We are truly sorry to have not been able live stream our service this week (Mar 22nd) on our YouTube channel as planned. This is due to YouTube limitations on streaming over mobiles.
We did live stream on our Facebook page and the video is now uploaded on the YouTube channel.
We are now planning to live stream on our Facebook page each week and then upload to the YouTube channel as soon as possible.
See in the Feb – April newsletter how everyone can commit to make small (or big) changes through Lent (the period from Ash Wednesday on 26 Feb to Easter) to make a positive impact on our precious world, God’s amazing creation. Also see the Plastic Free Lent challenge sheet and, in the newsletter, the Special Offer from the editor of reduced price Lent Booklets.
What to give up for Lent… Cake? Alcohol? Chocolate?
How about Plastic???
“Reducing the causes of climate change is essential to the life of faith. It is a way to love our neighbour and to steward the gift of creation.”
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Many of us use Lent as an opportunity to give something up to remember that Christ went without during his time in the wilderness. This year, to support the Church of England’s Lent Campaign for 2020, the Green Team are inviting everyone to give something up to help the environment. If we all make small changes, we can make a big difference.
Did you know?
– By 2050 we could have more plastic than fish (by weight) in the sea.
– Over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. That’s enough plastic to cover every inch of the UK ankle-deep more than ten times over. Just 9% was recycled
The Green Team will be creating ‘tree shaped structures’ in each of the three churches and encouraging you to share your Lent commitments by displaying them on the ‘trees’.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
– Give up disposable coffee cups—treat yourself to your own reusable cup and take it with you to your favourite coffee shop
– Give up buying drinks in plastic bottles— use a reusable bottle and fill it up be-fore you leave home
– Give up using clingfilm and look for better ways to protect/store your food
– Try walking instead of driving when making short journeys
– Give up any toiletries containing ‘“polyethylene” (tiny plastic beads)
– Use bar soap instead of liquid hand soap
– Save electricity by turning off unnecessary lights
– Plant a tree in your garden
For other ideas see the leaflet Plastic Free Lent Challenge.
Start to build habits that will last beyond Lent in order to protect and honour God’s earth.
More information, inspiration and ideas for actions you can take can be found via www.churchofengland.org/livelent
Thank you to everyone who has responded to the giving sermon series and leaflet by increasing their monthly gift or starting to give regularly.
If you have been intending to respond but haven’t yet done so please do now follow up your intentions. The leaflet shows details of our finances and our very real need to increase our income from giving.
Your support is very much appreciated. If there are any questions or for help contact Rob, Marjorie or Lucia (Churchwardens)
Psalm 23 Garden www.biblesociety.org.uk/psalm-23
As you may have noticed from the GLF booklet, last July a film crew from the Bible Society spent the day with us recording how we use our outside space to reach out to the community. This was part of a nationwide project to support their entry of a garden based on Psalm 23, for the Chelsea Flower Show this May.
If you’d like to see the build up to our full story (which will go on-line in the Spring) please go to ‘Psalm 23 Garden Facebook’ to see contributions from the Rector, Ed Sampson, Joy Scovell and Dave Cox, and a lot of faces that you’ll recognise.
We will be hosting a ‘Prayer and Praise’ day on June 6th at St James to celebrate Psalm 23 in our amazing grounds. More details to follow.
On Saturday 29 February, the Green Team took the opportunity to ‘practice what they preach’ by recycling to help the environment.
The Green Team are encouraging everyone during Lent to make a promise which helps the environment. So, when a fir tree in the Lost Liddell Gardens was brought down by the recent high winds they decided that rather than burn the branches and release carbon dioxide into the air, they would use them to construct a wildlife hedge instead. Less that two hours later a new wildlife habitat had been created in the gardens which we hope will provide ‘homes’ for creatures such as hedgehogs, wrens and robins.
For ideas on how you can make a Lent Promise and make a difference to the environment please see the ‘tree shaped structures’ on display at each of our churches
The latest Newsletter and Calendar of Events (Feb-Apr 2020) are now available for viewing/download (in PDF format) here:
The newsletter contains a great deal about Lent, the Lent challenge to everyone to make changes to care for our environment and updated recycling information, plus a special offer from the editor.
Thank you for your Church’s recent donations to CIRDIC (Churches in Reading Drop-In Centre) together with the Gift Aid forms.
The cash amounted to £259.50. Besides the cash, a total of £284 was received by cheques and £30 CAF Charity Voucher for which we are very grateful.
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