Weekly notices 1st March

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Notices

Branching Out magazine Spring edition is now available. Envelopes for Gift Day donations are included in this issue of the magazine.

Hunger lunch. A very big thank you to all who supported the recent hunger lunch. I have been able to send a cheque for £340.

Date for your diary: 'Churches Together' Fun Day for the community will take place in Hillsborough Park on Saturday 2nd May 1:00-4:00pm. Wisewood Church is again providing refreshments and volunteers will be needed to man the refreshment tent etc. and to provide cakes, please. There will be a list in the porch nearer the time.

Bring Me Sunshine: a light hearted look at the ups and downs of family life is to take place this Tuesday 3rd March at 7.30pm, at the Double Tree (Hilton Hotel) S8 8BW run by the Care for the Family with Rob Parsons and comedian/magician John Archer. Tickets £6 (£7 on the door). Group discounts available.

Do you believe in prayer? If you want to seek God through prayer, join us every Wednesday in Lent 12:30-1:30pm at Highfield Trinity Methodist, S2 4UR. 4th March based on Nehemiah 1 v.1-11 (theme: commitment), 11th March on Nehemiah 2 v.1-4 (courage), 18th March on Nehemiah 2 v.5 (confirmation), 25th March on Nehemiah 2 v.7 (protection) and 1st April on Nehemiah 2 v.7-9 (provision). For more info, talk to your minister. See poster on the noticeboard. You can join in at home / work.

The Pastoral committee will meet on Wednesday 4th March at 7:30pm at church.

Lent discussion group. Wendy and Becca will once again be running a discussion group through Lent. This year we will be using the story of Les Miserables to talk about faith issues. Don't worry if you don't know the story, the relevant bits from the recent film adaptation will be shown each week. We plan to meet on Wednesday 4th, 18th, 25th March and 1st April 7:30-9:00pm. Feel free to ask us any questions!

Wisewood Wanderers will meet this Thursday 5 March at 9:45am at Church.

The Ladies’ Guild will meet again on Tuesday 10th March at 2:00pm. Collections; subs are due.

Mothering Sunday service is going to be led by Jane Offord on 15th March morning.

Wisewood Community Singers will be performing at a concert hosted by Waldershelf Singers at Hillsborough Trinity Methodist Church on Saturday 21st March at 7:00pm. Tickets on the door (£5, concessions £3, under-16s free).

Gift Day service this year will be on Sunday 22nd March at 10:30am. Personal and departmental gifts will be received by Marjorie Cockburn, who is leading the service.

Stannington Christ Church is resurrecting Easter Story, an outdoor drama of the events of Holy Week, to be performed on Good Friday around 2:00pm. Anyone welcome to join in, especially younger people. Roles include thief on the cross, disciples, Roman soldiers and general crowd. All roles are mimed to a narration, so no lines to learn. Costumes provided, though it is useful to have your own sandals. Rehearsals expected to be Sunday 22nd, 29th March and possibly another one during Holy Week. All very welcome to come and participate on the day too.

Next Worship meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 24th March at 7:30pm.

Offertory envelope scheme starting April 2015. New envelopes are now being distributed. Many thanks to all members of the scheme, which ensures a regular income for the church. If you would like details, with a view to joining, please see Helen Morris. Confidentiality is always assured. This is also a time when we should prayerfully consider if our giving is keeping up with the church’s needs. Thank you.

The Sheffield May Day Trek (supporting Christian Aid) will take place on bank Holiday Monday 4th May. You can chose a 5, 10 or 17 mile route, depending on your abilities. Register on www.sheffieldmaydaytrek.org.uk.

Prayer Group

We read from 1 Peter chapter 2 "You are a chosen people..."

We gave thanks that each new day brings hope for change. Thanks too that Anglican archbishops have had the vision to produce a new book of essays "On rock or sand" attacking policies which cast aside parts of the country and allow a widening gap between rich and poor. The poor and vulnerable seem to be unwanted, unvalued and unnoticed, so much so, that there is a call for a change in the 'political weather' ! A heightened incidence of suicide among men has been reported which seems to be related to government austerity measures.

The hunger lunch held here for the work of 'Churches Against Poverty' and the fund raising cards brought by last Sunday's preacher were very well supported. We gave thanks for this.

We prayed for the girls who have left home to join I.S. in Syria and for their families. May they realise how different the  the I.S. interpretation of Islam is from their own Islamic faith and be prompted to return home.

Our prayers continued for Ukraine, Syria, Libya and other areas where there is turmoil. In April it will be 40 years since the genocide in Cambodia.

We prayed for the Bible Society working there and for the event  being organised to bring people together to cement peace and reconciliation.

We remembered all those who have lost loved ones, especially those killed in war or murdered by groups such as I.S. or Boko Harame.

“Lord we dare to hope for your love and light to pervade your world.”

Please continue to pray for all those members who are unable to attend our services, whether in hospital, in residential homes or housebound.