St Dunstan’s Church, Monks Risborough
& St. Peter’s Chapel, Owlswick
Part of the Risborough Team Ministry
www.stdunstanschurch.com

Vicar – The Revd James Tomkins
01844 275944 (day off Tuesday)
jamestomkins@btinternet.com
The Rectory, Mill Lane, Monks Risborough, HP27 9JE

Sunday 3rd April 2011
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Mothering Sunday

As we come together to celebrate Mothering Sunday, we give thanks to God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
Welcome to St Dunstan’s Church

If you are new to Monks Risborough or just visiting please introduce yourself to the Welcomers at the door who will be happy to tell you more about the church and its events. Coffee and tea are served in the Church Hall immediately after the 10.00am service - all are welcome.

Today

8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)

First Reading Ephesians 5:8-14
As our faith is awakened, the light of Christ helps us both see and do what is right – just as the light of day reveals what we could not see in the darkness, or while sleep both closed our eyes and kept us inactive.

Gospel John 9:1-41
Despite claiming to see God better than others, the Pharisees regard Jesus as sinner, not saviour. Denying that the beggar’s physical blindness was a punishment for sin, Jesus as the light of the world, enables him to see physically and spiritually.

10.00 am Mothering Sunday Service
(without Communion)
Hymns
631; 825; 428; 900; 503

Reading

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord chooses Jesse’s youngest son, David, to succeed the disobedient Saul. Samuel is shown how to look beyond outward appearances, to see the king within the undervalued shepherd boy.

6.00 pm Choral Evensong
Hymns: 372, Psalm 31 v1-9, 31, 616, 161
Readings: Micah 7, James 5

Prayer for the week
God of love, passionate and strong, tender and careful: watch over us and hold us all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Your prayers are asked this week for:
 the people of Libya, other troubled nations of the Middle East, the people of Japan, and all whose lives have been touched by natural disaster:
 For supermarkets for the diversity and choice they offer us, for goods they supply
 Those considering or preparing for confirmation and those recently confirmed
 Residents of Aylesbury Road (Princes & Monks Risborough), and Abbey field House (Princes Risborough).
 Those in need
 For the recently departed
◦ Peter Frith
 Those whose anniversary of death falls at this time particularly Eric Nish, Peter Lockwood, Joan Turner, James Bowe, Elena Ghirardello, Ruth Reynolds, Tilde Bradley, Cheryl Hughes
Please remember the charities that St Dunstan's supports, in particular this week:
Risborough Cares Charity, assisting those in the locality who have mental health, learning or physical disabilities or who are elderly.

Notices

Lent House Groups 2011
‘Rich inheritance’ Jesus’ legacy of love: please come along to any of the sessions being run on Tuesdays from 10.30 – 12.00 at 76 Westmead (Home of Mrs Su Viney and the Bethany House Group) from 15 March – 12 April inclusive or Thursdays from 8.00 – 9.30 at the Rectory, Monks Risborough from 17 March – 14 April inclusive. Please contact Su Viney (275461), Jill Iredale (346488) or The Revd. James Tomkins (275944) if you would like to take part.

Spring Concert – April 16th at 7.30 pm
Featuring the Jacquin Trio and popular classics by composers such as Mozart, Bruch and Schumann: tickets are £7 and are available from Rosemary Woodward Court 344417

St. Dunstan's Fellowship
Thursday 14th April at 8pm. - Speaker - Chan Ling Loftas on 'Moving on from the UN'. All welcome.

Team Confirmation Service, Wednesday June 22nd at 7.30 pm at Holy Trinity Bledlow
This is an occasion when children, teenagers or adults decide for themselves to affirm their Christian faith and is traditionally seen as the entry point to receive Holy Communion. A course to prepare candidates for this will start after Easter. Please speak to James if you are interested

Situations Vacant
At the recent Annual Meeting Rosemary Woodward-Court and Sue Ingram were elected as churchwardens. At the meeting I stressed the need for jobs that had over time been assumed in to the role of churchwarden, to be shared out amongst a wide spectrum of church members, so that we do not become over reliant on a few people. So far many people have come forward to volunteer for various tasks which is terrific and much appreciated.
However three really important jobs remain to be filled:
The first is the unlocking/locking of the church which can be shared amongst a rota of people.
The second is the production of the weekly pew sheet which takes about an hour each week and requires basic computer skills.
The third (not connected with the role of a churchwarden) is the need to find two people to take up the spaces on the Deanery Synod.
If you are interested in helping out in any of these ways please can you let James, Rosemary or Sue know. Thank you

Christian Aid Soup Lunch
Huge thanks to everyone who contributed so much to this event- soup-makers, kitchen 'staff ' and customers including teachers from MR School. We raised nearly twice as much as last year - £156. Enough to provide a pedal pump to help farmers in Burkina Faso grow crops, to pay for a goat+ kid for a family in Afghanistan and for 100 fruit trees in Ethiopia. Same again next year?

Easter Flowers
Calling all available flower arrangers – the decoration of the church for Easter Sunday will begin at 9.30 am on Saturday April 23rd.
This year there will also be an opportunity to have a lily as part of an arrangement in memory of a loved one. If you would like to do this, please write your name and the person(s) whom you wish to be remembered on the sheet on the clipboard. If you would like to make donation please put a contribution in to a blue gift aid envelope, write ‘Easter lily’ on the envelope, write your name and address on it if you are a taxpayer and pop it in the wooden chest on the wall. James and Gwen Miles (345230)

Visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury
An opportunity to share Archbishop Rowan's ministry at the Diocesan Eucharist at St Mary's, Banbury on Saturday 7 May, with a teaching session, for clergy, afterwards. Tickets for the morning (up to 5 for each parish) are available from your Area office and should be submitted via your parish priest. Please contact Debbie Perry (email debbie.perry@oxford.anglican.org) if you wish to attend in the afternoon.

The next couple of weeks
Morning Prayer takes place on Monday 4th and Thursday 7th April at St. Dunstan’s at 8.45 am. Before reverting back to each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday morning until Easter

Today Fourth Sunday of Lent
Mothering Sunday
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Mothering Sunday Service without Communion
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Mon 4th April 8.00 pm PCC Meeting (Church Hall)
Tues 5th April 10.30am Lent House Group (see notices)
Thurs 7th April 9.30am Healing and Holy Communion
10.30 Monks Risborough School ‘Easter’ service
2.00pm Monks Monkeys
8.00pm Lent House Group (see notices)
Sun 10th April Fifth Sunday of Lent
10.00am Parish Eucharist and Baptism
11.30am Owlswick Holy Communion
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Mon 11th April 8.00 pm Silent Prayer meeting (church hall)
Tues 12th April 10.30am Lent House Group (see notices)
Thurs 14th April 9.30am Holy Communion
8.00pm Lent House Group (see notices)
8.00pm St Dunstan’s Fellowship (see notices)
Sat 16th April 11.00 am Musical Recording in church
7.30pm Spring Concert (see notices)
Sun 17th April PALM SUNDAY AND PASSION NARRATIVE
10.00am Parish Eucharist meet in the lay-by for the procession of palms
6.00pm Choral Evensong