PCC Meeting
The PCC will meet on Monday 1st July. Please pray for them as they work together for the benefit of St Stephen's.
Monthly Prayer Gathering
Join us on Tuesday 2nd July at 8pm at church. for our monthly prayer meeting.
Plastic Free July
This starts on Monday 1st July. We all know how single-use plastics often ends up in our streets, parks, rivers and seas. Plastic kills sea and bird life and we have no idea as yet how microplastics now being found in human blood, will affect our health. This month gives us the opportunity to try to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Lots of ideas and inspiration on www.plasticfreejuly.org Let’s see if each one of us can make one or two swaps we haven’t tried before and make a difference to our environment, our nature and our pockets! Many swaps really are much cheaper! If you’d like to share ideas join our WhatsApp group: ‘St.Stephen’s Plastic Free July’. Contact Sue Charlton on 07908840954.
St David's Home
The St Stephen's team will be holding a Summer Hymns of Praise service at St David's Home on Sunday 7th July at 2:30pm in the Activities Lounge. If you would like to join the team they would welcome some additional voices. Please speak to Peter Devereux or Sally Horattides for more information.
Restore Nature Now
Four of us from St. Stephen’s plus one from St. Mellitus Hanwell (another Eco Church) travelled together last Saturday to Farm Street Church for an ecumenical service at 11am. The ‘Restore Nature Now’ Act of Worship was a wonderful way to start an amazing day. Readings included Job 12 v7-10, an address from Andy Atkins CEO of A Rocha UK, prayers from Pope Francis and a guided medication, as well as wonderful songs. We then walked to Park Lane to join an estimated crowd of 100,000 thousand people from across the country, and eventually shuffled off south to Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square for the rally and inspiring speeches from celebrities. What a Carnival! Big bands set the tone and the pace. Enormous puppet birds, people dressed as foxes, cows, bumble bees, kids as fish or octopuses, folk dancers outside St. James’s Piccadilly. Wonderful posters and everyone intent in restoring nature and asking our politicians to back the Climate and Nature Bill. Whoever you vote for next Thursday, please ask your candidates for election to back the bill, and once elected, write again! https://www.restorenaturenow.com
Renewed Commitment as Fairtrade Place of worship
Our commitment to the Fairtrade Foundation has been renewed for the next two years. Please see the new certificate on the Eco Church notice board. This serves as a reminder to commit to Fairtrade products whenever we can, helping farmers to adapt to and combat the effects of climate change as they grow coffee and cocoa beans, sugar, tea and much more.
Child Safety
Just a short note to parents to highlight that whilst we are using the back doors as the entrance to the church the gate on to the main road is not visible from the church. Please make sure that after the 10:30am service is over to please collect your child(ren) from JAM to ensure their safety.
Parish Prayer
Please pray for those who live in the area to the east of our parish to come to know Jesus, where some church members live.
Prayer for the Week
Almighty God,
send down upon your Church
the riches of your Spirit,
and kindle in all who minister the gospel
your countless gifts of grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.