We are a local ecumenical partnership involving:
Logo_of_the_Church_of_England.svgDIOCESE OF WINCHESTER 620px-The_Methodist_Church_logo.svgSOUTHAMPTON DISTRICT A4WWESSEX PROVINCE
Safeguarding those at risk:
To find our policies on Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults please click here;
Our primary Safeguarding contact:  safeguarding@stfrancis-valleypark.org.uk
Our Minister, Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland reflected on her first impressions of our Church at our Annual Church Meeting on Sunday 7th April 2019.  Click on this link to hear her comments:
 
Happening this week at
St. Francis’.
Our “Duty Churchwarden” until
8th – 14th April is Alison Rhodes
Duty Warden from 15th – 21st April is Steve Williams.
Note:
St Francis’ School Breakfast Club (7.30 a.m. – 9.00 a.m.) &
St Francis’ After School Club (3.15 p.m. – 6.00 p.m.)
held each weekday in School Terms.
Saturday 13th April:
8.30 a.m.: Church Family breakfast: Large Meeting Room;
930 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Church spring cleaning/garden working party; all very welcome.
Sunday 14th April:
PALM SUNDAY
8.45 a.m.:  Said Holy Communion (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland and Peter Rhodes);
10.00 a.m.: Parish Communion: (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland and Peter Rhodes).
Monday 15th April:
Tuesday 16th April:
8.00 a.m. – 8.30 a.m.:  Morning Prayers for the Church and Community (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland): Chapel (Entry via Office Door);
8.00 p.m. – 8.30 p.m.: “Pop-up Choir – Choir Practice.
Wednesday 17th April:
09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon:  St. Francis’ Rendezvous Community Café: Large Meeting Room; All members of the Community most welcome.
Thursday 18th April:
MAUNDY THURSDAY
7.00 p.m.:  Informal Agape Holy Communion and Bring and Share Supper for Maundy Thursday.
Friday 19th April:
GOOD FRIDAY
10.00 a.m.:  All-age Morning Worship for Good Friday, followed by Hot Cross Buns;
7.00 p.m.: Reflective Worship for Good Friday Evening.
Saturday 20th April:
HOLY SATURDAY/EASTER EVE
8.00  p.m.: Compline for Holy Saturday; followed by dressing the Church for Easter Day.
Sunday 21st April:
EASTER DAY
8.45 a.m.:  Said Holy Communion for Easter (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland);
10.00 a.m.: All-Age Festival Parish Communion For Easter Day: (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland);
11.15 a.m. Approx.:  Easter Egg Hunt in Church Garden for Children.

PASSIONTIDE &
EASTER 2019
AT ST. FRANCIS’

You are most welcome to join us as we mark the
Passion and Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
and
His Triumphal Resurrection on Easter Day.

Our Passiontide and Easter Services are:
April:

Palm Crosses will be distributed at each Palm Sunday Service.
There will also be a celebration of Holy Communion at BrendonCare Knightwood on Maundy Thursday afternoon at 2.30 p.m.
The Informal Service on Maundy Thursday Evening will take the form of an Agape Supper and Communion.
The Service of Compline on Holy Saturday will be followed by dressing the Church for Easter Day. 
Click here to find out more about what happened from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, during the week we call Holy Week.

MESSY CHURCH
messy church

Craft, Activities, Afternoon Tea, Celebration.

The fun way to do church
for all the family.
Next Session
Sunday 19th May:
Theme:
“TBC”
(No Messy Church in April
due to Easter)

Click this link to find out More:

 ST FRANCIS’ RENDEZVOUS
COMMUNITY CAFE

Café Open every Wednesday
9.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon.
All members of the Community of all ages most welcome.
Creche with toys and games for children.
Community Information Point for Local Community, Health
and Benefits Information.

More:

MEN’S BREAKFAST

Join us for a
“Full English”,
fellowship and
Thought for the Day

Next Breakfast:
Saturday 11th May
8.15 a.m. for 8.30 a.m.

All menfolk most welcome.

Glitter and Glue

glitter ad glueCreative commons acknowledged

Glitter and Glue is an hour of
craft,  messy play, stories and
songs for  the under fives
and their parents/carers.
Glitter and Glue is held monthly in term-time –
all pre-school children and
their parents / carers are welcome.
Next Session:
Friday 10th May
10.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.
More:
No Glitter and Glue in April during the Easter School holiday.
INFORMATION:

St Francis’ Church in action: 
To find out more about what else we are doing through the coming year please look at our Parish Calendar and Weekly Notices pages.
What were we doing in 2018?  
To read about the Ministry, Mission and Witness we undertook, and how we used the Financial Resources gifted to us in 2018, please click on St Francis Annual Report 2018 – v1.0 Final  

Click Annual Review – 2018 – web version to see a pictorial review of our Church’s Ministry and collective life during 2018.
What are our strategic plans for Ministry and Mission in the coming months?  
To read our latest Parish Mission Action Plan (pMAP) please click on:
St Francis Valley Park – pMap 2017 – 2020 – v 2-2,
together with the latest revision of our aims and objectives:  St Francis Valley Park – pMap 2017 – 2020 – v 2-2-1 – Action Plan Revision November 2017
and Lay Leadership Matrix of which Church Council member leads on which topics:
St Francis Valley Park – pMap 2017 – 2020 – v 2-2-1 – Leadership Matrix – Revised Nov 2017.
Data Protection: 
To read our Data Protection Policies please click here.  Please let the Parish Office know if you no longer wish us to hold your information.
To contact us:
For our contact details please click here.   

Some of our Home Groups develop their studies around the central theme of our Sunday worship and study.
Our teaching theme this week focusses on:

PALM SUNDAY

Key Readings:  

  • Luke, Ch. 19, vs. 28 – 40;     
  • Philippians, Ch. 2, vs. 5 – 11.     

It’s hard to over-estimate the symbolic importance of this incredible occasion.  It starts with Jesus for the first time describing himself as “Lord”, the Biblical term always used to refer to God.  He and the crowd then fully endorse him as King – the donkey evoking Solomon’s anointing (1 Kings, Ch. 1, vs. 38) and the cloaks with Jehu (2 Kings, Ch. 9, vs. 13).

Perhaps the modern equivalent would be a presidential ticker-tape parade. ‘Hosanna’ (in other gospels) means ‘Save us – now!” and the chant in Luke, Ch. 19, vs. 38 quotes the song of praise to God: Psalm 118 – could the crowd have known?

Who went?  Who was the owner of the donkey?  What did they think about its being borrowed?  Were Jesus’ words a prophetic insight or a code pre-arranged last time he was in Bethphage, planning the visit?

Instead of answers, Luke mentions ‘tied’ or ‘untying’ 5 times – reminding the Hebrew crowd of Jacob’s promise to Judah that future permanent kingship will come to his family (Genesis, Ch. 49, vs. 10 – 11).  This is the parade of a king who has already won the victory – worthy of all our praise!

But as Paul recounts in this quotation (perhaps from a contemporary creed or song) this king is very different – sequentially stepping down from deity to humanity to executed ‘criminal’.  It is God who restores this injustice, and accepts Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice to restore us too to a right relationship with Him.  Hosanna!!

  • Philippians, Ch 2, vs. 5: we are to have the same mindset as Christ – what does that mean for us?

Reflect on the cost to Christ and the Father, and what was achieved.

  • Can we model this in our lives?
  • What would the impact be for us and those around us?

Picture yourself in that palm-waving crowd, face to face with Jesus. Worship Him as they did, and thank him for all he gave up for us as we enter Holy Week.

Peter Rhodes

Please click here to go to all of the Lenten Course Study Material on Prayer
Please note:
The Minister’s day off is Friday.  For emergencies please contact the Duty Warden or Parish office on that day.
General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR):  The new data protection regulations, relating to the holding, management and use of personal data by organisations came into force on Friday 25th May.  St Francis’ Church takes its responsibilities under GDPR very seriously.  You can read our Data Privacy Notice here.  If you are a member of St Francis’ Church, or wish to remain in close contact with us, you may give us consent to hold, manage and use your personal data by downloading a Full Data Consent Form 2018 – 27-04-18 and completing and e-mailing it to us at <sfvp91@btconnect.com>.