News

Welcome to our online noticeboard. We hope you will find the information interesting. If you wish further information concerning these notices, or about Baptisms, Weddings Funerals or services of thanksgiving, please contact our priest.

St John the Baptist is part of a United Benefice with St George the Martyr, Campden Hill. The joint weekly noticesheets are published on both websites, and you can also download them in PDF format. To visit the archive of newsletters, held on the website for St George's Church, please click here.

Sunday 19th February 2012: Sunday before Lent

Pancakes and Bingo

I am sure by now you are well aware of our Shrove Tuesday evening entertainment of Pancakes & Bingo. This promises to be a great evening with lots of fun as we herald in the rather more austere season of Lent. I hope, if you are able, you will join us. Price per person £10, concessions available! We have switched the beneficiary of the evening to The Broadway Homeless Trust because of the enormous demand brought on them as a result of the recent cold spell. Please come and please let us know if you can, please?? If you can't make it a little gift of one of those really pretty new £50 notes would be fantastic. - Fr Michael

Lent

Shrove Tuesday is not just to eat pancakes, drink wine and play Bingo, but to remember that Lent is about to begin: a great time for reflection, of being quiet and listening for the voice of God. Above all turning back to God, when perhaps we have grown a little lax, to rekindle the love that once we had for the things of the Kingdom. To receive afresh the assurance of God's love and to reflect that love in our lives.

Ash Wednesday

Everything has to start somewhere and Lent begins on Wednesday. PLEASE try and start Lent properly, get yourself off to church. The services in our two parishes will be in St George's and will begin with a said Eucharist at 0730, then Holy Communion (BCP) at 12 noon. The day culminates with a very special Sung Eucharist at 1900hrs. All three services will include the ashing ceremony.

Reading material for Lent

No Lent would be complete without some reading suggestions; it is after all something we can take up, rather than agonising about giving up. We are suggesting three books this year.

Falling Upward by Richard Rohr. In this book Rohr takes us on a journey to give us an understanding of how the heartbreaks, disappointments and the first loves of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys that the second half of life has in store for us. A book suitable for young people from 19 - 99. £12
The Collage of God by Mark Oakley. Mark came and led our session on 'God and Poetry' last Lent. He is a good thing. This book is a vivid and memorable portrayal of a search to uncover God's hidden presence in often surprising parts of our contemporary world. £9
Scapegoat by Charlie Campbell. We dare you to read this rather light hearted, easy reading book that may well enable you to change your life. We are always looking to blame someone and that does not help us to take responsibility for ourselves. £10

Dates for Lent, Holy Week and Easter

Tuesday 21 February, 7pm - Pancake Party and Bingo, St George's

Wednesday 22 February - Ash Wednesday

Eucharists at 7.30am, 12pm and 7pm, with meditation from 10.30am, St George's

Sunday 18 March - Mothering Sunday (usual service times)

Sunday 1 April - Palm Sunday (usual service times)

Thursday 5 April, 8pm - Maundy Thursday Liturgy and Watch, St George's

Friday 6 April - Good Friday, at St George's

10am Children's Stations, 12pm Liturgy of the Cross

3pm Stations of the Cross, 6pm Stainer's 'Crucifixion'

Saturday 7 April, 8pm - Vigil and Eucharist, St George's

Sunday 8 April - Easter Day (usual service times)

United Tuesdays in Lent - God in Public Life.

Hopefully you have picked up a programme - if not do so today, and perhaps hand one to a friend too. The first session will be ...

Tuesday 28 February

The Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons

Ethnicity, gender and poverty

Broadway Homeless Trust

Broadway run many hostels for the homeless in West London. Hostels are the first place most rough sleepers stay when they leave the streets. Broadway don't own these buildings, but have contracts to provide the support and care. The contracts only pay for the bare basics i.e. the roof, the staff. But it takes more than this to encourage someone to stay inside. Broadway's charitable fundraising helps make these hostels "a home". When people arrive, they have nothing. We give them the gift of food, toiletries and cooking items so their first impression is one of kindness and a warm welcome.

The need is DESPERATE, if you could only give a tube of toothpaste it would be a start!! Please; soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, dried foods, chocolate bars, hair shampoo. That's what we are reduced to. PLEASE help the plight of those who through no fault of their own are homeless. If you prefer to give directly please visit their website http://www.broadwaylondon.org. Boxes for your gifts are in the back of the churches.

Children at St George's

We have our church sleepover coming up at St George's, for children 9 and over - this starts on Saturday 25 February at 6pm, and finishes after the 10am service on Sunday. We have lots of exciting activities planned, so let me (Margaret) know if your child is interested!

Fairtrade Stall

This week our Fairtrade stall returns with a range of fairly traded coffee, tea and chocolate as well as delicious cakes and biscuits and a host of other goodies. So please support the stall in helping small enterprises in developing countries to obtain a fair price for the goods they produce.

Gift Aid

Thank you, thank you, thank you for using the Gift Aid envelopes in both of our churches. It makes an enormous difference at a time when our income is falling. Just a small point; if you want to know what to do with the adhesive protection slip, just put it in the envelope :-)

Theatre Group

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 28 March 2012 when we shall be discussing Basildon by David Eldridge, which runs from 16 February to 24 March at The Royal Court.

We meet at 7.15pm in the Community Area at St George's. Please contact Ivo Morshead for more information; 77275975

this page last updated on February 18, 2012