St James The Great
Old Milverton, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Churchyard Clearing
The dates for churchyard clearing this year are:
- Saturday 11th April
- Saturday 13th June
- Saturday 22nd August
- Saturday 17th October
- Saturday 12th December (leaf clearance)
Please put all these dates in your diaries and come along and help if you are able between 10.00am and 12.30pm (bring your own tools). Refreshments will be provided.
Dear Friends
The primroses are out in the churchyard, the magnolia is about to burst into flower and all around us the world is slowly turning green once again – in many ways, Easter feels to be about the rebirth we experience in the natural world each spring just as much as Jesus own resurrection on Easter morning.
Two things coming up in April that you may like to do:
On Saturday 11th April, St Mary Magdalene are holding a coffee morning in aid of the Belveder Ukraine Charity (who we support through our collection box at the back of church). Go along and enjoy coffee and cake if you can.
Here at St James, we will be joined at our Dog Walkers’ coffee morning on Saturday 25th April by the diocesan biodiversity team as we join in with the City Nature Challenge. The aim of this is to identify as many different species that live in and around our churchyard as possible. You don’t have to be knowledgeable, just take a photo on your phone and share your findings with the team who will be able to tell you what you’ve found (I’m going to make use of my Merlin bird App as well).
The biodiversity team will also be joining us in both May and June to engage with us in some different activities – more on this and a request for us to complete a questionnaire in Geoff’s Eco-Tips item in the Update.
Finally – if you haven’t changed my email address in your contacts please do it now: the old one will stop working very soon!
My love to you all – have a wonderful Easter
Sue x
The Lord is risen
He is risen indeed: Alleluia!
We will be leaving the church open at weekends, whenever practical, from Easter Day through to the end of September
N.B. there will be NO Prayer space this month
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Sunday 26th April after a shortened service of Morning Worship – please stay and hear what our PCC have been doing on your behalf over the past year: we promise it won’t be a long meeting!
Readers, Intercessors and Stewards – Geoff will be putting together the next rota very soon. If you are aware of any dates between May and August when you know you are not available, it would be really helpful if you could let him know as soon as possible. If you would like to join the rota in any capacity, speak to Jane or Michael.
Our summer series of Evening Prayer will run from May to September this year, on the first Sunday evening of each month. Join us at 6pm on 3rd May for a gentle, reflective service to end the day.
At the Dog Walkers’ coffee on Saturday 25th April, we will be joining in with the City Nature Challenge. Come along and help us to find as many as possible of the species of plants and creatures that live in and around our churchyard.
At the moment, the Foodbank is short of Deodorant, razors for shaving, shaving foam/gel, Squash (small), tinned potatoes, tinned rice pudding, cooking oil, multipack crisps/ snacks, oat milk. You might also like to drop a small Easter egg into a collection bin in your local supermarket in the coming week, to ensure it reaches the foodbank before Easter.
Safeguarding Survey
The diocese are asking as many of us as are willing to complete a survey as part of the wider independent survey into safeguarding standards in the Church of England. You can do this by going online at:
https:// ineqe.com/churchofengland/coventry
There are different categories – click on ‘the Parish Community’ to complete it as a parishioner. All surveys are anonymous.
Churchyard mowing is now underway –may I remind those of you with graves in the churchyard that we ask you to have only one pot or container on each grave. I will be moving excess pots this coming week and placing them by the church for you to collect (close to the water butts). Ornaments will be put in church for safe-keeping and can be collected on Sunday mornings. Anything unclaimed at the end of April will be disposed of.
Thought for the month: The hope that Easter brings
Read ‘Easter in 40 Words’. How does it make you feel? Perhaps one or two of the lines particularly resonate with you at the moment, depending on how life is going.
Holy Week takes us through such a rollercoaster of emotions, from the joy of ‘Hosanna’ on Palm Sunday, to the intimacy of Maundy Thursday evening when we remember the Last Supper and then watch as everyone deserts Jesus.
On Good Friday, as we stand at the foot of the cross with those who experienced the crucifixion of Jesus, I always find myself drawn in to the drama and however often I hear it, the moment when Jesus dies is always hard to deal with.
On the Saturday, the challenge for me is to hold on to all those feelings and not allow myself to be drawn straight back in to ways of the world around me, as people rush about shopping, gardening, visiting friends and so on. For just a little while, I need to remember the stillness and emptiness that the disciples must have felt if I am to truly experience the wonder and joy of Easter Day as we gather together in a church full of flowers and light to sing ‘Jesus Christ is risen today Alleluia!’.
I encourage you to find a little space in the busy week ahead to be still and spend just a little time each day in God’s presence. You may like to read the words opposite again and wonder at the message of Easter that comes to us afresh each year – the message of hope in the midst of a dark and difficult world; the message of love, forgiveness and grace that we are offered by the God who died and rose again so that he might open the gate of glory and invite us home.
With love,
Sue
Clergy
Revd. William Smith 316475 wms.smith@btinternet.com
Revd. Sue Fairhurst 735254 suefairhurst0@gmail.com
Reader
Geoff Wiggin 07585 336471 geogeoff@live.co.uk
Safeguarding Officer
Penny Hawkins 07833 978522
Churchwardens
Michael Rayner 831522
Jane Marshall 831680
Website & email
www.stjamesoldmilverton.co.uk churchwardenstjames@outlook.com
Our Holy Week services follow the same pattern as in past years:
On the evening of Maundy Thursday we have a very quiet and reflective time together with readings and music. This begins at 7.30pm and lasts about an hour.
The Good Friday Service at 10.30am is our usual mix of bible readings, reflections and hymns followed by coffee and hot cross buns down in the Parish Room.
Come and join in with one or both of these as we journey together from the cross to the joy of Easter Day itself.
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Collect for Easter Sunday
Parish News
Ali Foster © 2013