Welcome Claire.

Claire Goode, our new Curate for the 12 parishes in the South Notts. Cluster will be ordained this Sunday at Southwell Minster at 11.00am. Everyone is welcome to go and support her and her family. For those who can't get to Southwell, there will be a joint Cluster Service with Claire at St Mary's at 6.00pm.

There will be a Cluster All Age service at St Michael's, Sutton Bonington at 10.30am for those not going to Southwell.

And now for the Bad news! Lead thieves have struck a second time at St John the Baptist church, Stanford on Soar. Please keep watch on our churches for those who would steal from us all. Insurance covers most of the costs but each church has to deal with the consequences and find the remaining funds.

JULY. Next week starts a new month and summer holidays for many. This is when criminals and mischief-makers take advantage of people being away. Please be aware. We can all be good neighbours keeping watch on each other's homes as well as our churches and public areas.

N.B. The Abbot Club will not be meeting at the Nags Head this month. However, there will be a barbecue and the opportunity to meet the Link Officer, Moses Thabete, from Natal on Thursday, 3rd July at 7.30pm. If you received an invitation on Fathers Day, you will be most welcome. Please contact Colin on 853655.

Reaching out to the community.

It may have rained on the parade, but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of all those involved in East Leake's Carnival on Saturday. A great number of families turned out in spite of the wet weather.

East Leake Churches Together gave away hundreds of jam tarts, bookmarks etc. and paper crowns from their stall on the Green.


Churches Together & East Leake's Community Care Association's new Befriending Group had a lot of interest from those entering the Church Hall for their welcome cup of tea and cake. The aim of the service is for people over 60 years of age living in East Leake, to reduce social isolation and loneliness

You can have a friendly face visit you at home for a listening ear and chat, or become a volunteer visitor. There will be an informal coffee morning at the Parish Council Offices on Saturday, 28th June, 10am-noon if you'd like to call in. If you can't make it, call 07505 733399 for more details.

Revd Canon Terry Joyce visited on Sunday and gave us an insight to our Curate, Claire Goode's training. N.B. There will be no 9.30am service next Sunday to enable the congregation to attend Claire's ordination at Southwell Minster. Instead, an all-age service will be held at St Michael's, Sutton Bonington at 10.30am.

The Revd Moses Thabete and his family from Natal, will also be with us for the Ordination and the Welcome Service. Please come and welcome them. (Further details to come on their visit).

This week:

• Tues. 24th, 1.30pm. Acorns' mothers and toddlers - meet at the Hall for the 'Big Toddle' in aid of Barnados.
• 2.45pm - Children's Society, Afternoon Tea and Box Opening.
• Wed. 25th, 10.00am - Holy Communion
• Thurs. 26th 9.30-11.30am - Lantern Lane School visit St Mary's.
• Sat. 28th 2.00pm. - Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Ann Lancaster.

Midsummer

This Sunday we welcome Revd. Canon Terry Joyce, the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, to our 9.30am service, who will preach on the subject of vocations.

Saturday hopefully, will be a sunny day for the East Leake Carnival, which has a nursery rhyme theme this year. The Churches Together group will have a stall giving away jam tarts and literature, for their theme of 'The Queen of Hearts, made some tarts, all on a summer's day'. Come along and join the fun. The parade starts at 4.15pm from the Leisure Centre to St Mary's Church area.

St Mary's Hall will host a display by the Local History Group and the new, Befriending Group. Teas, coffees and squash will be served with cakes by the St Mary's Women's Group in the Hall.

Sunday 22nd is Open Gardens day from 2pm - 5.pm. Posters on St Mary's Hall door and the Co-op for further details.

Congratulations!

Three ladies from our congregation, Judith, Ann and Margaret, celebrated their 70th birthdays last Saturday. Revd David and Janet Gorick also celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Many of the congregation, ex members of the congregation and friends were invited and filled the church.




The evening was a happy occasion led by three young ladies with beautiful voices, Felicity, Adriana and Elizabeth who serenaded us with music from the opera and operettas, supported by Claire on the keyboard.

Great Father's Day!

I don't know where they all came from, but our Father's Day had LOTS of fathers, step-dads, grandfathers and sons there as we'd hoped.

We also welcomed a great number of families and some old friends who were visiting.

Tim Friend, the Sports Adviser for the Diocese brought some fun in his message for fathers showing us missed football goals, but said missing the goal isn't everything.

The bacon rolls served from the gazebo were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and each father also received a chocolate bar at the end of the service.

There was also a lot of fun on the Saturday night when 5 members of our congregation celebrated three 70th Birthdays and a Golden Wedding Anniversary. Watch the next blog for more details!

Please note: that work on the Bley Tomb on the south side of the church begins today, when new railings will surround the tomb as before. See further details on www.east-leake.co.uk

Don't forget Father's Day on Sunday!

Don't forget Father's Day service with Tim Friend on Sunday at 9.30am.

Our active Mothers' Union branch welcomed the Woodborough Branch last Monday.

Acorns, St Mary's Mother and Toddler Group, met on Tuesday, as they do alternate Tuesdays. They meet in St Mary's Hall (see left) at 1.30pm for songs, stories and activities. If you would like to spend an afternoon with other mothers and their babies and toddlers, you are welcome to just come along. It's free!

Would you like an evening of entertainment? The Saltmine Theatre Company are presenting 'The Cross and the Switchblade' at Loughborough Town Hall tonight (Thursday) at 7.45pm. Tickets are £10 (£8 Concessions).

Talents are for using.

It was a busy weekend at St Mary's and there's more to come!

There were approximately 40 people at the 'Meet the Mothers' Union' event on Friday evening. Several expressed an interest in joining or rejoining after a presentation, video and refreshments. Sue Waterstone also gave a talk on her visit to Natal and 'a good time was had by all'.

On yesterday's Commitment Sunday at the 9.30am service, the 'First Fruits' responses were being received, for those wishing to contribute their resources, time and talents to the work of the church. The existing, hardworking teams look forward to sharing the load, as many hands make light work.

Sunday evening at 6.00pm the Combined Benefice Service of Praise was held to mark John Sprake becoming Reader Emeritus, and to celebrate his gift of music. The music for the evening was from his recently published book of hymns. Our regular services already include his music. We are very lucky to have John using his wonderful talents for our church. Do you have a talent you'd like to share?

Next Sunday, 15th June, Father's Day we will be having a very special service at 9.30am for all Dads, Sons, Step-Dads and Grandads! We will also be welcoming Tim Friend, Sports Ambassador for the Diocese. You may like to join us for warm bacon rolls first. It should be a fun and lively affair. Please come along and join us - even if you're not a Dad!

Please note: the bus to Claire Goode's Ordination on Sunday 26th at 11.00am at Southwell Minster is now full. However, if you would still like to go, please contact Steven Barrow as there are others going by car.