#461: Winter coats are back out again
Your faithful reporter, Bertram, here with news. On Sunday I was in the church (obviously) keeping an eye on things in general and on the Candlemas appeal in particular, and I heard some excellent news! Apart from a bit of charcoal (for the thurible, to get the incense smoking nicely, you know) EVERYTHING on the Consumables sponsorship sign-up list has been signed-up for! Well done, everybody, and THANK YOU! Now I am just quietly crossing my paws that all those online promises I saw on the list have been fulfilled. It is actually jolly dificult for a mouse to cross their paws, we don’t have the same joints as you.
Whilst I’m sitting here cross-pawed, and will of course faithfully gather up news, can I just add a reminder that anything you would like me to include on my delightful email, please send to Cara, cara.smart@spauls.co.uk and anything you would like published in Pews News, please send to Louise, church.office@spauls.co.uk. If in doubt, send it to both, thank you!
This Sunday
We have services at 8am and 9.30am at St Paul’s, 10am at Woosehill and 11am at St Nick’s. The at 6.15pm we have the first in our Sermon Series on Mission this year, with guest preacher Revd Rebecca Amoroso. Rebecca is currently the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team Leader at Broadmoor Hospital, and it will be great to welcome her to the parish.
Quiet Day
The theme of our next Quiet Day is, ‘What do we believe?‘ where we’ll be discussing and contemplating of the words of the Nicene Creed as it represents the promises made at our baptisms.
Saturday 8th March, 10am to about 1pm, at St James Church Centre, Finchampstead RG40 4LU
If you wish to bring lunch to St James and enjoy the quiet a little longer, we have the venue until 2pm.
If you are planning to attend the St Paul’s Lent lunch, you could leave Finch a little early and not miss out on either!
For further information and to book your place, contact mary.cassidy@spauls.org.uk
Walter Lecture – Sustainability Education
The next Walter lecture is on Thursday 13 February 2025 7pm, St Paul’s Parish Rooms. More information can be found here: Walter Lecture – Sustainability Education | St Paul’s Parish
Lent Lunch
The Social Committee & Mothers’ Union invite you to lunch in the Parish Rooms from 12.30-2.30pm on Saturday 8th March. We will be serving soup, bread and cheese. There is no charge for the food, but we are asking for donations to our 3 Charities. Please sign up at the back of the church or contact:
Trish trishgatland@hotmail.co.uk or Alan al_harrison@hotmail.co.uk
Palm Crosses
Please can you return last year’s Palm Crosses. There will be a basket to collect the crosses at the back of St Paul’s. I can then burn them to make ash ready for our Ash Wednesday services. Many thanks Jane Creasy
Electoral Roll Revision
Every six years there is a complete revision of the Electoral Roll and this process is due to take place this year, when all names and addresses will be deleted from the existing roll and a new one will be prepared. If you are on the current roll, you should receive a communication inviting you to reapply; please contact me or the Parish Office if you think you are on the Electoral Roll but have not received this communication.
Anyone who lives in the parish is eligible to apply and those who attend
St Paul’s or St Nicholas’ Church on a regular basis are positively encouraged to do so, in order to engender a feeling of solidarity within the parish. Being on the Electoral Roll makes a statement of belonging to and identifying oneself as part of the Church.
In addition, the Electoral Roll is the parish’s record of those qualified to attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and to vote in elections to the parochial church council (PCC) and the deanery synod, and to raise any questions regarding the church and parish. In this way, you help to ensure that the PCC, your Deanery Synod, the Oxford Diocesan Synod and the General Synod are fully representative of the Church members.
Anyone wishing to take an official post within the church, such as sidesperson, must have his or her name on the Electoral Roll. Likewise, anyone wishing to stand for election to the PCC or Deanery Synod must have had his or her name on the Roll for at least six months prior to the election and be an ‘actual communicant’ (Rule 54i of the Church Representation Rules).
Application forms are available in church and can be obtained from a sidesperson, from the Parish Office or from myself, or can be completed online by going to: https://spauls.co.uk/electoral-roll/.
The closing date for application to the Electoral Roll is 31st March 2025.
Teri Austen
Electoral Roll Officer
Baptism Report 2024
There were 14 baptisms at St Paul’s during the year which were covered by 5 baptism visitors. This is down on previous years (24 in 2023 and 37 in 2022- however, 2022 was particularly high due to catching up following Covid.) Most of the baptisms in 2024 were at 12.30pm or 1.30pm with a couple at 9.30am.
We have lost a couple of baptism visitors and we could do with recruiting a few more. Please can I take this opportunity to thank the baptism visitors for all they have done in 2024 – Gill Wilkins
