April 2025 Letter

Question: What can I offer you? 
  Answer: Hope 
  I wonder how you are feeling as you read this today? Your local church is here to offer you Hope and a Future. As a church we are heading towards Easter – walking through Lent, hoping that our Lent Challenge for 2025 will fill people with hope as they see how generous the people of our villages can be. Anyone can get involved (See Lent Challenge 2025 flyer pg?)    
As you now see this magazine is filled with flyers for Community Dog Walks – opportunities to come together and have some fun and walk dogs – although dogs not necessary – this month taking place in Terlings Park, Gilston – last month we were in Allens Green.    
Wednesday Welcome  - a monthly chance for the over 55’s to come together and have fun. Messy Church every month – all geared to families where we can do craft together and eat together and discover more about Jesus in a fun and interactive way.    
Family services at St James and at St Botolph’s every month – again food and fun and being together and learning together about Jesus.    
Jimmy’s Baby and Toddler Group, every week – creating opportunities for families with babies and toddlers to come together in a warm, relaxing environment with lots of sensory play, creative play and great toys not to mention drinks, snacks and singing. 
Jim’s café, every week – for those Yr 7’s as they navigate that first year of secondary school and meet up with old friends from High Wych school and bring along new ones they have met in secondary school. Not to mention our Easter services flyer – hopefully meeting your needs for either quiet reflection, outdoor adventure with a firepit, Messy play, and having a meaningful Family service with communion. Your local church is here for you.  Offering you hope, a place to belong where you will meet people who are interested in getting to know you better. And ….if you are not feeling very hopeful at the moment, offering you the opportunity to change that.    
The Bible says:- 
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, 
I have called you by name, you are mine. 
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 
And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; 
When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, 
And the flame shall not consume you. 
For I am the Lord your God.  Isaiah 43:v1,2,3. 

  I am your Priest, whether you live in High Wych, Gilston or Eastwick.  I have the ‘cure of souls’ for everyone in these villages whether you come to church or don’t know Jesus yet.  If you would like to meet me – just give me a ring. Every blessing                               
Your Priest Alison


   
                                                                                          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 
2025 The Lent Challenge
  During Lent we are called to give things up that may harm us, like alcohol, smoking, maybe to fast from chocolate or too much social media, or TV – the idea being that the time this frees up you can give more attention to God, in prayer and reading the Bible. We are also called during Lent to remember those worse off than ourselves and there are so many ways we can do this.  We can give our money to charity, maybe sending help to children in Gaza who are struggling without food and basic necessities:- Donate to Gaza Appeal for Children in Crisis - UNICEF UK – (follow this link to financially give). Or maybe you would like to organise a Lent Lunch or Lent Brekkie and invite people to join you, eat yummy food and donate to Christian Aid and their action against Poverty. Lent Lunches | Christian Aid – (follow this link to find out how to go about it and see all the resources they provide to help you with this). Or you may want to look closer to home and take up the Lent Challenge for our own area.  We are committing to give generously to the Pop-Up shop during Lent, focussing on a particular area of food/household products each week as follows:-   
Week 1 -  we focus on bringing soft drinks for that week.
  Week 2 –  cans of food. 
Week 3 – dried goods 
Week 4  - Household  cleaning products. 
Week 5 – chocolate (small Easter eggs) 
Week 6 – Special Easter food 
This will call us to sacrifice some of our wealth but it will benefit others who are struggling.  The church at St James, High Wych is open every day from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm for you to bring food and place in the green box provided, and we will make sure this food gets to the Pop-Up Shop.   
  LENT BIBLE STUDY GROUP IS ON 12th, 19th, 26th March and 2nd, 9th & 16th April. The Rectory, 1 Dovedale, High Wych CM21 0D. Further information contact Rev Alison Jackson on 07833 667707