Update on Sunday Worship

Sunday 5th July

The Fifth Sunday After Trinity

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Sunday
  9:15 am  Family Worship at St Lawrence, Towcester
10:15 am  Benefice Sunday Worship via Zoom 
11:15 am Holy Communion at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton


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Our weekly news contains details of services for this and next weekend, as well as daily bible readings, prayer requests and notices for forthcoming events. 

Looking ahead to events and services that are happening please do look at the monthly calendar for July

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Dear Friends,

As we look ahead to the autumn, I would like to let you know about three opportunities that we hope will help us continue growing as a church. They are all quite different, but they share the same aim: helping people encounter Jesus, grow in faith, and build meaningful Christian community.

The first is something a little different.

We're exploring the possibility of creating a new style of worship gathering, particularly for people in their twenties, thirties and forties, and we'd love to invite you to be part of the initial conversation about starting one here.

Over the years, we've been pleased to see younger adults and families join us from time to time, but we also recognise that traditional Sunday morning church doesn't always fit easily into modern life.

Rather than making assumptions about what people want, we'd much rather listen. The people best placed to help us think about this aren't church experts or clergy, but the very people we're hoping to serve.

We're therefore holding an informal meeting to hear from people like you. We want to know what helps, what hinders, what appeals, and what doesn't. If a worship gathering were designed with your stage of life in mind, what might it look like? Would a Sunday afternoon work better? Would a weekday evening be more realistic? Would once a month be right? What would make it meaningful enough to give up your time for?

Please don't feel that you need to come with all the answers. Most of us don't! You may not know exactly what an ideal gathering would look like, but you probably know what makes you switch off, what doesn't connect, or what would make you think twice about coming back. It might be the timing, the style of worship, the music, the language we use, or simply things that make church feel disconnected from everyday life. Those thoughts and experiences are every bit as valuable as brand-new ideas.

The truth is that we don't have a finished plan. We know there is unlikely to be a perfect solution, and whatever we eventually try will probably involve some trial and error. We won't get everything right the first time, and we certainly won't be able to please everyone all of the time. But before we do anything, we'd like to hear from the people whose views matter most.

You don't need to be a regular churchgoer to come. In fact, hearing from those who attend occasionally, or not at all, is especially valuable. We genuinely want an honest conversation, and all opinions will be welcomed.

The meeting will take place on Saturday 12th July at 5.00 pm in St Lawrence Church. There will be tea, coffee, and something to eat, and we'd be delighted if you could join us. It would be helpful if you could let us know whether you plan to attend by replying to this email, but it is equally fine just to turn up.

Alongside exploring new ways of reaching people, we also want to continue helping those already connected with our churches to grow in faith and discipleship.

Our Bible Study will begin again on Wednesday 2nd September. Please note that we will now be meeting on Wednesdays rather than Tuesdays.

This year we will be spending time looking at the Book of Acts alongside the life and ministry of St Paul. We will explore Paul the man, his missionary journeys, his methods, and his passion for sharing the Gospel. Sometimes in the Church we can find ourselves looking for new ideas and new strategies, but perhaps what we really need is to spend time studying the master of mission at work through ordinary people empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Acts is the story of the Church discovering what it means to follow Jesus in a changing world. It is full of encouragement, challenge, adventure, and faith. It sounds exciting to me, and I hope many of you will come and join us.

Alongside our Bible Study, I would also like us to consider the formation of Fellowship Groups.

Sunday worship is at the heart of our life together, but Christian discipleship was never intended to be confined to an hour or two on a Sunday morning. The earliest Christians met not only in worship but also in one another's homes. They shared meals, prayed together, encouraged one another, learned together, and supported one another through both the joys and difficulties of life.

A healthy and vibrant church needs opportunities for people to spend time together beyond coffee after a service. We need places where questions can be asked, where faith can be explored, where friendships can grow, and where we can pray for one another.

I saw this first-hand in a previous parish. Over time, members of a fellowship group grew in their understanding of God and in their love and respect for one another. That sense of unity and friendship then flowed back into the wider life of the church. Even now, some of the people from that group remain among my closest friends.

Before anyone worries about whether they know enough to host or take part, let me reassure you that these groups are not intended to be formal Bible studies led by experts. In fact, they are deliberately simple.

Each group would begin with the previous Sunday's sermon and readings. The conversation might start with questions such as: What stood out to you? What challenged you? Was there something you wished had been explored further? From there, the discussion naturally develops.

The fascinating thing about fellowship groups is where those conversations can lead. I remember one evening beginning with the Road to Emmaus and somehow ending up discussing same-sex marriage, the best way to cook a Bolognese, and praying for someone's job interview. That is life together as Christians: faith and everyday life meeting around a table.

At this stage, we are simply gauging interest. Would you be willing to host a fellowship group in your home? Or would you be interested in joining one?

If enough people are interested, we can begin exploring when and where groups might meet and how best to organise them.

As we study Acts together, perhaps this is also an opportunity to recover something of the warmth, hospitality, and fellowship that characterised the early Church. My prayer is that these groups would help us know one another better, support one another more deeply, and become an even stronger witness to Christ in our community.

Whether your next step is helping us imagine a new worshipping community, joining the Bible Study, becoming part of a Fellowship Group, or simply coming along to explore, I hope you will feel able to take it. We would love to hear from you.

With every blessing,

Revd Nigel 

Our Voices Visit to Coventry Cathedral

On Wednesday, our Our Voices children's choir enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at Coventry Cathedral. The visit formed part of our commitment to helping young people grow in confidence and faith through music, giving them the opportunity to experience the richness of the Church's choral tradition beyond our own benefice. As well as exploring both the old and new cathedrals, the children learnt about Coventry's remarkable story of reconciliation and forgiveness, saw the Cross of Nails and the magnificent Sutherland Tapestry, and, thanks to a last-minute change of plans, were treated to the beautiful unaccompanied singing of the Cathedral Lay Clerks in the Lady Chapel – a truly unforgettable experience.

We are deeply grateful to the staff at Coventry Cathedral for their generous welcome, to Judith for organising the visit, and to our partner schools for supporting the children in leaving early so they could take part. Our Voices is much more than a choir. It is a partnership between the Tove Benefice, our local schools and the Royal School of Church Music, enriched by growing links with churches and cathedrals recognised for excellence in church music. Through visits to places such as All Saints, Northampton, and Coventry Cathedral, our children experience inspiring worship, encounter the rich musical heritage of the Church, and are encouraged to develop their own gifts, confidence and faith. We look forward to welcoming new singers when rehearsals begin again in September.

St Lawrence Fete - Thank You!!!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make last Sunday's St Lawrence Fete such a tremendous success. From those who donated prizes and cakes, set up stalls, welcomed visitors, entertained the crowds, served refreshments and stayed behind to clear away, it truly was a whole community effort. It was wonderful to see the church and churchyard filled with people enjoying the afternoon together.

We are delighted that the fete has already raised in excess of £6,600 (including £1,440 from the Grand Draw) for the work and ministry of St Lawrence Church, with the exciting prospect of additional matched funding still to come. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously and helped make it such a memorable day. Your support makes a real difference to the life and mission of our church.

Worship for this coming week