Sunday worship podcast and other news from Seal Church: May 12 2024

 

Dear Friends Listen to today's worship podcast by clicking on the picture above.  Anne Le Bas Worship Online Worship podcast - Click on picture above Order of service (I am having problems with the phone-in version of this podcast, so have had to suspend it. Spotify is also playing up, so if you subscribe on Spotify,  this week's and future podcasts can be found here. Access to past podcasts here. It is simpler to use the Youtube link in the picture above, however!) DONATE TO SEAL CHURCH HERE - all contributions gratefully received to keep the church thriving!

In the church building today 10 am  All Age Worship followed by Annual Parochial Church Meeting 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion This week:  Wed                        10.30am Lavender Fields Holy Communion                                 4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall                                 7.15pm Choir Friday                     9am Morning prayer in church                                10.30am Friday Group in the Church Hall                                Next Sunday  10 am  Holy Communion 3-4.30pm Messy Church in the hall  6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns)

Easter 7 Today is the start of Christian Aid Week, focussing this year on the story of one woman Nigobora Aline. You can read more about Aline's story here. It's also the day of our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (the annual reports are here ). It's also the Sunday between Ascension Day and Pentecost. In the sermon today, I explore what might be a link between all three things - Jesus' prayer for us that we might be one, as he and his Father are one, which we hear in our Gospel reading. Do we feel as if we are part of something bigger - the family of the church, our local communities, the worldwide community of humanity, all created things, and God himself? What difference might it make if we did feel that sense of connection?

All Age Ideas Today is the beginning of Christian Aid week, when we think about our connection to other people in the world, and how we might help them if they are in need.  It's easy for us to feel that only the people we know really matter, but God says everyone matters to him, so they should matter to us too. Everything we do affects other people, and the natural world too, and God wants us to make sure that we have a good effect on them, not a bad one. There is a video below about a woman called Aline, and her three sons. Aline was once very poor. She didn't have a home and lived on the streets, but Christian Aid helped her learn how to earn a living, and soon she was able to get back on her feet again. She lives with her three sons, grows food, runs a grocery business, and is not only building a house for them all, but also baking the bricks to make its walls. She has even installed a solar panel on her home so that they have light to do their homework in the dark evenings. She is helping her neighbours by running a community fund to lend them money when they need it. She sounds like a very strong and brave lady, and her sons are lucky to have her as a mum! Aline is making a huge difference to those around her, and her story reminds us that we can make a difference too.

Watch Aline's story here. It is also embedded in today's podcast.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS Annual Parochial Church Meeting -  May 12th at 11.15am We will gather for our APCM after the service at 11.15am in church, to elect new PCC members (and churchwardens if anyone volunteers - contact me if you would like to know more!) and to receive the reports and accounts for the last year. Everyone is welcome, but only those on the church electoral roll are allowed to vote. Reports and Accounts are available here. MESSY CHURCH - May 19 3-4.30pm  Craft, fun and food with a Pentecost theme. This will be the last Messy Church I will lead (There will be no Messy Church in June or July) Helen Davies has said she will  run Messy Church from the autumn, so watch out for dates then! FESTIVAL ON THE FIELD, ST LAWRENCE SCHOOL, Stone Street, Friday 17th May 5.30pm.  The church’s very own Martin Clews and Emily Durling are playing at Festival on the Field - an evening of popular and folk music at St Lawrence School, Stone Street on Friday 17th May 2024 5.30-8.30pm.  There are some great bands - bring a picnic, bring some friends. We would love to see you there! Tickets are £6 for adults and £3 for children and can be bought here https://buytickets.at/stlawrencepta SOW SEEDS TO TAKE AWAY, ECO CHURCH ACTIVITY Wednesday 29th May 2-4pm (School May holiday), to celebrate World Bee Day & No Mow May?   We shall focus on bees and butterflies (art & craft activities) and bless seeds (mostly pollinating flower seeds), make biodegradable pots & sow into these to take home to family's own green spaces/window sills. We'll have some herb activities /tasting/salad to top, too, ahead of starting with herbs in the new planter for a multisensory experience for passers-by.  Also amphibian & reptile themed activities in celebration of Stone Street's Toad Patrol & our wildlife area slowworms. We'll have litter pickers available & depending on who comes along, hope to do some churchyard tidying & logpile construction.  An appeal: we are looking for bee & butterfly-friendly plant seeds to be donated for our seeds sowing, and some old small pots or seed trays for reuse & rehoming, ahead of 29th May.  These can be handed to Lise or Babs or put under the Eco Church display table for our collection, thank you.Any donations of biscuits or cake would also be much appreciated!  HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME? Back in the Autumn we signed up for the Parish Giving Scheme which is a simple system to replace Standing Orders as a way of giving to the church, and automates the collection of Gift Aid for those who are tax payers, which saves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the volunteers who help to look after the churches finances and means we get the Gift Aid very quickly.  So far, though, only 13 people have transferred from giving by Standing Order to giving through this Scheme. It would be great if more people could give through this scheme, as it simplifies the administrative burden so much! If you are a regular giver to Seal (or would like to become one!) please would you consider using this route for your donations. You can find out more here, or contact us if you would like to know more, by emailing financesealpandp@gmail.com UPDATE ON SEAL CHURCH CLOCK THE PROBLEM The clock was installed in 1854 and has been regularly maintained by Gillett andJohnson (G&J) of Edenbridge. During 2022 it became increasingly temperamental, and G&J advised that some bearings had become worn and some teeth were damaged. They recommended that the clock be removed, repaired and reinstalled. Permission for this from the Diocese of Rochester is required, and was first requested in January 2023. WHERE ARE WE NOW? Unfortunately the Diocesan Clock Adviser, whose advice is required for approval to be given, died just before Christmas 2022. This caused long delays as the work had to be covered by the person holding the equivalent role in Southwark Diocese We were required to obtain several quotes, which was a time consuming process as there are few church clock maintenance specialists in the country. In the event their quotes differed widely, and there were concerns expressed by the Diocese that the possible scale of the work might escalate. It has taken a while to resolve this and to come to a sensible view of what is really needed. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Diocese has today confirmed that in the next few days it will send the paperwork confirming approval to the works being carried out by G&J, and they have been asked to advise when the work will be completed. Hopefully this long running saga is near its end, and it won’t be long before we have a working clock chiming the hours once again! Many thanks for your patience and understanding! Paul Thompson     12 April 2024 SATURDAY MAY 11TH SEAL VILLAGE ALLOTMENTS MIDDAY - 3PM   Plant Sale and Refreshments - ALL WELCOME! SEAL VILLAGE HALL NEWS The feedback regarding the idea of a pop-up cinema, has been phenominal - clearly a popular idea, and one that the Friends of Seal Village Hall, look forward to getting set up. If you haven't already, please let me know if you would be interested in coming along to such an event, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ABLE, to help with the organisation of it. We all look forward to further responses. SEAL PARISH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY MAY 15TH Seal Pavilion at 7.30pm. All welcome.