The Good Shepherd The Newsletter of your Parish Church Easter 2010

Please visit us on the web: www.the-good-shepherd.net

The Yeast - From the Vicar

The amount of flour, sugar, salt and water in a loaf of bread may be shown on the wrapping, unlike the exact amount of yeast in it. And yet, without that minimum of yeast a loaf of bread would be very different. It is amazing, how things invisible to our naked eye, can become a must for the very essence of the thing. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” said Margaret Mead the anthropologist. These, people, institutions or things, just like the yeast, whether they are at the top or bottom, in the centre or periphery, influence the very essence of the constituent.

This country is blessed with scientists and saints who gave material and spiritual wealth to us here and the world around. I think they believed in something or even someone. Like them, we believe the Church is a pilot project of God for the welfare of humanity. Some wonder whether the church with its “good news” still continues to permeate our life. But there are many others who have no doubt, though not any more at the centre of many people’s life, the church continues to be a catalyst for a better world.

“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but seeing with new eyes”, said Marcel Proust. The Church has grown and changed with the evolving humanity. Though castigated for its open mind in search for truth, all-inclusiveness and compassion, it is with these very characteristics that it revives and thrives, to be yeast in this ever changing and challenging world.

The Good Shepherd Church is just one small unit of this vast institution, another grain of yeast, with its open mind and heart at the service of this area. We think it is better to live in a world built on love and hope in things even beyond the visible horizon. If you believe in this project, and look at the world with new eyes, now is the time to join us. The Easter celebration can spring up new life in us and share our joy on that Sunday. And then, the Good Shepherd Festival in June could also be a good occasion to meet. Felix MascarenhasFelix MascarenhasFelix MascarenhasFelix Mascarenhas

Palm Sunday 8am Holy Communion

28 March 10.15am Procession of Palms (with donkey) and Eucharist with the Passion (and Time for God in hall)

6.30pm Taizé, a service of quiet reflection, music and prayer

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week

8pm Eucharist and Address

Maundy Thursday 1 April

8pm Eucharist and Washing of Feet followed by Watch

Good Friday 10am Family Service with hot cross buns

2 April 1pm One Hour before the Cross (meditations)

2pm Liturgy of Good Friday

Easter Eve

3 April

8pm Easter Vigil

Easter Day

4 April

8am

10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion

Easter Eucharist for all

Ecumenical Easter Day Service at Stanford Avenue Methodist Church

Our Easter services

This year we welcome Canon David Painter, Archdeacon of Oakham in the Peterborough Diocese, as our Preacher throughout Holy Week.

Canon David’s ministry has included Westminster Abbey and Wandsworth, Plymouth Polytechnic and Peterborough, Trinity College of Music and Treasurer at Southwark Cathedral. So he will have lots to share during his week with us.

What do you think?

What do you like and dislike about living in our area? How can the Church contribute more to life in the Parish?

These questions will form part of a survey we will be conducting during this year. There will be a chance for community leaders and a sample of people in the Parish to make their views known. If you want to make sure you are included in the survey, please send an e-mail to cgssurvey@googlemail.com and also let us know if you see yourself as a community leader.

Good Shepherd Festival

A week of events and celebrations Planning is well advanced for this year’s Good Shepherd Festival. This year it will run from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 June. The outline programme is below; watch out for more details nearer the time.

And if you or your group would like to take part in the Fun Day, please e-mail cgsfunday@googlemail.com

Saturday 12 June

2pm to 5pm

Festival Fun Day with live music, plants, tombola, raffle, bouncy castle and other events and activities for children

Sunday 13 June

10.15am

Festival Eucharist,

Tuesday 15 June

6pm to 8.30pm

Teddy Bear Night – Parachute Jump, Best Dressed Bear Competition and Shared Picnic

Thursday 17 June

2pm

A Variety Programme by local schools

Sunday 20 June

10.15am

Family Eucharist prepared by our young people

Charities

At the Church of the Good Shepherd one of the ways we try to help our fellow human beings is by contributing to local, national and international charities. We always have a major appeal to coincide with our Harvest Festival. Many people will remember us “selling” bottles of water a few years ago in support of Water Aid. Last year our Harvest appeal helped us contribute £2,000 to a new classroom for the Pilar orphanage in Goa.

If you attended Church during Advent - the weeks before Christmas - you will have had the chance to wish fellow Churchgoers a happy Christmas by buying a display Christmas card in support of a local charity. For Christmas 2009 we supported St Lukes’ Advice Service. This important local charity helps people deal with financial and legal problems.

We are also ready to respond to urgent appeals; within a few days of the Haiti earthquake we had sent off a cheque for

£500 to the relief fund.

All this is only possible thanks to the generosity of both of our regular congregation and occasional visitors to the Church.

So thank you to all who have helped.

Christian Aid week 9-15 May Each year in May we join with 22,000 churches in Britain and Ireland for the annual Christian Aid Week collection. This has one central vision – an end to the outrage of poverty.

Christian Aid works closely with partner organisations in the poorest countries in the world to give practical help to tackle the root causes of poverty and campaigns for the issues that cause poverty for billions to be addressed.

In these difficult financial times, the world’s poorest people need our support more than ever. Please help with a donation and, if you can, sign the gift aid form on the envelope we bring round during the week so that tax can be reclaimed.

Contacting us

Vicar

The Rev Felix Mascarenhas

The Vicarage, 272 Dyke Road

Brighton BN1 5AE

Tel: 01273 882987

Email: felixmas@hotmail.com

Reader

Michael Miller

68 Ainsworth Avenue

Brighton BN2 7BG

Tel: 01273 240287

Churchwardens

Ian Hill

77 Hove Park Road

Hove, BN3 6LL

Tel: 01273 888607

David Nissen

1 Shirley Road

Hove, BN3 6NN

Tel: 01273 554183

The Parish Office

Open Wednesday and Friday

9.30 to 10.30am

Tel:01273 553747

Church Hall

To hire the Church Hall, contact:

Margaret Bell Tel: 01273 505763 Email: cgschurchhall@googlemail.com

Brownies

Meet on Tuesday evening in the Hall

Contact Tessa Pacey: 01273 551298

If you would like to talk to someone, or book a Baptism or Wedding, please telephone the Vicar. We also do our best to conduct any funerals from the parish, either in Church, or at the crematorium. Please get in touch with the Vicar or Reader, or ask the Funeral Director to do so.

Keep Fit with Yoga

Tuesday in the Church hall

For all ages, 10am to 11 am

Contact: Joanne Cassidy 01273 508010

Grub Club

We meet for a meal out each month. Come and join us

More details: Daisy Walpole 01273 508600

Our Sunday Services

8am Said Eucharist

10.15am Main Parish Eucharist in Church

10.15am "Time for God" service in the Church Hall. Ideal for young people and their families; finishes in time for people to take communion in Church if they wish.

On the third Sunday of each month there is a single Family Eucharist in Church at 10.15am

6:30pm. Evening Prayer, Choral Evensong (on third Sunday) and other occasional services such as Taizé or “Songs of Praise”.

Tea club

The Tea Club meets in the Church Hall on the first Monday of the month from 1.30 to 3.15pm. If you are over 50 and would like to know more, please contact Elizabeth Alcock on 506351 or Sue Bottani, 552534.