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VISION Vicar’s Blog
Last week’s Vision Sunday allowed me the chance to thoughtfully reflect (AKA wildly speculate) on where we might be heading as a church in our next 12-18 months together. In the absence of any obvious mountain and tablets of stone, I looked at the five main areas of our Abbey life and spoke about developments that I see already happening or about to happen. So please have a good read of our Ministry Reports to get a feel of our last 12 months (online or available at the back of the Abbey,) and consider these 5000-1 long shots for 2016/17:
Arts & Worship. With the jazz, comedy, drama, art, prayer, preaching and classical music of our Holy Week Festival still reverberating, look ahead to Advent & Christmas 2016. It is the season of the year that really draws half the town through the Abbey doors. This
year we have commissioned three motets from New York City based composer, Nico Muhly – settings of texts from Genesis 1, Isaiah 9 & John 1; the light shining in the darkness. The Kingdom coming.
Children & Young People After a simply outstanding year from Andrew Beebee and a very hard-working team I would make one simple observation. Our work with children and young people has been prepared wonderfully to grow significantly in the next 1218 months. A tree about to bear fruit. Community A challenge for us all. We have a wonderful Abbey Kitchen, which has gone through a challenging year of transformation, and is now excellently led by Dan, Stella, Holly and a great team. It is time for us
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to own The Abbey Kitchen as a part of our life together; to use it, to help it develop new ministries and to welcome our community to it.
Prayer The choir & worship teams lead us in worship, the Abbey Kitchen inspires us in our hospitality, the Community of St Aldhelm is about to call us to a deeper life of prayer and Bible reading, and an intentional rhythm of discipleship. Full details of this next week; launch on May 25th. Governance Instead of thinking of admin, committees and finance as a God-free zone, we should celebrate them as a place of excellence, diligence and Spirit-led provision for our mission. Watch out in the next 2 years for the great work of our Property Oversight Committee; gradually transforming an Icon of the Christian faith in the South West of England. Graham Tomlin, the Bishop of Kensington asked these questions last week: ‘In what way is your church a blessing to your local community? Would anybody notice if it disappeared?’ I would want to celebrate that we have answers.
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: May 1st 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 2nd No Little Stars TUES 3rd 2.30pm Prayer for Persecuted Christians WED 4th 10.30am Communion THUR 5th 10.30am Time for Chat 7.30pm Sung Eucharist th SAT 7 10am The Meeting Place 10.15am Prayers for Janet Parke in Parish Office NEXT SUNDAY: May 8th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
ADVANCE DIARY 10th May Glory! 25th May Community of St Aldhelm launches nd 22 June Music for Autism 24th June African Children’s Choir 27th June Lifepath begins
AC T S 1 6 :9 - 1 5 9
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us. Additional Reading: John 14:23-29
DISCIPLESHIP 1. During Sunday’s sermon the question was asked: ‘Are you aiming to be closer to God than you were last year?’ Share any practical tips of ways you’ve come closer to God throughout your life.
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday (Philip & James) Psalm 119:1-8 Isaiah 30:15-21 John 14:1-14
2. Read Acts 16:9-10. There are many ways that God can speak to us. Share any examples of when you feel God has given you direction.
Tuesday Psalm 126 Numbers 16:36-end Luke 6:39-end
3. How can we know that any direction or guidance is truly coming from the Holy Spirit?
Wednesday Psalm 132 Numbers 17:1-11 Luke 7:1-10
4. Divide y our group so that one person reads Acts 9:1-19 and others either represent Saul, the men travelling with Saul, or Ananias. Close your eyes as the passage is read and imagine experiencing this story as that person. Discuss together how these events may change you 5. Read Acts 16:14-15 and note how Lydia is influenced by a) God and b) a person (Paul). Discuss any individuals you want to see coming to faith. Pray as a group for these people.
Ascension Day Psalm 47 Acts 1:1-11 Luke 24:44-end Friday Psalm 81 Exodus 35:30-36:1 Galatians 5:13-end
REGULAR GIVING If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com.
SUNG EUCHARIST
REFRESH!
This coming Thursday is Ascension Day. There will be Morning Prayer in the chapel as usual at 9am. Then at 7.30pm there will be a special Sung Eucharist led by Neill and the Abbey Choir. As well as hearing the Ascension readings from Luke and Acts, during the service the choir will be singing movements from Victoria’s beautiful Missa Pro Defunctis and Chesnokov’s setting of Psalm 74:12, Salvation is Created.
You are invited to an evening on a local farm on Friday 13th May at 6.30pm. An opportunity for ladies to try their hand at clay pigeon shooting or enjoy a beautiful country walk. This will be followed by drinks, a BBQ and a talk from Rachel Robertson, a leader at our 4pm service. Places must be booked with Sandie Brown by Thursday 5th May on 01666 826666 or office@malmesburyabbey.com Cost: £10.00, to be paid prior to the event.
SENIOR ALPHA
P R AY E R M E E T I N G S
An opportunity to explore the Christian faith with Churches Together in Malmesbury. Six sessions being held at the United Reformed Church in St Mary’s Street starting on 10th May 2016, 2.30 – 4pm. Tea & cake provided. It is essential to book a place. For more information or to book in please speak to Mandy Churcher, call 01666 8216666 or e-mail office@malmesburyabbey.com
Prayer for Persecuted Christians is at 2.30pm on Tuesday 3rd May at 4 Mill Lane. The focus will be on the Central Asian Republics. Prayer for Janet Parke and her work in Zambia is on Saturday 7th May at 10.15am in the Parish Office. Our next Glory! prayer meetings are on May 10th, June 14th and July 12th. Passionate worship & prophetic prayer.
12t h CE N TU RY B E AU T Y 2 1st CE NTU RY CHU R CH
PCC 2016-2017 The Abbey’s PCC (Parochial Church Council) is the legally constituted body that works with the Vicar and Ministry Team to oversee the mission and ministry of the church. These are our members for the next 12 months: Ex-officio Members Revd Canon Neill Archer (Chair) Revd John Monaghan Revd Linda Sullivan
Churchwardens Diana Crowe (10.30am) Mark Hunt (4pm) Deanery Synod Representatives (with 1 year to serve) Geoff Canning (PCC Secretary) Jane Henderson Chris Jager John Sunderland (Vice Chair & Property Oversight) Elected Parochial Church Council
With 3 years to serve Janet Jenkins Andrew McFarlane Linda Weston
Also Co-opted Dwight Doley Doug Price
With 2 years to serve James Cole Tom Hunton Alan McAdam (Abbey Treasurer & Financial Oversight) With 1 year to serve Sue Kirby Sam Saunders Dave Richards Please pray for this important decision making body in the life of the Abbey.
CONTAC TS
ABBEY OFFICE
ABBEY KITCHEN
Monday 9.30am-12pm Tuesday-Friday 9.30am-3pm
Monday- Saturday (normal) 9.30am-4pm
01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
Happy hour (drinks ÂŁ1) from 9.30am-10.30am. dan@malmesburyabbey.com
Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
The Abbey Kitchen
12th CENTURY BEAUTY 21st CENTURY CHURCH