Parish Notes - Sunday 25th April (4th Sunday of Easter)

I hope you have all made a note of the first of two very special events that June is organising in May.  Tickets for the Help for Heroes Quiz Night on Sat 8^th May at 7.30 pm are selling fast!  June’s quiz nights are always popular and good fun evenings so please come along – even if you are on your own, you won’t be for long!

Christian Aid Week 9 – 15^th May

The Rev. Ruth Mitchell has kindly offered to host a special Christian Aid Service at 6.30 pm on Sun 9^th May at United Reform Church , Bradleigh Avenue to which everyone is invited.

As you know, the people of Stifford are always very generous in their support of this important week and in our congregations we have a small number of willing volunteers (!) who turn out each year to help with the distribution and collection of envelopes throughout the parish.  However, we always need more help!  If you can spare just an hour or so during the week to help, please, please contact me, Brenda, on GT 376580.  Thank you.  I’m afraid I will not be around for quite a few weeks because of a whole lot of family commitments but I shall still be beavering away in the background, so don’t wait to see me in Church ‘cos I won’t be there, but please give me a ring!

The second event arranged by June this month is of course the special Coffee Pot Club in aid of Christian Aid Week.  This is a really easy and enjoyable way of supporting the charity if you are unable to help with the door to door collection.  Simply turn up at the parish hall on Sat 15^th May between 8.30 and 11.15 am, bring a friend if you can, and enjoy an excellent selection of hot drinks, light refreshments and lots of friendly chat!  I can guarantee that you will enjoy it and you will also have the opportunity of browsing through the table top sale for a bargain or a jolly good read in the book section!!  See you there!

Dates for your Diary: - * See posters in church for more details.

8^th May Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith * conference, Billericay

The next Alpha Course starts Tue 25^th May, 8-9.30pm, hosted at St Clements, W. Thurrock (lifts provided).  Does God Exist?  Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a Saturday away.  You can come along on the first week to see if it is something that you might find helpful. Give it a try - ask Andy for more details.

Summer is fast approaching and our thoughts turn to Summer Fetes!   We will, as usual, have a stall at the North Stifford Village Fete on Sat 12^th June and of course we have our own Parish Fete on Sat 17^th July.  Please put these dates in your diaries and think about what you can do to help.  Thelma is finalising arrangements for the Village fete and is really hoping that as many of us as possible will be able to help with donating prizes for the tombola.  Please bring along anything you would like to donate as soon as possible to give Thelma and her team time to label everything up.  Just leave them in either church with a note – rest assured they will find their way to Thelma!

Funerals

Please pray for the family and friends of those whose funerals have been conducted during the last three weeks…

08/04/10 Mrs Florence Cottis of Crawford Avenue , Stifford Clays

09/04/10 Mrs Jean Hayman of The Barn & Coach House, N. Stifford

April Birthdays

1^st Mick Haggar:  2^nd Lillian Netting:  11^th Terry Ward:  14^th Enid Dipper & Alice Deighton:  20^th Allen Suddell:  22^nd Charlie Bifield:

If you would like to add anything to this pewsheet, please contact Brenda Smallcombe on 376580 or Brendasmallcombe@hotmail.co.uk

Parish Notes - Sunday 18th April (3rd Sunday of Easter)