Weekly News Sheets

 St John’s Church, Neville’s Cross

We are encouraging as many people as possible to receive this weekly news sheet via email.  Please click here to contact the Rector’s Secretary to be added to the distribution list. This helps to keep our costs down and also reduce our carbon footprint.

This Sunday (1st October) there will be a Communion Service in church at 8.45 am and 10.30 am (with Rev Jon Wilkinson presiding and Rev Kate Bruce preaching at both services). The service service will be broadcast live (available to view on our Facebook page) https://www.facebook.com/ StJohnschurchnevillescross

Out of the Shadows: Preaching the Women of the Old Testament.Continuing each Sunday, concluding on 8th October: a sermon series with guest speakers (including current and former members of our congregation). The series will run for five Sundays, concluding on 8th October.

Many thanks to everyone who took part in our special congregational event as part of ‘Partnership for Missional Church’ (PMC); over forty people stayed after the service, and others, who couldn’t be there, sent contributions. The core team will circulate a summary of reflections based on the morning and on the outcome of the PCC Awayday.

The next Open Door cafe (Weds 4th October, 10am – 12 noon at St John’s) will be a Macmillan Coffee Morning (with donations going toward the work of Macmillan Cancer Support) – please see attached poster for details.

An all-age Service of the Word will take place regularly on the last Sunday of each month from September, in place of Holy Communion, at 10.30 am.

The funeral of Roy Roberts will take place at 12 noon in St John’s Church on Monday 2nd October.

Our Harvest Festival this year will be celebrated on Sunday 15th October.

Welcome cards: if you are new to St John’s: welcome! You are invited to fill out one of the ‘Welcome to St John’s’ cards, which can be found in the pews; it will enable us to get in touch and say hello, and also, if you wish, for us to stay in touch and keep you informed.

Neville’s Cross Community Choir every Tuesday 7-9pm, with a break for tea/coffee. New members are always welcome. The current fee is £3 per session, including tea/coffee. No auditions or attendance requirements, just come and enjoy singing. Simply turn up or contact nxcc.durham@gmail.com

Contactless Payments: The PCC have been keen to provide some kind of contactless donation system to allow card and phone payments to be made. This is thought appropriate for visitors and individuals who do not carry cash. We do pay a fee of 1.6% on these transactions with ‘Sum Up’ who deal with the banking aspects of the ‘Collect Tin More’. Online ‘Give a Little’ allows us to set up funds for donations and accept Gift Aid declarations on donations, with print outs of all donations made. Durham Diocese endorses this system and have provided advice with installation. It is tethered to the radiator with a ‘Kensington Lock’ which is a glorified bicycle cable. There is a metre of cable which should allow it to be moved if necessary. The charger does not have to be in all the time and this is being changed to a longer cable soon. It
works on the Church wifi. I’ve set up funds for General Fund, Mission Fund, Community Choir, Playpeople, Open Doors, Messy Church and one for the concert on Friday 30th June. If your pages do not have the donation buttons you want, then get in touch. Similarly, if youneed a fund banner (called a campaign) creating, I’ll be happy to oblige. There are instructions for turning on and off when you leave the building. Sue Massey

Updating our Book of Remembrance: we will be updating the book with names of members of the congregation (or immediate family members, if requested) who have died since the book was last updated in January 2016. The book is currently in the transept (next to the sound desk) with a suggested list of names and dates of death (following the book’s format). Please check details of any relatives; there is also room for additional names to be written.

Offertory tokens: most people who give regularly to the church now do so via the Parish Giving Scheme (or some other form of regular bank transfer); but we still have a basket available for occasional or other cash donations. For people who value the symbolism of ‘putting something in the basket’ (which is then taken forward and received with thanks during the ‘offertory hymn’) there are tokens available (on the table in the foyer). If you would like to, feel free to pick one up when you arrive (along with your order of service) and to place it in the basket as a token of your financial giving toward the mission and ministry of the church.

Deanery Synod representative wanted: We are seeking a member of the congregation to be one of our three lay representatives on the Deanery Synod. The Deanery Synod meets three times a year; it is a meeting of clergy and lay representatives from across the Deaneryof Durham (which is an area consisting of Durham City and several surrounding villages). It exists to strengthen the ministry and mission of the church in its parishes and chaplaincies and other communities, through the sharing of news and information, in the discussion and implementation of Diocesan plans, priorities and strategies, and by discerning and promoting opportunities for working together. For more information please speak to our other reps, Adriel Yap and Mike Chater, or to Barney Huish (the Acting co-chair of the Synod) or Joanne Thorns (who is Deanery Secretary). Deanery Synod representatives are also ex officio members of the Parochial Church Council.

A Service of Creation is being held by Durham Churches Together on Sunday 1st October at 4pm at Waddington Street United Reformed Church: one of a series of climate-related events being hosted by DCT this autumn.

Date for your Diaries: Wednesday 29th November from 7.00-8.30pm at Elvet Methodist, Durham. A panel will answer questions around the title ‘Greening our CityChange depends on us’ . On the panel will be Robert Song, Simon Park from the University sustainability Dept and Steve McDonald from DCC Carbon Reduction. This is also a DCT event and all are welcome.
 

PRAYERS AND READINGS FOR THIS WEEK:
17TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – 1ST OCTOBER

 

Hymns for 8.45 am service:

  • All who would valiant be (27)
  • Firmly I believe and truly (186)
  • Jesus is Lord (387)

 Collect

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we
shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and
reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Alternative Collect

Gracious God, you call us to fullness of life: deliver us
from unbelief
and banish our anxieties with the liberating love of Jesus
Christ our Lord.

Readings:

    • 2 Kings 22: 14-20
    • John 2: 1-11

Post Communion 

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and
follow us,
and make us continually to be given to all good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS:

    • Exodus 1: 8-2:10
    • Corinthians 1: 26-2:4

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