Dear Friends,
The Lord is risen, Alleluia!
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
In this Easter week, we join with our nation, and so many throughout the world, in expressing our deep sympathy to HM the Queen, and all members of the royal family, on the death this morning of HRH, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He has been an amazing example to us all of service above self, sustained under the most demanding of circumstances, in the public eye, over a very long and active lifetime. We thank God for Prince Philip.
May be rest in peace,
And rise in glory.
The ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY has released a statement mourning his loss and giving thanks for ‘an extraordinary life of dedicated service’. Churches are being asked not to open a physical book of condolence at this time, but an ONLINE CONDOLENCE BOOK has been arranged at a national level for those who wish to make use of it. We will post more information on the church website as and when we have it. Please remember HRH Duke of Edinburgh and all the members of the Royal Family in your prayers.
It has been lovely to see so many of you in our three churches on Easter Day, and in St Peter’s on Good Friday. I am also pleased that significant numbers of you are viewing the worship and prayer focussed videos that we are posting on YOUTUBE
Our aim, of course, is to help you in your relationship with God, in Jesus, and in serving the poor in our midst. That, in a nutshell, is our BTCP vision, and our pragmatic aim, as we pray together, ‘Thy Kingdom come …’.
On Sunday, 11th April (the second Sunday of Easter) our services, in person, will be as follows:
10am St Peter’s: Communion: I look forward to presiding and preaching.
10am St Augustin’s: Communion: The Rev’d John Staples will preside and preach.
10.45am St Stephen’s: Mass: The Rev’d Steve Parselle will preside and preach.
There are two videos recorded to help you with your prayers and worship at home:
At 6.30pm the Rev’d Dr Chris Steed will lead ‘Sacred Space’, a contemporary form of the Church’s Night Prayer, Compline, online, – link: SACRED SPACE ZOOM LINK
Time: Sunday, 11th April 6.30pm
Meeting ID: 819 6110 2015
Passcode: 972491
The Rev’d Dr Chris Steed writes:
“Hello everyone, here is an invitation to do something different. Changing the world starts with what happens inside us. We can’t renew the way things are organised in society without being renewed ourselves. This is an opportunity to get behind the structures and walls that shape our lives to have an enlivening, inspiring brush with Spirit. The living Christ is still around though in a different form to when he rode into the city on Palm Sunday to take on power.
What? – Sacred Space (an hour of sacred song, meditation, Bible reading and prayer – plus a pub quiz question or two to start!)
When? – starting Palm Sunday at 6.30pm every other fortnight for a bit – maybe a couple of months and see how it goes
Where? – on-line to start with, then in the beautiful Sacred Space called St Peter’s Church as things open up
Who? – YOU (especially if you are either under the age of 40 or just happy to enlarge your sense of who God can be for you in a way that feeds the spirit)
A zoom link is above. Chris doesn’t want to sit there by himself so pass the word on and come on this journey for a while…….”
St Augustin’s Annual District Church Meeting will be on zoom at 12 noon – link: ST AUGUSTINS ADCM
Time: Apr 11, 2021 12:00 PM
Meeting ID: 839 2469 7679
Passcode: 823525
The reports pack is attached for your reference and hard copies will be available to pick up in church on Sunday.
Regulations are, I’m afraid, that we should still only be using Church buildings for corporate worship, very carefully distanced and masked, please (and without people staying around to chat afterwards, sadly, nor yet congregating in chatty welcoming groups around entrance doors before services – all this – sorry! – simply makes us more vulnerable. Some people have told me that they leave immediately after receiving communion in order to avoid being compromised in either their safety or their friendliness by these after worship inappropriate gatherings around church doors.)
Similarly, on Monday, 12th April, at 6.30 pm on zoom, St Peter’s will hold its Annual District Church Meeting – link: ST PETERS ADCM
Time: Apr 12, 2021 6:30 PM London
Meeting ID: 856 7846 3306
Passcode: 155692
We continue to pray for those whom we know to be sick; amongst them, Jennie Maund, Henry Frier, Ray Farleigh, and the bereaved, amongst whom we remember Sue Dyer and her family. We give thanks for our loved ones who have died, praying particularly for John Dyer.
May he rest in peace
And rise in glory.
Next Sunday, 18th April, there will be the usual video reflections offered on YOUTUBE and our in-person services will be as follows:
10am St Peter’s Communion: The Rev’d Bryan Apps
10am St Augustin’s Communion: The Rector
At this service we shall give hearty thanks with Jenny and Roland Long for their 50 years of married life – warmest congratulations!
10.45am St Stephen’s Mass: The Rev’d David Lund.
May God bless you richly,
Ian
The Rev’d Dr Ian Terry
DTh, PhD, MA, FRSA
Team Rector of Bournemouth Town Centre Parish,
Visiting Fellow with Bournemouth University,
18 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6NT
01202 554058
07733 336047