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church : revd jo's letter : may 2008 added 21/04/08 It’s FREE … I’m uncomfortably aware that much of last month’s article was taken up with details of our funding campaign, which begins in earnest on May 15th., when Bishop Tim will be coming to launch it, so it’s nice to be able to offer you something free as well. On Sunday May 25th. at 6.30, the choir of All Saints Stamford will be giving a concert in Castle Bytham church, to which you are warmly invited. Light refreshments will be served, so do come along and enjoy some fine music on a spring evening. Later in the year the William East Quire will be giving a concert, also at Castle Bytham. Details will follow later. And while on the subject of Castle Bytham, it was a lovely to walk into the church just before Easter, and to see the font cover restored to its former glory. It had been badly affected by woodworm and rot, but Aubrey Fenn has lovingly renovated it and made a new top for it. He has also repaired the psalm board which hangs above the pulpit. We are very grateful to him for many hours of work, and most appreciative of his skills and generosity in giving up his time to this work. The Easter period in our churches is always busy, not just with services, but with our annual meetings, which we are legally required to hold. At these, our Churchwardens and PCC members are elected. Churchwardens are vital to the smooth running of our churches; their primary responsibility is to maintain the fabric, but they also make sure services are provided and people welcomed. It might be useful if you knew who they were, so here is a list:
And so to our funding campaign. I hope that you will all have received a letter about this, but inevitably some households will have been inadvertently overlooked. If this is so, and you are interested in supporting the churches, or just knowing what we are doing, please accept our apologies and let me or the churchwardens know, so that we can let you have the information. Some dates for your diary: On Friday May 16th, the Bythams School will be holding its annual Spring service in Little Bytham church at 6.30. Do come and support the children and staff in what is always a pleasant and enjoyable occasion. On Saturday May 24th, Little Bytham is holding a plant sale in aid of the church – details appear elsewhere. If you have spare plants that need a good home, please let us have them – and if you need plants, come and find a bargain, and enjoy the barbecue at the same time. Wilfred Stafford, son of Vicky and Justin will be baptised at Little Bytham on Sunday June 1st, and we welcome this little boy very warmly into our church family. We have two major festivals this month; Pentecost (which used to be called Whit Sunday) marks the end of Easter and the coming of the Holy Spirit – the power of God at work in the world. Then comes Trinity, when we celebrate the unity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three, as the hymn says. And after that, a long period of Sundays after Trinity, a time of growth and learning, interspersed with three saints’ days which mark our Patronal festivals. And finally … do you have any unwanted Bibles gathering dust on your shelves? If so, the Christian bookshop in Peterborough is collecting them to send to India, where many Christians are too poor to buy their own Bible. I already have quite a sizeable pile ready to go, so if you let me know, I will gladly pick up any that you have to spare, and deliver them all to Peterborough. I need them by May 20th at the latest. May looks like a busy month for the four churches! With every good wish Jo |
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