Hello everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you all,

Ian

01536 400225
07903 644609