E-Newsletter St Mary's & St Michael's Parish of Shalford & Peasmarsh Trinity Week of 30th May
That Pentecost Cope!
Joy and colour abounds in the Holy Spirit of Pentecost. Last Sunday at St Mary's Pentecost service, with Bishop Jo, creators Sue and Julia, and one glorious cope! Read Sue's words here
This Sunday at St Mary's - Trinity Sunday
& Farewell to Katrina and Andy
Parish Holy Communion 10am Sunday 30th May
with special prayers for Katrina
as she prepares for ordination and the start of her curacy
in St Peter's, Hersham
Dear friends,
'Joy' is one the 5 foundations for our pilgrim rhythm of life together as a church (framing our ever evolving 'church development & community support plan' - along with prayer, hospitality, loving service, discipleship). And last week certainly brought much joy in St Mary's - see below for joy of toddlers and mums finally finding each other again after so many tough months, and Pentecost worship together at St Mary's with Bishop Jo and that cope! where colour and joy abounded!
This Sunday our joy in being alongside Katrina as she reaches her final stages towards her ordination on 4th July (more in a future e-news), is tinged with sadness at saying our goodbyes to Katrina and also to Andy. Both have given so much to St Mary's over the years, in service, words, beautiful song, stories, prayers, Andy in time as churchwarden (surely also only 'joy'?), in laughter, and of course in friendship. We shall miss you both hugely, and will be praying for and with you as you are welcomed warmly into your new community in Hersham.....Charlie included!
Joy too tomorrow evening in joining your APCM? This year, as we will be on zoom sadly still (but see below), we'll keep short and business-like (unusual for us!). Full social and discussion and dreaming together next year hopefully, but every day in between too! At this APCM we do, however, give huge thanks to Val Helliwell and Sally Schupke who are retiring from PCC this year after very very many many years and decades of generous service on PCC and as Churchwardens multiple times each too. Thank you so very much Val, and Sally, and of course ongoing thanks for all you continue to give in your other roles and giftings in your parish church.
See below also a chance to join with the wonderful cast at nearby Wintershall as 'the crowd' in Wintershall's forthcoming 'Walking the Parables'. Chat to Jean Deeks for more information - thanks Jean for giving all this chance.
The collect for Trinity Sunday, as we join in prayer this week; join in the mystery, hospitality & wonder of relationship in the trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Holy God, faithful and unchanging:
enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,
that we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
With love, prayers, and blessings, Rev'd Sarah
Open again from Monday 24th May
Shalford Parent & Toddler Group
Joy! St Mary’s opened its doors again to parents & toddlers on Monday 24th May, and will be open every Monday morning now 9.30-11am – except bank hols and school hols, and unless restrictions change. So lovely to welcome many new as well as old faces, and for toddlers to finally have a chance to interact with each other again, and Mums find life together again at last. As soon as we’re able, we’ll also have snacks, parent coffee, crafts and song-time again – hopefully from late June. For now, toys, toys, toys, and chat. Come along and meet others again – just drop in.
TRIAL RUN OF
WALKING THE PARABLES OF JESUS
Wintershall's dress rehearsal of Walking the Parables of Jesus will be held on Sunday the 27th of June starting at 10 am. They need several groups of 30 people to do a trial run for us. Please email Wintershall team if you can gather a group of friends and family together and they can add you into a group of 30 people for the Walk. This will be 2 miles long and is not suitable for those with limited mobility. We will meet with each group afterwards to gather your feedback. Please chat to Jean Deeks at St Mary's if you would like to find out more too.
Parish of Shalford with Peasmarsh
Churches of St Mary's Shalford & St Michael's Peasmarsh ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
Thursday 27th May, 7.30pm
ON ZOOM FROM YOUR HOME - unless anybody has difficulties with meeting on zoom, in which case Rev Sarah will be zooming from St Mary's church so you can join in person in church.
Zoom Link: APCM Parish of Shalford May 27, 2021 07:30
All welcome to our annual meeting, which will be on the short and business-like side this year! - as we are restricted on refreshments and socialising and meeting in person still. Please contact Ellen in the parish office if you haven't received a copy of our Annual Report and you would like one (quite long, so email best if you have that!). Full details of agenda and copies of the Annual Report are all available in St Mary's church or from Parish Office. ), we will keep some space through this coming year on PCC, allowing potential new people to ponder and pray as to whether this might be a small way of offering their gifts and vision in our service to God and others through the church in Shalford. But no rush! - ponder and pray (the core roles for being part of the PCC in fact!)
ST MARY'S ECO CHAMPIONS GROUP
A new eco team is evolving and hoping to meet week of June 5th, helping us to develop our St Mary's Eco Church focus and work in the Wild Churchyard (led with Shalford Guides), in meeting 2030 carbon zero targets, switching to green energy, exploring new air source heating for St Michael's hall, reducing our carbon footprint inside and outside, adding bike racks etc, planting tree(s), discussing Shalford Eco Champions forum in the autumn, and connecting and supporting environmental and climate change initiatives across the parish/world! If you're interested, please get in touch. More eco news to follow...
Praying with the people of India
As we continue to pray for and with India in the desperate situation across the country, a window into life there from our St Mary's friend Emma Koshi, Director of Sebs Projects in Vellore - one of our St Mary's Global Partnerships. (CMC Christian Medical College in Vellore is a large hospital with over 2000 doctors and 3000 nurses, and has a vital training focus too).
Vellore is going through a difficult time like the rest of Tamil Nadu. For the first time in the history of CMC they had put out a poster saying no beds available. There is a home care program initiated by CMC and we are helping a little bit with logistics particularly providing food. We are also involved with providing dry food provision bags to our Jawadhi hills families and destitute families in Vellore. It is a very grim situation all over the country. We are finally having a lockdown. Hope things will improve in the next few weeks. We are trying to speed the vaccinations and a lot of patients are in Home Care as they are running out of beds in hospitals. This wave had been very contagious and affected a lot of people known to us. My colleague dominic and his family is down with Covid. Thank you for praying for us. May God have mercy and bring healing upon all his people.
Much love Emma
Help raise funds with a special 'Walk for India' on 6th June,
organised by the Sebastian Hunter Memorial Trust, with founders
Anna Hunter and Laura, in Cranleigh and Ewhurst. Details here
Jesus wept
Praying with the people of the Holy Land
A Prayer via Bishop Jo from Archbishop Hosam for Peace in the Holy Land
Almighty and Everlasting God: Our days are in your hands; we lift up all those in the Holy Land who are victims of violence and injustice, that you might empower your Church to bring healing to the wounded, relief to the suffering, and comfort to those who mourn; we pray also that you would soften the hearts
of all those involved in the recent conflicts, that they would be led to work for justice and lasting peace in the land where your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ first came to bring hope
and abundant life to all people; these things we ask in his Holy Name. Amen.
Shalford & Peasmarsh Big Community Stitch still time to deliver your completed squares, or even pick up one of the last few available and make a start! Autumn big sew ahead for the community altar cloth, so plenty of time for more big stitching on little squares first! Just drop off or pick up in St Mary's church anytime. For Big Stitchers' Little Guide & more details see here on the
Big Stitch web page
DROP IN FOR A QUICK, SOCIAL..... COFFEE, CAKE & CHAT 3Cs+Z Weekly, Thursdays 11am on Zoom.
Just click this link each week:
Topic: 11am Cafe 3Cs+Z on Thursdays Click here to connect directly into Zoom Cafe
Meeting ID: 826 9891 7306 Passcode: 633155
Dial in by phone +44 203 901 7895 United Kingdom
Continues for as long as anybody joins the zoom.....Everybody from anywhere welcome to just zoom in, even for a few minutes, to cheer up some other friendly faces with a quick chat (bring your own coffee, cake, joke, news, little story?).
GIVING TO St Mary's and Shalford & Peasmarsh Parish Just click on the big blue button above (or the one on St Mary's website) if you could donate to Shalford Parish church (St Mary's & St Michael's) life, ministry, serving community. Along with so many other areas of life at the moment, churches have been hit hard financially through the pandemic and we would be so grateful for your donations. The button will take you directly to our Justgiving site for one-off or regular online donations, where we can also receive gift aid. If you would be willing to discuss setting up regular giving through direct debit in the Parish Giving Scheme, that would be a wonderful help - please contact Ann Thomas to discuss. Thank you so much for all your support.
Dear friends,
