Newsletter 10th April 2022

Palm Sunday

10^th April 2022

'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.' Luke 19.40. Image by Revd Jess (see below).

This Sunday we remember Jesus’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. It marks the beginning of Holy Week. The 10am is a service in two halves, each with a very different mood. We begin in the hall for the blessing of palm crosses. The Sealights children are then enacting the liturgy of the palms for us outside on the church grass and we sing in a circle with our palms. For the second half of the service the adults are in church listening to a dramatized reading of the Passion, during which the whole story of Good Friday is anticipated. The Sealights children have their own activity at this time in the hall. Communion for all follows.  We hope you can join us for this special service.

Collect

True and humble king,

hailed by the crowd as Messiah:

grant us the faith to know you and love you,

that we may be found beside you

on the way of the cross,

which is the path of glory.

Readings

Liturgy of the Palms: Luke 19.28-40, Psalm 118.1-2,19-29. Liturgy of the Passion: Isaiah 50.4-9a, Psalm 31.9-16, Philippians 2.5-11
Luke 22.14 - 23.56 or Luke 23.1-49

Sunrise Service

We have an informal sunrise service this year on the beach (in church if weather wet). It will be a quiet and reflective service with a firepit and live music from Richard Durrant. A simple breakfast follows in the hall. Bring camping chairs and blankets. We gather on the beach alongside the church to watch the sunrise.

Good Friday for families

Holy Week services: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday, 7.30pm

The Monday and Tuesday services are run by the Lent groups and come out of the experiences of journeying together using the diocesan Lent course. The service on Wednesday is led by Revd Jess and follows the Way of the Cross, using the artwork in church created by the community.

We have a traditional Maundy Thursday service, followed by the Watch until 10am. During the Watch there will be readings from John’s Gospel. Do join us.

Easter Monday Taizé Singing Workshop Run by Daisy Durrant

18th of April 10am - 11am

A gentle, peaceful hour of Taizé chants.

Everyone welcome, no experience of singing or Taizé necessary.

Open to all ages, come alone or with friends and family.

Book your space for free at daisydurrant.co.uk

For more information email daisy@daisydurrant.co.uk

There will be an opportunity to leave a cash donation towards Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

Easter and Holy Week

Christian Aid Week 2022, May 15th to May 21st

We need help with delivering the envelopes (no collection). There will be a Big Brekkie on Saturday May 14^th. George Hickman will be booking and selling tickets for the Big Brekkie this Sunday and there will be a sign up list at the back of the Church for any who would like to help in anyway with CAW this year.

Electoral Roll Revision We are currently revising our Electoral Roll. If you are not on it but would like to be, please complete an electoral roll form and hand it to either our electoral roll officer Jenny Marshall or Revd Jane by April 10th. 

The forms are available from the church porch or Jenny Marshall - jennymarshall42@gmail.com

This will allow you to vote at the APCM. A full notice is displayed on the church doors in the porch.

Church hall and shed clear out We need to have a good tidy up of our storage in the hall. This is proposed to take place on 20th and 21th April.  Everything from the loft and sheds will be available to view in the church hall during the afternoon on 20th April and morning of 21st April and then anything not claimed or wanted will be put in the skip later. Could anyone wanting to help let Kay Haffenden know so that we can have a working party.  

Email :office@cogschurchwardens.co.uk

Bible Art (see image at top of newsletter)

In Luke 19 at the end of the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, some Pharisees tell Jesus to order the people/disciples to stop calling out 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! and Jesus responds that if the people do not shout out then the stones would do so.

The stones are hard lowly things upon which people, animals (along with their dung!), carts and chariots trample without ever taking any notice of them apart from minor events like stubbing their toes; yet Jesus says these stones would shout out. The message was so important that it had to be broadcast somehow.

What would they shout out about? The truth about who Jesus is; for that reason I have shown tongues of fire of the Holy spirit emerging from the 'mouths' of the stones.  They would have become like 'living stones.' Revd Jess

This week marks the beginning of the third year that Revd Jess has been creating weekly Bible Art for our newsletter. Thank you, Jess, for this ministry and sharing your creativity with us.

APCM Our annual parochial church meeting is scheduled for Sunday 1^st May after the 10am service. This includes elections for Church Wardens and new PCC members. Full details are displayed in the porch.

Easy Fundraising

This is an easy way for us to raise money for the church. Every time your shop online with many major retailers a small donation can be made to the church. It takes only a few minutes to register and it’s very easy. Go to easyfundraising.org.uk and search for the Church of the Good Shepherd Shoreham by Sea when looking for your ‘cause’. We currently have 33 people registered on behalf of the church. It would be fantastic to get more.

Ladies that Breakfast, Saturday 30^th April. Breakfast 9am, talk 10am.  Southwick Methodist Church.

The speaker is Sheila Powell ‘See I am doing a new thing’ (Isaiah 43.19). Places are limited. Please book with Rita on 01273 276617 or Rosemary 01273 595588. Email ladiesthatbreakfast@gmail.com. Donations welcome.

Service changes this week

Please note there is no Celtic Evening Prayer or Friday morning meditation this week.

Good Shepherd Sunday A date for your diaries: Archdeacon Martin is with us to celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday on 8^th May. A parish lunch follows in the hall. More details soon.

Update on incumbent vacancy

Many of you will have seen the advert for our new incumbent in the Church Times (which was shared on our Facebook page).

The closing date is the 28th April, and once firm applications have been received and considered by Bishop Martin, they will be sent straight to the Parish Representatives. Interviews have been pencilled in for 23rd May and applicants will be able to visit the Benefice beforehand.

And finally…

We have a feature in the latest issue of Green Christian magazine about the sea kelp exhibition we had in church last autumn. There is a copy at the back of church if you would like to read it.

I work half-time and the usual days when I am available are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. Blessings and prayers for you all this week. Revd Jane

Services this Week

Sunday, 10^th April

8am – Holy Communion with Revd Jane.

10am – Parish Communion with procession of palms with Revd Jane.

This service will be live streamed onto our Facebook and You Tube channel.

You Tube page CLICK HERE

Church Facebook page CLICK HERE

Monday 11^th April

7.30pm – Holy Week service led by our Lent groups

Tuesday 12^th April

9.30am - Informal Holy Communion with Revd Jane.

7.30pm – Holy Week service Led by our Lent groups.

Wednesday 13^th April

7.30pm – Holy Week Service

The Way of the Cross with Revd Jess

Thursday 14^th April

7.30pm – Maundy Thursday service followed by the Watch until 10pm.

Friday 15^th April

9.30am – Children’s Good Friday service with Easter gardens in vicarage garden (hall if wet).

10.30am Morning Prayer followed by the Walk of Witness with Shoreham Churches Together

2pm – Good Friday Reflections with Canon Tony

Saturday 16^th April

8am – Morning Meditation at the Good Shepherd and also on Zoom

Meeting ID: 166073397 (no password needed) Click here LINK  

Evening Prayer This is said at 5.30pm at St Marys and via Zoom on Monday and Wednesday, at 5.30pm. If you want to attend online contact Revd Steve for the link. Email: shorehamcurate@gmail.com

To donate to the Church of the Good Shepherd online CLICK HERE Thank you!

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