Bracknell Team Ministry

New Team Vicar
Andrew Frearson has been appointed as the new team vicar within the Bracknell Team and responsibility for St Andrew's. I am delighted that Andrew will be joining us - he will bring many skills, experience, and a spiritual ministry that will be much valued in Bracknell. The appointing team were unanimous in their view and it was the product of a good day at St Andrew's. Our many thanks to those at St Andrew's who were so hospitable and looked after us during the day. Andrew's starting date is as yet uncertain, much depends on the Bishop of Reading's diary and a whole host of practical matters to deal with. We are hoping that Andrew will begin in the early Spring but there is a little matter of his wedding to Lyn to happen first!

Holy Week
The Holy Week services begin with the Palm Sunday celebrations in each church. On the successive Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10th, 11th and 12th April, there will be a service for all of us in St Andrew's at 8.00pm. On Saturday 15th April, there is the Easter Vigil at St Andrew's at 8.00pm.

Annual Parish Meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting is Wednesday 5th April at 8pm in the Langley Hall. Coffee will be served from 7.45pm. The main item on the agenda will be a review of the core values of the parish and a look at the possible scenarios about the Deanery Pastoral Plan.

ALPHA PLUS begins on Thursday 5th May. Tell people about this opportunity and come along yourself. Each session begins at 7.00pm with a simple meal and finishes at 9.30pm. Come and try this experience from which millions across the world have benefited!

David

Annual Meeting
The Annual Holy Trinity Meeting is on Sunday 2nd April. We shall have a said service at 10am first and then our meeting follows immediately afterwards.

Wedding
Sue Divall and Steve Halls are getting married in Holy Trinity on Saturday 15th April at 3.00pm. All members of the congregation are invited to be there and to the cake cutting after in the Langley Hall.

Easter at Holy Trinity

Palm Sunday 9 April	10.00am	Stations of the Cross
Tuesday 10th April	8.00pm	Service of Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
Wednesday 11th April	8.00pm	Service of Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
Thursday 12th April	8.00pm	Service of Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
Maundy Thursday	8.00pm	Holy Communion and stripping of the altars
Good Friday	2.00pm	An hour at the Cross Children’s project in the Langley Hall
Saturday 15th April	8.00pm	Easter Vigil at St Andrew’s Church
Easter Day	10.00am	Easter Day Family Communion Service

St. Andrew's Team Vicar
By the time the April issue of this magazine appears, the decision reached following the interviews on 15th March will have been announced. (See Team News —Ed.)

We at St. Andrew's hope that the outcome will turn out to be for the best, not just for St. Andrew's but also for the whole Team and the local community.

St. Patrick and Evangelism
On 17th March we celebrated St. Patrick's day with an early morning Eucharist at 6.30 am. Peter led the service and said a few words about St. Patrick which are also particularly relevant to us at the present time. By all accounts St. Patrick was primarily an evangelist, and we know that he drew many people in Ireland to Christ.

For many Christians in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, the word 'evangelism' conjures up associations with the "evangelical" wing of the Church of England. But evangelism is not limited to any particular style or tradition of churchmanship. Rather, it simply means proclaiming and explaining the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard it yet. This is a call to all of us as Christians; and in this respect we are all, in the very best sense, "broad church".

If, as the well-known hymn declares, "we have a Gospel to proclaim", then we need to discover, through prayer, Scripture, fellowship, study and experience, how to go about it. The task is not easy, but then we would not expect it to be. And we need to remember that we always have the Holy Spirit with us.

Repairs
The broken windows have now all been repaired, including the window in the roof near the bell. Also, the notice-board has been strengthened and re-erected more securely in a slightly different location, away from the main road but still easily visible.
We wish to thank Janet Murton for her initiative in getting this work done before the recent Team Vicar interviews. Also our thanks go to Lovegroves, who did the work to the notice-board.

Simon Sellick
District Warden, St. Andrew's

Socials
There have been some excellent social occasions at St Paul's recently.

Pancake Party
This was a lovely occasion organised by our social committee. Fifty or so people of all ages gathered in the Church Hall and shared pancakes, fun and a Beetle Drive. Particular thanks to Sarah Burns for making so many delicious pancakes and to those who provided the fillings.

Holy Moses
There was doubt that the children’s half term activity might not happen this year as Judith Flint is no longer with us to provide the music but others in St. Paul's really ‘pulled out all the stops’ to produce Holy Moses – a show of songs about Moses.

One of the helpers, Christine, said ‘It was fantastic; the whole week was, especially the way the children and adults prepared for the musical event’. Everyone worked so hard during the week preparing the songs, the music, the acting, the scenery, the costumes and the props and then it was shown to an impressed audience twice on the Sunday afternoon.

The youngsters were also supported by the hastily gathered adult choir who, after a short rehearsal time, also managed to produce the goods.

Small Time
Our special morning for under fives and their carers and helpers is also growing as new people come along to join. One week in march saw a huge turn out as Mark Ackford lead the children with a Bible story and songs.

Tuesday Afternoon Fellowship
This is a new venture for St Paul's. The afternoon consists of a short time of devotions, a presentation from a speaker, a good cup of tea and plenty of time to chat. The next speaker will be the Chaplain from Thames Hospicecare who will share experiences from chaplaincy work in a hospice.

Looking Forward
We are now looking forward to Easter and we have shared services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Catherine Blundell

Baptisms

Funerals

These meditations are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the Bible Passage with this short commentary and reflect on the questions which follow.

Numbers 11: 24-30

In the course their long journey in the wilderness, Moses and the people of Israel passed through many different stages and crises. Chapter 11 of the book of Numbers recounts one of the most important of these. Having to deal with the complaints of the people, which are becoming more and more strident, Moses realizes that his responsibilities have become too heavy for him. So he gathers together a group of seventy respected men to help him. He asks God to support them in their task by giving them the Spirit. But two of the men chosen do not come, although Moses is unaware of this. Nonetheless, the Spirit of God comes down upon them all, even on the two who remained apart.

Worried about this division and the new difficulties it could cause, Joshua, Moses’ faithful assistant, rushes up to him and expresses his concern. But Moses does not share Joshua’s reservations. “Are you jealous because of me?” he asks him. Moses is not worried about himself; he continues to trust in the presence of God and invites Joshua to do the same. Moses also says, “If only all the Lord’s people would receive the Spirit from the Lord and become prophets!”

In the experience of the women and men of the Old Testament, the presence of God’s Spirit was given for a time, usually for one particular purpose. The Spirit came from God and then went back to him. In the steps of Christ, the first Christians affirmed that the Spirit was now given to all believers, and that this presence remained forever (John 14:15-17). In the light of this story from the book of Numbers, it can be said that, animated by the Holy Spirit, we are called to encourage one another mutually in order to grow (see Ephesians 4:7-13), to go forward all together, even in the midst of crises, towards the future that God opens up.

- When tensions appear in situations where we have a responsibility, what helps us to keep on trusting and not to be worried about ourselves? How does the example of Moses inspire and challenge us?

- Going forward all together, even in the midst of crises: what does that mean for me, for us today?

Take time at the end to pray, thanking God for his presence, asking for what you need for yourself, and for those things close to your heart.

The Magazine, April 2006 (Section 1)

Baptisms

Funerals