Notices

Notices for the week beginning Sunday 9 May 2021

In person services

These will resume from Palm Sunday (28 March) with the morning and evening services taking place in person and on YouTube from that day onwards.  In person Wednesday Holy Communion services will  re-start on 31 March.  To book seats at the Sunday morning  service go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-person-and-on-line-services-tickets-117994810655.  There is no need to book seats for other services.   

Ladies’ Prayer Breakfast – Saturday 15 May

The next Ladies’ Prayer Breakfast is at 9am on Saturday 15th May on Zoom.  (Contact the Church Office for details of the link.). Debbie from CAL will be joining us from Sri Lanka and speaking on the topic ‘God is still in control‘.   A wonderful opportunity to learn more about the work of Child Action Lanka, the impact the pandemic has had on them, and how God has led and provided.  Not to be missed!  All ladies welcome!    

24/7 prayer 16-23 May

 St John’s is having another 24/7 prayer week from 16-23 May to coincide with ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ and leading up to Pentecost.

‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus.

Christians from 172 countries have taken part in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’, so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.

We are encouraged to:  deepen our own relationship with Jesus Christ; pray for 5 friends or family to come to faith in Jesus and pray for the empowerment of the Spirit that we would be effective in our witness. 

The link to our prayer room is available from the Church Office. Please sign up for a slot or maybe share one with a friend or prayer partner. Do look at the whole week as there are some hours where we would like to encourage people to take part together e.g. using Compline to pray and worship/a prayer walk/mindful shopping.  Look out for more information as we get nearer.

Accommodation wanted

Nick Butcher will be working as a Relay Worker with UCCF supporting Christian Unions in SW London, including at Royal Holloway.  He is looking for a family to lodge with or someone to share rented accommodation with in the local area.  Please contact the Church Office if you or anyone you know may be able to help. 

Egham Foodbank re-opening in May

After more than a year, the Egham Foodbank will be re-opening in May for client facing sessions. Within the limitations of restrictions in force, this will allow engagement with clients beyond simply providing the food parcels which have had to be delivered by volunteers direct to homes and it is hoped this engagement will provide the extra dimension the Foodbank aims to deliver. The sessions are on Mondays at Virginia Lodge between 10:00 and 12:00.

Runnymede Foodbank, who run the Egham Foodbank, are looking for volunteers to join a rota to help operate this service and if you want to support this work, please feel free to speak to Chris Gray or contact Jenny at volunteer@runnymede.foodbank.org.uk. 

We hope to resume the collection point at St John’s for donations, or you can continue leaving donations at the collection points in local supermarkets.

Well-Being Garden

The EcoChurch team have been focused on making changes to the church grounds to help promote wildlife. In addition, we recognize that enjoying wildlife also promotes Well-Being and brings us closer to God. Some members of St Johns had a vision of a Well-Being garden and, with the help of our resident RHS expert, we have designed a space which will be filled with planting which will attract pollinators while giving off aromas which promote wellness. We hope once established this will become an attractive place to sit and contemplate. 

The PCC and Diocese approved these plans late last year and the first stages have begun with the removal of existing turf. Planting will soon begin and we expect to see a beautiful space develop in time.

Judah Garrison’s contact details

These are as follows:  tel. 07770 271599 and email Judah.garrison@stjohnsegham.com.  Please contact her regarding new bookings for any space on the St John’s campus. 

Foodbank needs for May 2021

For details of what the Runnymede Foodbank needs for April 2021 see here.

Prayer Diary

For the Prayer Diary for May 2021 please see here.

Eco Challenge for May – Litter

Litter not only does not look nice; it also can cause harm to the environment as plastics break down and wildlife digests it or is harmed in other ways. People also tend to drop litter where someone already has left litter, so there is a multiplier effect.

Here are some of the things you could consider:-

• If you are out, take your own litter home and dispose of it properly.
• Spend a few minutes as a family activity clearing up other people’s litter. It actually can be fun! Maybe join with your local community to develop some community spirit and show you care.
• Get political – as you identify the organisations whose waste is being dropped, why not write to them, and tell them how their products are being littered and urge them to consider how their customers can be encouraged to stop littering.

Also a quick reminder that this is No Mow May – consider letting your grass grow so wildflowers can get established and provide food to bees and pollinators.

For information

A defibrillator has been fitted to the wall at the bottom of the stairs in the Easter Centre.  Instructions as to how to use it are on the device. 

First aid qualifications

Please contact the Church Office, if you haven’t already, if you have a current first aid qualification so that we can add you to the list for the church. 

Safeguarding Officer

The new safeguarding email for Lorna Jamison, the Safeguarding Officer for Children and Vulnerable Adults is safeguarding@stjohnsegham.com. 

Hardship Fund Update

Continued thanks to those who have and continue to donate to the Fund. Your support has enabled us to provide the following : Easter flowers for the Craftea ladies, Easter eggs for children, Tesco vouchers to purchase fresh fruit and veg, help with utility bills due to cold weather, purchase of much needed new shoes, purchase of a hoover, a small fridge, contribution towards purchase of school uniforms,  petrol costs to attend hospital, further snacks and drinks for staff at the local hospital, welcome back cards and chocolates delivered by Grace and Carrie to High Street businesses, support to enable  the delivery of the further Hope in Depression Course.   We will endeavour to continue to help those in our community who are facing financial pressure.

Zoom Coffee

At 11.30 on Sunday we get together on Zoom for coffee. The link is not published here but on our closed Facebook page, search for St Johns church Egham on Facebook. If you cannot find the link email webteam@stjohnsegham.com

Traidcraft

There are many different factors to consider when we make a decision where to buy something from, or even if to buy something at all. There are different fair trade organisations and models for ethical purchases and we have tried to lay out on the EcoChurch website some of those considerations and demystify the jargon. https://stjohnsegham.com/eco-church-2/.

Some suggestions for you to consider: 

Good: Think about what you are buying – look at our website to understand better what some of the labels mean.   

Better: If you have the choice between buying an item which is labelled as being ‘fair trade’ and one without such a label but is cheaper, consider if you can afford to buy the fair trade product or instead donate that money you save by buying the cheaper item to an organisation supporting social justice and development.            

Best: Join the St John’s Traidcraft program – by buying this way you are directly supporting the producers through the Traidcraft organisation. In addition, you will save postage, we get a discount and shipping is more efficient. Take a look at the catalogue and choose a gift or food you need. Or consider a ‘subscription’ where every month you get your supply of sugar, coffee, raisins etc. Details at https://stjohnsegham.com/eco-church-2/fair-trade-at-st-johns/ or email traidcraftstjohnsegham@gmail.com for more information.