WELCOME
st mary’s luton
.
Lo vi n g G o d , l o vi n g Lu t o n , f o l l o w i n g C h r i s t
Sunday 19th October 2014
Welcome to St Mary’s this morning.
Today we welcome Bishop Christopher Mayfield back to St Mary’s, 34
years after he left to become Bishop of Manchester. It is tremendous
to have Bishop Christopher back with us for our 50th Anniversary
Celebration of the Friends of Luton Parish Church. The friends are
our partners in passing our delightful building onto the next
generation and you can read more about some of the things they
have funded on our website.
As a church and as a town we have received our delightful building as
a gift from our forebears. It’s over 1000 years since the first wooden
church was built on our sites and 876 years since the first part of the
building was built by Robert, Earl of Gloucester. In one sense our
building is incidental to the life of the church. Yet in another sense
we are determined by it: the building offers us opportunities and
constraints in our corporate life; also when appreciated it offers us a
beauty and a place that can lift the soul. When I lead an 8am service
I will often pause after I finish and look at the Magnificat Window for
a moment. The building also affects how we are seen by those
outside the church, since all buildings speak to those who pass by.
The building also shows that we have put our roots down in Luton and
we are here in Luton to love God, to love Luton and to follow Christ.
We are grateful to the Friends for their help in maintaining the fabric
of the Church by raising money within the town and wider community
of Luton and it’s good to have you with us today. If you are a regular
worshipper here please make The Friends welcome. If you are not a
member why not join The Friends of St Mary’s. Their leaflet is
available this morning; if you tweet you can follow them on
@friendsstmluton
This evening we will be welcoming Luton Town Centre Chaplaincy for
their Annual Celebration. They have exciting stories to share and you
can join us tonight for their service at 6.30pm.
Tweeting
today?
#smltn
If you are visiting today and you would like more information do visit
our welcome desk and chat to our welcome team. Every blessing
Mike Jones
CHURCH LIFE
Children
Keeping Children Safe
One part of being welcoming is to keep
our young people safe:
we love
welcoming people and we want your
children to feel at home here. We take
every precaution to make sure your
children are properly looked after and
supervised whilst they are in their
groups. Once they are back in your care
at the end of the service, please make
sure that you know where they are and
who they are with. We have a large
building and grounds and our doors are
open to anyone who wants to come in,
so we need you to be diligent in making
sure that they are safe. Thank you.
We run activities for 0-11 year olds
during most Sunday morning services
(apart from 1st Sunday each month).
St. Mary’s Small
Groups
CHIMPS parents’ and toddlers’ group
meets in the church hall Wed & Thu
mornings term time at 10.00-11.30am
At St. Mary’s we believe the best
opportunity to form good friendships,
apply Bible teaching to real life,
receive prayer and practical support,
demonstrate God’s love to others in
words and actions can be found in our
Cell Groups. They meet during the
week for Bible study, prayer and
fellowship. For more details please
contact
Eleanor
Hearing
on
masonel@hotmail.com.
Students
We warmly welcome all new and
returning students to St. Mary’s Church
Interested in a weekly Bible study,
prayer, fellowship, and an opportunity
to find out more about Christianity? For
details about Student Cell please email
students@stmarysluton.org
We also support ‘Tree House:
Community & Faith’: The University
Chaplaincy - go to tree-house.org.uk
for more information and details of
events.
YOUNG CHURCH meets in the hall for
(5-11s), and behind the stage (3-5s).
Parents need to come with their
children at the start of the activity to
‘sign in’ their children each Sunday.
CRECHE runs in the lounge for 0-3s.
BABY CORNER A soft play area
available at the back of church for
parents and carers over 18 to stay
and play with babies. (No children
older than 3 years old!)
Youth
For details about our youth activities
at St Mary’s please check the youth
notice board (on the way through to
the hall) or speak to our youth
Parents/Carers
minister Joe. Alternatively email
and
under 5’s
joesellers@stmarysluton.org
Toddler
Facebook:Group
‘StMarys
YouthTeam’.
meets on
ENCOUNTER (years 7-9) and OXIDIZE
(years 10-13) run on various Sundays
during services. See fliers for details.
Once a month we have ENGAGE
SUNDAY, when young people are
encouraged to serve in different
areas of church ministry.
633 is our evening youth programme
at St Mary’s, designed to make church
more accessible to young people. It
is currently going through a change in
structure with a variety of evening
activities. Email Joe if you want to
know more!
TODAY’S SERVICES
8:00am Holy Communion
.
10:00am Friends 50 th Anniversary
.
Welcome & Opening Prayer Mike Jones
Song Our God is a great big God
Meet and Greet
Confession & Absolution
Hymn Love Divine
Interview and Thanking the Friends
Worship My Jesus My Saviour, I believe
Intercessions Anne Adams
Reading 1 Peter 2: 1-10 read by Clifford Bygrave
Sermon The Right Revd. Christopher Mayfield
Offertory Hymn O for a thousand tongues to sing
News & Notices
Blessing
Song words appear on the screens. Please ask if you would
like a hand held copy, available from the back of church.
Large print versions of the service sheet and song words are
also available.
You can visit the Traidcraft stall for all your groceries
and gifts each Sunday while having a cup of coffee.
6:30pm
Celebration
LTCC Annual
.
Everyone is invited to join LTCC for their Annual
Celebration here at St Mary’s on Sunday 19th
October at 6:30pm. Alan West, Pastor of Luton
Christian Fellowship will be speaking and there will
an opportunity to meet some of the Chaplains.
Fair Trade Stall - Buy someone a fair trade gift this
Christmas and bless a community as well as an
individual! Christmas orders are being taken, as
well as those for advent calendars. Please see
Marianne and her team in the Hall after church at
the fair trade stall. If anyone has a heart for fair
trade and would like to help out on the stall, please
see Marianne Sherborne.
PRAYERS
 For Mike Jones, our Vicar,
for full restoration of
health and strength after
his accident in May.
 As it is Freedom Sunday
today we pray for all
those
affected
by
trafficking around the
world and for all those
who are working for their
freedom.
 Give thanks to God for the
ongoing work and support
of the Friends of Luton
Parish Church and pray
for them as they celebrate
their 50th Anniversary with
us today.
 For the Luton Town
Centre Chaplaincy as
they gather for their
annual celebration here at
St Mary’s this evening.
Pray for God’s blessing
and provision for them as
they continue their work
around the town.
 For the people of Iraq &
Syria, especially the town
of Kobane; for all
refugees; and for our
governments as they seek
wise & just responses to IS
 For all impacted by the
dreadful Ebola epidemic;
for international responses
to the needs in West
African
nations
so
tragically affected as well
as limiting its further
spread.
NEWS & NOTICES
NEXT FEW
WEEKS
Wednesday 22nd
.
10:00am Holy Communion
Luke 12:39-48
10:00am CHIMPS
Thursday 23rd
.
10:00am CHIMPS
Sunday 26 th
8:00am Holy Communion
.
10:00am Holy Communion
6:33 No 633 today as Friday 24th October
is ‘The Abbey Lock In’ – see Joe Sellers,
Andy Pinnock or Lizzie Bottrill for more
information about how to get involved.
Wednesday
29 th
.
10:00am Holy Communion
Luke 13: 22-30
10:00am No CHIMPS – Half Term
Thursday 30 th
.
10:00am No CHIMPS – Half Term
Sunday 2 nd
8:00am Holy Communion
.
 Mike’s News: In September I came
back to work and communicated that I
was working part time. That is still
the case. Now its October it’s time
for this month’s update. My personal
news after the accident is that I am
still working part time – about 4 days
per week - as I return to work. I have
had a really bad few weeks because I
pushed hard in September and I have
paid the price of it over the past
fortnight.
Overall I am unable to do the things I
would like to do let alone the things
that are possible to do. I know it may
be confusing because I don’t look ill,
but according to the medics I am on a
normal pathway of recovering my
health after the accident. It takes
around a year to get back to full
health after the kind of accident I had
– Mike Jones
 Love In Action – is appealing for
people to dust off their sewing
machines and for knitters to get out
their knitting needles again now that
they will not be in the garden in the
evenings! There is a variety of
projects from toiletries bags, toys,
and blanket squares, if you would like
patterns,
materials
or
more
information about how to get involved
see Eileen Bennett.
CONTACT
US:
Revd .Mike Jones – Vicar
6:33 NO 633 – Half Term
Joe Sellers – Youth Minister
Revd. Catherine Moss & Revd. Chris Adams
On Wednesday 5th November Graham
Rebecca Orrin – Office Manager
Kendrick, his band and Tony Campolo will
Colin Payne – Site Agent
be
in
Luton
at
Luton Youth
Christian
Lizzie Bottrill–Girls
Work Assistant Andrew Pinnock–Sports Youth Assistant
SandyFor
Crossman–Pastoral
Care Co-ordinator
Penny Fisher & Richard Hearing –Church
Fellowship.
more information
go to
Wardens
www.compassionuk.org/compassiontour
Church Office Opening Hours: Mon 1.00-3.30pm; Wed, Thurs 9.00am–1.00pm
Tel: 01582 721867 Fax: 01582 730301 admin@stmarysluton.org www.stmarysluton.org
Registered Charity No. 1132078
10:00am All Age & Baptisms