Our Minister Rev David Rees (left), is joined by the
Rev Ernie Bossé (right) and Adam Woodhouse -
Minister in Training- (Centre) for the next nine
months to look after St John’s and 4 other
Churches: Castle Hill, Felixstowe, Saxmundham
and also Leiston LEP who joined Ipswich and East
Pastorate in September 2020 .
These churches and another 17 churches and
chapels are part of the
South Suffolk Area Partnership
March Advance
This is the regular publication containing news of events and our church life.
You could help by sending content to advance@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk
Also if you have both a printer and nearby members that a print a copy that would be their only means of
reading it. Ensuring you avoid any possible contamination in doing so by using disposable gloves for all
stages including posting it through the door.
Here is a version with coloured pictures & cover
for reading on line or printing
Covid -19 latest news:
We currently closed
until further notice.
More Here on
What is happening
Weekly
A live half hour
Zoom Service
at 10:30
Sunday
Community Sharing on
Sundays of Virtual Service
Options during Covid-19
restrictions
Options Available
Sunday Worship
Rev David Rees
Rev Ernie Bossé
Adam Woodhouse
Rev Elaine Colechin
West Suffolk Churches
Direct from the URC
https://devotions.urc.org.uk/
Please Note
we are unable to hire out any rooms due to
covid-19 restrictions.
Why not just sit and listen to the services?
Click here for this week’s Service
Click here for last week’s Service
Click here for a third choice alternative
Letter from William Glasse
Dear all,
This is not official in any way but a personal invitation to as many as are interested to join me via phone
(including landline) smartphone or computer, in my study at home for a few thoughts, Bible Readings and
prayers each Sunday evening at 7:00 pm during the period of our forced absence from Church.
There are many online resources available from the URC and Methodist Churches and elsewhere and all will
be excellent. What I am offering is something for those who want to hear a familiar voice and (where
technology permits) see a familiar face. Please pass this to as many people as you think may like it within
our churches.
If you like to listen, please Join the meeting just before 7 – I will open it from 6:55 but say nothing until my
clock strikes at 7:00 – it will end at about 7:30 or before.
In order to access this there are three ways:
1)
Find me on Facebook and follow the event link there that I will set up shortly – I am William Glasse –
happy accept new friends
2)
Click the following link which will open your internet browser – you can continue to join the meeting
there (you do not have to download the Teams app unless you want to)
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
3)
Dial the following number on a phone: 020 3443 6294 - When asked for the conference ID use your
keypad to type 878 173 346 # You will be asked to record your name – but no need unless you want to – and
then type # again
I hope you find this helpful if you decide to join.
Join the meeting just before 7:00 – I will open it from 6:55 but say nothing until my clock strikes at 7:00 – it
will end at about 7:30 or before.
Wishing you every blessing,
William.
St John’s URC Ipswich Diary
Regular Events
Sunday 10.45am Worship for All. Communion first Sunday of each month included with the online service. Monday Tuesday 6.15pm 23rd Ipswich Brownies 7.00pm Improvisations Craft Group (1st Tues each month) 8.00pm Ipswich Folk Dance Club (1st, 3rd and 5th Tues) Wednesday 12.30pm Monthly Church Lunch Club, except July and August. 7.30pm Local AA Group Meeting Thursday 5.00pm 2nd Hamilton Rainbows 6.15pm 40th Ipswich Brownies 7.30pm Elders Meeting (usually 2nd Thurs) 7.30pm Church Meeting (5 meetings per year) Friday Saturday 10.30am Community Coffee for All (2nd Sat in the month) 1.00pm Ramble Group (last Sat each month) Click here to view the Ramblers Page
All Services Cancelled for Now
In normal times
10.45 am on Sundays Worship for All
at which you will find a warm welcome
Services last about an hour followed by coffee/tea and a chat. Our Worship Leaders include Ministers, such as our own Ipswich and East Minister Rev David Rees, and some excellent lay preachers, including our own two lay preachers, Sara Pells and Peter Dawson. Whenever possible we use a screen to project elements of the service including the hymns. There is also a printed Order of Service.
Minister’s Letter
Specification of the Organ
The
1916
two
manual
and
pedal
tubular
pneumatic
organ
by
Bishop
from
the
previous
building
was
rebuilt
with
electric
action
by
W
&
A
Boggis
of
Diss
in
the
new
church.
It
is
placed
in
an
elevated
position
in
the
Worship
Area
and
is
controlled
from
a
detached,
moveable console.
Certain
specifications
changes
were
made
to
take
account
of
the
new
acoustic
conditions
and a few ranks were added.
The Pedal reed pipes (which had been prepared for) were installed in 1993.
Dear St John’s church family,
I
It is now the start of my seventh month with you all in Ipswich and
East Partnership and wow what a time it has turned out to be!
Several lock downs, around thirty-five Elders Meetings, over three
hundred hours on Zoom, and I have even managed to lead worship in a
church building a few times!
However sadly I cannot stay with you forever and as most of you now know I am due to finish here in May and
move on to my next ministry. I am moving north to be the Minister in the Lancashire East Missional Partnership.
This is a group of eleven churches including: Revidge Fold, Trinity Brownhill, Westbury Gardens, Kingsway,
Woodlands, Clitheroe, Burnley and Nelson, Darwen Central, Trinity Lower Darwen, Tockholes and Great Harwood.
There is a wide range of situations from inner city to small village settings, congregations of 80+ to a small one that
can fit into a living room if it snows and you are not able to get to the Chapel.
The normal process for the movement of ministers cannot work during COVID 19 restrictions, so the usual physical
meetings between the missional partnership and myself could not happen. So instead, I met the members of the
steering group for three on-line meetings. On the first occasion the steering group and I engaged in question,
answer & discussion. On the second occasion I led a Bible study, and on the third occasion I was invited to Preach
with a view.
I am still learning about the churches I will be serving and hope to visit in person soon. Broadly speaking I will be
working alongside the present incumbents that are serving in the Missional Partnership in churches in Clitheroe
and Burnley working together for support, prayer and encouragement. There is also a Church Related Community
Worker serving three of the Churches. I have been called to minister to all age groups; there are strong Messy and
Muddy Church groups. I am looking forward to working with refugees as there is a refugee centre run by one of the
churches in partnership with a local Mosque; I will also be part of local interfaith forums. These of course are very
broad areas; I will find out more detail as I get to know the churches better. While I will be serving the whole
Missional Partnership, I will mainly be working on shorter specific missional projects with local churches, seeking to
express their faith and sharing the Gospel message while serving their local communities.
If you have any questions please do ask, I realise I have only really touched the tip of the iceberg or I would fill up
the whole of the magazine.
Thank you for all your support while I have been in Ipswich and East and I look forward to serving you well in these
last few months. I hope to see many of you before, but if not I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter
Celebration,
God Bless,
Adam
All Services are Online due to Covid Restrictions
Date
Leader
Information
07/02/2021
Ernie
Communion
Zoom Service - David
14/02/2021
David
21/02/2021
Ernie
28/02/2021
David
07/03/2021
Ernie
Communion
14/03/2021
David
21/03/2021
Ernie
News
The Next Ten Years (TNTY) This positive exercise is to create a plan for the future. We recognise that we need to think about how we manage all the day-day things amongt us so that we can still be a vibrant church; and continue to help those around us. This is just the first step - illuminating what is done - but leaves open the ‘who’ - including the ‘who’ outside of St John’s currently - whoever that might be. The video below is to help us start thinking what part we could contribute to in what has to done week by week. It reminds us of all the many things that have to happen.Help further: here is a PDF of the activities described
in the video so that you can think about them quietly.
Just click here to download it.
Even being able to do part of some of them, or just
do them once in a while will be of help.
Gallery
This is under
construction, so mainly
interest pictures for a
week or two. Just enjoy
them.
.
Ramble Group
Introduction The St John's Rambling Group was formed in 1996 as an activity of the church. They walk on the last Saturday every month. The group welcomes friends from other churches and those simply interested in walking in enjoyable company. Walk Programme 2020/2021 is shown below. Ramblers meet in the church car park, ready to leave at 1.00pm unless indicated differently in the programme. For further information about the St John's United Reformed Church Ramblers, e-mail the leaders at Ramble LeadersWalk Programme 2020/21
Monthly Walks Meet at the church at Cowper St. on last Saturday of the month so we are ready to leave the church at 1.00 p.m. The mileages given above are approximate and might change once the walk has been tried out. Usually, it will be possible for a shorter walk to be taken.
––
Date
Location
Approx. Mileage
29 February
Capel St. Mary/Wenhams
5.5 miles
28 March
Shelland/Haughley
6 miles
25 April
Colchester/West Bergholt
7.5 miles
30 May
Tangham
6 miles
27 June
Kersey/Semer
5.5 miles
25 July
Debenham/Ashfield
6.2 miles
29 August
Coastal
5 miles
26 September
Hythe/Rowhedge
5 miles
31 October
Combs Ford/Badley
5.5 miles
28 November
Grundisburgh
4.25 miles
2 January
2021
Felixstowe
5 miles
30 January
Claydon
4.75 miles
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 Note currently we are unable to hire out any rooms due to covid-19 restrictions. Minister: Rev David Rees (Ipswich and East) email: minister@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk Church Secretary:Mr Adrian Cubitt email: Secretary@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk Webmaster webmaster@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk Website which is https for security www.stjohnsurcipswich.org.ukYou can use the form below for any enquiry
