The New Family Service at St. John’s Church

St Johns has had a long and glorious tradition of good music and worshipful services. However, one of the major purposes of the Church is to share and pass on the love that can be known in Christ and his community. The divide between the music and worship traditionally loved in the church and what gives life to many in our community has become larger and larger. In an effort to update and provide a worship experience that may be shared by all, we are initiating a new service at 9:30a.m. Sunday March 7th.

The service will be short, 45 minutes or so, lively, with great music lead by a worship group. (We are looking for a guitarist and a drummer to be part of the group.) The teachings will be relevant to all of us and often conversational. And it will be service where every age group is welcomed (yes, even if keeping quiet is not yet an acquired skill ). Yes, it will be fun. There will be quiet and serious moments, but if worshipping someone who loves us cannot be fun as well, He is not the God I know. In His presence is the fullness of Joy. There will be refreshments immediately following the service and chance to greet one another.

Come on March 7th and the first Sunday of each month at 9:30a.m. and see what is happening. Those of you who love what you have always known, come and see. Those of you who may have written off the church services or the church community, come and see.

CHURCH MUSIC AT ST JOHN’S

On 7th March the organist will be David Grierson, former direct of music at Shaftesbury Upper School.

We need to congregation to tell us if they know anyone who might be interested in becoming our organist, and also to support choral evensong. It is a wonderful meditative and musical form of worship.

Focus Clergy Notes
March 2010

One Possibility for Lenten Giving

Bishop David is retiring this summer. He has asked us to give whatever we might have put aside for a leaving gift for him to the Bishop Gwynne Theological College in the Sudan. This college will train badly needed clergy for the Sudan. Clergy will be trained in theology and agriculture as growing food is also very important. The College needs £66,000 to get its facilities fully up and running again after the years of war. Rev. Trevor and Tina Stubbs, my Team Rector and his wife in Bridport, are heading up the re-building of the College in the Sudan.

The Nadder Valley Team clergy had already decided to make the rebuilding of this college the focus of our Lent appeal/Lent boxes. It is Bishop David’s hope that we, as a diocese, will raise this money by Easter or at least by June. I would like to add my encouragement to you to join in this very worthy project. While we will be having a few special collections to support this, please feel free to make donations at any time. Please give generously, as you so often do for the charities we support. Please make any donations payable to St. John the Baptist church. If you are able to make your gift aided, it will allow us to collect and raise an additional 27% for the College. Bless you all.

Come to the Lent Lunches. Wednesdays at 12 Noon. Hinton Hall. A simple soup lunch in support of ????????.

Thursdays 7:30PM , Living ‘Fully Alive’ in the Sacred Heart Reading Room until Easter. Sponsored by all your local churches. 6 evenings of short presentations followed by reflection on living a life that is ‘Fully Alive’. Come for one evening or all of them. Lead by the local clergy. Ends March 25th.

March 7th , new Family Service 9:30AM St. John’s Church. Come and join us for an informal service. For the whole family. 45 minutes with refreshments immediately after the service. Great music. Call Andrew, 870 312 if you have any questions.

March 14th, Mothering Sunday. Come and celebrate everyone who helps us to become better than we are. Usually, it is our mothers who can see better for us than we can see for ourselves. But, this Sunday we say thank you to all who nurture us. Do come and start your Mothering Sunday celebrations with a service of thanksgiving and worship.

March 14, 4PM, St. Johns Church . Songs of Praise, ‘Sing for Life’. Come and sing 50 of your favorite verses/hymns in one sitting in support of leukemia sufferers. (Anthony Nolan Trust). You can also be involved by sponsoring someone or by contributing to have your favorite hymn sung.

March 15th , 7:30PM Ecumenical Healing Service in St. Johns. Come with whatever you bring and receive prayer for healing and wholenss. Helen Caine will be speaking, and God will be healing.

March 28th, Palm Sunday Procession, beginning at 9:15 in front of the Methodist Church. Service begins at 9:30 at St. Johns with a dramatic reading of the Passion of Christ.

March 29th , Monday, 7:30PM Come to St. Johns Church for FREE cantata, “No Greater Love” performed by the New Sarum Singers. This one hour presentation presents the Easter story through a narrator and a 50 person choir. A retiring offering will be taken for the Bishop Gwynne Theological College . Good for all ages.

BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN FINALIST TO PLAY AT TISBURY

Cordelia Williams will be giving a piano recital at St John's at 7.30pm on Saturday 8th May. Cordelia was a BBC Young Musician finalist in 2006, the same year that she made her Wigmore Hall debut. Since then she has played at home and abroad, in solo recitals and with ensembles such as the City of London Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia and Endellion String Quartet. She has performances planned with the Fitzwilliam Quartet and London Mozart Players. Her programme on 8th May will be:

Bach: Toccata in D BWV912
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit
Beethoven: Six Bagatelles op. 126
Chopin: Sonata no.3 in B minor

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear an outstanding young pianist near the beginning of her career. The critic Antony Hopkins said of her – “ I cannot imagine a more perfect performance of the Liszt and Chopin – superb!”.
Tickets £8 from Sam Wiggs, The Rookery, 72 High Street, Ansty, SP3 5QD

Please make cheques payable to “Tisbury PCC” and enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

On 17th July Cordelia will be returning to St John’s for a song recital with the baritone Ashley Riches. If you would like tickets for both concerts please send £15 per person.