Our monthly charity for June is the Church Urban Fund. We will be collecting donations for them after the morning services on Sunday.

As the Church of England’s response to poverty, our aim is to inform, inspire, resource and support churches as they work to tackle poverty and build community.

At the heart of our work is a network of partnerships with individual Dioceses called the Together Network. Through this network we aim to enhance, multiply and transform the Church’s engagement with poverty at a local and national level.

The charity for May is Christian Aid, and Chris will again be doing a sleepover in the Church to raise funds, this time, hopefully, with some willing young volunteers from the 11.15am congregation.

Bear in mind that for every pound raised, 85p goes directly into charitable purposes – 45p supports long-term development projects, 29p is spent on humanitarian and emergencies and 11p on campaigning, advocacy and education – the remaining 15p goes back into fundraising. For every £1 invested they secure more that £7 in return.

Please give whatever you can, however you can.

Why not drop in for a Bell Tower tour on Saturday 12 May between 1:30pm and 3:30pm, as part of the Loughton Festival? Visit the Tower, learn a little about the art of bell ringing and climb above the tower for very good views of Loughton. There may be the chance to try ringing a bell, depending on numbers. Adults and children aged 8 and over only please. Ability to climb the 38 stone spiral steps to the bell tower is required. Tours will take around 30 minutes.

Wednesday, 28th March

Stations of the Cross, 8pm

Maundy Thursday

29th March

Sung Eucharist of the Last Supper, 8pm

After the service a silent vigil of prayer will be kept throughout the night as we commemorate Jesus’ vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Volunteers to maintain this vigil are asked to sign the chart at the back of church.

Good Friday

30th March

Good Friday Liturgy, 10am

A service centring on the Passion according to St John with Sermon, Prayers for the World, and then Holy Communion will be distributed from the sacrament reserved from the previous evening.

Children’s Activities Morning, 11:30am

Activities for children on Good Friday in the church hall.

An Hour at the Foot of the Cross, 2pm

Meditation and reflection for Good Friday.

Holy Saturday

31st March

Solemn Vigil, 8pm

(Solemn Vigil, Lighting of the Easter Candle, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and First Eucharist of the Resurrection)

A short vigil of Bible Readings and prayers in the Parish Hall is followed by the blessing of the Easter fire and lighting of the Easter Candle. A slow procession into the darkened church follows, symbolizing the rising to New Life of He who is the Light of the World. Next comes the singing of the Easter Proclamation and the first Eucharist of Easter. In place of the Creed we all renew our baptismal vows praying that we may be reborn in the Christ who is among us.

Easter Sunday

1st April

Services

We will be celebrating Passion Sunday (Sunday, 18th March) with a Choral Eucharist at the 9.30am service.

Pieces will include the Byrd Mass for Four Voices and Goss O Saviour of the World and we will be joined by the St John’s Singers – so it should be most enjoyable and beautifully sung.

Our link Diocese of Marsabit have asked us to join with them in raising money for a water bowser, as a drought warning has been issued. Bishop Daniel Qampicha oversees this diocese the size of England, with a population half that of Essex, and among the poorest in Kenya. Over the last five years, communities have faced water deficiencies, attributed mainly to below normal rainfall. This has forced households to walk 30km to 40km in search of water for domestic use and for livestock. Emergency water trucking to drought affected populations, in Northern Kenya, has become an important intervention as rainfall patterns in these areas have become increasingly unpredictable. It is expensive and is the only coping mechanism in times of water scarcity, and inflation in the price of water.

We will be collecting in support of the Bishop’s appeal after our services throughout Lent.

Help us to help them. Thank you.

As part of the Loughton Festival the City of London and Eastern Society of Organists will be giving an organ recital at St John’s.

The recital will be at 8pm on Friday 11th May.

Tickets will be £8 (£7 for concessions) and available on the door. There is no need to book.

Please join us next week for the beginning of Lent at our Ash Wednesday service. We will be marking the beginning of Lent on Wednesday 14th February at 8pm with an invitation to observe a holy Lent, the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion.