June Newsletter
Welcome!
To a Royal Platinum Jubilee edition of the Newsletter. This Sunday we have a wonderful Celebration Service at St Peter's: we will be joined by our Methodist friends, local ice-cream makers Just-Ice, and everyone from the wider community who would like to share in this wonderful occasion.
In this month's newsletter: 
Church News
Platinum Jubilee Celebration Programme
10.30am Worship Service: taking place outside the West doors of the Church in the glorious sunshine. If you would like to bring a picnic blanket or chair then please do so.
At the end of the service:
Ice Cream for sale with Just-Ice
Teddy bear zip wire from the tower. (Bring your own teddy! around 25 - 50cm tall please)
Live music by local band "Retro Casino"
Portrait of the Queen Art Competition Prestbury School recently had an art competition focusing on different artists from the many decades of the Queen's reign. The winning entries will be on display in the church over the Jubilee weekend - don't forget to take a look!
Why not bring your own picnic lunch or shop for a take out lunch nearby from Henry's or Base?
Feel welcome to stay in the Churchyard and picnic for as long as you like.
A Jubilee Peal
The Bell Ringers of St Peter's will be ringing in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee at 11.30am on Friday 3rd June. The specific time has been chosen to coincide with her Majesty's attendance at a Service of celebration at St Paul's Cathedral.
Mothers’ Union
Monday 13th June 2.00pm
Strawberry Garden Party
We are meeting at a very good church friend’s garden for shortbread and strawberries...
Let’s hope the sun shines!
More details nearer the time – keep the afternoon free.
Services for June
|
Date |
St Peter's
8.30am
|
St Peter's
Rooms
9.30am
|
Church of
Resurrection
10.00am
|
St Peter's
10.30am
(Live-streamed)
|
St John's
11.00am
|
St Peter's
4.30pm
|
June
5th
|
Holy
Communion
|
|
Holy
Communion
|
Queen's Jubilee Service, outside
|
|
Sung
Evensong
|
June
12th
|
Holy
Communion
|
|
Holy
Communion
|
Wild Church
|
Morning Worship
|
Choral
evensong
|
June
19th
|
Holy
Communion
|
Breakfast Church
|
Holy
Communion
|
Holy Communion
|
|
Sung
Evensong
|
June
26th
|
Holy
Communion
|
|
Holy
Communion
|
Holy Baptism
|
Morning
Worship
|
Choral
evensong
|
July
3rd
|
Holy
Communion
|
|
Holy
Communion
|
Holy Communion
(Young Church)
|
|
Sung
Evensong
|
Community News
Prestbury Bowling Club
Crown Green Bowling for All
Welcome to Prestbury Bowling Club! Founded in 2000, our green is situated in a beautiful and peaceful location behind the Village Hall.
We are a particularly friendly club and keen to welcome new members of all ages and abilities. We offer both social and competitive bowling, with teams entered in leagues in both Alderley Edge and Macclesfield.
Full information about us is on our website prestburybc.co.uk and if you are interested in joining whether an experienced player or complete beginner, please contact our membership secretary at prestburybc@gmail.com for further information.
Prestbury Choral Society
A celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Saturday 18th June 7.30pm St Bartholomew's Church Wilmslow.
A special Jubilee Programme including works by Parry, Vivaldi and Binge
Tickets call 07775 586416 or via the website www.prestburychoral.uk
Diary for June
Mondays: Morning prayer 9.00am St Peter's Rooms
Monday 13th: Mothers' Union at 2.00pm
Tuesdays: Morning Prayer at 9.00am Zoom Code 503 346 024 and Passcode 793684
Wednesdays: Holy Communion 10.30am
Thursdays: Morning Prayer at 9.00am. Zoom Code 859 930 994
Thursday 23rd Pram Service at 10.15am St Peter's
Fridays: 7.45pm Choir Practice
Prayer Resources
Open for Prayer
Church is open for prayer from 9.00am to 3.15pm each day during the week, for those who would like a space to pray or to light a votive candle.
|
Prayer focus:
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
There are many street parties and family lunches celebrating the Jubilee, why not offer to say grace?
Bountiful God, giver of all good gifts,
your Son taught us that in the Kingdom of God
people would come from east and west,
from north and south,
to sit at table together.
As we give thanks for the many years
and long reign of our Queen,
we ask you to bless our food, our neighbourhood,
and our enjoyment of each other’s company.
We make our prayer through the same
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
or
Gracious God,
give our Queen continued wisdom and strength
to carry out the promises she has made;
and bless (this food, and) those who are gathered here,
that, sustained by service for others,
we may faithfully serve you, all the days of our life.
All Amen.
Prayers for the Queen
Gracious God, we give you thanks
for the reign of your servant Elizabeth our Queen,
and for the example of loving and faithful service
which she has shown among us.
Help us to follow her example of dedication
and to commit our lives to you and to one another,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
O Lord, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
we give you thanks for your servant Elizabeth our Queen.
May she ever be provided with all she may need
for her ministry among us,
strengthened to meet every demand
which her office may make,
and in all things nourished by your word and example,
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign,
world without end.
Amen.
Coronation Prayer of Thanksgiving (adapted)
Lord of our lives and Father of all,
let our thanksgiving prove itself in service
to you and to our Queen, our country and one another,
for your Name’s sake.
Amen.
Those who have asked for prayer
Peter Brough
Jack Galway
Those who have died
Freda Clowes
Elwyn Ellis
Bryan Routledge
Jennifer Woodcock
John Clough
Kenneth Beresford
Leslie Lewis
Michael Hind
Joan Belfield
Closing Thought
Welcome is at the heart of the Good News that Jesus shared. In his parables, he told stories about wedding feasts and banquets and of celebrating the returning prodigal son. He demonstrated this too as he welcomed fishermen and zealots to be disciples, as he spoke to old women and young children, touched lepers, opened eyes of the blind and shared food with tax collectors and prostitutes.
Jesus welcomes us in the same way today, by inviting us all into his kingdom.
Welcome is at the heart of Church life today and vital if Church is to grow, thrive and become all that God is calling us to be. But what does it mean to be a welcoming Church?
One of the books I am reading at the moment is about the Garden Church on the edge of Los Angeles, geographically not far from where I did my placement while training for ministry. Culturally the Garden Church is a million miles from the leafy suburbs where I was - it is a church on what was a derelict lot, in an area of homelessness, hunger and poverty. The Church didn't put up a building it literally produced a garden, a green oasis out of the derelict lot. More than this, together they have built a Christian community around the table in the midst of that garden. A table where meals made from the food grown is served, where the community pray and break bread together. It is a church where many of those who gather bring with them the consequences of challenging histories of homelessness, addiction, abuse and just the damaging impact of long-term real poverty.
Anna the pastor has a wonderful guiding principal "Everybody is welcome, but not every behaviour is welcome" and there is a wonderful and profound truth in this.
This Sunday is Pentecost: we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, the power and presence of God that dwells in everyone who is a Christian. Not only does the Holy Spirit give us amazing Spiritual gifts, that help to build up the Church (don't forget to use yours!) but also the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. God welcomes us all, but not every behaviour is welcome: yes, the powers of sin and death were defeated on the cross once and for all, but we still give them room in our lives.
Recognising that we too have behaviours that are on the unwanted list, helps us recognise that we are all on the same journey of transformation and that we all need to constantly invite God's Holy Spirit to work with us in our lives to produce a fruitful harvest.
The wonderful thing is the more we know the transforming grace of God in our lives as individuals and as a church, the wider we can hold our arms out in welcome, as Jesus held out his arms for us.