What gets you out of bed in the morning? For me, it’s usually the call of nature or else I have things going round in my mind and have no chance of going back to sleep. For you, it may be a wide-awake toddler or a dog that needs taking out for a walk. For many of us it’s the need to go out and earn a living in order to pay the bills and provide for our family or ourselves. All the better if we are fortunate enough to have a job and one we enjoy and find fulfilling. For Christians, each day is a gift from God thanks to the hope we have in Jesus. The events of Easter provide those who follow Christ with forgiveness for the past, the assurance of God’s help and guidance in the present, and the promise of a bright future with him. These are blessings we love to share and we’d love you to join us at St Margaret’s this Easter and find out why life and hope begins at the cross and with the empty tomb. On Good Friday, we are planning something a bit different this year. There will be the usual opportunity in church for a thoughtful, reflective time focusing on the cross. At the same time, in the Parish Centre, there will be a special ‘Messy-ish Church’ occasion aimed at families with children. This will be followed by refreshments for all including hot-cross buns. Those who are able to will then join the Christians Together in Burnage walk of witness around the parish. Easter Sunday services will be at 9am and 10.30am with communion on both occasions. Join us if you can at any of these Easter services. You’d be most welcome. Out of the Easter gospel flows the promise of God’s power to heal. As a church we regularly pray for people to be healed. As part of the Love Burnage initiative, we sense God asking us to share this ministry with the wider community, so we are planning an Open Healing Event during the afternoon of Sunday 21st April between 3 and 4pm. This won’t be a structured service as such. Rather, church will be open for you to come and sit quietly for a time. There will be quiet music playing and people around ready to listen and pray with you if you so wish. Jesus once asked a blind beggar*, “What do you want me to do for you?” As a result of expressing his need to Jesus, he was healed and his sight restored. What might you want to ask Jesus to do for you? Do come along and allow him to attend to your need. We look forward to meeting you. [*Read the story for yourself in Mark 10 v 46-52]
Building bridges between church and community
Christians Together In Burnage are again organising a Holiday Special for Older People at the Parish Centre of St Margaret's Church on Burnage Lane from Monday July 29th to Friday August 2nd 2013 from 10:30 to 4:00. The theme is "The Seaside" with a day trip to Llandudno. There will be lots of interesting activities and talks together with food, fun and friendship. All over 55 are welcome. Put the date in you diary and look out for details nearer the time.
Do you know of anyone housebound who would like Communion this Easter? Holy Communion can be taken to the home of anyone in our parish, or who has current links with St. Margaret’s Church, and cannot attend services because of chronic or long term illness. Trained and authorised people take Communion wafers and wine (which have been consecrated by the clergy) to individual homes. These are given out in a simple Church of England service, which includes the gospel reading, prayers and blessing. If any of your friends or relatives who are not able to get to church at Easter (or at any other time) because they are housebound, please phone Pam Corps (0161 445 0632) or the Parish Office (0161 432 4606) and leave a message with a contact number. We will be in touch with the person concerned before visiting. Any information given will be discussed with the clergy, but is otherwise confidential. Pam Corps (Lay Reader, St. Margaret’s Church, Burnage Lane.) 2
Building bridges between church and community
Many Burnage families have been part of our Love Burnage Messy Church over the last two years. Messy Church meets one Monday a month after school from 3.305.30 for a time of crafts and activities, a 20minute celebration of songs, Bible story and prayer in church, and then a delicious family meal to finish it all off with. This year, during Holy Week (the week before Easter), we’re going to do something a little bit different:
Well, it’s a super sunny Saturday afternoon, so spring must be just around the corner by now – and I think that’s quite enough words beginning with ‘s’ for one feature! At church, we’re right in the middle of the season of Lent with an early date for Easter this year (Sunday 31 March). Lent is a time for spring cleaning our lives and ourselves ready for the big Easter celebrations ahead. I haven’t given anything up for Lent this year, but I am trying to carry out at least some of the 40 acts of kindness on the blog I’ve been following (www.40acts.org.uk). Each day a new challenge pings into my inbox – I haven’t managed to carry them all out so far, but have challenged myself to try and do them all at some point this year. We are also preparing now for all our Easter services at St Margaret’s. We’ll have the usual Palm Sunday celebration (palm crosses for everyone to take home and hosannas to sing in church) and our two Easter day services (a quieter, more traditional 9am service of Holy Communion and an all-age Easter celebration with Holy Communion at 10.30am). Everyone is welcome to join us as always. Building bridges between church and community
There will be Messy Church activities for all ages in the Parish Centre from 10-11am. From 10.30am, the usual quieter, more traditional Good Friday Bible readings and hymns will be taking place in church. At 11am, the Messy Church people will join the other congregation in church for a 20 minute Good Friday service of songs, coming to the cross of Jesus, a short talk and prayers. After the service finishes, from about 11.20am, we’ll all be having hot cross buns, tea and coffee together. There will then be an opportunity for everyone to cross the road to join our friends from other churches on the Christians Together in Burnage Good Friday walk of witness. This begins from the Burnage Community Centre car park at midday, and everyone will follow the cross silently along Burnage Lane to Christ Church URC. I really hope you can join us as we celebrate Easter this year at St Margaret’s. Come and say ‘hello’ or contact me by phone 0161 445 8874 or email: caroline.throup@ntlworld.com 3
Traidcraft is part of the Fairtrade movement, and is a Christian response to the scandal of poverty in the developing world. Through projects in Africa, South America and Asia,
Traidcraft helps poor producers improve their livelihoods, offering the hope of a better future for them, their families and communities – and is committed to long term relationships &support to develop strong local businesses. It lobbies governments, and works with large retail organisations to help to ensure a better deal for the worlds poor. At St. Margaret’s, we have a Traidcraft stall on the first Sunday of each month, after the morning service. We also sell Traidcraft products on the 3rd. Tuesday every month, along with Healthy Living and the Trefoil Guide groups.
If you can’t get along to either dates, please buy goods with the Fairtrade label in your weekly shopping – most supermarkets now stock some of these. Fairtrade products aim to : Create opportunities for poor producers Ensure trading practices are fair, both in terms of payment and prices. Ensure that children are not being exploited. Ensure that there is no discrimination. Ensure that working conditions are safe. This Easter the Fairtrade organisations have produced a “Real Easter Egg” using delicious Traidcraft chocolate, telling for the first time on commercial Easter Eggs, the story of the first Easter on it’s packaging. They will be sold by some of the supermarkets, so do watch out for them.
Also, CTIB Walk of Witness on Good Friday. Meet Burnage Health Centre at 12 noon
Maundy Thursday 28th March 7pm Communion
Tuesday 26th March 2pm Easter Reflections followed by tea and hot cross buns Maundy Thursday, 28th March 8pm Holy Communion
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Easter Sunday, 31st March 6.30am Sunrise service at Marple Ridge, breakfast at Christ Church 9am Communion
Good Friday, 29th March – From 10am ‘Messy Church” Good Friday (Parish Centre) 10.30am Reflective service (Church) Palm Sunday 24th March 11.30am Refreshments with hot10.45am Worship and Parade cross buns 6.30pm Communion Good Friday 29th March Easter Sunday, 31st March - 10.15am Morning Worship 9.00am Easter Communion (BCP) Easter Sunday 31st March 10.30am Easter Family Communion 10.45 Morning Worship 6.30pm Evening Worship
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Monday 25th March7.30pm Stations of the cross Tuesday 26th March 7.30pm Taize Service Wednesday 27th March7.30pm “Wild Goose” Evening Prayer Thursday 28th March 7.30pm Eucharist and Vigil Good Friday 29th March 2pm Hour at the foot of the cross Easter Sunday 31st March 8.30am Eucharist 10.30am Family Eucharist
Easter Sunday 31st March 10.30am Parrswood School
Building bridges between church and community
Who is a good friend to you? Do you enjoy spending time with your friends? Have you got some special friends? Go to this website and watch an artist at work, making amazing pictures out of sand. Listen to a story about Jesus and his friends at Easter time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/letscelebrate/stories/lets-celebrate-easterperformance/ How many words can you see that are mentioned in the story about Jesus?
j b j h a n d b
e k v v l h s o
s r f r i e n d
u e g w v a s y
s t o n e v w m
n o y y y e t a
x m f y h n y r
s b a d i e d y
b j c n l q j d
d k e k l j h e
Jesus offers to be a special friend to each of us. Building bridges between church and community
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Messy Church at St Margaret’s Messy Church at St Margaret’s on Burnage Lane is church with a difference for all ages. So come along and bring your family and friends to enjoy crafts and activities on our theme for the day, a short celebration in church with action songs and a story, and a delicious family meal with a main course and a pudding! And it’s all free (donations very gratefully accepted). NOTE: Children must be with an adult. MESSY CHURCH GOOD FRIDAY Friday 29 March: 10 – 11.30am Messy Church dates: Summer Term 2013 Messy Church usually meets on the second Monday of each month from 3.30-5.30pm. We’ll be meeting some more messy, adventurous friends from the Old Testament – incredible stories of lions and other adventures with God. Monday 15 April – Daniel Monday 13 May – Esther Monday 10 June – David Check the website/noticeboard for more details. Contact: Revd Caroline Throup 0161 445 8874 caroline.throup@ntlworld.com www.stmargaret.co.uk 6
Building bridges between church and community
We each have two wolves battling inside us says a Native American fable: One is evil and consists of anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other is good and consists of joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.
Baptisms Dec 16 Feb 17 Funerals Nov 30 Jan 9 Jan 21 Jan 23
Caleb Foulkes Sienna Rose Johnson Eunice Pegler Joan Watson Rose Mullen Brenda Guard
Jan 29 Feb 6 Feb 12 Feb 18 Feb 28 Mar 4
Alan Orme Marjorie Rigby Howard Sorenson Catherine (Win) Brown David Johnson John Ashworth
Weddings
None
Here’s a list of streets for the next few months March 2013 May 2013 03/03/13 Eastern Circle (West side), Henley 05/05/13 Place, Pinner Place & Amersham 12/05/13 Place. 10/03/13 Errwood Rd (from Shawbrook Rd. 19/05/13 to Green End Roundabout) 17/03/13 Burnage Lane (Green End Round- 26/05/13 about to Shawbrook Rd.) 24/03/13 Green End Rd. 31/03/13 Fair Oak Rd., Dernford Rd, Woodview Rd. April 2013 07/04/13 14/04/13 21/04/13 28/04/13
Pearn Rd., Pearn Ave. Westdean Cres., Ashburn Ave. & Alston Gdns Shawbrook Rd. (Burnage Lane to Errwood Rd.) Baldwin Rd, Western Circle (West side), Winslow Place, Chorleywood Ave.
June 2013 2/06/2013 9/06//2013 23/06/2013
30/06/2013
Arbor Drive, Arbor Ave. Errwood Rd (from Crossley Rd to Milwain Rd) Errwood Rd (from Crossley Rd to Avon Rd) Errwood Rd, (from Avon Rd. to Shawbrook Rd.)
Guernsey Close & Watford Rd, Eastern Circle, (East side), Enfield Ave, Ealing Place & Harrow Ave Eastern Circle (West side), Henley Place, Pinner Place & Amersham Place Errwood Rd (from Shawbrook Rd. to Green End Roundabout)
Got a problem? Like someone to talk to? In spiritual help or advice? For pastoral help and support, telephone our Helpline and someone will get back to you Building bridges between church and community
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Building bridges between church and community