Author: Jeremy Clarke

Pilgrim Course on the Lord’s Prayer

This autumn, we will be holding a Pilgrim Course on the Lord's Prayer. This will be very accessible for those interested in exploring the Christian Faith as well as for those who want to deepen their faith. Do think about bringing a friend who might be interested. There will be six sessions based on the various phrases of the Lord's Prayer on Mondays at 7.30pm at All Saints Church Hall in Church End, Kempston. The dates are 21 & 28 September and 5, 12, 19 & 26 October. All are welcome. Please sign up on the list in church. Stephen

Confirmation 2015

This year, the Confirmation for our Cluster will be held at the Church of the Transfiguration, Kempston on Wednesday 23rd September at 7.30pm. The preliminary meeting for all those interested in being confirmed will be held at the Vicarage on Friday 17th April at 8.00pm Stephen

Lent

Lent is that season in the Church's Year when Christians prepare themselves for the celebration of Easter by identifying themselves more closely with Christ's sacrifice and Passion, and in earlier centuries it was the season of preparation for Baptism. Over the years, Lent has become mainly associated with fasting or giving up things. Originally, fasting was concerned with not eating until after Vespers in the evening and with abstaining from certain foods like meat, eggs or milk products. Gradually this fast was relaxed, but Lent is still primarily linked in the popular mind with giving up things. This can be in danger of seeming either trivial, negative or outdated, and yet it still carries a powerful message for us in today's obsessively consumerist and materialistic society. We live in a world that has exalted work and meetings as well as wealth and material possessions to an almost divine status, so that many people are working all the hours God sends to maintain a decent standard [Read more...]

Holy Week and Easter Services

We are delighted to welcome Fr. Dennis Berk of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield who will be spending Holy Week and Easter with us this year. He will be staying at the Vicarage but I hope that people will feel able to offer him hospitality in the form of inviting him to share a meal with them. He will be giving the addresses from Palm Sunday evening until Good Friday afternoon and on Easter evening. Palm Sunday (29 March) 10.30am Blessing of Palms and Parish Eucharist 6.00pm Joint Choral Evensong at All Saints Monday in Holy Week (30 March) 8.00pm Compline and Address at St James Tuesday in Holy Week (31 March) 8.00pm Compline and Address at All Saints Wednesday in Holy Week (1 April) 8.00pm Compline and Address at St James Maundy Thursday (2 April) 8.00pm Sung Eucharist and Vigil of Prayer at All Saints Good Friday (3 April) 10.00am United Service at the Transfiguration and Act of Witness 10.30am Children's [Read more...]

The Benefices of Kempston, All Saints and Biddenham

From 1 March, the benefices of Kempston, All Saints and Biddenham will be held in plurality by a single incumbent, the Revd Stephen Huckle, who will become the Vicar rather than the Priest-in-Charge. This will give greater stability to the ministry arrangements in the two parishes and will restore the freehold to the incumbent. It will put an end to the suspension of both benefices, pending pastoral re-organisation and make them a single legal entity for some purposes and, hopefully, this will be more attractive when advertising for a new Vicar. The Vicar will reside at the parsonage house in Kempston. The right of presentation will be exercised by the Bishop of St Albans as the patron of both benefices. Stephen

Lent Course for 2015

This year's Lent Course will be based on extracts from the film The King's Speech and will be held on Mondays 16 & 23 February, 2,16 & 23 March at St James's Barn at 7.30pm. The Stuff of Nightmares and the Power of Friendship Chasing the dream or Fulfilling the Calling Pressing Forward and Breaking Through Poisonous Words and Profane Responses Faith in our Voice Each session will include extracts from the film, group discussion of some of the issues raised, study of related Bible passages and prayer. All are welcome to join us for any or all of these meetings. Stephen

Introducing David and Suzette Maguire

David and Suzette Maguire will be joining us to work as Community Ministers in Great Denham and West Kempston from the end of January 2015. They have been married for almost 15 years, with two grown-up children and five grandchildren. They have joint hobbies that include walking – they have walked Hadrian’s Wall twice while living in the North East! – and visiting coffee shops, and separate hobbies that include gardening and wildlife (David) and friends and writing (Suzette). With a combined total of 29 years in Christian ministry, both Suzette and David are members of the Church Army Mission Community. Church Army people and projects share their faith through words and action in a variety of situations across the United Kingdom and Ireland: bringing hope, helping people live life to the full and transforming lives and communities with the Good News of the gospel, in whatever way is appropriate to where they are based. (See www.churcharmy.org.uk) Suzette and David have been [Read more...]