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S U N DAY 2 3 r d A P R I L 2 0 1 7

BUILIDING COMMUNIT Y Catherine Price, Licensed Lay Minister

As a student in the 1970s, I met Sister Marion Eva OHP, an Anglican Benedictine nun who came to York University as assistant chaplain. With her steady faith, good humour and common sense she quickly became the role model for the Christian I wanted to be. That friendship planted in me a seed of interest in the life of religious communities which was germinated when the Archbishop visited the Diocese in 2014.

Archbishop Justin observed that whenever there had been renewal in the Church, it had been accompanied by a renewal in the religious life. From that grew the idea for The Community of St Aldhelm, which was inaugurated here at the Abbey in May 2016.

It has been a great joy during the last year to see members of the

Community sharing and supporting each other in this collective adventure in discipleship. The Way of the Cross, which formed part of our Holy Week festival for the first time this year, was an opportunity for a number of members of the Community, together with other members of the Abbey congregations, to offer their creative gifts in service of the wider church.

This weekend, the Community will host a Quiet Day at Harnhill Christian Centre. I hope that we will be able to offer more of these opportunities to the Abbey congregations in future.

On 31 May we will gather for a service where we will give thanks for this first year, commit ourselves for the next year and receive in any new members, so if you are thinking of joining us now

ABBEY DIARY THIS SUNDAY: 23rd April 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church

is a good time: you will have received more information with your notice sheet today.

But whether you are part of the Community of St Aldhelm or not, I wish you every blessing as we journey on together into a new season in our church’s life.

Catherine

THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 24th 10am Little Stars TUES 25th 7.30pm Prayer Ministry Training WED 26th 10.30am Communion THUR 27th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice SAT 29th 7.30pm Wessex Concert Orchestra NEXT SUNDAY: 30th April 11am Festival Holy Communion followed by 12noon Picnic Lunch 1.30pm A.G.M. ADVANCE DIARY May 3rd 8pm Prayers for M’bury CofE Primary School in Eilmer House May 6th 7.30pm Bath Male Choir th May 9 7.30pm Glory! prayer meeting May 16th 7.30pm Refresh!

May 25th 7.30pm Ascension Day – Evensong

JOHN 20:19-END 19

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’

28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Additional Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32

DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read John 20:19 – 31. What is the familiar title for a section of this reading? Discuss whether you agree with the familiar title, or whether Thomas is misjudged by history.

2. In verses 19 and 20 many emotions are expressed. Find out what they are and discuss how you would feel if placed in this situation.

3. In v.22 Jesus issues his commission, ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’. What does he ask his disciples to do? Who is there to help?

4. Forgiveness is possibly one of the hardest things we are asked to do.

You may like to share times of hope when you have seen forgiveness change a situation, or share difficulties about forgiving certain situations.

5. Discuss v.31, and pray, either directly or in general, for those people who have not heard, or have heard and not believed in Jesus.

As some of you have been in groups for many Easters, rather than the above questions, you may prefer to look at question 6.

6 The additional reading for this week is Acts 2: 14a, 22 – 32. Discuss the challenges Peter makes to the crowds, using the references to the Jewish people and the quotes from David.

D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 126 2 Timothy 2:3-13 John 15:18-21 Tuesday Psalm 119:9-16 Ephesians 4:7-16 Mark 13:5-13 Wednesday Psalm 30 Deuteronomy 3:18-end John 20:19-end Thursday Psalm 28 Deuteronomy 4:1-14 John 21:1-14 Friday Psalm 61 Deuteronomy 4:15-31 John 21:15-19

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. m

P R AY F O R T H E PERSECUTED

P R AY E R M I N I S T R Y EVENING

Pray for persecuted Christians on Tuesday 2nd May at 4 Mill Lane at 2.30pm. This month we will focus on China, where the level of harassment and ill treatment of Christians is increasing again. See see Mike Langtree for more details.

If you are currently involved in prayer ministry in the life of the Abbey, or you would like to explore whether this might be something for you, please come along to the Abbey on Tuesday 25th April, 8pm. Contact Alice Monaghan for more details at alicemon7@gmail.com

F O U N D AT I O N G O V E R N O R S The PCC is currently looking for somebody to serve as Foundation Governor at Malmesbury CE Primary School, to join the governing body and focus on helping to develop and maintain the distinctive Christian character of the school. This is a wonderful opportunity to work with other members of the Abbey who are Foundation Governors and to serve our community. There are six evening meetings a year with the full governing body, and planning meetings with the Foundation Governors. You do not have to be a parent in the school, and young or old we would love you to pray about joining us.

Please speak to John Jenkins (Foundation Governor Chair) johnjenkins@malmesbury-pri.wilts.sch.uk

12th CEN TU RY BE AU T Y 21st CEN TU RY CHU R CH

OUR CAFÉ NEEDS US! [Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document.

Useneeds the Text each Box Tools tabof to change Did you know that our Abbey café one us? the formatting of the pull quote text box.]

As a church family we need to:

 Pray for our café and its ministry of hospitality.  Pray for the staff and volunteers who help us to fulfil this core principle of the Abbey’s mission.  Consider volunteering to support Holly and Stella as we enter a busy time of year.  Use our café on a regular basis, also encouraging friends, to ensure our café’s continued success.

Every one of us can contribute in some way.

Hebrews 13:2 “Don’t forget to entertain strangers for by so doing people have entertained angels without knowing it”

email: Holly or Stella on café@malmesburyabbey.com

MALMESBURY & B’BRO A.G.M. The APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) or AGM will take place on Sunday 30th April at 1.30pm.. Come to the Festival Holy Communion at 11am m and at 12noon we will break for a picnic lunch followed by the AGM. There will be provision made for children for part of the 11am service, and unsupervised outdoor (weather permitting) activities for children during the actual AGM. The nomination forms for the election of Churchwardens, Deanery Synod members and PCC members are at the rear of the Abbey. Please return all completed nomination forms to Geoff Canning (PCC Secretary) via his pigeon hole post box at the back of the Abbey. Thank you.

CHURCHES TOGETHER We are looking for 2 people to be the Abbey representatives for CTiM (Churches Together In Malmesbury).. There are two main “qualifications” for being a church representative on CTiM.. The more important one is to be enthusiastic about Christians working together in the town. This means investing in finding out what other churches in the town are doing, and getting to meet and know fellow Christians with whom the representative wouldn’tt normally worship. The other is being committed to attending just four meetings each year to pray together and consider what practical activities the churches can do together, such as to enable the Christian community in the town to grow closer together, to be a witness to the town and, to be involved in promoting and attending such activities. Being a CTiM representative is not an onerous t5ask but a really valuable one. If you would like to become a CTiM representative please leave your name and contact telephone number Geoff Canning’s pigeon hole at the back of the Abbey by Friday 28th April at the latest.