Author: Peter Wells

No. 111 March 2022

This month our focus is on St Michael and All Angels, Sandhurst.

Please pray for:
Rector:                                  Revd John Castle
Associate Ministers:        Revd John White and Revd Jane Kraft
Wardens:                              Catherine Wilkins and Emma Hodge,
Families Worker:                Sarah Bishop
Youth worker:                     Mike Gower

In the Parish, please pray for:

• Revd John Castle as he prepares for his sabbatical at the end of April.
• Emma Hodge giving thanks for her hard work in the role of warden and prayer and that we will find a replacement.
• Our PCC and our upcoming APCM on 20th April.
• Our new Inter-generational ‘Churches Together’fourth Sunday Service.
• All outreach activities and those who use them, including Baby & Toddler Time, Knit & Natter & Dream Big Youth Club.
• The charities that we have planted and continue to support and those that use them, including The Sandhurst Counselling Service and Sandhurst Youth.
• The growth and development in all our youth work including Kidz Church and Reach.
• The group going to Spring Harvest, and those who are carrying on the services in holy week in Sandhurst.
• And give thanks for members of churches from Sandhurst and Crowthorne coming together to prepare for the performance of the mini-musical “Jerusalem Joy” on Palm Sunday evening.

In the Deanery, please pray for:

• The parishes in vacancy (Crowthorne, Winnersh and Bearwood and St Sebastians); for all those who are stepping up to take on new responsibilities and for all those involved in thinking about the next stage for those parishes.
• All Saints Wokingham for a good start to the re-ordering as the contractors begin work and a smooth transition to The Cornerstone for Sunday worship.
• Bishop Steven’s visit to the Deanery on March 1^st. The meeting for clergy in the afternoon at Yeldall Manor and the evening meeting for Church members at the Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School; a talk and opportunity to ask questions.
• All study and meditation groups and special services as we observe Lent in our parishes and Deanery.

And as we pray for our world:

Creation’s Cross

We, your people come.
We, who crucify this world,
stripping bare its soil,
crowning it with a wreath of broken trees.
Its air breathes painfully,
its waters weep for the folly that poisons them, Its creatures bleed.
We have eaten and drunk of life’s body.
Heirs of all,
we have sold our world.
Thirty pieces of silver is our price. Loudly declaring our love,
we have denied our Lord.
We are Judas,
We are Peter.
We are the cross of all creation.

 [From: Palmer, Martin. (1993). Living Christianity. Rockport, Mass : Element]

No. 110 February 2022

This month our Focus is on St George’s Church, Owlsmoor

Please pray for:
The Vicar:                             Revd Catherine Vaughan
The Wardens:                      Brenda Davies and Margaret Walker
Treasurer:                            Judith Dodds
PCC Secretary:                   Vicki Alan-Smith
LLM:                                       Penny Crane
Pastoral Assistant:            Linda Hewlett

In the Parish, please pray for:

• And give thanks for God’s protection and blessing over the past few months and for the joy of being able to worship together over Christmas.
• The new Intergenerational Service that we have started on the first Sunday afternoon of each month. 
• The several members of our church family who are struggling with health issues, especially those that are causing significant pain.
• Wisdom and courage as we move forward in to 2022.

In the Deanery, please pray for:

• St Mary’s, Wargrave as they review their service pattern and introduce a new pattern, service time, and ‘style’ starting on Mothering Sunday. Praying that it will be unifying and bring glory to the Lord.
• Andrew and Ros Marsden as Andrew takes early retirement from full-time ministry on account of his health.
• Crowthorne, Winnersh and Bearwood and St Sebastian’s as they are in vacancy (or going into vacancy this month).
• Crowthorne as they seek to appoint a new Choir Director.
• for every Church in the Deanery as we all continue to serve and support and encourage in challenging times.
• That the work of Cop26 will not be forgotten and that we all work together reduce climate change.

Give us today, O Lord,
a glad heart and a clear conscience,
that when we come to this day’s end
we may rest in peace with Christ our Lord.            Amen

No.109 January 2022

This month our Focus is on St James, Finchampstead + St Mary and St John, California + St Eligius, Arborfield Green

Please pray for:
Associate Priest:                           Rev Canon John Edwards
Associate Priest:                           Rev Julian McAllen
New Communities Minister:         Rev Tonia Elliott
In the Parish, please pray for:

• A successful Alpha Course starting in January
• The work in our local schools: supporting the families 
• The support of the Youth Groups within our parish:  For the young people affected by the changes to usual school events caused by responses to Covid 19.
• The elderly unable or afraid to leave their homes.
• The housing developments in Arborfield Green, the friendship and new projects at St Eligius and the growth of the family support based at the Church. For the development of Live streamed broadcasts, that they are seen by more people and the love of God is stirred in hearts of those who watch. For a speedy conclusion to the commercial conversations.
• The Church of St Mary and St John meeting in Gorse Ride primary school: that the congregation will continue to grow.
• The regeneration of Gorse Ride South: the families affected by the move, difficulties accepting necessary change and disturbance to the usual pattern of life. Thanks for the beautiful new homes with more to follow.

In the Parish, please give thanks:

• For the work to support the residents during this time and the continued success of Creative Cafe and other ventures.
• For the acts of neighbourliness shown and received. Thanks for the deepening friendships from the telephone support lines commenced at the beginning of lockdown and that we may reach more people in need of help with more people willing to assist
• For the Ministry team who have responded and guided the parish through continuing difficult times, and those who support them.
• That despite the numerous road works we remain able to visit our Churches and benefit from spiritual refreshment. 
• For the work of the PCC.
• That we live in a beautiful area.

In the Deanery, please pray for:

• Andrew and Ros Marsden as Andrew takes early retirement in February on health grounds.
• The parish of St Sebastian’s as they move into a vacancy.
• Winnersh and Bearwood and for Crowthorne, both continuing in vacancy.
• Those who have had to take on extra responsibility and leadership during the ongoing pandemic.
• All of us as in the next weeks we may face further restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus.
• That the work of Cop26 will not be forgotten and that we all work together reduce climate change.

God our creator,
who in the beginning,
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with us,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany

No. 108 December 2021

This month we continue to pray for our Deanery and with a special focus on Christmas in our Churches.

Please pray for:

• All of us as we continue to take precautions against the spreading of the Covid 19 virus.
• Advent Services as we prepare ourselves for Christmas.
• All Christmas services: Carol Services, Christingles, Crib Services, Midnight Mass, and Christmas Day Services.
• Those coming to Church this Christmas for the first time in many months, and those for whom Christmas is their only visit.
• All our festivities and opportunities to be with friends.
• Owlsmoor, Sat 18th December 4-6pm Walk Thru’ Nativity, Sun 19th December 6.30pm Carol Service
• All Saints Wokingham giving thanks and praying for the church choir coming together to sing Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve after such a long break; and that the booking system for services will work well so everyone will feel safe and comfortable and able to focus on Christmas worship without anxiety.
• Sandhurst, Christmas buffet on the 28th December which is our lunch for the isolated in the community, and the work of Sandhurst Youth as they continue their outreach work in Sandhurst Over Christmas.
• Boxing Day Services.
• All who find Christmas a difficult time for whatever reason
• Winnersh and Bearwood, and Crowthorne, in vacancy, for the writing of Parish Profiles and for all additional work and responsibility for Church Wardens, LLMs and PCCs.
• St Sebastians, and their Vicar, Andrew Marsden, and his wife, Ros, as he is still too unwell to work, that he will regain his health and strength, and for all those taking on new responsibilities and tasks to keep things in the Parish going.

In the wider world please pray:

• That decisions and promises made at COP26 will be kept
• For all countries already severely affected by climate change.
• For all refugees and displaced people separated from family and friends, especially at Christmas time.

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

 Amen

No. 107 November 2021

This month our special focus is on St John the Baptist Crowthorne

Please pray for:

Church Wardens:       Leigh Welham and Leslie Richardson

LLMs:                           Gillian Gyenes, Hazel Berry, Julia Norton

PCC Secretary:           Mary Harwood

Treasurer:                    Rebecca Al-Jadir

In the Parish, please pray for:

• Wisdom and discernment for those with responsibility for making decisions about the future for our parish.
• The Church Wardens, LLMs and PCC as we work together during this time of vacancy.
• Carol Frost as she is Licensed as an LLM at Christ Church in Oxford on 7 November.
• The regular Sunday 10am Eucharist and the midweek Wednesday 10am service.
• Our whole church community, those attending the services, those listening online and for all who make it possible for these services to take place safely at this difficult time.
• The Sunday Club at St John’s for children aged 5-11 starting monthly on Sunday 7 November.
• Minus 5s at 9.30 on Wednesdays starting on 3 November.
• The Remembrance Day Service on 14 November at the Lych Gate our War Memorial.
• The office and those who volunteer.
• Our Church School and our input leading assemblies there.
• The pastoral outreach personally and through the weekly news online and delivered personally.
• The Mothers Union meetings and pastoral outreach.
• The Friday prayer Group
• And give thanks for all the clergy who are visiting week by week to conduct services

In the Deanery, please pray for:

• Deanery Standing Committee on Wednesday 3rd November on Zoom
• Deanery Synod on Wednesday 24th November on Zoom
• Winnersh and Bearwood, who are in vacancy
• St Sebastian’s Church and Andrew Marsden working reduced hours because of his health.
• All Saints Wokingham giving thanks for the amazing generosity and support so far for our spaceforall community project to reorder the church building, that the right tender price will come in this month for the project, and that work can proceed without further delay.

In the Wider World please pray for:

• The COP 26 Conference 11 October – 12 November, that it will produce action for the good of the planet, not just talk.
•  All refugees arriving in this area, especially at this time those from Afghanistan and Hong    Kong.

Loving God,
We praise your name with all you have created.

You are present in the whole universe,
and in the smallest of creatures.

We acknowledge the responsibilities you have placed upon us
as stewards of your creation.

May the Holy Spirit inspire all political leaders at COP26 as they
seek to embrace the changes needed to foster a more sustainable society.

Instil in them the courage and gentleness to implement fairer solutions
for the poorest and most vulnerable,
and commit their nations to the care of Our Common Home.

We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son. Amen      (CAFOD)