2012 News

 Hear Aldrin Calixte who is working with Christian Aid partner organisation Haiti Survie to rebuild Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. The event on 20 March in our church hall includes a light supper so please phone 01865 246818 or email so they know numbers. (...more)

 The Women's World Day of Prayer will hold services on 2nd March at St Mary's Church at 1.30pm and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church at 7.30pm. Men women and children are all invited.

Started in 1887 the Women's World Day of Prayer is a chain of Christian prayer which stretches across 180 countries. The service is translated into a 1,000 languages and is prepared by a different country each year.

This year the Christian Women of Malaysia have prepared the service with the theme, 'Let Justice Prevail.'

 Bishop John Shelby Spong Is the author of the first book chosen by the newly formed Good Faith Book Club. The now retired American Episcopalian Bishop is a prolific writer. The particular book chosen is 'Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism'.

The author says, "I hold the Bible before my readers seeking boldly to free it from the clutches of a mindless literalism and, at the same time, presenting it as a dramatic and exciting document whose relevance for our day is both mighty and real."

The first meeting is on Saturday 17th March from 2 - 4pm in the church coffee bar. For more details and how to obtain the book, click here.

 By popular demand, Donald Mackenzie (seen left), who is organist of the Odeon Leicester square St. Mary's Church, Aylesbury will accompany another SILENT FILM SPECTACULAR in the church on Wednesday 15th February 2012 at 7.30pm.

The main feature film this year will be another Buster Keaton classic 'Steam Boat Bill'. Tickets are £12 on the night or £10 if bought in advance from our Organist and Music Director Derrick Matthews (Tel. 01296 488076. Click here if you want to print off a Booking Form or click here for more information. 

 Speaking for Action for Children, Pauline Noble said, "Thank you to all who contributed to the wonderful
selection of presents at our Gift Day Service in December. These were delivered to the two Family Centres in Milton Keynes who were delighted to
receive them, and thank you letters can be seen on the board in the vestibule. The Manager of one explained how grateful she was as we are the only organisation who remembers them at Christmas. Thank you also to those who contributed to the collection on Christmas Day when £389.20 was given for the work of Action for Children."
 The gift stall in the card shop organised by Rosemary Bucknell and her volunteers contributed a further £229 to the charity.

 The Karibuni Trust and Action for Children equally benefitted from the £245 raised by the annual new year's walk. This year it was round the alarmingly low Marsworth Reservoirs followed by a soup and pudding lunch hosted once again at Peter and Pamela Farmers.

Karibuni helps children from the streets and slums of Kenya. Its Chairman, John Cotton, said, "As we enter the New Year it's a bit daunting to think of how much we shall need to raise to finance the project support budgets to which we have already committed. News of initiatives like this serves to reassure me that all will be well!"
For more information on Karibuni click here. 

 Margaret Miskin, who took over as Christmas shoebox co-ordinator from the late Sue Ingram sent off 215 shoeboxes from this area. It helped the national total of 41,877 boxes sent from the UK to underprivileged school children and families in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldovia.

To increase awareness of the programme and explain who benefits and what is needed, margaret has offered to speak to any group interested in finding out more and showing them a short video. Margaret can be contacted via the church office of by email (just click)

 £21,200 was raised this year in the Cards for Good Causes charity Christmas card shop in the church. Manager Cliff Darlington thanked members of the church who joined the volunteers from the Charities to work in the shop, his team of managers without whom it would have been impossible, the Church for its support and and to all of you who made purchases in the shop.

 Superintendent Minister Rev. David Jenkins has announced that from September 2012, Rev. Irena Byron (shown left) will be joining the Vale of Aylesbury's Circuit Ministerial team.

Irena will live in the Stewkley manse, recently vacated by Rev. Jim Gorringe who has taken up a position in our Local Ecumenical Project at North Marston.

In response to a welcome to the Circuit, Irena replied, "Thank you for your message and  the sentiment with which it comes. I too am very excited about the move to Vale of Aylesbury - God is so good and I know this is His leading. I will send something nearer the time for publication on the website as an introduction" We look forward to welcoming Irena.