We are a local ecumenical partnership involving:
Logo_of_the_Church_of_England.svg
DIOCESE OF WINCHESTER
(Deanery of Eastleigh)
 620px-The_Methodist_Church_logo.svg
SOUTHAMPTON DISTRICT
(Winchester, Eastleigh
and Romsey Circuit)
 A4WWESSEX 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 23rd June is Alison Rhodes.
Duty Warden from 24th – 30th June 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 22nd June:
Sunday 23rd June:
First Sunday after Trinity
8.45 a.m.:  Said Holy Communion (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland);
10.00 a.m.: Parish Communion: (Rev’d. Cliff and Dr. Sarah McClelland;
4.00 p.m.: Messy Church followed by Barbeque (Messy Church Team);
6.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.: Annual Methodist Circuit Service: Hillier Gardens, Jermyns Lane, Ampfield.
Monday 24th June:
1 .00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: St Francis School Prayer Space: Main church.
7.15 p.m. – 7.45 p.m.: Combined House Groups Prayer Meeting: Large Meeting Room; All most welcome;                       8.00 p.m.: Church Council Meeting: Large Meeting Room.
Tuesday 25th June:
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);
1 .00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: St Francis School Prayer Space: Main church.
 
Wednesday 26th June:
09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon:  St. Francis’ Rendezvous Community Café: Large Meeting Room; All members of the Community most welcome;
1 .00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: St Francis School Prayer Space: Main church.
Thursday 27th June:
10.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon:  Church-based House Group Meeting: Large Meeting Room;
1 .00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: St Francis School Prayer Space: Main church.
8.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m.:  House Group Meetings: Blenheim Close and Larkspur Drive.
Friday 28th June:
12.00 noon – 2.00 p.m.:  Test Valley Live at Home Scheme – Social Club and Cafe:  Large Meeting Room.
1 .00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: St Francis School Prayer Space: Main church.
Saturday 29th June:
12.00 noon – 5.00 p.m.: Family Fun Day; Cleveland Bay PH: In aid of Paediatric Intensive Care at So’ton Gen Hosp.
Sunday 30th June:
Second Sunday after Trinity
8.45 a.m.:  Said Holy Communion (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland);
10.00 a.m.: Cafe Morning Worship: (Rev’d. Dr. Sarah McClelland).

THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR COLLECTIONS DURING CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
AND HELPED US RAISE £1,356.76
THIS YEAR IN VALLEY PARK.

MESSY CHURCH
messy church

Craft, Activities, Afternoon Tea, Celebration.

The fun way to do church
for all the family.
Next Session
Sunday 21st July:
Theme:
“Everything worships God”

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 13th July
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 12th July
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:

CHURCH AS FAMILY:
OUR WORLDWIDE CHURCH FAMILY.

Key Readings:  

  • Romans, Ch. 12, vs: 9 – 21;
  • John, Ch. 13, vs: 31 – 35.

This week (from Sunday 23rd June) in our sermon series on Church as Family, we’re thinking about what it means to love each other.  Our Bible readings help us and maybe give us the sort of instruction and encouragement that we expect –read them and see if you agree.  And on so many levels we do this well, here at St Francis’.  But let’s not be complacent: Jesus says that people will know we’re Christians by how we love each other (John, Ch. 13, vs.: 35).

Do our relationships at St Francis’ look any different to those of other places where like-minded people gather: sports clubs, craft evenings, friends?  This is a good challenge for us. Have a look at Luke, Ch. 6: 32 – 36.  It starts like this: ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?’  As Christians, our love for those around us will have a different quality: we will love those who aren’t like us and demonstrate this in hospitality and other generous acts.  We will be sincere (Romans, Ch. 12, vs: 9), speaking the truth in love (Ephesians, Ch. 4, vs.:15).  And we will be confident to do so, not fearing rejection, because we are confident in the love that God has for us, extending the grace that God has shown us to those who think and act differently.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who was killed by the Nazis just before the end of the second World War, for living out his faith in bold action.  Before his imprisonment and death, he lived in community as he trained German pastors, and he wrote about community life.

He said the following in his book Life Together: ‘The serious Christian… is likely to bring with him [sic] a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and try to realise it.  But God’s grace speedily shatters such dreams.  Just as surely God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great general disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves.’ (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Life Together SCM Press 1954, p. 15).

Reflect on this quote personally or in house groups.

Bonhoeffer goes on to say that as we are overwhelmed by disillusionment with others and ourselves, so we will come to rely on God, to grow in faith that his grace is enough for us.  It’s not a question of trying to be better Christians (we can’t do that in our own strength), but a case of seeking God relentlessly, of hungering after him.  As we do that in prayer and Bible study, so we will be transformed to become more like him, and we will find ourselves loving one another as Jesus loved us (John, Ch. 13, vs: 34).

Sarah

Please click here to go to all of the Lenten Course Study Material on Prayer and for a selection of recent sermons and homilies on current study topics. 
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>.