16 March 2025

Sunday 16th March 2025

2nd Sunday in Lent

Preacher 10:30:  Stephen Colling

Steward: Kathryn Bridges   Organist: Alan Amos

The flowers this week are donated by

 Jane and arranged by Jill Davenport

Welcome Steward: Lucy Bridges

Dates for your diary w/c Sunday 16th March 2025

Sun Mar 16th              Bring and Buy after the service.

Mon Mar 17th        09:00-11:00 Parents & Carers

                              13:15-15:15 Taiji Qigong

                              18:15-19:45. Rainbows, Brownies            

Tue Mar 18th             09:00. Sch Worship in Ch. Nick

                              10:00- 14.30 Child Minders

Wed Mar 19th        14:00 - 17:00. Afternoon tea &film

Thu. Mar 20th       19:30 Blackburn /District Cyclists

                              19:30 Men’s Fellowship Mtg.Rm,

Fri. Mar 21st       09:00-10:30 PAT testing.        

                              19:30-22:00. Acc. Camera Club

Sat. Mar 22nd.      12:00-15:00 Party Booking

Dates for your diary w/c Sunday 23rd March 2025

Mon Mar 24th        09:00-11:00 Parents&Carers PlayGp

                             13:15-15:15 Taiji Qigong

                             18:15-19:45. Rainbows, Brownies            

Tue Mar 25th          09:00. Sch. Wshp Church Margaret

                             10:00- 14.30 Child Minders         

Wed Mar 26th       10:30 – 14:30 Child Minders

Thu Mar 27th        14:00 Thursday Ladies.  Steve C.

                              19:30 Lent Mtg/Bible Study

                              19:30 Blackburn /District Cyclists

Fri.  Mar 28th              19:30-22:00. Acc.Camera Club

"Bring & Buy " Sunday 16th March.  Themed round Easter.     Easter cards, chocolate, cakes etc.

Used Postage Stamps. 

Thank you so much to everyone who has been saving the stamps in aid of the East Lancs hospice.  We are still collecting them, so thanks again in anticipation, but please remember to leave a frame of at least two centimetres from the envelope.  The collection box is still to be found on the foyer table. Madeleine

 Men’s Fellowship

The next meeting of the Men’s Fellowship will be on Thursday 20th March at 19:30 when the speaker will be Ian Parrish.

Plan dates

The preacher on Sunday 23rd March (Third Sunday in Lent) will be: Rev Paul Davis.  Steward:  Derek Rostron

Testing Electrical Portable Appliances 

On Friday 21st March 2025 at 9am -10.30am

 The electrician will be attending Rishton Methodist Church to PAT Test all electrical appliances used within the building. This is a free service that the Church offers to hirers and organisations that use the facilities. All portable appliances have to be PAT tested by Law, to be used within the building.  If you are unable to attend, please could you arrange for your equipment to be made accessible then I will ensure it is PAT tested for you. Many Thanks Sharon.

Afternoon Tea & Film

Rishton Methodist Church.    Wednesday 19th March 2025 at 2pm.

Shall we Dance?

Shall We Dance? is a 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, and Susan Sarandon. It is a remake of the 1996 Japanese film of the same name.

“Shall We Dance?" is not about love with a tantalizing mirage, but about a man losing his inhibitions and breaking out of the rut of his life. 

Share tea and a chat with friends. The films will start at 2pm and afternoon tea served about 3.45pm.  Come for both or just for tea! No charge just donations towards the cost of afternoon tea.

Mid-week Lenten services at Rishton

There will be two mid-week Lenten services this Lent, both at 7. 30pm in the Church Meeting Room; the first is on Thursday, 27th March and the second on Wednesday, 9th April. The services will include a study of two bible passages: Isaiah 58 (27th March) and Revelation 5 (9th April). It will be helpful if you could read these passages in advance. The Maundy Thursday Holy Communion service is on Thursday, 17th April at 7.30pm.  These are all circuit services and all are welcome. Rev. Mark

Closing date for notices

It would be helpful if all notices for Sunday 23rd March could be in by the evening of Wednesday 19th March. Please send them to: steveruth.colling@gmail.com 07958 036736.

AND FINALLY

( from " The Oswaldtwistle Truncheon ".)

Oswaldtwistle Police are investigating a missing person who was recently seen going in and out of a barn on a local farm …. The senior spokesperson leading the team of detectives said today, "we will search the barn area just once more; but to be honest we are just clutching at straws"..

A thought for Lent.  

Have you given up an indulgence, chocolate perhaps, or cake or something similar?  If so, is it a true sacrifice, as there is always the thought of possible weight loss, money saved, or other "silver linings".  Why not make a special effort and give the total money saved to a deserving cause?  For people in desperate need every week means giving up essentials, not just indulgences, so the Food Bank is an obvious suggestion, but if you have a favourite charity, send the money to them. Think about it.

Poem: Determination

Nothing could deter him.

Not religious opposition.

Not the wily Herod.

Not the prophetic predictions.

Not the Pharisees with their plotting,

nor the teachers with their testing,

nor the disciples and their doubting.

Nothing could stop him.

For as Jesus wept over Jerusalem,

saw their persecution of prophets

and their future of desolation,

he saw his own destiny of death

at the hands of those

who set out to destroy him.

Yet he moved on.

And those who walked with him

could only fear for his life

and try in vain

to shield him from his enemies,

but knowing deep within their hearts

he was determined to go on.

©Marjorie Dobson

Copyright obtained via “The Worship Cloud”