PARISH AND PEOPLE

The Magazine of St. Mary the Virgin,

Goldington

April 2020 80p

We wish all our readers a very Happy Easter

ST. MARY’S DIRECTORY

Vicar: The Rev’d Simon Dommett 01234 351920 The Vicarage Church Lane Goldington, Bedford, MK41 0AP the.revd.simon@gmail.com

Associate Priest:

The Rev'd Jennie Cappleman 01234 266952 jennie.cappleman@yahoo.co.uk

Licensed Readers:

Michael Furlong 01234 352134

Cathy Sanderson 01234 346889

Churchwardens: Mr Brian Backhouse 8 Lydford Close, BEDFORD, MK40 3AZ 01234 403255

Mrs Wendy Watmough 34 The Spinney, BEDFORD, MK41 0ET 07588 185347

Parochial Church Council Secretary:

Sarah Collinson 01234 262123

Treasurer:

Richard Kirby 01234 266425

Safeguarding Officer: Cathy Sanderson 07870 679699

Environmental Officer: Colin Last 01234 356261

Health & Safety Officer: Vacant

Electoral Roll Officer: John Sheffield 01234 357439

Church Hall Manager: Mr Geoff Sowerby 01234 403411

Enquiries about baptisms and marriages are always welcome.

Please contact the Vicar as above.

Other enquiries should go to the Church Office

01234 328823 or e-mail office@stmarygoldington.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1131568

1

Our Vicar writes ...

Happy Easter

Christ is risen, he is risen indeed, Alleluia!

This joyful shout of celebration will ring out in churches all over the world this

Easter as they have done over the centuries. Each year the church (the

people rather than the building) proclaims the confidence and joy of the

Easter message, that Jesus has been raised from the dead and has defeated

evil.

For many Easter will mark the end of their preparations during Lent. It isn’t

something that just happens. It is something that is planned and prepared

for. Planned and prepared for from before the beginning of time, as it is all

part of God’s plan and purpose for humankind.

During this lent “Live Lent” encouraged us all to think about God’s creation

with the Live Lent campaign.

https://www.stalbans.anglican.org/livelent-2020-care-for-gods-creation/

Now some may think that Easter is all about people, if they don’t think it is

about bunnies, but the truth is that Easter is about all of creation. It is about

humankind, plants, animals and the environment. For none of these live in

isolation, nor can they exist without the other.

We read in the book of Genesis that God created the world and saw that it

was good. He created the heavens and the earth, the sky and the sea and all

living creatures and saw that it was good. God didn’t create the world for it

to be destroyed although humankind appears to be trying hard to have a go

at that. God created it so that we could enjoy it - we could care for it as

stewards so that we could celebrate in it.

As Christians celebrating Easter, we should also be standing up and shouting

from the roof tops, as God has saved us so we must save His creation.

The Church of England’s lead Bishop for the Environment, Nicholas Holtam,

writes:

“There is a climate emergency and we are all called to exercise leadership

in this area, prioritising the fifth mark of mission ‘to strive to safeguard

the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth’.

Without this being done wholeheartedly the other four marks of mission

lack meaning and credibility in today’s context. It is now clear that almost

everything we do needs to be seen through the lens of the environment.”

2

So I would want to encourage you to think about your lifestyle and its

sustainability. Have you switched to green energy? Are you committed to

recycling? Are you reducing your use of plastics and making sure that your

local and national stores know that you want them to use less plastic or

reduce it altogether? Are you saving energy, not just to reduce your bills

but to reduce our carbon footprint on creation?

Easter is a story of redemption and salvation, about new life and new hope.

May our lives reflect this new life and new hope for ourselves and for God’s

wonderful creation too.

Loving God, creator of our common home,

You fill the earth and sea and sky with life

Forgive us our neglect of your creation

The choking waste of our pollution

The damage done by careless habits

And our indifference to future generations.

Help us to amend our lives

To refuse more plastic if we can’t reuse it

To lift our voice for lasting change

And to live well and gently on the earth

To the glory of your Son, the Living Word

Through whom you made this fragile world.

Amen.

Simon

From the Registers

We remember those who have died

18th February Marjorie Michowicz

20th February Alan Odell

21st February Campbell Fortune

25th February Pauline Ellen Taylor

27th February Hilda Joan Sharman

5th March Carol Anne Rinaldo

Eco Church

RESPONDING to climate change becomes ever more urgent

and we have been looking at practical ways in which we at

St Mary’s can do more to help out. In last month’s magazine

Jennie talked about us using less plastic. I hope some of

you, like me, took the pledge to give up plastic for Lent (and

beyond). She also made reference to Eco Church.

ECO CHURCH is an initiative run by A Rocha UK, a

Christian charity, to promote good environmental practice.

Its web based Award scheme is designed to motivate

churches to establish caring for God’s earth as an integral

part of their everyday work and witness.

IT is supported by Christian Aid, the Church of England, the

Methodist Church and Tearfund, and since its launch 3 years ago has

attracted many churches to join in, including Clapham Methodist,

Christ Church, St Andrew’s, Park Road Methodist, St Marks and

Putnoe Heights in the Bedford area.

AT the heart of Eco Church is a unique, online survey that enables

churches to both record what they are already doing to care for God’s

earth, and to reflect on what further steps they can take to that end and

then act accordingly.

IT challenges churches to look at five key areas of church life:

Worship and teaching

Management of church buildings

Management of church land

Community and global engagement

Lifestyle

CHURCHES complete the online Eco Survey about how they are caring

for God’s earth in these different areas. The answers a church provides

will collect points towards an Eco Church Award – the more your

church does, the more points you get.

It is very supportive with much information and practical suggestions

on how to live a greener life.

3

4

I believe it is a good way of helping us to monitor the progress of our

own environmental policy, allowing us also to compare what we do

with other churches and provides an incentive to improve things. It is

in essence an independent environmental audit of our churches

activities.

WE have taken the first step and registered as an Eco Church.

OVER the next few weeks we will be filling in the Eco Church survey,

which covers questions about all aspects of our church life. This will

provide us with an idea of where we are and will also highlight areas

for improvements. I will be reporting back on progress as we complete

the survey.

VISIT the following sites for more information about Eco Church:

ecochurch.arocha.org.uk

churchofengland.org/environment

ANYONE who would like to get involved, or to find out more, I would

happy to hear from you.

Colin Last,

Environmental Officer

An indication of how seriously the issue of climate

change is being taken by the Church of England is

that in February the General Synod passed a motion

recognising the climate emergency. It has called on

all parts of the Church to reduce their emissions year-

on-year, aiming for a target of net zero by 2030 at the

latest.

This is an ambitious deadline, revising the previous

target date of 2045 considerably, and presents us all

with a major challenge. The 2030 target is achievable

but only if we all support it and take the necessary

actions now. There are just 10 years to make it

happen.

5

Church Rewiring

As we write this issue we are expecting the church rewiring to

start during March. This much needed work has been enabled

by the generous donations of time by a small group seeking

grants, by others giving directly to the cause and by

others organising and supporting fund raising initiatives.

We had hoped the work would be completed by Easter

but we now hope it will be before the end of April. This

will make the church a safer place and we can rejoice

that we can return our midweek services to the church

building again.

I am very grateful for all who have helped in so many ways,

and for the legacy we will leave for future generations of a

safer church.

Congregational Surveys

My thanks to all who completed and returned the two

congregational surveys in January and February. They

helped to take a snapshot of where we are as a church and a

congregation. They will also be used to help inform our

decisions about possible future directions of the church and

about what might be needed by the church family. An

analysis of the results will be available in church and

has already been shared with the PCC members. There

are many positive things shown in the survey, including a

steady and committed congregation. Many people

commented on how welcoming the church is and what

they enjoyed about the services and worship. The survey

also points to some areas of church life that we need to work

on and we will be doing this in the coming months and years.

So thank you for all who helped.

See next month’s issue for the results of our

Annual Church Meetings: Churchwardens, Deanery Synod

Representatives and the various officers and members of the PCC.

6

The Stations of the Cross for All

Part 2 - The Cross as a Journey - Dennis Bratcher

T he Stations of the Cross has two related meanings.

In one sense, the Stations of the Cross refers to the

liturgical practice of using various events in the final

hours of Jesus’ life as a structure for prayer and meditation (also called

the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross). These events encompass Jesus’

journey carrying his cross from the Hall of Pilate where he was

condemned to death to the site of his execution on Golgotha

(Calvary).

T here are presently Fourteen Stations of the Cross on the Via

Dolorosa, some with chapels or places to pray

and meditate.

1. Christ condemned to death;

2. the cross is laid upon him;

3. His first fall;

4. He meets His Blessed Mother;

5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;

6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica;

7. His second fall;

8. He meets the women of Jerusalem;

9. His third fall;

10. He is stripped of His garments;

11. His crucifixion;

12. His death on the cross;

13. His body is taken down from the cross; and

14. He is laid in the tomb.

7

WHITE-upon-GREEN

A poem

She not the smallest of all flowers

Nor the most abundant:

Superior to humble daisy-of-the-chain;

Anterior to larger, yet shyer, lily-of-the-valley,

In the main.

She not the whitest of all flowers:

White rose, white tulip.... chrysanth...

Convolvulus [ horrid? ]

More florid.

Yet spurn not this drop of snow:

White-on-green...

As white-on-green as striped sun-blind

Lovingly drawn out by pole-with-hook

To shield your fishmonger's fish;

As white-on-green as flag of Pakistan unfurled;

As white-on-green as Deckchair-man's deckchair;

As white-on-green as your stylish drawing-room carpet;

As characteristically white-on-green as an Eddie Stobart lorry...

White-on-green.

Godfrey Holmes

9

1. Memories from an Octogenarian - Sylvia Tysoe

It all started when I was born, so my uncle teased me. War broke out when I

was one month old and my Mother was evacuated with a baby and a toddler

not yet two years old. East End of London was too vulnerable being near

dockland. You realise this is how mum told us.

It was not organised as we were led to believe. A group of mums and children

were sent to Bungay to be greeted off the train by ladies expecting school

boys. No one offered my mother to live with them until a young lady took

pity on us and took us home to her parents. The story was sad as Mum told it,

but now as a mother of three boys I can relate to her problems. The hosts

would not leave Mum alone in the house and every Sunday left her to walk

the streets whilst they went to church. Winter came and then the news

declared that a war was not happening! Mum and two daughters were home

for Christmas to be with Dad who worked at night baking bread to feed the

district.

My memories begin when Dad and a neighbour dug a large hole at the far end

of the garden to sink a large shelter where Mum and Dad put beds inside.

Most nights Mum would wake us up, put coats and wellingtons on then escort

us down in the darkness to the shelter. We only had a candle to see by, and

sleep did not come quickly. Mum stayed in the house, I think listening to the

radio, before joining us in the shelter. One day Mum explained we would

need to go to the shelter at bed-time. I now realise the siren went more often

which made her in a great hurry. A blanket to cover where the door might be

proved useless: Mum heard the noise above and grabbed my sister just as it

stopped. The next morning at daylight we hurried to the kitchen door to find

the kitchen cupboard smashed with cracks showing in the wall but the house

was still standing. Sadly two houses a few gardens away were totally

demolished. A forbidden play spot after the war, but for Barbara and me this

was a warning. The parents decided the children must go away. My sister by

now was at school but the dangers were getting harsher. Our neighbours also

had two daughters who needed to get out of London. An acquaintance they

knew who lived in Frampton on Severn agreed to help us: with a girl and boy

10

of their own it proved almost impossible. I remember being on the platform to

travel. Dad told Mum to get on the train to find seats and he passed me

through the window. London was panicking!

When I think about my stay there, hating it all the time and begging to go

home when Mum and Dad visited must have upset them as much as I was

unhappy. The five children went to school every day and the mother and

father went to work although not all the day: I could not read or write and was

forbidden to cross over the road, even though I rarely saw a car. The school

was at the far end of a large village green; I would sit on the fence and watch

them walking home, wishing they would hurry up. I always think my love of

chocolate was due to small pieces of white chocolate appearing on the table.

“Father” worked somewhere to bring home broken bits. Do I love tomatoes

for the same reason? “Mother” worked in a ‘glass house’.

During the holidays we were allowed to explore and play along the river side.

Playing in the garden had resulted in an awful accident. A large dog was

chained up near a garden path; of course instructions were issued but we were

young and ran everywhere. My sister was badly bitten on her leg and the

result has stayed with me !

Mum and Dad sent letters to us which Barbara read out to me and replied to

them. I do remember a special visit. The journey was long as they came by

‘tube’ to London to catch a train to Stroud then a bus to the village. I watched

them walk across the village green - Dad carefully carrying a large box. My

birthday cake: wonderfully home made and iced! We celebrated my fifth

birthday. I was delighted but still cried ‘take me home’. As a parent now I

realise how hard it was for my Mum and Dad.

Autumn came and at last I was allowed to walk with the others to school! I

was so excited! Small bottles of milk in crates were carried in to place beside

the guard by the open fire. It was often frozen but I still disliked warm milk.

The small village school was overcrowded. Two teachers were in charge of

two classes in one room. In my excitement, I waved across to my sister. I was

reprimanded! Trust me! A mistake before my school life had even started.

(To be concluded)

If you have concerns

Children, young people and adults

If you have a concern about an individ-

ual's physical, sexual or emotional well-

being, it is your responsibility to seek

advice and support from your Parish

Safeguarding Officer (PSO) /Diocesan

Safeguarding Adviser (DSA).

Clergy, church wardens, volunteers or

other church officers

Any safeguarding concerns or allega-

tions about anyone in a Parish role must

be immediately reported to the DSA.

If you or someone close to you (e.g. a

partner or someone you live with) be-

comes involved in any police or Social

Services investigation, you must notify

the DSA immediately.

Mission

The Gospel speaks of welcome for all,

especially the most vulnerable, into a

Church which affirms the value and

dignity of every human and those in

positions of responsibility and

authority are truly trustworthy.

Being faithful to this therefore

compels us to take with the utmost

seriousness the challenge of

preventing abuse from happening

and responding well where it has.

From Promoting A Safer Church, the

House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy

Statement.

For further information, guidance

and resources, please visit:

www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding

Important contact numbers

Parish Safeguarding Officer PSO

Ms Cathy Sanderson

07870 679699

Parish Priest (vicar)

Rev’d Simon Dommett

01234 351920

Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser

Jeremy Hirst (DSA)

01727 818107

Diocesan Out of Hours

07867 350886

Local Authority (Children)

Central Bedfordshire

0300 300 8142

Local Authority (Adults)

01234 276222

Emergencies only 0300 300 8123

Safeguarding at

St. Mary’s

A Pocket Guide

What to do if you have a

concern about a child, young

person or adult within the

church.

In an emergency call 999

1 2

If you have concerns

A member of the congregation

Any safeguarding concerns or

allegation must be immediately

reported to the PSO/DSA.

Please be assured that all matters

will be dealt with confidentially by

the Church and reported to the

police and/or social services as

required to protect those who are

vulnerable from harm.

Remember

Dos and don'ts for handling a

disclosure

Don't X Promise complete confidentiality

X Ask leading or probing questions

X Investigate

X Discuss with people who do not

need to know

X Delay in reporting the disclosure

to the PSO/DSA

Remember

Dos and don'ts for handling a

disclosure

Do

Remain calm, approachable and

receptive

Take it seriously

Listen carefully, without

interrupting

Acknowledge you understand

how difficult this may be

Offer reassurance - it is the

right thing to tell someone

Tell them what will happen next

Make a written record of

exactly what has been said and

when

Report

Is there an emergency?

Is there an immediate risk of harm?

YES NO

Contact the

police and

social services

THEN

Contact the Parish

Safeguarding

Officer (PSO) and

Diocesan

Safeguarding

Adviser (DSA)

THEN

Complete a written record and email it

to the DSA

THEN

The DSA will arrange the response,

report to statutory agencies and

support the parish

6 5

4 3

13

Several of you have said you would like a copy of The

Safeguarding Pocket Guide, an essential item for your wallet,

bag or pocket which we included in Parish & People last summer.

So here is another opportunity to make your own handy guide.

It tells you what you need to know about St Mary’s vital role in

safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and how you should

deal with any incidents which may arise.

To make your guide, gently ease the centre page of the magazine

from the staples and cut down the central fold line. Fold pages

labelled 3 & 4 down towards pages 5 & 6 and then fold page 1

towards page 2.

Always keep your guide to hand.

New Church Logo

We are very grateful for all the people including the Guides who submitted a suggestion for our new church logo. This has prompted much good discussion about what we want the logo to convey and what we want it to say about the church, people, building and mission. We have been asking the congregation to vote for their favourite three designs and these are now to go to the PCC for a decision. The decision will not be straightforward and may involve some evolution of the suggestions as they are converted into a final design from the draft ideas. But I am excited about the energy this has created and the discussions that have been shared. It has been pointed out that this is an important decision for us as a church as it will be our 800th anniversary year in 2028 so the logo could be prominent in what we do for that celebration.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 2020

10th – 16th MAY

Dear Friends – here is the timetable for our Christian Aid

fundraising this year, with some already underway.

Following a recent discussion with the PCC about the style

of our fundraising, the consensus for this year was to

closely follow along the same lines as before. But we will

endeavour to promote “Invitation” to others from our

community to join us, and be as inclusive as we can. So

please bear this in mind and share the dates and Invitation

with neighbours, as well as our friends and family.

Thank you, Wendy and Dorothy.

14

It was a great pleasure and privilege to have Heather Johnstone from CMS, Church Mission Society come and speak at our worship in February.

Using a slide show she shared with us what she had been up to in Tanzania.

As a PCC we support her from our charitable giving but you could also support her directly with money and with prayer. We published Heather’s latest newsletter in the January issue of Parish & people but if you missed it you can sign up to receive it directly with the link below

https://churchmissionsociety.org/people-in-mission/heather-johnstone/

Back copies of Parish & People are available from the Editorial Team if you prefer a printed version.

Heather Johnstone

15

DATE EVENT VENUE

Feb 26 –

April 9th

Count Your Blessings 2020

Daily Reflections &

Challenges for Lent

Collect pack from

Church, complete at

home

April 4th

Saturday

Ladies Breakfast

Bucket Collection

9.00 am The Orchard

Harvester

Riverfield Drive

April 18th

Saturday

Men’s Breakfast

Bucket Collection

9.00 am The Orchard

Harvester

Riverfield Drive

May 1st

Friday

Bluebell Walk

Anyone welcome to join us

Meet Church Car

Park for 9.30 am start.

Dogs welcome.

£3 donation

May 10th –

16th

Christian Aid Week -

envelopes for Church

Members, family & friends

Return red envelope

with your donations

on Sunday 17th May

May 11th –

17th

Sponsored Walk by

Richard Kirby

Yorkshire Wolds Way

80 Miles

May 16th

Saturday

Craft Demonstration and

Cream Tea

Open Invitation to all

Church Hall 2.30 –

4.00 pm

Admission £3

March –

May 16th

Christian Aid Loose change

boxes

Collect surplus

change. Return box

17th May

CANCELLED

CANCELLED

16

Each month the diocese of St Albans publishes a

Prayer Diary with suggestions for prayer for the

Anglican Communion worldwide and parishes within

the diocese itself.

These can be downloaded from the following link with details of what each

diocesan group or parish wants to give thanks for and what they would like

us to include in our prayers.

https://www.stalbans.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/Daily-Prayer-Diary-

March-May-2020-A4.pdf

To publish them all each month in Parish & People would take too much

space and so this month we have just printed a very brief summary of the

parishes for April.

Do let us know if this is helpful or if you would like to receive this information

in some other form.

1st April Diocesan Mission and

Pastoral Committee

Executive Committee

2nd April Diocesan Board of

Education

3rd April - 18th April

In the Biggleswade Deanery

Cockayne

Cople

Dunton

Eaton Socon

Eyeworth

Great Barford

Moggerhanger

Northill

Old Warden

Potton

Roxton

Sandy

Sutton

Tempsford with Little

Barford

Willington

Wrestlingworth

19th April - 30th April

In the Bishop Stortford Deanery

Albury

Bishop’s Stortford

Bishop’s Stortford, Holy

Trinity

Braughing

Furneux Pelham

Gilston with Eastwick.

High Wych, St James

Hockerill, All Saints

Little Hadham

Much Hadham

The Mundens

Sacombe

17

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

450g strong flour

A good pinch of salt

75 g sugar

1 egg

50 g melted butter

75g currants or sultanas

50 g cut mixed peel

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

150 ml tepid water/milk mix

1 sachet easy blend yeast

Method

Sieve the flour, salt, sugar and spices into a large bowl

Add the yeast

Stir in the beaten egg, melted butter and water/milk mix.

Add the dried mixed fruit.

Knead well to a soft dough.

Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in

size.

Knock back and form into twelve buns marking each with a

cross cut into the top with a sharp knife.

Leave to raise again and bake at gas mark 5 - 6 for about

15 - 20 minutes.

Brush with a sugar/water glaze.

Enjoy with a friend!

For Good Friday...

19

Quick book reviews – our faith and the environment

There are an increasing number of books which explore environmental issues

from a faith based perspective. I’ve been reading quite a few as part of my

Christian Rural & Environmental Studies course, some of which are really good

introductions to Christianity and the environment aimed at the general reader.

Whether you’re wondering about what practical steps you can take, what the

Bible says or enjoy reading real life inspirational stories, there’s something for

you.

A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues by Martin and Margot

Hodson is designed for group or personal use. The book covers eight

key issues including climate change, biodiversity, food and

development. The chapters are part autobiographical and part

background information; they also include Biblical reflections on the

themes and Bible studies with questions for reflection or discussion. This is a

great introduction for anyone who would like to study a few key areas in some

depth and relate them to the Bible.

L is for Lifestyle: Christian living that doesn’t cost the earth by Ruth

Valerio is divided into 26 bite sized chapters, one for each letter of the

alphabet. It’s a book to encourage practical action and after an

overview of the topic each section ends with some suggestions of

things you can do to make a difference. There are also lists of websites

and books for further reading. Ruth is also the author of the 2020 Archbishop

of Canterbury’s Lent Book Saying Yes to Life which uses Genesis 1 to explore

environmental issues.

Dave Bookless’ Planetwise is a book of two halves – the first looks at

the Biblical basis for creation care and the second looks at living it out

through discipleship, worship, lifestyle and mission. Each chapter

ends with some questions for reflection. This book might particularly

appeal to anyone interested in how the church as a whole might

respond to environmental issues but it is also the story of how Dave and his

family changed their lifestyle. Their story is also the focus of God Doesn’t Do

Waste which is more autobiographical and tells how Dave became involved

with the Christian charity A Rocha. Dave and the A Rocha team turned an urban

wasteland in Southall (West London) into a Country Park. This is told in a

narrative style and would be a good read for anyone who prefers a book that

can be read straight through.

Shelly Dennison

20

Sense of EasterSense of EasterSense of EasterSense of Easter Baked bread Pure nard in alabaster Shards of pottery, shattered Gasps of shock A foretaste

Leafy shades Olive groves and palm branches Trees and broken branches Spit on cheek Dusty betrayal

Bitter herbs and rosemary for remembrance Acrid sweat, sickly sweet blood Sour saliva, hyssop and soaked bread Deep, deep agony

Cool of dank stone White clothes rasping the skin Freshness of linen encasing, Surrounding, wrapping Incense and myrrh from an earlier gift Time passes

A gardener and three women at dawn Shared bread and fish on a fire on the beach The smell of eternity Risen indeed

From St Mary’s Book of Prayers

22

CALENDAR, APRIL 2020

Wednesday 1 Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, Teacher, 1872

Sunday 5 PALM SUNDAY

Monday 6 MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Tuesday 7 TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Wednesday 8 WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Thursday 9 MAUNDY THURSDAY

Friday 10 GOOD FRIDAY

Saturday 11 EASTER EVE

Sunday 12 EASTER DAY

Monday 13 MONDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Tuesday 14 TUESDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Wednesday 15 WEDNESDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Thursday 16 THURSDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Friday 17 FRIDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Saturday 18 SATURDAY OF EASTER WEEK

Sunday 19 THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Tuesday 21 Anselm, Abbot of Le Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher, 1109

Thursday 23 GEORGE, MARTYR, PATRON OF ENGLAND, C. 304

Friday 24 Mellitus, Bishop of London, first Bishop at St Paul’s, 624

The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood,

Solomon Islands, 2003 Saturday 25 MARK THE EVANGELIST

Sunday 26 THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Monday 27 Christina Rossetti, Poet, 1894

Tuesday 28 Peter Chanel, Missionary in the South Pacific, 1841

Wednesday 29 Catherine of Siena, Teacher, 1380

Thursday 30 Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures, 1922

ST MARY’S DIRECTORY

Parochial Church Council Committees

Finance: Richard Kirby 01234 266425 Pastoral: Chris Jones 01234 959952 Property: Nick Fowler 01234 400294 Worship: Cathy Sanderson 07870 679699

Music at St Mary’s

Organist: Vacant Keyboard: Jane Davey 01234 360851 Choir: Sarah Collinson 01234 262123 First Sunday: Jane Davey 01234 360851

Bellringers

Tower Captain: Jenny Thompson 01234 216571

Church Services

Altar Servers: Frances Tyler 01234 303407 Flowers: Sally Gilbert 01234 266552

Intercessions: Tim Hern 01234 317847 Lesson Readers: Brenda Keech 01234 266743 Sacristans: Wendy & Bill Roffe 01234 342287

Verger: Antony Collinson 01234 262123

Social Groups

Catering Team: D Kirby & S Barker 01234 266425 Craft & Chat: Elaine Abraham 01234 301181 Indoor Bowls: Dorothy Kirby 01234 266425

Ladies’ Breakfast: Chris Graham 01234 213501 Men’s Breakfast: Brian Backhouse 01234 403255 Knit & Natter: Elaine Abraham 01234 301181 Walking Group: Richard Kirby 01234 266425

Other useful Contacts

Archivist: Sarah Collinson 01234 262123 Beavers: David Batten 07523 215187 Bible Reading notes: Jane Preston 01234 306361 Children’s Society: Christine Chapman 01234 342724 Church Library: Susan Lane 01234 404970 North Bedford Churches Together: Colin Last 01234 356261 Guides: Nesta Gedrych 07708 954462 Lifts to Church: Sheila Berry 01234 359470 Planned Giving: Michael Barker 01234 306139

Signing Group: Sue Lennon 01234 407298 Traidcraft: Andrew & Shelly Dennison 01234 217261

Editorial Team: Sarah Collinson Mary Everitt Christopher Hjelt Brenda Keech

Proofreading: Shelly Dennison

Distribution: Brenda Keech

Treasurer: Mary Cope

Please note that the deadline for articles to be included in the May issue is Sunday, 5th April. The deadline

for the June issue is Sunday, 3rd May. Articles, where possible, should be sent by e-mail to

parishandpeople@gmail.com or submitted to one of the editorial team on a memory stick accompanied by hard copy.

Hand-written items are also accepted.

REGULAR SERVICES AT ST. MARY’S

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month only 8.00 am Holy Communion (B.C.P.)

9.30 am Family Praise – There is no Communion but plenty of music, singing, listening to God’s Word and prayer.

5.00 pm Contemplative or Taizé Service

Second, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of the month 9.30 am Parish Communion (Common Worship)

with activities for children.

Third Sunday of the month 9.30 am Family Communion (Common Worship) This service is especially child and family orientated.

Second Sunday of the month 5.00 pm Evensong (B.C.P.) March - November (except August)

WEEKDAYS

Monday, Tuesday and Friday 9.00am Morning Prayer (CW)

Every Wednesday 10.00am Holy Communion (B.C.P.)

www.stmarygoldington.org.uk