This Week's News: 15th June 2025

Welcomers Needed

Could you be a friendly, welcoming face at our front door?

We are in need of a few more people to join our team of people who welcome us to church each Sunday. This is a really important ministry, setting new and visiting people at ease, answering practical questions (like" do you have a loo?"), and being the first impression that new people have of the church.

Welcomers need to be able to be at church by 9.30am when they are 'on duty' - the more of us that are able to help, the less often everyone is called on.

Please speak to Emma or a churchwarden if you think this might be a role that you'd like to explore.

Bin Store at the Back of Church Soon to go!

If you know of anything that's currently stored in the bin store (the brick build enclosure outside church in the car park) that needs to be kept, please let Nick know. This is no longer fit for purpose (it's not big enough to store the bins in, and is falling down) and will be demolished very soon.

Dates for your diary

• 29th June - Joint Service at St Mary Magdalene with Ludwick Way Methodist Church, followed by BBQ. No need for tickets, donations welcome on the day.
• 13th July - Baptism of Ada Wright during the Parish Eucharist
• 20th July - 2pm Patronal Festival (no service at 10am)

20th July - 2pm, St Mary Magdalene's Day, Emma's last Sunday

On 20th July we will be holding a special service for the feast of St Mary Magdalene. This will be Emma's last service as parish priest. In order that friends of St Mary Magdalene from across all our partnerships and other churches in the garden city are able to attend, we will be holding our service at the later time of 2pm. This will be followed by afternoon tea.

You are all most warmly invited to attend. Please note there will be no service at 10am.

For more information please see our dedicated Patronal Festival 2025 & Farewell to Revd Emma page.

Foodbank Donations

New Zion Christian Fellowship food bank is open every Wednesday 9-11am. You may drop items in from 8am on Wednesdays at 140 Cole Green Lane AL7 3JE. Please use the food bank based at the back of church if you wish to give items.

Items that are particularly in need currently are:

• Long life milk
• Cereals
• Variety of tinned meat (meatballs, hotdogs, chicken curry or chicken in white sauce)
• Cleaning products
• Toiletries including sanitary products

For Your Prayers...

• For peace in the Holy Land.
• For Mary and Isabel's Compassionate Cafe, and Isabel Hospice as we work in partnership together.
• For all refugees and those fleeing their homes, especially those now living in our parish. For those persecuted for their faith. For refugees facing homelessness after receiving permission to reside in the UK.

Those who are unwell:

Heather, Martin, Penny, Craig, Sue, Wendy, Angie, Val, Mark, Naomi, Carol, Peter, Anna, Elsie, Tim, Roger, Azizeh, Anna.

Those who have died in recent weeks:

Daphne Humber, Cynthia Day, Shirley Wise, Matthew Fell, Karen Fallon.

For the growth of St Mary Magdalene Church

God of Mission, Who alone brings growth to your Church of St Mary Magdalene, Send your Holy Spirit to give Vision to our planning, Wisdom to our actions, And power to our witness. Help our church to grow in numbers, In spiritual commitment to you, And in service to our local community, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you would like to request that we pray as a church for someone known to you, please first make every attempt to ensure that they would like to be prayed for by those at St Mary Magdalene. We will be conducting a monthly review of our Prayer List. If there is anyone who should come off the list or go on the list, please notify the churchwardens, Janice and Godfrey.