Parish Jottings

Gathering together...

After two years of lockdowns, self isolation and other obstacles to attending church in person it is lovely that this Lent things have returned nearer to normal. The Lent Lunches, every Thursday at Christ Church at midday, are welcoming people to actually attend in person, instead of virtually on Zoom. And it will be lovely to see people at our Mothering Sunday service on the first Sunday this month, more or less in the usual way. Of course the service will still be available on YouTube, as our 10:00 a.m. services usually are, for those who still cannot attend themselves.

...Safely

Government regulations have been substantially withdrawn but we are still following the Church of England’s guidance on worshipping safely and continuing to be careful. Fortunately our church is a large, airy and well ventilated space and we are able to leave good gaps between the chairs. It is encouraging to see those who are vulnerable and have been shielding now returning to church. Dare we hope better times lie ahead!

The Henley Gospel Project

This initiative headed by Sam Brewster should come to fruition this month and we will soon have copies available in church for all to see. The money to print 6,000 copies of a special edition of Saint Luke’s Gospel, featuring pictures of Henley and work from local schools, was raised by the Henley churches with additional donations from many individual church members through a crowdfunding scheme. The gospels will be given away free of charge in various ways to assist churches outreach to the commuity.

Easter Trail

On Good Friday morning we will have an Easter Trail around the churchyard from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 midday. The Easter Trail is aimed ideally at children aged 3-10 who will follow a route round the churchyard meeting characters from that first Easter, collecting chocolate eggs and learning the Easter story. We will finish with tea, coffee etc. and, of course, hot cross buns for children and parents in the church. All welcome; no booking required, come anytime in the morning.

Christians Against Poverty

A group of people from Churches Together in Henley have been working hard exploring the possibility of setting up a CAP Centre in Henley to work in cooperation with the CAB and NOMAD. Sufficient funding has been obtained from a charitable foundation to support a part-time manager for three years and recruitment is now in hand. Participating churches will be encouraged to do some fundraising so no doubt we will be hearing more about this in the next few months. It sounds like something we should all support and it is coming at a time when many are likely to face financial difficulty.

New Beginnings

Many congratulations to the Brewster family, who welcomed Esther Elizabeth Shona on Saturday 12^th March at 2:30 p.m., weighing in at 6lb 8oz. We pray for Lucy, Sam, Amelie, JoJo and Barney as they adapt to being a family of si

Springtime in the churchyard: Holy Trinity church (2015)