SERVICES IN MARCH Thurday 1st 10.30am
(Purple)
Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry
Sunday 4th The Second Sunday in Lent (Purple) 8.15am Holy Communion Reader Muriel Arndell Romans 4:13-25 Gospel Clergy Mark 8: 31-38 10.30am All Age Worship followed by refreshments Reader Jamie Sadlier Mark 8: 31-38 7.00pm Choral Evensong Reader Tillie Heyburn Genesis 12: 1-9 Reader Tillie Heyburn John 8: 51-59 Thursday 8th (Purple) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday 11th 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm
The Third Sunday in Lent Holy Communion Reader Carol Willis Gospel Clergy Holy Communion Reader Elizabeth Leonard Gospel Karen McAlpine Intercessions Roberta Rogers Late Evening Office Reader Gina Greeves
(Purple) 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25 John 2: 13-22 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25 John 2: 13-22 Matthew 10: 16-22
Thursday 15th (Purple) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Saturday 17th St. Patrick 10.30am Holy Communion (Traditional Form)
(White)
Sunday 18th 8.15am 9.30am
The Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mothering Sunday) (Purple) Holy Communion Reader Paul Stewart 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7 Gospel Clergy Luke 2: 33-35 Family Communion Reader Karen McAlpine Luke 2: 33-35
10.30am 7.00pm
Service of the Word followed by refreshments Reader Alison Acheson Luke 2: 33-35 Prayers Linda Wilson Holy Communion (Traditional Form) Reader Clare Best Romans 5: 1-11 Gospel Karen McAlpine John 12: 1-8
ALL AGE WORSHIP TEA AND COFFEE A very big thank you to everyone who supported the Donkey Appeal at tea and coffee last month when we raised just under £90. This month we shall be supporting the NSPCC. The NSPCC protects children across the UK and runs a wide range of services for both children and adults, including national helplines and local projects in Northern Ireland. Please plan to be with us at our All Age Worship Service on Sunday, 4th March, to support this very worthwhile charity.
Roberta
KNOCK KNOCK, IT’S THE CURATE! As I write this, I am conscious that as we set out in Lent it is a time when the Church is traditionally more reflective, thinking about direction and recollecting what we have done and what we have failed to do. It is also a time when we remember Jesus’ fasting and temptation in the wilderness for 40 days. Last year, I had the privilege of co-leading a group of Pilgrims in the Holy Land. On the Sunday I was asked to celebrate Holy Communion in the Judean Wilderness, somewhere between Jerusalem and Jericho. It is a barren place … nothing grows there, no shelter from the blistering sun. It was there that we were able to focus on the nourishment of bread and wine and how much we depend upon God, when all is stripped away. Over the past year, I have often thought about that service, standing in the region where Jesus was on his own, in a dry and barren place where he was tempted, where he had absolutely nothing. For us, that focus on the body and blood of Christ as food which nourishes the body and soul, and also what it represents, may be something we can take through this Lenten period. Why not take up something during Lent - perhaps if you are reading this and haven’t been at church for a while - come along to one of our Holy Communion services, or become involved in the community of one of our many organisations. Every Blessing, Robert
Hello Ladies We are really looking forward to listening to Robert, our Curate, speaking at our next Mothers’ Union on Tuesday, 6th March. He will be sharing with us his ‘Overseas Adventures’. I would ask if you would please bring your overseas donations. The Mothers’ Union Enterprise Box will be there when Mother’s Day and Easter cards will be for sale. On Mothering Sunday, 18th March, the Mothers’ Union will be supplying tea, coffee and tray-bakes after the morning service. Donations will go to the Zambia Travel Fund taking place this summer. The Mothers’ Union Project are inviting you to give an ethical gift this Mothering Sunday to fund the work in some of the world’s most deprived countries. Gifts start at as little as £3 for food, blankets and mosquito nets, extending to environmentally friendly stoves and teaching bereavement and parenting skills. More information can be found at www.makeamothersday.org or phone +44(0)2072225533. On Monday, 26th March, there will be a Festival Service in Seagoe CoI, Portadown, at 8.00pm. If you are interested, please would you contact Irene Gray. Should numbers be sufficient, consideration will be given to a bus for transport. Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day this year,
Sandra
MEN’S CLUB As reported last month, the Club played two away matches in January. I am pleased to report that St. Columba’s were the victors on both occasions. We enjoyed our evenings and fellowship with the bowlers of St. Colmcille’s and Knock Methodist Churches. We were especially pleased to be the first visitors to play in the new Knock Methodist Centre. Our next away date was the re-arranged match with St. Donard’s on Monday, 20th February. Our annual ‘Ladies Night’ was held on Monday, 13th February. Once again, this fell near St. Valentine’s Day and we enjoyed welcoming our partners and visitors, and treating them to a ‘special’ supper lovingly served by the men folk… Until the next time, 10
Geoff Launchbury
SO WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT LENT ANYWAY? This year, Lent began on 22nd February with Ash Wednesday which always falls in the seventh week before Easter. Lent is widely observed by Christians as a time of fasting or meditation.
Why ‘Ash Wednesday’? What do ashes have to do with anything? This recalls the Old Testament custom of putting ashes on oneself as a symbol of repentance (eg. Esther 4:1, Jeremiah 6: 26). When the early Church began to observe Lent as a period of preparation for Easter, repentance played a key part. Therefore, the wearing of ashes was adopted as a proper external sign of this inward attitude of remorse and repentance. During the Middle Ages especially, Christians began Lent by imposing ashes on the heads of the clergy and the people. Nowadays, any ashes used come from the burning of the palm crosses from Palm Sunday during the previous year’s Lent. Some churches continue this theme of repentance by the symbolic use of purple clerical dress during Lent.
What about the custom of giving up things? Lent is based on the period of 40 days spent by Jesus in the wilderness before the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee. Jesus fasted for 40 days and so his followers were encouraged to do the same thing. The early Church recommended a fast of two or three days, but, by the fourth century, people were encouraged to fast for the full 40 days. The precise nature of this ‘fasting’ varied. In general, the western Church understood ‘fasting’ as a reduced intake of food and encouraged Christians to spend time in devotional reading or attendance at church, rather than complete fasting.
What about the length of Lent? The period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Day is actually 46 days. Why not the 40 days that Jesus fasted? In the early Church, every Sunday was regarded as a celebration of the resurrection of Christ - so fasting was forbidden on a Sunday! So the period of 46 days thus consists of 40 days of fasting, plus the six Sundays which fall between Ash Wednesday and Easter Day. Finally, just before Ash Wednesday we have Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday. This reflects the many thousands of Christian housewives down the centuries who cleared out their larders immediately before the fast of Lent. The simplest way of using up all their eggs, flour and milk was to make pancakes. In some countries, the day is known as Mardi Gras and is marked by major carnivals, most famously in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 15
PARISH ORGANISATIONS SOMETHING FOR YOU? SUNDAY 10.30am Sunday School (2nd, 4th, 5th Sundays) Bubbles (3-5 years) Louise Craig 90472512 Patricia Wilson 90401066 Splash (5-8 years) Joyce Stephenson 90583381 X-treme (8-11 years) Alan Boyd 07833 391945 The Grid (11 years +) Beth Cairnduff 90874047
7.45pm Ladies Guild (3rd Wednesday) Lilias Smith 90592039
8.00pm Beatitudes Choir David Beattie 90797125
7.30pm Senior Badminton Club Jill Spratt 07754 405511
MONDAY 2.00pm Ladies Bowling Phyllis Newton 90482113
7.45pm Choir Practice Gerald Hill 90422101
2.30p.m. Afternoon Group (2nd Monday) May Preston 90489884
FRIDAY 9.45am Mums & Tots Anne Clarke 90651412
7.30pm Men’s Club Geoff Launchbury 90281204
3.45-5pm Toddler Mini Soccer 3-5yrs Tim Wareing 07740 120788
TUESDAY 10.30am Ladies Badminton Eithne Hobson 90797793
6.30pm Doves Karen McAlpine
90424390
2.00pm Ladies Badminton Kyleen Clarke 90797155
6.30pm Brownies Beth Cairnduff
90874047
8.30pm H2O Mark Wilson
90761040
8.00pm Mothers’ Union (1st Tuesday) Sandra Lowe 90808755 8.00pm Activity Group (except 1st Tuesday) Maureen Irwin 90795155
WEDNESDAY 7.30pm Bible Study Group Trevor Buchanan 90657697
THURSDAY 9.30am Art Club Bob Killen
90790210
Young Families Group (Social events as arranged) The Rector 90471514
Please note, requests for the occasional use of Church premises must first be submitted to the Premises Convenor, Alan Rogers, on 90656183 26
WHO’S WHO IN ST. COLUMBA’S PARISH WEBSITE: www.stcolumbas.down.anglican.org
RECTOR The Revd John R. Auchmuty St. Columba’s Rectory 29 King’s Road BT5 6JG Tel 028 90471514 Email johnauchmuty@btinternet.com
PEOPLE’S GLEBEWARDEN John Proctor 13 Richhill Park BT5 6HG Tel 028 90870526 Mob 07989 469773
CURATE The Revd Robert Ferris The Curatage 3 Sandown Park South BT5 6HE Tel 028 90653370 Email rferris281@gmail.com robert@stcolumbasyouth.org
SELECT VESTRY Rector, Curate, Churchwardens, Glebewardens, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Asst. Hon. Treasurer, Brian Acheson, Helen Donaghy, Victor Dukelow, Patrick Good, Jennifer Johnston, Elizabeth Leonard, Moranne Noad, Roberta Rogers, Linda Wilson
PARISH READER Karen McAlpine 10 Old Quay Court Holywood BT18 OHT Tel 028 90424390
HON. SECRETARY & PREMISES CONVENOR Alan Rogers 50 Cabin Hill Gardens BT5 7AQ Tel 028 90656183 Email alanrogers53@gmail.com
DIOCESAN LAY READER (EMERITUS) Bryn Harris 22 Dalton Glade Glen Road Comber BT23 5SZ Tel 028 91878816
HON. TREASURER Gillian Sadlier 70 Kensington Road BT5 6NG Tel 028 90403278
RECTOR’S CHURCHWARDEN Jill Gillespie 2 Cairnburn Crescent BT4 2HU Tel 028 90769508
ASST. HON. TREASURER/GIFT AID SECRETARY/FREE WILL OFFERING Murray Hunter 13 Knockdarragh Park BT4 2LE Tel 028 90761295
PEOPLE’S CHURCHWARDEN Ronny Martin 12 Cyprus Gardens BT5 6FB Tel 028 90654301
PAROCHIAL NOMINATORS Trevor Buchanan Patrick Good Elizabeth Leonard Moranne Noad
RECTOR’S GLEBEWARDEN Jim Stevenson 44 Casaeldona Rise BT6 9RA Tel 028 90583381 Mob 07973 392448
DIOCESAN SYNOD MEMBERS Victor Dukelow Patrick Good Elizabeth Leonard Moranne Noad Ross Thompson 27
ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER Gerald Hill 6 The Coaches Brown’s Brae, Croft Road Holywood BT18 OLE Tel 028 90422101
MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTOR CO-ORDINATOR John Holland Greengraves Cottage 8 Ballyrogan Park, Newtownards BT23 4SD Tel 028 91814036 PARISH WEBMASTER Ivan Roche 49 Richhill Park BT5 6HG Tel 028 95140141 Email ivan.roche@me.com
ASSISTANT ORGANIST Brian Clements 150 Sandown Road BT5 6GX Tel 028 90793641
C of I GAZETTE DISTRIBUTOR Ruth Pugh 147A King’s Road BT5 7EG Tel 028 90483459
READERS & INTERCESSORS CO-ORDINATOR Muriel Arndell 18 Kinedar Crescent BT4 3LY Tel 028 90655500
BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP NOTES Evan Preston 12 Carrowreagh Gardens Dundonald BT16 ITW Tel 028 90489884
SIDESPERSONS’ ROTA CO-ORDINATOR Rosemary Coffey 44 Thornyhill Road Killinchy BT23 6SJ Tel 028 97542198
CHURCH FLOWERS Paddy Nesbitt 30 Knockhill Park BT5 6HY Tel 028 90650716
CRÈCHE ROTA CO-ORDINATOR Suzanne Allen 9 Cabin Hill Gardens BT5 7AP Tel 028 90653511
ST. COLUMBA’S PARISH OFFICE Office Hours Wednesday & Friday 8.30am – 1.30pm Parish Secretary: Janet Johnston Tel 028 90656891
MAGAZINE EDITOR Ian Noad 36 Shandon Park BT5 6NX Tel 028 90793704 Email noadfamily@hotmail.com
Email office.knock@down.anglican.org
SAFEGUARDING TRUST The Rector, Select Vestry and Parish Leaders are committed to upholding good practice in the parish’s ministry with children and young people. Should you have cause for concern or suspicion regarding child welfare in the parish, please contact a member of the Parish Panel below, or any of the statutory agencies.
The Rector Patrick Good Elizabeth Leonard
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028 9047 1514 028 9065 6908 028 9065 3162