Pentecost 28th May 2023 Hello Everyone, This Sunday Pentecost – do wear RED to mark the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in fire and wind. The ‘colour changers’ have been in this morning changing the liturgical fabrics to red. Thank you to all who have donated to Christian Aid. St Laurence has always supported charity this with great generosity. We’ve set a target of £700 on our e-giving page and are up to £215 at the moment. If you haven’t donated yet then just Click on the below to donate https://envelope.christianaid.org.uk/christian-aid-week-2023-2?utm_medium=sharedbuttons&utm_campaign=CAM-004478 We’re also having a Christian Aid Plant stall on Sunday 11th June after the 9.30am service so about 10.45 outside the Pastoral Centre. Still time to sow a few extra seeds (my beans are ready to plant out after only 2 weeks!) take cuttings or split plants ready for the sale. They don’t have to be Chelsea Gold standard! This Sunday Anne Stock and Jamie Wyatt will be confirmed during the 11am service at the Cathedral. The Cathedral service will be live-streamed and available for the rest of the day on the Cathedral web-site and YouTube We wish Gary Thompson and Donna Wallace every happiness on their Wedding Day on Bank Holiday Monday. This is the second time they have married one another! Thank you to everyone who attended church and our Annual Meeting last Sunday. Copies of the Annual Reports are available in church and also on the web-site. https://bit.ly/StLaurenceAnnualReport2022 Roy Pouncett and Sandra Reynolds were re-elected as church wardens. Robert Mayne and Elaine Clements elected to Deanery Synod – we still have 2 vacancies Peter Mitchell, Gloria Ikan, Janice Wones, Gerardine Merrick, Ruth Clarke,  Debbie Keeves, Jennie King to PCC. PCC also includes Rowena Nicholls so that means we still have up to 4 vacancies Please consider prayerfully about whether you can serve in this way. PCC meets every 4-6 weeks and Deanery Synod meets 4 times a year. Next Wild Church is on Sunday 4th June and then 18th June– meet 4pm at the church Porch. There will be a meeting for those involved in running Wild Church (and those interested in this) by Zoom on Thursday 1st June at 6pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88944752877 Meeting ID: 889 4475 2877 Handbell ringers – please note that the start time has been moved forward to 1.45pm. New members very welcome. They are a friendly bunch and the practice lasts about an hour.    Monday 19th June – There will be a short service at Chatham Place. It will meet at the new time of 10am for a 10.15am start. We have received over £300 in Nectar points so far but the Nectar is stopping its charity donations to us at the end of June so PLEASE, if you have any spare points, go onto the Nectar web-site and donate them to St Laurence PCC now! Also… Please join me in supporting St Laurence Church Northfield on #easyfundraising, you'll raise FREE donations with your everyday shopping. It's quick and easy to sign up! Plus, once you've raised your first £5, easyfundraising will double it! Sign up now: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-good-cause/step-1/?invite=75n07k&char=258064&referral-campaign=s2s&utm_source=referral-2023 We hope the work on the church ceiling will start this week. It will be costing us c£20,000. We also have ‘public notices’ up in respect of permission for the additional heater which was installed at the back of church. It was not included in the original application so we are seeking a retrospective faculty and also for the new Liturgical Furniture which is being funded by a grant from the Harlow Trust and a very generous donation from Barbara Finch. We have a lot of choir robes in the vestry and another church is in need. We aren’t planning to get rid of them by any means but please could all choir members identify a set which fits them and put a name label on the hanger so that they have a set for when we want to use them. Prema Louis says: * Thank you so much for all the greetings cards. She now has plenty for the time being. The latest Deanery Newsletter is available in the porch or https://bit.ly/KNMSApr23 The Quaker Service Memorial Exhibition is On Friday 9th June 10.30 – 18.00 Saturday 10th June 14.00 – 18.00 At Friends Meeting House, 6 Sandhills Lane, Barnt Green, B45 8NR ADMISSION FREE Eco Tip it’s still ‘no mow May’ so don’t mow or keep the trim as long as possible. Finally, Information packs were in church last Sunday for everyone on the church Electoral Roll. If you have not yet received yours we aim to deliver them this coming week. Please put all the dates in the PINK LEAFLET in you diary now! They include details of my Farewell Party and Final Services. You are all very welcome. * Sunday 11th June – 9.30am Final Family and Church Parade Service (no Sunday School that day) * Saturday 17th June – 6-8pm Bring & Share Family Party with Games. * Sunday 18th June – 8.30am Sunday School, 9.30am Sung Eucharist followed by CAKE, 4pm Wild Church. Blessings, Canon Janet For your prayers: Barbara Finch: now back at Ash Grove Pete Coyne: Pete’s health continues to be stable and his mother is now out of hospital Abigail: mother of one of our bride’s-to-be who has had a stroke. Sadly the wedding is being postponed until next year. Those who have died: James (Jim) Blake: funeral held church on Friday 26th May. Jim lived opposite the entrance to the Pastoral Centre and he and his wife Val donated last year’s flag. Stuart Andrew: funeral in church on Monday 12th June at 12.30pm (followed by an unattended cremation) Martin Barry Lewis: funeral in church on Monday 12th June at 2pm SERVICES AND MEETINGS COMING UP This section has been replaced by the calendar which is available in church (on yellow paper) and can be viewed on the web-site https://www.stlaurencenorthfield.org/ Click on ‘calendar’ on the front page. Please continue to book for the Sunday School Service using https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/170206735929 bookings close at 2pm the previous day. Zoom links Sunday Service Evening Prayer and Bible Study https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84533030134 Meeting ID: 845 3303 0134 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89992167638 Meeting ID 89992167638 Conference Call For Wednesday Holy Communion and Compline In church and by Conference Call 0117 463 6922 Code 1139# In church 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) Podcasts of the Sunday and Wednesday sermons are now available as Podcasts. There is a player for the sermon podcasts at the foot of the 'Worship' page on the Church web site so you can listen to them CONTACT DETAILS PARISH OFFICE Lorraine Freeman (Parish Administrator) The Office is open weekdays (except Bank Holidays and Wednesdays) 9am – 12noon enquiries@saintlaurence.info 0121 475 1518 RECTOR Canon Janet Chapman Unavailable Tuesday & Friday this week janet.rectory@gmail.com 0121 477 3111 READER Janice Wones Day off: Friday janice.wones@talktalk.net 0121 459 7417 Church Website: www.stlaurencenorthfield.org Twitter: @stlaurenceb31 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