Weekly Newsletter 31st March

Dear friends,

I cannot believe we are at the end of March already. Easter is almost upon us and the weather has been playing tricks on us all these past couple of weeks hasn’t it? We’ve been donning the shorts and sandals one moment, then out come the gloves for the (horizontal!) snow the next.

There is a lot going on over the next few weeks and weekends. This Sunday we have two wonderful traditional services at Ashampstead and Aldworth on offer. With opportunity to quietly reflect, or to sing beautiful hymns - whatever takes your fancy! Alternatively at Basildon it is our Bacon Butty Sunday. It promises to be filled with lively songs, a messy talk and is particularly special as we baptise Ronnie and Sienna as part of the service too. Oh and don’t forget yummy bacon butties (veg option too) afterwards as well! All details below.

One special mention is the Café which will run on Monday 4th. We are donating all proceeds to the UK response fund for Ukraine. Any amount we raise will also be additionally match-funded, so please do pop along, bring a friend and buy a coffee.

Hope to see you very soon.

Love and blessings,
Grant

The Benefice Weekly Newsletter

Coming up!

Services this Sunday

We livestream a 10am service each week. Please click here to visit our channel

Future Dates & Events

Next week’s services

Prayer Points

Please do continue to pray for Ukraine, for those caught in hostilities, those who are mourning, and for the political situation. Lord, Have Mercy.

Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation amongst rising cases of covid and large backlogs for procedures.

Please pray for HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the Jubilee celebrations this year.

Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from illnesses.

Please pray for the baptisms of Ronnie and Sienna this week.

Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.

If you would like something to appear in this weekly newsletter please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Also, if you have any church family news that you would like me to share with the community then do let me know and I can certainly add it in.

Previous Messages

Weekly Newsletter 25th March

Dear friends,

I hope this update finds you and those you love well. This Sunday is Mothering Sunday and I am pleased to say that due to us Fensomes being in Covid induced isolation, the ministry team have once again stepped up and we are able to offer three wonderful family services in our churches this Sunday. Do join us if you are able.

This past week marked the two year anniversary of the first lockdown in the UK back in 2020. I must admit feeling a great deal of sadness and grief as we reflect on all that has been lost over these two years. Of course with the continued war in Ukraine now entering its fifth week, we continue to pray for God’s peace and protection. I read that some 150,000 homes have now been offered as accommodation for the Ukrainian people in response to the invasion. What a wonderful offer of sanctuary and hope that is. Let us continue to pray that the correct safeguarding steps can be overcome quickly and efficiently so that these homes may be filled with all those seeking shelter.

We have now finalised our plans for Holy Week and Easter, which will be published on the website this week.

Finally, I hope you enjoy the slightly revised, yet more interactive newsletter.

Love and blessings,

Grant

The Benefice Weekly Newsletter

Coming up!

This Sunday

We livestream a 10am service each week. Please click here to visit our channel

Future Dates & Events

Next week’s services

Prayer Points

Please do continue to pray for Ukraine, for those caught in hostilities, those who are mourning, and for the political situation. Lord, Have Mercy.

Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation amongst rising cases of covid and large backlogs for procedures.

Please pray for HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the Jubilee celebrations this year.

Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from illnesses.

Please pray for the baptisms of Ronnie and Sienna next week.

Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.

If you would like something to appear in this weekly newsletter please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Also, if you have any church family news that you would like me to share with the community then do let me know and I can certainly add it in.

Previous Messages

Weekly Newsletter 10th March

Dear Friends,

I hope this update find you and those you love well.

Many folks have been asking what we can do to help with the sad crisis in Ukraine. There are plenty of things we can do, although many of them still don’t feel like ‘enough’. I have pledged our support to the Sanctuary Foundation which means that we can offer to host and support families who may end up needing somewhere to live, if the boarder issues are sorted. We can also give donations both financially and material items. There are plenty of places to do this. We can also sign the petition calling the government to provide increased humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. You can find it here if you are interested. Finally, we can pray.

Some prayer resources from the Church of England can be found here. Some prayer resources from Bishop Steven can be found here.

We prayed for the people of Ukraine on the first of our Lent walks this week and at the services last Sunday. We shall continue to do this at all of our events and services over the coming weeks. Why not join us this week as we seek peace and cry out ‘Lord, have mercy’.

Love

Grant

Weekly Newsletter 3rd March

Hi all,

I hope this finds you well. Please see below this week’s news and notice sheet. We’ve had a fabulous start to the new Tiddlers group this week, so a huge thank you to everybody who kindly donated and purchased toys for it. We’re also really looking forward to the new style family service ‘Bacon Butty Sunday’ beginning at Basildon this weekend too! We also have our family service at Ashampstead and the early communion service at Aldworth. If you’ve been thinking about Ukraine this week and want to join us in praying for peace then the service details are below and you are most welcome to join us at any service. Also, there is a prayer for peace underneath as well which we can all pray at home.

God bless you.

Love

Grant

Please join with us as we continue to pray for peace.

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

Lord we ask for peace for those who need peace, reconciliation for those who need reconciliation and comfort for all who don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Lord may your Kingdom come, and Your will be done. 

Lord God, we ask for you to be with all – especially children who are suffering as the crisis in Ukraine deteriorates. Lord for those who are anxious and fearful. For those who are bereaved, injured or who have lost their lives. And for those who have lost loved ones. Lord hear our prayers. 

Lord, we ask that decisions makers hear Your voice. Parents protecting their families – deciding whether to stay or leave. Church leaders as they support and comfort people. And Lord we ask for wise actions from global leaders - who have the power not only to start wars, but to stop them too.  

 And Father God we cry out for an end to this crisis. For mercy, peace, and truth – because You are light, hope, power, and love. Amen. 

Weekly Newsletter 24th Feb

Dear Friends,

It seems somewhat trivial to be writing about things coming up across the benefice when folks across the Ukraine, and indeed many other places around the world, are facing such heartbreak and fear at the moment. We are praying for peace and for all those affected by the latest violence in Ukraine each day. If you would like to pray or talk to somebody about it, then our churches remain open each day, as do all of our telephone lines and emails. We’d be very happy to hear from you.

We come then towards the week before Lent. We’re joining together for a special Ash Wednesday communion service at St. Stephen’s 10am next Wednesday and then we begin our Wonder Walks and Lent Lunches. You are invited to join us as we enter this season before Easter as a community.

Tiddlers - The new toddler group begins next week at St. Stephen’s and we’re still looking for a few more bits and pieces to make it extra special. Particularly ‘ride-on’ toys. We’ve put a little Amazon Wish list together which you can find here if you would like to support this wonderful new adventure with a few new toys/items for the children.

Wish List: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2M0H03U7B3BVX?ref_=wl_share

Hope to see you very soon and you and those you love are well.

Love,

Grant

Weekly Newsletter for 13th Feb

Hi all,

Please see below a slightly different format for the weekly email. You will now be able to find copies of the newsletter on our website for further browsing as well as a few copies in church during the week. Please do feel free to pass me any feedback you have so we can continue to make these much better and more accessible to you. Also, as ever, please do get in touch if you have any items you would like to see in the newsletter.

God bless,

Grant