Hello Everyone I hope you are enjoying the Spring Sunshine with the beautiful spring blossom and flowers bursting to life..just in time for Mothering Sunday. I delighted to see a carpet of Primroses too this week. It has been an eventful and busy week this week but there have been many blessings and special moments - one of which was the very special Evensong Service last Sunday evening. It was a joy to hear voices ring out from the choir stalls with singing. Thank you Malcom and Roger for putting the service together so well. It was enjoyed so much that we will be making it a regular monthly evening service on the third Sunday of each month at 6.00 pm. The Lent courses have also offered special times together in groups as we study a Bible passage and share reflections. Sadly, one not so good moment was learning about the damage to a Chancel support beam at Chalgrave Church which needs urgent repair so the Chancel has been closed for safety reasons until the repair is completed. Visitors to church in the near future for services will be met with a view of scaffolding and metal supports in the Chancel and we cannot use the main altar... but this will not limit our desire to worship and our regular services will continue...with a little adaptation. It's always good to ring a few changes! This week's services: Sunday 19 March, Mothering Sunday 9.30 am Morning Praise, Chalgrave Church - Malcolm 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington Church - Linda This week's services and events: Monday 20th March 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church 11.00 am Toddington Lent Course, the Rectory Tuesday 21st March 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall 2.00 – 7.00 pm Alma Farm Consultation Event... anyone interested to obtain more information is very welcome to pop in. Wednesday 22nd March 11.00 am Chalgrave Pop Up Tea Room, Tebworth Memorial Hall 12.00 noon, Lent lunch, Wilkinson Hall 5.00 pm Toddington PCC, The Rectory 7.30 pm Chalgrave Lent Course, The Calders'. Thursday 23rd March Rest Day Friday 24th March 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure, Wilkinson Hall No Messy Church this week// postponed to Friday 31st March Saturday 25th March 10.00 am Friends, Table Top Sale, Wilkinson Hall - speak to Fran or Dee to request a table top. Sunday 26th March 9.30 am Holy Communion Service - Chalgrave 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, with baptism, Toddington Week commencing 27 March, we will be setting up Easter Encounter, prayer stations in church, in preparation for year 2 school visit on 30th. If you are able to assist with setting these up and/or would like to be responsible for creating a station, please speak or link with Linda. Have a good week. God bless Linda
Hello Everyone I hope you are all well and have coped with the changeable, cold, snowy, wet and occasionally sunny weather this week. It was so lovely to see so many folk gathered at Toddington Coffee Morning earlier. Thank you for coming and thank you to all who were there to provide and serve. We look forward to the various activities and events this coming week, and to the continuing Lent courses. There will be a special Easter Saturday Service of Confirmation at St Albans Abbey with candidates from across the diocese coming together to be confirmed by Bishop Richard who will be leading this year's service. The Easter service is especially atmospheric as candlelight is taken into the dark Abbey at the start of the service. If you have wondered about Confirmation, and would like to know more, please have a word with me, or send me an email. I will be very happy to chat with you and you will be most welcome to join us in a local confirmation course as we investigate together Christian Faith. Here are details of this week's services and events: Sunday 12th March 9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave - Linda and Nigel 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington, with baptism of baby Eric - Linda 6.00 pm Evensong Service, Toddington - Malcolm This week's services and events: Monday 13th March 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington 11.00 am Toddington Lent Course, The Rectory 2.00 pm Seated Pilates, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Tuesday 14th March 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 5.45 pm Youth Group, Wilkinson Hall (make sure you have a warm coat as we will be going out for a walk) Wednesday 15th March Lent Lunch 12.00 noon (provided this week by the Methodist church team) 7.30 pm Chalgrave Lent Course, at the Calder's Thursday 16th March 2.00 pm St George's Fellowship, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Friday 17th March 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Saturday 18th March A Rest Day! Sunday 19th March - Mothering Sunday 9.30 am Morning Praise service, Chalgrave - Malcolm 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington- Linda 11.00 am Wednesday 22nd March Chalgrave Pop Up Tea Room, Tebworth Memorial Hall 10am Saturday 25th March Friends of Toddington Parish Church Tabletop Sale, with hot refreshments (bacon and sausage bread rolls). Cost £5 per table. Contact Fran or Dee to book a table. with best wishes Linda Rector, Toddington and Chalgrave
Hello Everyone This week seems to have gone past so very quickly and suddenly we find ourselves in March! How quickly the days are moving forward. Bulbs are appearing, buds and blossom are forming on the trees and the days are lengthening. All points to springtime.. but we have a colder week ahead of us so do please wrap up and stay warm. It has been a busy week, but there have been some very special times: Toddington and Chalgrave Lent courses had their first sessions and we shared happy times of fellowship plus good conversation as we all considered a Bible passage. The groups continue this week and you are very warmly invited to join us ( see details below). Seated Pilates on Monday afternoon was well received too. On Tuesday evening youth group went well with another very interesting conversation about Lent with cupcakes to tempt us all - plus some games to keep us on our toes. The morning knitting group enjoy meeting too with happy conversation interspersed with knitting. Wednesday Lent lunch (with soup provided during Lent by the different churches) was well received with a lovely variety of soups on offer. This week Toddington provided and next week Chalgrave will be serving. Thursday morning school assembly at St George's school left Nigel and I smiling broadly as we looked across at a sea of beautiful, coloured costumes worn by children and staff for World Book day. Everyone looked wonderful (although Nigel and I felt a little underdressed in ordinary clothes). Then there was a quick dive across to Wilkinson Hall for the first Ploughman's lunch of the year with hot meals and tasty puddings. There was such a wonderful buzz of contented conversation with the tables filled by happy customers. Friday morning art group met again in the hall and then later in the afternoon about 40 people from local churches celebrated World day of Prayer in a joint service at Toddington Baptist church. I had the privilege of leading a funeral for a dear lady from Chalton and of meeting her friends afterwards, and we hope to arrange to meet again. The week finished with a wonderful celebration with Cynthia of her special birthday. Such a delight to mark the occasion. Thank you to you all for all your hard work helping to support these events.. but most of all for your love, care and kindness, and for your warmth and generosity of welcome to all who attend. Can I please ask you to pray for Eddie, for a good and full recovery. Sunday services for Sunday 5th March 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Church Other events this week: Monday 6th March 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington 11.00 am Toddington Church Lent Course, The Rectory, 41 Leighton Road, Toddington LU5 6AL Tuesday 7th March 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall Wednesday 8th March 12.00 noon – 2.00 pm Lent Lunch, Wilkinson Hall 7.30 pm Chalgrave Church, Lent Course, the Calders house. Thursday 9th March 2.00 pm Fellowship with Friends,Wilkinson Hall Friday 10th March 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group Saturday 11th March 10.00 am Coffee Morning, Wilkinson Hall Sunday 12th March 9.3 0am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion, with the baptism of baby Eric 6.00 pm Evensong, Toddington Church (a new service) I wish you a blessed week and look forward to seeing you. with love and prayers Linda
Hello Everyone As I write, the winter sun is shining, a plane leaves a white trail high up in the blue sky, the bush opposite me is in full blossom and all seems still. People were out and about at Wrest Park earlier today, glad of the fresh air. The ducks were on the water in distinct pairs of male and female.. so I suspect there will be some little chicks on the river soon. Nigel tested out a new bird song app to identify which birds were singing in the trees and located robins, blue tits and great tits heralding in the springtime. We enjoyed seeing the snowdrop, daisy, crocus, hyacinth and iris flowers peeping through the cold ground with daffodils fully out blowing in the breeze. It is so good to enjoy the approaching season of new life. This week at church we moved into the Lenten season of forty days and forty nights, with Ash Wednesday services, and school assemblies, when Christians are called to reflect as we remember Jesus' time of testing and temptation in the wilderness. Youth group this week enjoyed pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and talked about temptation. Messy Church did crafts about 'be thankful', 'be creative' and 'be caring' and heard a story about the prodigal son who had a change of heart and returned home to his loving father. That is in effect what we are all called to do this Lent.. to reflect on our lives, to confess and repent (refocus and turn away from what is wrong) and turn back to Christ. During the Lenten period, Churches together, will offer Lent lunches (of soup, bread roll and fruit) on Wednesdays at Wilkinson Hall from 12.00 noon – 2.00 pm to raise funds for people in need. We begin out Lent courses this Monday and Wednesday. Monday's (Toddington's) will be held at 11.00 am at the Rectory (all welcome), and Wednesdays (Chalgrave) will be held at 7.30 pm at the Calder's. Each session will include a time of Bible study, conversation, prayer and reflection. I have also attached a link below to the Church of England's Lenten daily reflections which you can either sign up for or seek out on their main website. 'Lectio 365' app also offers some special Lenten reflections. Please do get in touch if you need any help, or prayer, or wish to discuss weddings, baptisms, confirmation, home communion or other opportunities or services. This Sunday's services: 9.30 am Chalgrave Church, Holy Communion 11.00 am Toddington Church, Holy Communion Services and events this week and beyond Monday 27 February 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church 11.00 am Lent course, The Rectory, Toddington 2.00 pm Seated Pilates, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 7.00 pm Chalgrave PCC Tuesday 28 February Knitting group 10.30 am - 12.30 pm, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 3.00 pm Toddington PCC 5.45 pm Youth Group, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Wednesday 1 March 12.00 noon Lent Lunch, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 7.3 0pm Chalgrave Lent Course Thursday 2 March 12.00 noon Ploughman's Lunch, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington Friday 3 March 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure, Wilkinson Hall, Toddington 2.00 pm World Day of Prayer service, Toddington Baptist Church Saturday 4 March a rest day! Future Services: Sunday 5 March 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Sunday 12 March 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Church 6.00 pm Evensong, Toddington Church - a new service Sunday 19 March - Mothering Sunday 9.30 am Morning Worship, Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Church Sunday 26 March 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church 11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Church Looking at the list of activities above which is so extensive and busy, can I say a very big thank you to all who help, cook, or resource our different events. This week we also had the Pop-Up Tea Room at Chalgrave, and the Winter Warmer Wednesday at Toddington. All are wonderful times for folks to gather together, and are so appreciated by the people who come, but these events would not be possible without the wonderful support and resourcing of so many hardworking volunteers who give unstintingly of their time. Thank you so much to all who help in any way to make these events possible and thank you to all who come to support them. Have a good week everyone. God bless Linda
