Easter Weekend Workshop & Special Saturday Vigil

This year Easter falls on the second Sunday of the month, April 8th, so we will be changing our normal service pattern to fit in both with this and the services in the other churches within the benefice. Please note, this means we will not hold a family service on Sunday 1st April, as there is a special Palm Sunday service at Leamington Hastings at 6.30pm.

Instead we will have an Easter workshop on Saturday 7th April from 11 to 12.30am. We anticipate that workshop activities will include egg painting, an Easter egg hunt, making Easter cards and decorating Easter biscuits (if there is time). All children are very welcome!

On the evening of Saturday April 7th, we will be holding an Easter Vigil in St. Mark's, Flecknoe, at 7.30pm, as there will be no service in our church on Easter Sunday.

Special Lent Lunches & Services in the Leam Valley Benefice: February, March and on Palm Sunday.

Lent 2007 will start with a celebration of the Eucharist at 7.30pm in All Saints Church, Leamington Hastings on 21st February. This will be followed by a series of Ecumenical Services on Thursday evenings in different churches which will look at different aspects of the story of the ‘Prodigal Son’.

On March 1st this will be at St Nicholas’ Church, Willoughby, at 7.30pm and on March 8th, at the same time at Broadwell Methodist chapel.

On 15th March the service will be held at 7.30pm at St Peter’s Church, Grandborough, and here at St Mark’s, Flecknoe, on 22nd March also at 7.30pm.

The final service will be held at Grandborough Methodist chapel on March 29th.

During lent simple lunches will be held in each Parish on Wednesdays in the same week as the lent service. Our lunch in Flecknoe will be held on 21st March and will be hosted by Ann Absalom at Elizabeth House. A collection will be made at these lunches for Sebokeng, a Parish just outside Johannesburg in South Africa, which has been supported by Leamington Hastings Church since 1996.

It is hoped that at the end of Lent a Sebokeng choir will join us for a very special service of celebration at Leamington Hastings church at 6.30pm on Palm Sunday, April 1st.

Coffee Morning: Friday 23rd February

Meet Jane Close, our new Vicar!

There will be a Coffee Morning on Friday 23rd February from 10am to 12 noon, very kindly hosted by PCC member Sara Jolley at Underwood Cottage, Flecknoe.



This Flecknoe coffee morning will be a good ice-breaking opportunity for recent arrivals to the village to meet other residents, and also a chance for any villagers who have not yet met her to be introduced to Jane Close, our new Leam Valley Vicar.

Hopefully, recent snow problems will have melted away in time for our ice-breaker!



Coffee Morning
10am - 12pm
Friday 23rd February
Underwood Cottage, Flecknoe

Bishop Colin Announces His Retirement!

On January 24th, the Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Colin Bennetts, announced his retirement with effect from December 1st 2007. He will be 67 years old.

"I would like to see a confident, growing church, inspired by the Gospel ... "

According to the Coventry Diocese website, since moving to Coventry with their four grown-up children, two sons and two daughters, Bishop Colin and his wife Veronica are now busy grandparents with six grandsons and one honorary granddaughter.

Speaking of his hopes for the future, Bishop Colin says:

"I would like to see a confident, growing church, inspired by the Gospel, serving the community and not taking itself too seriously. However I would like to stress that I am here for the rest of the year and not hanging my mitre up just yet!”

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You can read more about Bishop Colin's career and his retirement plans at either BBC Coventry & Warwickshire or on the Church of England's Coventry Diocese home page.

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Bethlehem School Collection: £99.65

Thanks to all who gave so generously at our annual Carol Singing collection in December. The charity being supported for 2007 was the Syrian Orthodox Christian St. Aphrem School at Beit Jallah in Bethlehem. Flecknoe carol singers raised £99.65 for the school - an excellent amount from such a small village!

Many thanks again to those who donated money, and also to the carol singers themselves for their marvellous singing.

COMING SOON: Fishy Fun at Flecknoe's Family Service

NEXT FAMILY SERVICE: Sunday 4th February.
Apparently, the theme for our family service on Sunday 4th February at 4pm involves a fishy tale! All are very welcome at this children-oriented service which is now becoming established on our church calendar for the first Sunday in every month. In our service on March 4th, we will look into Lent and learn the significance of this period of the church year.

All very welcome!

Christingles Workshop & Service, 16th & 17th December

Children and adults making the Christingles on Saturday 16th December 2006 in St. Mark's Church at our workshop.

Receiving and enjoying the Christingles at the Carol Service on Sunday 17th December 2006.

FROM ALL AT ST. MARK'S, A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gifts for Christmas with Christian Aid

Roughly this time last year we posted up a link to the Christian Aid gift catalogue, prompting people to buy presents and help improve lives at the same time.

This year we are continuing with that idea, so here is our second link to the online Christian Aid Christmas Selection 2006 - the first was posted up back in August! - and here's hoping you are all able to choose some gift from their catalogue, however small, knowing that each sale will help the charity.

The sort of gifts you can expect to find in their selection this year are varied, including wines from around the world, giftwrap, Christian-themed cards and calendars, foodstuffs, Traidcraft coffee and biscuits, and some charming ornaments, many of them handcrafted, such as a tiny Copper Church from Peru and a Balinese Batik container in split bamboo.

Please watch this space for details of the forthcoming Carol Service at St. Mark's.

Merry Christmas!

Harvest Festival 2006

Members of the PCC serving multiple Shepherds Pies, followed by puddings made with local produce such as damsons & apples

St Mark's Church Harvest Festival 2006

Our annual Harvest Festival was held on Sunday 24th September 2006, with that date marking a return to fortnightly services at St. Mark's.


As always the Harvest Festival was a splendid village event and much enjoyed by all who participated, both at the service and the traditional harvest supper.






The service in St Mark's Church at 6pm was the first opportunity for us to welcome our new vicar, Jane Close, pictured here at the supper afterwards; she preached to us very appropriately about new beginnings.





The harvest supper itself followed at 7pm. Our village hall was filled to capacity and all who came enjoyed an excellent meal of shepherds pie followed by a variety of puddings made by villagers using local produce, damsons and apples.


David Thomas added humour to the evening as he sold off the donated harvest produce.


Each year the money raised by our auction of produce goes to a good cause, sometimes overseas, sometimes closer to home. This year, £177.50 was raised for local charity, Rugby Myton Hospice.






Many thanks to everyone who took part with such generosity and we hope to see you all again soon!

Harvest Festival Supper

Sunday 24th September at 6pm: Come and celebrate the Harvest Festival at St. Mark's Church



St. Mark's Harvest Festival Supper, 2005

All are Welcome!
Our Harvest Festival service and supper will take place on Sunday 24th September. The church service begins at 6pm and all are very welcome to come and take part in this special annual celebration of the Lord's bounty. The meal follows shortly afterwards in the Village Hall, provided by members of the PCC and other volunteers, and there will be the usual auction of fresh produce after the meal which raises money for charity.

Tickets for the Harvest Festival supper are available from Jane at Bramble Cottage (next door to the church) or Clare at Hillcrest House.



Detail from a stained glass window in St. Mark's, Flecknoe

Reading the Bible Every Day

365 Ways to Make a Difference: Daily Bible Readings

A new book available from Christian Aid draws on the true stories of people working with and touched by Christian Aid's partner organistions. It challenges readers to connect their personal faith to what is happening around the world today. This specially commissioned book offers a Bible reading for every day of the year, with reflection, a prayer and even a suggestion for practical action.

Priced at £14.99, this fascinating book is available from the Christian Aid catalogue and website. Visit www.traidcraftshop.co.uk for details of how to buy this and other Christian products. Christian Aid says all profits go back into funding development projects around the world.

Reading the Bible daily has long been part of Christian discipline and faith. This can be done without any need for 'explanatory notes' or other accompanying material, but some people do find it helpful to have their reading structured.

Christian Aid Christmas Catalogue

I know, it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas - still trying to be summer in some parts of our rainy island - but the new Christian Aid Christmas catalogue is now available and always a good first choice when browsing for gifts in advance.

Aside from the usual beautifully designed cards and gift wrap, there are new and unusual gifts to be purchased this year. Most of the gifts in the catalogue are made by workers in the developing world, under fair-trade agreements, and profits are ploughed back into funding development projects around the world.

To entice you further, the sort of gifts you can buy through Christian Aid this year include a handcrafted miniature copper church from Peru, silken Christmas baubles from India, a Balinese Batik holder made of split bamboo, a Festive Chest of Chocolate Coins from the Philippines, and wonderfully aromatic Arabica coffee beans in a calico drawstring bag, packaged in Bangladesh.

To receive a free copy of the Christian Aid Christmas Selection in good time for seasonal gift-buying ahead of the rush, you can telephone 020 7523 2229 or visit www.christianaid.org.uk/christmas.

United Service of Holy Communion: to be held this Sunday 27th August

Joint Service at St. Marks

The school holidays are sadly drawing to a close, the weather has taken on a distinctly chilly turn, and many of us in this rural benefice will be geared up for harvest time already after such a hot summer. To mark the end of our summer break, and in the knowledge that our own Harvest Festival celebration is fast approaching, we will be hosting a United Service of Holy Communion this weekend in St. Mark's, Flecknoe.

The Service of Holy Communion will take place at 10.30am this Sunday 27th August. As always, everyone is extremely welcome to join us in worship this weekend, both from the village of Flecknoe itself and from all the other parishes in our benefice.

Annual Spring Teas in June

Sunday June 11th 2006 at St Mark's Church, Flecknoe

Our annual Spring Teas event in June went very well this year, providing another chance to raise money for the church and bring our small village community together.



It was a warm and sunny afternoon, right in the middle of this very unBritish heatwave we've been enjoying for some weeks now, and the delicious refreshments provided by members of our PCC (below) were much appreciated.



Once again the PCC would like to thank everyone who attended this successful afternoon at St. Mark's - the popularity of the event is not reflected by these photos, as our photographer forgot to take more once the event got into full swing! - and, of course, those who provided the excellent cream teas that you can see above.

New Vicar Appointed

The Good News!

We are delighted to announce that Jane Close has been appointed to become our new non-stipendiary Parish Priest. She will be responsible for the four Parishes of Leamington Hastings, Grandborough, Willoughby and Flecknoe.

Jane will be licensed by Bishop John on 21st September and will live in Willoughby Vicarage. She comes to us from Fillongly and Corley Parish in Coventry where she is Assistant Curate and is 57 years old. She is married to Brian who is a deputy headmaster and they have three sons, Simon (32), Nicholas (30) and Alexander (25).

She was ordained Priest in Coventry in 2004. Before this she worked for six years in a Residential Drug Rehabilitation Home becoming acting deputy manager and was engaged with prison interviewing, drug counselling and providing volunteers with support and training.

Summer Holiday Club in August

The Leam Valley Holiday Club will be taking place in Flecknoe again this summer. It is for children aged 5 to 11 and will run over three days from 7th to 9th August and is open for children from all the Leam Valley parishes. Let us know if you would like your children to take part and/or if you are able to help. Contact Clare Grant on 01788 891076.

Here are the children and volunteer helpers on last year's Holiday Club day trip to Coventry Cathedral.

The Survival of the Church: an interview with Linda Woodhead

From the Coventry Diocese monthly digest of interesting Church-related reports, this fascinating article seems to fit our recent discussions on why so many people are choosing not to go to church these days.

Holistic spirit: The Tablet Interview, with Linda Woodhead

One of Britain’s leading sociologists of religion, Linda Woodhead, tells Theo Hobson of the vital choices the Church must make to survive:

“I’d say: whose common good is it that you’re talking about, and why do people leaving the Churches, and perhaps getting involved in the holistic milieu, not feel that it’s their common good? Perhaps your common good is actually quite a narrow common good; and there’s a big group of people, mostly women, for whom it hasn’t been very good, and you have to understand why they are going elsewhere for the spiritual, which they’re still deeply engaged with. There’s a big gender element: I think the Church needs to be much more aware about the message it has given women about being selfless, and think hard about why many women feel that’s an unfair burden that’s been placed on them.”

Linda Woodhead in the Tablet (10/06/2006) discussing the emphasis currently placed by Christians on the 'common good'.

Why has church attendance slumped over the last 20 years? Your chance to address the issues ...

Church Attendance Discussion

On Monday 10th July at 7.30pm at Hillcrest House, we will be holding our third meeting to discuss the church report on why attendance at church services for most denominations has declined over the last 20 years.

It has been most interesting to get an insight into the problems faced by the church as it tries to make itself relevant in a secular world. Please join us at this final meeting. This meeting will take the place of our regular church services in July.

For more information contact Andrew Grant on 01788 891076.

Andrew Grant asks searching questions about the moral issue of global warming

'Global challenge' - a newsletter article by Andrew Grant (Churchwarden, Flecknoe)

"On a visit to the United States in May, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, used the opportunity to raise the moral issue of global warming. Much effort is spent by the church and Christian charities such as Christian Aid and Tear Fund to try and improve the lot of the millions round the World who lack the basic necessities of life that we take for granted. We dip into our pockets whenever we hear of humanitarian disasters and satisfy ourselves that we are doing our bit to help those less fortunate than ourselves. But is there a greater moral issue that we are not facing up to?

The evidence is now clear that our consumption of the Word’s resources and in particular of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas has taken the level of carbon dioxide in the air to the point where a significant rise in global temperatures is inevitable. What will be the consequences of this? There has been much publicity surrounding the increased hurricane activity in the Caribbean and destruction of New Orleans, but what of the impact on the poor of the World? Many tens of millions already live in marginal areas where rains frequently fail. For them life will become unsustainable. We, the more prosperous nations, are already saying we can not take in more immigrants and are devising ways to make our borders more secure. What is to happen to those who must move to survive? It is probable that this will number more than a billion people within 50 years, given current trends.

What is our Christian responsibility? We can not let them starve, but neither can our damaged planet enable them to live. Is this not the greatest moral dilemma facing our World today? We in the developed world must make sacrifices to our standard of living now to allow the less fortunate a life. Is it surprising that our Archbishop chose to raise this issue in the land that symbolises consumerisation?"

Andrew Grant.

Cream Teas: Sunday 11th June, 3 - 5pm

Please do visit St Mark's Church on Sunday 11th June for our annual Spring Teas event, though in June it should really be Summer Teas!

Tea, squash, cream scones and other refreshments will be available. There will also be a raffle in aid of church funds. Everybody very welcome, especially families with children!

Sunday 11th June
3 - 5pm