Notices for 21st February 2021     First Sunday in Lent Hello Everyone, It’s been a very busy week with Shrove Tuesday antics, Ash Wednesday services, PCC meeting and a lot of funerals. If you missed the evening service on Ash Wednesday then you can catch up on YouTube – Revd Nick Ladd’s sermon is well worth a listen and relates well to our ‘Blue and Gold’ Lent Journals. Have you started yours yet? It need take only a minute a day! We haven’t organised a Lent Charity Appeal this year but you may wish to consider this appeal by Christian Aid: As more of our family, friends, and neighbours receive their COVID vaccinations, we rejoice and are glad that our loved ones are protected. We give thanks for all the NHS staff and key workers who continue to save lives across the UK. For the poorest and most vulnerable communities across the world, there is little hope of a vaccine rollout. These people already face a lack of water, food, and healthcare. Some are homeless. Some are living with underlying health issues such as HIV.  Christian Aid is already on the ground, helping keep people safe from coronavirus with practical support – but with your gift of thanks we can do more. Have you or your loved ones had your vaccine?   Please give thanks with a donation to help protect our global neighbours while the vaccine is out of reach. Donate here: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/give/ways-donate/give-thanks-your-coronavirus-vaccine Churches Together in Northfield Lent Groups start this week using the book ‘At home in Lent’ which we really are this year! You don’t need a copy of the book to take part. There will be zoom-groups on Mondays at 3.30pm and Tuesdays at 7pm and Thursdays at 11am. They will last 40 -60 mins and begin w/c 21st February. Links below It is probably best to choose one group and stick with it but if that isn’t possible, feel free to move between them but if you would like to pre-book for a group please contact Colin Capell e-mail colinca@cec21.plus.com Fairtrade Fortnight begins on Monday. Join the fight for social, economic and environmental justice and ‘Choose the World You Want’ – more information is included in the latest packs, and visit https://www.fairtrade.org.uk for ideas, including a special Festival of Climate, Fairtrade and You. In the run-up to Easter, why not join the campaign for living incomes for those in the chocolate industry? If you do on-line grocery shopping why not search ‘Fairtrade’ and see what comes up and if it isn’t a search term drop the store an e-mail and ask that it be added. Fairtrade Easter Eggs available to order If we can put together a group order we will qualify for free postage. Milk Chocolate eggs are £4.50 and Dark Chocolate eggs are £5.50. They both include a new Easter Story activity booklet. If you would like to order please let Revd Theresa know by Sunday 7th March and then we will assess the situation. It’s also a good time to launch a new feature in our weekly Notices: Eco Tips. The PCC has committed to working towards the Eco-Church Silver Award, which includes ensuring environmental impacts are considered when making major purchasing decisions and building decisions – such as with the church porch and lighting. Many of us have ideas of things we can do to help the environment; why not send these to Revd Theresa to highlight in our Eco Tips each week. Here’s one for this week: next time you make a cup of tea or coffee, only fill the kettle with as much water as you need to. These little steps really do add up! We’re continuing the ‘45minutes of fun at 4.45pm’ on Saturdays via Zoom but as the evenings become lighter it may become less frequent. Thursday Bible Studies continue too. Fr David reports in about ‘St Laurence Safe Spaces’ Fancy not acting your age and being young at heart again?  St Laurence Safe Spaces is an after school club for children of secondary school age and designed to provide protection from the danger of knife crime.  We have raised £7,570 and hope to start by the Summer Term, sooner if possible, subject to the lifting of COVID constraints.  We will meet on Thursdays in term time from 3.15 pm to no later than 5.15 pm.  To start we need further volunteer Youth Leaders (2 or 3) and Assistant Youth Leaders (2 or 3) to supplement the existing 5 volunteers.  Without more volunteers it will not be possible to start.  If you would like to volunteer or to know more about what is involved please contact me, Fr David or Revd Theresa. Following Claire’s thought-provoking sermon for Racial Justice Sunday, here are a few books recommended by members of the church for you to enjoy https://www.stlaurencenorthfield.org/uploads/6/4/4/1/6441792/racial_justice_sunday_reading_list.pdf People have been getting up to all sorts of things in lockdown. As well as helping us enormously with production of Rise and Shine and our Carol Service Alan Green and his wife Kelly have written a book for young children aged 2-8 “A Mole in a Bowl.” Naughty mole steals everyone’s food before they have a chance to finish it. You can pre-order online and, if you are one of the first one hundred ordering, you can dedicate a name inside the front cover. They will then send you the book to enjoy and treasure as a keepsake: https://bit.ly/3cSoGYl 100 Club - Jeff Carr states that the first of the prize draws for 2021 will take place at the coffee morning zoom meeting on Tues 23 Feb. If you have not yet paid your subscription and wish to do so contact Jeff Carr urgently on 0121 694 7115. An explanatory update about the 100 Club including details of how to pay can be seen by clicking the link below. https://www.dropbox.com/s/rfhmg971olgysuw/explanatoryupdate.odt?dl=0 The Mothers’ Union Online shop now has over 400 products including a new range of Easter and Mothering Sunday cards and gifts. Click here mueshop.org  We have started to gather our reports for the Annual Meeting and we are planning to share them one at a time so look below to see the ‘Social and Fundraising’ one. It feels like another age but hopefully some of our regular activities will resume before the year end. This week the theme for our montages has been ‘Desert’ and next week the theme for our montages is ‘Temptation’ I will have to think about what is tempting to a gnome! Send in a pdf or photo - ideally landscape - to  peterm435@gmail.com with the topic in the subject line by 4pm Thursday. Blessings Can Jan Social and Fundraising Committee Report We had so much planned for 2020! But looking back, we were very busy before lockdown. Right at the start of the year we had a Crumble Party at the Rectory to review the Christmas Fayre in 2109 ready for 2020 (thanks to Canon Janet for the crumble!) – and we had a very successful Piphy Pudding Party (thanks again to Canon Janet for organising all the games). Two Car Boot Sales raised nearly £700 and we also held a Spring Craft Fayre on the Saturday before lockdown started. It was an excellent Craft Fayre with some wonderful crafts made by local people, but sadly the COVID threat reduced the footfall – but the stallholders were still pleased with the sales achieved. Then lockdown came and everything was cancelled – but we did manage to have an outdoor Bric@Brac sale in October – at the front of the Pastoral Centre. It was really successful and very grateful thanks to those who helped in difficult times. We did have our annual Christingle Services – and launched an online money raiser for the Children’s Society – and we were successful in exceeding our £200 target – by raising £287.31 – so thank you to everyone who contributed. We will be looking to see what we can do in 2021 within the COVID guidelines – so watch this space for dates! Rowena Nicholls For your Prayers Those who are ill Mike Cross (and Rosie his wife): Mike is in the QE undergoing various tests Pat Turner: gradually recovering from arm surgery following her fall from her bike in the summer. Vicki Reeves: in a lot of pain Revd Canon John Barnett and his wife Janice: Janice had a lumpectomy recently and John is being treated for myeloma (cancer of the blood). Those who have died Geoffrey Lloyd, Dorothy Harvell, Jean Painter, Elizabeth Delahay (Lynn) whose funerals were this past week Sue Evans: former parish Secretary, funeral Wed 11 March at Church of the Ascension Jane Downes: mother of Steve Wright who attends Grid Iron, funeral Wed 3 March in church Dorothy Day: mother of Julie Meadows Community and Covid News  This can now be found in the ‘Covid and Community’ Section of our web-site. The page has been updated this week. Click here to go the section and it is the top item https://www.stlaurencenorthfield.org/community_coronavirus.html LENT GROUPS Monday 3.30pm With Fr David Pycock https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2925735002 Meeting ID: 292 573 5002 You can phone in, using the normal numbers (see below) 7pm Tuesday With Marianne Melville and Revd Theresa Morton https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82824583801 Meeting ID:  82824583801 passcode 12345 You can phone in, using the normal numbers but you will need the passcode above as well as the Meeting ID Thursday 11:00 am With Colin Capell https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89222038417 Zoom meeting ID:  89222038417 Passcode: 5fMMDa Phone access is NOT possible for this group SERVICES AND MEETINGS THIS WEEK Saturday 10am – 11am cPrivate Prayer ‘45minutes of fun at 4.45pm’ Entrance is at 10 min intervals via the vestry door and needs to be pre-booked. Phone Revd Theresa by 6pm Thursday please. Please be on time. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86549278427 Meeting ID: 865 4927 8427 Sunday  8.30am Sunday School Service By zoom and available later on YouTube 9.30am Holy Communion By zoom and zoom-phone and available later on YouTube https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74087847345?pwd=b25mZHdZd0lKVEpFdjZVa1ZTMkNndz09 Meeting ID: 740 8784 7345 Passcode: 112233   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84533030134 Meeting ID: 845 3303 0134 Monday 5pm Evening Prayer https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89992167638 Meeting ID 89992167638 Tuesday 10am Gridiron ‘Coffee’ 5pm Evening Prayer Contact Stuart & Chris Andrew 0121 628 0425 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89992167638 Meeting ID 89992167638 Wednesday 10am Holy Communion 8.30pm Compline https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81798933169 Meeting ID 81798933169 By Conference Call only 01902 693302 Code 1139 Thursday 4pm – 4.45pm An invitation to look at Sunday’s Readings together 5pm Evening Prayer https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89992167638 Meeting ID 89992167638 As above How to Phone in via-Zoom to any of the above (except Wednesday Compline) 1. Enter 141 (to keep your number private) 2. Dial one of these numbers 0203 481 5237 0203 481 5240 0131 460 1196 0203 051 2874 3. Enter the Meeting ID (without any spaces) then # 4. When it asks for your personal ID enter # How to Conference Call Phone 01902 693302 and when asked enter the code 1139 and then say your name. It then takes a few moments before you can hear and be heard. Also - You can Phone a Service 24 hours a day! freephone 0800 804 8044 for Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England. And to hear one of the St Laurence Ministers preaching: 0121 270 4690 These are changed after the services on Sundays and Wednesdays (usually by early evening) Contact Details Parish Office – stlaurence@btconnect.com 0121 475 1518 Currently staffed remotely most of the time Website: www.stlaurencenorthfield.org RECTOR Canon Janet Chapman Day off: Monday janet.rectory@gmail.com ? 0121 477 3111 ASSOCIATE PRIEST Revd David Pycock Day off: Monday david.pycock@blueyonder.co.uk ? 0121 476 3117 ASSISTANT CURATE Revd Theresa Morton Day off: Friday theresa.curate@gmail.com ? 07557472096 READER Janice Wones Day off: Friday janice.wones@talktalk.net ? 0121 459 7417 Prayer requests can be sent to prayer.request.stlaurence@gmail.com They will be shared only with the ministry team. Twitter: @stlaurenceb31 Rector: @janetchapman5 Facebook www.facebook.com/StLaurenceChurchNorthfield YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/stlaurencenorthfield Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. If you need to contact someone regarding a church safeguarding concern (adults or children), please call our Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator, Rowena Nicholls, on 07724 170448. If you have an urgent concern for the safety of yourself or someone else, call 999. St Laurence Church Northfield is Registered Charity 1132975