Notices 19th March

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Today's Gift Day Service is when personal and departmental gifts are received during the morning service. Gift envelopes are included with the new issue of the church magazine which is now available. If you are a member of the Envelope Scheme, please write your number on the Gift Day envelope for Gift Aiding. Thanks.

Envelope Scheme. The new year for this offertory scheme begins in April and new envelopes are now being distributed. Many thanks to all members of the scheme, which ensures a regular income for the church. If you are not a member and 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 Prayer Space (in a corner of the entrance hall) has been updated. New theme: Lent.

The Pastoral Committee will meet on Tuesday 21st March, 7:30pm in the Owlerton Room.

Wednesday's Tea Dancing sessions have now come to an end and will not be meeting again in our church hall.

Midlewood Bowls are meeting at Wisewood Church this Wednesday, for the last session of the season and will not meet again until the autumn.

East Africa Food Crisis. A catastrophe of this magnitude means that every response matters. All We Can and the World Church Relationships Team of the Methodist Church in Britain are urgently calling for individual and local community support to respond to famine in South Sudan and to avert famine and further death in other countries across East Africa and the wider region. Ongoing food crises have pushed many countries to the brink of catastrophe with millions facing malnutrition, illness and death. Over a month ago it was announced that South Sudan had already reached a tipping point with 2 counties being declared as officially affected by famine. Since then, Somalia, northern Nigeria and Yemen have been categorised as being on the brink of famine, with other countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi and Uganda facing severe food insecurity.
The Methodist Church in Britain is urging people to respond quickly, generously and collectively to this catastrophic situation by supporting the appeal being managed by All We Can.

Prayer Group

The Prayer Group did not meet last week, but there are a number of desperate emergencies being reported on the news. In Nigeria and Yemen people are starving as famine spreads. War has disrupted farming and there is little or no harvest. Famine is also bringing suffering to the people of Somalia and South Sudan. Please pray that swift action may be taken to relieve this situation and the problems in other areas of war and need.

Jesus came that all might discover life in all its fullness but so many do not experience this. As our prayers for Lent say: 'May Christ be known and His love be shown'.