Author: MarkSanderson

Join us on YouTube now for this morning’s service – The First Sunday of Lent

This week’s Toast Story Time film is now live. Please enjoy it and share it:

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. A service of Choral Eucharist is about to go live from St Mary’s, Ross-on-Wye on YouTube. Please join us.

We’re asking people to take part in a small piece of fund raising throughout Lent. Each day, from Ash Wednesday and for the following 40 days, we ask you to consider ways in which you are fortunate.

Full details are here, together with the download for the booklet.

The toast makers have enjoyed producing our videos but we’ve really missed seeing all of you mums and dads ….so we’re inviting you to an informal get-together where we can chat,  exchange tips and experiences, and laugh, over a cup/glass of your choice.
Screens without the stress!
We would love to see all on Wednesday evening (17th February) at 8 pm.

And don’t forget to look out for this week’s Toast Story Time, also on Wednesday at 10 am.

This morning’s service is soon to start. Drop in to see us on YouTube.

There’s still time to book a seat at the table: https://rossparishes.uk/come-dine2. Here’s Melanie’s basic pancake recipe but don’t forget the exciting bit – the three fillings which you’ll find on the website.

This is one of our fund raising efforts for this year, our finances are seriously depleted and we need you’re help. If you’re not able, or don’t want to take part this evening please consider a donation. You can make that donation straightforwardly by using the PayPal donation button below, and don’t forget that adding Gift Aid – which is built into the process – adds a further 25% to your donation at no cost to you.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PGBW6JNNNMNCA&source=url

We look forward to seeing you later!

Come Dine With Me is tomorrow.

There’s still time to book a place at the table: https://rossparishes.uk/come-dine2

Here is our featured main course from Fiona.

There’s still time to book your place at the Come Dine With Me table for Saturday evening. We start at 7. All the details are at https://rossparishes.uk/come-dine2.

If you really want to enter into the spirit then we have three tantalising dishes that have been demonstrated by our three TV chefs. Here is Joanna’s starter.

Get cooking! We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

This morning’s service from The Ross Parishes is about to get underway on YouTube, live from St Mary’s Church in Ross-on-Wye. Today we focus on the splendour of the creation. See you there!

It’s Wednesday at 10, so it’s Toast Story Time again. And here is this week’s offering. Get ready for quite a bit of hunting!

‘I didn’t ever think I would gain so much spiritual recharging from seeing services in this way. I always thought that the age, smell, history and the sense of serenity in God through Jesus could only be experienced whilst at church; of course I do feel that the ‘all encompassing’ feeling of connectedness is only attainable in church. But what a wonderful gift to worship in such a way! Praise be to God. And thank you all within for making services available online, it is much appreciated. Long may they continue, even after the dark chapter we are all experiencing now.’ – A recent comment from an online

A grateful worshiper

This morning’s service will bu underway shortly on YouTube. We look forward to seeing you there.

February’s about to start… so that means it’s Messy Church on Thursday 4th – the first Thursday of the month!

• We can’t get together in church yet but we’re putting together some great Messy Bags so we can all take part in Messy@Home! (You can pick bags up from St Mary’s porch on Wednesday or Thursday or message us & we’ll deliver) 
• AND… we’re having a go at a Messy ZoomGet Together from 3.30pm on Thursday 4th – so we can say hello to each other,  Get Messy virtually with our activities and at 3.55pm we’ll have a short show and tell to see all your fabulous creations, and from 4pm, our Messy Celebration with story, song and prayer – and snacks at home!
• Or… if you’d like to catch up later at a time that suits you better, we’ll be putting together a short Messy Video!PLEASE BOOK YOUR PLACES HERE: Messy Church Registration, Thu 4 Feb 2021 at 15:30 | Eventbrite to help us plan and make enough bags – and so we can send you the Zoom link – we’d love it if you can Zoom with us! 

We’ll send you more info when you book – meantime, if you have any queries or suggestions, or you’d just like a chat, please email caroline@rossparishes.uk
Let’s Get……. Messssssy!!!!!

Caroline and all the Messy Team

It’s Wednesday so here’s this week’s Toast Story Time video from St Mary’s Toast Makers. If for no other reason you’ll want to see why Ann is pulling that face!

For children of all ages!

If you like it please share and join the Toast Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/toastandtoddle or see https://rossparishes.uk/toast for more from previous weeks.

Every year the Ross Educational Foundation supports local students by awarding grants for equipment, books and travel to help them achieve their educational goals.

The current pandemic places strains on families that go way beyond the need for educational support, as we have seen across the country the issues with free school meals and the increased use of food banks. 

The Foundation has therefore decided to make the sum of £1,500 available in £30 food vouchers which can be reclaimed for food from Morrisons.

Kirintec Ltd., the company that resides in the Walter Scott School in Old Gloucester Road, is very kindly adding £3,000 to the fund, so a total of 150 vouchers are being distributed via Ashfield Park, Brampton Abbotts, Bridstow and St Joseph’s Schools for the benefit of local Ross families.

There’s still time to book a place on our 2021 virtual Vision Day where people from all three parishes will gather by Zoom from 10am-12 noon to discern, prayerfully how our vision might be developed and made more real in our parishes. The Bishop of Hereford the Rt Reverend Richard Jackson will lead part of our vision day process. If you would like to join us please let Lou in the office know (562175) or book your place on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ross-parishes-vision-morning-tickets-135673233293

You can read Sean’s latest letter at https://rossparishes.uk/letterjan21/

A new lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister on the 4^th January 2021, and unexpectedly, communal worship is permitted under this lockdown. 

Unlike a year ago, we are now dealing with a COVID variant that is significantly more transmittable, and despite our churches being COVID-19 secure, any gathering of people poses a heightened risk of transmission or infection. We are particularly concerned that people, starved of social contact, might mingle and chat to one another before and after services, and in so doing, put one another at risk. 

As Christians our behaviour needs to be guided by our faith. One of the most basic teachings of Jesus Christ was that all interpersonal ethical choices should be directed by the principle of loving your neighbour as yourself. In the context of COVID-19 this means avoiding any risks of transmitting the coronavirus to others. Furthermore, churches need to be safe places – not places where we put our health or lives in danger. But equally, as Christians we are called to worship God and we need to be spiritually replenished and encouraged, especially in such a difficult time. 

Holding these principles together, we strongly urge people to attend services online, and will only make 10 seats available at selected services for those who believe that their mental and spiritual health would be significantly compromised by not attending a physical service. To attend a service physically, booking through Eventbrite (https://rossparishes.uk/digital-services) will be essential or please phone the church office on 01989 562 175. Those at services will be social distanced and no mingling or chatting will be allowed.

Full details of the arrangements that will be in place from 7^th January 2021 will be found at https://rossparishes.uk/digital-services. In brief, they are:

St Michael and All Angels, Brampton Abbotts    
No services until further notice

St Michael and All Angels, Walford                   
The church is open for private prayer daily
No Parish Eucharists until further notice
Family Zoom Services will continue

St Mary, Ross-on-Wye                                      
The church is open for private prayer daily
Thursday 10 am Livestreamed Eucharist. Max 10 in church.  
Sunday 8 am Livestreamed BCP Holy Communion. Max 10 in church.
Sunday 9.30 am Livestreamed Benefice Eucharist with Max 10 in church.  
Followed by Virtual Coffee
Come As You Are Services – pre-recorded
Messy Church – pre-recorded/Zoom
Toast and Toddle – pre-recorded/Zoom
LEAF – pre-recorded/Zoom

Please note: All pre-recorded services will be available on the website (rossparishes.uk) and livestreamed services will be available on the Ross Parishes Facebook page or YouTube. If you are having trouble accessing any services online please contact Mark or the church office.  

We are very fortunate to have the ability to livestream and pre-record services, and I thank all involved in bringing worship into the safety of our homes. The ministry team and I will do all we can to maintain contact with parishioners through phone calls, emails and Zoom calls, and will continue with pastoral care in every way we possibly can. Please do be in contact with me or the church office if you need any help of any kind.

God bless, and keep safe

The Rev’d Sean Semple
Rector, The Ross Parishes