Sunday 21st July The Eighth Sunday after Trinity

9:30am Parish Eucharist

Sunday 28th July The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

9:30am Parish Eucharist

We said farewell to the leavers’ this morning in Church and blessed them. The Church was full with the children, staff, governors and parents of the school. It was a very happy occasion, good to be able to bless the children as they leave the school. Each leaver was given a splendid Bible, the costs of which are half-funded by the Church.

Piano for Church: It would be good to get a piano for Church that would enable us to hold concerts, and for occasional use in services. The current piano is too small for ideal use for these purposes. The PCC discussed purchasing a piano but thought that there might be a piano that somebody no longer requires. It needs to be a fairly big piano to fill the space of the Church with sound. Please let myself or David Ratnanayagam, or Andrew French, know if you have a piano you would like to give to the Church.

Contemplative Prayer:

Peter and Elizabeth James would like to consult the parish and congregation on starting a regular contemplative prayer service lasting up to an hour, on a Tuesday evening once a month.

Contemplative prayer is in the Julian tradition:

https://thejulianmeetings.net/

Eg, Lanchester Church already hold a monthly Julian meeting of their own and going into the silence can deepen prayer life and our relationship with God.

Please do respond to the survey on your preference for a start time, linked here if you would be interested. Thank you

Here is a survey link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/559CQBL

Foodbank: St. Mary’s is now making a weekly collection for the Foodbank:

The foodbank still needs longlife milk and fruit juice, tins of potatoes, vegetables, rice pudding, fruit and spaghetti. We always need household cleaning materials and toiletries

Many thanks for all your support, it is so much appreciated.

Friday Friends at 10am (FF@10) All are very welcome to join us; tea, coffee and cakes will be provided - all free of charge!’

There will be a service on a Friday morning, once per month, to make up for the Sunday that I am not able to be at St. Mary’s. The first service will be on Friday 6th September at 9:30-10am

Harvest Thanksgiving will be on Sunday 29th September. The school Harvest service at Church will be on the Friday of that week, the 4th October, so that the Church will be decorated for both Harvest Services. (Many thanks to those who decorate the Church for occasions like this).

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin Shincliffe was consecrated on 5th August 1851. Some years we have celebrated the dedication of the Church on, or close to, that date; as I will be away that Sunday, I would like to transfer the dedication festival to Sunday 6th October. The first Sunday in October is the traditional Sunday (and has been since the 16th Century!) for celebrating the dedication of parish churches.

With All Good Wishes and Prayers, Peter