This weekend’s Bible readings:

Genesis 49:9-12 (p 55) Luke 19:28-44 (p 1054)

Holy Week and Easter services:

Please join us for as many of our Holy Week and Easter services as you can. We will hold our usual Maundy Thursday communion service at Sacombe on Thursday at 7.30pm; the Little Munden School choir will join us on Good Friday for our service by the cross at All Saints at 10.30am, and we will spend an hour in guided reflection at 2.00 on Friday afternoon in Standon. A list of all our services is included below.

Electoral Roll (ER) Renewal:

Each of our churches is renewing completely its 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 and applications must be received before the end of this Tuesday, 15th April.

APCM papers:

Our secretaries and treasurers are collating reports for our annual meetings in all three churches (although we are a united benefice, each PCC is a separate legal entity and must hold its own meeting). If you’re willing to save time, paper and copying by receiving the papers by email, please contact the appropriate secretary: Lizzy for Standon, Michael L for The Mundens, Peter H for Sacombe.

Assisted Dying bill:

The third reading of the Bill on Assisted Dying is coming up after 25th April. Our local MP for North East Hertfordshire voted for the bill at the second reading, but is undecided on how he will vote at the third reading. Please consider writing to him so that he knows your view. If this bill passes, it will have massive implications for our society, and the outcome will reflect how we value older people, the group most affected by Assisted Dying legislation in other parts of the world. You can email your MP directly via Care.org.uk Search for topic ‘Assisted Suicide’. This Christian organisation provides a customisable email template. Writing can take as little as a few minutes.

Mayday 5th May:

Once again we are preparing for the Mayday celebrations in Standon High Street. If you can volunteer an hour to help in the Village Hall or in church, or if you’re willing to bake a cake, please sign up on the list in St Mary’s.

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.

EHCCA Good Friday worship:

This year’s East Herts Church Choirs Association (EHCCA) Act of Worship for Good Friday (18th April) will be in St Mary’s, Cheshunt at 7.30pm. They will sing Fauré’s Requiem, interspersed with readings, prayers and hymns, soloists Amelia James and Hugh Legg. All are welcome.

Sunday lunch at the Star:

Our next Sunday lunch will be on Sunday 27th April at 12.15pm at the Star in Standon. If you would like to join us please let Heather know by Monday 21st April 07909 065550.

Services for the next few weeks:

Midweek services each week:

Tuesdays, 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) & Bible study, St Catherine’s

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

Sunday services:

13th April 10.30 am Holy Communion, St Mary’s

20th April 10.30 am Easter Communion, St Mary’s

27th April 10.30 am All age worship, St Mary’s

4th May 8.00 am Holy Communion, St Mary’s

10.30 am Morning worship, All Saints

11th May 10.30 am Holy Communion, St Mary’s

Please note there will be no service of choral evensong in April.

Special services:

10th May 6.00 pm Baptisms River Rib

6.30 pm Confirmation service, St Mary’s

Easter services:

17th April 7.30 pm Maundy Thursday service, St Catherine’s

18th April 10.30 am Service by the cross, All Saints

18th April 2.00 pm Reflective hour, St Mary’s

20th April 10.30 am Easter Communion, St Mary’s

Please note there will be no 8.00 service on Easter Day.

Dates & meetings coming up:

15th April, 12.00 noon Memorial service for Bridget Wentworth-Stanley (all welcome), St Mary’s

15th April, 2.00 pm Funeral of Philip Pudsey Dawson, St Mary’s, Braughing

23rd April, 12.30 pm Midweek Music, St Mary’s

26th April 4.00 pm Benefice Choir singing Evensong at Southwark Cathedral; all are welcome at the service Southwark Cathedral

4th May, after the 10.30 service Annual meeting, All Saints

5th May, 11 – 5 Mayday activities Standon High Street

6th May, after 9.30 service Annual meeting, St Catherine’s

11th May, after 10.30 service Annual meeting, St Mary’s

16th May, 7.30 pm FOSM AGM, St Mary’s