You can download the paper copy of our news sheet from the link at the side of this page. The diocese’s Living God’s Love Prayer:Living God, draw us deeper into your love; Jesus our Lord, send us to care and serve;Holy Spirit, make us heralds of good news.Stir us, strengthen us, teach and inspire usTo live your love with generosity and joy,Imagination and courage; for the sake of your world and in the name of Jesus, Amen. Please note: The Parish Office email is admin@roystonparishchurch.org.uk. If you would like regular copies of the Notice Sheet emailed to you please email this account. Sunday 9th March 9 am Said Communion Service10.30 am Sung Communion Service with Church Choir, Children’s Church, followed by refreshments and The Treble MakersMonday 10th 11 am The funeral of Pamela PageTuesday 11th 9 am Morning PrayerWednesday 12th 11 am Said Communion Service followed by refreshments1 pm Knit and Natter meeting7 pm Choir Practice 7.30 pm Men’s Group meeting in WetherspoonsThursday 13th 9 am – 11 am Tots in ChurchFriday 14th 1.30– 3.30 pm Lent Course 24 pm Choir rehearsal7.30 pm Alex’s choir concert performing Miserere. See notices for details Saturday 15th March10 – 11.30 am Church CaféSunday 16th 9 am Said Communion Service10.30 am Sung Communion Service with Church Choir, Children’s Church, followed by refreshments and The Treble MakersTuesday 18th 9 am Morning Prayer2.30 pm Pastoral meetingWednesday 19th 11 am Said Communion Service followed by refreshments1 pm Knit and Natter meeting7 pm Choir Practice Thursday 20th 9 am – 11 am Tots in Church7 pm Julian Prayer meeting at 11 Middle DriftFriday 21st 1.30– 3.30 pm Lent Course 3Saturday 22nd 10 – 11.30 am Church Café10.15 am Events Committee meetingSunday 23rd 9 am Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Service10.30 am Sung Communion Service with Church Choir, Children’s Church, followed by refreshments and The Treble Makers11.45 am Annual Meeting of Parishioners, followed by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting followed by a brief Parochial Church Council meeting - starting at 12.DATES FOR THE DIARY Julian Prayer meetings will be Thursday April 3rd at 7pm, at 11 Middle Drift. PRAYERSWe pray for all Christians worldwide:For all Christians in Belgium, Luxembourg, NetherlandsFor all who are worship at Kneesworth House Hospital: Leader Ged McHaleFor the work of our mission partners: Vietnamese ChurchWe pray for the community of Royston:For our local health centres For all our local Farmers and Land workersWe pray for all homeless people We pray for our world and ECO projects: As Food Waste Action Week’ takes place 3 – 9 March, we pray that we may use our food resources more responsibiblyWe pray for the sick and suffering: EdenPaul & Pat TideyForest PikeNealRichard MossPhoebe StromPeter CoatesJohn HutchinsJamie CovingtonLynn FrickerJan McElneyKathy GeorgeJackson HerbertLee CockerillBetty GladstoneCyrine and familyJean CoslettPeter RiceVal BrownCarol EmmsRowena GodfreyMargaret & John CoatesAngi and Ken RushallEmma and Phil HeathMike BrownWe pray for those who have died in the faith of Christ:Pamela Page Clare, Peter, family and friendsGuy Nankivell Family and friendsWe pray for those whose anniversaries fall at this time12 March Chellis Hearn14 March James Woodall15 March Dudley Walford17 March Maureen DunbarNOTICESEASTER EGG HUNT: We are seeking donations of Easter Eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt Easter Sunday Morning after the 10:30 service. Please leave any donations of chocolate in the kitchen. Thank youCHURCH FLOWERS FOR EASTER : As usual we will be arranging flowers in church for Easter. If you would like to make a donation of cash or a cheque made payable to Royston PCC towards the Easter lilies, please could you give this directly to one of the church flower arrangers, who are: Pat Bridges, Anna Christou, Val Neather, Clare Rice, Sheila Richardson, Angela Sassoli and Liz Wainwright. If you wish to pay by Bank Transfer directly into the Church Bank Account please use the following: Bank details are: Name: Royston PCCSort code: 30-97-16Account number: 00055620Please use "Easter Flowers" as a reference. Your generous support with festival flowers as always is much appreciated. Thank you.ASH WEDNESDAY 5TH MARCH 11 am and 8 pm. In preparation for these 2 services, can you please start to bring in your SCHOLA CANTORUM: Alex’s choir is performing Miserere, an evening of sublime choral music in Church on Friday 14th March 7.30 pm. Tickets from Eventbrite: bit.ly/ScholaRoyston. Please see poster at the back of church for details on booking tickets via the QR code.LENT LUNCHES: We will need some helpers to put out the tables and chairs for the Lent lunch on March 26th at 11 am for 12 noon, and to put away at 2 pm. Please speak to Kay if you are able to help. Thank you FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE DEATH OF A CHILD- A SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AND THANKSGIVINGWe are having a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for those who have lost a child or who have been affected by the loss of a child of whatever age, however long ago, and no matter under what circumstances.The service will take place on Sunday 9th March 2025 at 5.00pm and will be followed by light refreshments in the church.All of us, at some point on the journey of our lives, experience being wounded by the painful loss of someone we have loved and who have loved us. The wounds in our hearts and souls take time to heal. Even then they leave a scar on our lives. There is a special poignancy over the loss of a child, and finding support is crucial to a healing process.Coming together, in a place of peace and quiet such as the space we find in St John the Baptist Church can be especially helpful whatever our faith and whoever we are. We have found that those who experience this service where we remember the children we have lost will bear witness to how moving and healing this occasion can be for us all.Please feel free to invite families with whom you have had contact who have experienced the death of their child to come to this service. (It does not need to be a bereavement from just this past year, but at any time.) We have some letters of invitation that you might like to pass onto anyone who might appreciate such a service, please see Joanne in the office or call the church office for more information on 07935 774633 STAFF TEAMVicar: Revd Steven Sivyer (rest day MONDAY)Telephone no. 01763 243145Email: vicar@roystonparishchurch.org.ukAssistant Priest: The Reverend John FidlerTelephone no. 01763 241886Email: johnhfidler@aol.com Reader: Emma SivyerTelephone no. 07851 688610Email: emma@sivyer.org.ukReader: Canon Reg BaileyTelephone no. 01763 250637Email: regbailey@aol.com Parish Administrator: Joanne WallisWorking hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9 am to 1 pm email: admin@roystonparishchurch.org.ukMobile: 07935 774633www.roystonparishchurch.org.ukemail: admin@roystonparishchurch.org.ukwww.facebook.com/roystonparishchurch.herts
SUNDAY READING SHEET 9th March 2025 1st Sunday of LentCollectHeavenly Father,your Son battled with the powers of darkness,and grew closer to you in the desert:help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayerthat we may witness to your saving lovein Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen. A Reading from Psalm 91You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’ Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling-place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honour them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.Psalm 91 For the word of the LordAll: Thanks be to GodGOSPELHear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke All: Glory to you, O Lord.Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.Luke 4: 1 - 13This is the Gospel of the Lord.All: Praise to you, O Christ.Post Communion Prayer:Lord God,you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;by it you nourish our faith,increase our hope,and strengthen our love:teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread,and enable us to live by every wordthat proceeds from out of your mouth;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Join us this Lent for a 6-week course on Carbon Literacy®: learning about climate change, carbon footprints and how we can all do our bit to reduce them. The course will take place in church on 6 Fridays from 1.30-3.30pm, on Friday March 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th,, April 4th & 11th. At the end of the course, it is hoped that all participants will make two pledges for relevant actions they will take to help make the world a better place.- Friday March 7th – Week 0: Preliminaries: Introductory documentary, Carbon Footprint calculation- Friday March 14th – Week 1: About Carbon Literacy and the Course, Relevance to Christians, the Science of Climate Change- Friday March 21st – Week 2: Carbon Footprints, Climate Justice, Action: Food, Co-benefits- Friday March 28th – Week 3: How is Climate Change affecting us? Climate anxiety and grief, Travel, Introduction to pledges- Friday April 4th – Week 4: Talking about climate change; Actions on Buildings and Stuff, Pledge ideas - Friday April 11th – Week 5: Declaring a Climate Emergency and Net Zero targets, Action on Money, Hope for the Future; Preparing PledgesThe course will cost £15 to cover refreshments (equivalent to £2.50 per week), all course materials and the cost of applying to receive a certificate. If cost presents a barrier to joining, please do speak to Steven, as funding is available if needed. To book your place, go to https://bit.ly/4hcKbRFImage of wildfire: Courtesy of Unsplash
