The Magazine, June 2004 (Section 1)

Magazine Production Team
Deadline for July magazine: 15th June

Team News

Parish Awayday
The Away Day takes place before the deadline of the magazine but we look forward to setting new goals in the Bracknell Team Ministry. All our previous goals have been met and it is interesting to look back where we have come in the last few years.

Animal Service
The Animal Service takes place in Holy Trinity on 20th June at 3.00pm and is properly a Thanksgiving Service for animals. The former Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd John Baker will be the preacher. Everyone with any kind of animal is welcome and we look forward to seeing lots of people!

Mark Ackford
Mark Ackford becomes our new curate next month. He is to be deaconed on Sunday 4th July in Christ Church and we extend a warm welcome to him, Suzanne and the family. They will live at 4 Micheldever Way and I am sure their presence in Forest Park will be welcomed. They move into the house on 2nd June.

Wardens
The Elections at the Annual Meeting were encouraging and we welcome Brenda Mullins as our new Parish Warden. All the wardens along with the clergy went to the Bishop Stephen’s Visitation and were duly sworn in. They have met together as a standing committee and already there are new and positive directions being suggested.

Ranelagh
There was a dramatic end to the Ranelagh Selection procedure this year, which saw all those who appealed admitted because of doubts about the whole process. Changes may well be put in place next year and I urge all parents who are considering making application to Ranelagh School to contact me during this month. If you wait until papers are made available you might find yourselves disadvantaged.

David

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

News from Holy Trinity

Churchyard
The Churchyard is giving us a spot of bother at the moment. Our grass cutter has had to go into hospital and we are finding it difficult to find a suitable replacement. We are negotiating the use of people doing community hours and we hope to have several jobs done during the next month.


Fundraising
The Smarties Appeal was a great success! We raised nearly £1400 and it will go to the roof fund. Thank you to all those who took part and to the two Johns, our Monday counters, for processing the whole thing.
The next fund-raising date is 11th July when we are very privileged to have the Berkshire Youth Choir in Concert. This is the first time that they have performed in Bracknell for many a long year. They have won numerous awards including recently the Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year Award. In addition to the choir there will be instrumentalists who will rival anything seen on the Young Musician of the Year programme. It is a concert not to be missed and starts at 8pm. The tickets, which include a free glass of wine, are £8 (£6 for concessions) and are on sale at the back of church and from the Parish Office. Call the parish office on 01344 867383 to order your ticket.


D-Day Landings
There will be a special ceremony at the War Memorial in the town centre on 6th June at 11.30am to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France.

David

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

News from St Andrew's

St Andrew's Quiz Night
Thank you to all the people from the parish who supported the Parish Quiz and Fish and Chip Supper . Everyone had a good evening and over £200 was raised for the Bracknell Team. Special thanks to Bernard and Sarah for all their hard work. Congratulations to the team from St. Paul's who won for the third time.

10th June - Corpus Christi at St. Andrew's 8pm
All are welcome to join us for a celebration of the Eucharist. This is the day when we give thanks for the institution of Holy Communion. Following the service we will share some refreshments.

12th June
The parish outing to Christchurch and Bournemouth has proved very popular. Len Barrett tells me that we have filled a 57 seater coach. During the day we will share a communion service at Christchurch Priory followed by a relaxing time at the sea side.

New DCC & Warden
Congratulations to John Jayaseelan as he takes up the post as St. Andrew's District Warden to replace Brenda Mullins who has become the new Team Warden. We welcome Len Barrett and Pearl Harvey as two new members of the DCC. It will be a busy year as we try to take on the challenges of the Away Day. Special thanks to Brenda for all her work as St. Andrew's warden.

Spirituality and Worship
Thank you to the people of this group who work hard to plan the quiet meditative services and plan the Walsingham Pilgrimage. This year there are 21 people going to Norfolk to share a pilgrim journey of faith, to enjoy the hospitality of the people of Walsingham and to meet with pilgrims from all around Britain.

Fr Jeremy

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

News from St Paul's

It has been a busy month for St Paul’s. Our annual church meeting has heralded an exciting year ahead including the introduction of new services books and the strengthening and deepening of our partnership with the United Reformed Church.

We also elected a new warden and half of the DCC are new people coming on board. We also have new sidespeople and new volunteers for reading and intercessions.

The following week was the 10th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood and St Paul’s felt well chuffed at marking this event. After all St Paul’s are on their third woman incumbent as well as having supported women Lay ministers – what a marvellous group of people.

Then, just a week later we had the first of our ‘Training Day’ for those who have an active part in the service. A group representing sidespeople, readers and intercessors gathered in the vestibule and took a long hard look at all the jobs the support teams have to do before, during and after the service.

And, we quickly found out, this is no mean feat and I am staggered at how many things people have to remember! This has also illustrated just how many people go about their roles with quiet service and faithfulness.

So, to make this easier in the future the information we gathered will be collated and then on our second training day we will endeavour to make sure everyone knows who is doing what and when…and if possible why!

Our Christian Aid Service this year was very moving and this was especially helped by the music being led by Ncompass the United Reformed Church’s music group. They certainly hit the right note on that Sunday, there was a fabulous new rendition of the Lord’s Prayer, sung to the tune of ‘The Sound of Silence’ as well as a thumping upbeat version of ‘At the Name of Jesus’.

The congregation was very inspired by the service and, as we came out, the band was playing a song called ‘Rejoice’. Audrey came through the doors and proclaimed, ‘Oh I feel like dancing…’

Finally, last Tuesday was the visitation of our new Bishop and the Archdeacon and here Anne Wood renewed her commitment as churchwarden and Russell Goodburn was sworn in as our new district warden. So welcome Russell and may God bless you, our new DCC and all at St Paul’s as we begin this exciting new stage in the life of our church

Catherine

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

Parish Register

Please remember them all in your prayers

Baptisms

We welcome into the God's family

Holy Trinity
Cameron Fotheringham
Oliver Andrew Rayden Maclachlan
Nathan James Mule
Marcus Pearce Willmoth

St Andrew's
Daniel Martin Jones
Jessica Denise Robinson

Funerals

We commit to God's care

Margaret Towills	Aged 63
John Wise	Aged 64
John MacMorran (Jock)	Aged 71
Leonard Evans	Aged 77
Samuel Hearne (Sam)	Aged 77
Robert Muir	Aged 93

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

June Diary

This can be found in For your Diary...

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

June Prayer Diary

This can be found in Prayer Diary

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]

Taizé Meditation

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.

Genesis 4:1-16
This passage tells us about the two brothers who bring their offering to God, the fruit of their labour, and that God “had regard for Abel and his offering but not for Cain and his offering.” We could ask why. For what reason does God not look at these two brothers in the same way? The text gives no answer to this question. As in so many situations, we are invited to deal with a fact that has taken place without knowing the causes that led to it.
We may wonder if it is really true that God does not accept Cain’s offering or if it is Cain who, unlike his brother, has the impression that he is not well regarded. God does not have the same attitude with respect to these two brothers. This raises questions: Are we not all different? Is it worth comparing ourselves to others? Cain certainly had gifts that Abel did not have. “Why are you downcast?” God asks Cain. God looks at him and sees his sadness. God speaks to Cain, which he did not do to Abel. But Cain does not “lift up his head.” He refuses to look further forward and instead withdraws into his jealousy. He does not manage to control the violent impulse that wells up in him and he kills his brother.
Cain could not live in peace with his brother nor be glad about the different gifts each person has received. He destroys the harmony that reigned and he cannot live from his labour, as he did previously. But he does not lose God’s love and attention. God “places a mark on him” to protect him. God loves every human being as he or she is, with their defects. And when we lift up our eyes to welcome God’s love, we may become more attentive to these questions that arise from the depths of our heart: “Where is your brother? What have you done?”

How can we leave aside the voices, however legitimate they may be, that can lead to disputes or even to violence?

What can help me to accept others better, with their differences and in spite of all their weaknesses?

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.

Further information on Taizé can be obtained from the Community's website.

[ Top Of Page ] [ Section 2] [ Section 3]