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Sunday’s Wild Church Baptism

We LOVE celebrating baptism. And we love being outdoors in the beauty of creation.

This Sunday, please bring

• picnic chair/rug [we have some space - shout if needed!]

• Sun hat and sun cream [We’ll have some gazebos up for shade too]

• Wellies [if you want to splash]

• Your joy, imagination, and love

We’re getting creative

During our gathering, we will be making a keepsake for the family, weaving poetic wisdom from the bible with words from the service, and our own prayers and messages. You might like to start to think about your contribution now: what is your prayer for this previous child? If you are creative, you are welcome to prepare a physical item - or bring materials to work on something during the session: our templates are thin strips cut from A4 paper,

And we’re moving around

We will go on a physical journey through various spaces in the field, celebrating both what God has already done, and what he’s preparing us for next. [Let us know if you might need assistance moving across the grassy field]

Please note, the loos are a few minutes walk away - if possible please use the loos at home first.

Want to know more?

Read more about it, and get an online copy of the responses and promises [page being updated ready for Sunday]

https://northstowe.church/wild-church

Want to dig deeper?

This Sunday, we are going to explore some wonderful ancient poetry that JOYFULLY celebrates God’s creativity, as well as God’s WISDOM, as we dig into the Biblical Hebrew book of Proverbs,

And that seem appropriate, too, for a baptism. Because this book was collected together to impart Wisdom from one generation to another – parent to child.

Either before or after the session, you might like to dip into these videos

1. An overview of the book of proverbs, unpacking the genre and helping us read it well

2. a beautiful visual commentary on the passages we’re using this week

Welcome to Chris - on placement this month

One of the things we love to do is welcome short term ministry students to join us, full time, during the university holidays. This month, Chris is on placement with us. Do introduce yourself, ask him lots of questions, and share with him what God is up to here in Northstowe.

The university ask us to make this Ethics Statement, as with all our placement students:

We are pleased to have Chris Whittaker, an ordinand from Ridley Hall, on placement with us at Pathfinder Church. He is required to reflect on his experiences at Pathfinder Church as part of his academic work. The work will be marked and seen only by examiners. All names and identifying details will be changed. If you have concerns about this please contact Revd Beth (contact@northstowe.church)

Dates for your diary

Sunday Afternoons at 3.30pm on site at Pathfinder Primary

• 26th June 3.30pm Wild Church Baptism. [outside: dress for the weather]

• 3rd July 3.30pm Stephen's first Communion as president - followed by a Party!

• 10th July 3.30pm Afternoon Gathering

We’re in the ‘Growing Season’…

At this point in the cycle of the church year, Christians often take time to think about what it means to live our everyday lives, set free and given new purpose by the Easter Story, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Church buildings are often decorated with Green, as we pray that God would help us grow in faith and fruitfulness.

On Sundays we’re focusing on God’s Creation: not just as something in the past, but as a still-unfolding story that we’re invited to be part of.

At Little Explorers (the new name for our Thursday morning Baby Group), we’re asking what God’s kingdom is like, and praying that his Kingdom will grow up around us.

And, in the other places where God has called us to throughout the week, we’re celebrating the new fruit that God is bringing to bear. (Did you see the photographs of the radishes from Simon’s allotment this week? The fruit of many people’s shared labour!?)

Read on to glimpse some of these places. Remember:

Community Partnerships

Our Monthly Community Litter Picks continue.

The next one is July 17th, meeting in PHASE TWO outside the Urban Splash marketing suite building. DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

SAVE THE DATE: We’re joining in with the Pathfinder Primary School Fete. Fancy helping run our Deckchair Listening Post?

Youth Update

Sunday Youth Group in Willingham for those exploring Christianity

Don’t forget, we encourage Northstowe’ s young people (11+, now including year 6 students soon to go to secondary) to join us with our friends in Willingham for The Alterative, straight after our Afternoon Gatherings for church every other Sunday. Chat to me, or other parents of teenagers to find out more.

The Northstowe Youth Hive

As a church, we’re a member organization of this new community-led partnership supporting young people from all faiths, cultures, backgrounds, genders, and sexualities to have fun, develop and make a difference..

We’d like to join with the Northstowe Youth Hive and Friends of the Wing in thanking all the volunteers, from church and the wider community, who made the Youth Drop In Sessions at Pioneer Cafe go so well this term. With the Wing reverting to classrooms, these have now finished.

BUT…

The Northstowe Youth Hive write:

“We had THE MOST BRILLIANT time at the last Youth Drop In at Pioneer Cafe last Wednesday. Xbox, milkshake, games..... and much laughter. But 20 people in one small classroom on a hot day left us wanting to HEAD OUTSIDE!

So we're delighted to have been able to secure funding to bring the amazing team from The Connections Bus Project back to Northstowe to run a pop up youth club under a Gazebo in the park. Starting Thursday 30th June, bring your friends (age 11+ only!)

Familiar faces from the Youth Hive volunteer team at the Youth Cafe will also pop in from time to time, ready to listen to your ideas and help you get your projects off the ground.

While The Wing is being returned to classrooms, our Big Screen will be kept safe... ready for us to use it ay many other youth events in the new community spaces in the years to come. So keep talking to us about your ideas.. and we'll see what we can set up!”

Little Explorers - Time for You, Your Baby, and God

We’re pleased to be able to tell you about the lovely little group just getting going on a Thursday morning meeting in Pathfinder Primary School 9.30-10.45.

It's called Little Explorers, and has started with a group of babies (and their preschool siblings) along with their carers.

There is free play with things like ball pits, messy play, etc. Singing - nursery rhymes and songs linked to the stories. There is a bible story often told through interactive play. One of the unique things is that there is also space for the adults to spend some time journaling or colouring too, with volunteers to hold the babies, if that's what you want.

This week, as we explorered the Growing Season, there was space to journal about the ways you've seen your baby grow, and about how you are growing as as adult too - spiritually, personally etc.

You don't have to be a church goer to be part of the group, and there's a lovely open atmosphere as people chat about everything from sleepless nights to nappies to big questions about faith. Those who come are working on some advertising to go live soon, but in the meantime you can email contact@northstowe.church to find out more. Suggested donation of £3 per family to help cover room hire and resources - but only if you can afford that.

Midweek Prayers

Don’t forget, many of us are still using the Lectio 365 app to help shape our daily prayers. If you want to be part of a WhatsApp group of others using it, just let us know.

And if you are free at 8.45am on a Thursday Morning, why not meet up with some of us in person as we use the Lectio 365 app, and share music from across the Christian traditions (as well as tapping into our creativity!). Talk to Beth or Stephen to find out more…

Other midweek opportunities

Talk to Rachel A to find out more about the midweek Journaling and Reflection small group.

Or to Stephen to dream about What Next for the group of young professionals working crazy hours, often shifts, but keen to connect in a way that works well at that stage of life!