SERVICES & PRIVATE PRAYER PEWS NEWS NOVEMBER 2020 The Benefice

th nd St Mary Magdalene with Stuchbury and St Sunday 15 November – 2 Sunday before Advent Lawrence , St James the Great Syresham

with St John the Evangelist Whitfield, 10am Online Praise & Prayer with St Mary & St Peter Lois Weedon with Weston and Bill Elkington Plumpton, and St Mary the Virgin . www.astwellparishes.org.uk Sunday 22nd November – Christ the King https://www.facebook.com/astwellbenefice/ 10am Online Morning Prayer with Revd Diane th Sunday 29th November – Advent Sunday Sunday 8 November 2020 10am Online Morning Prayer with Revd Diane Remembrance Day

PRIVATE PRAYER FOLLOWING THE PRIME MINISTER’S

St Mary Magdalene, Helmdon will be open 10-12 RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT, AND IN noon on Sundays, and 12 -2pm on Wednesdays. ACCORDANCE WITH CHURCH OF INSTRUCTIONS, ALL St Mary the Virgin, Wappenham will be open 10am–4pm on Sundays. CHURCHES ARE NOW CLOSED FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. St James the Great, Syresham will be open on ‘ONLINE’ SERVICES WILL BE HELD Thurs, Fri and Sat during daylight hours, and on Sunday mornings. INSTEAD AND PRIVATE PRAYER IS STILL PERMITTED IN CHURCH

St Mary & St Peter, Lois Weedon will be open (please see back page for details)

9am-3pm on Sundays and, by arrangement, on Wednesdays 9am-3 pm. REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICES St John the Evangelist, Whitfield will be closed throughout November due to problems with This year, as we cannot hold our normal electricity. services, Revd Diane will broadcast a live-streamed service, via Zoom and BENEFICE CONTACTS Facebook, at 10.45am. The names of Rector: those from our parishes who have died Revd Diane Whittaker in the service of their country will be Tel: 01327 226245 [email protected] (pls note new email address) read out, and a two-minute silence will be observed at 11am. A service booklet Wiggy Smith, Reader ([email protected]) Paul Stothard, Reader ([email protected]) is available with this Pews News. Bill Elkington ([email protected]): Lay chair and Benefice PCC To access the service, please use this Zoom link: Judith Elkington ([email protected]): BPCC, BRICC, Deanery & Benefice Communications https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85894936136?pwd=Y Alice Palmer ([email protected]): All financial matters W5qSWo4MEw5Q1dvUG9WWTdabkNjdz09 Sarah Rudkin ([email protected]): Service cover, Pews News, Benefice Calendar, baptisms, Meeting ID: 858 9493 6136 Passcode: 011195 weddings & general enquiries. Churchwardens (for individual church matters): https://www.facebook.com/astwellbenefice/ Helmdon: Bill Elkington ([email protected]) Lois Weedon & Weston: Frank Hunter ([email protected]) Radstone: Penny Bonner ([email protected]) Syresham: Malcolm Orr-Ewing ([email protected]) Wappenham: Edwin King ([email protected]) & Sheena Warren ([email protected]) Whitfield: Claire Bonner ([email protected])

A Message from Revd Diane Meeting the Rector

Dear All, As I can no longer visit, unless I am invited to someone who especially needs prayer support, I was wondering As you are now aware, Church services have been if anyone would be interested in meeting me for a included in the English lockdown provisions, socially distanced walk, so that I can get to know meaning that we are now unable to have services in people a little better. Please do get in touch if you church during November. Churches will still be would like to arrange a day and time to meet for a open for private prayer at the times previously walk. agreed during the previous lockdown. In addition, we will be having a Zoom based service each I am always available for a chat via phone if walking is Sunday, beginning this Sunday with a not an option! Remembrance Day service. The times and details are printed in Pews News. Finally – my prayers are with all of you as we go through this coming month. Prayer for the Nation God bless, The Archbishops have invited all Christians to join in a daily prayer for the nation at 6pm each day – Diane the prayers are on the Church of England website - https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media- centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance- churches/call-prayer-nation. Prayers by Florence Gundle

Please do join with me in praying at 6pm each day We pray for the world during this global from Monday 9th November. I have set up a zoom pandemic as countries contemplate fresh prayer meeting code for those who would like to lockdowns amid the surge of new Covid-19 join me ‘virtually’, but even if you aren’t connected deaths. We pray particularly for France, where to the internet, please pray for our country at that there’s a record number of new cases. And time each day. especially for refugee camps in Syria, where the cases have risen tenfold. We ask for Your hope, in The themes are: Sunday – Family, friends and loved ones place of our despair. Send your love to those in Monday – Schools and colleges, children and young need of hope people Tuesday – Elderly, isolated and vulnerable Grant us open eyes, minds, and hearts: for all that Wednesday – Businesses, the workplace and we can learn during this uncertain time, for new economic wellbeing understanding, for abundant generosity, and for Thursday – The NHS and other key workers more love, that we may learn to truly be Your Friday – National and local government beloved community. Saturday – All who are grieving and all suffering with physical and mental ill health We bring before you today those in need of your Zoom details for Prayer for the Nation healing hand. Hold their hearts within yours, and renew their mind, body, and soul. Give them the Join Zoom Meeting strength to move forward. Guide them towards https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89034076266?pwd=N better health, and give them the wisdom to mZSanZ6NUQ2K0YwQ1NRV2xUQ0IvQT09 identify those around them who will do whatever they can to help. Meeting ID: 890 3407 6266 Passcode: 545720 Sometimes it is hard to not be dismayed and

Dial by your location anxious and so we ask that you carry our fears +44 203 901 7895 and lift our burdens. Lead us as we try to be +44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom spreaders of hope, peace, and understanding, as +44 203 051 2874 United Kingdom we kindle new connections and rebuild old +44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom relationships. For your infinite love we are +44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom forever grateful.

Find your local number: Amen. https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kKp0drZf

TO HOLD IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:

We bring before our loving heavenly Father those in our villages and others we know who are unwell, recovering from illness and all those who need our prayers for any reason during this difficult time:

From Helmdon: Joyce Beech, Philip Gulliver, Emma, Jon, Ellouise, Lilly & James, Barbara Buxton, Diane Thorpe, Vanessa Vicars, John Thorne, Alison & Cara, Margaret Reardon, David Bowen-Jones & Kathy Quiney.

From Lois Weedon: Joan Jacobs, Lis Cockrell, Jeremy “Jez” Wilcox, Ernie Wheeler & Colin James.

From Syresham: Derek Hollyoake, Peter Sims, John & Ann Widdowson & Collette Andrewartha.

From Wappenham: Judy King and Claire Kennett.

For those known to us: Pauline Collis, Christopher Carr, Evelyn Johnson, Jonnie D’Arcy, James Smillie, Peter Sheen, Roger Cane, Penny Bonnymeade, Barbara Whitlock, Ollie Dotterill, Marina & Froede Amundsen and Cara Wilson.

Please pray for those bereaved, and the family & friends of:

Christine Cason, Jack Hawkins, John Snow, Pat Johnson, Maurice Tucker, David Sheppard, Steve Goodwin, Dorothy D'Alton (nee Abbot), Sally Gore, Teresa Fleetwood, James Gadd, Ron Pratt, Margaret Hinton, Judith Allen, Marcus Durant, Tom Samways, Greg Oles, Mike Durant, Stewart Gundle, Ian Kidd, Richard Tims, Peter Payne, Ivan Hathaway, Robin Oliver, Sue Corbishley, Jason Holt & Shirley Holt, Dennis Hackett, Dick Wilson, Mark Kilby, Keith Hawkins. Also, for the Bearman family, Susan Clarke & family, Kathryn and Peter Oliver, & Geoff and Jo Abbey.

Also, please pray for the work of the Beacon Centre, the Wolverton Mission, the Hope Centre, Katharine House Hospice, Northampton Women's Aid and The Women’s Refuge. We also continue to pray for all refugees fleeing persecution, all victims of terror, and all those affected by the Covid-19 virus.