Very soon our Lenten preparations for Easter begin!
Church tradition gives us two periods of sustained opportunity for deepening individual and community (church) Christian spirituality: Advent in preparation for Jesus’ birth at Christmas and Lent in preparation for Christ’s resurrection at Easter. Personally, I observe Lent as a solemn and reflective preparation for Easter.
How might we participate in this? Lent is perhaps most commonly associated with ‘giving things up’. But why is that? Traditionally, Lent is a time of fasting, living simply without commonly used material things, while focussing on our need for, our dependence upon, God for all our spiritual needs. Spending more time, as individuals, on regular daily bible-reflection (perhaps a published ‘daily bible reading’ resource) and reading Christian books, but most importantly daily prayer, are means of spiritual renewal and growth at Lent – and to continue through the year. Christian retreat, and Christian spiritual direction, are other long-term individualfocused disciplines you might like to explore.
As a six-church Fellowship, I am sure there will be locally-run, perhaps churches together, Lenten services and courses to participate in (please see elsewhere in this month’s edition of this magazine). These, along with our weekly Sunday and other services, are also important ways by which our Christian spirituality is developed and deepened. Praying together; sharing together; reflecting onthe Bible together; asking questions, being challenged, being mutually encouraging and supportive. The practice of Christian spirituality is both a community and individual activity.
Whatever practice we adopt, the important thing is to do it - and keep doing it. If we’re very busy, it is all the more important! Because if we don’t live our faith; if our life is not fed and nurtured by a growing and deepening relationship with God, our shared faith is at risk of being seen, by those ‘outside’ the church, as just a set of dry and dusty traditions.
Think about the following story:
A rabbi and soap maker went for a walk together. The soap maker had some negative things to say about religion: "What good is religion? Just look around you. What do you see? Trouble, misery, wars - even after all these years and years of preaching and teaching about goodness, truth, peace. What good is religion with all its prayers and sermons if all this evil still exists?
The rabbi kept quiet as they continued their walk. Then they noticed a child playing in the gutter. The child was just filthy with dirt and mud. The rabbi said to the soap maker: "Look at this child! Now you say that soap makes people clean, but what good is it? With all the soap in the world this child is still dirty. What good is soap after all?"
The soap maker immediately answered him: "But rabbi, soap can’t do its job if it isn’t used!"
"That’s exactly right,’’ said the rabbi. And so it is with religion. It will not accomplish anything unless people use it!"
In Christian love, Mike
PRAYER FOR LENT
March sees the arrival of Shrove Tuesday which heralds in the season of Lent starting with Ash Wednesday on 5 March. Lent offers us a chance for reflection and re-dedication through the six weeks leading through to Easter. Traditionally Lent was associated with fasting and abstinence as a means of focusing on the need for penance and one’s Christian faith. In modern times we are asked to use this season more as an opportunity to examine ourselves and draw closer to God, rather than just “giving up something for Lent”.
So I offer you this prayer to help refocus your life.
Merciful God, we come to you confessing where we have strayed from your word, putting ourselves and our wants before You and Your needs. Forgive us we pray.
Gracious God, we thank you for giving us the gift of your Son Jesus Christ. We thank you for bringing Him into our lives through the narratives of His time here on earth and through the Holy Spirit entering into our hearts.
Father God, as a concerned parent caring for Your child, help us through this period of Lent, to grow closer to You as we seek to learn more about Your Word and the pathway You would have us follow.
Loving God, help us to appreciate the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the joy You offer us in His resurrection.
Forgiving Father, receive our grateful thanks and inspire us anew through this Holy time of Lent as we seek your forgiveness and grow closer to You.
Amen Andy B
MAGAZINE DEADLINE
Material for April 2025 to be submitted by 5pm (latest) on Thursday, 20 March 2025 Please email to abbeyurcnews@gmail.com
Alternatively, you could call Carole C, pop it in her letter box, or leave in the pigeon-hole at the back of the church. Thank you.
A big thank you to all who supported my birthday concert at the beginning of February, I hope you enjoyed yourself. A total of £551.60 was raised which will be divided between church funds and The Leprosy Mission. Some of this has also been Gift Aided. Thank you for helping make it such a memorable special birthday.
A thank you also for the flowers received from the church, they were greatly appreciated.
PS does anyone need an Andy Pandy outfit for a fancy-dress event –you need to be short and flat chested to get the front zip pulled right up!
Andy
John and I would like to thank you for the lovely flowers Gwen delivered to us, they certainly cheered me up. Unfortunately, John was in hospital, but I told him what flowers they were. Thank you again,
Ruby Heron
An advanced age brings birthday gifts; cards and flowers and phone calls. Please accept my thanks to the fellowship for remembering the day so generously. The mantlepiece has not been so loaded except at Christmas!
Geoff Prestage
Thank you for the flowers that Ruth delivered for my birthday, it was a lovely surprise. Best wishes to everyone,
Ros Mayhew
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK
A huge thank you to Therese M who has been working so hard applying for grants on behalf of Abbey URC. She has recently secured a grant of £1,000 from Hampshire County Council towards the LED lighting upgrade to the Abbey Hall building. Thank you so much for your hard work and your ongoing support.
BALM
BALM, our bereavement and loss meeting, takes place monthly in Abbey Hall Lounge on the second Monday of each month at 10.30am for tea and chat. It is an opportunity for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one to meet others in a similar situation. BALM will not be meeting on 10 March, but we look forward to meeting in April.
Christine T
CAN YOU HELP FOR MOTHERING SUNDAY?
The Mothering Sunday service is on Sunday, 30 March 2025. We would appreciate offers of help to provide small posies, made up and delivered to church, ready to be given out to the ladies in our congregation on the day If you can help, please let me know. Thank you.
Gwen S
BINGO WITH BRING AND SHARE TEA
On Saturday, 26 April, we will be having Bingo in Abbey Hall, starting at 3pm. The cost will be £5 per person for 6 games of Bingo, children free. There will be a bring and share tea and a raffle in aid of church funds. Please add your name to the list at the back of the church, so that we have some idea of how many to expect. We don’t need to know what you plan to bring for tea. Hot drinks will be provided. Come along and have some fun. If you need transport then please let me know.
Carole
MORNING PRAYERS
If you would like to take the opportunity to reflect upon God’s word and to pray for the needs of the world, and the Church, in your own time during the week, here are the Psalm and Gospel readings for the month.
March 2
9
16
23
30
Psalm 99
Psalm 91:1-16
Psalm 27
Psalm 63:1-8
Psalm 32
Luke 9:28-36 & 37-43
Luke 4:1-13
Luke 13:31-35
Luke 13:1-9
Luke 15:1-3 & 11-32
LENTEN BIBLE STUDIES
On 9 March, we will be holding the first of our Lenten Bible studies at 6.30pm on Zoom (ID 864 1780 6994 PC learning) when we will look more deeply at the Gospel verses we usually hear at the morning service at Abbey URC. These will continue on Zoom throughout the Sunday evenings of Lent on the 16, 23, 30 March, then on to 6 and 13 April. Each session will be self-contained so if you cannot make all of them, please do attend the ones you can!
M
& MARIE’S MOVE OF MANSE
Mike and Marie’s move will take place over the twoday period of 28 February and 1 March. The current phone number will be transferred to the new manse in Chandler’s Ford, and Revd Mike’s email address will also remain the same
FEEDBACK FROM CHURCH MEETING
We thank Revd Sarah Hall for chairing our Church Meeting on 16 February.
Discussion was varied and included updates on church buildings matters and the provisional figures for our 2024 church accounts.
Ruth reminded us that all those involved in any kind of youth work, pastoral visiting or working with vulnerable adults need to have completed Safeguarding training within the last few years. Ruth White has offered to hold a training session for the all the churches within the Southern Fellowship Group and this offer is being actively pursued.
We spoke about the worship offered by our church and decided that, due to falling numbers, we would no longer hold a Maundy Thursday or Easter Sunrise service. A challenge was offered for suggestions of different services we could offer which might be of interest to others. We shall discuss this further at our Worship Group zoom meeting on 19 March so why not “Zoom in” and offer your suggestions.
For Mothering Sunday, on 30 March, we would like to send out invitations to families associated with the church. This is one of the ways we are trying to make our church more family focussed.
If you have any suggestions for a special service we could arrange, or would like a Mothering Sunday invitation to give to members of your family, friends or neighbours, please do let Revd Mike, Revd Sarah Hall or Andy know.
We also gave time to talking about the recently formed Chill Out Tuesday monthly social evening. This is an Outreach project aimed at those of working age who may be lonely or new to the area and are seeking a way to meet new people. It is held from 8pm–9.30pm on the second Tuesday of each month. Please do encourage anyone you know who might be interested to pop in, next meetings will be held on 11 March and 8 April.
EASTER BREAKFAST
We meet to celebrate Easter morning with our Easter breakfast in the Abbey Hall Lounge at 9am on Sunday, 20 April, everyone is welcome. Cost £2.50 per head; please sign up on the list at the back of church by Sunday, 13 April to ensure we cater for everyone.
Please speak to Carole, Sylvia or Sarah if you have any food allergies or intolerances. We look forward to seeing you.
Donations of Easter Eggs gratefully received during March/April.
The Annual General Meeting of Churches Together in Romsey held on 29 January met at the Freedom Centre. The speakers for the meeting came from Romsey Foodbank and CAP which are both overseen by Freedom Church. Members were able to view the facilities offered by Freedom Church, and the premises from which the Foodbank operates.
If you wish to contribute produce to the Foodbank their current needs are:
Toilet roll
Soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel
Washing up liquid, laundry detergent
Meat (tinned not fresh or frozen)
Microwave rice
Custard
Desserts, Rice pudding
Sweetcorn
Rice
Jam/honey/marmite
At present they have plenty of supplies of:
Pasta
Baked beans
Incontinence pads
Pet food
A typical food parcel contains a minimum of three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable, tinned and dried foods that have been donated by the local community. A typical food parcel includes: breakfast cereal, soup, pasta, rice, pasta sauce, baked beans, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, instant mash, UHT milk, tea, coffee, sugar, tinned dessert and biscuits.
If you are able to help in any way at all, please place items in the basket in our entrance and these will be delivered to the foodbank. Thank you.
THE LEPROSY MISSION
We were delighted to welcome Gabby North, Community Partnerships Manager, South Central England, to lead our worship on 12th January. After the service several people responded to Gabby’s message about how God is working through the Leprosy Mission, by making donations to the charity. Gabby writes:
To our dear friends at Romsey Abbey United Reformed Church,
It was so lovely to come and visit you on 12 January. Thank you for your warm welcome, and for radiating kindness for people affected by leprosy in India. Your wonderful gift of £127.00 will turn heartbreak into joy for Anjali and so many others struggling to survive in the leprosy colonies of Odisha………..
By opening your heart to people affected by leprosy. Many more like Anjali will find joy, acceptance and love. A light is shining in Odisha today because of you.
With heartfelt thanks, Gabby North
The whole contents of Gabby’s letter can be seen on the charities’ noticeboard in the church foyer.
LENT REFLECTIONS
An open invitation is offered for the following
Abbey URC: weekly reflections on the Bible reading for the day to be held on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning. Each session stands alone and it is not necessary to attend all sessions.
St Joseph’s will be holding a Lent Bible Study Group at St Joseph’s meeting room (door opposite to 1 Abbey Water) 6.30 pm every Tuesday from 11 March, all welcome. Each session stands alone and it is not necessary to attend all sessions.
Romsey Abbey will be looking at the book “Who do you say I am?” Lent and Easter reflections for a Holy City by Joanne Woolway Grenfell and Adam Atkinson. Discussions begin on Wednesday 12 March at 4pm in the Romsey Abbey Church Rooms and every Wednesday up to and including 9 April. Everyone welcome.
ABBEY
“BRITISH
AND LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE
Abbey Hall, part of the Abbey United Reformed Church in Romsey, owes its name to its location on The Abbey, the street in which the church resides. (Not to be confused with Romsey’s nearby Anglican Abbey church hall, known as Romsey Abbey Church Rooms.)
Constructed in 1858 in neat Georgian revival style, Abbey Hall was built to provide a school room for the Sunday School which was established in 1785. As one of Romsey’s earliest schools, it provided essential basic literacy and education to poorer children in an era before free universal education, which only became available at the end of the 19th century. About 900 adults, including about 500 children, attended the hall’s official opening and it was then the largest public room in the town. Once built it was also used for a Penny Bank and let for lectures, teas, meetings and concerts.
During the Great War of 1914–1919, Abbey Hall played a significant role in supporting soldiers. For the first two years, the Soldiers’ Recreation Committee of the church used the hall to entertain troops stationed in and around the town. Later, it became a rest and recreation space for the men of the Romsey Remount Camp, then located at the top of Pauncefoot Hill.
In World War II, the hall’s purpose shifted again. Initially requisitioned by military authorities, it was later taken over by the Borough Council and repurposed as a “British Restaurant”. These government-established restaurants provided affordable meals for workers, travellers, and shoppers during a time when many private cafes were either closed or struggling with rationed supplies and staffing. Abbey Hall’s British Restaurant could serve up to
100 diners at a time, offering lunches and teas. On its opening day in June 1943, The Advertiser’s representative sampled an 8d tea of meat sandwiches, bread and butter, cake, and tea. Later that week, they returned for a lunch of hot minced beef, potatoes, carrots, and greens.
Today, Abbey Hall continues to be used by many community groups (and has just acquired a new dishwasher). Everyone is welcome to drop in for a biscuit and hot drink from 10am-11.30am on Thursday mornings. It’s also still available for hire!
Therese Moriarty, Romsey Local History Society
CALENDAR
March
1 10am-12.30pm Church open for quiet reflection and prayer 2 10.30am Morning Worship including Holy Communion led by Revd Sarah Hall
6.30pm Bible Study with Revd Mike on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning 5 2.30pm Church Table Tennis in Abbey Hall
10-11.30am Friends’ coffee morning in Abbey Hall Lounge, with a warm welcome for all 7 2pm World Day of Prayer at Elim Church - service prepared by the ladies of The Cook Islands on the theme, “I made you wonderful”.
8 10am-12.30pm Church open for quiet reflection and prayer 8 2pm Blessing of Issac J Liney
10.30am 1st Sunday in Lent Morning Worship led by Pam Humphreys 9 6.30pm Lent Bible Study with Revd Mike on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning
8-9.30pm Chill Out Tuesday in Abbey Hall Lounge
6.30pm Lent Ecumenical Study Group St Joseph’s meeting room, 26 Abbey Water, Romsey 12 2.3 pm Pastoral Group meeting in Abbey Hall Lounge
10.30am Morning Worship led by Nick Tustian
6.30pm Lent Bible Study with Revd Mike on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning
6.30pm
Ecumenical Study Group St Joseph’s meeting room, 26 Abbey Water, Romsey
Ecumenical Study Group in Romsey Abbey
Rooms
7.30pm Worship Group meeting Meeting ID: 851 4528 3637 –PW business
10-11.30am Warm welcome coffee morning in Abbey Hall Lounge 20 7.30pm Outreach, including Youth activities on zoom Meeting ID: 851 4528 3637 – PW business
21 12noon-1.30pm Lent lunch hosted by Romsey Methodist Church
22 10am-12.30pm Church open for quiet reflection and prayer
23 10.30am
23 6.30pm
25 6.30pm
Morning Worship led by Revd Mike Perrott including baptism of Arthur Woodfield
Lent Bible Study with Revd Mike on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning
Lent Ecumenical Study Group St Joseph’s meeting room, 26 Abbey Water, Romsey
25 7.30pm Elders Meeting in Abbey Hall Lounge
26 4pm
Lent Ecumenical Study Group in Romsey Abbey Church Rooms
27 10-11.30am Warm welcome coffee morning in Abbey Hall Lounge
28 12noon-1.30pm Lent lunch hosted by St Joseph's at Abbey Hall
29 10am-12.30pm Church open for quiet reflection and prayer
30 10.30am
23 6.30pm
Mothering Sunday Morning Worship led by Chris Roles
Lent Bible Study with Revd Mike on Zoom ID 864 1780 6994 PW learning
2025 MAGAZINE CHARGES
The 2025 magazine subscription 2025 is now overdue. If you collect a printed version from church, or have it delivered by hand, the cost for the year is £10. Payment can be made by bank transfer/BACS or by cheque to Jill Girdlestone. It will still be available on the website and delivered by email. Although free, a donation would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Braishfield United Reformed Church
Minister: The Reverend Mike Perrott, MA 01794 512163 e-mail: revd.mike13@gmail.com
sarah.hall.swhg@gmail.com 02380 768004
Many thanks to all who came and showed support to those of us at the Braishfield URC table at the Village Clubs and Volunteers Fayre held at the Village Hall on Sunday 9 February. The idea of this Fayre was for people to come along and find out what there is in the village in terms of clubs, associations and both churches.
Shirley, Sharon, and I represented the URC of course. Our table had a display of a communion set, hymn books, a list of those charities we have supported over the years (it is impressive for a small church) and pictures from past Flower Festivals amongst other items.
Let’s hope and pray this Fayre will lead to more people becoming involved in the life of the village and it would be lovely to see more in the church too.
Braishfield had its first elders’ meeting (Shirley, Sharon, and I) with the Reverend Mike on 29 January. There will be other meetings later in the year but no dates are finalised yet.
The Annual General Meeting/church meeting will be on Sunday 16 March after a short service led by the Reverend Mike. All are welcome.
There is now a jobs list at the back of the church for people to put their names down against anything they would like to do/continue to do. The sooner we can fill this list, the better!
A huge thank you to all who serve the church in any way (and many have for years) because it helps us enormously.
Talking of jobs to do, spring is fast approaching (hooray!) which is when we will need to think about those tasks which always need doing, especially in the garden.
Please do let the Fabric Group know if you see something to go on their To Do list and, as ever, they would always appreciate helpers with this. The more, the merrier…!
As I type this in February, the weather is still grim, but Easter is on its way which is a cheering thought.
Do join us for our Easter services beginning with Palm Sunday on 13 April through to the Easter Day service on the 20 April. I am fervently hoping the weather will be so much better by then!
Allison Symes
2
9
Not available
10.30 am Bitterne Park URC: Church Meeting
16 10.30 am
Braishfield URC: Church Meeting
23 10.30 am Abbey URC: Baptism of Arthur Woodfield
30 10.30 am Mothering Sunday at Bitterne URC
CANDLES FOR UKRAINE
On behalf of the Romsey Ukraine Support Group, Roland sends his thanks for the response to their appeal for candles and tins to make candles providing heat and light for the Ukrainian solders. Their next trench candlemaking workshop will be held in Romsey on Sunday 16 March and a collection tin remains at the back of church to deposit any candles or partly used candles you wish to donate to them. Please note they have sufficient tins into which to melt the candle wax so only require candles for their next session.
ROUND THE SOUTHERN FELLOWSHIP OF UNITED REFORMED CHURCHES
During her sabbatical, Revd Sarah wrote a blog. She is resurrecting this to reflect on ministry in the Southern Fellowship. If you would like to know more, and follow her journey, please follow this link https://faintnotnorfear.wordpress.com
40th Anniversary: 2026 Bitterne URC celebrates 40 years of occupying its current site, on top of Iceland. They are looking forward to celebrating during 2026.
Milk Bottle tops: do you collect milk bottle tops? Maria B at Bitterne URC can pass these on to Sue from the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Portswood, which then raise funds for various charities. Other plastic bottle tops which won’t be recycled can be passed to Isaac Watts URC who send them for recycling. It would be very helpful if you can separate these tops.
Bitterne
AMERICAN ADVENURES
On 1 February 2025 I was at the gate at Heathrow waiting to depart; excited to meet my first host, expanding my farrier skills and living alongside lots of different people - let the fun begin!
What a great beginning to my time in America. I've started my stay here with Katie Panos in Brooklyn, Connecticut. The weather here has been very different to home, with a lot of snow, wind and temperatures of -8°C. She and Steve made me very welcome – and lent me clothes as my suitcase didn’t join me until a day after I arrived! I was eased into the work life nice and slowly – phew Katie has really taken the time to help me look after my body through a fun gym session as well as correcting my body positions at the anvil. It's only been a week and I'm already feeling the change! They also hosted a Superbowl party for me!
I got to experience some of Boston and learn about hosting a competition since Katie helps run the local farrier contest. This year it was held in Amherst and was a two-day event. There were forge demonstrations and talks as well as the various competitions. The whole atmosphere was very welcoming, where everyone just wants you to do well and improve, making it a fab place to compete in my three intermediate classes.
On 9 February I moved on to Boxborough in Massachusetts to stay with Georgia for 3 days. I got the chance to work alongside Georgia and Reed Sutter both at the horse and in the forge, Georgia even taught me how to make a concave bar shoe for a competition later in my trip! We spent time visiting some of the historical sites in the Lexington and Concord areas, including North Bridge.
On my third leg I stayed with Mike Paparo and his wife Jess in Glocester, Rhode Island. Mike showed me the way with snow shoes, and we've definitely had our fair share of ice this week to navigate around, we even took a slide down the driveway ending up sideways! Mike was chill about it all and just sorted the truck out, two turns later we were on
our way. One day we were working at Ocean State Equine Associates where I was given a tour of the operating room, recovery room and the stalls. Over the weekend, we took a trip to Newport to visit the Breakers mansion, which was super interesting and had amazing (if crazy) designs - and far too many chairs in each room! Confusingly, I then joined Betsy Lordan who also lived in Gloucester – but with a “u” and in Massachusetts! My accommodation on this leg was staying in my very own houseboat - right on the Atlantic coast; it has continued very cold and one morning the sea was frozen! Betsy is primarily a vet but is also a farrier, so we had some very interesting, and different, jobs during the week. I have watched her file horses’ teeth, felt inside their mouths to feel the difference before and after, helped with X-rays and ultrasounds as well as regular farrier work.
We visited Salem, home of the infamous witch trials; did you know only 13 people were killed in Salem on the false accusation of being a witch? Also, it was only common in Europe to burn or drown their "witches" - in the USA, they were all hanged or sent to prison! We have also been sledging (such fun!!!), visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and watched bull riding – this is definitely a very busy, and interesting, adventure!
This map illustrates quite how much I’ve been travelling around whilst here and on 23 February I move again, so I’ll update you with my latest adventures in the next magazine.
Kathleen x
2025 WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
The 2025 World Day of Prayer service has been prepared by Christian women in the Cook Islands. Cook Islanders have celebrated 200 years of Christianity in the group of 15 islands which is spread over nearly 800,000 square miles in the Pacific Ocean.
The Christian women from the Cook Islands have shared stories of their struggle during Covid-19, of their culture being devalued and of the improvements in obstetric health care.We give thanks for their honesty and their witness to God's strength in their lives. They write, 'God knows us intimately and we are special to God in our uniqueness. When we open the doors of our hearts to this truth everything in our life changes. We glow from within and we begin treating others as beloved children of God. Through this service we hope people will be spiritually uplifted as they come to trust the great love of God.'
Based on the words of Psalm 139, and woven within the stories of three Christian women, this worship service invites us to recognise that God created each one of us with great attention and loving care. We are unique and special, and should cherish all aspects of who we are and of those around us! God created us. God knows us. God is with us. What a wonderful message to share!
Join us at The Elim Church, Middlebridge Street, Romsey at 2pm on Friday 7 March.
Carole
In the quiet of the dawn's first light, In the whispers of the starry night, I made you wonderful, with love so pure, In every heartbeat you endure. In the depths of oceans, vast and deep, In the mountains high, where eagles sweep, I crafted you with care and grace, A masterpiece of time and space. In every laughter, every tear, In every hope, and every fear, I made you wonderful, a work of art, With boundless love, I set you apart. So, cherish who you are, my dear, For in your soul, my love is clear, You are cherished, you are adored, For in you, my wonders are stored. May you always see the beauty within, And know that my love will never dim, For I made you wonderful, this is true, A reflection of my love for you.
by Angela Ada Nelson
ROMSEY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Our February meeting was predominantly a planning meeting because we’re involved in several events in the next few weeks.
In March, we’re going to Salisbury Cathedral to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in conversation. She was arbitrarily imprisoned in Iran for six years, particularly poignant at the moment when two British citizens have just been arrested there. Then in April, we’ve got a great position at the Southampton Marathon where we can cheer the runners while raising the profile of Amnesty International. Also in April, Chloe, one of our members, is raising funds for Amnesty by climbing Kilimanjaro.
TAKE UP SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR LENT
Do one act of kindness every day.
Make a Lenten gratitude journal by writing about one thing you are grateful for every day.
Pick one of your strengths and find a way to use it every day.
Contact a friend or loved one every day.
Read a Lenten devotion every day.
John H
Traidcraft tea is back …and it’s fairer than ever because now, as well as being Fairtrade certified with all the benefits that brings, it also supports producers around the world with a donation in every pack helping to fund Transform Trade's work.
Did you know
o The average tea worker earns about 2p from every box of 80 tea bags bought in UK supermarkets
o 9 out of every 10 tea workers hospitalized in India is malnourished
o Approximately 10 million people work in the Indian tea industry
o In 2020, the UK drank more than 100 million cups of tea a day, practically all of it imported, often from Kenya and India.
Transform Trade works alongside communities exploited by tea estates, helping them to demand change and develop other sources of income outside the tea sector.
They also support smallholder tea growers to adapt to climate change, sell their produce for a fair price, and improve their working conditions. Transform Trade works directly with tea farmers supporting them to fight for a better price for their tea and more control over their trading terms. They have launched Transform Trade tea bags in partnership with fair trade retailer True Origin. Transform Trade breakfast blend tea (80 tea bags) is available locally from Oasis alongside other Fairtrade goods.
THANK GOODNESS FOR SPELL CHECK!
From the Editorial Team .
I halve a spelling checker, it came with my pea sea, it plainly marcs four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight four it two say weather eye am wrong oar write, it shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid it nose bee fore two long, and eye can put the error rite, its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it, I am shore your pleased to no, its letter perfect awl the weigh, my checker tolled me sew.
EASTER EGGS AND THE EASTER MESSAGE
Out of the 80 million chocolate Easter Eggs sold each year, The Real Easter egg is the only Fairtrade one with the Easter story in the box. This year these eggs, complete with a 24-page Easter story activity book, are available both in milk and dark chocolate. Also available is The Real Easter Egg Sharing Box containing 30 Fairtrade Belgian chocolate midi eggs and 30 Easter story activity posters. If you know someone who wishes to find out more about the Easter story, why not pop along to Oasis and buy “The Real Easter Egg” for them this Easter.
SYNOD REQUEST
Each local authority has a Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE), which is composed of a wide range of relevant representatives, one of which is a Free Church rep, and the URC has been asked to try to find someone to help in this role.
There are three meetings a year, once per term, in Winchester from 2pm4pm. The purpose is to monitor, and from time-to-time revise, the agreed Religious Education syllabus. There are no particular requirements for the role, although some experience of teaching, religious education, school governance, or simply a general interest, might be helpful.
If anyone has any questions, enquiries, or expressions of interest, please direct them to the Synod Moderator, Revd Dr Michael Hopkins by email to moderator@urcwessex.org.uk
LE WEEKEND
2-4 May 2025
A weekend away in Luneray, France with friends from Wessex Synod and United Protestant Church of France with prayer, food, sharing and friendship around the theme: The Word. Booking form available from Andy Bevan. The outline of activities are:
Friday 2 May : welcome from 15:00 with introductions & refreshments followed by a meal.
Saturday 3 May : morning prayers followed by discussions on the theme Lunch followed by afternoon sightseeing Evening meal and entertainment.
Sunday 4 May : Worship at Luneray Protestant Church followed by lunch and departures, with time on the beach before the ferry.
