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 (11th October), there will be a Communion Service in church at 8.45 am (with Rev Dr Caroline Friswell preaching and presiding) and at 10.30 am (with Rev Dr Caroline Friswell preaching and Rev Barnaby Huish presiding). The 10.30 am service will be broadcast live (available to view on our Facebook page) https://www.facebook.com/StJohnschurchnevillescross.

Sermon Series: The 10.30 am services and sermons this month will reflect upon the topic of ‘The Hospitality of God in Luke’s Gospel’.  

Messy Church: Messy Church takes place from 4-6pm on the second Sunday of each month, unless changed for special reasons during the year.  All children are welcome but they must be accompanied by a responsible adult.  Thank you.  Dates from now until January are: 

• 11th October
• 8th November (Remembrance Day)
• 13th December
• 10th January 2027

Invitation from St John’s Mothers’ Union to All Members of the Congregation: Just a reminder that our next meeting will take place on Monday 12th October at 1.45 pm in church. Our speaker will be Jenny Flynn, a regular at the 8.45 service, who will speak about her journey of faith.  Everyone is welcome!

Meditation group: Caroline Friswell is now co-ordinating this monthly service; she would be delighted if anyone would like to lead individual sessions, especially following the Church Away Day on contemplative Prayer. The next Meditation Service will be in Church on Thursday 15th October at 7.15 pm; for a prompt start, please try and arrive at about 7 pm. For more information, please see Caroline.

Open Door: the next Open Door will be on 21st October.  Do come and join us from 10.00 am – 12 noon for coffee/tea, conversation and cake.

Singing group: We now have a singing group to help lead the singing at the 10.30 service, and we’d love more of you to join us! You don’t need to do it every week, just as often as you would like to. I send round the details of the music the week before, so you know what to expect. We run through the music at 10.00, sit in the front row and go up to the front to sing.  If you’d like to be part of this or have any questions, please speak to me after church or get in touch via the Contact Form, including your mobile number so I can add you to the Music Group WhatsApp group.  Many thanks, Steve Rundle (Music Co-ordinator)  

This month we welcome Jeremy Wildsmith, who is going to be on placement at St John’s until Easter.  Jeremy and family are already familiar members of our 10.30 congregation; it will be great having him as a colleague on placement in addition.  Jeremy is currently training for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham: discovering the many joys and privileges of ministering as a deacon or priest. 

Nevilles’ Cross Community Choir meets every Tuesday evening from 7 – 9 pm in church.  £4 a session, including tea/coffee.  Do please join us. We meet in term time, and there are no auditions or attendance requirements.  Contact nxcc.durham@gmail.com or just turn up. 

Evensong at St Margaret’s Church (sung by St Cuthbert’s Society Chapel Choir) will resume on Friday evenings starting on 16th October (time tba). All are welcome to come to this peaceful and beautiful musical service, which uses the words of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. 

Angels and Stockings – Help needed: In recent years, knitted angels have been hung outside the church at Christmas for the local community to collect and are hugely popular.  Members have also knitted stockings, just big enough to hold a small tube of Smarties, which have been distributed by the Food Bank.  Patterns are attached to this email.  Please put any angels and stockings in the box in the foyer by Sunday 22nd November.

A financial review: September 2026

This is a summary of what was discussed at the services on Sunday

20th September for those who would like a copy of what was said or would like to read it for the first time.

First, thank you.  The generosity of this congregation is the reason we are able to do what we do, and none of it is taken for granted.

At the half year our accounts show a small surplus of income over expenditure.  That sounds reassuring, but both income and expenditure are lower than we would expect at this stage, so the surplus is thinner than it looks.

A few things are coming down the track.  We have not been able to recruit a PCC secretary, or volunteer help in several other areas, so we are having to go out to the market and buy in administrative support.  We have also been asked to increase our parish share by £16,000 next year (this is money the dioceses asks of each church to support the ministry of the clergy and their parishes in their Diocese, rise of 23% on this year.  We are also giving serious thought to appointing a youth and families worker.  Each of these is the right thing to do and we are prayerfully considering what to do as a PCC.  However, taken together along with the other expenditure of the church, it means these expenses are more than our current income comfortably allows.

Giving should be a prayerful, thoughtful, personal choice. 2 Corinthians 9v7 says ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’.

We are better off than many churches, and for that we are very thankful.  But I would like to float some ideas with you:

• If you are able, please consider increasing what you give and review it regularly.
• Some of you may want to think about tithing as a pattern of giving. The principle here is that everything we have comes from God, and giving is a response of gratitude and trust. ‘A tenth’ is referenced in scripture, but I suggest should be seen in the context of wider giving of resources, time and not just money, but provides a broad principle of giving. St Johns does tithe some if it’s income to support other charities.
• If you are a taxpayer, Gift Aid adds 25p to every pound you give at no cost to you, so do make sure we hold a declaration for you – and ideally give through the Parish Giving Scheme which also means we get gift aid easily
• And please give some thought to leaving a legacy in your will. A gift of that kind, given once, can provide the church with stability for years to come.
• There is further information available about legacy giving on the church noticeboard and I would urge you to seriously consider this option which would reduce the Inheritance Tax payable.
• Please do talk to me or anyone on the PCC – there’s a ‘Rogues Gallery’ in the foyer if you don’t know who to speak to!

Nobody should feel pressed and we know from scripture that God. Give what you can, and give it gladly. But do please hold it in your thoughts and prayers. Michael Bullock

PCC Treasurer

Hymns for 8.45 am service:

• O, worship the king (582)
• Lord of all hopefulness (467)
• Love divine, all loves excelling (491)

Collect

O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you;
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
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

Faithful Lord, whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings:

• Romans 12:9-12
• Luke 7:36-50

Post Communion

Holy and blessed God,
you have fed us with the body and blood of your Son
and filled us with your Holy Spirit:
may we honour you, not only with our lips
but in lives dedicated to the service of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings for Next Sunday:

• Romans 13:8-10
• Luke 10:25-37