Update on Sunday Worship

Services in the Benefice at the weekend:

Sunday 12th January 2025
9:15 am Family Holy Communion at St Lawrence, Towcester
9:15 am Holy Communion at St Michael's, Bradden
10:15 am Benefice Sunday Worship via zoom
11:15 am Family Worship with Year 5 at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton
2:30 pm Baptism at 9:15am St Lawrence, Towcester

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.  Copies are available in churches for collecting especially for those who do not have emails.

Dear all

Monday, is the first Monday after the Epiphany and is traditionally known as Plough Monday, the beginning of the agricultural year. In a previous church we kept Sunday as Plough Sunday and a plough and seeds were blessed. It is a time of beginnings; the new year, the new term, and Sunday sees Jesus begin his public ministry with his baptism. In my Reflection on the readings, I am thinking about baptism. We emphasis during baptism preparation and at services that it is the beginning of the Christian journey. Sunday is a day when baptism promises could be renewed.

I would like to think about the living out of our baptismal promises, as a Christian community, and what is needed for us to do this well.
In a baptism service the following questions can be asked and the responses made:

Those who are baptized are called to worship and serve God.
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? With the help of God, I will.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? With the help of God, I will.
Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ? With the help of God, I will.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all people, loving your neighbour as yourself? With the help of God, I will.
Will you acknowledge Christ’s authority over human society, by prayer for the world and its leaders, by defending the weak, and by seeking peace and justice?
With the help of God, I will.
 
The churches of the benefice each have something different to offer as a key part of the community in which they are set. They each offer a spiritual home for people and are active within their communities. We are blessed that the churches are looked to for a good number of christenings/baptisms, weddings and funerals. Families gather who have deep roots, often going back many generations, in each community. In a way it is a miracle that the churches are still present given they challenges that are faced with changes within society. It is a testament to the dedication and service of parishioners and church officers. Some have served for several decades.  The Ministry Team and Church Wardens are aware of a fragility as volunteers age and we wonder what will happen in the next five or so years. The village churches are still here a generation or so after their predicted demise.  But on the positive side, there is a sense in Western Europe that the benefits of the enlightenment and the demise of organized religion have not yielded what was expected, by for instance the new atheists, and that what is important in life and what we value actually rests on a memory of faith. Maybe this is one aspect to why parishes across the nation experienced good attendance in churches during the Christmas season. People may well be looking for a greater sense of meaning in life and are rediscovering our traditions. 

Parish churches were typically built, and maintained by their communities, for the community. Each church is a charity. Those who serve on the Church Councils or hold roles such as Church Warden, Secretary, Treasurer, Safeguarding officer etc are both volunteers and serve the churches as trustees for each community. The churches are not owned or financially supported by the Church of England or Peterborough Diocese. Each parish is required to pay for its total running costs which includes the upkeep of our beautiful historic Grade I and II listed buildings.  

The church as body of people need engagement if they are to be present, offering their sacred spaces, their history, beauty and availability for future generations. The more hands that are willing in each place the more possible it is to not just keep the churches open but to see them flourish and grow.
Churches can be places of welcome, of friendship, of community and service. You may know that the church is active in schools, care homes, tots groups, the Renew café, foodbank, baby basics, and in supporting people in Ukraine.

I encourage involvement. As we move forward the question is going to be – do the communities wish for the churches to be present and open as they are now.  Closure of a building is a last resort. It would be a decision taken by the Church Council in any place and not by any central body. I really hope it won’t come to that.

In our national discourse there are voices that criticise the church (and indeed there are things that the church over time has got badly wrong) and question why for instance, churches are involved in education, or are involved with national events or have bishops in the House of Lords. We often forget how much of what makes up our national life stems from the Christian understanding of what it is to be human and a precious child of God.
So Christians have been at the forefront of:

• The development of healthcare – infirmaries provided by monasteries for instance and the founding of hospitals.
• The provision of education – churches often provided schools in the Victorian era.
• Christians campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the promotion of human rights, they started numerous charities big and small (Christian Aid, Oxfam, The Samaritans, YMCA….)

In recent times churches have been at the forefront of providing foodbanks, night shelters, debt advice, and welcome to groups coming to this country such as Ukrainians and the Hong Kong Chinese.

Sometimes I hear people speak of ‘the church’ as if it was something ‘other’. It is not. The church is what we do together. The sense of church is of the calling together of an army for action. Rather than acting for one’s own gain, Christianity, and the other great world religions, point people away from self and to others. So we find that values such as Compassion appear across the religions.
And so, I write to emphasise how important I consider the future of our churches to be and to encourage prayer about this situation and our need for volunteers.  

With every Blessing,
Greg
Associate Priest

Collections over Advent / Christmas. Throughout Advent and Christmas we have been a collection point for both the Foodbank and Baby Basics Northampton – items are collected about once every 6 weeks and the Advent collection for Baby Basics was the biggest yet so thank you very much.  
The Christingle total was £407.97  from 3 services and this goes to the Children Society. We are grateful for donations from Humbugs, Waitrose, the Post Office in Greens Norton & congregation members that paid for the Christingles. 

Christianity Explored. 
This course is being offered by Churches Together in Towcester. Running on Thursday evenings from January 30th to March 20th at the Tove Valley Centre. You may have had a card about it through your door if you live in Towcester. There are members of the church who have taken part in the course when it was run by Jane Jakes last year in our benefice so have knowledge of what it involves.

Christianity Explored is a relaxed and informal way of learning about the faith and having space and time to think about the big questions of life.  You don't need to know anything about the Bible. But you will be able to ask any questions that you like, or you can sit and listen.

Over the sessions, the group will read Mark's Gospel to find out more about the life of the person at the heart of the Christian faith – Jesus Christ. The structure of each session is simple: a short Bible study, a talk given via film and a discussion based on the talk. There will be a 2 course meal provided.

The postcards available in church have a QR code for signing up or the benefice office may be contacted. 

Forthcoming Events

Candles for Ukraine 

We are working alongside other churches in the deanery this Christmas period to collect the remnants of candles for reuse. These will be collated and taken to a factory in Swindon where they are melted down to make trench candles and provide light for the displaced who don’t have electricity. Please donate all unwanted candles used or new into collection boxes which will be at each of our churches.

Worship for this coming week
   
12th January 2023

Baptism of Christ

Lectionary Readings : (these links will take you to Bible Gateway from the NRSV):
Isaiah 43: 1 – 7Acts 8: 14 – 17 Luke 3: 15 - 17, 21, 22

This week's Reflection by John Booth entitled "A reflection on the Visit of the Wise men"

In Church Worship:
details for this weekend and next weekend services are in the weekly news - which is at the top of this mailing or can be picked up in church.

Zoom Services:

• Sunday 10:15 am Benefice Sunday Worship 
• Monday to Saturday 9.00 am Morning Prayer (except on the first Tuesday of each month) 

Benefice Office Opening Times
9.30 am to 1:00 pm Monday to Friday
01327 350459

For details of how to make a donation to your local parish church, please click here.