St Mary's Church
Fairford

Daily Prayer during Lent

Monday to Saturday 12 noon in the Corpus Christi Chapel. All are welcome - please do come and join us.

The Fairford Gospels

The Fairford Gospels with various crafts will take place in St Mary's this year.

With the help of the other churches in Churches Together, we will read the four gospels on consecutive Wednesdays from 12 to 3 pm starting on 24 February. We are asked to provide readers for the 2nd and 16th March.

If you think you could help, please talk to Sarah Bottomley, Helen Evans or Mary Mawle.

For more details see the Churches Together website.

From Darkness to Light

Followed by a brief act of worship for children & parents. For school-age children, also pre-school children if accompanied by an adult.

Contact Joanne Roberts.

Good Friday Procession of Witness

Churches Together Around Fairford are organising a procession of witness on Good Friday 25 March, starting at St Thomas Church at 12 noon and finishing at St Mary's Church.

Hot cross buns and a drink will be available in the Community Centre at the end of the walk. All welcome to join us for all or any part of the walk.

Church Organ Appeal Update

The Fund is gradually starting to swell thanks to the extremely generous donations and help of many people.

We are still aiming to start work immediately after Easter. However, the organ repairers now estimate that the work is going to take longer than anticipated. So, the Flower Festival has been postponed until September 16th - 19th.

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting has been arranged for Sunday 10th April in St. Marys  following the 10.00 am Sung Eucharist Service. This should be about 11.15 am.

Everyone on the Electoral Roll is welcome to attend.

Charity of the Month:
Middle East Church Association (JMECA).

With the continuing turmoil and uprisings across the Middle East the situation of Churches and Christians - and of course refugees - has become increasingly difficult and in need of support.  JMECA is the largest charity with the specific purpose of supporting life, witness and social engagement of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church across North Africa, the Middle East and Iran.

Established in 1889 by the first Anglican Bishop in Jeruisalem, JMECA today raises £250,000 a year from donations and other sources to support many areas of the Church's engagement with the wider life of the Middle East - schools, hospitals and clinics, social welfare programmes.  In 2015  there were at least 33 such programmes in the Diocese of Jerusalem alone (covering Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria) and the need for their support and services has increased with the troubles of the past year.

Through its twice yearly magazine 'Bible Lands' JMCA provides information and comment on issues affecting Christians in the region, along with prayer requests for the four dioceses, while its new website - www.jmeca.org.uk contains regularly updated news and stories - please go on line and read this for yourself as it will be more up to date than our information.

Last year the Archbishop of Canterbury called on us all to support Christians in the Middle East during the Easter period and to pray for Christians and all people of the region.  There will be literature on the shelf along the south wall of the Church - please give a donation if you can.

If you would like further up to date information about JMECA please write to JMECA, 1 Hart House, The Hart, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7HJ. Phone :  01252 726994.
Website.

Coffee Morning in aid of Flower Festival

10.00 to 12.00 Saturday 2nd April
in the Heritage Room in the Fairford Community Centre

Bring and Buy, Raffle and Cake Stall. Please come and support us and bring your friends. Money raised is for the flowers for the Flower Festival in St. Mary’s Church, Fairford from 16th to 19th September. The theme of the Festival is ‘Painters’.

Tunisian Evening

7.00pm 4th April, Fairford Community Centre
In aid of the Organ Fund

Experience a North African Meal and Wine Bar. Food cooked and served by Colosseo.

Tickets £15, either from the Parish Office or 6 High Street (713101).

Cabaret Evening for the Organ Fund

On Friday, 22nd January, a full house enjoyed a wonderful evening of entertainment, supper and dancing at the Palmer Hall.

The Cabaret Evening was an absolute sell out and we cannot thank Jean and Barry Kilgariff (Spindrift) enough for putting on such a splendid evening. Also thanks to Dave who was on the guitar.

Magic cooks appeared with Cottage Pie and Turkey Fricassee and then finally an Italian lemon pudding. (The cake of the Grandmother) The bar sold out almost before we started the evening and the really happy evening will long be remembered.

Our thanks not only to the sterling people who helped wash up and clear up but to the couple who ran the bar, to Andrew the butcher for providing the meat and Colosseo who made the delicious pudding. The total raised was a splendid £1675.

Jesus and Me Club

5th March
10am St Mary’s Church, Fairford
Stories, craft, fun and food
JAM club is on the FIRST Sunday of the month.

Messy Church

We meet on the second Sunday
of every month.

There will be a Messy Church on:
Sunday 13 March

St Mary's Church 4pm-6pm

Crafts, Games, Celebration, Cooked Meal
FOR FAMILIES.

At Messy Church this month we shall be trying to prepare ourselves for the miracle of Easter Sunday by looking at stories and experiences from the week that leads up to it. Would you like to make and eat some Donkey Poo or build the gate into Jerusalem, or perhaps have fun with a parachute? The theme is Palm Sunday.

No need to book but it will help us with catering if you can let us know that you are coming. If not - just turn up on the day.

Email stmaryslmt@gmail.com.

Messy Space, Sat 19th March

2.00 – 4.00 p.m. Fairford Community Centre
Crafts and Coffee Bar for families

This month's special craft: Making boxes
Boxes don't have to be square – what shape can you make?
Boxes don't have to be boring – cover them with pictures!

Adults and Children (recommended 4 years upwards)
£2 per child (max. £5 per family)
Concessions available

A project of Churches Together Around Fairford.
Enabling families to enjoy being families.

News February 2016
News January 2016
St Mary's News Round-Up 2015
St Mary's News Round-Up 2014
St Mary's News Round-Up 2013
St Mary's News Round-Up 2012
St Mary's News Round-Up 2011