I am writing this on the day after Ash Wednesday. Yesterday we held the first Soup Lunch in Whitwell Village Hall followed by the first Lent Group. We had a good number for lunch including some children who enjoyed the activities provided. In the evening a few of us gathered at St Martin’s Preston for a Communion service with ashing. On subsequent Wednesdays in Lent there will be Soup Lunches between 12 noon and 2pm with the Lent Group following on at 2pm. Thank you to all those who are kindly hosting these lunches and the group meetings. Donations this year will be given to church funds.  Do join us for lunch and/or the group.  The lunch and Lent Group will be at Meta and Hugh Reeves’ home. Crunnells Green House on Wed 14 March.

The Women’s World Day of Prayer this year is on Friday 2 March. The Villages Service will be held at 1.30pm at St Mary Magdalene Offley.

The Family Service this month is on Mothering Sunday, 11 March at 10am. We hope you will be able to join us.  Flowers will be distributed to all women in the congregation and refreshments will be available after the service.

Looking ahead: on Good Friday (30 March) there will be the usual Children’s Activities and Worship (Messy Good Friday) at 10.30am at All Saints’ and we will have a Communion service at 9.30am on Easter Day (1 April) at St Martin’s.  Writing of which …

The Real Easter Eggs are on sale again for the ninth year.  This is the first and only Fairtrade chocolate egg to explain the meaning of Easter. Inside is an illustrated 24 page Easter story activity book, a milk chocolate egg (125g) and a bag of Fairtrade Chunky buttons (25g).

A charity donation is made from each sale.  For more details see www.realeasteregg.co.uk. To be sure of getting an egg or eggs please order by phoning or emailing me by 8 March.

Finally I thought you might like advance notice of two visiting preachers.

The Rev’d Dan Drew will be preaching at both churches on 8 April, the Sunday after Easter. Dan is part-time curate at St Mary’s Hitchin and he also leads the Hub Church in Hitchin. He is married to Alex and they have a baby daughter born just before Christmas.

The Bishop of Hertford, Bishop Michael, will be visiting the parish on Sunday 13 May when he will preside and preach at both services.

I hope that many of you will be able to join us on both these occasions.

With my prayers and good wishes to you all

Elizabeth