Lent and Easter Services and Events 1st March: Shrove Tuesday Pancakes in Church 16:00 – 21:00. 2nd March: Ash Wednesday Service 19:30 6th March: Breakfast (bacon butties) 9th,16th, 23rd March: Learn with Lunch in Lent 11:00 at 126 Reading Road 26th March: Open Church and Book and vinyl Sale 10:00 – 13:00 30th March: Lent Group 3rd April: Breakfast (continental) 6th April: Lent Group 10th April: Palm Sunday (meet in Church Hall) Holy Week 11th April: 10:30 Morning Prayer 12th April: 10:30 Morning Prayer 13th April: 19:30 Compline 14th April: 19:30 Maundy Thursday Liturgy Good Friday: 12:00 – 15:00 A service of music and meditation Saturday: Decorate the Church from 10:00 Easter Day: Dawn Eucharist 5:15 followed by an amazing Celebration Breakfast. 10:30 Easter Eucharist 23rd April: Open Church (see note) Holy Week and Easter at St Mark’s We have a number of dearly held traditions at St Mark’s which we did our best to maintain last year despite only having a priest for Easter Sunday. We invite everyone to participate in all or as many services and activities as they can in order to appreciate fully the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Day. We start in the Hall on Palm Sunday and then process over to Church. On Monday and Tuesday we have a short morning service of prayers and readings followed by Compline (evening Prayer) on Wednesday. These are all lay led and give time for quiet reflection. On Maundy Thursday we would traditionally have an Eucharist to celebrate the institution of Holy Communion followed by the Watch at the Altar of Repose. Without a priest we cannot do all of this but last year we were able to do as much as possible and ended with the Watch Readings from St John’s Gospel. It was, as always, very powerful. Good Friday can be marked in many ways and this year we plan to hold a three hour service entitled “A Cloud of Witnesses”. During this service there are a number of readings from the Passion according to St Matthew, hymns, prayers, meditation and time of silence. We shall be asking both children and adults to read the witness statements (those who were present at the Crucifixion) and carry a symbolic object to place on the altar steps. It is not necessary to be present for the full 3 hours and you can come and go at any time. On Saturday we encourage everyone to be part of decorating the Church for Easter. We have a lovely social time doing this. If you want to be involved do contact Marie Collins (01252 511434). On Easter Day we hope to start with the Dawn Eucharist. Dawn is rather early this year and so we need to start at 5:15! At this service we begin in the dark and then light candles from a bonfire to mark the light of the Resurrection as the Dawn breaks and the Church fills with radiant light through the stained-glass windows. Following the service most people head for the hall and a wonderful celebration breakfast. While it is being cooked everyone has tea, coffee and cereal as well as taking part in a number of activities such colouring Easter place mats, egg decorating and an egg hunt for the children. Some people then go home while others return to church for the 10:30 Eucharist. We are intending to open the Church on April 23rd to celebrate the Feasts of St George and St Mark (April 25th) and also to welcome people who would like to see the Easter flowers. If you would like to know more about any of these events and services please do ask any of the following people: Judith Gibbons – [email protected] Felicity Lewis o7807207195 – [email protected] or Colin and Carole Lagor – [email protected] or 01252 678628 Deglan Rowe – [email protected] Daryl Bates – [email protected] 01252 514449 or