Helping our Community

East Leake Parish Council are running their annual Litter Pick on Saturday.  Why not come along and join some of us from St Mary's to help our community?  Be at the Parish Office just before 10.00am on Saturday morning, 2nd April, when you'll be given all the tools you need.  Hopefully, it will be a sunny, warm day for the work. Every little helps.

Then if you've planned ahead and bought your tickets, you can sit comfortably and listen to the Nottingham Concert Band in the church from 7.30pm giving their 'Spring Fever' concert.

Sunday, 3rd April will be Mothering Sunday and there will be a special service for our Mother Church, Mary, the Mother of Jesus and thanks for our own Mothers.  This Sunday is also called 'Refreshment Sunday' when those in service were given time off from their work to visit their Home Church and their mother.

Next Wednesday, 6th April, the bells may be ringing as we welcome visiting bellringers from Stoke on Trent at 1.30pm.

Please consider running for election for the 2011 P.C.C. or as a Churchwarden as many of those already involved will have completed their term of office.  There is under 2 weeks left before the APCGM.  You will have lots of support and assistance from everyone, so take the plunge and say 'Yes'.  Pray about it and see if God is giving you a little nudge to do your part in your church.

Nottingham Band Concert 'Spring Fever' - Sold Out!

Please note: Tickets for the 'Spring Fever' concert at St Mary's Church on Saturday 2nd April by Nottingham Concert Band are now sold out.  This promises to be a very entertaining evening.

Concert time and change your clocks!

DON'T FORGET TO MOVE YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR THIS WEEKEND!

Fri. 25th March, 7.30pm, St Mary's Church - Mothers' Union Lady Day Service.

This Saturday, Liz Babbs and Simeon Wood of  'Celtic Treasures' will be performing at St Lawrence Church, Gotham at 7.30pm.  Tickets - Adults £7, Children 16 or under £5. See www.lizbabbs.com/ .

Saturday, 2nd April 'Spring Fever', Nottingham Concert Band will be performing at St Mary's Church, East Leake at 7.30pm with music for everyone. Tickets are £7 for adults.  Please contact Rosemary on 856202 or email stmarys@eastleake.net for tickets.  Hurry, numbers are limited.

Saturday 26th 10.30am -3.00pm Sale at Holy Cross Convent, Rempstone.  Our friends from the Convent have now moved into their new home in Costock, but there will be a sale of items from the Convent at Rempstone. We do not have the date for their official move, but our prayers and best wishes go with them at this exciting and very busy time.

Election time and your PCC.

Yesterday was the deadline for all those worshipping regularly at St Mary's Church.  Once registered, you are entitled to stand for election and/or vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on April 11th at 7.30pm in the church.

If you want to know what a P.C.C. does, there is a leaflet at the back of church that explains, or you could just ask someone who is already on the PCC. Everyone is welcome whatever their skills or abilities to get involved in the life of the church as ALL are important - part of the body of Christ.

Lots of helpers are needed to share the roles within the church and YOU could just the one we need.  The tasks are not onerous because the load is shared.  After all, the Rector can't be expected to do EVERYTHING!

We had a great visit from Bishop Tony and his wife, Lucille yesterday and have another special service coming up next Sunday with Robert Ingles of the Gideons at 9.30am. Why not come and join us?

Lent services begin on Tues. 15th March, 7.30pm St Mary's Church - Churches Together Lent Reflective Service.
The York Lent Course started this afternoon at Costock - contact Sue Waterston for details.

Meanwhile, plans are going ahead for the Easter Club for the children 18th-20th April. Remember the fun last year with Showstoppers?  Well, get ready for another good time when the theme will be Champion's Challenge, so put it in your diary.

Tomorrow, we welcome pupils from Lantern Lane School, East Leake, who will be shown around the church by members of East leake and District Local History Society.
We hope you have a lovely visit to our Parish Church.

Welcome to Bishop Tony.

Tomorrow, we welcome the Rt Revd Tony Porter, Bishop of Sherwood and his wife to share our Worship Together service at 9.30am at St Mary's Church.

The first of our Churches Together Lent Reflective Services begins at St Mary's on Tuesday, 15th March at 7.30pm.
Please check our website for details of where the other Lent services will take place in the East Leake churches - see What's On?

Also Mondays 14th 2.00pm Lent Course at Costock.
Mon 14th 2.15pm Mother’s Union, St Mary’s Church. Visit to Natal – Val Hopkins

Are you an activist? If not, you could be.

Activists come in all types, but the kind of activist we're talking about are those who are doing as Christ told us - getting involved in our community, helping others, standing up for injustice.
Jesus was an activist and did just that.
He stood up for what was right and most important, he did God's will.

Some of the ways you can become an activist are listed below.

Did you know:

There is a Litter Pick in April around East Leake? We need a clean and tidy place to live. Watch out for further details.

Community Care is a local organisation where many people volunteer to support those in the community. They visit those who can't get out and about, provide transport for hospital and Drs appointments, run coffee mornings (St Mary's is on Friday mornings) etc.
Check out their page on the village website if you'd like to help, or need help. http://www.east-leake.co.uk/communitycareassocia.html

Religious Education is under threat in our secondary schools! The government is planning the new Baccalaureate, but plans to omit Religious Education from the Humanities options i.e. History and Geography. 
There is a petition on http://www.reactcampaign.co.uk/ website. Please add your name to this petition so that R.E. will continue to be taught in schools and be part of the new qualification.  This is really important!

So, to be an activist so far, all you need to do is, one day of litter picking with lots of others, contact the Community Care people to see what you can do, and sign your name on a petition!  That's not so hard.
Christians are just like everyone else, and they do care about their neighbours, their community and are prepared to do something about it. 
Come on and join St Mary's and all the churches together in East Leake.

Lent, music and the Bishop!

This Sunday, 6th March is the last Sunday before Lent begins next week - services at 8.00am, 9.30am.  There will be a Teatime Sunday session in St Mary's Hall for those with young families later at 4.00pm. 

I wonder if they'll have pancakes for tea?

Tuesday, 8th is Shrove Tuesday followed by Ash Wednesday when there will be two services at St Mary's for the Imposition of ashes, 10.00am and 7.30pm .

Also, this Sunday the Community Choir will give a concert at 3.00pm in the church. Come along and support the choir after all their hard efforts over the past six weeks.

DON'T FORGET!  There will be a very special service at 9.30am - Worship Together with the Rt Revd Tony Porter, Bishop of Sherwood on the following Sunday, 13th March, the first Sunday of Lent.

Calling all Churchyard teams! And anyone else who would like to join them from 9.00am-12noon. - This Saturday, 5th March will be the first get together of all the teams to start work on tidying up the churchyard.  If it's wet, they will meet on the following Saturday, 12th.