This Sunday we welcome Tadhg and his family and supporters. Tadhg will be baptised in our family service. Please pray for him, his parents and God-parents as they take this important step.
This weekend’s Bible reading:
Matthew 13:44-46 (p 980)
Pop-Up Shop:
The fairtrade pop up shop will be open this Sunday. There are still a few real Easter Eggs available priced at £5.50 each and a few small Easter cards. The usual Fairtrade coffee, tea and chocolate will also be there.
And bookstall:
The bookstall will be open on Sunday too, with lots of Easter books and materials as well as the more general Christian books and guides.
Choral Evensong 23rd March, 6.00 pm:
This weekend we hold our monthly service of Choral Evensong in St Mary’s. Come and worship as the choir leads this beautiful and ancient service of words and music.
Giving in St Mary’s:
Each tax year, each church can claim gift aid on up to £8,000 of cash donations, under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. For the third year running, Standon has reached that maximum with 2 months of cash collections still to go. If you’re giving cash to St Mary’s and you’re a tax-payer, please make sure we know it’s from you, so that we can reclaim the tax under the main GA system, which has no limit.
New sermon series at our midweek services:
Last week, we finished our series looking at Paul’s 2nd and 3rd missionary journeys, the central chapters of Acts, and this week we start a series on ‘Issues of Life and Death’, considering topics as diverse as assisted dying, war, life after death and, this week, abortion. Please come and join us if you’d like to explore these ethical issues. We cover the same material on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a chance for questions and discussion as well as worshipping together.
Midweek Music 26th March:
This coming Wednesday, 26th March, the Midweek Music Concert will be given by Olivia Scott, Mezzo Soprano and Michael Smith, piano. Olivia will be singing some of her favourite songs accompanied by Michael. Refreshments, as usual, will be served from 11.30am and the concert will begin at 12.30. Do come and join us.
Coffee Morning 29th March at All Saints:
Everyone is welcome to All Saints Coffee Morning on Saturday 10am -12 noon. There will be cakes to eat in and take-away and a chance to make a posy of daffodils and find a gift on the stall for Mothering Sunday. All donations go towards the repair of the church roof.
(And please remember that the clocks go forward next weekend!)
APCM reports and PCC elections:
The annual church meetings (APCMs) are now just a few weeks away. They are a great opportunity to celebrate all that goes on in our benefice, so if you lead or are involved in a group, please make sure a report makes its way to the secretaries of each church (Lizzy for Standon, Michael L for Little Munden, Peter H for Sacombe) Please don't assume that someone else will do it - the secretaries can only include the things they receive information about! The deadline is Saturday 5th May, to give time to collate and then get the reports out before the meetings.
Please also be considering whether you could serve as a PCC member for one of the churches - speak to a current PCC member if you'd like to know more! Even just a year on PCC can help shape the practical and spiritual decisions being made, and is a good way to serve your church.
Little Easter Angels:
We will be running ‘Little Easter Angels’ on Saturday 5th April, 10am-12pm, in St Mary's. There will be Easter treats, snacks, Easter craft, toys, stories and songs – lots of Easter fun! The session is open to all ages so bring the whole family - all are welcome and no booking is needed. The session is free. Please do spread the word! For more information, contact Cate at: [email protected].
Confirmation preparation:
John has prepared a group of young adults for a baptism and confirmation service which will be held in our benefice on Saturday 10th May, at 6.00 pm. If anyone else would like to explore the possibility of baptism or confirmation, please speak to him.
Lent appeal:
Once again, our Lent appeal is for the work and witness of our three churches in our benefice. There is a huge amount going on in our benefice, all offered at no cost to those who come to us (though donations are always welcome). Unfortunately, our current level of giving is insufficient to sustain this indefinitely, and all three churches need periodic boosts to our regular income. Please consider prayerfully whether you are able to make a Lent donation to one or more of our churches. If you’d like your gift to be used across the benefice, please mark it ‘benefice’ and our treasurers will make sure that happens.
Electoral Roll (ER) Renewal:
Each of the churches within the benefice will be renewing their ER between now and their Annual Parochial Church Meeting. Everyone who wishes to remain on, or join, the roll must complete and sign a new form. Notices for the Preparation of a New Electoral Roll are being displayed in each of the churches. Copies of the Application forms are now available. If we hold your email address, application forms will be emailed to you. Paper copies are available at the back of each church.
Paper copies should be returned either directly to the respective ER Officer or left in any of our churches in an envelope labelled ER Application and either Hugh Legg, All Saints, Carole Hudson, St Catherine’s or Wendy Smith, St Mary’s. We will make sure they get to the right person. All applications should be returned before the end of Tuesday 15th April 2025
All Saints, the Mundens – electronic, scanned, copies should be emailed to [email protected] St Mary’s, Standon – application forms are also available on the benefice website ubsms.org.uk st. mary’s, standon about us ER renewal.
Electronic copies should be returned to the email address at the bottom of the application form.
New Seasons support group new venue:
Please note that New Seasons has moved from Standon Village Hall to Standon & Puckeridge Community Centre.
Beds and Herts Historic Churches Bike’n Hike:
This takes place every year on the second Saturday of September. The aim is to raise about £100,000 each year. The team is looking for a volunteer to act as Area Organiser for Hertford Deanery. The commitment is not hugely onerous. It is a worthwhile charity that most of our churches have benefitted from in the form of grants in the past, but it relies on people prepared to do the organising! If you would like to know more, please contact Nicol at [email protected].
Services for the next few weeks:
Midweek services each week:
Tuesdays, 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) & Bible study, St Catherine's
Wednesdays, 9.30am Morning worship & Bible study, St Mary's
Sunday services:
23rd March 10.30am All age worship, St Mary’s
6.00pm Choral Evensong, St Mary’s
30th March 10.30am Morning worship, St Catherine’s
6th April 8.00am Holy Communion, St Mary’s
10.30am Morning worship, All Saints
13th April 10.30am Holy Communion, St Mary’s
20th April 10.30am Easter Communion, St Mary’s
27th April 10.30am All age worship, St Mary’s
6.00pm Choral Evensong, St Mary’s
Easter services:
17th April 7.30pm Maundy Thursday service, St Catherine’s
18th April 10.30am Service by the cross, All Saints
18th April 2.00pm Reflective hour, St Mary’s
20th April 10.30am Easter Communion, St Mary’s