Hello EveryoneI hope you have had a good week, enjoying the approach of Spring. The days are lengthening, the birds are beginning to chirp in the trees, the bulbs are pushing through the soil and there are bunches of daffodils for sale in the shops. How bright and cheerful they look as they emerge.However, as the bulbs begin to emerge, so the shoots on the shrubs also bursting forth, and I have spent time, with friends, this week, cutting back overgrown shrubs at the Rectory which were in much need of attention... but it is going to seem rather bare until all burst back into new growth. How tall buddleia gets! The cutting back was fun.. but there are now large piles of foliage stacked up on the back lawn to be disposed of - so I think I will become quite a regular visitor to the tip! What has the approaching springtime inspired you to do this week? We look forward to gathering with you at the various churches and events this week. Here are the details of the week's arrangements:Sunday services for Sunday 13 February:Harlington 9.30 am Holy Communion - Nigel and RobertChalgave 9.30 am Holy Communion - LindaToddington 11.00 am Holy Communion - LindaWestoning Family Service 9.30 am - with a theme of 'Love' led by Rebecca.11.00 am Holy Communion, Nigel with RobertBaptism 12.45 pm - NigelTingrith Church - no service this weekThe Upper Room online zoom service is at 6.00 pm and this week's topic is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81595530300?pwd=cUVvZjA3aFZreXV0NUVxcmt0dE8wQT09For details of how to join please contact Revd LindaThis week's services and events: Monday: 14 February (Half-term week)Morning Prayer 9.30 am, Toddington ChurchSeated Pilates 2.00 pm Wilkinson HallThe Bible Course: Session 3, The Rectory 4.00 pm (Change of time this week)(No Bible course evening session this week. We gather again next week for session 4).Tuesday 15 FebruaryWestcaf 10.00 am and Sewing Bee 1.30 pm at Westoning Village Hall, Knitting Group 10.30 am – 12.00 noon, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonWednesday 16 FebruaryMorning Service at Harlington 10.00 amTWIG SPECIAL at Westoning Village Hall at 9.00 am to 10.30 am for children 0-9yrs and their families. The theme is LOVE and breakfast will be served. More information from Rebecca and Nigel. Thursday 17 FebruaryHarlington Church: Funeral 10.30 amSt George's Fellowship - a floral afternoon with June, 2.00 pm Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonFriday 18 February'Painting for Pleasure' group 10.30 am, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonNo Little Stars group at Westoning this week.Friday Fellowship 2.00 pm The Village Hall, Westoning - topic 'Whom shall we invite for dinner?'Harlington Church Online Quiz by Zoom 7.15 pm. More information from Neil and TriciaSaturday 19 FebruaryNew and Nearly New Sale, Wilkinson Hall 10.00 – 1.00 pmA guided look around St George's church 10.30 am – 12.00 noonMany of you will have known Paul Scrivener who still holds a special place in many of our hearts. There will be a memorial service to celebrate and pay tribute to Paul's life on Monday March 7th at 2.00 pm at Westoning Church. More information from Nigel. (poster attached). Sending this email to you in sunshine. I hope you have a sunny day!Wishing our schools, children and families a wonderful half term holiday.Have a good weekGod blessLinda and Nigel
Hello Everyone, We hope you are fit and well and can sense the draw of Spring even though some days are cold, some are mild and others are wet. The snowdrops are delightful as they emerge in churchyards, beside trees and spotting them unexpectedly stirs the heart. The birds are active and singing optimistically; we hope it is not premature. This week we have had PCC, social and buildings meetings and Linda has been involved with a memorial service and a wedding. Youth Club met in Toddington and Westcaf had a record number for one session. Over 50, young and old, dropped in for tea, coffee and sausage rolls or cake. The air was thick with conversation. People are relishing the opportunity to meet. Church is a great place to meet and this week we will mark the platinum anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. Our services for the week are listed below, along with other events Sunday Services for Sunday 6th February Chalgrave 9.30 am Holy Communion Service - LindaHarlington 8.00 am BCP Communion Nigel Harlington 9.00 am Families Breakfast Club at the Parish Rooms. RebeccaHarlington 9.30 am Holy Communion service - NigelTingrith 9.30 am Morning Worship Jon Westoning 11.00 am Holy Communion - Nigel Toddington 11.00 am Holy Communion - Linda Online evening service: Upper Room 6.00 pm by Zoom with theme: ‘Telling people about Jesus’ For details of how to join please contact Revd LindaOther events and services this week:Monday 7th FebruaryMorning Prayer 9.30 am Toddington Church The Bible Course (session 2) 10.4 5am - Toddington Rectory - led by Linda The Bible Course (session 3) online by zoom 7.45 pm - led by Linda Tuesday 8th FebruaryKnitting Group - 10.30 am - 12.30 pm Wilkinson Hall Westcaf 10.00 am - 12 noon Westoning Village Hall Sewing Bee 1.00 – 3.00 pm Westoning Village Hall Youth Group (school years 4, 5, and 6) 5.30-7pm Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Wednesday 9th February10.00 am Morning Service Harlington Church Thursday 10th FebruaryFuneral, Toddington Church 12.30 pmAfternoon with Friends 2.00 – 4.00 pm Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonFriday 11th FebruaryPainting for Pleasure Group 10.30 am Wilkinson HallLittle Stars at Westoning Church 1.15 - 2.4 5pm Friday Fellowship at Westoning Village Hall 2.00 – 4.00 pmSaturday 12th February Baptism at Westoning Church at 1.00 pm We send you our very best wishes for a wonderful week. Linda and Nigel
Hello EveryoneHow are you all? We hope you have had a good week. We are being drawn strangely into two different ways.. moving forward into the hope and anticipation of Spring with bulbs starting to peep up through the soil, birds singing in the trees, longer days of daylight and a sense of release and encouragement to get out and enjoy the countryside and fresh air but alongside this we are facing the reality of past weeks of cancelled, or postponed, appointments due to high local Covid infections. The past 3 weeks have begun with full diaries which have then seen unexpected changes. Last week Linda was pinged by the NHS for being in contact with someone locally. This had a knock on effect on needing to withdraw from a long awaited home communion, from pastoral visits, go back on zoom for meetings, and under NHS advice, although taking clear lateral flow tests each day, still advised to avoid contact with the vulnerable and to avoid public gatherings. Advice she followed to protect others. Despite the lifting of plan B regulations which required us all to wear masks, we continue to ask you to please wear masks in church and at church social gatherings (eg Wilkinson Hall) to protect yourselves and others. Being pinged for a week was a stark reminder of how much of our weekly ministry is restricted if we are at risk. Thank you for your support and care.Happily, the sun is now shining, and Linda is now released from hibernation!Sunday Services for Sunday 30 January - the Presentation of Christ at the TempleChalgrave 9.30 am Holy Communion Service - Linda with SteveHarlington 9.30 am Holy Communion service - NigelTingrith -no service this weekWestoning 11.00 am Morning Worship - RobertToddington 11.00 am Holy Communion - Linda with SteveUpper Room 6pm Online by Zoom with theme: 'Attitude of Gratitude'. Access link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81466391897?pwd=b2xVR1QyRmV3TVAwQUp4dHVMYk1Tdz09For details of how to join please contact Linda or NigelOther events and services this week:Monday 31st JanuaryMorning Prayer 9.30 am Toddington ChurchThe Bible Course (session 1) 10.45 am - The Rectory - led by LindaThe Bible Course (session 2) online by zoom 7.45 pm - led by Linda (for details of how to join please contact Linda)Tuesday 1st FebruaryKnitting Group - 10.30 am - 12.30 pm Wilkinson HallWestcaf 10.00 am – 12.00 noon Westoning Village HallSewing Bee 1.00 – 3.00 pm Westoning Village HallWednesday 2nd February10.00 am Morning Service Harlington ChurchChurch Cleaning Morning until 12.30 pm - Toddington Church (offers of help to Dee please)60 minutes with God prayer time 6.00 pm online. Please ask Nigel for details.Thursday 3rd FebruaryChalgrave Fundraising meeting group 10.00 amChalgrave PCC follow on meeting 12.00 noonFriday 4th FebruaryPainting for Pleasure 10.30 am Wilkinson HallMemorial Service at Harlington Church 12.00 noon - LindaLittle Stars at Westoning Church 1.15 - 2.45 pmFriday Fellowship at Westoning Village Hall 2.00 – 4.00 pmSaturday 5th FebruaryMens' Breakfast at The Chequers at 8.45 am Speaker Nick CragoWedding Thanksgiving 4.00 pm Harlington Church - LindaWe send you our very best wishes for a wonderful week.With best wishesLinda and Nigel
What a gloriously sunny and cold week this week has been with clear blues skies and frost on the car in the morning. We are particularly enjoying the warmth flowing through our radiators today because it has been a rather chilly week at home. Our boiler had been struggling and on Tuesday evening with a hiss and a clang, and a flood of flowing water through the overflow it ended its days. An early morning 1am visit by Cadent quickly followed to seal off the gas supply and make the house safe and we 'layered up' (with quite a few extra socks and jumbers) resigned to wait until help could come. Fortunately, the wonderful company which services the church boilers came to our rescue and God looked kindly on us too...(thank you to those who prayed) and instead of waiting until next Wednesday or Thursday as the earliest date for a new boiler to be fitted, an early slot and a new boiler just happened 'coincidentally' to become available and was fitted yesterday. Amazingly, what was going to be a two day job, became a smooth running one day job, with gas switch on late yesterday. We are so incredibly grateful. God is good. This has also been a time of reflection... not only about environmental issues, but about people who are struggling to heat their homes this year who also juggle that awful dilemma of providing food or heating for their families. Sadly, more and more people are likely to be affected this year as finances tighten. Flitwick Church offers a meal bag service with all the required ingredients and a recipe to provide a hot meal for a family, or for others who need support. I wonder if this is perhaps something we can do practically, in addition to our existing support to the food banks? Or perhaps you may have some ideas about how our churches can reach out. At Toddington, we issued food hampers at Christmas, but these problems are there all year round. As the body of Christ, how best can we reach out to make a difference? I can't help thinking about the story of many star fish stranded on a beach, and the little boy picked up one star fish at a time and threw it back into the ocean. When challenged that it was pointless. He replied..'Well, it made a difference to that one!' How can we as church Make a Difference?Services for Sunday 23 January 2021- Epiphany 3.9.30am Chalgrave Church - Holy Communion10am Harlington Service of Christian Unity at the Village Hall, led by Churches together in Harlington, for the week of Prayer for Christian Unity(9.30am Harlington Church - a short service of Morning Prayer for those not able to join CTH service)11am Toddington Church - Service of Holy Communion11am Westoning Church - Service of Holy Communion3pm Tingrith Church - Service of Holy Communion6pm Online Upper Room Service with a theme of 'Being the Body of Christ'. Meeting ID: 829 7241 4804. Passcode from Nigel or LindaOther Events this weekMonday Morning Prayer Toddington 9.30am, Craft Time 2-4pm Wilkinson Hall (once a month, 4th Monday) Monday 4pm 'The Bible Course' at Toddington Rectory - (Please register with Linda - All welcome but numbers limited to 6). Monday 7.45pm 'The Bible Course' online by zoom: Meeting ID: 864 6301 4633. Passcode from LindaTuesday Toddington Knitting group Wilkinson Hall 10.30amTuesday Westoning: Westcaf 10am and Sewing Bees 1pm Village HallWednesday Morning Service 10am Harlington ChurchFriday Toddington Painting for Pleasure group 10.30am Wilkinson HallFriday Westoning Little Stars 1.15pm Church and 2pm Friday Fellowship Village HallThis week we give thanks for the special time held at various occasions, Chalgrave 'Pop Up Tea Room' (next meets on 23rd February - 4th Wednesday on the month), for Toddington Coffee Morning and Fellowship Time, for Westcaf and all gatherings. We thank you for the fellowship and for your help, for all those who serve and support, and for the funds raised to help maintain the work of the churches.Please hold in your prayers this week:Those who are sick and awaiting operations or are receiving treatment.Those who grieve and those who have died.Our SchoolsThe Government and those who lead.Those affected by Coronavirus, either directly, or through the delay of other treatment or diagnosis.All who work in the health, care and emergency sectorsPlease do take care of yourselves and stay safe. We have never known a week like the week past with so many commitments cancelled due to Covid. Whilst we hear nationally infections are reducing, it certainly doesn't feel like it on the ground. I wonder if there may be a slight correlation between the lack of Lateral Flow test kits available and a decline in the numbers of people testing positive. Please look after yourselves and continue to take precautions for now.We send you our love and prayers Linda and Nigel
