'Spring Clean' up time.

Tomorrow, Saturday 1st August not only starts a new month but it is also the start of St Mary's Church Spring Clean. All volunteers are asked to come to the church tomorrow at 10am with cleaning equipment. Muscles are needed to move all the chairs especially. You will not be expected to clean from the roof to the floor however - the high points have been done already. See the view from the church roof.

Spring Cleaning the Church Hall will begin next Saturday, 8th Aug. and will continue throughout the week, as there is more to do. Again volunteers are asked to come when they can starting from 10am. Everyone is welcome to come and help. Don't forget! This Sunday, 2nd Aug. is the Teatime Sunday Barbecue for young families at 4.00pm. It is NOT in the Church Hall this month. For details please call Colin or Brenda on 07552 160505 or 07753 180340, but hurry!

West Leake Church's Country Fayre

Don't forget, this weekend is West Leake Church's Country Fayre on the Village Green on Sunday, 26th July at 2pm, followed by Songs of Praise at 6pm.

Help to set up and donations of cakes, tombola prizes and 'White Elephant' items would be much appreciated. Please support our Benefice churches.

For those on holiday away from home, may God protect you on your travels and bring you safely back refreshed.

Holiday time, but St Mary's is still here for you.

While the Rector takes a well earned break, we enjoyed yesterday's service by the new Area Dean, Revd John Bentham.

A short service took place just beforehand, for several Churchwardens from other churches who were unable to attend the swearing in at the Archdeacon's Visitation in Nottingham on 19th May. Some were able to join us for the service while others needed to get back to their own churches. A Churchwarden's life is a busy one!

The blog may be quieter than usual depending on our activities during the holidays, but you can be sure we will notify you or bring you updates on the events. If you have any questions, please contact the Rector or email us at stmarys@eastleake.net

Services will continue at 8.00am and 9.30am each Sunday unless otherwise notified. Please watch for notices on our new noticeboard outside the church on Main Street.

From August 1st, our congregation will be working hard to give both the Church and the Hall a Spring Clean ready for September. Volunteers will be needed for light dusting and sweeping duties first of all in the Church on Saturday, 1st August. All help is welcome.

From Saturday 8th August, volunteers will be needed in the Hall for cleaning and touching up the paintwork. Now the repair work is finished, it is planned to prepare the hall for community use in September. If you can help, please come along. Work will continue during the week too if you can't make it on Saturday.

Acorns' 'Big Toddle' Success!

We are pleased to announce that the Acorns' 'Big Toddle' raised the grand sum of £132 for Barnado's. Well done to all the children and the grownups they brought along!

I'm sure they all enjoyed the Teddy Bear's Picnic this week before they finished for the Summer. Acorns will start again on Sept. 6th.

Tomorrow, Sunday 19th July, we welcome our new Area Dean, Revd John Bentham to preside and preach at our 9.30am service at St Mary's.

Sunday will also be Bishop George Cassidy's Farewell Service at Southwell Minsters at 3.30pm. He will be missed by all who met him and we wish him good health to enjoy his retirement.

School's out for the summer!

School ends for the summer this week in Leicestershire (10th July) or next week Nottinghamshire (17th). So please be aware that there will be a lot of excited youngsters around the village who may be more interested in their holidays than watching where they are going. Calling all Acorns! Don't forget the Teddy Bear's Picnic on Tues. 14th July at St Mary's Hall. This Saturday and Sunday is Rempstone Steam Rally and Rempstone church is asking for donations of cakes, preserves and paperbacks for their stall. There is also a concert at Rempstone Church on Saturday at 7.30pm by Global Harmony. Please support our Benefice churches. Worship in the Benefice. Please note that during July and August when many people are on holiday, there will not be the full complement of services around the Benefice. Please take the opportunity to share in the worship at other churches in our group of parishes. There will also be special services where everyone is invited to join together in worship.

Congratulations, Claire!

Yesterday was sunny, warm and bright for all attending the Ordination Service at Southwell Minster for the eleven Ordinands. The Minster was full of friends and families and the service was very uplifting. Claire, as usual was beaming her wonderful smile and was enjoying the day, even if she was very tired after all the preparations.

We were treated to some joyful singing in celebration after the service ended but unfortunately were unable to see those performing.

Bishop George Cassidy, seen here with Revd Claire Goode, participated in what must have been one of his last Ordinations as he is due to retire imminently. We all wish him well.

This is most of the group who attended the service to support Claire, which included members from the S. Notts. Cluster churches, the majority of whom travelled by bus to Southwell.

St Lawrence's Church was also full to bursting this morning to attend Claire's first service of Holy Communion.

Ordination at Southwell Minster on Saturday, 4th July.

This Saturday, Revd Claire Goode will be ordained at Southwell Minster surrounded by her friends and family. We wish her well and will hold her in our prayers, particularly this weekend. On Sunday, Claire will hold her first Holy Communion Service at St. Lawrence's Church, Gotham at 11.00am. This will be followed by a 'Bring and Share' lunch, hopefully in the Rectory Garden at Gotham if this fine, sunny weather holds.

Places at Southwell Minster have already been reserved for those planning to go, and a bus has been arranged to take those mainly from East Leake. All seats have now been paid for and reserved on the bus too.

Work has been going on at the church and St Mary's Hall throughout the year and you may have noticed that St Mary's has a new noticeboard placed near the entrance on Main Street. The Hall has now had all its repairs completed to the roof and interior, and volunteers are planning to give it a Spring Clean through the summer starting August 8th. All volunteers to help would be welcome.

N.B. Tea Time Sunday for July will welcoming young families again this Sunday, 5th July at 4.00pm.

Events coming up:

Sat 11th and Sun. 12th July is Rempstone Steam Rally. Rempstone Church will be there and are asking for any contributions of cakes, preserves and paper-back books. Call Gloria on 880073. Please help if you can.

Also on Sat. 11th July at 7.30pm, Stanford Church will host a concert by Global Harmony.

We are sad to announce the death of former Associate Priest in the East Leake Benefice, Revd John Plumptre. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, 8th July at 2.30pm, at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough.