Today is our giving Sunday and I am here to challenge every one of us to join or increase our planned giving.  What is Planned Giving? Exactly that; planning how much of our income we regularly give, and it couldn’t be easier than by Standing Order.  But why should I bother we might ask?  Well let me share something with you…..
Recently I spoke with someone who had left her family home with as many personal belongings as she could carry in a small van and walked away from her home …

St Paul’s theology of giving – applied to today

It’s never been easy to talk about money in churches. Even St Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, clearly feels he’s doing the first century equivalent of tiptoeing through a minefield. The background: Judaea had been hit by severe famine and Christians there were in dire need; a collection was being raised from the Gentile churches to bring them relief. In encouraging the Corinthians to play their part, Paul sets out key principles of Christian giving.
Normally, if we really want …

The principles of stewardship are the foundation of our life together as a church.
Every few years we run a Planned Giving Renewal programme to encourage parishioners to re-consider their committed level of giving, both money and time and talents. In this way the PCC is better able organise our life and direct our mission, knowing what income to expect.
Read about Planned Giving – Funding the Vision.
We are extremely grateful for all contributions, whatever form they take.

Bible Sunday
In February 2008, General Synod passed a resolution that there should be “unfettered access to Bibles in all Churches”. When I have preached on Bible Sunday here in past years, I have suggested that, for a number of reasons, it would be good if we had Bibles in both our Churches. This year I invited you to ‘Sponsor a Bible’ in a special collection at the end of all services on Bible Sunday. We will also have collections in both Churches for the next few weeks – or any …

Love Changes Everything
This theme of love is a natural progression for Interserve, following on from our profiling of justice issues in 2009. In 2010, our focus is on the disabled, the disenfranchised and the trafficked and we will be demonstrating how our workers overseas offer God’s love to those who need it most.
As the confusion and debate continues to rage around Asia and the Arab World as to how to deal with conflicting approaches to peace, it is clear that there has never been a better time for Interserve …

Can you imagine being a child and people deciding you are not worth educating? In fact, you cannot even go out to play with friends because you are kept hidden – at times you may even be tethered to a pole in your home? Can you imagine being unable to walk so having to crawl or be carried wherever you go?
Through the Roof is a charity that is dedicated to seeing disabled children and adults reaching their full potential in God. Internationally we take teams to …

St Mary’s Church, Oatlands Avenue, Weybridge on Saturday 24th April at 7.30 pm.
Choir ‘Vox Cordis’ (whose members sing with The Sixteen, The Gabrieli Consort, Tenebrae, The Monteverdi Choir and both English and Welsh National Operas) will sing sacred music by Byrd, Brahms, Gibbons and others, culminating in a performance of Fauré’s Requiem. Tickets (£10 adults / £8 concessions) available from Oatlands parish office on 01932 231274. All proceeds will go to the British Sjogren’s Syndrome Association.

St Mary’s and St John’s would be very grateful to receive donations in memory of loved ones. Please mark your envelope ‘Easter Lilies – St Mary’s’ or ‘St John’s’ and leave at the Parish Office. St Mary’s would also be grateful for small plants for the Easter garden, and both churches would like flowers and foliage for decorating. Please bring these along next Saturday, 3rd April, between 9.00 and 10.00 am at St Mary’s, and from 10.00 am at St John’s. Thank you.

The eight bells date back to 1606, so for four hundred years they have been ringing across the town to mark services, weddings and celebrations. The last major restoration took place in 1883.
The proposed work requires removal of the bells from the tower for fitting new headstocks, gudgeons and bearings, clapper assemblies, wheels and rope pulleys; then all to be rehung in a new steel frame.

The Tower Clock
The tower clock dates from 1905 and has to be manually wound each week. This is an ideal time to carry out repairs …