Psalm 16: 5 "Lord, you have assigned me my portion, you have made my lot secure"
We may feel that what has been assigned to us in these 'Covid' days is difficult - but we remain secure in God who is sovereign and therefore has everything in control.
Our security and identity are found in and through Jesus Christ - the Lord of All.
Whilst we may feel and experience great frustration, let us keep abandoning ourselves into the arms of the one true eternal God; never losing hope and never giving up.
Let us continue to 'reach out' in this time when it is highly unwise to physically 'gather people in' together.
May God deeply bless you and your families as we go into all the new opportunities God opens up before us in 2021.
Private Prayers: Please note that private prayers on a Wednesday will not be operating until further notice. We are so thankful for the group of volunteers that have opened the church and manned it for us so that we could share some private time with God.
We will be opening up Zoom, for about 30 minutes, after the online service to provide an opportunity for prayer and for a chat - similar to the time that would normally happen at the end of a service if we were in the church building.
The details of how to log in will be shown near the end of the service so don't switch off straight away! So make sure you have pen and paper handy, or pause or rewind the video.
If you have updated to the latest version of Zoom (5.4.3) then, when you log in, you should be able to choose if you wish to join a chat group or a group for prayer. If not, a member of the St Mary's Team will be able to allocate you to a room after you have logged in.
Here is a short video with a breathing exercise for children
Wednesday 10am Zoom Communion Services
We are now holding Communion services over Zoom on Wednesdays at 10am.
Anyone who wishes to join can use these log in details up to Wednesday 3rd February, so please keep a note of them: ID 816 7767 0947
Passcode 581881
Word and Spirit:
Let's Talk About Mental Health
A Zoom panel discussion chatting about Mental Health and how it impacts our faiths and lives.
The panel will be made up of Diane Young (qualified counsellor), Chris Hermes (retired GP), Steve Snook (part of the pastoral team) and Robin Gandy (someone who has wrestled with their mental health).
This session will be a deep and honest conversation around Mental Health, so please be aware that some of the material may act as a trigger. There will be a space for questions and dialogue, so please do join in.
Go to www.sli.do, use event code SMB and type your question there (you do not need to set up an account).
We will not publicise who asked the question so you will be anonymous.
Financial Giving to St Mary's Church
Thank you to everyone who has given financially through this year of 2020. We had a 'Faith Budget' as usual and have met the financial needs fully, so please be encouraged that in a year which has been difficult for everybody, we at SMB have managed to provide financially for all that God longed for us to achieve.
For 2021 we have just agreed as a PCC (that is the governing body of the church) another 'Faith Budget'! It can only be fulfilled if we as God's called people can give in a prayerful, sacrificial and organised way. Please consider joining the 'Parish Giving Scheme' (https://www.parishgivingscheme.org.uk/for-donors/) as this for many is the most tax-efficient and organised way that the Diocese is suggesting. Please put your giving to prayer. It may be that you have to lower your giving because of employment/or other issues or it may remain the same or it may be that you can raise your giving because others are finding times more complex. Just recently we have seen a slight dip in ongoing giving which we believe is because of Covid-19.
In Jesus' own words form Acts 20: 35b "It is more blessed to give than to receive". Many of us have realised and experienced that there is more joy in giving than receiving. Not just in terms of money but in all kinds of ways of giving. However, to give financially is a wonderful privilege and a joyful part of our lives of worship. God calls us to give to the level that is right for our particular situation - not more and not less, and so we can have a deep peace about this in our lives and witness.
As the year closes and a new year is near, please join Kim and I in praying about our financial giving to SMB.
As I close may I say thank you again for all the wonderful sacrificial giving here at SMB in this extraordinary year.
David Rev David McDougall
Rector of St Mary's Bletchley
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.
A service provide by Oxford Diocese
Giving To St Mary's
In these times when we are unable to meet in the Church building together, your donations are just as important to us as they have always been. Your offerings mean we can continue to serve our community both practically and spiritually, worship, and connect with each other and maintain our buildings ready for when we can open again.
Virtual Church is a real blessing, but it does mean physically making your offering interesting if you make your offering via the collection plate. The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) has responded to this need and it is now possible to 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.
