St Mary’s News – The Lambing Edition

Revd. Emma Barr is used to lambing - seen here with one of her lambs
Revd. Emma Barr & Lamb

St Mary’s News – Lambing & Flocks

This Lambing edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Emma Bar’s seasonal message about God’s Beloved Flock and then continues with:

Message from Revd. Emma Barr

God’s Beloved Flock

Spring is making an attack on winter with the now lighter mornings and drawn out evenings, something I always rejoice at as we are in the middle of lambing and it makes it so much easier and cheerier having light.

This year with 103 ewes scanned in lamb we were set for a busy time. It is always a time of waiting and watching, with excitement and anticipation knowing there will be the amazing success stories of lambs being adopted to other mothers and little ones making it against all the odds, but as with all things there are also the sad stories of loss.

Continue reading “St Mary’s News – The Lambing Edition”

St Mary’s News – The Wake-up Edition

St Mary’s News – A Spiritual Wake-up

After Revd. Heather’s reflections around her personal Wake-Up call, this editions includes:

A Spiritual ‘Wake-up call’.

Back in September, I was sent a letter from my GP. Following some routine blood tests, I was being encouraged to sign up for a pre-diabetes course, which would run over 9 months, a course, which I knew, as my father was already 6 months into it, took up a lot of time. Mindful of the time commitment, I was reluctant at first to even attempt to join a course, but having logged in to sign up, I found I could opt for a virtual course via an app, meaning I could fit it around my other commitments.

Continue reading “St Mary’s News – The Wake-up Edition”

St Mary’s News – the Daffodils & Hope edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Daffodils & Hope and then continues with:

Daffodils - By Genet, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24680708

Daffodils and Hope

As March beckons, spring bursts onto the scene. The words of William Wordsworth might come to mind as we see the daffodils emerging from beneath the ground:

Continue reading “St Mary’s News – the Daffodils & Hope edition”

St Mary’s Stormy Edition

Jesus asleep during storm alarms disciples

This edition starts with thoughts on recent storm damage and then addresses Lent matters and the usual listings of services and contacts.

Storm Damage

Dudley, Eunice and then Franklin. In the space of just a few days, storms wreaked havoc in the UK. Power lines were cut, properties damaged, trees fell down, some were injured and tragically a few lost their lives.

On the Sunday after Storm Eunice, and as Storm Franklin gained momentum again, across the six parishes we worshipped in churches which had lost window panes and trees, all whilst hearing the reading from the bible of Jesus calming the storm from Luke’s gospel.

As the storm builds, Jesus is asleep in the boat, the disciples become frantic and eventually wake Jesus up saying ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown.’ In Marks gospel, it says the disciples said ‘don’t you care if we drown?’

Jesus Cares

Of course Jesus cares, he cares deeply for all of his children, and he gets up rebukes the wind and the raging waters and the storm subsides.

But that doesn’t mean that storms still don’t occur, whether that is the aforementioned physical storms, or the emotional or mental storms that might assail us throughout our lives.

And sometimes, we like the disciples may feel in a place where we want to call out and say ‘Jesus, don’t you care that we are drowning?’ and the answer for us is that of course he cares, he is indeed, as he was for the disciples, in the same boat with them and us. He is always with us. He can’t protect us from every storm, but he is with us through them all.

Lent Journey

This month we begin our journey through Lent, as we travel with Jesus to the cross. A stark reminder that Jesus himself had to suffer both spiritual and physical storms in his life. We see his pain and torment in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he cried out, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.’

Jesus travelled through his own storms, and is with us through ours too. May we trust in him and may God bless you.
Reverend Heather

Lent Carbon Fast, Groups & Prayer

There are three Lent-specific activities taking place during Lent, a Carbon Fast, Lent Groups and Prayers.

Lent Carbon Fast Challenge

In the Bible, caring for Creation is God’s first instruction to humans. During Lent, an organisation called Climate Stewards is encouraging us to take up the challenge to find new ways to reduce our impact on the natural world and our global neighbours.

You can sign up through the link below to receive  weekly emails suggesting easy, medium and harder challenges to try related to the seven weekly themes of:

  • 1—fast from social media or tv.
  • 2—Fast from unawareness—expand your knowledge.
  • 3—Fast from silence—speak up.
  • 4—Fast from electricity—live more simply.
  • 5—Fast from driving.
  • 6—Fast from meat and dairy.
  • 7—Fast from food waste.

Lent Groups

Rev Heather Wilcox has written a Bible Study Course which be focusing on our Sunday readings for Lent. Our regular Bible Study Groups will meet weekly, from 8th March to 5th April, to study this material and you are very welcome to join the following groups:

  • Tuesday afternoons @ 2pm at Sue Day’s house. (please contact [email protected] for details)
  • Tuesday evenings on zoom @ 7.45pm: Meeting ID: 852 5818 3545, passcode: 814244 (please contact:        [email protected] for more details).

Lent Prayer Activities in Church

Throughout Lent (from Saturday 4th March until Easter) there will be prayer space activities in the Church, changing weekly, to reflect the set Gospel reading for the week. All are welcome to come in and have a look at the prayer spaces and try out some of the simple activities, such as writing in a sand pit something we are sorry for and then wiping the words away to remind us of God’s forgiveness.

One of the prayer spaces will include an opportunity to light a candle and say a prayer for the people of Ukraine.

 The church will be open from 9am to 3.30pm each week day and children accompanied by parents are very welcome.

Services & Other Dates

6th March10:00 amHoly Communion (also on Zoom)
13th March10:00 amMessy Church
20th March11:15 amHoly Communion (also on Zoom)
27th March10:00 amMothering Sunday – Praise on 4 Service (also on Zoom) with refreshments served from 9.45am
3rd April9:30 amHoly Communion (also on Zoom)
10th April9:30 amMessy Church
For those services which are also being zoomed, please contact the church office on 01206 243683 or [email protected] for the zoom link.
 

Our Team at St Mary’s

  • Priest in Charge: Revd. Heather Wilcox
    email: [email protected]
    tel: 01206 240906 or 07503 151715
  • Assistant Curate: Revd Anne Mason
    email: [email protected].
    tel: 07895 970834 (Sunday & Tuesday – Thursday).
  • Church Wardens:
    Peter & Caroline Finlay, — [email protected] or 07926 387551 and
    Kate & Stephen Penrose, — 07973 421306
  • Lay Readers:
    Richard Chadborn—01206 240541;
    Michael Foster—01206 241022;
    Joy Budden—01206 241871.
  • Parish Evangelist
    Ron Seymour—01206 272579.
  • Church Administrator:
    Jo Rassell — 01206 243683,
    email: [email protected].
    Church Office Hours — Monday 9 am—12:30 pm, Tuesday – Friday 9 am – 1 pm.
  • Hall Bookings:
    Nicole Long—01206 240443.
  • Newsletter Editor:
    email: [email protected].
  • Website: Stmaryswestbergholt.co.uk
  • Follow us on Facebook:
    www.facebook.com/stmaryswestbergholt.

Rise! World Day of Prayer – St Mary’s News Update

Rise

Rise! Take your mat & walk

Rise! World Day of Prayer

Rise! is the topic of the World Day of Prayer this year as discussed in St Mary’s latest edition of their News Update.  Other topics addressed include:

It also provides listings of services and contacts but first, “Rise! Take your mat & walk”. Continue reading “Rise! World Day of Prayer – St Mary’s News Update”

Saying “Yes to Life” – St Mary’s News Update

#Live Lent - Care for God's Creation

#Live Lent - Care for God's CreationSaying “Yes to Life”

This edition of St Mary’s News reports on a course focussed on environmental issues, tidying the churchyard, Rise! world day of prayer, 5Ts Lunch, and also provides listings of services and contacts but first, “Yes to Life”.

Saying “Yes to Life”

Environmental issues are at the forefront of everyone’s minds today.  In our Lent Course for 2020 we will be taking a fresh look at Continue reading “Saying “Yes to Life” – St Mary’s News Update”

St Mary’s Update – 5th March 2018

Messy Church

St Mary’s Update – 5th March 2018

St Mary’s Church update for 5th March provides listings of services and other events and news.  This update includes Lent Group, Mothers’ Day, Table Top Sale, Heathlands Art Exhibition and a vacancy for a Church Treasurer.

Messy ChurchWho Let the Dad’s out?

Sunday 11th March is not your regular Messy Church, it’s a chance to do Mothers’ Day differently Continue reading “St Mary’s Update – 5th March 2018”

St Mary’s Update – 18th February 2018

Butterfly

ButterflySt Mary’s update – 18th February 2018

St Mary’s Church update for 18th February provides listings of services and other events and news.  This update includes Lent Group, Women’s World Day of Prayer, Table Top Sale, a new format for 4th Sunday services and a vacancy for a Church Treasurer.

3 Parishes Lent Group – ‘We Shall Be Changed’

You are warmly invited to join this series of Lent groups on 20th and 27th February, 6th, 13th & 20th March at 8.00pm in St Mary’s Church Hall, West Bergholt.  Lent is more than simply giving up something for a month; it is an opportunity to encounter Continue reading “St Mary’s Update – 18th February 2018”

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