DATES FOR THE DIARY Coffee/Afternoon Tea on Zoom Wednesday 3 March - 11.15am Thursday 11 March - 4.15pm Joining details are the same as for our Sunday Eucharists (See Services page)
HELLO FROM JEREMY Dear Friends,
With all this cold weather we have been having, I have been glad that we have a wood burner installed in our living room, (which we plan to bring with us when we move to West Runton). Our wood burner has helped to keep Lesley and myself fit and warm, sawing and chopping up the wood, and then, once burned, it keeps our house warm on these cold winter nights and days. The only drawback is that every couple of days we have to clean it and remove the ashes. It’s a mucky job, and always takes a lot longer than you’d think. But we have to do it, because without the clean-up, the wood burner would soon get all clogged up, the wood won’t burn properly, and we’ll be back to shivering again.
This struck me as a good image for Ash Wednesday and Lent which started a week or so ago. During Lent we Christians are expected to take a long, hard look at our lives, and attempt to make changes where they’re needed. It’s like having a good clear out of all the dark and mucky stuff in our lives. It’s so important, because, like our wood burner, without a clean-up, our souls and our lives get all clogged up, and any warmth we had inside us gets slowly frozen out.
In many religions, ashes are a traditional sign of repentance and change, which is why, in more normal times, Christians will often have the sign of the cross made with ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday – it’s a reminder to us, and the rest of the world, that this is the beginning of a serious time of self-examination.
A lot of people, whether they would call themselves Christians or not, ‘give things up’ for Lent – chocolate maybe, or meat, or alcohol or swearing. And that’s good as a bit of self-discipline, but we don’t magically live a good life just because we don’t swear or we lose a few pounds, especially if we go back to our old ways as soon as we can.
Sometimes I believe it’s better to take something up for Lent – maybe helping someone out every day or stopping to count our blessings every morning. You never know, by the time the 40 days are up, it may have become a good habit we decide to keep. All my love and blessings Jeremy
GIFT AID CLAIMS We hope you may be saving your weekly collection for when you return to church. If you have completed a Gift Aid Donation Form you are able to pay this amount by cheque or cash. If you are not a tax payer then the church can still claim Gift Aid under the Small Donations Scheme for collections. Please under these circumstances do not pay your donations by cheque but by cash either in your envelopes or in not more than £20 notes as we cannot claim Gift Aid under this scheme on cheques or large denomination notes. Preferably please put in your weekly envelope. Benefice Gift Aid Officers
NEWS FROM AROUND THE BENEFICE
AYLMERTON Vacancy for PCC Members and a Churchwarden — There are vacancies on the PCC and for one role of Churchwarden in the coming year, and elections will take place at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting which is due to be held in either March or April. Anyone who is on the Electoral Roll for St. John the Baptist is entitled to stand for election and so, if you are interested in coming forward to take on one of these positions, please contact Revd. Jeremy Sykes or Connie Burchett.
EAST RUNTON A message from Jean Steward: “It is hard to believe that it is a year since we had services and coffee mornings in St. Andrew’s – such happy times. I think the church has been missing us too, as it looks very sad. The inclement weather has taken its toll and has resulted in considerable damp to the wall adjoining the neighbouring building. The problem has been identified and we are working very hard to rectify it. We are grateful to Mary Parker and Barbara and Graham Wright for the loan of their dehumidifiers, which are doing a sterling job. We are looking forward to all being together again in our churches as soon as permitted, but extremely grateful to be able to share in both worship and informal “coffee mornings” with Father Jeremy, via zoom.”
EAST AND WEST RUNTON Runton Parochial Church Council Treasurer Vacancy — We are sorry to report that Brenda Hones has resigned as Treasurer to Runton Parochial Church Council after some years of sterling work for us and we thank her for all that she has done. The Churchwardens have temporarily taken over the role but we need a new Treasurer. Are you that person? If you have been a Church Treasurer before then you know what it entails, but for those who don’t know here is a brief job description--
Should be reasonably computer literate.
Able to undertake the banking of the monies (accounts are held at NatWest Cromer).
Keep the accounts and report to the PCC probably four times a year.
Compile the Financial Statements for the end of the year.
If you are interested but feel that it is too much work for one person then we do have someone who is willing to do the day-to-day tasks. For more information about the role please ring either Rosemary Large (838121) or Brenda Hones (838948).
LOCAL EVENTS
Runton Parish Council — The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 23rd March but until further notice the meetings are being held virtually by “Zoom”. Members of the public are welcome to join the meeting but if you wish to speak then please contact the Clerk not less than 24 hours before the meeting to register your intention to do so. The Clerk can be contacted on 01263 512214 or email runtonpc@aol.com to receive a link to the meeting.
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