What is the Emmaus Course?

The South Notts Family of Parish Churches (known as the Cluster) will be starting a 10 week course at St Mary's Church on Tuesdays from 30th Sept - 2nd December at 7-9pm. What is it, you may ask? It is a relaxed and informal opportunity to find out more about the Christian faith and living. Do your friends and neighbours ask you about your church and faith? Maybe they would like to know more - so bring them along. For further information ask: Revd Glynis Hetherington (E Leake), Claire Goode, Curate (E Leake) or Revd Steve Osman (Gotham).

Monday, 1st September our Benefice is being prayed for in the Diocese. If you would like to attend Evensong at Southwell minster at 5.45pm on that day, please speak to the Rector.

Tickets are now available for:

• Nottingham Male Voice Choir concert on Thursday, 11th September at 7.30pm - £5 from Ann on 853203 in aid of the Burma Appeal, organised by CAFOD.
• 'Music of the Night' concert on Saturday, 27th Sept at 7.30pm - £7 from Rosemary on 856202 or Liz on 853885
• Dinner followed by a Cabaret with 'Chrysalis' on Saturday, 11th October - Tickets available mid Sept at £10.50 from Brenda and Colin on 853655

The Cluster Event - more please!

St Mary's welcomed nearly 120 people to its Bank Holiday Cluster Service from its 13 parishes in the South Nottinghamshire Cluster. At least half of those came along to the 'Bring and Share' picnic at the Rectory after, and enjoyed the sunshine and each other's company. It was good to see several new faces too. A few folks tried their hand at croquet. The food brought to share was a feast to behold and ensured no-one left hungry. The church has also recently welcomed visitors on holiday, including some from Holland. They have been interested to see the newly re-ordered church, as many are considering it for their own churches. More photos on the website Photo Gallery of events.

Don't forget!

Don't forget that the Cluster Event Service at St Mary's tomorrow, Sunday, 23rd August will be at 11.00am and not at the usual time of 9.30am. Everyone from our Cluster is invited i.e. the Gotham Benefice, Normanton on Soar, Sutton Bonington and of course our own Benefice churches.

Please bring along your 'Bring and Share' lunch to the Rectory after the service, and pray for fine weather.

There will be still be a service at 8.00am at St Mary's and a 6.00pm service at St Lawrence's Church, Gotham.

Would you like to know if the church or the hall are available for your meeting or event? The new calendars for both St Mary's Church and the Church Hall can be accessed from the links at the right side of the blog and from our website.

To make a booking, please contact Pat Brown on 01509 820094.

Harvest Time

The days are getting shorter, which means it is harvest time. This is the time when we thank God for all the bounty he has given us.

East Leake has Harvest Parish Communion at 9.30am on 28th September. This will be our 'Back to Church' Sunday special too.We will be especially pleased to see people who haven’t worshipped with us for some time and to welcome newcomers and visitors. If you regularly attend church services, why not bring a friend on “Back to Church Sunday”?

Stanford's Children's Harvest Festival is on 20th Sept. and their Harvest Supper on 23rd Sept. in St Mary's Hall, East Leake.

Costock have their Harvest Supper on 29th Sept.

Sunday Sanctuary is the new and exciting youth congregation meeting at St. Mary’s Church, starting on 21st September at 5.00pm-6.30pm. Sunday Sanctuary provides a space for all young people from around the cluster to connect with God, each other and the world.

There will be creative arts sessions, socials, live music, space to connect, minibus adventures, sleepovers, relevant and applicable ideas for life and the opportunity to live them out, Sunday Sanctuary should not be missed. For more info. contact Lydia on 07702 815532 or email Sundaycthree@aol.co.uk

News from the Currans

A newsletter has been received from David and Dawn Curran our CMS partners who visited us in May this year. They have finished their studies and have been enjoying their holidays like us, and are now waiting to hear if their application to go to Pakistan has been successful. This could take up to six months we're told. Please remember them and their two little girls, in your prayers. If you would like to see the full newsletter, it will be placed in the back of church.

More dates for your diary

On Saturday, 13th September, the Abbot Club have organised another boat trip on the Loughborough canals aboard the narrow boat 'Dandelion'. This will be followed by a meal at the Heat Restaurant in East Leake to finish off the day. Please contact Colin on: 853655 if you are interested.

St John the Baptist Church at Stanford on Soar also has things planned for September: Saturday, 20th - Children's Harvest Festival and tea party. The tallest sunflower and biggest marrow and most convincing scarecrow will be judged and there are prizes!

Tuesday, 23rd - Stanford's Harvest Supper in St Mary's Hall, East Leake. Details to follow, closer to the time.

The Pet Service on July 13th at Stanford didn't have any animals to frighten anyone, thankfully. There were 7 dogs, 2 cats and 2 horses and one of the dogs even joined in with the singing!

St Giles Church, Costock will be holding their Harvest Supper in the Village Hall (Costock) on Monday, 29th September. Numbers are limited so please contact Mary on 852118 or Joan on 853244 to book. Tickets are £7.50 including wine, soft drinks and the food.

Don't forget to take your umbrella with you and dodge the showers this week - it's a very unsettled summer!

Tending the gardens

St Mary's has a rota of small groups of volunteers who work extremely hard tending the churchyard and the Garden of Rest each week throughout the summer. You may have seen them mowing and strimming on Saturdays. They are the reason that our churchyard always looks so beautiful, especially for events such as weddings.

As you will appreciate flowers and plants grow and die very quickly during the summer weather. A plea is going out to anyone who would like to help maintain the Garden of Rest, perhaps in pairs. This involves removing the dead flowers and moving the pots so that the grass between the plaques can be mowed. It is very labour intensive and difficult to maintain by the same groups of people.

If you can help occasionally, please contact Ann on 852885. It would be very much appreciated.

Thanks is given to all those who attended the combined party for the celebrants of three 70th birthdays and the Golden Wedding in June, when £865 plus Gift Aid making nearly £1,000, was raised for the charity Practical Action.

Enjoy the sunshine!

The Abbot Club will be meeting at the Nag's Head pub in East Leake again on Tuesday at 8.00pm. New members of this club for men are always welcome.

Some of the area's young people and Lydia have returned from the Newark Showground where they have been camping for the hot and sunny, past week at the New Wine Christian camp. We look forward to hearing all about it.

West Leake church had a successful and sunny, Summer Fayre last Sunday. It is hoped that more people will join in next year and maybe get involved their local church's events. As ever, the small congregation struggles to find enough person-power to put on such events. Please help keep these traditions alive in your community.