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St John’s URC Ipswich Diary

Regular Events at Present

Sunday
10.45am
Worship for All.   Communion first Sunday of each month included with the online service.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday 7.30pm Local AA Group Meeting Thursday 5.00pm 2nd Hamilton Rainbows 6.15pm 40th Ipswich Brownies 7.00pm/2:30pm Church Meeting (5 meetings per Year) Friday

Services

10.45 am on Sundays Worship for All

at which you will find a warm welcome

Services last about 55 minutes. Our Worship Leaders include Ministers, such as our own Ipswich and East Minister Rev David Rees and Adam Earle, plus some excellent lay preachers, also including our own two lay preachers, Sara Pells and Peter Dawson. We use a large screen to pr oject elements of the service including the hymns.
Minister’s Letter

Our Communion Service is held on the first

Sunday in the Month

All age ‘Celebration Services’ are held with inputs from Rainbows, Brownies and Pre-School when circumstances permit.
The Journey Continues This year March begins some way into the season of Lent and concludes with the feast of Easter Day. Lent, from the word “lengthen” reminds us of the ending of Winter and the beginning of Spring. The journey of Lent impacts on us in various ways according to our traditions and practices but it is for many a time for reflection and renewal in readiness for the sorrows of Holy Week and the joys of Resurrection Sunday. At a recent community prayer meeting in Leiston we were directed to the wonderful passage of Scripture found in Colossians 3:12-17. This sums up so much of what is important for the Christian faith journey and gives us some very useful pointers for our reflection during the Lenten period. Please join me to dwell in this passage for a few moments. 12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Fasting, in times past, and still in some traditions, was often accompanied by a change of attire. Clothing became an outward sign of inner intention as in repentance humility folk donned the classic “sack-cloth and ashes” or, at least, something a little more plain or sombre. Paul invites us to consider our inner clothing, the characteristics which are then revealed in our outward demeanour and behaviour. The list he gives paints a clear picture of a “Christ-like” individual, not weak but strong in response to the needs of others and our service toward God. The characteristics may, to some, appear less than desirable to the world are very much the high fashion of the Kingdom of God. Lent can then be a time to refresh our “inner wardrobe” and maybe clear out some of the garments like selfishness or pride. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel. Through God’s grace we are offered forgiveness in Christ as we repent (turn right around) and come back to God. Forgiveness gets a mention in the Lord’s Prayer and we ask that God will “forgive us our trespasses” but then challenge ourselves to be forgiving in a profound way, “as we forgive those who trespass against us”. In other words, we pray for forgiveness in as far as we are willing to forgive both ourselves and others. That is quite a sobering thought, which, in Matthew’s account, Jesus further emphasises. Forgiveness is not just for when people say they are sorry to us. Neither should it be confused with justice. Forgiveness is letting go of the wrong done to us so that we can be free to move on. It does not mean that the person we forgive will not have to deal with the consequences of their actions or indeed that justice is not secured in God’s greater plan. Unforgiveness can be a damaging and painful thing that can deform lives with bitterness. That’s why God takes forgiveness so seriously and so should we another theme for Lent. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. We often pray for peace as we look at a world where so many have no peace and were conflicts rage. The peace of Christ is more than just an end to fighting, more than stillness or silence, it is born of faith and hope in God. It acknowledges that whilst the world is troubled, and that our lives are far from still and restful, at heart we have the assurance of eternity with God through Christ, that in his plan all things will be justly resolved and that troubles will cease. This is, as Paul reminds us, more than an aspiration, it is a calling. Let’s pray for peace as Lent proceeds. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. God’s word in Scripture and brought to life fully in Christ Jesus must always be at the heart of our faith journey. These days we are drawn to sound bites and inspiring quotes but we are encouraged here to allow the word to dwell in us richly more than just a little nibble or visit to our favourite texts but a regular and healthy diet of scripture, through Bible reading, study and reflection. As Jesus stated when tempted in the desert, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This is the nourishment that sustains us in faith. Lent is a good time to establish, re-establish or increase the habit of engaging with God’s word day by day. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Traditionally folk have given things up as part of their Lenten observance. Many now reflect not on we don’t do but what we do. All our actions and living should be in accordance with the will of God. It’s a challenge, we are so good at “wandering from the narrow way” and our need for constant redirection is reflected in our weekly confession in worship a retuning to God’s way. Lent is always a time for taking stock and reviewing our motivation and actions. Let’s love life with Christ and continue to live Lent over the coming days. Rev Adam Earle
Home

Room Hire

Below are the main rooms availab le followed by an interactive guide on hiring space at St John’s. The Booking Forms below the pictures of the spaces offer two ways to start the process of Booking. What is different between the methods can be seen in the interactive guide. The Main Hall Upstairs
This is used for Pre-school every weekday during term-time. Also by Brownies and Rainbows on Thursdays. Other than the Sanctuary, it is the largest space in the building and has kitchen fa ci lities just off the hall. Room 1 This is a regulary used space, including use as a Polling Station! It is easy to mak e all sorts of furnitur e arrangements. It is also straight off the main lobby so ma kes for easy access.
Rooms 4 and 5 A useful space, with a divider, so it can be made cosy or more open. It is used as a double room by the AA Group on a Wednesday evening regularly throughout the year. There is flexi bility in the setting of the furniture.
The Sanctuary The sanctuary is also very flexibl e in layout, but as the chairs are m ore substantial, re-arrangements r equire much more work. Ther e is a loop sound system and a projection screen. The organ console se en in the picture to the left is moveable. The organ pipes can be seen above the congregation seating ar ea in the picture below.
Last, but not least, are the supporting areas. There are toi lets on both floors including baby changing and disabled facilities on the gr ound floor. There is a small lift in the entrance lobby for people to get to and from the upper floor. Finally, each flo or has kit chen facilities. The pictures are of the downstairs kithen. There are toilets on both levels with a disabled facility on the ground floor.

Below is a brief guide to hiring a room in St John’s.

Booking Rooms at St John's URC Ipswich

Initial Considerations When? Day? Time? How long needed for Booking Including : Setting Up, Clearing Up What Space Do You Really Need What Sized Space? How Many People? How Many Tables? How Many Chairs? Do You Need Kitchen Facilities? £ COST: Price on Application Please note that it will vary with the frequency of use and, in colder parts of the year, the heating requirements.
Car Parking This is really difficult so assume it is NOT AVAILABLE Conditions of Booking Summary No Smoking, No Alcohol, No Exit Blocking You Must
Take all precautions on safety Have Public Liability Insurance - See Conditions Document for Guidance on Public Liability Insurance requirements. Comply with all Laws On: Health and Safety Safe-Guarding of vulnerable adults and children Food Hygiene Entertainment Licences
• •
Disability Equality Clean and Tidy Up after the event with everything returned to its original place!
2 Download a form and complete it and return to: roombooking@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk Simple and you can work on it when you have time and can check information. The form is a fillable PDF but you may need to print it still if your PDF reader is not able to cope with it.

Contact Details

St John’s URC Ipswich Our Postal Address is: St John’s United Reformed Church 1 Cowper Street Ipswich Suffolk IP4 5JD United Kingdom Office Telephone (Answer Machine) 01473 724961 Please use the adjacent contact form. Minister: Rev David Rees/Rev Adam Earle (Ipswich and East) or email: minister@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk
Church Secretary: Sara Pells
You can use the form below for any enquiry