Royston Parish Church (Herts)

Royston Parish Church News - Sunday 14th September 2025

2025-09-14 notice sheet rev 2.docx Download

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 us
To live your love with generosity and joy,
Imagination and courage;
for the sake of your world and
in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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.

Diary

Thursday 11th September

09:00 - 11:00Tots in Church

19:00 - 21:00Bell Ringers Practice

Saturday 13th September

09:00 - 17:00 Sponsored Bike for Historic Churches

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

Sunday 14th September

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

10:30 - 11:40 Communion Service including the baptism of Kyrah Roberts with music/choir, children's groups/toy area, followed by refreshments

13:30 - 14:30 Royal Airforce Association, Battle of Britain Service

Monday 15th September

19:00 - 21:00PCC Meeting

Tuesday 16th September

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

Wednesday 17th September

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

13:00 - 15:30Knit and Natter (where all are welcome to meet and chat)

18:00 - 19:15Chorister Practice

18:30 - 20:00Choir Practice

Thursday 18th September

09:00 - 11:00Tots in Church

13:00 - 15:00Church Cleaner

19:00 - 21:00Bell Ringers Practice

Friday 19th September

10:00 - 12:00 Staff meeting

12:00 - 13:00 Ministerial Team meeting

16:00 - 23:00 Opening night Arts Festival

Saturday 20th September

09:00 - 10:00 Visiting Bell ringers

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

Sunday 21st September

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

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

12:30 - 13:00 Baptism Service

Monday 22nd September

19:30 - 21:30 Carbon Literacy Course

Dates for the Diary/Upcoming Events

26th September - Organ recital

4th October - Harvest Supper

8th November - Remembrance themed lunch time concert. Ruth Savage

Intercessions

We pray for all Christians worldwide:

For all Christians in Ghana and Nigeria

For all who are worship at Melbourn Baptist Church:

Rob and Jenny Hughes

For the work of our mission partners: United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG)

We pray for the community of Royston:

For our local health centres

For all those who keep clean our streets and empty our waste bins

We pray for our world and ECO projects:

The first week in September is "Zero Waste Week" (see zerowasteweek.co.uk) in which we are encourage to reduce our waste and set goals to reuse, recycle and repurpose.

We pray for the sick and suffering:

Lee Cockerill
Chris Christou
Val Brown
Peter Coates
Pat Pritchard
Paul and Pat Tidey
Angi and Ken Rushall
Emma and Phil Heath
David Gower
Mike Brown
Peter Foster
Paula Walker
Harry Sime

We pray for those who have died in the faith of Christ:

Susan Titmuss - Family and friends

JOanna Jones Family and friends

We pray for those whose anniversaries fall at this time

Gwen Read Eleanor Smyth John Nicholl Revd John Gardiner

NOTICES

CREATIONTIDE SPEAKER PROFESSOR RACHEL WARREN: “Climate Change: Science and Solutions”: On Sunday 21st September as part of our Creationtide season, we have an invited speaker at both the 9am and the 10:30am services. Many of you will remember Oliver Franklin Wallis’s excellent talk on “Wasteland” from last year. This year’s visiting speaker, Professor Rachel Warren, will be speaking to us on “Climate Change: Science and Solutions”. Rachel is Professor of Global Change and Environmental Biology at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, UK. She has over 25 years’ experience leading policy-relevant scientific research on climate change. Her work has informed world governments about the risks associated with global warming, and catalysed the decarbonization of the world’s largest pension fund. Her work focuses on quantifying the risks that can be avoided by prompt action to reduce the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. This includes work on the risks that climate change poses to biodiversity, the economic damages caused by climate change, and interactions between climate policy and efforts to achieve other sustainable development goals. Rachel co-authored the 4th Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and also co-authored the IPCC 5th assessment (2014), the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C warming (2018) and most recently the IPCC 6th assessment (2022). Rachel’s academic background and training is in physics and the natural sciences at Cambridge University.

BISHOP OF ST. ALBANS HARVEST APPEAL: This year’s Appeal is in support of Mission Direct, building schools in Uganda and Zambia. You can read about it in the September Parish Magazine and on the Mission notice board in Church. We are inviting you to make individual donations directly to the Appeal. You can do this by going to the diocese website : stalbansdiocese.org, then clicking on the link to "Bishop's Harvest Appeal". There you will find all the information, including a video, and details of how to make a donation. With very many thanks

HARVEST SUPPER SATURDAY 4th OCTOBER, 6:30PM in ROYSTON PARISH CHURCH. Tickets £10 individual / £25 family, Supper includes shepherds pie or vegetarian alternative, with fruit crumble for dessert. Drinks available to buy. Please bring own plate and bowl.

To enable us to cater for the right numbers please book by going to https://bit.ly/4me70Y9 or scan the QR code on posters or see Joanne in Church for help

BEDS & HERTS HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST - SPONSORED BIKE ‘N HIKE - SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2025 Last year we in Royston raised over £ 1,700 which was divided equally between BHHCT and our own parish funds. We hope to do just as well or better this year and the numbers asking for Sponsor Forms is encouraging. Select your own route for cycling or hiking between the churches – there are over 600 churches to choose from so make it as long or as short as you wish. Most churches will be open on the day. The Sponsorship Packs are now available and if you would like a pack, please contact Mike Maze (245606 or [email protected]). There is always the easier option which is to sponsor one of the participants using their Sponsor form or if online giving suits you best, please visit:- Michael's fundraising page or Rodney's fundraising page

CARBON LITERACY PROJECT We have probably all seen the horrific pictures of the wildfires ravaging parts of the city of Athens this summer, reducing some suburbs to smouldering rubble. Scientists tell us that such events will become more commonplace, as the increased temperatures caused by global warming are causing more extreme weather (such as strong winds) and increased drying of the vegetation (meaning that fires spread more quickly).

But what can we do to play our part in reducing these problems? This course offers learning about climate change, carbon footprints and how we can all do our bit to reduce our emissions of the greenhouse gases that lead to global warming.

The course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project who, to date, have certified over 134,000 participants in 45 countries and from various organisations (businesses, councils, hospitals, etc). Our course has been specially designed with church congregations in mind. 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.

There will be a total of six sessions on consecutive Monday evenings at Royston Parish Church from 7:30-9:30pm on the following dates:

- Monday Sept 22nd – Week 0: Preliminaries: Introductory documentary, Carbon Footprint calculation

- Monday Sept 29th – Week 1: About Carbon Literacy and the Course, Relevance to Christians, the Science of Climate Change

- Monday Oct 6th – Week 2: Carbon Footprints, Climate Justice, Action: Food, Co-benefits

- Monday Oct 13th – Week 3: How is Climate Change affecting us? Climate anxiety and grief, Travel, Introduction to pledges

- Monday Oct 20th – Week 4: Talking about climate change; Actions on Buildings and Stuff, Pledge ideas

- Monday Oct 27th – Week 5: Declaring a Climate Emergency and Net Zero targets, Action on Money, Hope for the Future; Preparing Pledges

The course will cost £15 to cover refreshments, all course materials and the cost of applying to receive a certificate. To book your place, go to https://bit.ly/4kY7noa or scan this QR code.

N.B. If you cannot make all of the dates, the course materials can be made available for weeks that you miss.

CHURCH TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Please be aware that we are now operating using a new telephone system. Here are the numbers that are now affected:

General Church Number 01763 243145
Steven (Vicar) 01763 580242
Jaime (Curate) 01763 580241
Joanne (Administrator) 01763 580218

Please note that, if you use the general church number, you will then be presented with options to get in touch with Steven, Jaime or Joanne. All other numbers associated with the church will no longer be operational, but personal numbers such as other people who minister in the church (such as John, Reg or Emma) remain unchanged.

SUNDAY READING SHEET 14th September 2025 13th Sunday after Trinity

A Reading from the Prophecy of Malachi (9am only)

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says thehosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

Then those who revered thewith one another. Thenote and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered thethought on his name.shall be mine, says thehosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them.once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Malachi 3:10, 16 - 18

GOSPEL ( 9 am and 10.30 am)

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach.tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi.you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven.are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.greatest among you will be your servant.who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:1-12

STAFF TEAM

Vicar: Revd Steven Sivyer (rest day MONDAY) - On holiday until 3rd September

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 - On holiday until 3rd September

Telephone no. 07851 688610