EASTER TIME! Hear the Good News!

This Palm Sunday, there will be a special service at 9.30am to remember when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem and people threw palm leaves in his path, shouting 'Hosanna'.

At 3.30pm there will be the Procession with Manor Farm's donkey followed by Messy Church for everyone at 4.00pm.

Why don't you come and join us and you might like to bring your camera?

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Easter Holiday Club - 'On Your Marks' sports theme.
Monday 2nd, Tuesday 3rd , Wednesday 4th April, 9.15am -12.15pm. Don't forget to register your child.  See St Mary's website, or Compass for the registration form or contact Cora.





Compline Service, 8.00pm. - Also, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

N.B. Wednesday's Holy Communion Service will be held at Derbyshire House at 10.00am.

Maundy Thursday, 5th, 10.00am Holy Communion
                                       7.00pm Seder Meal recreating the Passover Meal

GOOD FRIDAY, 6th, 10.00am - Family Service
                                 2.00pm - An Hour at the Cross service

EASTER SUNDAY - 8.00am Holy Communion Service
                                     9.30am Parish Communion Service

Don't forget that the clocks go forward this weekend!

Sunday, 25th March. Clocks go FORWARD this weekend for the start of daylight savings time. So don't forget to change your clocks on Sunday, or better still on Saturday night.

This will make a difference if you are planning to come to our Encounters Service at 9.30am or Holy Communion at 11.00am.

Palm Sunday
Services at 8.00am and 9.30am as usual.
If you have always wanted to come to our service on Palm Sunday and meet the donkey, this year the procession will be held in East Leake at St Mary's at 3.30pm followed by Messy Church.  Bring the children to meet the donkey brought from Manor Farm Donkey Sanctuary, East Leake and bring your camera! It may be April 1st, but it's no joke.

All systems GO!

After last weekend's wonderful concert by the Loughborough Concert Band and the weather feeling more spring-like, are you ready to do something different?  If so, we have some new things starting and everyone is welcome.

Thurs. 15th, 7.15pm at St Mary's church. - The Community Choir is back again! Starting tomorrow.  You don't have to read music.  Just turn up for rehearsals or contact Abi on abidot@hotmail.com . Free admission. Rehearsal dates are listed on the right side of the blog.

Mon 19th March, 7.30pm. Open Deanery Synod Meeting on Communications, St Luke's Church, Gamston. This open to anyone who is interested in helping with the website or with Compass magazine. If you need a lift, please contact the Rector.

Tues. 20th, 2.00pm. - Meeting of Flower Arrangers, the Rectory or Church depending on numbers. Following the retirement of Coleen Betts after many years of service providing wonderful flower arrangements for the church, the existing flower arrangers and anyone who is interested are meeting.  Please let the Rector know if you plan to attend.

Fri. 23rd, 7.30pm 'In Every Corner Sing' concert by 8tave at Holy Cross Convent, Costock.  Tickets £7.50 - phone 852761.

Every Tuesday, starting on 17th April. Biblefresh meetings at St Mary's church. A fresh look at the Bible and its teachings.

Don't forget! This is the time of years when the Electoral Roll is updated.  If your name is NOT already listed, and you wish to be enrolled as a member of St Mary's church, please contact Denise Langley or the Churchwarden. 
Only members are entitled to stand for election and/or vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 30th April.

Stop, think and listen and go.

STOP! This is Lent, a time for reflection and prayer.  Time to think about our lives and listen to what God is telling us.  Time to say sorry to God for the things we've done. Then time to move on, possibly in a new direction with God's guidance. Don't know what to do? Stop, pray and listen in a quiet time.

THINK! What will you do this week? 

Tuesday at 7.30pm -The Lent worship this week will be a Taize service at The Catholic Church
Wednesday at 10.00am - Holy Communion at St Mary's
Wednesday, 7.30pm - The Young People's Confirmation Group will be meeting at the Rectory, 
Thursday at St Mary's at 2.00pm - Fun at the Games Afternoon
Friday 1.00-12noon - Our weekly Coffee Morning
Also on Friday at 9.30am for Mums and toddlers there's Mini Music over in the Hall

LISTEN! Saturday, 10th March at 7.30pm - A Concert by the Loughborough Concert Band.  A wonderful evening of music for all. Tickets are going fast.  £6 per adult and £2.50 per child.  Contact Steven on 856202.

GO! Now you know what's on, get your diary out and go!  We hope to see you there!

Lent begins.

Today is Shrove Tuesday, where traditionally all the rich foods were used up in the house before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It is a time of repentance, and used to be a time of fasting before Easter when our Lord was crucified. It is a time for reflection and prayer.

There will be Ash Wednesday services at 10.00am and 7.30pm at St Mary's Church with the imposition of ashes.  The evening service will contain hymns and a sermon.



Young People's Confirmation Class at the Rectory, Thursday, 23rd Feb at 5.30pm. If you are interested in being confirmed please contact the Rector.

This week:
Thursday 23rd, 2.00pm in the church - Games Afternoon.
Friday, 24th, 9.30-10.30am in the Hall - Mini Music for parents and toddlers.
Friday, 24th, 10.00-12noon in the church - Coffee Morning.
Sunday, 26th Feb. 9.30am - Encounters Service
11.00am - Parish Communion BCP Service.

Don't forget:
Monday 27th, 7.30pm - Jewellery Making Evening in church. Tickets £5.  Contact Cora on 07885 635374

Back to normal!

Last week's gas leak has now been repaired and the church is once again back to normal.  However, if you do smell gas please call Conrad Oatey, the churchwarden, Steven Barrow  or Graham Brown.  If you cannot reach any of these please call the National Grid, 1800 111 999.

Help in another area is needed too.  Protecting Innocence On-Line.
Too many children have access to inappropriate material on the Internet.
There is a new petition asking the Government to force Internet Service Providers to make pornography an adult-only opt in service. This will give adults the freedom to view such content but, more importantly, ensure our children our free to surf the web safe from harm.  For more information see the column on the right.

Please make you voice heard and sign the petition: www.SafetyNet.org.uk.

Coffee Mornings, Friday 10.00-12noon. We apologise that the Coffee Morning couldn't be held last Friday but it will be back this Friday as usual.

Coming up.

Jewellery Making Evening, Monday 27th April, 7.30pm in St Mary's Church. Come and try your hand at making your own jewellery.

Loughborough Band Concert, 10th March, 7.30pm in St Mary's Church. Tickets £6 are available NOW from Steven on 856202 or by contacting stmarys@eastleake.net.

BibleFresh, starting April 24th every Tuesday, 7.30pm in St Mary's Church.
It could change your world!
Weekly set of -
+ Bible verses to read at home
AND
+ Linked sermon
AND
+ BibleFresh group meeting to reflect on the verses.
 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3, verse 16)

Services on Sunday 12th Feb to be in St Mary's Hall!

GAS LEAK!

The church has no heating at present due to a small gas leak. This will be repaired on Monday, therefore the 8.00am Holy Communion Service, 9.30am Worship Together and 6.00pm Holy Communion services tomorrow, Sunday 12th will take place in St Mary's Hall.

Church Closed. Work is also being undertaken in the church from Thursday, 9th-Monday 13th, so we apologise that the church has not been open during this time.

The Mothers' Union Meeting, Monday, 13th Feb. at 2.15pm will also be held in St Mary's Hall.