St Mary's has had a long association with the Church of North East India - based in Shillong but serving a large area in NE India.On 5 May 2021, our great friend Bishop Michael Herenz, sent us an urgent message about the shortage of ventilators in their hospitals in Tinsukia. He asked us for both prayer and the possibility of financial help to obtain 4 ventilators for those hospitals. We have responded immediately on both fronts. Please pray with us for the doctors and nurses working in India that the equipment they so desperately need to treat their patients who are suffering from COVID-19
A fantastic new resource from the church. Telephone prayers and hymns on a free phone number.Do you know someone, a neighbour, friend, or family member who does not have the internet but in need of spiritual nourishment?Let’s share this phone number with as many as we can 0800 804 8044 and help them stay connected and a part of our church family.
Please join us in wishing a very happy anniversary to the Rev Ian Whitehead who was licensed to lead our Churches one year ago tonight. It has been a year of trials for him I am sure, including repeated flooding at South Wingfield, a stone through one of the stained glass windows at Crich and now a virus which has closed the doors on both of our beloved Church buildings.There have of course been high points including the Rev’s “banana Christingle” which is also my favourite so pictured below!We are so grateful to Ian and his wonderful wife Christine for sharing themselves with our Church communities through these troubled times whilst bringing incredible moments of God filled joy.May we share many more times both good and bad with Ian and pray that we will all be physically back together soon. God bless him and Christine.And as Ian would say MIZPAH!! (The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another)Joanne Morton Benefice Secretary
Revd Ian writes:I’ve been signing my emails with the word MIZPAH.What does this word mean though? It comes from Genesis 31v49 “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. In Victorian times this was a common phrase for use on rings or some jewellery. I had a MIZPAH wedding ring and now I also have a tattoo of it too! The word means ‘watch tower’ and refers to the time Jacob and Laban separated but still wanted to acknowledge that the Lord watched over them both. It seems appropriate in the current situation, for us as a church, to consider that although we are apart from one another, Jesus remains the One that unites us even through the physical spaces [2 metres] between us. Therefore, when I write MIZPAH I write to you: may Jesus watch over us while we are physically apart, until we come together once more.Be Kind to one another – Support one anotherand Love one another… It’s still that simple
