Easter Services

These are the services at St Mary's (unless otherwise stated) all throughout the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

Monday 17th March, 8.00 pm- Compline - prayers at the end of the day. The Women's Group will be providing hot cross buns, tea or coffee after the service.
Tuesday 18th March, 8.00 pm - Compline
Wednesday 19th March, 8.00 pm - Compline
Maundy Thursday 20th March 7.30 pm - Holy Communion of the Last Supper. Singing will be led by the Music Group.
Good Friday 21st March 10.00 am - Family Service
2.00 - 3.00 pm An Hour at the Cross
8.00 pm Churches Together Service at Our Lady of the Angels RC Church, East Leake.
Easter Eve 22nd March 8.00 pm - Vigil at Holy Cross Convent, Rempstone.
Easter Day, Sunday 23rd March 8.00 am & 9.30 am - Holy Communion

Good Friday Walk - Starting at St Lawrence's Church, Gotham (8.40 am)
St Helena's, West Leake (10.00 am)
St James, Normanton (11.20am)
St John the Baptist, Stanford on Soar (12.45 pm) Bring packed lunch for 12.30
All Saints, Rempstone (2.30 pm)
St Giles, Costock (3.20 pm)
St Mary's East Leake (4.10 pm)
All times are approximate. Please arrive 5 mins before the given time if you are joining at one of the churches. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us.

Benefice choir

The Benefice Choir will be at St Helena's Church, West Leake (see left) to lead us in a United Service of Passiontide to mark the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday, 16th March at 6.00 pm.

We are lucky to have dedicated people who love to sing and are part of the choirs in our Benefice churches. It is a treat when they all get together and provide the music for special events. If you like to sing, come along to one of the practices - new members are always welcome.

Holy week is a very important part of the Easter Celebrations, and there are services throughout the week before Good Friday. Updates will be given closer to the time.

Crossways Club and Palm Sunday

Do you have, or are you a young person in Key Stage 1 or 2 who will be off school for the Easter holidays? Crossways Club is free and runs from 10.00-12.00 noon on Tuesday 18th - Thursday, 20th March in St Mary's Hall (see left). Come along on the Tuesday and bring your parent or carer to register for stories, songs and crafts (and refreshments) learning about the meaning of Easter. Under 5's need to be accompanied by their parent or carer. Do you know what happened at Easter? Why is it such a happy time? Come and ask your questions.

This year Palm Sunday is on 16th March. There will be a special procession and service in Costock at 3.00 pm. Palm Sunday celebrates the day Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of the Passover, and the crowds waved palm branches and spread them on the road to welcome Him. Every year a donkey from Manor Farm Animal Centre and Donkey Sanctuary takes part in our Palm Sunday Procession. This has become a tradition in our smaller villages and is enjoyed by the young and young at heart.

A new Leader

No, we're not talking about Gordon Brown, but the commissioning of our new Mothers Union Branch Leader, Pauline Wainwright. Due to Daphne Wayne stepping down, sadly due to ill health, Pauline has agreed to take up the challenge. The commissioning took place on Sunday morning during the Mothering Sunday celebrations. Look out for the Mothers Union's new schedule of events.

The church is becoming a popular place to visit for schools. We are due to have some young visitors to the church on Wednesday from Years 3 & 4 at Arley House School. We are also planning to welcome more young people from Brookside School soon. We hope they enjoy their visit.

Please let us know if your school would like to come and visit. The church is open during the week. A notice on the inner door will indicate if there is a service or event on, but you are still welcome to enter quietly.

Cleaning up!

In the sun and wind on Saturday, a group of dedicated volunteers turned up to help tidy up and clear up the churchyard. Some turf has been laid already and there are plans for more this week to get it back in shape. New roses are being donated to replace those damaged during the re-ordering in the small area to the left of the porch, where the drainage pipes were laid for the tea-bar and toilet. The old tiles have also been sold and removed from the north side of the church. There is lots more to do so if you'd like to give us a hand, whether you regularly attend or not, just come along on Saturday mornings.

The church welcomed a large number of people to celebrate Mothering Sunday, and bunches of daffodils were given out to every lady in the congregation by the children. Thanks were given for everything that Mothers do for us, and the children named many of these things.

Please note that the church is updating its Electoral Roll. If your name is not already on the Roll and you wish to be enrolled, you will need to complete a form from the back of the church. It's very easy. Church members listed on the Electoral Roll are entitled to stand for election and/or vote at the AGM.

Mothering Sunday - 2nd March

During the sixteenth century, people returned to their "mother church" for a service to be held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This is where it is thought that Mothering Sunday originates. It was often the only time that families could attend together due to conflicting working hours.
We always have something special on Mothering Sunday, so please come along and join us either at 8.00am or 9.30am. You will be welcome to share a cuppa and a chat afterwards too.

St Helena's Church, West Leake in our Benefice, (see left) reports that their Quiz Evening was most enjoyable and successful. They had over 60 attending and raised £377.

You can now view the Rector's letter, which appears in the Compass Magazine each month on http://eastleakestmarysrector.blogspot.com/.

Ringing the bells!

Did you hear the bells ringing on Friday 15th Feb. at 3.oopm? Nottingham University bellringers came and rang a quarter peal (45 mins). We missed our bells ringing when the church was closed and were so pleased to hear them again when it opened.

Our campanologists (bellringers) are always looking for people to come and join them to learn. There is a countrywide shortage of ringers and there are many churches who do not have any. Come along on Friday evenings when they practice, if you'd like to know more.

Plans are being made for the churchyard and work will begin on March 1st. We will need all the help we can get this year following the use of the open area in the churchyard for the contractor's compound, but it's already recovering thanks to a little TLC and nature.