Royston Parish Church (Herts)

Royston Parish Church News - Sunday 1st February 2026 (4th Sunday of Epiphany)

2026-02-01 Notice sheet.docx Download

ROYSTON PARISH CHURCH - where all are welcome and God's love is shared

You can download the paper copy of our news sheet from the link at the side of this page.

If you would like regular copies of the Notice Sheet emailed to you please email the parish office at admin@roystonparishchurch.org.uk.

Diary

Saturday 31st January 2026

10:00-11:30 1:30 Church Café (Tea / Coffee / Hot Chocolate only £2 - Free Biscuits)

Sunday 1st February

09:00 - 09:45 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective

10:30 - 11:40 Communion Service with music/choir, children's groups/toy area, followed by refreshments

17:00 Candlemass, A Communion Service celebrating the end of the Christmastide seasons with choir and incense. Please bring a candle with you to be blessed

Monday 3rd February

19:00 Enquiry Evening

Tuesday 4th February

09:00-09:30 Morning Prayer (incorporating prayer requests that have been left in church)

Wednesday 5th February

11:00-11:25 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective followed by refreshments

13:00-15:30 Knit and Natter

18:00-19:15 Chorister Practice

18:30-20:00 Choir Practice

19:00-21:00 Men's Group at Wetherspoons (turn up at any time, all men are welcome to drink and chat)

Thursday 5th February

09:00-11:00 Tots in Church

13:00-15:00 Church Cleaner

14:30-16:00 Ladies Group (all ladies are welcome for refreshments and chat)

19:00-21:00 Bell Ringers Practice

Friday 6th February

09:30-10:00 Celtic Prayer (A simple form of Morning Prayer from the Northumbria Community)

18:00-20:00 Fabric Committee

Saturday 7th February 2026

10:00-11:30 1:30 Church Café (Tea / Coffee / Hot Chocolate only £2 - Free Biscuits)

Sunday 8th February

09:00 - 09:45 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective

10:30 - 11:40 Communion Service with music/choir, children's groups/toy area, followed by refreshments

15:30-!7:30 Tea Time Praise

Dates for the Diary/Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS :There are a number of events coming up over the next few months to look forward to.

9th February 2026 - The work of Guy Stagg, a local author , the event being organised byBow Books

14th February - Church Quiz

18th April - Cheese and wine evening

2nd & 4th May - Book Fayre

19th June - Hymns and PIMM’s

20th June - Concert

Intercessions

We pray for all Christians worldwide:

For all Christians in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, Tunisia
For all who worship at Trinity Life Church; Peter Chapman
For the work of our mission partners: Tear Fund

We pray for the community of Royston:

For our local health centres
For all who volunteer or make use of Royston Community Transport

We pray for our world and ECO projects:
We pray that we may celebrate the joys of eating locally produced food to reduce our carbon footprint. We give thanks for the producers of our winter crops such as cauliflower, kale, leeks, parsnips, root veg, sprouts and savoy cabbages.

We pray for the sick and suffering:

Lee Cockerill
Pat Pritchard
Jackson Herbert
Maria Turi
Chris Christou
Paul & Pat Tidey
Mike Brown
Marion
Val Brown
Angie & Ken Rushall
Paula Walker
Keith & Elaine Edwards
Peter Coates
Emma & Phil Heath
Peter Foster
Gwen Simmons
Laura O'nyamul (On-Ya-Mul)
Keith and Elaine Edwards
Katie
Margaret Green

We pray for those who have died in the faith of Christ:
Deceased Bereaved
Harry McDonald Ruth, family and friends

We pray for those whose anniversaries fall at this time:
Mary Taylor, Austen McMurrough

NOTICES

SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 5 pm– CANDLEMAS: Please bring a candle with you to be blessed.

PETITION TO "RETAIN THE NAME BANYERS HOTEL INSTEAD OF CHALK HARE" The company who is doing the refurbishment of The Banyers is running a poll on a name change. Please click on this link to voice your opinion https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZCPWJL5

NEW SUNG SETTING In our 10.30 services from the 8th February (with the choir singing it at the Candlemas service on the 1st February) we shall be singing a new setting of the communion setting (where we sing Lord, have mercy, Glory to God, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord and Lamb of God). The setting is written by David Thorne and is called the Mass of St Thomas. If you would like to get to know it before we start singing it then you can hear it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVMJxiIXQMs

LENT COURSE: As we approach Lent, everyone is invited to take part in our parish Lent course, Draw Near: Life-Giving Habits for Lent, based on the Church of England resource offering short daily reflections to help deepen our relationship with God. Sunday preaching and home groups will follow shared weekly themes, creating a common rhythm of worship, reflection, and conversation across the church. Home groups will meet weekly where possible, with most able to welcome newcomers as well as three newly formed groups for Lent only. Further details about booklets and groups will be shared soon.

QUIZ RAFFLE: We are having a small raffle at the quiz on Saturday 14th February and are looking for contributions for this. At the back of the Church is a list of items that we need, if you feel able to contribute please cross off an item.

The hampers will be made up on the morning of the quiz so please bring items before then, thank you.
Looking forward, we will also be looking for donations of Easter eggs for the egg hunt on Easter Sunday, 5th April and chocolate items for a chocolate tombola at the Book Fayre, 2nd and 4th May. We are happy to take these at any time from now on so we can take advantage of any offers.
Please leave all items in the kitchen. As always we ask that all food items have good dates on them as we cannot include out of date items!
Thank you so much, the Events Committee.

HELP NEEDED PLEASE: We are helping with Lent Lunch on Wednesday 11th March which is held at the Roman Catholic Church Hall. Lunches usually run from 12 until 1.30pm, consist of a selection of soups, bread, butter, cheese and fruit. Help is also needed to put out/put back chairs and tables (men please). There is a suggested donation of £5 per person. Profits after costs go to Christian Aid and CAFOD.

If you are able to help in anyway, there is a sign up sheet up at the back of Church, or please speak to Kay for any more information. Thank you.

BASIC AWARENESS SAFEGUARDING COURSE Three years ago, after the church re-opened, we ran a Basic Awareness Safeguarding Course for anyone who was unable to access the training online and would find it easier to come along to the church to do the training as a group. For some people it is now time to renew their training after three years, for others it will be the first time. This is a relaxed, non threatening way for everyone to join together and learn how we can, as a church, keep everyone safe whether it is children or vulnerable adults. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity we will be running the course on Monday 23rd February 2026 at 9.30 am in church. Please let me know if you would like to join us.

Alison Bailey, Parish Safeguarding Officer, 01763 250637, [email protected]

.AN EVENING WITH JOHN STAGG - LOCAL AUTHOR Bow Books are delighted to welcome local author Guy Stagg to Royston Parish Church, where he will discuss his award-winning non-fiction books, The Crossway and The World Within, illustrated with slides. Tickets £5 per person (includes first drink free) available from Bow Books. Please see leaflet for more information.

SUNDAY MORNING READING SHEET 1st February 4th Sunday of Epiphany

A Reading from Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

GOSPEL

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:1-11

STAFF TEAM

Vicar: Revd Steven Sivyer (rest day MONDAY)

Telephone no. 01763 580242

Email: [email protected]

Curate: Jaime Roberts (rest day FRIDAY)

Telephone: 01763 580241

Email: [email protected]

Assistant Priest: The Reverend John Fidler

Telephone no. 01763 241886

Email: [email protected]

Reader: Emma Sivyer