Reflections for Holy Week
at 7.30 pm

Monday 29th – Wednesday 31st March
Readings - Reflections – Prayers

Maundy Thursday 1st April - Communion

Good Friday Worship – 7.30 pm

Communion Bread

Moved by the plight of the people of Haiti, the congregation have been raising funds for the appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee. The proceeds from a famine lunch, where almost 60 people sat down to soup and bread, and a lively auction have been added to the retiring collections taken over the past two weeks,resulting in £1000 being sent to the DEC to provide necessities for the suffering people.

The Knitwitters are sending fruits of their labours to this project. For pictures of the project visit the What We Do : Recent Posts section. (Click on image to enlarge).

At the December Church Meeting it was agreed that the ‘profits’ from the Traidcraft stall, held on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, should be used to purchase three presents from the Christian Aid ‘Present Aid’ catalogue.
These three presents are: –
The salary of a teacher at a girls’ school in India for a whole term.
The salary and travel expenses of a nurse in the Dominican Republic for a month.
The salary and travel expenses of a doctor in the Dominican Republic for a month.
In this way, buying Traidcraft not only helps the farmers, growers and other labourers struggling to support their families whilst providing our food, but also provides much needed assistance for others throughout the world.
You can support fair-trade every time you go to the supermarket or local shop by ensuring that the packaging of whatever you buy carries the Fairtrade Foundation logo. If you can’t find what you want, then ask the manager to stock it – if he/she knows there is a demand for Fairtrade goods, then the goods will be stocked in your shop!
Don’t forget, Fairtrade Fortnight will be held from the 22 February to the 7 March, 2010 so please do support any activities in your area. The Fareham Borough Fairtrade Working Group will be having a stand in the Shopping Precinct on Saturday morning during the fortnight so why not pop along and show your support – local MP, Mark Hoban, will be attending for part of the time.

As we move into 2010 the congregation gives thanks for all the blessings that the church has received in 2009.
During December the congregation have taken part in four inspirational services. These have included a performance of The Inn Crowd by Rogers Jones, a service when the Christmas Tree was decorated by the congregation, a service led by the Junior Church entitled God's Love shown to us throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas, which involved the whole congregation, and a service of Carols by Candlelight. Many also visited a delightful exhibition of Nativity Scences from around the World, arranged by our friends at Sarisbury Green United Reformed Church.
At the church meeting in December 5 new elders where elected replacing some long serving elders who have completed their service. The induction of the new elders will take place in January.

A warm welome will be given to all who join with us for Services or any other of our activities. Details can be found in the calendar and magazine sections of the website.

In the Wessex Synod Prayer Book for 2010 the prayer for this church reads:

Lord God
Through our lives – at work, at home and in worship
inspire us to work together in love.
Empower us to pray and care for one another and for our neighbour.
Challenge us to serve our local community and
equip us to live together in fellowship.
To glorify your name and your creation.
Amen

Please use this prayer to pray with us as we move ahead into 2010.

Have you noticed that The Well now has a new look on the outside, and inside a new mural has been designed. Highchairs and changing facilities are available, which it is hoped will encourage mums with toddlers to visit more often. Did you know that The Well actively supports people who are disadvantaged in various ways, offering training and a secure environment to enable all volunteers to develop confidence and to feel a valued member of the team.
Please consider how you could support The Well, and please pray for the staff and volunteers as they continue to work tirelessly to maintain the vision of The Well in Fareham. More about The Well can be found in the article by Margaret Boyne in the Magazine section.