The Rectory, Uffington

Dear All

This year Holy Week falls right at the end of March, with Easter on the first Sunday in April. Mothering Sunday is on the 14th, with a family service at Tallington at 10.30am, when we'll bless bunches of flowers for the children to give out, then Palm Sunday is on the 28th - why not come along for the blessing of the palms and the reading of the Passion story at the services that day.

There's plenty going on in Holy Week across the group, too, with at least one service every day, so that you can follow the story right the way through the week and walk the way of the cross. On Monday and Tuesday evenings there will be communion services at 7.30pm - Monday at Greatford, Tuesday at Uffington - and on Wednesday there will be a communion service at 10am at West Deeping. On Thursday evening there will be a commemoration of the Last Supper starting in Braceborough village hall and moving on to the church - see the separate notice for details. This is a great opportunity for fellowship as well as a chance to learn about the first Holy Week, and well worth coming to.

Good Friday is going to follow the same pattern as the last few years. The church services will take place as usual, in West Deeping at 11am and Uffington at 2pm, and once again some of us will be walking (on footpaths, not the road) from one church to the other, with a pause in Tallington on the way. You can come to just the services, just the walk, or join us for part of the route - check the posters at each church for exact timings, and let's hope that the weather stays fine... There'll also be our usual evening service at Barholm at 7pm.

Easter Day will be full of services - not only will there be a communion service in each church, as usual, but we're going to start the day with an Easter Vigil and the lighting of the new fire, otherwise known as a dawn service. The good news this year is that the service is a little later than usual - not until 5.45am... That's when we'll gather in the dark to read Bible stories by torchlight, as we wait to celebrate the discovery made at break of day, when the women went to the tomb and found that Christ had risen. As a sign of the light of the risen Christ coming into the world, we'll light first one and then another six Easter candles, and take them on to the parishes for the communion services later in the day. Why not stagger out of bed and really know you're celebrating Easter - and don't forget to bring bells/jangling keys/anything else that makes a joyful noise, for use during the service. Please come and join in on Easter Day and during the preparation for it, as we experience the richness of the Christian story and celebrate the new life God gives us in Christ.

Yours,

Carolyn Kennedy.