Sunday 25th March 2018     PALM SUNDAY

St.Mary’s ✢ St.Faith’s ✢ St.Francis’✢ St.Luke’s

‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
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SUNDAY’S Worship across the Parish:
8.00am St.Mary’s BCP Communion
Revd Chris Richardson
9.15am St.Mary’s Communion
Revd Chris Richardson
10.45am St.Mary’s Church Alive
Revd Andy Norris
11.00am St.Luke’s Communion
Revd Phil Hiscock
11.15am St.Francis’ Morning Worship
Diana Dow & welcoming Jo Northey
6.30pm St.Mary’s When I Survey @ iNViTe
Revds Chris Richardson & Andy Norris
10.00am Thurs 26th March St.Faith’s Communion
Revd Tim Watson
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HOLY WEEK & EASTER
Thursday 29th March Maundy Thursday
Communion for Maundy Thursday 10.00am in St.Faith’s
‘Upper Room’ Last Supper service at 7.00pm in St.Francis.
‘Watch & Pray’ Quiet Vigil from 8.00pm-9.45pm St.Mary’s.
‘Vigil Compline’ 9.45pm in St.Mary’s.

Friday 30th March Good Friday
Easter ‘Messy Church’ at 10.30am in the Parish Centre.
Churches Together Good Friday Service outside ‘Centrepeace’ on Gosport High Street at 11.15am.
Traditional Good Friday Devotions at 2.00pm in St.Mary’s

Sunday 1st April Easter Sunday
8.00am St.Mary’s Traditional Holy Communion
10.00am St.Mary’s Easter Communion (for all ages)
(Please note 9.15am & 10.45am combining at 10.00am)
11.15am St.Francis’ Easter Communion
6.30pm St.Mary’s Easter Hymns of Praise
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‘When I Survey’ @ iNViTe Tonight
Tonight at 6.30pm in St.Mary’s for a special service reflecting upon the passion of Jesus with gratitude for the cross; a selection of contemporary and Taize songs – very prayerful for Holy Week.
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GROWING, FELLOWSHIP & EATING
Acts 2v46: ’They devoted themselves… to teaching, fellowship…
prayer…and ate together with glad and sincere hearts’

FINAL PARISH BOUNDARY PRAYER WALK
The seventh and last Lent walk to join Andy on Wednesday when he leaves the Lifeboat Station at 1.30pm on to ‘beat the bounds’ of the parish as a ‘praying as we walk along’ walk! Any who’d like to walk and pray (at 3mph) are welcome to join him for the 9 miles to be back about 4.30pm (15 minute cafe break!). The walks have been very good and meaningful – you’re welcome to come!

EASTER HOLIDAY FAMILIES GET TOGETHERS
Are you around with the kids/grandkids in the holidays?
Why not bring a picnic lunch to the parish centre on Tues 3rd April starting at 12.30? We’ll have some toys out for the little ones & play some games with the big ones too!
Tues 10th April  we will plan to meet again for a picnic, meeting at the Stanley Park carving at 11am for fun together in the woods, games out on the grass & an ice cream down by the beach if it’s warm enough for us grown ups to want to!
Phone/email Jo Northey for more details & let her know if you can help!

NEW-WINE.org Booking Reference number!
Save money before 3rd April! Like to join us camping at New Wine together this year for Week 2: 5th-11th August? Our online booking reference is: 280323. New Wine have also released half-week tickets! If you’ve never been before then find out what it’s all about from Jo.Northey@alverstoke.church. Camping fun, worship, grow friendships, deepen faith and great for kids!
Working Towards a New Parish Centre
COFFEE, CAKE & Co. This Tuesday 27th
We’d value your company on Tuesday. Every 4th Tuesday of the month from 10.30am-noon in the Parish Centre. £2.50 for coffee and cake. Cakes & books for sale.
19th May Quiz Night & Supper
17th June Alverstoke Garden Walkabout

CALLING ALL GARDENERS
Could you grow some plants for the Alverstoke Garden Walkabout? The Parish Centre Regeneration Team would be grateful for any donations of plants to sell at this new fund-raising event to be held on Sunday 17th June.  Plants to be delivered to the Parish Centre on the day.  Flowers, fruits and veg all acceptable!  For more details please contact the Parish Office. Thank you
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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’

MESSY CHURCH for Good Friday
10.30am in Parish Centre
A request for Jam Jars with lids please to be left in Parish Centre. One’s with wide tops please in order to make miniature Easter Gardens (like ships in a bottle!). More helpers, including men, are sought for the day – please contact Kay Howard if you can join in.

ALVERSTOKE PARISH APCM
The official AGM of the parish is to be held on Tuesday 17th April at 7.00pm in St.Mary’s Church. Optional ‘Compline’ prayers will follow after the end of the APCM in the Chapel. Elections for Churchwardens, four members of the Parochial Church Council and, this year, one member to Deanery Synod will be held in the context of reports, accounts and reflection from 2017.

THE CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL
You can express ‘belonging’ to a local CofE congregation through our ‘Church Electoral Roll’. It even gives you a vote at the annual meetings – so why not sign up? Application Forms are at the back of church to be returned to Sue in The Parish Office. In fact you can belong to more than one Electoral Roll and don’t even have to be an ‘anglican’ as it is about this parish rather than the CofE! Application closure date is 2nd April, two weeks before APCM.

CAN YOU WRITE AN INFORMAL REPORT?
Do you lead or share in church group? Then reports up to A5 size of 2017 church life welcome to the Parish Office by 8th April.

PCC, SYNOD & CHURCHWARDENS
Our thanks to those who are at the end of their term and have served us on PCC and Synod for the past three years: David McKinlay, Philip Dray, Betty Baird, Sarah Savery. Could you serve on the PCC or Deanery Synod? We need to appoint 4 members to PCC for 3 years, 1 member to Deanery Synod including PCC for 2 years. Nomination forms for these rolls can be found at the back of St.Mary’s. The PCC meets on Tuesdays, bi-monthly from January. In addition we shall be appointing our two churchwardens who are willing to stand again.

ST. FRANCIS SPRING CLEAN on Saturday 24th March, 9 until 12.00. Help would be appreciated as our team is small… ST.FRANCIS’ GARDENING on Saturday 14th April

VISIT TO WHITEHILL CHASE 10th April
Join us for a visit to Whitehill Chase in Borden, a lovely house set in 5 acres of peaceful grounds and home to the Acorn Christian Healing Trust.  We find that the quietness and space draw us into a deeper sense of God’s presence allowing us to experience his love. A service of Healing and Wholeness is at 11.30am, followed by an optional lunch at 1pm.  We shall meet at 10am at the Parish centre, share cars to drive to Borden and be home by around 4pm. Please ring Diana Dow (02392 528122) if you would like to come.

SIGN UP TO OUR WEEKLY NEWS e-MAILING
We keep in touch every Friday through our very secure weekly emailing – a photo and introduction to the weekend with the pew sheet and any orders of service attached. It is very helpful – used by some 160 folks – and keeps you in touch whether or not you can get to worship. We use Mailchimp to keep you secure and anonymous and you can unsubscribe at any time at the touch of a button! SIGN UP BY THE WEBSITE or request by emailing the Rector.