snacks. There will be some extra games to keep children entertained.

Sunday 6th October
There will be a service of MORNING WORSHIP in St Columba’s at 10.30am with ENERGIZE groups and a livestream via this link:
https://youtube.com/live/WhE7jd9x7sM?feature=share
There will also be a PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.

Alpha
We are looking forward to the Alpha course that will be starting next month. If you would be interested in joining it, or know someone who might be, then do let Ian know. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. We expect the group to meet on Thursday evening so do keep that night free if you are interested in joining.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and there are flyers available in church for you to give to friends and family who you think might be interested, which could be anyone concerned for the mental health of young people, either as a parent, carer, teacher, Christian…More details are on the flyer and tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

May God bless you all,

Editor

22nd September 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 28 September 2024

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to say we survived the Ride & Stride last Saturday and big thanks to all those who sponsored us. Please keep reading for news about what is happening over the next few weeks, including a Family Fortunes night a week today. Please note there will not be an email for the next two weekends and the livestream links for 29th September and 6th October are included below, so don’t delete this email if you are going to need those links.

I must begin however with a prayer request for Margaret Freeland who is in hospital with a blood infection and Margaret has become very anxious about falling – please pray for healing from the infection, peace to replace anxiety and a restoration of confidence.

Sunday 22nd September
We have two service of HOLY COMMUNION tomorrow, first at 9am at St Leonard’s, Rockingham and then at 10.30, with sung worship from 10.15, at St Columba’s, where the sermon will continue our series looking at the Lord’s Prayer, this week “Your Kingdom come”. There will also be ENERGIZE groups for children and young people and the service will be available as a livestream via this link:
https://youtube.com/live/6HI_Rdfthyo?feature=share
We also have the PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.

FAMILY FORTUNES – Saturday 28th September 7pm in the Church Hall
Please come along to this month’s social event which promises to be great fun for everyone, whether you come as a family or on your own, everyone will be included. Nibbles will be provided but please bring your own drinks and extra snacks. There will be a SIGN UP SHEET in church tomorrow to give an idea of numbers but please turn up anyway ready for a 7pm start. There will be some extra games to keep children entertained.

Sunday 29th September
There will be a service of MORNING WORSHIP in St Columba’s at 10.30am with ENERGIZE groups and a livestream via this link:
https://youtube.com/live/7fhwBh7zWAw?feature=share
There will also be a PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.

Sunday 6th October
There will be a service of MORNING WORSHIP in St Columba’s at 10.30am with ENERGIZE groups and a livestream via this link:
https://youtube.com/live/WhE7jd9x7sM?feature=share
There will also be a PRAYER MEETING in St Columba’s at 6pm.

Alpha
We are looking forward to the Alpha course that will be starting next month. If you would be interested in joining it, or know someone who might be, then do let me know. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. We expect the group to meet on Thursday evening so do keep that night free if you are interested in joining.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and there are flyers available in church for you to give to friends and family who you think might be interested, which could be anyone concerned for the mental health of young people, either as a parent, carer, teacher, Christian…More details are on the flyer and tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

SCaNS
All being well there will be a new print edition of SCaNS available in church tomorrow, with four pages of photos of recent events at church.

May God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225

15th September 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 21 September 2024

Hello everyone,

I am sending this on Friday this week because tomorrow morning I will be out on the Ride & Stride sponsored cycle ride with James, Colin and Kev. We are hoping to cycle from Sudborough back to Corby, via Slipton, Grafton Underwood, Brigstock and Stanion. If you would like to sponsor us (big thanks to all those who already have) please email ianpullinger@btinternet.com so I can add your name to the sponsor form. Thanks also to the people who will be sitting in St Columba’s ready to welcome cyclists from other churches, and us when we arrive back.

Sending this on Friday morning also means I can remind all the ladies that it is Afternoon Tea in St Columba’s Hall today – do come along at 3pm for tea, sandwiches, scones, cakes, conversation and the latest instalment in Linda’s life story.

Rockingham Flower Show and Harvest Celebration

After the Ride & Stride I will be making my way to Rockingham for the Flower Show, which opens at 2.30pm in the Village Hall, and at the end of which there will be a short Harvest Celebration. Admission to the Show costs £1 for adults but is free for children.

Sunday 15th September

We have a service of Morning Worship in St Columba’s on Sunday morning at 10.30am. This will include the second in our new series of sermons looking at the Lord’s Prayer, with David preaching about “Hallowed be your name”. There will also be ENERGIZE groups for children and the service will be available as a livestream (all being well – we had some problems with the livestream last week for which I apologise) by going to this link: https://youtube.com/live/Q4f3ADsUM8w?feature=share

There will also be the Prayer Meeting in St Columba’s at 6pm on Sunday evening.

Easyfundraising

I’ve just raised £2.00 for St Columba’s by doing some online shopping through easyfundraising and it didn’t cost me anything! You can do the same by supporting St Columba, Corby on easyfundraising. Once you’ve signed up, over 8,000 brands will donate when you shop via the easyfundraising website or app – at no extra cost to yourself. Find out more: https://join.easyfundraising.org.uk/st-columba-corby/pt9vko/dc/bpjaxL9F/dcon/facebook/1

Sunday 22nd September

We have two services next Sunday:
9am HOLY COMMUNION at St Leonard’s, Rockingham
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s, Corby with ENERGIZE groups.
There will also be the 6pm PRAYER MEETING at St Columba’s.

Alpha

We are looking forward to the Alpha course that will be starting next month. If you would be interested in joining it, or know someone who might be, then do let me know. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. At this time we don’t know which day of the week it will be happening on, as this will depend on the people who come forward.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October

We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and more details will be available over the coming weeks but tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

mini SCaNS 45

The latest edition of mini SCaNS has a biblical theme. There’s a story of a church that had removed all except Paul’s letters from their Bibles and how the preacher used Paul’s writings to preach on 1 Chronicles! It tells how some churches have 47 books in their Bibles instead of our usual 66, has an explanation how the New Testament got put together, a quiz on streakers in the Bible and some Biblical “Firsts”. There are around 13 puzzles and quizzes to challenge and amuse you as well as lots of funnies, a piece about Christian Charles Schultz, creator of Peanut cartoons, and another about a lady who hid some money and an encouraging letter in a book for someone to find to cheer them up even though she, herself, was going through a rough patch – a lesson for us all, there. Steve hopes to have a printed SCaNS out next week to pick up in church. This week there are still copies of the mega-Join-the-Dots puzzles. Do let Steve know if you would like a copy and if you would like more of these.

God bless you all in this coming week,

Ian

01536 400225

07903 644609

8th September 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 14 September 2024

Hello everyone,

First of all I must say a big THANK YOU to all those who made our International Food Fair such a success last week, and thanks to everyone who came along and enjoyed the food. Sorry if you came too late to enjoy all five meals but hopefully everyone enjoyed a flavour of the event.

Thanks are also due to all those who supported our 1,2,3,4,5 Appeal earlier this year. James reported at PCC on Tuesday that we had received in £6500 as a direct result, with an extra £700 of Gift Aid making a total of £7,200. Some people will have increased their regular giving which will not be shown in these figures, so thank you if you did that. While this is a cause for thanksgiving it is still short of our target (£12,345) so I am just repeating the 1,2,3,4,5 points one more time in case anyone has been waiting until after the summer before giving.
1. PRAYER – please continue to pray about this situation, if possible at 12.34 for 5 minutes. If you can’t pray at 12.34 just find another five minutes in your day to bring this situation to the Lord and to ask what your response might be…
2. GIVE WHAT YOU CAN NOW – you may be able to make a one-off gift to the 1,2,3,4,5 APPEAL or you may be able to start/increase regular giving (see point 4 below)
3. GIFT AID – if we as a church family give £9876 AND it is all gift aided, the church will receive £12345 because of the tax refunded by the government, so no cost to you. You do have to pay Income Tax to be able to claim Gift Aid so not everyone will be eligible but if you do pay Income Tax PLEASE make sure that your donations to the church are GIFT AIDED.
4. 1,2,3,4,5 WAYS TO GIVE
(i) Parish Giving Scheme – direct debit based scheme with an option for automatic inflation based increases each year (you don’t have to do this and can say no to the proposed increase). The phone number to contact Parish Giving Scheme is 0333 002 1271, you can use this to increase your donation or start a new direct debit. You need the full church name “St Columba and the Northern Saints, Corby” and the church code 280628232.
(ii) Envelopes – these can be used with cash or cheques which are placed in the basket in church. New envelopes are in church for the year from October.
(iii) Bank Transfer – just ask for church bank details and set up a regular or one-off payment.
(iv) Card Reader – you choose an amount to give and tap on the machine.
(v) Cash or Cheque in the basket – this is how many donations used to be made and they are still very welcome if you have cash or a cheque.
5. THE FINANCE FIVE
The members of the Finance Committee are available to answer any questions you may have about giving or to help you set up a Direct Debit in the Parish Giving Scheme or to claim Gift Aid. The FINANCE FIVE are: James Ireland, John Lynch, Margaret Smith, Janet Taylor and me. If we don’t know the answer to your question we can ask someone who does (James!).

Please note the phone number above to contact the Parish Giving Scheme to amend or start donations and that there are new envelopes in church for those who use them, ready for the beginning of October.

Sunday 8th September
We have a service of HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s at 10.30am. This will include the first in a new series of sermons looking at the Lord’s Prayer (part of our Year of Prayer) and will also see ENERGIZE groups start back after the summer holidays so do encourage children and young people to come along.
We also have the Prayer Meeting at 6pm in St Columba’s.

Afternoon Tea
The next Ladies Afternoon Tea takes place on Friday 13th September at 3pm in the Church Hall. All ladies are invited for tea, sandwiches, cakes, conversation and the next instalment of Linda’s Life Story!

Ride and Stride
This takes place on Saturday 14th September and we are still looking for people to sponsor the cyclists as well as volunteers to sit in church for an hour that day to welcome cyclists from other churches. There is a sponsor form at the back of church and also a sign up sheet for people to sit in church. Thank you to those who have already completed one, or both, of these.

Rockingham Flower Show
This is happening in the afternoon of Saturday 14th September and will include a short Harvest Celebration led by Ian. Everyone is welcome at Rockingham Village Hall from 2.30pm (don’t arrive earlier as it will be locked for judging of the prize fruit, vegetables and flowers). The cost of admission is £1 for adults and children are free. The Harvest Celebration will be at the end of the Show, about 3.30pm.

Wellingborough Community Gospel Choir
Anyone who watched Britain’s Got Talent may remember this choir who reached the final. They will be singing at Weston-by-Welland church on Saturday 14th September at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults but children are free. Tickets should be purchased in advance by calling Daniel on 07967 089101 or Margaret on 07884 242014.

Sunday 15th September
We have a service of MORNING WORSHIP at St Columba’s next Sunday morning at 10.30am. This will include ENERGIZE groups for children and young people. There will also be the Prayer Meeting at 6pm in church.

Alpha
We are looking forward to the Alpha course that will be starting next month. If you would be interested in joining it, or know someone who might be, then do let me know. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. At this time we don’t know which day of the week it will be happening on, as this will depend on the people who come forward.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and more details will be available over the coming weeks but tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

Snippets from the Shires
Please find here the latest news from Tim and Carol Derbyshire. Please open this, have a read, and spend some time praying for them and the work of Hope From Above.

And finally…there are no puzzles attached from Steve, but for anyone who likes dot-to-dot puzzles Steve has produced two GIANT versions (one has over a thousand dots!) and these are available in church. Do help yourself and have some fun.

God bless you all in the coming week,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

1st September 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 10 September 2024

Hello everyone,

I am sending this message out early in order to promote tomorrow’s INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR  from 12 noon to 4pm. This event offers so much:

• an opportunity to sample food from around the world, with dishes from Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, USA and Zimbabwe as well as English cakes and desserts. The food will have been prepared by people from our church family and it would be really encouraging for them to see friends from church sampling their food.
• a great chance to meet together with friends from church and to invite family and friends to join you – who can refuse a good meal and with a selection of countries there is sure to be something for everyone.
• an opportunity for us to welcome in people from the community, especially passers by who will hopefully be able to smell the food which will be served outside the church if the weather is good, or in the Hall if not.

And all this for just £10 (to enjoy food from all five countries) or £2.50 if you only want to sample one. Do please support this event which a lot of time and effort has gone into organising and which now needs you to come along and make it a great success. Tickets will be on sale on the day so just turn up and don’t forget to invite your friends and family.

Sunday 1st September
We have two services at St Columba’s on Sunday as follows,
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP with a Back to School theme so do come along, either if you are about to go back to school (or if you already have) or to pray and support our children and young people who are going back to school.
This service will be available to watch here: https://youtube.com/live/FLCvgvlCg9U?feature=share
6pm HOLY COMMUNION after a break in August we have our evening Communion again. This service is for everyone and offers a slightly quieter alternative to our morning services. Because of this service there won’t be a Prayer Meeting on Sunday.

Ride and Stride – Saturday 14th September
The annual sponsored cycle ride is happening on Saturday 14th September. We are looking for people who would be prepared to join a group of cyclists riding in the morning to a selection of village churches around Corby, and who would be willing to collect sponsor money. This money is divided between St Columba’s and the Northamptonshire Historic Churches Trust. If you would like to sponsor us there will be a Sponsor Form available in church. If you would like to cycle please speak to me or James Ireland who can give you more details and a sponsor form. We will also need people to sit in St Columba’s during the day on 14th September and there will be a sign up sheet in church for that on Sunday.

Wellingborough Community Gospel Choir
Anyone who watched Britain’s Got Talent may remember this choir who reached the final. They will be singing at Weston-by-Welland church on Saturday 14th September at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults but children are free. Tickets should be purchased in advance by calling Daniel on 07967 089101 or Margaret on 07884 242014.

Alpha
We are hoping to run an Alpha course in the autumn and would be interested to know who might be interested in joining it. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. At this time we don’t know which day of the week it will be happening on, as this will depend on the people who come forward. More details will be available soon but for now please do let me know if you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining an Alpha course this autumn.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and more details will be available over the coming weeks but tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

Sunday 8th September
We have just one service next Sunday at St Columba’s:
10.30am HOLY COMMUNION with the first in a new series of sermons for our Year of Prayer looking at the Lord’s Prayer.
There will also be the Prayer Meeting at 6pm in St Columba’s next Sunday.

And finally here is the latest Puzzles from Steve who writes: Two stories from the stage – one of my own and a hilarious one when the stage crew got their own back with a trampoline on an annoying opera singer. There’s the mind-boggling tale of a Canadian reporter struggling to broadcast the meeting of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) with a Mr & Mrs King and Mr & Mrs Queen without going nuts or getting tongue-tied!! A quiz about Northamptonshire, and true stories about three famous actors who are Christians: Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson. There other funnies and lots of different quizzes and puzzles including one asking how well do you know Corby and Northamptonshire, and a picture I came across during a clear-out of our Men’s Group 1999.

God bless you all in the coming week.

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609

25th August 2024

By Justin Dyche in Sunday Service on 10 September 2024

Hello everyone,

This time next week we will be about to open the doors for our International Food Fair on 31st August from 12 noon to 4pm. This event offers so much:

• an opportunity to sample food from around the world, with dishes from Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, USA and Zimbabwe. The food will have been prepared by people from our church family and it would be really encouraging for them to see friends from church sampling their food.
• a great chance to meet together with friends from church and to invite family and friends to join you – who can refuse a good meal and with a selection of countries there is sure to be something for everyone.
• an opportunity for us to welcome in people from the community, especially passers by who will hopefully be able to smell the food which will be served outside the church if the weather is good, or in the Hall if it is anything like today.

And all this for just £10 (to enjoy food from all five countries) or £2.50 if you only want to sample one. Do please support this event which a lot of time and effort has gone into organising and which now needs you to come along and make it a great success. Tickets will be on sale after church tomorrow, or you can reply to this email to book a ticket, or simply turn up on the day (but pre-booking will help with numbers for cooking).

Sunday 25th August
On Sunday we have HOLY COMMUNION at St Columba’s at 10.30am (no 9am service at St Leonard’s) which will include activities for children at the back of church. This service will include the latest sermon in our Year of Prayer series and is available as a livestream here:
https://youtube.com/live/VoGa99cZteY?feature=share
There will also be the PRAYER MEETING at 6pm at St Columba’s.

Ride and Stride – Saturday 14th September
The annual sponsored cycle ride is happening on Saturday 14th September. We are looking for people who would be prepared to join a group of cyclists riding in the morning to a selection of village churches around Corby, and who would be willing to collect sponsor money. This money is divided between St Columba’s and the Northamptonshire Historic Churches Trust. If you would like to sponsor us there will be a Sponsor Form available in church. If you would like to cycle please speak to me or James Ireland who can give you more details and a sponsor form. We will also need people to sit in St Columba’s during the day on 14th September and there will be a sign up sheet for that soon.

Alpha
We are hoping to run an Alpha course in the autumn and would be interested to know who might be interested in joining it. Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith, suitable for people who want to establish some spiritual foundations and for those with no previous church experience, so it is great course to invite friends and family to, especially as you can attend with them. At this time we don’t know which day of the week it will be happening on, as this will depend on the people who come forward. More details will be available soon but for now please do let me know if you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining an Alpha course this autumn.

Riding Lights Theatre at St Columba’s – Tuesday 15th October
We are hosting a performance by Riding Lights of a new production “Cups on a String” in association with the Christian education charity Transforming Lives for Good. This will be happening in the church at 7.30pm and more details will be available over the coming weeks but tickets can be bought now by going to this link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northamptonshire/st-columbas-church/cups-on-a-string/2024-10-15/19:30/t-zzqnxyy

Sunday 1st September
We have two services at St Columba’s next Sunday as follows,
10.30am ALL AGE WORSHIP with a Back to School theme so do come along, either if you are about to go back to school (or if you already have) or to pray and support our children and young people who are going back to school.
6pm HOLY COMMUNION after a break in August we have our evening Communion again. This service is for everyone and offers a slightly quieter alternative to our morning services. Because of this service there won’t be a Prayer Meeting next Sunday.

God bless you all in the coming week.

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609