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
15th – 21st April is Steve Williams
Duty Warden from 21st – 28th April 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 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.
Monday 22nd April:
Tuesday 23rd April:
8.00 a.m. – 8.30 a.m.:  Morning Prayers for the Church and Community (Leader: TBC): Chapel (Entry via Office Door).
Wednesday 24th April:
09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon:  St. Francis’ Rendezvous Community Café: Large Meeting Room; All members of the Community most welcome.
Thursday 25th April:
Friday 26th April:
12.00 noon – 2.00 p.m.:  Test Valley Live at Home Scheme – Social Club and Cafe:  Large Meeting Room.
Saturday 27th April:
Sunday 28th April:
2nd Sunday of Easter
8.45 a.m.:  Said Holy Communion for Easter (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland & Peter Rhodes);
10.00 a.m.: Parish Communion: (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland & Peter Rhodes).


HE IS RISEN:
HE IS RISEN
    INDEED.  ALLELULIA

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:

EASTER DAY

Key Readings:  

  • 1 Corinthians, Ch. 15, vs. 12 – 22;
  • John, Ch. 20, vs. 1 – 18.     

Easter day – fact or fiction?!

It’s a vital question – as Paul the apostle points out in our first reading,
‘If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God! (1 Corinthians, Ch. 15, vs. 14 – 15).’   Need evidence for the resurrection?  I do!  Our gospel reading introduces us to three eye witnesses– Peter and John, and Mary Magdalene.  Look at their reactions in the gospel reading: Peter and John realized what had happened because of what they already knew about Jesus and what the Old Testament prophecies told them – that he would rise from the dead.  Mary realized when she heard his voice and saw him in front of her.  Mary ran off and told the rest of the disciples – and the transformation from a sobbing woman at a grave, to an excited evangelist, offered further proof that Jesus’ resurrection was no trick.

So, if it’s true, why?  Why did Jesus die and rise again?  Here are four reasons:

(1) so that we can be forgiven. All the bad and sad things in the world died with Jesus on the cross and so as we trust that Jesus took all the wrong things that we do upon him, we are set free from the things that bind us.

(2) so we can be friends with God. Because of the cross, our wrongdoing is entirely dealt with, and God sees us as sinless. God made us and loves each one of us more than we can ever know. And once our conscience is clean and our guilt removed, we can know his friendship and his deep love for us.

(3) so we can follow Him. As we follow Jesus, he involves us in a mission, he gives us purpose, and equips us with all we need. And he does it through the church! God’s plan is to use the family of the church to release God’s favour into the world, to release his freedom and love, and to bless the surrounding community whether they have a faith or not. It’s a bold and exciting plan that we’re all called to be a part of – and we’re to do it by following Jesus!

(4) He died and rose again so that death is not the end for us. We are offered a fantastic hope for the future. One day our bodies will also be resurrected, and we will live forever with God in a place where there is no more death, suffering or pain.

Discuss these reasons.  Which one seems most important to you personally?

Be amazed at what Jesus has done for you – recapture the wonder of who He is, by going to Youtube.com and entering the following: Jesus is Amazing — Simon Ponsonby (Spoken Word).

Enjoy!

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.  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>.