Front Page - St John the Evangelist, Shirley

Flower Festival – Alex Mitchell

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Alex Mitchell (http://alex-mitchell.co.uk/) is a journalist, author and gardener. She is the gardening columnist for the London Evening Standard and the author of The Girl’s Guide to Growing Your Own, The Edible Balcony, The Rurbanite and Gardening on a Shoestring. She will be at the Shirley Flower Festival on Saturday 14th September to answer your gardening questions. Bring along your copy of any of her books to get them signed too.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alex-Mitchell/e/B003X0CEWG/

For more information on our flower festival please browse our flower festival section at https://www.stjohnsshirley.org.uk/category/flower-festival/

Healing and Wholeness next service

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Please note that there will be no service in August. The next service will be Sunday 22nd September at 5pm.

Please use the Contact Us form for any prayer requests; or the yellow prayer request cards at Church (place in basket at the back.) Or speak to the Vicar or any of us in the team, we will always pray with you if you wish.

Robert Goldsmith

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Updated with the recording.

Today we said goodbye to our friend Robert. We were very lucky this man passed through our lives, always with a smile and a story.

Rowland Brothers Funerals have a page for Robert where you can read more and make a donation to the families chosen charities. The page can be located by clicking this.

Needless to say he will be missed by all his friends and family.

We recorded the service so if you would like to hear it you can listen below.

Robert Goldsmith memorial

Informal Worship Sunday 18th August

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Wondering what’s on this Sunday evening – thought so!

Here is a glimpse of the praise we will be giving Sunday @ 5pm

Please come along to our informal worship – a light and refreshing service suitable for all, coffee, tea and cake provided to sustain you,

Let’s Unleash St John’s

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St John’s are going to Spring Harvest in 2020. Its seems ages away but this gig sells out fast. Imagine worshipping, praising, learning and even having fun with 1000’s of other like minded Christians.

The official Spring Harvest website has loads of information, why not take a look over at springharvest.org but don’t book individually, use the below contact us link. The more of us that book together the more discount we get, its even possible we may get some free places!

Don’t fancy this interweb stuff? That’s OK, see Julie Sutton, she and Dave are experienced Spring Harvesters and can give you the low down on what to expect.

Its going to be fantastic – don’t wait! get involved now.

Want to know more or get yourself added to the list, use the contact us and choose Spring Harvest – we will get right back to you.

Film voting update

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The votes are still coming in. Mamma Mia 2 is now only one vote behind Bohemian Rhapsody and “A Star is Born” has had another vote.

Keep the votes coming on our dedicated cinema page (www.stjohnsshirley.org.uk/cinema)

UPDATE 1 August

A flurry of entries have pushed Bohemian Rhapsody way out in front…

It’s finally here

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The moment you have all been waiting for. The August news has landed

Fundraising

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We are currently raising money to fix our spire. After many long years service the “shingles” have worn very thin which has made it easy for the parakeets to eat through them. This means we now have holes in the roof and the only way to fix it is to replace all the shingles. Please help us to fix our spire.

fix our spire, image shows holes in the roof.

All the light you can see is holes not spotlights!.

See below the current target versus the amount raised – we have a way to go.

So how can you help? there are many ways

Attend the events that are being organised. All the current events are donating the money to the spire appeal – these are.
- The flower festival and festival concert (flo-fest). Tickets can be obtained from Janet or online at https://www.stjohnsshirley.org.uk/flo-fest. Early bird tickets are just £10 for the concert.
- Starting in September the Cinema will be screening films. The first film is “The Greatest Showman”, for more information please go to our cinema page, you can even vote for the next film. (https://www.stjohnsshirley.org.uk/cinema)
- Visit the Sunday tea room – 50% of the all money taken goes to the Spire – the other 50% goes to the Marsden. No expenses are taken for tea room so all the money is given away, its also a great way of meeting new people.
- Make a one off donation – these are always welcome – see one of the church wardens, Lu or Chris Nelson for more information.

Your can keep an eye on all the upcoming events by checking the events page ( https://www.stjohnsshirley.org.uk/whats-on/ .).

Thanks for reading.

Happy 10th Wedding Anniversary Mick and Wendy

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Your friends wanted to share some special memories with you.

Earth, Sea and Space

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The last two Sundays have explored the sea, and space, and our relationship to them; firstly on ‘Sea Sunday’ (14th July) and this Sunday (21st July) at our informal worship, with a discussion about the first moon landing 50 years ago.

Our Sea Sunday revisited some of the hymns that evoke a deep emotional response, such as Eternal Father, Strong to Save, reflecting both our awe and echoes of eternity in those depths. Our intercessions allowed us to express that yearning through the wordless praying of the Holy Spirit, as we helped one another construct origami boats and then silently allowed them to hold and carry our thoughts and intentions towards God. The prayer-boats were blessed and we placed them on the altar during the service.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Col 1: 15-17

Informal worship usually includes a short introduction to a topic by the Vicar, followed by around ten minutes of sharing and reflecting together on that theme. In line with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, we looked at some photographic images and thought about Jesus’ presence in all created things, and in all places. ‘Cosmic Christ’ is way of exploring how Jesus is present whenever and wherever the material and divine co-exist, which the writer Fr Richard Rohr tells us, is “always and everywhere,” and is ultimately to do with “the unification of all things.”

One final prophetic note from our discussions was sounded towards the end, with the Vicar’s last slide and comment: that we as humans leave an indelible footprint on this planet, just as the first footprints on the moon will be there for a million years, with no wind to blow them away. The economic and environmental impact of our consumerism and neglect to conserve and share the earth’s resources is reaching a tipping point. The poor, the vulnerable, and the fragile ecosystems of this planet are the urgent responsibility of all who work for hope, peace and a better world.

And we, who through faith, live and move and have our being in the breath of God, are tasked with and equipped for the ministry of reconciliation, as our slide of Salvador Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross seems to challenge us to apprehend and embody: a new consciousness, and a new perspective. A new creation – and a new hope.

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether in earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” Col 1: 19-20