Don't forget - concert 1 June!

Fun at Pentecost

On Sunday 19 May, fifteen children from the group of six parishes to which Nocton belongs gathered in Potterhanworth Church to celebrate Pentecost. After hearing a brief introduction from Revd Jonnie Parkin about the story of the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples with a rush of wind and flames of fire, Judy Dickin (Branston parish) explained, using figures on a stage of red cloth, that after Easter and the Ascension, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, guiding them to go out and spread the Good News about Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of the Church, which is more than a building – it is the people who all work together, and stand on each other’s shoulders, who make the Church. What better way to celebrate than with a birthday cake, beautifully made and presented by Rachael Eades of Potterhanworth parish. Afterwards, the children guided each other in games of pin the tail on the donkey. Then they did three different activities on the themes of wind, water and fire. Everyone enjoyed forming two teams to blow cotton wool balls with straws across a table. The water activity was at the font, where each child tried out baptising and naming a doll. Fire was an activity where the theme was lighting a candle in the dark, and lighting the way in the darkness, so that eventually all the countries in the world heard about the Good News. The children wrote prayers on paper doves and attached them to a tree during an act of worship. They marked each other’s palms in the shape of a Cross with a scented oil blessed by Bishop Christopher called chrism. Two children read beautifully from the Bible, and the afternoon ended with the singing of ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine.’

 

The next event is a Saints and Heroes party at Nocton Church on Halloween, Thursday 31 October. It’s a reminder that Halloween means the eve of All Hallows, that is, the eve of All Saints Day, and it isn’t all about ghosts and goblins. If anyone who has a Key Stage 1 or 2 child who is interested in coming along, please let Carol Bennett know (01526 322930).

Latest Doodle out now

Click here for the latest village newsletter!

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

All Saints held its Annual Vestry Meeting (to elect the churchwardens) and Annual Parochial Church Meeting (the church's AGM) on 24 April 2013.  Ten people attended the meeting at which Nicholas Bennett stood down as churchwarden.   The PCC wishes to record its thanks to Nicholas for all his work.  Liz Murray was elected unopposed but we are now a churchwarden short as we should have two.

The qualifications for being a churchwarden are that the person must:

be baptised

be named on the church electoral roll of the parish

be an actual communicant

be at least 21 years old

not be disqualified from being a charity trustee under section 72(1) of the Charities Act 1993

not have been convicted of any offence mentioned in Schedule 1 to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933

not be disqualified under section 10(6) of the Incumbents (Vacation of Benefices) Measure 1977 (No. 1)

If anyone fulfils these criteria and would like to discuss what being a churchwarden might involve, please contact Liz Murray for more details on 01526 323357.

The Parochial Church Council (a parish church's governing body) is re-elected each year.  Elsie Horton stood down and again the PCC wishes to thank Elsie for all her work over many years.  The following were elected as members of the PCC:

Carol Bennett

Nicholas Bennett

Ruth Eagle

Doreen Green

Chris Howard

Ann Kennedy

Ruth Eagle announced her intention to stand down as Deanery Synod representative in the near future.  Our thanks go to Ruth for fulfilling this role for a good number of years!

Concert - 1 June

Annual Parochial Church Meeting - 24 April

The Annual Parish Meeting (APM) and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) - the church's AGM -  will be held on Wednesday 24 April (not the incorrect date I previously supplied to the Doodle editor - sorry about that).


Why two meetings, you may ask? The APM is to elect the two churchwardens who will serve for the following year.  Anyone on the civil electoral register – anyone entitled to vote in government elections – or on the church electoral roll may attend the meeting.  The APCM immediately follows and is to receive the accounts, the fabric report and the report of the Parochial Church Council (PCC), and to elect the PCC and sidespersons for the following year.  Anyone on the church electoral roll is entitled to attend.  We have six elected members of the PCC.

Please join us on 24 April! We promise not to elect you as PCC member or sidesperson unless you actually volunteer!

Easter Day

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
We came together on Easter Day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's what Easter is about - not Easter eggs or cute bunnies, but God sending his own Son to redeem mankind from our sins.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Good Friday

Good Friday is a major event in the Christian calendar, when we recall Jesus' crucifixion.  Crucifixion is a particularly nasty form of execution, reserved in Roman times for the lowest in society.  Jesus was executed like a common criminal.

There were two events to mark this important day.  Firstly, there was a Walk of Witness in Branston, where a small group from our local parishes walked around Branston behind a wooden cross, held aloft in turn by members of the group.  We stopped at various points to mark the Stations of the Cross, with each stopping point being marked by a reading and a prayer.  The walk started and finished at All Saints, Branston, and we were glad of the (hot) drink and (not hot) hot cross buns which greeted our return.  I'm not sure that everyone who saw us understood what we were doing, but it was good to demonstrate that there is a worshipping Christian community in the locality.

The second event was at Dunston Methodist Chapel, when nearly 30 children from five local parishes, including Nocton, came together for a packed programme of activities and worship.  All involved thoroughly enjoyed the day.  Further children's activities are planned for later in the year - keep checking the blog to find out more!

Maundy Thursday service

24 people attended All Saints Church on Maundy Thursday to commemorate the Last Supper - Jesus' final meal with his friends before his arrest, trial and crucifixion.  In keeping with the sombre mood, at the end of the service the sanctuary was stripped, with all hangings removed, leaving the altar stark and bare.  This process was accompanied by Nicholas Bennett singing Psalm 22.  At the end of the service, the candles in the sanctuary were extinguished and the congregation left in silence to ponder again the enormity of what happened that night in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago.

Nocton Doodle - out now!

Click here for the latest village news!

Next children's event

Good Friday Activities

Dunston Methodist Chapel

Friday March 29th 10 -12 am

Details to follow

Church electoral roll

The Electoral Roll is the Church's equivalent of the civil Electoral Register, and lists everyone who is entitled to vote on church matters. Every six years, every parish is required by law to prepare a new Electoral Roll, and 2013 is a year in which complete revision is required. Inclusion in a new Electoral Roll is not automatic. Everyone must apply to be included, even if they are on the existing Electoral Roll. Joining the Church Electoral Roll means that people can vote on Church matters, attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and stand for election to the Parochial Church Council (PCC).

You can apply to be on the parish Electoral Roll if you meet all of the following criteria:

 

1. You are a lay person (ie not an ordained priest)

 

2. You have been baptised

 

3. You are one of the following:

 

a) a member of the Church of England

 

b) a member of a Church in communion with the Church of England

 

c) a member in good standing of a Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (not being in communion with the Church of England) and also prepared to declare yourself to be a member of the Church of England having habitually attended public worship during the six months prior to enrolment

 

4. You are at least 16 years of age

 

5. You are resident in the parish, or if not resident in the parish, have habitually attended public worship in the parish during a six month period prior to enrolment

 

6. You have completed an Application for Enrolment form

Please consider enrolling yourself on the new Electoral Roll and giving yourself the opportunity to take part in the running of the church (although this isn't compulsory!). Application forms are available in church, at the Post Office or can be downloaded here.

Please return your completed forms to either of the churchwardens, at a service, or to the Post Office, by the end of March.

Latest Doodle

Here it is!

Doodle February 2013

Friday 8 February - ‘Children's Pancake Party’

On Friday 8 February there will be a children's Pancake Party at Branston Church Hall at 6 pm.  All children from the six parishes, including Nocton, are welcome.

Lent at San Damiano