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Sunday 23rd February: Sunday before Lent
8.00am St.Mary’s 1662 Said Communion
Humphrey Prideaux
9.15am St.Mary’s Communion
Reg Forse
10.30am St.Mary’s Church Alive
Darren Clarke
11.00am St.Luke’s Communion
Phil Hiscock
11.15am St.Francis’ Morning Worship & AGM
Andy Norris
6.30pm St.Mary’s iNViTe reflective praise & prayer
Andy Norris/Stories of Faith
Thurs 27th St.Faith’s Communion
Erica Wilkie/Andy Norris
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ASH WEDNESDAY 26th February
Communions at 7.30am (Parish Centre) and 6.30pm (St.Mary’s)
SHORT STORIES OF FAITH for iNViTe tonight
Andy Norris would value two more folk who may be willing to ‘share’ a 4 minute ‘story’ about God in their lives during the iNViTe service this evening, If you feel prompted towards this then please contact Andy, thanks. Or come to the iNViTe tea first!
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GROWING, FELLOWSHIP & EATING
Acts 2v46: ’They devoted themselves… to teaching, fellowship…
prayer…and ate together with glad and sincere hearts’
LENT COURSE ‘On The Third Day’
This year’s Lent Course, ‘On The Third Day’ starts on Weds 11th March, it comprises of five sessions exploring the relevance of the resurrection for today. We will be running two groups in the comfortable St.Francis’ Church in Clayhall Road; one at 10.30am to noon, the other from 7.30pm to 9.00pm. All are welcome, with tea and coffee to start. Please contact Steve Dent on 07722 902 344 for info or email steve.dent@alverstoke.church
FORCES FAMILY TEA
Today 23rd Feb
Those serving in the armed forces and service families are invited to our monthly
tea from 4.15pm today in the Parish Centre. All who are serving would be very
welcome – the tea is for spouses and children too. Contact Andy Norris or Jon
& Carole Backhouse (RN Chaplain).
We hope to see you there!
iNViTe ‘Bring & Share’ Tea Today 23rd Feb
All welcome to enjoy cakes, sandwiches and company from 5.40pm in St.Mary’s ahead of our evening service – you’d be welcome to the tea for company whether you stay on or not!
CUPPA & COMPANY Tues 25th Feb
Home made cake and friendship especially for those who are bereaved. Every fourth Tuesday from 2.00pm in Parish Centre.
MESSY CHURCH Thurs 27th Feb
From 3.30pm in the Parish Centre. A ‘Messy’
appeal for any large boxes, cereal size and above, or sheets of cardboard (creating
Shields of Faith). Please leave for Kate in Parish Centre – thanks.
‘SMILE’ WOMENS’ BRING & SHARE SUPPER
St.Mary’s Informal Ladies Evening (SMILE) invite you to a relaxed evening on 6th March in the Parish Centre for supper; simply bring a dish to share together. Hope you can come.
JUST ONE with J.JOHN 4th & 5th April
The inspired speaker Canon J.John is visiting Portsmouth for an event organised by the churches called ‘Just One’. Tickets at £5 are available for 4th & 5th April, 7.30pm in the Guildhall. The organisers hope that church members would invite a guest to go along with them! Tara Creasey is happy to get some tickets. Please sign the list at the back of St.Mary’s if interested – or have a word with Tara. Tickets also from the Guildhall Box Office.
ADULT BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION 21st June
We look forward to welcoming our Bishop Christopher who is pencilled in to come to St.Mary’s on Sunday 21st June for a service at 3.00pm. The service will include the opportunity for adult baptism and for Confirmation. Folk from Lee-on-the-Solent St.Faith’s may join us too! If you’d be interested in either/both of these then please have a word with Andy Norris. Our Alpha course offers the ideal preparation – we hope to start a new course after Easter!
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PARISH CENTRE REGENERATION events
The Quiz & Curry night was a fabulous success – many thanks to the team who hosted the evening and raised about £1000 for the new Parish Centre. So, put the 25th April in your diary and get tickets early for our Sea Shanties, Fish n Chips & Pud night!
Coffee, Cake & Co. This Tues 25th
The Mayor joins us this Tuesday for our new Parish Centre when we’d value your company every fourth Tuesday of the month from 10.30am to noon in the Parish Centre. £2.50 for coffee & cake. Cakes & books for sale. A great buzz & meeting place.
Parking Space sought for a £500 project donation !
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SERVING & GIVING
Acts 4v32: ‘“they did not claim their possessions as their own, but they shared everything they had… in God’s grace.”
FAIRTRADE FORNIGHT 23rd Feb – 8th March
Does your chocolate bar come at a fair price? Can we improve the lives of the farmers who grown the cocoa? That’s the challenge for Fairtrade Fortnight which runs from 23 Feb to 8 March.
Order your fairtrade Easter Eggs through Peter and Julie Fieldsend, our parish Traidcraft reps who’d be pleased to help you with information and provisions. email: traidcraftstmarys@gmail.com
NEW OFFICE EMAIL ADDRESS
Please note that with the upgrade of the office computer the office and Sue Simpson now have a new email address, so please update your contacts to: parishadmin@alverstoke.church
JOIN OUR SUNDAY WORSHIP TEAMS…
Without all the background offering of ministry to Sunday worship then we’d not be able to gather in community before God as we’re so privileged to do. Thank you therefore to all who serve our Sunday worship in so many ways. We currently seek to strengthen teams (often rotas) not only to sustain us but also that we may grow as a faith community in worship and service. We want people to be blessed in ‘serving’ where they’ll be happy and where it will be an offering of their gifts to God!
4 HOSPITALITY TEAMS
Meeting and greeting, looking out for people and offering our hospitatlity is central to our being able to express God’s love and welcome to all. Could this be you? Please see Kathryn Clarke.
SINGERS/MUSICIANS
We’re needing to vocally and instrumentally boost both our worship band and orchestra, seeking more vocalists to give a lead to singing at Church Alive. The offering of musical instruments and voices releases our praise and response to the Lord, and so, if you could join these then please have a word with Anne Beazley (Band Wed night rehearse) and Paul Pilott/ Sylvia Lock (Orchestra Sat morning) – thanks.
AV PRESENTATION TEAM
Please see Bill Lock if you enjoy ‘technology’ and could operate our AV Laptop or help build the Sunday presentation during the week. We use ‘Mediashout’ software and seek the tech savvy! It’s fun keeping up with the musicians but without this ministry…
CHILDREN & YOUTH TEAM
Kate Smyth would be pleased to chat to any who’d be happy to join the rota to help in hosting our activities for children, thanks.
ST. MARY’S ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN
Our Annual Spring Clean at St. Mary’s will take place on Saturday 29th February from 9-30am to 11-30am. Any help even for an hour or so would be much appreciated on the day. Please bring along your own hoovers, dusters, brushes and extension leads. Our local Guide groups will also be there to help. Many thanks.
BRODRICK HALL BUILDING ‘MANAGER’
We’re indebted to Ken Greenwood for ‘caring’ for the Brodrick for over 30 years, but who has now ‘retired’. If anyone could join our small committee in order to ‘keep an eye’ on the building (which is generally good now) then please have a word with Andy Norris.
OPEN DOORS & FOOD RUN By all accounts the local Open Doors project for the homeless is successful and it is hoped to continue with a regular ‘drop in’ and by extending the original evening ‘Food Run’. If you’d like to help at the food run then please contact Emma Anderton as she seeks to build a team, thank you.