The Magazine, March 2004 (Section 1)

Magazine Production Team
Deadline for April magazine: 15th April

Team News

Parish Outing
Parish Outing to Christchurch and Bournemouth on Saturday the 12th June. See Len Barrett's article in this magazine.

Communion Before Confirmation
There will be another course this year to enable children to be admitted to communion. On Sunday 29th February at 4.00pm we invite parents and children to the Langley to come and find out what is involved. The actual course starts on Sunday 28th March at 4.00pm and continues through the week beginning 4th April. All sessions are at 4.00pm and the children will receive their first communion on Easter Day 11th April

11+
The 11+ group is thriving and meets monthly in the boardroom of the ABC complex next to Holy Trinity Church. Tracey Williams and her team have made a good start and welcome any young person aged 11 or over - please call her on 412159

Communion By Extension
It was a great delight to have the Archdeacon authorise 10 Eucharistic Ministers last month to take communion to those housebound or in hospital. Janet Murton, Len Barrett, Russell Goodburn, Caroline Comer-Stone, Mary James, Sue Divall, Rosemary Webb and Jean Brown are now authorised by the Bishop and the PCC to distribute communion from the main worship service and we welcome them to this ministry. We would like to hear from anyone who would like to receive the communion or from anyone who feels somebody else would like to have this ministry. At the same service, the Archdeacon also authorised Jenny Colby and Peter Bestley. Jenny is a Church Army sister with much experience of parish work and she will join the Ministry Team along with Peter Bestley an NSM priest worshipping at Holy Trinity at present. Peter and Jenny have agreed spheres of ministry and they will both be great assets to the team ministry.

The Talking Magazine
We are experimenting with a Cassette Tape version of this magazine. One or two people are sharing in the production and we hope to have the service available more widely soon. If you know of anyone who would value having the magazine on tape can you let Dave Fulker (Parish Administrator) know please?

Annual Meetings
The season of elections and annual meetings is upon us. Each church will be seeking a district warden, a PCC member and a DCC member and the parish will appoint a successor to the excellent Geoffrey Creber. Please think about whom you would like to represent the church, or even yourself! Each church will have its own annual meeting on Sunday morning 18th April and the Annual Parish Meeting is on Tuesday 27th April at 8.00pm in St Andrew’s Church. Do please try and get along to this important meeting – coffee will be served from 7.45pm onwards and we shall major on the published Diocesan Strategy document.

Electoral Roll
At that meeting we shall receive the new Electoral Roll. The present roll is at the back of each church – please check that your details are correct and that you are on it. If you are applying to local church schools, both secondary and primary, it is a basic requirement that you are on the roll.

Magazine Thanks
There is a major change in the backroom of the magazine production. John and Betty Throssell have decided that they have done their stint and we are so grateful for all their work in printing the magazine each month for the last 18 years! Frances Cann has been our typesetter but she has now taken on a fulltime and demanding job – thank you to Frances for all she has done.

Parish Away Day
The Parish Away Day will be Saturday 22nd May at Ascot Priory and we ask all DCC and PCC members to put it in their diary, and for the Lay Chair of the Synod to bring her mobile phone please!

Sandy Dutton
Sandy Dutton sends her regards to everyone. She says that life is good at Cuddesdon and she is enjoying the course.

Gill Lovell
Gill Lovell has almost finished her course at Queen's College Birmingham and she will be made Deacon on July 4th, the same day as Mark Ackford. She is to be Assistant Curate in Burnham and both she and Kevin are looking forward to beginning ministry there. Do remember them in your prayers please.

David

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News from Holy Trinity

Mothering Sunday
The big date this month is Mothering Sunday on 21st March. The DCC have agreed that we will not have a communion service, as it may be difficult to accommodate the people who might come to the service. We are inviting the uniformed organisations, as it is their 3rd Sunday, a number of other people we are in contact with and it is rumoured that there is a huge cub camp meeting in Bracknell that weekend who will come and bring their Mums and Grannies with them! As well as the 8.00am Holy Communion service, there will be another Holy Communion service at 11.15am immediately following the family service.

Lightning Work!
The wardens were rather alarmed to hear of the serious lightning strike at a Wokingham Church soon after our architect had reported that our lightning conductor was not working properly. However, thanks to Malcolm, Graham and David F, it is now in good order and the church is thought to be safe from Acts of God.

Fundraising Events
We have to do something about fundraising so the DCC has organised two really good events for you to enjoy and contribute towards the repairing of the roof.
There will be a wine-tasting quiz on Friday 21st May that promises to be a fun evening. It will be in the Langley Hall starting at 7.30pm and the idea will be to guess what the wine is that you are tasting. To some of Holy Trinity, I am told this will be easy! There will be tables of eight and the tickets will cost £10 that will include a ploughman’s supper. There will be one or two other interesting things happening that evening but these, like the wine, are shrouded in mystery! Tickets are limited and will be on sale from 4th April at the back of church
The second event is a concert by the Berkshire Youth Choir on Sunday 11th July at 7.00pm. This choir has an excellent reputation and we are fortunate to have them at Holy Trinity. More details later but please put the date in your diary.

Advance Dates
We are often asked ‘can we have more advance dates?’ so here below is a list for your diary:

David

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News from St Andrew's

February Sale
Thank you to Joyce Graham and the many people who gave of their time and energy to the February sale. The day was a great success and we raised £450 for the Team Funds. The next sale will be on the 27th March from 9am to 12noon

Sprituality and Worship Group
We have organised this year's Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham, which will take place over the weekend of the 25th - 28th June. The pilgrimage will begin with a service at St. Andrew's on the Friday morning and then we will begin the journey to Walsingham in Norfolk, arriving in the afternoon. We will leave Walsingham on the Monday morning and arrive back early evening. The cost of the weekend will be approximately £150, which includes cooked breakfast and evening meals. If you are interested please contact Jeremy on 425229.
The group has also planned a number of services for Lent. On the 1st March we celebrate St. David's day with an early morning Eucharist at 6.30am followed by breakfast. On the 19th March we celebrate St. Joseph's Day again with an early morning Eucharist followed by breakfast at 6.30am. On Palm Sunday at 8.30pm we are having a service of Compline to begin our Holy Week devotions. Then on the 7th April at 6.30am we are praying the Rosary at St. Andrew's. As well as these, we will meet each Thursday through Lent at 7.15pm for Stations of the Cross.

Lent Discussion Groups with Bracknell Methodists and St Paul's
This year we are following the course 'Face to Face.' This course, which runs over 5 weeks, picks up one of the basic claims of the Bible that we human beings are made in the image of God and we are gifted with a lifetime during which we can grow into the likeness of God. The course will run at St. Andrew's from 12 - 2pm every Monday through Lent beginning on the 1st March. In the evenings the same course will run at St. Paul's at 8pm. All are welcome.

Johnston Court Day Centre
It is with great sadness that at the end of March the day centre which has offered elderly people the opportunity of friendship and a home cooked meal for many years will close. St Andrew's has always kept in touch with the centre through regular communion services and visiting. We hold in our prayers the staff and the people who visit Johnston Court.

14th March Lovegroves Memorial Service at St. Andrew's at 3pm .
Every year Lovegroves funeral directors hold a service for those families who have suffered bereavement over the last 12 months. As well as offering support to the families, a collection is made for a charity. This year that charity is Homestart which helps young families with children under five years old.

Glenys Harrowell
It was with great sadness that we at St. Andrew's heard of the sudden death of Glenys a kind and popular member of the congregation. We remember Sue, Daryll and James in our prayers.
 
Fr Jeremy

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News from St Paul's

Young people are part of the focus at St Paul’s at the moment.

Small Time
Starting from the very young, Small Time, our weekly ‘toddler’s age’ service is thriving. Young children and their carers descend upon St Paul’s on a Thursday morning to enjoy bible stories, prayer, enthusiastic singing as well as squash, biscuits with loads of coffee to keep the adults sane.
A dedicated band of helpers keeps this group going and they provide not only the catering and the bible stories but also a creative activity to compliment the theme each week. This is a valuable ministry and I know it is appreciated by many people.

Children's Club
The Children’s Club is going through a stage of transition as the Children’s Club team, wonderfully organised by Angela Evan, are trying a new approach to running the groups. They will start with an activity that can be shared by all children, and then a variety of activities will be offered for all to enjoy.

Older Children
The children at St Paul’s do enjoy their groups on a Sunday and this is a tribute to all those who give time and effort to this ministry. The group for the older children meets on a regular basis and this is helping to keep the older children within the life of St Paul’s Church.

Boy's & Girl's Brigade
The URC led Boy’s and Girl’s Brigade are also going from strength to strength and evenings at St Paul’s finds the building bursting with activity, music and usually the most wonderful smell of something being made in the kitchen.

Chair Idol Competition
Other news includes the great ‘Chair Idol’ competition! We are going to buy new chairs for our church, but which design, and what colour…?
To help us choose Peter Flint has found samples from various manufactures and placed them at the back of the church. We then have to try them all out and vote for our favourite - watch this place for the announcement of the all time winner.

Christian Aid
Stuart Robinson sends many thanks to everyone who donated to the 'Christian Aid at Christmas' envelope campaign at St Paul's Shared Church in December, which raised £52.00. Apologies for the delay in reporting, but it's taken a while to get to a Co-operative Bank! For advance information, this year's 'Christian Aid Week' will be between 9th and 15th May.
 
Catherine

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Parish Register

Please remember them and their families in your prayers

Baptisms

We welcome into God's family:

Holy Trinity

St Andrew's
Michelle Kathleen Cosham
Trisha Ann Cosham

Funerals

We commit to God's care and keeping:

Glenys Harrowell	Aged 65
Nancy Futcher	Aged 72
Richard Hopkins	Aged 72
Evelyn Mary Wise	Aged 83
Harold Limmer (Harry)	Aged 86
Gladys Caulfield	Aged 88
Phyllis Ruscue	Aged 88
David Russell	Aged 97

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March Diary

This can be found in For your Diary...

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March Prayer Diary

This can be found in Prayer Diary

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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 39:20 – 40:7
Joseph stayed in prison (39,20): could he fall any lower? First he lost his tunic as a son to his brothers, and then his tunic as a slave at the hands of his master Potiphar’s wife (39:12). Joseph seems to be in a situation with no way out. As a slave he has no rights. It would not be surprising if Joseph rejected his faith in God and withdrew into feeling sorry for himself.
The Lord was with Joseph (39:2,21,23): this refrain is repeated, even if Joseph’s situation becomes gloomy and hopeless. And yet the Lord’s presence is not a guarantee that his life will have no problems. Otherwise Joseph would have surely complained, “Why did God permit this to happen?” On the contrary, the Lord’s presence becomes for him a source of conduct in all situations. That is why Joseph accepts his situation, even in prison. He tries to do his best there; he does not become bitter. The guardian even entrusts the other prisoners to him. A situation like that can become creative.
The turning point for Joseph, his movement upward, begins right there in prison, at the lowest point, where the Lord descended with him. We see Joseph concerned for the well being of his fellow prisoners. Joseph has changed: he no longer thinks he is a god (37:9); he creates with God. The turning point begins one morning with a question which is apparently trivial: “Why do you look so gloomy today?” (40:7). Just as the Lord had compassion on Joseph, Joseph is sensitive to the problems of others (Luke 6:36). Two of his fellow prisoners slept poorly. When Joseph sees their faces early in the morning, he understands by their expressions that they have a deeper problem. He takes an interest in them, and so they can express to Joseph what worried them during the night. That will lead to Joseph’s liberation from prison (41:7) and a life not just of service to his fellow prisoners, but to an entire people concerned that they will starve (41:55).

In what situations am I called to be a creator with God?
How does compassion manifest itself in my day-to-day life?

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.

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