The Parish Church of St James, services and contacts
Everyone likes the feeling of a new beginning, and with its emphasis on forgiveness symbolised by Baptism, the Church in many ways specialises in fresh starts. But in recent years there have been so many instances of fresh starts in so many parts of our lives that we are left wondering each time we begin how long it will be before we are in turmoil again.
I am painfully aware that to the Priory Church this must be a time of great change, and I do promise that it is not my intention to leave you in unnecessary turmoil, nor to change things just to suit my own preferences. As it happens, the forms of worship of the Church of England are being revised just as you have received a new Vicar, so the change of lectionary and the changes due at the end of 1999 are a coincidence with my coming, not a consequence of it!
As we make our New Year's Resolutions, though, there are things we need to face this year, and changes within ourselves which we need to make, rather than changes to the Church itself. We have to be outward-looking in our attitude to all that we do, ensuring that we act as our Lord requires as leaven in the lump of our community, salt to give it a distinctive, God-centred flavour. We need to be more than welcoming to new members so that our Church grows in width, but we also need to be more God-centred in our own lives, so that our Church grows in depth, too. Perhaps if we do the latter, the former will automatically occur!
So how about including the following in your resolutions:
Such resolutions are at the same time a sign of faith and a means of growing faith, and my own resolution is that during this year I will do what I can to help, by providing teaching about prayer and bible study and by encouraging the consideration of Christian Stewardship within our Church. Let us grow together as disciples of Christ, and help others to come along with us.
Happy New Year!
Mark Warrick
On January 11th following the evening service a Ploughman's Supper will be served in the Church Hall. It will consist of cheese, pate, pickles, home made bread with a pudding to follow.
Please give your names to Margaret Flegg
4th January, The Epiphany
10am: Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12
11th January, The Baptism of Christ
10am: Acts 4: 14-17; Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22
(Family Eucharist with Holy Baptism)
18th January, The 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
10am: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11; John 2: 1-11
25th January, The Conversion of Paul
10am: Acts 9: 1-22; Matthew 19: 27-30
Please see the Vicar's letter for November 1997 for an explanation of the new scheme of scripture readings
In January our children's work at the Priory Church will be re-launched with a new way of working, new and exciting resources and new names, but with the same loving care which has always characterised the Junior Church. On Sunday 18th January the new groups meet for the first time: Scramblers for 3-5 year-olds and Climbers for 5-7 year-olds at the Vicarage in the care of Alison Warrick and her helpers, and Explorers for 7-11 year-olds at the Church Hall with Jane Thompson and others. The groups meet at 9.50am and come into church for the end of the Parish Eucharist as the Junior Church does at present, so that the children may be blessed at the altar rail at the time of Holy Communion.
These groups are resourced by the Church Pastoral Aid Society, a home mission society of the Church of England, and in due course we hope to add group for younger and older teenagers, too, continuing to use the excellent facilities and resources which CPAS provides. A range of leaflets is available from the Vicarage or from church describing the way the groups work, and if you know a child who might be interested, please take an appropriate leaflet, which includes an application form which parents can use to register a child with a group.
Alison and Jane would be more than happy to answer queries: see their numbers in the directory section of the magazine. There is a small display at the back of the church about the new children's groups. On one Sunday per month, usually the second Sunday, the children will join us in church for the whole service, which will be slightly less formal than usual and at which Holy Baptism will usually take place. Please give the children a warm welcome if this service is the one you normally attend, and help them to know the love of God through the love of God's people. More help with the running of the groups would be welcome, so if you feel that this important ministry could be for you - even if only once every four or five weeks - then please speak to Jane or Alison, or the Vicar.
At the end of November I had a day as a visitor at General Synod in London. This was to redeem the pledge made by Sonia Marshall for which I made a successful bid at the Rose and Sweet Pea Show.
Nicci Fisher, our other Synod member, picked us up at 7.15am and we made our way by train and tube to Church House, Westminster. There I was given a white 'Visitor' label and a green card and allowed into the gallery where the media observe proceedings. Sonia stayed with me in case I got over-excited seeing all those Bishops and Archbishops below.
The day started with a Eucharist using a draft of the proposed Rite 1 liturgy. The President was Canon Michael Perham (Norwich), Chairman of the Steering Committee for the new rites. The bread and wine were brought upstairs to us and it was a lovely experience altogether. The Bishop of Virginia, USA, also in the gallery was welcomed, then the main business began.
Nicci stayed down in the main hall as she was hoping to be chosen to speak in the first debate. This was the Bridge report on synodical government proposing the abolition of Deanery Synods. Nicci's chance came to speak on behalf of their usefulness and she received applause. The motion was eventually thrown out as a 'Bridge Too Far". The comings and goings of the voting system seemed chaotic from the gallery but at least it was a diversion and quite a spectacle.
The morning session ended at 1.30pm and I was treated to lunch in the restaurant at the Church Commissioners' HQ in Millbank, five minutes away.
At 2.30pm I collected a yellow card and went back to the gallery where I stuck it out till 7pm, nodding off only once. The agenda included discussion of the new initiation Rite (Baptism) amendments to Rites A &B revised but we only had time for one, and finally Canon Polkinghorn introduced a debate on I.V.F. for married couples. For full details see Sonia!
Exhaustion was beginning to set in and 7pm was greeted with relief.
My big day was not yet over, however, as Sonia and Nicci had been invited to a drinks and nibbles reception hosted by the Secretary General, Philip Mawer. I was graciously included and met some very pleasant people Rosa Reeve who sorts out the vast amount of papers needed at Synod, Brian Hanson one of the legal advisors, and the Revd. Robert Clarke of the Hospital Chaplain's Council. Philip Mawer assured me that a vast amount of prayer went on at Church House before and during Synod.
We left with very little time to catch our train. Nicci raced ahead, while I found I could still turn a fair distance, Sonia anxiously keeping an eye on my progress. We collapsed on the train with a minute to spare and did full justice to the big mugs of GNER coffee that Nicci fetched for us.
I had enjoyed my day and could only admire the endurance of Sonia and Nicci surviving a full week.
The coffee morning raised œ109.25 for funds, both Carole and Margaret would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.
The gift to your church which sustains its work and ministry throughout the year. Envelopes for those already in the scheme will be available in church at the end of December.
Not yet in the scheme but would like to know more?
The Vicar, Simon Marshall or Peter Wilde would be happy to fill you in on details in confidence and without obligation.
NEW!......Covenant forms for 1998. The tax-efficient way to give.
Specially redesigned forms will be available soon. Ask Mark, Simon or Peter.
This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.
Back issues are available as follows: November 1997, December 1997, January 1998
The Parish Church of St James, services and contacts