“When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts”
- Acts 11:23
Stephen, who this passage is referring to, must have been so uplifted when he saw the evidence of the grace of God in the lives of the Christians in Antioch.
‘Evidence demands a verdict’ is the title of an old book I once had and the title often rings in my thoughts. It’s true: if there is evidence then a decision can be made, with no evidence a verdict cannot be brought.
We could ask ourselves the question "is there the evidence of the grace of God in our lives?" If there is, then those around us might make a decision as to whether God exists or not.
We long for our community and our city to find and know Jesus Christ.
May the grace of God be seen in the way we live, the way we love and the way we remain true to the Lord with all of our hearts.
Holy Toast: During the summer Holy Toast will be at The Three Trees pub from 7pm for anyone who wants to pop in.
Wednesday 25th August
10am: Holy Communion
Due to the Holiday Club taking place in the church building, this service will be held in St Mary's Community Centre.
OPEN CHURCH For the next two weeks Open Church will be closed.
We will be open once again at 2pm to 4pm on Thursday 9th September.
A Note About Attending Services:
As we meet together, we want to encourage you to continue to take precautions, keep socially distant where you can, wear a mask if you're comfortable doing so, and sanitising at our doors.
May we be aware that there are still many among us that are feeling cautious, as well as those that are still vulnerable to the virus. We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our services!
Let's do our part to take care of each other.
This week we will be looking at the parable of The Prodigal Son. Below you can find a video that helps with the story and a worship song to sing.
Click these links to download and print a colouring page and wordfit for your children to do this week!
God's Story
Two Sons and a Brother
Shine - a worship song
10am Summer Services at SMB
8th Aug
All Age Service 15th August
Service with kids' groups
22nd Aug
Service with kids' groups 29th Aug
All Age Holiday Club Service
Getting the house ready for Rachel Ciampoli - the new Curate
It will soon be time for Rachel and Dwight Ciampoli to move in to their house in Bletchley!
Here are two ways you can help get the place ready for them.
Volunteers needed to clean and decorate:
Before the Ciampolis move in we would like to give the place a little spruce up. If you have any time spare to grab a paintbrush or a broom please contact Charlie Bishop at charles.bishop@stmarysbletchley.org. The work will take place at the end of August, beginning of September.
The Curate's Larder:
It would be lovely if we could provide cupboards full of food and goodies for them when they arrive. If you would like to donate anything to the collection mark it clearly ‘Curate’s Larder’ and drop it off at the church office.
Thank you!
Messy Church Summer BBQ
Sunday 22nd August, 2pm to 4pm
Family picnic blankets in the Church Yard to celebrate Summer with Messy Church
Spaces limited so please book your space direct with Maryann - 07951 376967 or email maryann.brooks@stmarysbletchley.org
Now in person.
Click on the picture above for more information.
St Joseph's, Newton Leys
St Joseph's, Newton Leys, is the pioneer church linked to St Mary's in our parish. It is headed by Rev Ben Thorpe and is currently continuing online. You can follow what they are doing on Facebook here.
Giving To St Mary's
Your offerings mean we can continue to serve our community both practically and spiritually, worship, and connect with each other and maintain our buildings.
We are members of The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) and you can sign up to the scheme over the phone. Please call them on 0333 002 1271, remembering to have to hand St Mary’s Bletchley Parish Code which is 270627709 and know that we are in the Diocese of Oxford. If you would like further information you can have a look on their website https://www.parishgivingscheme.org.uk/for-donors/
Or if you would prefer to make a one-off donation then please email me and I can tell you how to do this. nicky.whitmore@stmarysbletchley.org
Thank you.
