Friday 3rd February—10:30 –1 Quiet time at Joan Hackley’s

Wednesday 8th Feb—St. Mary’s Youth presentation at Deanery Synod

Thursday 9th February—7.30pm PCC at HCLC, Simms Lane

Sunday 19th February—No services at Coppice

Sunday 19th February—9 am Service at Wythall Baptist Church

Sunday 19th February—11 am Service at HCLC Simms Lane

Ash Wednesday 22nd February—8pm Service at Tanworth Church

On Sunday 19th February the Coppice Hall is not available as the school are taking the opportunity over half term to redo the floor. However, other local churches have stepped in to help!

Our 9 o’clock service will take place in the chapel at Wythall Baptist Church (near to the Village Hall).

At 11 o’clock, HCLC, Simms Lane, have invited us to join them for their morning service.

All welcome.

Ash Wednesday

All from St Mary's are warmly invited to join with Tanworth-in- Arden church in a joint service marking Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Rich and Jude will be joining Paul and Dave from Tanworth in leading the service, which will include Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes.

Wednesday 22nd February, 8pm

St Mary Magdelene Church, Tanworth-in-Arden, B94 5AL

There are a few cake containers etc which were left behind at the end of the Institution Service on 18th January … please claim yours from the back of church or speak to Cathy. Thank you!

Bob Telford on ‘Parenting’

Bob Telford, who spoke at the Christmas Together service at Woodrush school, will be giving a talk at HCLC Simms Lane on Tuesday 14th Feb-ruary. It will be entitled ‘Parenting’. The talk will be from 8 till about 9pm. Then chips, chocolate and tea afterwards. This is open to both teenagers and parents as Bob Telford will be ad-dressing his talk at both. All welcome.

Sunday School Thank yous

A huge thank you to Liz Bridgens who has coordinated the Sunday School for several years now. She has now passed this responsibility on to Dean. Thank yous also to Chris Turner , Marilyn Wheatley and Robert Watson who stepped down as Sunday School teachers at the end of last term. All four have given a lot of time, energy and patience to look after our children on a Sunday morning and we are very grateful.

Christmas Party News!!

After several years of organising the Church Christmas party, Ali Spencer and Claire Emery are ready to hand the job over to some new volunteers. Liz Lee is happy to continue to be one of the team but will need some others to help her! A massive thank you to Ali and Claire for all their work producing some really lovely Christmas events. If you think you might like to join the ‘Christmas Party team’ please speak to Liz, Ali or Claire. Party planning

actually starts in the Autumn but it would be good to have the team in place!

' Hitting the Rock' is a book by local Christian, Chris Maggs, about his journey through cancer and a cardiac arrest. Price £7.99, it's a compelling read - Ruth Gardner and Pam Miller couldn't put it down! This is a quote from the book - does it describe St Mary 's? 'Church is not a building or services on Sundays, it is a community of people trying to live out their faith together. They care about each other, support each other, look out for each other, encourage each other, love each other. Okay, they are not perfect. In fact, one of the main qualifications on the Christian journey of faith is an acceptance of your own failings. But they are committed to each other under the common banner of God's grace and forgiveness.' Ask Pam Miller for more info.

Are you a UK taxpayer? If so, are you Gift Aiding your giving to the church? Gift Aid is a painless way of increasing your giving: you complete a simple form authorising the church to reclaim the tax you have paid on what you give. There is no minimum period and it can be cancelled at any time. Last year we were able to claim back about £16000, and this helped us to pay our Common Fund contribution in full and to meet all our other commitments without dipping into our reserves. We were also helped financially last year by having no vicar's expenses to pay - this year we have the blessing of Rich but it will inevitably increase our outgoings. Maybe this time of new be-ginnings is an opportunity to review your giving to the church, or to request a Gift Aid form if you have not already done so. I'll be more than happy to answer anyone's questions. Pam Miller

WANTED! - wind chimes and dangling decorations!

.......Please contact Gemma Lee! Thank you!

‘Chicks for Change’

Our young people are busy fund-raising for their pro-posed trip to Uganda in 2013, where they hope to spend time at Kira Farm, run by Amigos. Through Kira Farm Training Centre young people are offered vocational training and holistic life skills including health and nutrition and character development. The majority of the students come from the north of Uganda where conflict and poverty have disadvantaged an entire genera-tion. The students return home equipped and empowered to bring sustain-able change to their communities. ‘Chicks for Change’ is an income-generating project that provides the students of Kira Farm with an opportu-nity to ‘learn on the job’. The students benefit from hands on experience and the incubated chicks will be sold in the local Kampala poultry market. Once funds have been raised more pedigree parent layer chicks will be in-troduced at Kira Farm.