I hope you have had a wonderful Easter. Of course, Easter is a whole season, not just one day, so there is still much to celebrate (and maybe still some chocolate to be eaten!). Thank you to everyone who came along to our Snowdrop Walks, even if many of those beautiful flowers had finished by the second event. The Bluebell Walks will be happening on Sunday 28th April from 11:15am (following the morning service) so do come along and see the amazing blue carpeted woodlands. So many of you enjoy these events around our churchyards and the local farmland, and I know that many more of you like to come and visit our churchyards on a regular basis.
Others of you are happy to come and sit for a while in the silence of the church buildings during the week to escape the chaotic world outside. Still others like to celebrate the big festivals with us, as well as some of life’s milestones. As I wrote in the last magazine, as a parish church we are struggling to keep up with the ever-rising costs of maintaining our buildings and grounds. Huge thanks must be given to those who already give generously to help us meet our bills, but we are still nowhere near meeting our obligations. If you value our buildings, our churchyards and all they offer our community, I ask that you consider joining the Parish Giving Scheme to make a regular donation. Of course, I fully understand that times are tough for many of us right now, but even a small monthly amount would make a big difference.
At the moment the responsibility falls to those who attend our church services week by week. Churches up and down the country are being closed at an alarming rate – and their churchyards with them. It would be a real shame if we were to lose our village church. Baptisms, weddings and funerals will all disappear as local community services. In the last edition of this magazine, you will have received a leaflet about the Parish Giving Scheme. If you need another, there are some copies available at the back of church. The point of this scheme, which has been running elsewhere for several years now, is that YOU have control: you can reduce, increase, pause or even cancel your donation if your circumstances change.
Any amount you are able to give would be very welcome and would enable us to plan our maintenance and the upkeep of the church more efficiently. Thank you to those of you who have already joined the scheme, we really do appreciate it. As we continue to journey through this Eastertide, we give thanks for all that we have been given by the God who loves us and who was willing to give his Son for us so that we might have eternal life through him. We rejoice in the Risen Christ who lives in our hearts and who knows us and loves us just as we are. May God continue to bless you now, and always.
With my prayers and good wishes,
Rosemary Maskell
01603 898258
rhmaskell@gmail.com
CHURCH SERVICES
APRIL
7th 10am Morning Worship St Faiths
14th 10am Holy Communion Spixworth 2
1st 10am Holy Communion St Faiths
28th 10am Morning Worship Spixworth (Bluebell Walks after the Service)
6pm Holy Communion St Faiths with Bishop Graham
MAY
5th 10am Morning Worship Spixworth
12th 10am Morning Worship St Faiths with the RAF100
19th 10am Holy Communion (Pentecost) St Faiths
26th 10am Holy Communion Spixworth 6pm Holy Communion (BCP) St Faiths