Weekly News - 22nd January 2023

This weekend’s Bible readings: 

10.30 (dramatic reading) Matthew 4:12-23 (p 968)

6.30: Jeremiah 1:4-10 (p 755) 

Acts 9:1-22 (p1102)

Choral Evensong this Sunday: 

This Sunday is the 4th Sunday of the month, and our benefice choir will lead a service of choral evensong at 6.30 in St Mary’s. Please come and join us if you can, as we worship in word and music.

Mothers’ Union AGM in St Mary’s: 

The next meeting of Braughing with Standon Mothers' Union will be on Wednesday 25 January 2023, when the AGM will be held after the 9.30am service in St Mary’s. That service will be one of holy communion. Please ring Ann on 821674 for more information.

Sacombe next week: 

Next weekend, our 5th Sunday service will be at St Catherine’s. There will be a double baptism – the first baptism at Sacombe for some time! Please note that this service will not be streamed.

Midweek Music at St Mary's Wednesday 25th January: 

The next in our series of midweek concerts will be on 25th at 12.30. Refreshments will be served from 11.30am.

Volunteers still sought: 

Our in-house teams are still looking for volunteers on many fronts. In particular, we are now turning children away from the clubs at Roger de Clare because we don’t have enough helpers, and there is a waiting list of 15-20 children. If you can help with this or any of the other tasks listed in recent weeks, please speak to John or the appropriate person.

FOSM Quiz Night 28th January: 

The Friends of St Mary’s annual quiz night will take place at the community centre on Saturday 28th January, 7.00 for 7.30 start. Tickets are now available from Caroline, at £12 each, to include a ploughman’s supper. There will be a licensed bar. Teams may be up to 8 people. Please book soon if you’d like to come – we are nearly sold out!

Concert in memory of Len Sparks 4th February: 

The postponed concert in memory of Len will take place in St Mary’s on 4th February at 7.00 pm (licensed bar open from 6.30). John Petters New Orleans Jazz Stars will play and proceeds will go to St Mary’s. Please speak to Rebecca for more information or for tickets.

Soup ‘n’ Snowdrops at St Catherine’s, 18th February: 

The Sacombe folk will hold their annual ‘Soup ‘n’ Snowdrops fundraising event on Saturday 18th February, 12.00 – 2.00. There are some snowdrops out already, but they should be in full flower by then; please come along and admire them, and enjoy some delicious home-made soups.

Tudor evensong 26th February: 

The weekend of 25th and 26th February will be a celebration of the completion of the restoration work on the Sadleir tombs. The weekend will culminate in a service of evensong on Sunday 26th at 6.30, where we will, as far as is practicable (and with the exception of allowing women to take part in word and music!), follow an order of service that would be familiar to Sir Ralph. Bishop Alan will take part, and refreshments will be served afterwards.

Games morning at the Boot 7th February: 

The Boot in Dane End is setting up games mornings on the first Tuesday of the month from 11.00 am. All are welcome to come along and play board games and meet friends, old and new. The first one will be 7th February.

Kisiizi Hospital parcels: 

Thank you to everyone who knits for Kisiizi hospital. In 2022 we sent 38 boxes of knitted items, including 130 vests, 76 blankets and 77 teddies. We are now in need of boxes. Those that hold 5 reams of A4 paper are ideal. Please leave them in St Mary’s church.

Easy Fundraising and Amazon Smile: 

Please remember that you can earn commission for the benefice when you shop online. Please sign up with Easy Fundraising or Amazon Smile and nominate St Mary’s, Standon as your chosen beneficiary, then follow the instructions to access the retailers of your choice via those portals. Any commission received is used towards combined benefice expenses. For more information about how to set it up, please speak to almost anyone apart from Caroline!

Website: 

Our benefice website is on the www.achurchnearyou.com platform. The benefice page is: www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7825/benefice. Please visit it to see the range of information there.

Services for the next few weeks

Midweek services each week:

Tuesdays, 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP), St Catherine's

Wednesdays, 9.30am Morning worship & Bible study, St Mary's

We are looking in our midweek services at the moment at the later chapters of Acts. Often, study of the book of Acts doesn’t get to the latter part, so we have started, so we have started custody, where he will spend the rest of his life. Please join us if you’d like to explore these passages with us.

Sunday services:

22nd January 10.30am Family worship, St Mary's

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

6.30pm Choral evensong, St Mary's

29th January 10.30am Morning worship, St Catherine's

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

5th February 8.00am Holy communion, St Mary's

10.30am Morning worship, All Saints

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

12th February 10.30am Holy communion, St Mary's

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

19th February 8.00am Holy communion, St Mary's

10.30am Holy communion, All Saints

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

26th February 10.30am Family worship, St Mary's

4.00pm The Centre, All Saints

6.30pm Tudor Choral evensong, St Mary's