Page for PrayerThose we are praying for….. Rev'd Father Robert Britton, Wynn Evans, Jan Thomas, Cynthia Powell, Derek Lucas, Paul Hemmings, Pam Wiltshire, Lee Hurst, Carly Hicks, Margaret Bolley, Paul Brooks, Valerie & Richard Comer and Mervyn & Ruth Miller.

Please keep Amy updated as to who needs prayer. We commit to praying for one month unless otherwise advised.

We would like to encourage you in your prayer and invite you to focus specific prayers for 5 people by praying in this way….Prayer using the BLESS acronym to help as prompts for what to pray forB Body Health, protection, wellbeingL Labour Employment/unemployment/retirement/adequate incomeE Emotional Inner peace, joy, wisdom, insight, patienceS Social Healthy relationships with friends/family/colleaguesS Spiritual Repentance, salvation, obedience, faith, grace

Pray for our Growth TogetherPlease continue to pray for growth in our Christian community

Eternal Father, look with your love on your people of this benefice and the wider Partnership, and pour upon us the gifts of your Spirit. Draw us to you and one another that our growing unity may bring healing of life to all, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

This morningWhat has moved you / spoken to you in this Service?

How might this affect your thoughts and actions this week?

Priest-in-Charge of Benefice – Rev. Jordan Ling 0117 3304953Focal Minister for St Aidan’s – Rev. Canon Trevor Denley 07960 329127

Focal Minister for St Michael’s – Rev. Nicola Callen 0117 9658833Assistant Curate – Rev. Michelle Butcher 07804 610929

East Bristol Partnership Office Tel: 0117 9586412 Email: eastbristol.org@gmail.com

All notices for the following Sunday to be sent to Amy Donaldson, East Bristol Partnership Administrator by midnight on Tuesday.

Weekly Newsletter

4 Churches seeking to equip God’s people to live as a Christian presence in the world

St. Aidan’s St John’s St Michael’s St Ambrose ‘Reaching Out to ‘Serving the ‘Serving the & St Leonard’s Welcome In’ Community Community ‘At the heart Worshipping God’ of Two Mile Hill’ of the Community’

Welcome Sunday 5th March

Our Collect Prayer for this week – The First Sunday of LentHeavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness, and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer that we

may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord.

What’s happening this morning:St Michael’s Church 9.00am – Eucharist with Rev. Nicola CallenSt Ambrose Church 10.00am - Lay-led Service with the lay-led Team St Aidan’s Church 10.30am – Eucharist with Jill Kells leading and Rev. Canon

Trevor Denley presiding and preachingSt John’s Church 10.30am – Worship for all with Junior Church, Rob Towler

and Iola Davies

Readings: Gen. 2.15-17, 3.1-7; Rom. 5.12-19; Matt. 4.1-11;

Readings next week: Gen. 12.1-4a; Rom. 4.1-5, 13-17; John 3.1-17

www.staidanbristol.co.ukSunday Service 10.30am

Special notices….

St Aidan’s Church APCM will be held on Sun 19th March. The deadline for all reports has passed.

Regular weekly events….

EVERY 1ST SUNDAY IN HALL 9.45am – 11amSundays fortnightly 3pm - Deaf @ St Aidan’s

Tuesdays 7.00pm - Evening Prayer in the Lady ChapelWednesdays 3.30pm – Messy Church, Air Balloon Primary

Thursdays 9.15am – Morning Prayer in the Lady ChapelThursday mornings 10am – 12pm in the Café area of Church

Thought for this week….by Rev. Jordan Ling1 An introduction to the bible – a brief overviewOver the coming weeks we will be unpacking the bible, and asking, where do we begin as we read the bible? What basic information might help us as we do so? Each week there will be an explanation of a book or major theme of the bible and some suggestions as to how this relates to our everyday life now, this will include

a key verse to reflect on through the week.This week we are looking at the bible as a whole. Are we sitting comfortably? Good, then Let us begin. The Bible is a collection of 66 different books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. There are some additional texts included by the Catholic Church and whilst we may look at these another week we will focus on the Bible Anglicans refer to for the purpose of this overview.Not every book in the Bible is the same kind of writing; We have law books, history books, Poetry and wisdom, Books of the Prophets (which are split into major and minor), the Gospels, the epistles (letters) written by St Paul, epistles written by others and lastly apocalyptic scripture. This means that as we read the Bible we are asking, what kind of writing is this? The type of writing we are reading affects the type of information the writer has chosen to include. Some Bibles will include a brief summary of a book at the beginning of each book and this can be helpful As we read the Bible we are engaging with the oldest form of recorded religious ideology. The Bible is considered to be sacred scripture not just by Christians but also by the world’s major faith’s including Islam and Judaism. In fact, what we refer to as the Old Testament was, and remains, Judaism’s holy scripture before it was ever considered Christian. The Bible writers cover the period of history from around 1700BC through to around 100AD although writing, or recording of events has changed somewhat during that time and it records events that occurred much before that. Historically it covers world events including the Egyptian empire, the building of Stonehenge around 2100 BC, the Chinese empire, the invasion of Britain by the Celts around the same time as Elijah prophesies, the advent of the Olympic games in 776BC only a few short years before Hosea becomes a prophet. The writing of Aesop’s fables almost 100 years before Esther is believed to have been Queen of Persia. The events in our Bible are wrapped up in and connected to the events of the whole of history and offer us a faith-based lens on history.There are different ways through which we can ‘read’ the bible. As a historical narrative to be read and studied. This is important as it helps us unpack the cultural meanings we sometimes won’t immediately be aware of. As a means of understanding God’s relationship and purpose to the whole of humanity, which unfolds through many of the overarching narratives that we try to explore through preaching and individual or group study. There are a wealth of informative bible study notes available.If we read it for ourselves and perhaps have never done so before, choosing a gospel narrative as a place to begin can be helpful. One tool for reading the Bible is what is known as the Lexio Divina - make space to read and reread a piece of scripture in an unhurried manner, allowing words or phrases to stand out to us ‘speak to us’ if you will. We may find ourselves entering the passage from the viewpoint of one of the main people and feel drawn to reflect on how they felt in being there.

Another way is to reflect on a specific verse and ask ourselves the question “what does this mean to me? What difference might this verse make in my life?”As Anglicans the scriptures are the foundation of our faith and so perhaps a good place to begin is to reflect on this passage and see what thoughts come in the moments of stillness with God, or the busyness of everyday life.All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Special notices and upcoming events for all…….

This week……

Benefice Lent GroupAs we begin to think about how we might journey through Lent this year, Michelle would like to invite you to her house for a time of fellowship,

learning and prayer together. We will be meeting every Tuesday evening throughout Lent at 7.30pm. Please sign up at the back of church if you

would like to join us.

This month……St George Community Fair will take place on Sun 11th March from 11am until 2pm in St Aidan’s Church and Hall. Everyone welcome!

Further ahead……St John’s Church will be organising an Agape Meal for Maundy Thursday 13th April at 7pm. If you would like to attend please add you name to a sign-up sheet at the back of your Church. The deadline to confirm attendance will be Sun 11th April.

EBP WEEKEND AWAY

The EBP is going camping!

Friday 28th April - Monday 1st May 2017A group of happy campers are off to Petruth Paddocks, Cheddar, Somerset to camp. This will be a great opportunity to have fun together and deepen friendships. If anyone would like more information or to book directly please visit www.petruthpaddocks.co.uk.For those who are not keen on camping there will be an opportunity to come over on the Saturday evening to join in a BBQ and share in some of the crazy camping joy - watch this space……..

St Ambrose and St Leonard’s ChurchSunday Service 10am

Special notices…..Revisions of St Ambrose and St Leonard’s electoral roll will begin on 18th March and end on 27th March. If you are not currently on the roll for St Ambrose and St Leonard’s and wish to be included, forms will be available from Derek Cann during this period.

The next meeting of the St Ambrose and St Leonard’s PCC will be on Tuesday 28th

March, at 7.15pm in the Beehive Centre.

St Ambrose and St Leonard’s Church APCM will be held on Sunday 23rd April. The deadline for all reports will be Sunday 9th April.

We anticipate Nicola Coleman to be Licensed on the 2nd May 2017 at 7.30pm. Venue to be confirmed. Please save the date in your diaries.

Future items for the pew sheet should be given to Joanna – joannaphillips@blueyonder.co.uk or Alison Cann who will pass them on to Amy, EBP Administrator. Many thanks.

Regular weekly events…..

HOLY COMMUNION Wednesdays at 10am

followed by coffee morning at 10.30am

Monthly on 1st Tuesdays 7pm – Healing Eucharist

www.stjohnsfishponds.comSunday Service 10.30am

Special notices….St John’s PCC will next meet on Mon 6th March at 7.30pm.FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT - On 26th Feb & 5th March there will be a FAIRTRADE stall at St John's and a raffle for a FAIRTRADE hamper. Cakes will also be provided with tea/coffee after the service for which donations will be invited. All proceeds will go towards Developing world projects. St. John's Action for the developing world group.

St John’s Church APCM will be held on Sun 12th March. The deadline for all reports has passed.

The next RELEASE Service is on Sun 12th March at 7pm.The next Baptism Preparation Session will take place on Sun 19th March at St John’s Church starting at 4pm. Fellowship Group - This is a group which meets on the 4th Monday of each month to look at our faith, using the bible or other material. We meet in homes, and it would be great if you could join us to learn more about our faith, which is what we are all doing. Nicola.

Regular weekly events….Tuesday 9.15am - Morning Prayer

Saturday 10.00am – Bible Study in the ChurchMonthly on 1st and 3rd Sundays 7.15pm – GENERATIONS

EVERY 4th SUNDAY IN CHURCH 3.30pm – 5.30pm

St Michael’s ChurchSunday Service 9am

Special notices…..St Michael’s Church boiler is currently not working so all Sunday Services will take place in the Church hall at the usual time of 9am. For the time being mid-week services will not be taking place. Please feel free to join in with mid-week Services across the EBP where you will be very welcome. The Ash Wednesday EBP Joint Service will be held at St Aidan’s instead.St Michael’s PCC will next meet on Mon 6th March at 1pm.Revsions of St Michael’s electoral roll will begin on the 3rd March and will close on 13th March.St Michael’s Church APCM will be held on Sun 2nd April. The deadline for all reports will be Sun 19th March.

Regular weekly events….. HOLY COMMUNION

1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 10am with Prayers for Healing

Coffee afternoon in Church every Friday 2pm-4pm (including tidy up of

Churchyard on 1st Friday of each month) & Coffee morning every Saturday

10am -12pm. Everyone welcome!

Do you enjoy company, refreshment and entertainment?Then why not come and join us in St Michael’s church hall at our

Friends and Neighbours group.We meet on the last Wednesday of every month 2pm-4pm.

Admission is just £2 and we will welcome you with tea, coffee and cake. Do come along - we would love to see you.