June 2019 News & Notes

Parenting is vital, and at its best the Church provides a great role model because everyone is welcomed and empowered. Individual circumstances don't matter: orphans, married, with children, single, local, divorced, graduates, struggling, craftsman [used without gender bias], musical, fulfilled, tone deaf, depressed, extrovert ... no qualifier excludes.

That's why on Mothering Sunday we often clypp the Church by holding hands as a symbol of a hug, and for a prayer of blessing. Here a small section of the human chain at St Laurence turned outwards for the picture, and as a hug to the local community.

Thy Kingdom Come is an international time of prayer between Ascension Day and Pentecost [9 June]. We encourage you to take part in the many times of prayer we run each week, and to match that prayer with an invitation to someone else to join you. Prayers can be said in our Churches which are usually open during the day. St Nicholas, Broadwey have also set aside 2.00 - 6.00pm on Sunday 2 June. Do join in.

Great Eastertide events were celebrated across the communities served by the seven sister Churches of the Ridgeway Team. Thanks to all who decorated, sang, inspired, or joined in. Prayers were said on a journey through Broadwey which included the Wey ford, power lines, and railway lines. The driver waved as we prayed for God's blessing on GWR and SWR.

Many ask if they can give to support our Churches, and there are several ways. If a tax-payer, then your giving can be gift-aided, which adds a 25% refund of tax from HMRC. Please get in touch and we can provide a simple form to complete. Many give regularly by standing order. Our Churches have gift-aid envelopes too. We are very grateful for all gifts. Some leave legacies and these usually help us improve facilities.

No two marriages are the same, and so it was a delight to welcome Jessica Dadd on a particularly windy day, and in a prized Morris Minor bearing her father's name.

Our thank you to Brian Ellis is 10.30am on Sunday 30 June at St Andrew, Preston. This will be a team-wide service, and Brian will be preaching. All most welcome.