Our Resource Is the Gospel, and Our Aim Is Simple;
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Bolingbroke Deanery Bolingbroke Deanery GGrr aappeeVViinnee APRIL 2016 ISSUE 478 • Mission Statement The Diocese of Lincoln is called by God to faithful worship, confident discipleship and joyful service. • Vision Statement To be a healthy, vibrant and sustainable church, transforming lives in Greater Lincolnshire 50p 1 Bishop’s Letter As I sit down to write my letter to you, I do so in the same week that many of our clergy and readers have been preparing to preach on the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. It’s a familiar story from the gospel of John, which tells of Mary taking a jar of expensive perfume and, in a moment of seemingly reckless extravagance, pouring the sweet-smelling perfume over the feet of Jesus before wiping it away with her hair. This apparent waste horrifies Judas Iscariot, who will go on to betray Jesus and hand him over to the Jewish police, and ultimately to the occupying Roman Army to be crucified. It is a poignant and powerful story of human love and generosity, jealousy and betrayal. I encourage you to reach for your bible and read the story again for yourself, because it is also a wonderful illustration of the generous and extravagant God whom you and I profess, and whose love is most perfectly expressed for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate at Easter. In her care for Jesus, Mary’s actions speak of love and generosity, of honouring Jesus. By contrast, Judas is consumed by jealousy, spite and, ultimately, betrayal. The irony is that both Mary and Judas are needed in our story: Mary’s extravagance points to the overflowing generosity of God, which we see most profoundly in the death and resurrection of Jesus; it is Judas’ betrayal of Jesus that leads to Jesus’ death, making the resurrection possible. Then, as now, we find the best and the worst of humanity existing side by side. In this, the story mirrors the reality of life as you and I live it today. However, the message of the resurrection is that goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. The challenge for all of us is to hold fast to the values of love and compassion, generosity and service, particularly when the prevailing culture around us makes it hard to do so, and jealousy and spite, hatred and betrayal can seem to have the upper hand. I wish you a blessed and a happy Easter. +Christopher Lincoln (Front cover courtesy of Eresby Hall Crafters) 2 READINGS AT THE EUCHARIST Principal Service Sunday 3rd April 2nd Sunday of Easter (White) First Reading [Exodus 14.10-end; 15.20-21] Acts 5.27-32 Psalm/Canticle Psalm 118.14-end or Psalm 150 Second Reading Revelation 1.4-8 Gospel John 20.19-end The reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading. Sunday 10th April 3rd Sunday of Easter (White) First Reading [Zephaniah 3.14-end} Acts 9.1-6 [7-20] Psalm/Canticle Psalm 30 Second Reading Revelation 5.11-14 Gospel John 21.1-19 The reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading. Sunday 17th April 4th Sunday of Easter (White) First Reading [Genesis 7.1-5, 11-18; 8.6-18; 9.8-13] Acts 9.36-end Psalm/Canticle Psalm 23 Second Reading Revelation 7.9-end Gospel John 10.22-30 The reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading. Sunday 24th April 5th Sunday of Easter (White) First Reading [Baruch 3.9-15, 32-4.4 or Genesis 22.1-18] Acts 11.1-18 Psalm/Canticle Psalm 148 [or 148.1-6] Second Reading Revelation 21.1-6 Gospel John 13.31-35 The reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading. 3 Group Registers: Funerals: Spilsby Cluster Kathleen Ivy Wright 89 years Hundleby died 11.02.16 Charles Reginald Hutson 87 years Hundleby died 25.02.16 Jesse Coote 87 years Spilsby died 25.02.16 Marden Hill Cluster Harry Marsh 84 years Old Bolingbroke died 28.01.16 Arthur Spring 96 years Mavis Enderby died 29.02.16 Partney Cluster David Peter Croft 81 years Sausthorpe died 03.03.16 Stickney Cluster Christopher Wood Hagar 73 years Stickford died 29.02.16 Baptisms: Spilsby Cluster Kian James Peter O’Malley Spilsby 27.02.16 Ellie Louise Nix Spilsby 06.03.16 April Diary Dates 2nd DDP Vision Event, 10am – 12noon 4th Chapter meeting 5th Halton Holegate APCM, 7pm at church 5th Little Steeping coffee morning in church 10.30am 6th Stickney Cluster AGM in New Leake Church 6th Raithby APCM, 7pm in Village Hall 7th Somersby Church coffee morning, Somersby House, 10am 11th Partney APCM, 7pm at John Hudson’s 12th Ashby APCM? 12th Easter Songs at Manor Care Home, 2.30pm 13th Spilsby APCM, 7pm at The Vicarage, Spilsby 15th Great Steeping APCM, 7pm in church 16th ‘Trouble at the Seaside’, Stickford Community Centre 18th Hagworthingham PCC meeting, 2.30pm 18th Mavis Enderby APCM, 7pm at the Woodgate’s 18th Stickford Church Bingo 19th Little Steeping coffee morning in church 10.30am 19th The Old Rectory Home Communion, Stickney 19th Hagnaby APCM? 20th Lusby St George’s Day service 4 21st Beetle Drive in Stickney Youth Hall 22nd Sausthorpe PCC meeting, 7pm 23rd Skendleby Churchyard clean, 9am 23rd Scremby APCM, 10am at Scremby Manor 23rd Old Bolingbroke Coffee Morning in church, 10.30am 23rd East Keal jumble sale in church, 12 noon 23rd St George’s Quiz, St James Church, 7pm 26th Candlesby APCM, 7pm at Candlesby House 27th Team Worship meeting, 2pm Spilsby Vicarage 27th Service Rota meeting, 7pm, Spilsby Vicarage 28th Rural Dean’s meeting May Diary Dates 3rd Raithby Village Hall coffee morning, 10.30am 3rd Little Steeping coffee morning in church 10.30am 3rd DDP Planning event, 7-9pm 4th Stickney PCC 5th Ascension Day Service at Hareby 7th St James Spilsby coffee mornings start, 10am – 12 noon 7th Stickford Photographic and Art Exhibition, St Helen’s Church with May Fest at The Red Lion, Stickford 8th Stickford Photographic and Art Exhibition, St Helen’s Church 10th Parish Officer Training Day, Petwood Hotel 10th Toynton PCC meeting, 7pm 11th Coffee morning at Stickford House in aid of Cluster Funds 13th Archdeacons Visitation service at Laceby 14th Toynton All Saints Chine Supper, Chapel Room, 7pm 15th-21st Christian Aid Week 16th Hundleby PCC meeting, 2pm 16th Stickford Church Bingo 17th Little Steeping coffee morning in church 10.30am 17th The Old Rectory Communion 17th Chapter meeting 17th Archdeacon Visitation service at Sleaford 18th Archdeacon Visitation service at Freiston 21st Parish Officer Training Day at Lincoln College 21st New Leake Bingo 25th Spilsby Cluster Meeting 7pm, Spilsby Vicarage 30th East Kirkby Air Field Tombola for St Helen’s Church, Stickford 31st Little Steeping coffee morning in church 10.30am 5 Marden Hill, Partney & Spilsby Developing Discipleship Programme Saturday 2 April – Vision Event – 10am-12 noon Tuesday 3 May – Planning event – 7-9pm Wednesday 8 June – Planning event – 7-9pm Sunday 10 July – Deanery celebration service – 6pm Faithful, Confident, Joyful OUR CALLING FROM GOD is to work together across the Bolingbroke Team to RECONNECT DISPERSED COMMUNITIES with the TRANSFORMING LOVE OF JESUS through our FELLOWSHIP, INCLUSIVENESS & SERVICE Agree? Next Meeting of Discipleship Vision 2/4/16 May 1 – 2 – Rev Fran is undertaking a sponsored walk from Lincoln to Boston along the Water Rail Way to raise funds for the Stickney Cluster Parish Share. Can you sponsor her? Either contact her by phone (01205 481183), by email ([email protected] ) or visit her Just Giving Page: www.justgiving.com/FrancesJeffriesWaterRailWay DEANERY CONFIRMATION SERVICE St James’ Church, Spilsby Sunday 22nd May at 10.00am If anyone is interested in being confirmed please contact Fr Peter on 01790 752526 for more information 6 Eastville Churchyard Eastville Churchyard has been returned to the Parish. “Where did it go” you might ask. The Church Commissioners have been in control of it whilst the Church was being closed and demolished. The footprint of the Church has been preserved, and there is an information board in place explaining the site. Our photographs show Alan Guthrie Jones from the Church Commissioners handing the site back to Elaine Harrison and Vicky Waltham representing the Parish on a beautifully sunny day in the middle of February. St Andrew’s Church, Little Steeping COFFEE MORNINGS 10.30am in church th th Tuesday 5 April Tuesday 19 April rd th st Tuesday 3 May Tuesday 17 May Tuesday 31 May 7 Raithby Village Hall Volunteers Wanted:- Tuesday Coffee Morning For Lifeboat collections round 10.30am – 12noon Toynton St Peter. If you can help please contact 5th April & 3rd May Simon Enderby on 01507 588674 Team Tennyson’s Birthplace are proud to present A Coffee Morning and Cake and Savouries Sale on Thursday the 7th of April in Somersby House from 10.00-12.00 This annual event will be held at Somersby House, the birthplace and home of Tennyson during his formative years. We will have a range of cakes and savouries on offer, and feel welcome to bring and buy. Everyone is welcome. All funds raised will be donated to the Fabric Fund of the ‘Tennyson’ heritage church of St. Margaret, Somersby. ARCHDEACONS’ VISITATION SERVICES 2016 Friday 13th May St Margaret’s Church, Laceby (DN37) Tuesday 17th May St Deny’s Church, Sleaford (NG34) Wednesday 18th May St James’ Church, Freiston (PE22) Parish Officer Training Days 2016 Tuesday 10th May Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa (LN10) Saturday 21st May Lincoln College, Lincoln (LN2) These days are an opportunity aimed at parish officers to receive practical training and guidance on specific aspects of their roles and to reflect with others on ministry in their parishes.