Weekly Update - 23rd February
Update for Sunday 23rd February 2025
Morning Prayer is held every weekday morning 8.30am in our Chapel
Sunday 23rd February – 2nd Sunday before Lent
The readings week are Revelation 4 and Luke 8: 22-25
At 8am we gather for a traditional BCP Communion Service Revd. Buffy will lead and preside and Peter Mitchell, our Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), will preach.
At 10 am we gather for Morning Worship with Mission Focus. Revd. Emma will lead, and Peter Mitchell, our Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), will preach. There are no groups for our young people and children. All are welcome to stay for refreshments served in our church hall after.
Sunday 2nd March – Sunday before Lent
This week the readings are 2 Corinthians 3: 12 - 4:2 and Luke 9: 28-36
At 8am we gather for a traditional BCP Communion Service Canon Jeanette Power will lead and preside and Canon David Power will preach.
At 10am we gather for a Holy Communion with groups for Kids and Youth at Ten. Revd. Buffy will lead and preside, and Canon John Byrne preach. This service will be live streamed. All are welcome to stay for refreshments served in our church hall after.
Monday 24th February – Friday 28th February
The parish office will be closed due to Karen Rose being on annual leave. For all urgent enquiries please contact Revd. Emma or a churchwarden.
Saturday 1st March 9am - Inspire
The INSPIRE Group will be meeting for brunch at Southwick Tearooms, 9am-11am. Please do join us for a delicious range of food choices. If you’d like to come along, please speak to Revd. Buffy, Sophie or Katherine, or confirm in the WhatsApp Group. Due to the size of the venue we are limited to 15 people, but we hope to see you there. Katherine, Revd. Buffy and Sophie
Alpha
Please pray for the Alpha Away day on Saturday 8th March as we spend the day exploring the work of the Holy Spirit together.
Tuesday 4th March – BIG Pancake Party 3.30-4.30pm
Looking for something fun (and delicious) to do?
Come along after the school run for pancakes, games, and crafts – the perfect way to spend time together.
Whether you're 1 or 101, come along and join the fun!
Got questions? Contact Lewis, our Youth and Family Community Leader, at lightup@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Wednesday 5th March 7pm Ash Wednesday Service
At 7pm on Ash Wednesday we will hold a Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes service, to which all are very welcome.
If you have previous Palm Crosses at home, you are welcome to return these to church and leave in the Vicars’ pigeonhole, or hand in at the office by Friday 28th Feb. These will be burnt to create the ashes ready for this year’s Imposition. Thank you.
Lent 2025
During Lent the staff team are recommending this year’s Bible Reading Fellowship book, ‘The Whole Easter Story – why the cross is good news for all creation’ written by Jo Swinney. Jo Swinney works for A Rocha International. A Rocha means ‘The Rock’ (Jesus). A Rocha is a Christian nature conversation charity working all around the world to care for God’s creation. A Rocha also runs Eco Church – an award programme encouraging green/eco living in churches and communities. As a church, we have a bronze award and are working on our silver status. Jo’s book explores the profound meaning of Easter beyond our own personal relationship with God. Jo acknowledges that the Christian faith is not just about our own growth, purpose and spirituality. There is no doubt that each of us has a place in the Easter story, but what happened on the cross is not just a story of me and Jesus – rather it is far deeper and wider than that.
Through Lent, Jo explores the broader impact of the Easter story on God’s relationship with creation. Through Bible readings, reflections and stories from A Rocha’s global conservation efforts, discover that the cross transforms not just own connection with Jesus, but also our relationships with each other, with creation and our world. The death and resurrection of Jesus changes everything! There are four main sections to the book – each with ten days – so forty days in total, read Mon-Sat with a rest on Sundays. This book can be read individually or in a Home/Study Group (at the back of the book there is a six-week group discussion guide). We will also be exploring this book in our Sunday teaching each week, at both our 8am and 10am services, picking up on key themes.
So, we commend this book this Lent. You can purchase your own copy from our welcome area. They are £8 each - monies can be place in an envelope and left in our church wall safe, behind the font.
Good Friday Lent Soup Lunch - Friday 18th April
We are now planning our Lent Lunch of soup, bread, cheese and hot cross buns on Good Friday at 12noon. This is a fundraising activity, with a suggested donation of £5 per person (or £10 per family)
The great news is we now have two people who have offered to co-ordinate the event for us! Thanks also to those who have already offered help, we need a few more volunteers to put up tables/chairs, serve and wash-up on the day and a few more people to make soups at home and bring them on Good Friday. If you feel you can help, please contact Karen in the parish office on 02392 268757 or parish.admin@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Waterlooville Food Bank
As Easter approaches, the food bank ask that no Easter Eggs are donated but they would be very grateful for donations of chocolate selection packs, (mini eggs, or mini creme eggs, chocolate bunnies etc.) hot cross buns, simnel cakes (please ensure a long date on them) as well as all the usual essentials. Please continue to support this good cause. Items can be placed in the box at the back of the church, which are then taken to the food bank on a regular basis. Or you can donate directly using their BACS details: Living Waters Fellowship Sort code: 20-69-34 and Account no: 1363-8030
The Royal Marines Association Concert Band - 12th April
We are delighted to be hosting this charity concert for The Royal Marines Association Concert Band. The Association Band will be performing a range of popular music so will be an exciting addition to our concert programme this year. We have hosted RM band every year and so this additional concert by their fundraising band promises to be an evening to remember. Tickets are £15 including tea or coffee and are available from Tina Cottam (02392 266924) and the church office when it reopens on 3rd March. Alternatively, tickets can be ordered online from the band https://rmacb.org.uk/all-saints-church-denmead/
Refreshments at 10am service.
After our 10am service we gather in our church hall for refreshments and further fellowship. We enjoy tea/coffee/squash and biscuits/cakes. Recently several of our helpers have stood back and so we currently need a couple of new people to help serve refreshments. the commitment is roughly once every /4-6 weeks. On the day it means arriving before the 10am service, setting up tables and chairs in the hall, and getting the drinks ready. As the service closes it means leaving in the last hymn to come through to the hall and be ready to serve the drinks and wash up mugs! Everything is provided accept the milk and biscuits, which you would need to bring with you. We need help on these dates:
30th March, 20th and 27th April, 11th and 18th May and 15th June.
Revd. Emma
Holiday Club 2025
Join the Holiday Club Adventure – We Need You!
From 4th–8th August (9:30am–3:30pm daily), we’ll welcome up to 90 children (Years R–6) for Explorers: The Greatest Journey, an exciting adventure through deserts, mountains, and seas as they discover the love and hope of Jesus. To make this possible, we need volunteers—whether for a few hours or the whole week! Roles include group leaders, helpers, refreshments, decorating, and prayer support.
If you can help, please contact Revd. Buffy, Lesley Handy, Mags Waters, Peter Markham, or Lewis Jones at holidayclub@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk or 07780 981235. Let’s make this an unforgettable journey together!
Contacts
Karen Rose Parish Administrator. 023 9226 8757 parish.admin@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Revd. Emma Racklyeft Vicar. 023 9226 2647 vicar@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Revd. Buffy Langdown Curate. 07747 819918 curate@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Lewis Jones Youth & Families Community Leader. 07780 981235 youth@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Peter Mitchell Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) peter.mitchell@allsaintsdenmead.org.uk
Amanda Hillyard Churchwarden. 07808 198827
Mike Gaskin Churchwarden. 07734 325284