St Francis Church, Valley Park, Chandlers FordSt Francis Church is a Christ centred family, prayerfully growing in God's love to serve our community and the wider world.
SOUTHAMPTON DISTRICT
(Winchester, Eastleigh
and Romsey Circuit)
WESSEX SYNOD
(South West Hants Group)
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 19th May is Steve Williams Duty Warden from 20th – 26th May is Andrew Grove
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 18th May:
Sunday 19th May: 5th Sunday of Easter
END OF CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 8.45 a.m.: Said Holy Communion (Rev’d. Sue Keegan von Allmen); 10.00 a.m.: Morning Worship: (Rev’d. Sue Keegan von Allmen);
11.30 a.m.: Church Family Mountain Bike Ride to Lordshill Forest;
4.00 p.m.: Messy Church; 6.00 p.m.: Informal Evening Worship: (Rev’ds. Cliff and Dr. Sarah McClelland).
Monday 20th May:
Tuesday 21st May: 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);
10.00 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.: Fledge Interviews; Large Meeting Room.
Wednesday 22nd May: 09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon: St. Francis’ Rendezvous Community Café: Large Meeting Room; All members of the Community most welcome.
Thursday 23rd May: 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon: Church-based House group; Large Meeting Room.
Friday 24th May: 12.00 noon – 2.00 p.m.: Test Valley Live at Home Scheme – Social Club and Cafe: Large Meeting Room.
Saturday 25th May:
Sunday 26th May: 6th Sunday of Easter
ROGATION SUNDAY 8.45 a.m.: Said Holy Communion (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland); 10.00 a.m.: Parish Communion: (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland & Elliot Grove).
IT IS CHRISTIAN AID WEEK.
12 – 19 MAY 2019
Please give generously for who have little or nothing, by returning your envelopes promptly to the address given on the letter which accompanies them.
MANY Thanks for your kindness.
MESSY CHURCH
Craft, Activities, Afternoon Tea, Celebration.
The fun way to do church
for all the family. Next Session
Sunday 19th May: Theme:
“Prayer”
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.
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 14th June 10.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. More: No Glitter and Glue in April during the Easter School holiday.
INFORMAL EVENING WORSHIP:
DAY AND TIME CHANGES:
Please note that as from Sunday 5th May, our Informal Evening Worship Services will be held twice monthly on 1st and 3rd Sunday starting at the earlier time of 6.00 p.m.
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
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,
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 clickhere.
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:
LOOKING FOR PENTECOST AND
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Key Readings:
Acts of the Apostles, Ch. 2, vs. 1 – 21.
We are thinking about Pentecost in our evening service on 19th May. – three weeks too early! But the coming of the Holy Spirit is what enabled the ‘Acts’ of the apostles that the book is about; without the Holy Spirit’s arrival, the rest of our evening series will fall rather flat.
We join the story when Jesus’ followers were wondering what to do now he had ascended to heaven. Jesus had told them that they should wait for the Holy Spirit, and he’d explained who the Spirit was: advocate, comforter, guide (see John, Ch. 14, vs. 15 – 27). Jesus had also told them the reason for the Spirit: to fill them with power, to be Jesus’ witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts, Ch. 1, vs. 8).
And then this strange story of a gust of wind and tongues of fire in an upper room, of disciples appearing to be drunk, as they babbled other languages – which people from other countries could actually understand! And Peter’s interpretation of events drawing on a rather frightening Old Testament prophecy.
So is it all a bit whacky? Is the Spirit to be trusted, or is this a hoax? And does this stuff still happen now?
(For house groups, consider: do any of these questions resonate?
Do you have misgivings about the Holy Spirit?)
Here are three things we learn through Pentecost:
First, the Spirit was long expected. We’ve already noted that Jesus promised the Spirit. Peter recognised His arrival, and the promise from the prophecy in Joel. The fact that the Spirit was long expected shows that He has always been part of God’s plan – for then, and for us now (indeed, for ‘all who call upon the name of the Lord’) in these last days, as we await Jesus’ return.
Second, it is the Holy Spirit who forms the church – Pentecost marks the church’s birthday. Through the Spirit, some of God’s creative power comes from heaven to earth, in order to work here. This group of disciples, altogether in one room, were no longer a group of friends – but a group filled with God’s power, worshipping and witnessing to the risen Lord. A church, in other words! Does that description cover us here at St Francis?
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit’s power is available for us here today. The Spirit comes when we invite Him and transforms us so that we show His fruit in our lives (Galatians, Ch. 5, vs. 22 – 23). He also gives us gifts: in this passage, speaking in other languages so that people once divided at the tower of Babel (Genesis, Ch. 11, vs. 1 – 9) could once again understand each other. It is the Spirit that unites us today, too! Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and show you your gifts.
Sarah
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 2018. 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>.
WESSEX SYNOD
