March
A selection of events across the churches in the area
Easter Day, 31 March. A list of Easter church services remains available
Good Friday, 29 March
10:00am: Procession of Witness, Spalding, leaving St Mary & St Nicolas church and St Thomas's Road Methodist church to meet at 10:15 in Hall Place and walk together to Spalding United Reformed Church. Organised by Churches Together in Spalding & District
10:30am: walk behind the cross from Gosberton Baptist church, finishing at St Peter & St Paul parish church hall around 12 noon; refreshments; organised by Churches Together in Gosberton.
Over Easter: SADOS 'The Vigil', event confirmation awaited
Monday 25 March, 7:30pm: Lent Lectures, Spalding Baptist: Cardinal Newman and John Wesley: “The search for holiness” with Frankie Lee and Ann Bossingham
Palm Sunday, 24 March
The Palm Sunday Service organised by CTSD at 10:45am at the parish church of St Mary & St Nicolas, with preacher Rev Ian Coffey. The procession from Holland Market on the original flyer was cancelled due to the inclement weather.
Monday 18 March, 7:30pm: Lent Lectures, Spalding Baptist: Wilson Carlile and General Booth: “Two armies reaching the nation” with Paul Whiteley and Peter Dalziel
Saturday 16 March, 3:00pm: Gosberton Churches Heritage Future meeting at the Public Hall; exploring the future of maintaining the parish church buildings. Further meeting in June to follow, seeking to look at the living role of the Church in the community
Friday 15 March, 4:00pm: Messy Church at Quadring church hall (opp PE11 4PW)
Tuesday 12 March, 7:30pm: CTSD Meeting, St Mary & St Nicolas, Maples Room
Monday 11 March, 7:30pm: Lent Lectures, Spalding Baptist: William Tyndale & Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “The cost of discipleship” with Lesley Pemberton and Mark Hocknull
Thursday 7 March, 7:00pm: Christian Aid Roadshow, St Mary's church hall, Long Sutton (PE12 9JJ)
Thursday 7 March, 10:00am: Social Issues in the Fens Partners meeting with Martin Wilson, Head of Lincolnshire Community Engagament, David Lambert, Alchemy Project Boston, and Chas Sandhu, Spalding Street Pastors; Market House, Long Sutton (PE12 9DD) - see below
Wednesday 6 March, 7:30pm: Christian Aid Roadshow, Friends' Meeting House, Spalding (PE11 2AQ)
Tuesday 5 March, 7:30pm: Street Pastors information evening at Lighthouse Pentecostal, PE11 2XP, 711591
Monday 4 March, 7:30pm: Lent Lectures, Spalding Baptist: Oscar Romero & Martin Luther King “All races are equal” with Rosamund Seal and Steve Weatherly-Barton
Friday 1 March, 3:30pm: Messy Church at Gosberton Clough Methodist (PE11 4JN)
Friday 1 March: Women's World Day of Prayer; 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me in', prepared by the women of France. Local events include:
2pm service at St Gilbert & St Hugh, Gosberton Clough with Rev Lynda Pugh
Thursday 7 March, 10:00am: Social Issues in the Fens Partners meeting with Martin Wilson, Head of Lincolnshire Community Engagament, David Lambert, Alchemy Project Boston, and Chas Sandhu, Spalding Street Pastors; Market House, Long Sutton (PE12 9DD).
Martin Wilson outlined the best practice methodology advocated by Lincolnshire Community Engagement, including the balance and appropriate use of consultation, how well the audience is kept informed (whatever communication methods are used), and the need for to perform an Impact Analysis to improve ways of involving all stakeholders. Higher levels of collaboration and excellent team dynamics lay a strong foundation for project success. Empowering puts the final decision making in the hands of the audience/public/community; listening with full respect and genuine concern to the views and desires of the people ensures a synergistic, beneficial outcome. It is essential to plan end-of-project analysis, feedback and reports at the start of the project. Feedback must be sought before as well as after decisions are made to build and develop trust for current and future projects. Lincolnshire Community Engagement applies a ‘You said, we did’ approach to its final reports. Further background and Consultation principles on www.gov.uk (example).
David Lambert described the background to the Alchemy Project by drawing on the local interest and high expertise in photography, resulting in the production of photographic walks and locally produced video; the creation of the 'Boston Epistles' has also furthered the aim of Just Lincolnshire to reduce race hate crime and related issues. (Video and further info via the Alchemy Project website)
Chas Sandhu outlined the national and international story of Street Pastors and the local initiative due for launch in June 2013 in association with the Ascension Trust, providing care for the young out and about late at night on the streets. Spalding Street Pastor volunteers will have completed 50 hours of training to ensure legal, insurance and procedural compliance and maintain high standards in best practice. Chas noted that Street Pastors are already working in Stamford, Grantham and Lincoln and showed the recent video produced by Lincoln Street Pastors.
More info from Social Issues in the Fens
Pictures from the 2013 church Flower Festivals available on each month's Diary page in addition to the special webpage for Flower Festivals