Notices 23rd July

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Ladies' Guild Coffee Morning is planned for Saturday 29th July 10:30am-1:00pm in the church hall. There will be a cake stall and 'Bring & Buy'. All welcome. Sue & Pat.

Annual Friends of Wisewood & District Funday will take place on Saturday 29th July 11:00am-3:00pm. This year’s event will include a car boot sale along with the usual stalls, bouncy castle etc... Please stroll around to the Riva/Sports Centre site, after you have enjoyed coffee at the Ladies' Guild coffee morning in the church hall. If you would like a pitch for the car boot sale, please see contact details on the poster in the porch or speak to Margaret P. Help to man the churches’ craft stall and games on the day would be appreciated. As a church we need to be eager to be involved in community events if we are to try and show Jesus in action.

No morning service at Wisewood on Sunday 6th August. Instead, we will be worshipping together with other churches in our section in a Songs of Praise Summer Celebration service at Hillsborough Trinity at 10:45am.

Holy Habits - Katie will be focusing from September on themes from the book Holy Habits (see her magazine article for more information). If you would like a copy of the book, please let Katie know by Sunday 13th August. Books will cost £7.99 each. If you have already mentioned it to Katie, please remind her again!

Methodist Prayer handbook is about to be published. This year it is titled ‘Jesus the First and Last’ celebrating the Jesus of history, the Christ of faith and our cosmic Lord; the first word and the last word, which has not yet been spoken. Books cost £3.95 (or £3.50 if we order 10 or more). If you would like a copy, please let Katie know by Sunday 13th August.

Gordon and Margaret thank everyone for their best wishes, cards and greetings on the occasion of their ruby wedding. As a result of donations at the coffee morning £235 has been forwarded to the charity 'Taste'.

Sophie Palmer thanks all who sponsored her for her charity walk. She raised £135.00.

Songs of Praise Service. The morning service on Sunday 27th August will be a 'Songs of Praise'. If you have a favourite hymn you would like to be included please tell John Garrett on or before 6th August so that a balanced selection can be made - no guarantees! Thank you.

Action for Children - Gift envelopes are still available. Thank you. Stella.

Prayer Group Report

Last Sunday we read Revelation, chapter 7 from verse 9: ‘Salvation belongs to our God etc...’

In China the death of Liu Xiaobo was recently announced. He became a ‘champion for democracy’ following various protests against the current regime. This led to several stints in prison and this is where he died. In 2010 he had been awarded the Nobel peace prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China and is the first Nobel prize-winner to die in custody since the 1930’s. We prayed for his friends and family, thinking especially of his wife, Liu Xia, who has herself been under virtual house arrest since the presentation of the Nobel prize to her husband and gave thanks for the legacy he has left behind.

Our prayers continued for Jordan and other areas of the Middle East and for the continuation of the work of Biblelands there. A recent communication from Biblelands describes a Palm Sunday procession in Egypt where a bomb exploded killing several and maiming many. Some changed their bloodied clothes for clean white robes, prompting a vision of the Revelation 7 passage. We prayed for the Egyptian church, especially those involved in the parade and gave thanks for the strength of those continuing to show their Christian faith as witnesses and workers for God, despite persecution.

We continued to pray for all those mentioned in our Prayer Book – may they feel God’s closeness and know that they are remembered in prayer.