Our Vision is to be a friendly, caring church, serving the local community and wider world through our faith in Jesus Christ.

February Advance The version her available to be read online

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Here is a link to a online copy of the: Quarterly Newsletter for the Ipswich and East Pastorate

This is the regular publication containing news of events and our church life. You could help by sending content to advance@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk

Revd Adam Earle and Revd David Rees Look after St John’s and 5 other URC Churches: Castle Hill, Felixstowe, Saxmundham, Leiston LEP and, most recently, Hadleigh They work closely together so if you need to contact a minister, either one of them would be willing to hear from you and offer help as necessary. David’s email: revdrees@gmail.com phone: 01473 402721 Adam’s email: revaje@outlook.com phone: 01473 411316

Link to Download

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.

Righteousness and Justice

I was listening to the song by Frank Sinatra from before I was born. You may know it:

Love and marriage, love and marriage

They go together like a horse and carriage

This I tell you, brother

You can't have one without the other.

The irony of the song is that, of course, you can have one of them without the other. It did however remind me of two words that are frequently linked in the Bible, righteousness and justice. They are often connected, but they have distinct meanings, and unlike the irony in the Sinatra song, you actually can’t have one without the other. Righteousness and justice are core values in the life of a believer, as they reflect the character of God and His call to us. Understanding these concepts helps us live in a way that mirrors God’s own love, mercy, and truth. Righteousness, in a Christian context, often refers to living in right relationship with God. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for righteousness, tzedakah, suggests an ethical and moral standard that aligns with God’s laws and ways. The New Testament continues this idea, portraying righteousness as a heart that seeks God's will and loves what He loves. Jesus emphasised this when He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Righteousness is, at its core, about the integrity of heart and life that comes from seeking God and following His ways. Justice, on the other hand, focuses more on fairness and equity, particularly in relation to others. The Hebrew word mishpat is often translated as “justice” and is found throughout the Old Testament. Justice means giving each person their due, protecting the vulnerable, and correcting wrongs. Micah 6:8 captures this call: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Justice here is not mainly about punishment or enforcing laws; it is about showing compassion and fairness to others, especially the marginalised. In the Christian life, righteousness and justice are intertwined. While righteousness reflects a person’s relationship with God, justice speaks to how we treat others. Righteousness without justice can lead to self- righteousness, while justice without righteousness can lead to straight legalism. These verses remind us that by embracing both righteousness and justice, we mirror God’s love in the world, offering a glimpse of His kingdom here on earth.

This I tell you, brother

You can't have one without the other…..

Revd David Rees

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.

Download Roombooking PDF

Booking Rooms at St John's URC Ipswich

Initial Considerations When? Day? Time? Looking at the Church Diary will give you an indication of any availabilty Click here . 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 Exit Blocking Restrictions on Alcohol 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!

Complete Booking Enquiry Form There are 2 ways of doing this 1 Complete the enquiry Typeform on special page Click Here The simplest and most secure way

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.

Download this Guide

Conditions PDF