Dear Friends,
It is now two weeks since Easter and the weather looks like it might warm up later this week.
It was lovely that many of you worshipped with us on Easter Day at St Martin’s and All Saints’ and the flowers were glorious in both churches.
As I mentioned last month, the Bishop of Hertford, Bishop Michael, will be visiting the parish on Sunday 13 May when he will preside and preach at both services. Please come and meet our local Bishop – he lives in Knebworth – and he will be joining us again in the parish on Wednesday 16 May.
As in 2017, we will as a parish join in Thy Kingdom Come. This is a ten-day venture between Ascension Day and Pentecost, this year 10 – 20 May, when we are encouraged to pray that more people will turn to Jesus. We will be holding a service at All Saints’ every day during this time, usually a 9.30am short service of Morning Prayer, when we will pray especially that others will come to know Jesus as their Saviour.
And, as part of Thy Kingdom Come, there is a special Beacon Celebration Event at 6.30pm on Saturday 19 May at St Albans Abbey with Soul Survivor Watford, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Rev’d Hayley Young, a Baptist minister. See poster on church notice board.
We hope that many of you will come to our 2018 In Loving Memory parish service at All Saints’ at 3pm on Sunday 24 June, followed by refreshments. In Loving Memory is a special service of hymns, prayers and short readings with the opportunity to light candles in memory of ‘those we love but see no longer’. If you and other family members wish to attend and would like the name of your loved one read out during the service please let us know by email. Personal invitations are being sent to the families we know where there has been a death in the last three years, but the service is, of course, open to everyone.
The Confirmation service for Hitchin and St Paul’s Walden is on Thursday 14 June at St Mark’s Hitchin and the confirmation group in preparation for this will begin to meet very soon. Please get in touch with me as soon as you can if you would like to discuss this.
With my prayers and good wishes to you all
Elizabeth
**Thy Kingdom Come Beacon Celebration
We are delighted that Archbishop Justin Welby will be joining us. Our Beacon Celebration, one of many Thy Kingdom Come events taking place around the country, will be a collaboration between Soul Survivor Watford, local and national youth organisations, ecumenical partners, the Diocese of St Albans and the Cathedral.
The celebration will welcome Christians of all denominations. Entry is free. While the event is multi-generational we particularly encourage young people to attend. It will be a great opportunity to be inspired to pray that others may come to know Jesus Christ.