When someone whom we have loved dies their love and their legacy carries on in our own hearts and memories.As we approach the time of the year when the Church remembers All Souls and All Saints, there are various ways in which you might like to remember and give thanks for your loved ones.Light a CandleMany of our churches have places where you can light a candle, but if not, you can still light a virtual candle at www.churchofengland.org/light-a-candleSay a prayerYou can say your own prayers, or if you would like some words to help you if you are missing someone has died, they you might find the following web page helpful: www.churchofengland.org/prayers-for-the-momentCome to a special church serviceThis year all are invited to attend a special Benefice "All Souls" service on Sunday 31st October 2021 at 3.30pm in St Peter and St Paul's Church, Clare. There will be an opportunity to light a candle, and for your loved one to be named. If you cannot attend in person but would like your loved ones name to be read out, please email The Revd Mark Woodrow at rector@stourvalley.org.uk or telephone 01787 277515 and he will be happy to include them for you.For more information see the attached poster.
The continued work of our church is reliant on people’s generosity, a generosity that is a hallmark of a lived-out faith and a testament to it.We give to our church in a variety of ways, but one thing that has come out of the recent pandemic is that fewer people are carrying cash with them and this has meant that we have not been able to receive all the gifts that we usually would.However, we are delighted that we are now able to receive your donations either using the contactless giving machine in church or alternatively online.If you would like to make an Online Donation to support the continued Mission and Ministry to our community as well as supporting the ongoing Maintenance of our historic building, please visit our online donations page by clicking here.We are also making plans to make our church building more welcoming to all who visit us with the installation of both a toilet and servery area. If you would like to make a donation specifically towards this project, then please visit our Toilet and Servery donations page by clicking here.
<div>The Church of England’s Pilgrim Course is a journey to the heart of God and to a living, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. </div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Its aim is to create a place where people can explore the Christian faith together and see how it can be lived out each day.</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Unlike some other programmes, the Pilgrim Course approaches the great issues of faith not through persuasion, but through participation in a pattern of contemplation and discussion within a small group of fellow travellers.</span><div>Believing that the Christian faith is primarily about relationship, the Pilgrim course aims to lay a foundation for a lifetime of learning more about God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ and what it means to be his disciple.</div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">If you would like to join a small friendly group to begin to look at “The Lord’s Prayer” and how Christians know and worship God, and don’t worry no previous knowledge or understanding is necessary, then I am delighted that our Ordinand, Edmund Smith, has offered to lead this first module before he head off to Theological College in September.</span><div>To help judge the numbers likely to attend, please do contact Edmund (eps31@cam.ac.uk) and join us for our first session on Saturday 7th August at 4pm, at his home. Meridian House, Upper Green, Stoke by Clare CO10 8HL. (If the weather is nice we will sit in the garden, if inclement then inside but well ventilated)</div>
We are aware that not everyone is able to join us in church every Sunday (or other Holy Days) be that because of infirmity, global pandemics! or simply because of other family commitments.For all those who worship at home, Revd Mark continues to record a church service with hymns and to which you are invited to also receive "Spiritual Communion".All the services are available to join in and watch via our Benefice YouTube channel which can be found at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC14s6rswnzBRSthXXoZl5-QEach week Revd Mark also produces a weekly email giving details of services, events and other church activities, as well as also attaching a service booklet to accompany the online service. If you would like to receive this please contact him (details in the "Get in touch" tab)
