Sunday 27th April 2025
St John’s holds services in Church on Sundays at 10am, with a recording of the morning service uploaded online for those not able to join us.
Paper services available on request.
Dear Church Family,
Dear Church Family,
They say seeing is believing—but Thomas would likely disagree. Or at least, he’d want a good poke at your side before he signed the guestbook. This Sunday, as we continue to bask in the bright afterglow of Easter morning, Revd. Richard will guide us through that most relatable of Resurrection stories: John 20:19–31.
The risen Christ does not scold Thomas for doubting; instead, he invites him to touch, to see, to believe. And then he turns to us—yes, us!—across the centuries, blessing those who have not seen, and yet believe. What a staggering kindness. What a gentle challenge.
We are, each of us, a little like Thomas at times. We carry questions, hesitations, and hopes in equal measure. But in the company of Christ—and one another—those doubts can be doorways, not dead ends.
So come along this Sunday, and bring someone with you. Whether they’re full of faith or fumbling in the dark, there’s room for them here. The doors are open, the peace is offered, and the risen Jesus still speaks: “Peace be with you.”
With Easter joy,
Mark 甄英深
Notices
ACCESSIBILITY HANDRAIL FUNDRAISER. If you were at church last Sunday, you would have seen the new handrails we have installed on the left-hand side of the church entrance. Here’s a video of them being installed LINK. However, given our financial situation, we weren’t able to install the matching handrail on the right-hand side at the same time. We’d love to complete the pair—not just to improve accessibility, but also to balance the entrance of our Grade II listed building. If you’re able to help us raise the funds to finish this important work, please talk to our Treasurer David Crane, or head to our website for details on how to give: https://www.stjohnswoodley.com/giving
VOTE FOR OUR VICAR. Our vicar has been nominated for a special award and you can support him by submitting a vote on his nomination page on the National Diversity Awards webpage (link below). Mark was not going to accept the nomination until he discovered that the ceremony is taking place at Liverpool Cathedral, the city in which his paternal grandparents first came to the U.K., bringing things full-circle! https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/.../mark-nam/
BUBBLE CHURCH | Sunday 11th May 9.00am. Our next Bubble Church is in a couple of weeks! Please tell anyone you know with young children to sign up. A huge thanks to all who have volunteered to help. These are exciting times indeed! Helpers should arrive at 8.30am ready for the 9.00am start. Puppeteers should arrive at 8.15 to have a final rehearsal. For further details please contact Dawn.
WILD CHURCH. After much deliberation and considering that there is a lot going on at St John's at the moment, we have decided to put Wild Church on hiatus. This means that there will be NO Wild Church until further notice. Please note this is not the end of the journey, we're just parked in the service stop taking a break! Thank you to all who have supported us along the way. We look forward to meeting again in the future, furthering the values of Eco Church and the concept of spending time with God in wild spaces. 😊
A message on behalf of Woodley Foodbank. Thank you for your donations. We continue to experience a very high demand for our services. We are currently low in stocks of tinned custard & rice, soap, crisps, sweets and toilet rolls. Donations of Sugar, Coffee, Pasta, Cereals, Pasta Sauce, Spaghetti (dried), Noodles (inc. Pot Noodles), Tinned Vegetables (all types, inc. potatoes), Tinned pies (Fray Bentos Meat and Veg varieties), Tinned fish, Tinned fruit, Tinned Soups (Veg and Meat), Meat meals (tinned), Biscuits, Crisps, Custard - tinned and dried, Tinned Desserts Long Life milk, Juice (cordial and long life), Toothbrushes and toothpaste, Shampoo and Shower Gel, Deodorants (M&F), Toilet Rolls are welcome at any time. We are also short of plastic bags.
Envelope Collection. David, our Treasurer, is kindly offering a collection service for those that usually give to St John’s by envelope. Please call him direct on 0118 969 2521 or email.
ChurchSuite - Login Required. You should have each received by now your personal login for ChurchSuite. Please do log in and update your personal contact details and what information you want to share with others in the St John’s church family. This way you can make sure you are kept up-to-date with news at St John’s and stay linked in with others. For those who are not online, we will be contacting them separately to do this.
For our prayers
For our world. Pray for peace in our world. For all who work for peace. For those who campaign for justice, who strive to relieve poverty, who fight for the hungry. For those who struggle for the oppressed and for the exploited. For all countries where there is war, pray for the suffering people. Pray especially for the people in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza and Israel.
For our country. Pray for the young people in our country as they try to work their way through the many influences of social media. Pray that they will be guided by people who understand what is good and useful. Pray that all who are working for the media in any form will do so responsibly.
For those who are unwell. Pray for all we know and love who are struggling with poor health just now. Pray especially for Dhoj Gurung in Nepal, for Margaret H., Margaret B., Twink, Lucy, Irene, Ricky, Ian, Guimei, Laura, Janet A., Liz, Rita, David S., Caroline, Devina, Adrian, Mo, Chris, Katie and Teddy. Pray too for all who care for them.
In our prayers. Pray for all mourning the death of a loved one. Pray especially for Diana, Emma and Paul mourning the death of Alison. Pray for Margaret, Laura, Leanne and their families on the sad loss of their dear sister-in-law and beloved Aunt Ann and for Jim, John and family, her husband and son. She was very loved by all. Pray for our Catholic brothers and sisters mourning the death of Pope Francis.
Church Office
The church office is usually open Tuesday - Fridays from 10am - 12pm. Please note that any notices need to be sent to info@stjohn-woodley.com by 10.00 am on Thursday, for inclusion in that week's newsletter.
Upcoming Dates for your Diary
Sunday 27th April
10.00am - Morning Family Service. The Second of Easter. Led by Rev’d. Richard Christopher. This week’s Bible readings will be 1 Corinthians 15: 12-24 and John 20: 19-31. A video recording of the service will be uploaded to the website at: https://www.youtube.com/@stjohnswoodley
3:00pm - Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi Fellowship.
Tuesday 29th April
10.00am - St John’s Toddler Group returns. Contact Dawn for further details.
7.30pm - Praying Together on Zoom (phone in 0203 481 5237 | Zoom ID: 977 0607 9786)
Wednesday 30th April
10.00am - Midweek Communion Service.
7.45pm - Fellowship and Study Group on Zoom To phone in, call 0203 481 5237. Zoom ID: 962 9254 2704.
Friday 2nd May
11.30am Lunch, Munch & Chinwag.
Coming up in May
4th BCP Said Service of Holy Communion 8.00am.
6th Green Pastures Grief Cafe 2.00pm.
11th Bubble Church 9.00am.
17th Men’s Breakfast 8.30am.
17th Prayer for Woodley 9.00am.
17th Green Pastures Grief Cafe 10.00am.
18th BCP Said Service of Holy Communion 8.00am.
21st Mothers’ Union 2.30pm.
Pastoral Support
Would you like a prayer?
If you would like support, please do let us know - you do not need to face hard things alone. Please contact the office to arrange for a Pastoral Visit from one of our team. Alternatively, complete the prayer request form below and someone will be in touch.
