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In Lent St John's Church is undertaking a
Parish Lent programme to look again at the stewardship of our
lives as Christians. There will be an integrated programme that
combines the Sunday's sermon with personal activity within a
5 week cycle of House Groups. We hope that every one of you will
take up this challenge and join one of the groups. The programme
will follow this timetable:
Sunday 15th February Our Christian Challenge Information Packs
will be distributed at Church
Sunday 22nd February Challenge launch
Sunday 29th February/House Groups 1st-6th March The Challenge
of Being the Church
Aim: To be able to state the purpose of the Church as an institution
Sunday 7th March/House Groups 8th-13th March The Challenge of
Christian Discipleship
Aim: To be able to understand the purpose of the Church in a
spiritual dimension
Sunday 14th March/House Groups 15th-20th March The Challenge
of Trying to Live by God's Standards
Aim: To begin to see how the Church as an institution and as
a spiritual force becomes part of our way of life
Sunday 21st March/House Groups 22nd-27th The Challenge of 'Looking
After Things' - Stewardship
Aim:To offer ideas on how we (collectively and individually)
can take responsibility for all that we have been given
Sunday 28th March/House Groups 29th March-3rd April The Challenge
of Mission
Aim: To be able to see the ways in which those things for which
we have taken responsibility in stewardship can be used for the
greater purpose of mission
Sunday 4th April, Thanksgiving Palm Sunday,
We hope that by responding to this challenge positively, we can
be more effective in meeting the challenges we face in our secular
world today. It will enable us to become 'better Christians'
- to meet the challenge of our Church's financial commitment
and, especially, to be better able to share God's love and care
with the people of our community. This is our Christian Challenge
- please try to get involved and meet it!
What do I do now?: The Information Packs,
to be distributed on 15th February, will give all the details
about the Challenge and the House Groups and also provide comprehensive
notes about the Challenge themes. You might like to think which
House Group would suit you? They will run on Monday evening,
Tuesday afternoon & evening, Wednesday evening, Thursday
afternoon & evening, Friday evening, and Saturday morning.
Put the dates in your diaries now!
Could you lead a Group?: The House Groups will be important to
the success of the programme. We are looking for at least TEN
leaders for the above groups. Full training and preparation will
be provided. Anyone who is interested, or who would like to know
more about what it might involve, please contact Brian Spence
( 772413. Comprehensive notes will be provided and there will
be a breakfast leader training session, for the whole course,
on Saturday 21st February at 8.30am. Then there will be a leader
training for each week's session on the preceding Sunday (22nd
Feb-28th March) at 11.45am.
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What we learnt at the Mandir
At 9 o'clock on Saturday 17th January,
70 members of St John's congregation set off on a voyage of discovery
to exotic places - well, Neasden actually, to the Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir. The Mandir is the first traditional Hindu temple in Europe
and was constructed in 3 years by volunteers using 26,300 hand
carved pieces of Italian and Indian marble and Bulgarian limestone.
On the same site is the Haveli, a cultural complex including
a prayer hall divided into three areas (with the largest section
set aside for the elders - anyone over 35!) but the dividers
are rolled away for major festivals and accommodates up to 4,500
people. There is also a sports hall (for attracting the young
people), a kitchen, library and gift shop. The interior is a
wonderland of carved Burmese teak, oak and specially designed
and woven carpets from Ireland.
We had a guided tour, marvelled at the exhibition (Understanding
Hinduism) and were impressed by the video. According to the (free!)
booklet, Hindus believe in one supreme God who incarnates on
earth in various forms. For the people there is continuous reincarnation,
an immortal soul continuously born and reborn in various species
until, according to past and present actions it achieves liberation
but remaining eternally in the service of God. Faith is based
on the writing of the written scriptural authority of the Vedas.
Hinduism is a tolerant and peace-loving religion over 8,500 years
old.
On the 17th, a 'kite festival' when the wind changes from north
to south and the worshippers turn away from worldly pursuits
to spiritual ones, was being celebrated. The Haveli prayer hall
was being prepared for an expected 3,000 throng in the afternoon.
We were invited to observe at the third service of the day and
sat on the floor divided into men at the front at women behind
(no ideas to be taken from this please).
We saw the Murtis, marble idols believed to be ceremoniously
infused with the divine presence of God, revealed to the worshippers,
dressed according to the time of day and festival and offered
food and drink. The Murtis are attended by sadhus wearing saffron
robes who live by the five prime principles - lust free, greed
free, attachment free, taste free and ego free.
Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the fifth spiritual successor
to the founder Bhagvan Swaminarayan, he's a very pleasant looking
chap and due to visit the UK in April 2004. I rather took to
his phrase 'in the joy of others lies our own' - maybe we could
take an idea from this?
Many thanks to Brian and Jay Pandya for organising the trip and
of course to the volunteers at the Mandir for allowing us to
see this fantastic place.
PATHFINDERS
Key dates for Pathfinders this term are:
February 1: Pathfinder breakfast
February 8: All About Incense - Stuart
King, Chaplain of Bearwood College, will be unravelling the myths
and mysteries surrounding incense. 10am as usual
February 15, 22: Half term
February 29: first rehearsal/read through
for Last Supper (let us know if you can't be there but would
like a part: we need 13 (preferably 14) actors, male and female
March 7: Last Supper read-through
March 14: costumed-rehearsal of Last Supper
in front of Sunday School
March 21/28: Pathfinders as usual with
rehearsals/ planning as necessary
April 4 Palm Sunday evening: performance
of Last Supper.
We are also in the early stages of planning
a pet service for May 16 (provisional date).
Pathfinders is held at 10am on Sundays,
in the church entrance hall, and is open to anyone of secondary
school age. Just turn up.
Candlelight Supper
A very successful event was held on 24th
January. Over 40 parish members enjoyed mulled wine, an excellent
meal and music from younger members. Our thanks to Jill Pope,
Anne Swann and the Social Committee for a great evening.
COME and SUPPORT YOUR CHOIR
at CHORAL EVENSONG
SECOND SUNDAY of every month at 6.30p.m
As we saw and heard over Christmas and
indeed we see and hear every Sunday, our Choir has worked very
hard to produce beautiful and varied music, which has greatly
added to our worship. The Magnificat, which they sang at 10.00
a.m. on the Sunday before Christmas, is an example of the lovely
and traditional music sung at Evensong, but, so far, to a tiny
congregation.
Please come and encourage them by enjoying a feast of music in
this short service, perhaps bringing a friend and increasing
numbers at the same time.
Coffee will be served after each service.
We look forward to seeing you there. |
PRAYING FOR STREETS
In February we continue our cycle of including
prayer requests from each of the streets in the Parish in our
Sunday services (delivering leaflets the preceding week asking
for these requests). In February will be:
1st Knowles Avenue, Fincham End Drive
8th Addiscombe Road, Old Pharmacy Court, Blake
Close
15th Pinehill Road
22nd Cambridge Road, Furze Hill Crescent
29th Napier Road, Napier Close
Eight meets Ten at Nine
After last year's very successful breakfasts
where worshippers from the 8am and 10am services were able to
meet and share a breakfast at 9am, there will be another breakfast
on 29 February. Put the date in your diary now!
PALM CROSSES & LENT
With Lent starting on 25th February could
you please bring back palm crosses on Sundays 8th and 15th for
use on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday Liturgy with Imposition of
Ashes is on Wednesday 25th February.
FAMILY FUN AFTERNOON
for families with children up to 11
years
Saturday 7 February
Hatch Ride School 4 to 6pm.
Children's Entertainer and all
the fun of a party.
Tickets now available £3 each or £11 per family
Please also bring a plate of simple party food. |
MAY FAIR -
3rd May
Well its that time of year again when all
the hard work has to start to try to make the May Fayre a success.
With the excellent result from last year's festivities the committee
have begun work to at least try to match the result - we're not
going to presume we could better it! So we have started the search
for Arena attractions and if any have contacts which might be
useful then I would welcome all information. Once again we will
have the pleasure of seeing Jayne Coleman's Dance Academy performing
and we will have some Morris Men to open the event for the first
time in ages!
Besides the Arena all the normal stalls
and a few new ones will be plying their trade and Pauline Williamson
and Catherine Pandya will be approaching you to see where you
can help out. Our other attractions range from the traditional
bouncy castles and slides to an inflatable assault course and
following last years success we plan to keep the teas and coffees
down on the field! So please be generous with you time when you
are approached as we cannot do it without you.
The two biggest single fund raisers are
both items which you can help with before the day - advertising
in/production of the programme and the May Fayre Raffle. As is
normal we will be sending out raffle books just before the event
and we hope that you will easily exceed your initial allocation
and come rushing back for more! In addition we will be selling
tickets outside Somerfield for which we will be looking for volunteers.
If anyone does wish to use the programme to advertise their business
venture to the people of Crowthorne - remember the programme
is delivered to every single house in the village - then please
make contact with the committee.
Following the success of the map and stickers
last year we will be sticking - sorry for the pun! - with the
same formula and hope to have a map of the field ready for inclusion
in the programme this time round.
THE QUIET PLACE
at
BIRCH KNOLL
A Quiet Day for Lent
The Desert Experience
Take time take stock of life before
Easter
A day led by Victoria Sturdy and Hazel Berry.
Thursday 25th March - 10,00am - 4.00pm
Cost £10.00 to include coffee, lunch, tea.
NB The Quiet Place is wheelchair friendly
REMEMBRANCE FLOWERS
We are very fortunate to have over 20 flower
arrangers who decorate the Church throughout the year (apart
from during Lent and Advent). Each week there is an arrangement
behind the altar, in the porch and by the Remembrance Table.
The book on the Table lists our loved ones whose anniversaries
fall that month. If you would like to make a donation, in memory
of a loved one, for a flower arrangement to be placed at the
Remembrance Table, please speak to the Vicar.
FLOWER FESTIVAL
There will be another Flower Festival at
St John's, alongside the Carnival, on Saturday/Sunday 10 - 11 July.
Put the date in your diaries now!
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