Pastoral News: 29 March 09

We remember Francis Lei who sustained facial injuries in a cycling accident this week, and pray for him and Philippa as he recovers.

Anne Goodwin, a member of our Bethany Centre, is in hospital following a heart attack, and we pray for her and her family in their concern for her at this time.

We pray for Sue O'Brien, whose mother is undergoing treatment at present, and Sue is travelling to visit her each day.

We also continue our prayers for Marvin Chilton and his family who travel daily to Harefield Hospital to be with him.


Believers Baptism

We are delighted that our main service on Easter Day (12th. April) will include the act of Believers' Baptism. It may be that you have been thinking about expressing your Christian faith in this way, and it is not too late to speak to Paul about Easter Day! Easter is a superb time to do this - please speak to him today if you would like to consider this further.

1st Newport Pagnell Boys’ Brigade

Congratulations to our Junior Boys’ Brigade team (Zac Brindley, Adam Downton and James Winship) for coming second out of ten teams in the Battalion Bible Quiz Competition on Friday evening at Bedford.
Please ask them any questions you like about Elijah!

Bband practice

There will be a Bband practice on Thursday 2nd April at 7pm in the Portfield’s room. The Bband will be playing at the morning service on Sunday 5th. Please see Bev Wright for music.

Please Pray for Easter Cracked

Please remember our teams who are presenting Easter Cracked this week. Easter Cracked is a fast-moving interactive presentation for year 6 children (aged 10 and 11). We shall be doing this on:
Monday 30th March am Portfields School – pm Green Park School
Tuesday 31st March pm Olney School

Thank you for all the Cadbury's Crème Eggs!! To date you have donated 314 and we are very grateful- thank you for your generosity.

How Easy is SongPro?

SongPro is the software we use on a Sunday morning to assist with the service of worship we all enjoy. It’s easy to set up the service beforehand and straightforward to use on the day. It does not however, do it by itself. The small team currently managing this task could do with some hands on support.

Rod Sparkes will be running a ‘Get to know SongPro’ event for any/all who might be interested in seeing how the software works. Being interested and coming to watch and take part would not commit you to joining the team – though it would be nice if some did.

If you have any interest in how the service is visually presented each Sunday, then please, do have a word with Rod. A date, time and place will be arranged once there is a list of interested people – any age whether in school or schooled in life would be welcome.

Could this be yours?

Found at the back of the stage a black ‘Targus’ case with some leads and items relating to a New Year Party. If you think this could be yours please inquire at the office or it will be disposed of.
Bridgebuilder

During the morning’s service on the 15th March we were able to hear about the work that The Milton Keynes Bridgebuilder Trust is carrying out in the schools of this area. As a Church we support this work financially by giving an amount equal to the average weekly offering. We budgeted for this to be £1,410 and we are making this payment in quarterly instalments. Any increase in this average will be reflected in an additional payment at the end of the year.

The Church was also invited to make any additional gifts towards the work as they felt appropriate. This invitation resulted in extra gifts totalling £1,091. This includes tax recoverable through the Gift Aid Scheme. We are only able to include in this total gifts which were marked for Bridgebuilder. If you made an extra gift through the offering but didn’t realise the need to identify it for Bridgebuilder then have a word with me and I can make sure that it gets included in a revised total. Also it is not too late to make a gift but we do hope to send a cheque to Bridgebuilder by the end of March. Richard Beesley (Treasurer)

Service details 29/03/09
10.30a.m. Worship led by Bev Wright and our minister Paul Rosier will be speaking on "They met at Calvary: the thief who abused Jesus". The service also includes communion and the welcome of new church members.


Service Details 05/04/09

10.30a.m. Service of worship led by our minister Paul Rosier. The service includes the act of thanksgiving as Sarah and Stephen Hendry bring their young son Hudson in thanksgiving and commit themselves to parenthood. Paul will be speaking on "The people who acclaimed Jesus"

At 4p.m. we have our monthly Food4Thought meeting for the elderly and especially those who live alone. This month's hosts are Paul and Janet Rosier.

CHURCH DIARY

SUNDAY 29 March
10 – 10.15am Prayer Time in the Chapel.
10.30am Service of Worship & Communion led by Bev Wright & Paul Rosier.
7.30 – 9:30pm yPod at the home of Steve and Natasha Wood

MONDAY 30 March
6.15pm Boys’ Brigade Anchor Boys & Junior Sections. Contact Roger Hall
7.45pm Amicus – Contact Sam Downton or Mark Nicholls
7.45pm Lent HomeGroup at Bancroft

TUESDAY 31 March
8.45am Team Prayer Meeting in the chapel.
9.45am HomeGroup meeting at Wendy and Andrew’s, 9 Glenwoods.
10.00am Parent & Toddler Group (24 Months+). See Yvonne Wilkinson
1.30 – 3.00pm Parent & Baby Group in the Tickford Room Contact Sue Garnham
1.30 – 3.00pm Parent & Toddler Group (12-24 months) contact Janet Rosier.
2.00pm Lent Bible Study Group in the chapel.

WEDNESDAY 1 April
11.00am Bethany Lunch Club for Senior Citizens. Contact Peter Faulkner for bookings and Elsie Smith for transport
8.00pm HomeGroup at Newport Pagnell

THURSDAY 2 April
6.15pm Girls’ Brigade Explorers (all sections contact Sue Garnham)
6.45pm Girls’ Brigade Junior Section
7.00pm Bband practice in the Portfield’s room
7.45pm Boys’ Brigade Company Section contact David Wright
7.45pm Pastoral Assistants Prayer Meeting at Great Linford
8.00pm Elders Meeting
8.00pm Girls’ Brigade Senior and Brigader Section

FRIDAY 3 April
9.45-11.30am MOPS Group contact Elaine Hope or Wendy Turner

SATURDAY 4 April
8.00am Prayer Breakfast for Elders and Deacons led by Steve Wood

SUNDAY 5 April
10 – 10.15am Prayer Time in the Chapel.
10.30am Worship and Thanksgiving service led by Paul Rosier
4.00pm Food4Thought hosted by Paul & Janet Rosier
7.30 – 9:30pm yPod at the home of Steve and Natasha Wood