Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is an important moment in the church year. There will be two services of Holy Communion on Ash Wednesday (26 February). The 11am service will be a said service without music and the 7.30pm service will have hymns and music. At each service, there will be an opportunity to come forward and have a cross of ash marked on your forehead. This is not compulsory and you are welcome to come to the service and not do this.Image: CC from The Church of England.
It was wonderful to welcome Rt Rev'd Anne Hollinghurst, Bishop of Aston to our morning service on Sunday January 12th when we celebrated the end of the long-standing project to re-roof the Church Hall. There are one or two final touches to be managed but we have at last basically reached the finishing line.Bishop Anne and the Vicar, Rev'd Canon Priscilla White led the service ably assisted by Readers and others in the congregation. Bishop Anne preached and led us in rededicating the Hall and ourselves to the service of God.(The order of service can be seen below)
The Queen has nominated the Right Reverend Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, MA, the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, to the See and Archbishopric of York, in succession to the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, MA, Lord Archbishop of York, who retires on 7th June 2020.Stephen was educated at the Polytechnic of Central London and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He served his title at Christ Church and St Paul’s, Forest Hill in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained Priest in 1985. He studied for an MA with St Mellitus College which was awarded through Middlesex University.In 1988, Stephen was appointed Priest-in-charge, St Wilfrid’s in the Diocese of Chichester with the additional role of Assistant Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor in Apologetics at Chichester Theological College. In 1993, Stephen was appointed Diocesan Missioner and Bishop’s Chaplain for Evangelism in the Diocese of Wakefield and in 1998 he took up the role of Springboard Missioner and Consultant in Evangelism. In 2001, Stephen was appointed Vice Dean and Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral. Stephen was appointed Bishop of Reading in 2004 and took up his current role as Bishop of Chelmsford in 2010.Stephen is married to Rebecca who is a potter. They have three sons.
We want to help all those who have experienced bereavement find solace and strength in their lives.Over the last few months as a church community we have lost five members of the congregation to death over the last few months, so our yearly remembrance of those who have died will be more poignant than usual.On Sunday November 3rd at our 6.30pm service we will read the names of those who have died over the last 14 months or so. Names of those whose funerals have been taken from this church will be read automatically, but there is the options for others to be added. There is a list in the back of church or names can be emailed to priscillawhite.harborne@btinternet.com.On Wednesday November 6th at our 11am service any names of anyone whom people wish to remember will be read. Again there is a list in church or you can email.All are welcome to either of these services.
