This Week's News: 18th May 2025

Sunday 18th May - Safeguarding Sunday 10am Parish Eucharist followed by APCM

We believe that safeguarding is an outworking of our faith in a loving and just God – the God who calls us to speak up on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves and to defend the rights of the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8). We will be using resources provided by Thirtyone:eight in our service, to explore what we do as a church to keep each other safe, and to protect vulnerable people together.

3pm Farewell service for Bishop Alan at St Albans Cathedral

Readings

• John 13: 31-35

What's On This Week

Tuesday

• 11:00am to 1:00pm Mary and Isabel's Compassionate Cafe at the Parish Centre Hall Grove. All are welcome.

Wednesday

• 10:30am Morning Eucharist, followed by refreshments

Sunday 25th May

• 10am Parish Eucharist

Tomorrow - APCM 18th May

Following the main Sunday service, we will meet for our Annual Meeting of Parishioners and Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 18th May. Grab a drink and then pull up a seat.

This is a great opportunity to celebrate all the blessings and joys that St Mary Magdalene Church saw in 2024 - lots of this happens outside of a Sunday, so you might even learn something new!

All parishioners (those who live within the parish boundaries) and those who are on the electoral roll are eligible to vote for churchwardens, and those who are on the electoral roll are eligible to vote at the APCM for our new PCC members and on other matters.

A letter from Bishop Jane and Bishop Richard

Bishop Alan is retiring please see our update in This Week's News: 5th April 2025 for all of the latest details

Dates for Your Diary

• 15th June: Parish Eucharist on Father's Day
• 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: Patronal Festival

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.

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.