We are having a Spring Clean of

Flitwick Parish Church on

Saturday 17^th May from 10.00am to 12.30pm

This year’s collection is from Sunday May 11^th to Saturday May 17^th.  It is a national collection and every home in the country should receive an envelope and hence an opportunity to contribute to the wonderful work of Christian Aid, which helps people all over the world to be able to help themselves.  This can be through providing training, tools or infrastructure.  It is a special collection in other ways too.  The collectors are recruited from churches of many denominations and locally Flitwick, Ampthill and Flitton collectors come from Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic and Baptist churches.  Last year about £9,000 was collected in this area.

This year we are hoping to exceed this total as several roads were, for one reason or another, not covered.  It is the old story, time goes on, people drop out, more roads are built and the committed collectors are asked to take on more and more roads without others being given a chance to join in this most rewarding task.  This cannot continue!  We have a sizeable congregation and the task is not onerous if sufficient people volunteer as collectors.  Please offer your time this year.  A person collecting in one road will need about two to three hours spread over three days of the collection week – one day to distribute the envelopes, another to collect them in and the third for call-backs to houses where there was no answer on the collection round.  The individual collector does not have to count the money; the bag of envelopes is simply handed back to their church’s representative.

It is a most worthwhile cause that we are collecting for, the majority of householders are very welcoming and it is lovely to meet new people in this way. In good weather it is very pleasant getting some fresh air and in poor weather the householders are often sympathetic so your collection total goes up!

I urge you to speak to me and/or sign up on the list in church to offer help with this year’s collection.  Collectors must be over the age of 18 but children can help with posting the envelopes through letter boxes and accompanying adults who are collecting. There is an old Ghanaian saying "One stick can be easily broken, but many, bound together, are strong."  I feel this really applies to the unity of the churches on this occasion and to the work of Christian Aid.

Mary McKeand

Christian Aid representative for Flitwick Parish Church

Tel: 01525-720629

Cake stall for Pentecost

There will be a cake stall outside the jewellers in Ampthill Market Square on Saturday 19^th April from 9.30am until the cakes run out!  Proceeds will go towards expenses for Pentecost in the Park.

Further details are available from Adela on 01462 850507 or Stella on 01525 860370.

Saturday, 19th April, 10am - 5.00pm

and Sunday 20th April, 10.30am - 4.30pm

at the Rufus Centre, Flitwick

Rachel Thompson

PCC Minutes

2008 Meetings of the

Parochial Church Council

January minutes (pdf)

February minutes (pdf)

March minutes (pdf)

April Minutes (pdf)

May PCC minutes (pdf)

June PCC minutes (pdf)

Free Adobe Reader

Fairtrade Fortnight 2008

So, do what you can to bring about these important changes today!

Further information: www.fairtrade.org.uk

Maundy Thursday, 20^th March, 6.30pm in the Chapter House. The menu will be: Lamb Stew; (lamb, carrots, onions, swede, pearl barley) Chunky Vegetable Soup; French bread; fresh fruit; biscuits; wine/fruit juice; tea/coffee. There will be a list at the back of the church for people to sign and tick the meal they would like. There is no charge, but we do ask for donations to cover the cost.

Flora Harding

Ash Wednesday falls on the 6th February.

We shall be holding two services of Holy Communion at 10.00am and 8.00pm at which we shall have the imposition of ash.

Church Christmas Bazaar

raised £1160

in Flitwick Village Hall

Saturday, 1st December 2007

at 2.00pm

Thanks to all who supported this event and gave so generously. A special thank you to Enid Clark who organised this years event

This years Christingle service took place on

Sunday 2^nd December at 10.30am at the Parish church.

This was a family service involving the Brownies.  Christingle supports the work of the Children’s Society.

Oranges were donated by Apples & Pears of Silsoe and the Mother's Union donated fruit and sweets and assembled 150 Christingles.

We now have the total raised as follows:-

Candles         £170.96

Collection        £79.32

House boxes   £231.14

Total               £481.42

Thank you everyone for your donations and hard work.

Advent Carol Service

Sunday, 2nd December at 6.00pm

at the Parish Church

All welcome

This year our Christmas event at 58 Brookes Road will be on Sunday December 9th from 4.00pm with the switch-on at 4:30pm.

I’m hoping a local celebrity will be throwing the switch, can’t say who yet because in time honoured tradition I’m so organised, I’ve only just written to them!!!  This year’s charity will again be the Primrose Appeal, your support for such a worthy cause is much appreciated.  Hopefully we won’t get so wet this year! Thank you.

Rachel Thompson

The Remembrance Sunday church service took place at 10.30am on 11th November at the Parish Church.

The British Legion Service of Remembrance and march took take place on the same day at 2.30pm from the British Legion Hall in Station Road to Flitwick War Memorial and then onto a short service in the Village Hall, and was all very well attended.

Race for Life

Well it's that time of year again, and as I sit writing this, October 14th, my husband kindly tells me that in 11 weeks time it will be over again except the leftovers!  Anyone for Turkey curry?  Again Chris and I will be decorating the front garden with lights for Christmas.  We love to see the children’s faces as they walk past and even some adults look and smile.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about being happy, smiling and remembering those perhaps less fortunate than ourselves?

This year’s event will be on Sunday December 9th, from 4.00pm with the switch-on at 4:30pm.  I’m hoping a local celebrity will be throwing the switch, can’t say who yet because in time honoured tradition I’m so organised, I’ve only just written to them!!!  This year’s charity will again be the Primrose Appeal, your support for such a worthy cause is much appreciated.  Hopefully we won’t get so wet this year!  Thank you.

Rachel Thompson

Autumn Bible Study Groups

Twenty people have expressed interest in meeting for Bible study and sessions begin on the 24th October for six weeks. We shall be studying Matthew's Gospel using the BRF People's Commentary by John Proctor. This gives the opportunity to use the commentary on a daily basis as well as sharing with a group.

Youth Group Services

This month’s (July) Youth Service aimed at children between the ages of 9 and 14 years will be held on

Sunday, 13th January between 6.00pm and 8.00pm.  For further information, please contact Stephanie Diver on 01525~712815

This year’s One World Service will be held at

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Flitwick

at 6.30pm on Sunday 21st October 2007.

The theme is “All Together Now” and is looking at environmental issues, and what we can do about them.

Our Memorial Service this year will be held on Sunday, 28th October at 6.00pm in the Parish Church.

All those whose funeral services have been conducted in the past twelve months by Flitwick clergy (church or crematorium) will be remembered by name during the service. If you unable to attend this service the names of those whose funerals took place within the last 12 months (1st Nov 2006 - 31st October 2007) will still be called during the Act of Remembrance. In addition to these names, lists are available at both churches so you may add the names of anyone you also wish to be remembered at this service. If you are not able to attend church, please contact me to add names to the list.

Revd. Michael Bradley

Harvest Festival 2007

Our Harvest Festival celebrations begin on Saturday, 6th October with a Supper in the Chapter House at 6pm. A list will appear sometime in September for you to sign if you intend coming. On Sunday, 7th October our Family Service will be led by the Guides. As in recent years we ask everyone attending to bring bottles, packets, tins, jars and even perishable goods and these will go to Bedford Family Care. The Bishop of St Alban’s Harvest Appeal will be supporting a Christian Aid partner in El Salvador, Procares, which helps farmers to grow new crops, making a huge difference to their families' diet, and for this there will be a retiring collection at Harvest services. Please give generously.

Revd. Michael Bradley

On Saturday 8^th September, the National Annual Sponsored Cycle Ride in aid of our Historic Churches will take place once again. The volunteers from our church, so far, are Don McKeand and John Russell, who will be inviting sponsorship from church members, friends, neighbours and relatives for this important fund raising event, which can be quite arduous, especially if the weather is inclement.

Last year, £600 was raised and sent to the organisers. As usual, half of this was returned to The Friends of Flitwick Parish Church. We hope for an even greater input this year.  Participation also gives us a better opportunity to obtain a grant from the Historic Churches Trust for the much needed work on our church walls, Chapter House roof and for the kitchen rebuild.

Please sponsor our members, either directly or through the lists on the notice boards.  Any intrepid cyclists would be welcome to take part.  Forms are available from me.

Derek Shelton-Smith

This year Flitwick branch (that’s us folks) is 80 years old and we intend to celebrate. On Sunday 15th July at 9.00am at St. Andrews and 10.30am at the Parish Church, Rev. Michael Bradley gave us permission to give the address and to prepare the prayers. 

click on photos for larger image and then on your back button to return

After the 10.30am service a celebration cake and other refreshments were provided together with a display of the work of the Mothers Union.

Our Diocesan President and our Diocesan Vice President attended the service and celebrations helped to make the occasion really special.

Flora Harding ~ Branch Secretary

THANK YOU all very much for your generous sponsorship for breast cancer awareness.  It was a much more enjoyable experience this year walking the streets of London along with 16,000 others.  The weather was good - no rain and I only felt cold after the finish!

We started at the back of the field at exactly midnight and crossed the finishing line at 3.45am and were back in our beds by 6am!  So I failed in my target time of 3½ hours - my only excuse is that it was very, very busy and there were lots of bottlenecks and traffic to negotiate when it was impossible to walk at all.  One of the most surprising things was that London does not stop buzzing- all night long there were people wandering around, buses, taxis and cars everywhere.

I raised a total of £436.50 and the group as a whole raised approximately £3,500!  Well worth the effort.

Penny Pye

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