The Pantomime was very successful on all fronts. We raised about £2 000, the production was excellent and everyone enjoyed themselves. Sincere thanks to Delma and Ken for producing and directing it and to everyone who took part or helped in any way.

Forthcoming events

April blessings

This was our very first Fund Raising event in April 2000. Everyone will be encouraged to remember the essentials of life and the cost and to make a small donation for resources they use and basic items they have. More information soon.

One Voice community choir

This internationally-successful choir will entertain us on Wednesday, 25th April at 7.30pm in the Church Hall. Tickets cost £6 to include tea and biscuits.

Judging by the way the stalls sell out so quickly it seems that lots of us enjoy the results of the home baking!

We would like to be able to offer a home-baking stall on the first Sunday of each month as a fund raising effort but we shall need lots of bakers so that the work does not become too onerous. If you could help, even occasionally, please would you contact Mavis Fletcher, Tel. 655939, or sign the list in the corridor. If you love to bake but have no-one to bake for, now is your chance to shine!

Costs of the ingredients can of course be paid to such helpers.

The notices for the week beginning 25th February are now online.

Read:

Luke 9:18-36

Consider:

What is your answer to ‘But who do you say that I am?’ (v20)

What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus Christ?

Peter, John and James have the ultimate mountain-
top experience. Can you recall a time when you had such an experience of God ? If not, take heart from the 9 disciples who were left at the bottom yet were still faithful followers of Jesus.

Pray:

give thanks for experiences of being close to God,

give thanks for all disciples who are faithful whether or not they have had a glimpse of God’s glory.

God of glory,
Grant that each of us may know something of the
nearness of your presence today; may we be faithful followers
of Christ wherever we find ourselves, Amen.

The observant reader will notice that a Help option has appeared up above. This heralds the arrival of the second in our series of guides to using this site: A complete idiot’s guide to online shopping.

Readers who would like more help with using this site should feel free to comment below.

Read:

Luke 4:1-15

Consider:

Jesus is tempted in the wilderness

• to gain material things, such as bread
• to gain power at the price of denying God
• to challenge and test God

What temptations do we face with regard to

• material things
• power
• our obedience to God?

Jesus returns to Galilee and begins to teach, his ministry has begun. What is God calling us to do?

Pray:

for wisdom to recognise temptation

for strength to resist temptation

for grace to do the work which God wants

Loving God,
As I wrestle with temptation and my journey of
faith for you, grant that through the power of
your Holy Spirit I may follow faithfully where
Christ leads, Amen.

Download the complete Prayer Guide for Lent (PDF) now or read the posts online each week.

During the 40 days of prayer, Circuit churches will be open for prayer at the times indicated on the cover of the Prayer Guide, which is a separate download.

For each day of Lent, 40daysprayer.org.uk will be posting a different idea for prayer.

The idea is that you devote some time each day, to receiving an email or visiting the website, and then focusing on this suggested way of prayer.

Have a go at trying this way to pray, but don’t worry if you don’t like it! The idea is to explore and try out different ways of praying.

For some people a particular way works really well, and for others, it won’t work at all. As long as you find a way that suits you and God, then that’s all what matters.

Technorati Tags: Lent, prayer, pray, praying

A former Jesuit Priest, past Mayor of Damulog in the Philippines and co-founder of the Muslim Christian Agency for Relief and Development (MuCAARD), Romy Tiongco was a Christian Aid staff member in the North West until a year or two ago. Never a man to rest on his laurels, Romy has been doing good work out in the Philippines and Sri Lanka in recent months— yet he may be at significant risk when he returns to the Philippines

Continue reading Sign the petition: Aid worker suffers death threats

Technorati Tags: Jesuit, Mayor, Damulog, Philippines, MuCAARD, Romy, Tiongco, Christian Aid, Sri Lanka

The young people in the Seniors’ group have been studying the life of Christ as described in Mark’s Gospel. Here are some of the questions we have been trying to answer:

1. What was His historical name? Jesus ben Joseph
2. Who were His historical parents? Mary and Joseph
3. Where was He born? Bethlehem
4. What was his occupation? Carpenter
5. Which is the shortest Gospel? Mark
6. Which Gospel was probably written first? Mark
7. Name one writer in the 1^st/2^nd Century who was not a Christian but mentioned Jesus in his writing. Josephus or Tacitus
8. Name four close friends of Jesus who were fishermen. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John
9. What is the name given to the type of story that Jesus told? Parable
10. Name three of these special stories in Mark’s Gospel. Parable of the Sower, the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, the Good Samaritan, etc.
11. Why did Jesus use this type of story? Jesus used stories of everyday life but adapted them to make people think about God and how they should live.
12. Name two of the healing stories in Mark’s Gospel. Healing of the Blind Man, Paralysed Man, Simon’s mother-in-law
13. Give two descriptions that Jesus gave about himself according to Mark. Son of Man, Christ (Mark 14:62)

notices.pdf