All acts of public worship within the Saxilby and Stow Groups of Services have been cancelled for the time being due to the Coronavirus outbreak and in-line with guidance from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
April 2020
Sunday 5th – Palm Sunday
Please use the link below to download a service of the word for Palm Sunday. Please note: This service booklet is meant to be printed to form an A5 booklet. Once downloaded it should be printed landscape, two sided if possible (using short side option if available). Revd. Nicola’s message for Palm Sunday is to be found on our Home Page
Palm Sunday service of the Word
Click here to hear a reading of the passion.
Four points to help your devotions
Firstly: Revd. Nicola and Revd.Gillian are also preparing resources for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Then we hope to have a similar group of resources for Easter Morning which I think will lift everyone’s spirits and help us to celebrate the new life of Jesus’ resurrection. More on this next week.
Secondly: From Rev’d John Leech for those who are using the ‘Homily Project’ to listen to weekly homilies on the Sunday readings:-
I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago to let you know that we were hoping to make audio recordings of the Homilies for each week and to put them up on the Diocesan website. Sadly, for technical reasons, this is not possible, but you can still hear the podcasts at https://revjohnleach.com/ . The downloadable text versions will still be available as usual at https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/the-homilies-project. I would be grateful if you could let any members of your congregation who are wanting to listen to the homilies whilst we are isolation know about these new arrangements. I am scheduling the podcasts to be available from Saturday evening each week, so that people can listen any time on Sunday.
Thirdly: From the C of E website – do follow this link for more information on what is available for us all to follow our Spiritual journey through Holy Week and Easter: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-parishes/holy-week-and-easter-2020
Fourthly: Message from our Bishops……
Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, is an invitation for us to enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Holy Week occurs at a time of great change in our lives, the country and the world. The end of that change is unknown in many ways. We would like to invite you to enter into the events of Holy Week as local parishes and benefices as well as the diocese and as part of the national church. With church buildings closed, Holy Week will be lived out in different ways this year. This difference should not nullify the emptiness of ‘Holy Saturday’ or the joy we are granted in the resurrection in which we have our identity in this time of crisis, but it will be disorientating for us all.
Across the diocese during Holy Week we are currently exploring the following:
- a brief daily video message from different members of the bishops’ staff beginning on Palm Sunday
- an invitation to make palm crosses out of paper/card and place in windows from Palm Sunday, or use larger branches to indicate your house has entered the story of Holy Week
- a simple service on Tuesday for the renewal of ministerial commitment for all God’s people which we are hoping will be live online at 11am
- a Eucharist online at 5pm on Easter Sunday evening
- an invitation to light a candle in a window each evening from Easter Day as a sign of new life
There are various national initiatives on social media including the daily offices. Archbishop Justin will publish reflections through the week and will pray the Exultet on Holy Saturday with reflections about ‘waiting in hope’. On Easter Sunday he will broadcast a service with the Bishop of Dover.
March 2020
Sunday 29th – 5th Sunday of Lent
Collect prayer : Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings: Ezekiel 37: 1-14; Romans 8: 6-11; John 11: 1-45.
Listen to Revd. Nicola’s sermon for the 5th Sunday of Lent
Please see our Coronavirus Update for news about BCP worship options during.
Sunday 22nd – Mothering Sunday
Listen to Revd.Gilllian’s message for Mothering Sunday:
General Pattern of Services during normal times
Mid Week Eucharists
A mid-week Eucharist is available on Thursdays in the neighbouring Parish of Saxilby with Ingleby at St Botolph’s Church Hall starting at 9.30am.
General pattern of Sunday services
1st Sunday of the Month
10.30am Group Service – This service rotates between the four parish churches of the Stow Group. Please check with the churchwardens for the venue
2nd Sunday of the month
10.45am Eucharist, St. Mary’s, Stow. The form of worship used within the Stow Group is from Common Worship.
3rd Sunday of the Month
10.45am Eucharist, St. Mary’s, Stow.
4th Sunday of the Month
10.30am Family Worship. Normally at Sturton Village Hall. This is an informal and relaxed style of worship that is for all ages and for those with little or no experience of church or the Christian life. The worship time lasts about 45 minutes followed by refreshments and an opportunity to chat with others.
When there is a 5th Sunday of the Month
10.30am Eucharist. This is a combined Stow Group and Saxilby Group Service – This service rotates between the parish churches of the two groups. Please check with the churchwardens for latest venue.
