Pew Sheet 16th February 2014

St Dunstan’s Church, Monks Risborough
& St. Peter’s Chapel, Owlswick
Registered Charity Number: 1153869.

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

Churchwardens:
Sue Ingram 01844 275287 suemingram@hotmail.com 
Susanne Dodds 01844 342746 susanne@sunfire-uk.com

Welcome!

We hope you will enjoy worshipping here with us.
Coffee is served in the church hall after the 10am service.
Please see our welcome leaflet on the table for all of our services and activities

The Junior Church (10 o’clock Club) meet in the Church Hall before coming into Church for Communion

 

Sunday 16th February 2014

Third Sunday before Lent

We have come together to worship the God who loves us wholeheartedly. May we learn to respond with our whole hearts and to share that love with those around us.

10.00 am          Parish Eucharist (Rev Kevan Royle)
Hymns: 367, 12, 9
Communion: 625, 484, 930
Psalm: 119 v1-8

First Reading      Deuteronomy 30:15-20
We can love God, following the commandments given for our benefit, and thus choose life – or allow our hearts to stray from God and thus lead us away from both love and life.

Second Reading       1 Corinthians 3:1-9
God calls us to work together and help others to grow in faith, but such growth is ultimately from God and should not be a source of quarrelling or jealousy between Christian factions.

Gospel      Matthew 5:21-37
As elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that, if we’re to grow as disciples, following the commandments begins in the heart and is not just a matter of outward appearance or action.
                       
6.00 pm            Choral Evensong
Readings: Amos 3 v 1-8, Ephesians 5 v 1-17
Hymns: 684, 447, 105
Psalm: 13

Prayer for the Week
All-seeing God, you alone judge rightly our inmost thoughts. Teach us to observe your law from the heart, even as we keep it outwardly. Purify our desires, calm every anger, and reconcile us to one another, Then will our worship at your altar render you perfect praise. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns in you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Your prayers are asked in the coming weeks for:

• The victims of the floods in our own country and elsewhere, for all those whom disasters have left homeless, injured or bereaved, for the emergency services and all those giving their time and energy to help.
• The General Synod of the Church of England and the outworking of the legislation regarding the appointment of women as Bishops
• Universities, for all undergraduates that it may be time to broaden both academic and social horizons
• For Chiltern Railways, Arriva Buses, Taxi Drivers
• and others working in public transport. 
• Those who live in Park Meadow (PR) Studridge Lane (Sp)
• Those who are sick in our parish:
• And also further afield for:
  • Joan Male, Bill Male, Richard Irvine, Alastair, David Holding, Matt Elworthy, Uncle Frank
• The recently departed: Jean Monaghan
• Those whose anniversary of death falls at this time:
  • Betty Ford, Jean Kingham, Arthur Howes, Susan Watson, Betty Newport, Alf Godfrey
    

Please remember the charities that the parish supports:
Rope (Relief for Oppressed People Everywhere), combating oppressive poverty across the world and striving to change the lives of the poor.

 

Notices

Your help is required – and it won’t cost you a penny!
This year will see further major expenditure to complete the churchyard extension (£12,000) and repair the stonework to the church (£20,000). If you add in from 2013 the cost of the archaeological dig (£17,000), the cleaning of the organ (£4,000), the tree work in the churchyard (£5,000) and the installation of a roof alarm (£4,000), the total spent on major projects over the past two years will be £62,000. More repairs are likely in the foreseeable future e.g. the replacement of the church boiler at an estimated cost of £8,000. Much of this cost is being met out of the church’s reserves but we are also applying for various grants that are available. One of these grants is potentially worth £15,000. To help in this application, a photograph of the whole congregation will be taken immediately after the 10am service next Sunday, February 23rd. Please can you stay behind for five minutes after the service to take part in this. James

More welcomers (sidespersons) required
It is frequently commented on how friendly the church is. This is in part owing to the welcome given by those who give out the books, read the lessons etc. on a Sunday morning. If you are interested in being involved in this role please can you speak to James, Sue or Susanne. The commitment is one or two Sundays every three or four months.

Copies of a draft Parish Eucharist for Easter
We have some copies of the updated order of service for the Parish Eucharist for the season of Easter. If people could share these around, pass their comments on to the worship group and put the copies back on the table so that others can have a look at them that would be very helpful. Thank you, James and Rob.

Friendship Group
We meet in the church hall on the third Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm. The next meeting is Wednesday 19th February.

‘Open house’ – Wednesday February 19th
This group meets every six to eight weeks on different evenings to explore various issues of faith. Each evening begins with a DVD. The next meeting is on Wednesday February 19th at 8 pm at the Rectory. The DVD is entitled ‘She’ and picks up on the female imagery of God. All are welcome. For more information please contact James.

St. Dunstan's Fellowship
The next walk is on Tuesday 25th February – please meet in the layby off the A4010 at 9.15am. Knit-ins” will be in the Church Hall on the 4th Thursday of each month starting at 2.00pm.

‘The Big Dig’ Talk – March 8th at 7 pm.
Following the archaeological dig in 2013 at St. Dunstan’s, Jill Eyers who was in charge of the dig has agreed to come back to give a talk on “The Monks of Monks Risborough - the story as seen from the Big Dig at St Dunstan's”. The talk will be held on Saturday March 8th in the church. Tickets are £5 and are available from Pat Kimber (01844) 273942. A complimentary glass of wine/soft drink will be served as part of the evening with the chance to ask questions at the end of the talk. If you would like extracts of the electronic copy of the report of the dig that has been compiled please send an email to James. If you do not have access to e mail but would like to see parts of the report please can you buddy up with a person who does have internet access so that they can let you have sight of them. James

Time to pray?
On Saturday March 15th at The Rectory from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon, there will be time to enjoy some coffee and cake with a theme of ‘prayers of intercession’. This is aimed towards those people who currently lead the prayers on a Sunday morning, those people who think they might wish to have a try at this or those who have a particular interest in this area. There will be a chance to share current practice, some hints and tips and plenty of time for questions. If you are interested in coming please speak with James or Rob.

Revised Church Electoral Roll
The electoral roll seeks to reflect church membership as closely as possible and provides a general barometer of the vibrancy of the worshipping community. If you are not currently on the electoral roll please complete and return an electoral roll form by March 17th to the electoral roll officer: Mr Roger Timms, Nags Head House, Aylesbury Road, Monks Risborough,  HP27 0JT. Forms are available on the table in the church, in the porch and from Roger.

Bloxham Festival of Faith and Literature
This year this is on the theme of War and Peace. It runs from Friday 30 May - Sunday 1 June 2014. It hosts a number of excellent speakers and sessions. For full details please log on to http://www.bloxhamfaithandliterature.co.uk

The Next Few Weeks 

Morning Prayer usually takes place on Mondays (except Bank Holidays), Wednesday and Thursday at 8.45 at St. Dunstan’s.

Tues 18th Feb	7.30pm CTR prayer meeting at St. Mary’s Chapter House, Princes Risborough (see notice in porch)
Wed 19th Feb	2.30pm Friendship Group 8.00pm ‘Open House’ at the Rectory
Thurs 20th Feb	9.30am Holy Communion
Sun 23rd Feb	10.00am Parish Eucharist 3.00pm Owlswick Choral Evensong (Preacher: Rev Steve Williams)
Mon 24th Feb	8.00pm PCC Meeting (church hall)
Thurs 27th Feb	9.30am Holy Communion 2.00pm Monks Monkeys (in church)
Sun 2nd March	8.00am Holy communion (BCP) 10.00am All Age Family Communion Service and Baptisms of Bella Graham and Olivia Smith 6.00pm Choral Evensong
Wed 5th Mar Ash Wednesday	2.30pm Monks Risborough School Service 8.00pm Parish Eucharist and imposition of ashes
Thurs 6th Mar	9.30am Healing & Holy Communion 2.00pm Monks Monkeys
Sat 8th Mar	7.00pm ‘The Big Dig’ talk by Dr Jill Eyers (see notices)
Sun 9th Mar	10.00am Parish Eucharist 11.30am Owlswick Holy Communion 6.00pm Choral Evensong