The Civic and Parish Church of Bournemouth

Weekly Message from the Rector – Fifth Sunday after Trinity – 4th July 2021

Dear Friends, 

Bible Study always repays the time we give to it.  Lucinda and I greatly enjoy welcoming to our garden (18 Wimborne Road) anyone who would like to join our mid-week Bible Study at 4pm on Wednesdays.  A group of us have been getting under the surface of what St John’s Gospel is all about, using Tom Wright’s book, ‘Broken Signposts’, as our guide. Next Wednesday we shall look at ‘power’ in St John.  Do join us. That is the last of the current series of those meetings – however, I have just, today, received in the post a copy of Miranda Threlfall-Holmes’ latest book, ‘How to Eat Bread: 21 nourishing ways to read the Bible’, and it represents a ‘new way in’ to experiencing God’s Spirit enlivening our reading of the Bible.  That can easily keep us dipping into the Scriptures throughout the Autumn.  4pm on Wednesday seems to work for some people – let me if you really would like to be ‘on board’ but can’t make that time.  We’ll be as flexible as we can, starting in September.

Sunday School teachers are urgently needed, please, for September. We need volunteers, please, for teaching children in the Sunday School for the whole Parish, held in St Peter’s during the 10am Communion.  Even if you can only offer one Sunday per month, that will be very valuable. We shall offer some basic instruction, guidelines and support. Please, have a word with me.

On Sunday, 4th July, Trinity 5:

8am Communion at St Peter’s.

10am St Peter’s: Communion:  The Rev’d Dr Chris Steed will preside and the Rev’d Bryan Apps will preach.

12 noon: St Peter’s:  A  Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Eric Fraser: I shall lead this service and preach.

10am St Augustin’s: Communion:  I shall preside and preach.

10.45am St Stephen’s: Communion: The Rev’d David Lund will preside and preach.

If you follow this YouTube link it will lead you to a Worship Video on You TubeFifth Sunday after Trinity Reflections

We pray for Julie and Stuart as they were joined in Holy Matrimony at St Peter’s Church this afternoon; may God richly bless them.

Next Sunday, 13th July, services will be as follows:

8am Communion at St Peter’s.

10am Communion: St Peter’s:  The Rev’d Ruth Wells will be our guest preacher. Ruth is Senior Chaplain to BU & AUB and we hold in our prayers the work that she does, with her chaplaincy team, for students and university staff. 

10am Communion: St Augustin’s:  The Rev’d Dr Chris Steed.

10.45am Communion: St Stephen’s: The Rev’d John Staples.

Welcomers in all three of our lovely church buildings can help to give the right welcoming message, any this all assists in keeping the buildings open for the right purposes – as safe spaces for peace and quietness, for prayer and waiting on God.

Might we politely ask, please, that during these final (please, God) few Sundays of Covid precautions, whilst the cases from the Delta variant are still rising, we continue to refrain from socialising both before and after Communion in all three churches?  Masks must still be worn – unless you are exempted on medical grounds – and we should neither chat in welcoming ways before services nor linger socially afterwards.  I am looking forward to being rid of these restrictions as much as anyone, but, for the moment, please, we must still keep to them and respect each other’s needs for distance.

After the Summer, we shall start Confirmation classes again for folk of all ages – do let me know if you might be interested.

Enjoy the week!

Ian

The Rev’d Dr Ian Terry: Rector 

DTh,  PhD, MA, FRSATeam Rector of Bournemouth Town Centre Parish,
Visiting Fellow with Bournemouth University,
18 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6NT
01202 554058
07733 336047

Registered Charity Number: 1186400