St Catherine's, Sacombe

Weekly News - 23rd October 2022

This weekend’s Bible readings:

10.30: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (p 1197);

Evensong: Romans 15:1-6 (p 1141) Luke 4:1-21 (p 1030)

Please welcome Hadley and his family and God-parents as he is baptised during our family service this week. Please pray for Hadley, who faces health challenges, and his parents as they care for him.

Clocks change next weekend:

Please remember, or you’ll be very early for the service!

A pop-up shop to start on 23rd October at St Mary's:

Marion is starting a pop-up shop selling Traidcraft products and Christian books and gifts. Traidcraft sells handmade, ethical & fair trade products, from home furnishings and fashion items to yummy chocolate and biscuits, ensuring that the producers are fairly paid. The other books and gifts on sale will be sourced from Eden, an online Christian shop. So many Christian Bookshops are sadly now closing down that we hope this will be of use. You will also be able to order further Christian books and gifts and Traidcraft items via Marion. We are hoping that this will be on a monthly basis with the first pop up shop will be being after the 10.30 service at St Mary's this weekend. Any profits made will go to the local foodbank. Please support this if you can.

FOSM Christmas cards:

The Friends of St Mary’s have commissioned Christmas cards featuring photos of three of the stained glass windows in Standon church. They are on sale from Diana, £1 each or £5 for 6.

Help sought with St Mary’s brasses:

Ann B looks after our brasses at St Mary’s with loving care, but she would appreciate some help with the polishing. Brian did help her, but he is too unwell to continue for now. If you’d like to know more, please speak to Ann.

Change in financial procedures for Standon:

Sadly, Robin is now in Isabel Hospice in Welwyn and cannot continue in his role as assistant treasurer. If you need to deliver money or submit expenses claims to Standon, please give them to Caroline rather than to Robin. Please pray for Robin and those who are caring for him. Pray, too, for the person whom God is preparing to take on this role. If you would like to know more about what is entailed, please speak to Caroline.

Volunteers sought for school clubs:

Our partners, Red Balloon, would like us to recruit some volunteers from the church family to help out with the clubs at Roger de Clare on Thursdays, at lunchtime and after school. If this is something you would like to be involved in, please speak to John or Caroline. We would ideally like enough to create a rota, so that the same people don’t have to commit every week.

Operation Christmas Child:

Lizzy is now packing shoeboxes of gifts to be sent abroad to children in places where Christmas is not going to be easy, because of war or natural disaster. If you’d like to know more about the Samaritan’s Purse scheme, please speak to Lizzy. Filled boxes, empty boxes or anything to go into boxes can be left with Lizzy or Caroline, or in St Mary’s for her to pick up.

Community choir:

A new community choir is being formed by David Ranford. It will rehearse in St Mary’s, starting this Wednesday at 7.30 pm. Any are welcome to come along and try it out. The new choir will take part in a concert sponsored by the High Sheriff on 15th December in St Mary’s.

Concert at St Michael’s, Bishop’s Stortford 29th October:

This concert will take place at 7.00 pm on Saturday 29th October. Theo Tinkler will play J. S. Bach Cello Suite no.1 in G major and there will be music by Domenico Gabrielli and Dall'Abaco. There is a poster at the back of church.

Concert for Remembrance, 12th November in St Mary’s:

Our own Michael Smith will conduct Royston Choral Society singing Durufle’s Requiem in Standon on 12th November at 7.30 pm. Posters and fliers are available in our churches, and tickets are available 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

Sunday services:

23rd October 10.30am All age service, St Mary's