St Mary's Church
Fairford

Learning Together in Lent

Using the book ‘Jesus and Peter – Growing in friendship with God’ by Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester, and group study guide by Brian Parfitt (Discipleship & Ministry Officer, Gloucester Diocese).

Mondays 4th, 11th, 18th March at 7.30pm. Venue to be arranged once numbers are known.

To book a place please contact The Rev’d Denise Hyde on 713285 or denisehyde15@gmail.com. Transport can also be arranged with suitable notice.

Bible Study on St Luke’s Gospel

Thursdays during Lent:
March 7th, 14th
7-8pm, The Heritage Room,
Fairford Community Centre

Daily Prayer during Lent

in the Corpus Christi Chapel

• Monday 6.45pm
• Tuesday – Friday 12noon
• Saturday 10.30am

Foodbank News

We go from strength to strength - thanks to ALL of you who continue to give so generously. Grateful thanks to all who have volunteered their help in any and every way possible, without this, I would be drowning in baked beans!

Thanks to Vanessa and Roz in the Council Office for clearing a space in the cellar of the Community Centre, where goods awaiting the trip to Cirencester can be safely stored. Also, thanks to Roz for delivering those laden boxes to the storage unit at The Beeches on very cold, wet and dark nights - very much appreciated.

Barbara, Becky and Christine as you will already know, have made an enormous contribution to the FOOD BANK which will be so much appreciated by all who will benefit from their stoic deed!

All the churches in and around Fairford are doing as much as they can in the effort to help this cause, and in addition to this, there are also many from the wider community who donate.

The next step is to increase the number of 'referrers' in Fairford. At present there is Sue Black - our Village Agent - who is able to refer anyone who needs assistance from the FOOD BANK in Cirencester, but we need more, so I will ask our local doctors and community health carers and schools etc. if they would be willing to help.

Day after day, your out-pouring of love is evident in that little plastic box on the back pew. At the moment the Food Bank is short of Longlife Milk, small bags of sugar, tinned Meat Meals and Toiletries.

Thank You. Wendy Graham

Website

Charity of the Month:
Jerusalem and the Middle East Churches Association (JMECA)

Amidst the turmoil and uprisings across the Middle East the situation of Churches and Christians has become increasingly demanding, difficult and in need of support. JMECA is the largest charity with the specific purpose of supporting life, witness and social engagement of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church across North Africa, the Middle East and Iran. Established in 1889 by the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, JMECA today raises about £250K a year from donations and other sources to support many areas of the Church’s engagement with the wider life of the Middle East, such as schools, hospitals, clinics and social welfare programmes. There are 33 such programmes in the Diocese of Jerusalem alone (covering Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria).

Through its twice yearly magazine Bible Lands, JMECA provides information and thoughtful comment on issues affecting Christians in the regions, along with prayer requests for the four Dioceses, while its new website www.jmeca.org.uk contains updated news and stories. In response to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call to support Christians in the Middle East last Easter, the charity is hoping parishes will be encouraged to do the same in 2013 and to give their Good Friday Offering to the Church in the Middle East and to pray for Christians and all peoples of the region.

There is literature on the shelf along the south wall of the Church. If you would like further details write to: JMECA, 1 Hart House, The Hart, Farnham. GU9 7HU. Tel: 01252 726994.
Website.

Previous Charity Fundraising

Monies collected from the box in church for the January charity, Embrace the Middle East, (formerly Bible Lands) amounted to £14 to which the PCC will add further amounts.

The total amount raised by the congregation for the charities in 2012 was £4,166.23.

Stewards Needed in St Mary’s

We urgently need some new stewards to fill the gaps left by those who can no longer help. It’s not hard work but can be very interesting - we get visitors from near and very, very far. If it’s quiet you can do a crossword, your knitting, read a book...

• You don’t have to be a member of the congregation
• You don’t have to act as a guide
• Ideally you should have an interest in people and the church in general

Please contact 01285 712679 for further details.

Sister Frances Dominica

Thursday 21st March, 7.45
at St Mary’s, Fairford.

Sister Frances Dominica is from Helen & Douglas House Hospice, Oxford, where they provide end of life care for children and young adults, together with support for their families.

Sr Frances is an inspiring speaker and what she has to say will lead us ever deeper into Holy Week and Easter.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Sunday 14th April at 11.30am in St Mary's.

This is an important church meeting after the morning services; please make every effort to attend.

Electoral Roll

A new Electoral Roll is prepared every six years - and 2013 is the year. The old Roll is scrapped and everyone has to complete a form in order to be included on the new one. Applications must be received by 30th March, and the new Roll will be presented at the APCM.

IF YOU HAVEN’T YET COMPLETED A FORM PLEASE PICK ONE UP IN ST MARY’S OR RING 712467 IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.

Jesus and Me Club, 10th March

10am St Mary’s Church, Fairford
Stories, craft,
fun and food
Every second Sunday
14th April
12th May

Messy Space, Sat 16th March

Crafts and Coffee Bar for Families

2.00 – 4.00 p.m. Fairford Community Centre

Adults & children (recommended 4 yrs upwards). £2 per child - maximum £5 per family.
A project of Churches Together Around Fairford.

X:siteSaturday March 9th

6-8pm
Kempsford Primary School

X:site is a fast moving, high energy event for anyone who is 7-11 years old.

Everyone that goes has lots of fun whilst learning more about God. They have such a great time that they invite their friends to come too. Each event combines silly games, live music with a great band, videos, creative prayer, craft, drama, Bible stories and lots more so that everyone can have a good time and learn about Jesus and have fun at the same time!

Visit the website for more information and photo’s. It is organised in each area by a partnership of local churches and Scripture Union.

For further details contact Joanne Roberts - Tel 01285 711386

Youth Service 7th April

For more details please contact Chris Saunders (S.C. T. M. Youth Worker) on 07918732040/saundersc@talk21.com.

Summer Fete

The Fete is back again on a much smaller scale than the Country Fair of past. It will be held at Colnside, Horcott Road, Fairford by kind permission of Mr and Mrs David Perry on Saturday 13th July 2013 from 2pm to 5pm. Lots of stalls, teas, tombola, silver band, children dancing, large raffle and lots more.

If you would like to be involved, please contact either Edna Preece Smith 713692 or Heather Gorton 712428. In aid of St. Mary’s Church and Fairford Town Charities.

News February 2013
News January 2013
News Round-Up 2012
St Mary's News Round-Up 2012
St Mary's News Round-Up 2011