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World Day of Prayer Service at 2pm on Friday 3rd March 2023 at Our Lady of Ransom Church, Grange Road, Eastbourne.

The annual World Day of Prayer Service was hosted at Our Lady of Ransom Church, Grange Road, Eastbourne on Friday 3rd March, written this year by the women of Taiwan on the theme ‘I have heard about your faith’.

We received a warm welcome from the Priest, Father Kevin Dring and were pleased to have the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Pat Rodohan and his wife with us in the congregation of over 100 people.

Before the Service and for the six hymns during the service we enjoyed the Children’s Choir leading us, conducted by their Musical Director, Marylou. One of the teenagers accompanied some of the hymns for us on the piano.

Five months leading up to the Service the eleven members of the local World Day of Prayer Committee representing 8 Churches in town have been busy preparing for the Service and then they all participate in the Service.

After the Service we enjoyed tea and cakes in the Church Hall and a narrated slideshow with pictures of Taiwan. Thank you to all who contributed to the offering of £700 + gift aid which will help the work of World Day of Prayer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and projects run by Christian charities around the world
The Service was livestreamed and has had 60 views and is available on You Tube under Our Lady of Ransom, Eastbourne.

The 1st one is called ‘Who do you think you are?’ and is about Identity in Christ. It’s a free workshop but registration is required: mindfulofchrist(dot)net/event/wdytya

The second is a course of Christian Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for seven weeks. This will be £45 & includes a paperback copy of the book. (Available on amazon.) (sign up sheets available at the workshop)

Crowhurst Christian Healing Centre are holding a morning on loss and grief called ‘A Space to Remember’ on Friday 31^st March (10-1pm).  The day will be led by Revd Steve Gurr Chaplain at HMP Ford in West Sussex.  Steve served 15 years as Lead for Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy at St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing and Chestnut Tree Children`s Hospice.

 A Space to Remember will offer us an opportunity to reflect on the losses that have been, and are still significant to us. This may be about remembering before God a loved one who has died. Or it may be about having a space to consider prayerfully other kinds of losses experienced and how these impact on life. Our morning together will give us time to pray for a greater sense of the Lord’s accompanying of us as we face the future.

 The time will include a service of Holy Communion with a brief thought for the day, as well as time for personal reflection, prayer, remembrance and a chat with someone if you’d find that helpful.

 If you would like to, please feel free to bring a photograph, or another (smallish) item that can be placed on the chapel altar throughout the morning to represent the thoughts you carry into this day.

 10am – Gathering and introduction

10.30am – 12pm – Time for reflection and remembrance activities

(coffee available throughout)

12pm -1pm – Holy Communion

1pm Lunch available at Howard’s Well if desired.

 £12 per person book online https://www.crowhursthealing.org.uk/retreat.php?retreat=782 or by calling 01424 830204

NEW PARISH SECRETARY POST: the Parish of Our Lady of Ransom, St Agnes and St Gregory (Eastbourne)  is seeking to employ a new Parish Secretary to begin in post on 24th April. This role will be 16 hours per week (£12ph), Monday – Thursday (9.30 am -1.30 pm). The role will be to provide an efficient secretarial service and personal assistance to the Parish Priest and clergy and good communication and administration within the parish. If you would like further details or wish to apply for this role please contact Fr Kevin directly by email: kevin.dring@abdiocese.org.uk . The closing date for applications is 9 am on Friday 31st March.

St John’s Church, Meads 1.30pm onwards 25 March 2023

Debra Green – Christans & Community Transformation

Are you a community volunteer with your church or a charitable agency? This special event is for you.

Debra Green OBE is the National Director and Founder of Redeeming Our Communities (ROC). Debra has 25 years of experience in bringing organisations together towards the goal of social transformation, starting with her home city of Manchester.

Since 2004, this work has expanded and she has acted as a consultant to many other towns and cities with significant results. Such work has attracted interest from public services and local authorities who are impressed by the proven track record and results achieved. She received an OBE in 2012 in recognition of services to community cohesion. Debra is author of a few books including: ‘City-changing prayer’ and ‘ROC Your World – changing communities for good’. For further information on Debra see https://roc.uk.com/about/founding-director/

There will be stands and information around the Church about Local Christian Organisations so feel free to arrive from 1.30pm.

An offering will be taken to help cover the costs of the event.

Please do invite anyone you think may be interested – we look forward to seeing you!

There is also an additional session for Church and Christian agency leaders with Debra at 11am-12.30 on Saturday to learn from her experience of working with organisations, churches and local authorities to see communities transformed and discuss the situation in Eastbourne. Please let us know if you’re interested in participating in this session.

For any more details please contact : roland@kingdomwaytrust.org

Roland Brown
CEO
Kingdom Way Trust

Do you have experience or interest in working with people and/or wood? Could you use this to support and encourage people wanting to learn skills to improve their lives? Hope Woodwork provides training in woodwork and life-skills and offers Hope to marginalised and vulnerable adults at its fully equipped workshop in Eastbourne. Hope Woodwork is a great place to show God’s love and share faith in a practical way.

John hopes you can help restore his confidence and give him some valuable skills to progress in life. With increasing numbers of referrals from agencies across Eastbourne and Sussex, we need volunteer supervisors, cleaners & pastoral carers. We provide training, woodworking skills and refreshments!

For further information please contact RAY on 07546 256411 or email ray@hopewoodwork.co.uk
Hope Woodwork is a project of Kingdom Way Trust
www.kingdomwaytrust.org

Our next breakfast is on the 11th March at the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club at 8.00 when Fr Kevin Dring, Priest of Our Lady Ransom Church, Eastbourne will be sharing his Thought for the Day.

For newcomers, the breakfast is a full English breakfast served buffet style, the cost is £12.00, cash if possible, but cards will be taken if required.  Please ensure you register at the payment station as you come into the Millennium Lounge before taking your seat.

The breakfast starts promptly at 8.00 to finish at 9.00, please arrive around 7.45 to collect a coffee or tea from the drinks station.  With the increased number of guests, an early arrival does help to smooth entry.

For newcomers who might be interested in attending, please let me know.

For our regular attendees, if you are unable to attend, please give me your apology by midday, the Thursday prior to the breakfast, the number I submit is the number I can be charged for.  I do hope to see you there. Please use the contact information below as simply replying to this email does not reach Dennis direct.

Our April speaker on the 8th is David Barrett.

Email: dennisthompson618@gmail.com
(M) 07808 731166
(H) 01323 749329

Victoria Baptist Church is hosting another sign language course for those interested in communicating with those who are Deaf, for whom this is their first language. If they are to learn about Jesus, it needs to be in their first language. If we want to share the love of God with them, communicating over a coffee is best done in BSL.

The Eastbourne’s World Day of Prayer (WDP) Service is on Friday 3rd March at 2pm at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Grange Road. Everyone is welcome. Please also circulate the press release and flyer attached.

The Service has been written by the Women of Taiwan, Refreshments will follow after the Service, served in the Church Hall, with a slideshow about Taiwan. For more information please email Kathryn: east.wdp23@gmail.com