St Mary the Virgin North Shoebury

 

St Mary the Virgin North Shoebury

June 2019

Ephesians 1:16 – I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

We have much to be thankful for, and as we are still in the Easter season, we give thanks to God for his gift of his son, Jesus.

I also need to give thanks to everyone at St. Mary’s for making this Easter Season so special.  It was very pleasing to meet members of the Salvation Army and Friars Baptist Church at our Maundy Thursday meal.  Just to meet round a table and be able to share our stories and experiences was a great start to the Easter weekend.

It was very encouraging that the Good Friday meditation was so very well supported.  I thank all who helped to make it so special.

Easter Day was glorious, but especially so because the church was so beautifully prepared.  Clean and shiny with lovely flower arrangements to mark the special day.

On Easter morning the Sunrise Service was unexpectedly meaningful for me.  I have often attended, but never led this service.  It felt as if I had been brought near to those who first discovered that the Lord had risen.  Then the glorious Easter Eucharist which completed Easter Morning became so very uplifting.

But now we must look to what comes next.  I am looking forward to meeting with the new PCC.  Please give thanks for them, and remember them in your prayers, we have a new year to look forward to, and much will happen in this year.

We are hoping to have the spire repairs finished in time for the annual Patronal Festival at the beginning of September, but the planned finish date is very close to this date, and it might not be quite ready.

But apart from care of the fabric, we are starting our family service at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning.  This is an exciting new project, and I give thanks for the team that is making this happen.

We are also ready to put energy behind the mid-week Community Coffee Morning on Thursday after Holy Communion.  It will be from 10:30 until about 12:00 ish.  All are welcome, and I hope it will become a place where people can come and share their stories, where people can talk and be listened to.

You can find out more on our new website which is at “https://www.stmarynorthshoebury.org.uk” (More thanks to the web team)

None of this would have been possible, or is possible, without the community that is St. Mary’s.  In the short time I have been part of this community, I have always felt supported and encouraged.  But we have much to do as we move forward.

As I give thanks, I hope and pray that we may find the energy and people who can make this all a reality, and as Paul put it, “I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.”

God bless

David