CHURCHES  RE OPENING
Whilst we would love to open at the earliest opportunity, we recognise there are a number of steps to take to ensure safety for everyone, which is our prime concern. 

We need to ensure that our church can be made into a safe environment and that we are not encouraging vulnerable people to take risks. 

We need to negotiate the complexity of all the regulations and risk assessments involved, recognising that they seem to change with little notice and so will need constantly reviewing.

Augustine is Winner of Theology Slam 2020!

"Some of you may have come across Augustine Ihm-Tanner when he joined our Benefice between 2016-2017 on a ministry experience scheme. Augustine then went to train for ministry in the Church of England at Cranmer Hall, Durham.

This year he was one of three finalists in a sort of young theologian of the year competition. The finals were postponed due to lockdown but were held via Zoom/Youtube this week. You can watch the whole event, or forward to 1 hour 1 minute and 30 seconds to hear Augustine's passionate and thought-provoking sermon.
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/theology-slam "

Taken from St Mary's news update from Stephen 28/6/20

Sponsored Holes Bay Walk
took place last week to raise much needed funds for the Wau Diocese in South Sudan  Information about how to donate is in the pdf here

Dial a Sermon.   01202 078733
This is a service set up by Rev Hilary Bond, Assistant Curate specifically for those who don't have internet access. 

If you know people who are not accessing anything else but have a normal landline, would you please let them know that this is now available and give them the following details.

GARDEN GALLERIES - NOW OPEN !
Send videos of your gardens to Hilary for sharing with others on our Garden Videos  and Garden Photos 

Catch up with what others
are creating on 
our Art Gallery  page

  29/5/20

Envelope giving and Cash donations. We are asking if everyone would be kind enough to keep their usual giving to one side if possible and give it when the church re-opens .We are unable to let out CJ’s and our  churches for concerts etc at this time and as a consequence we experiencing a huge drop in our finances .

If you wish to contribute through a BACS payment please contact Carole who will advise you of the church account number.  Thank you.
21/5/20

Something different: 
Images based on five Christian themes for us to try our hand at COLOURING.  Download pdf version of all five ready for printing and colouring HERE   16/5/20

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 
MAY 10th to MAY 16th
GOD’S KINGDOM IS STRONGER THAN STORMS
Love never fails. Coronavirus impacts all of us. But love unites us all 
Donations can be made online or by calling 08080 006 006
3/5/20

“Coronavirus is teaching us what it feels like to feel vulnerable, to fear, to be separated and experience scarcity.

“It is at times like these – testing and painful times – that we recognise we are all in this together. Coronavirus impacts everyone, but love unites us all.

Christian Aid Week has always been a joyful celebration of what we can achieve together for the world’s poorest people and in this time of global crisis Christian Aid’s work is needed as much as ever before.”

The charity produced a series of key coronavirus health stats that show that African countries only have access to 1% of the world’s financial resources for health but 24% global burden of disease.

In our link Diocese of South Sudan, there are just 24 Intensive Care beds and just 4 ventilators for over 12 million people.   11/5/20

“TWAM (Tools With A Mission) has understandably suspended its operations temporarily.  If you do have tools etc to donate, kindly store them for the time being as Robin SeQueira is unable to collect them currently.  A notice will appear in the future whenever the service is resumed”. 
If you wish to learn how your donations of tools and implements are helping in the third world, do please visit the TWAM website. There are some really heart-warming stories that make your efforts really worthwhile”.  Robin 11/5/20  https://www.twam.uk 

Advertisements for a new Team Rector
Advertisements for a new Team Rector will now appear on 22nd and on the following three Fridays.  Other information is on Vacancy Info page. 15/5/20

Listen again to any of the videos by Hilary and Howard here   There is no need to sign in or join Facebook, but they may take just a little time to appear. 
22/4/20

Blossom on Easter Sunday at Lytchett Minster Parish Church - photos taken by Robin. 
Thank you, Robin, for sharing these with us. 

"Congratulations on your Bronze EcoChurch Award!"     31/3/20

In a message to Rev Hilary Bond, who applied for this award, the Eco Church Team of A Rocha UK wrote: "Well done to everyone involved in reaching this milestone … All the very best with your future endeavours and may God's light and hope guide you and your church in these uncertain times."

Election of 2 Church Wardens, 3 PCC members and 3 Deanery Synod members will take place at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting  We currently have no new date for this.

19/3/20

 Old News and a few non-time-specific items below...

Men's Fellowship Breakfast &Talk on Saturday(14th) has been POSTPONED

Various links to Lent resources as well as details of our Lent course on the Lent page and the Creation page

3/3/20

 Ladies Breakfast Saturday 28th March has been POSTPONED

 New Wine is a Christian network of Churches that want to see ‘Local Churches Changing Nations’. New Wine works with leaders and churches all year round and has an annual ‘United’ gathering that has been taking place each Summer for the last 30 years. 
'UNITED 2020' GATHERINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
May 2020

 On the first Sunday each
month, a team from this parish provide lunches and food for those who are homeless through the charity Routes to Roots.  Photo: Jane and Dave Parker led the February team.

2/2/20

OUR THEME SCRIPTURE FOR 2020

God's Kingdom ...is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds.
Mark 4:31

God chose what is weak in the world … what is insignificant and despised ...so no creature could boast in God's presence.
1 Corinthians 1:27

Hear our theme scripture, for this year, expanded in a sermon by Rev Howard Page-Clark   Click here      

5/1/20 

 ‘No.5 Bell Replacement’  Follow the twists
and turns of the removal of the cracked bell at Lytchett Minster Parish Church. See photos on Bell Ringers page

8/11/19

The inspecting Architects’ comments following our five year inspection of the Parish Church

“Lytchett Minister Parish Church is in good condition. Numerous repairs have been undertaken since the last inspection and the PCC have ambitious plans for the future. It is evident that there is a hardworking, enthusiastic, competent and active core group of people at the church”

22/9/19

 Many thanks.

£1200 was raised through our Christmas services.  This has been divided between Routes to Roots and Poole Missional Communities

12/1/20

 A big thank you to all who supported the homeless sleepout. We raised over £600 for Routes to Roots. 
A special mention to Kacey who raised £287.

When Charles received his tool kit this year, he began to dream bigger for his community!  Uganda has the youngest population in the world and the highest rate of youth unemployment.  Unemployment stands at 65% compared to 14% in the UK.

In 2019, Uganda Youth Development and Training Programme received tools from TOOLS WITH A MISSION for their students embarking on transformative rural community work.  The ministry of Uganda Youth Development and Training is to train leaders who have a desire to develop their rural communities and empower other youth in Bukedea District.  The training courses include tailoring, knitting, carpentry and joinery.
When the trainees complete their courses they have all the skills, energy and enthusiasm they need to transform their lives, but they have no means of buying the tools or equipment to do so.  This is where TOOLS WITH A MISSION fits in.  We provide the trainees with the vital tool kits they so desperately need.
Many of the trainees will cherish and look after these tools for the rest of their lives and will never forget the priceless gift of hope provided by Uganda Youth Development and Training and TOOLS WITH A MISSION.

Omogot Charles, joined Uganda Youth Development and Training in February 2019, enrolling on the Carpentry and Joinery course.   Charles, aged 21, had completed his senior four exams (equivalent of GCSE's) but did not have the money to continue to higher education.    He says… 
"I was stranded due to a lack of school fees to continue to the next level.  I sat at home, sometimes farming with other family members with no hope to continue studies again. I would spend my life lingering in shops, watching football, and doing nothing productive. Life was really hard and meaningless to me. Luckily, I met some boys who were attending a Uganda Youth Development and Training Programme  who told me how they see life positively after their training. They encouraged me to join the training programme and learn some skills.   I joined Uganda Youth Development and Training to acquire skills that will help me get employed; I can now generate an income for myself, my community and my family too! 

I also plan to start a carpentry workshop with other youth in the community, so that we can support each other through the skills we get from Uganda Youth Development and Training, working as a team. 

When I joined Uganda Youth Development and Training, there were not enough tools to go around, especially in the carpentry department and the tools in Uganda are very expensive.  When Uganda Youth Development and Training received the gift of tools we were all delighted. The tools have helped improve the training itself and I thank Uganda Youth Development and Training’s friends from TOOLS WITH A MISSION for the great work they do in our community!"

Charles reminds us that the gift of a tool kit is about much more than the ability to earn a living; it is about giving someone the opportunity to dream of a better life for all in their community!

19/11/19

 Thanks to all Riders and
Striders and Sponsors.

All sponsorship money for the 2019 Ride+Stride has now been forwarded to the Dorset Historic Churches Trust.  A total of £670 was raised and half of this will be returned to us for use on the fabric of the Parish Church.
There should be an additional £140 through Gift Aid. 
To all those involved ‘well done and thank you’

17/11/19

Thank you so much for all your support, donations and filled shoeboxes. Together with the playgroup we sent 100 boxes!

17/11/19

 The annual homeless sleepout took take place on Friday 8th November at CJ's.  All donations will go towards the church's food budget for organising the monthly lunch at Routes to Roots in Poole.  

10/11/19

 
On behalf of TWAM,
Robin SeQueira would like to thank the many people who kindly donated their old and redundant work and garden tools.  All have now been refurbished and are productively being used in a number of African countries. Our churches have now donated about a third of a container full of these implements. 
TWAM continues to seek donations of tools.  Contact Robin for more details.

13/10/19

After nine years of running MESSY CHURCH the time has come to end this ministry. It was pioneered by Allie Kerr and Karen Neagle and has served many members of our community with great love. Scores of church members have served in a host of ways over these years in running craft activities, preparing and serving food, providing welcome and sharing the love of Jesus. Thank you to everyone who has served so faithfully – especially Karen Neagle
3/1/19

A team from Lytchett Minster and St Dunstan's parish provide lunch on the first Sunday of each month for around 20 homeless people.  Other churches provide lunches similarly on other Sundays in the month.

Five people take part on each occasion but a larger number are involved and this allows for absences and holidays etc..  Anyone interested in being involved should get in touch with Jeff and Karen N  (see Church Directory for contact info or ask the Church Office)

October '18

 Published in January 2018, a collection of poems by
Jodi Page-Clark, illustrated by Wendy Alcock.

“Poetry of an Appalachian pilgrim:
Reflections of a Fisherfolk songwriter”

Click the book cover to see details on Amazon. 
Available in kindle format and as a paperback.

These poems and reflections span Jodi’s life from recollections of childhood, her experiences of joyful worship, the impact of rejection and abuse, and her struggles with facing old age.
She combines musings about faith and human existence with insights from her psychotherapy training and the work she undertook with the discouraged and wounded people who often looked for help to the Christian community of which Jodi was a leading member for some thirty years.
With honesty and humour she writes simply about family life, falling in love, relationship breakdown, reconciliation and hope.  
Jodi is part mystic, which makes her reflections a refreshingly candid prompt for others who struggle with aspects of life and faith.
Many readers will identify, perhaps with a tear or a smile, with many of the phrases you will find within.  A collection of poems to warm the heart and stimulate the soul.

21/1/18

CJ's in the car park of Lytchett Minster Parish Church can be hired by groups, clubs or organisations.  For a pdf of the main features, see here