A meeting for all those who regularly lead our Sunday intercessions in church will take place on Tuesday, 3 June at 8.00 pm. Please be there, not only to think about what we are actually doing when we lead people's prayers, but to practice using the microphone!

On Saturday, 7 June, Chimes Musical Theatre will be giving a concert at St Andrew’s, Kingswood. More details here.

On Sunday, 8 June, the Feast of Pentecost, we once again welcome the Guides and Brownies who have an important part to play during the 9.30 Sung Eucharist. It is possible that parking in Church Road that morning may be even more difficult than usual - we hear rumours of Carew Manor’s annual Fiesta, a car boot sale, and an open day at the Wild Life Hospital, all coinciding!

There is a diocesan Vocations Day at the cathedral on Saturday, 14 June, running from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, led by the bishops of Southwark and Kingston and by Janice Price, director of training in the diocese of Worcester. This is for all those who want to look at their own gifts and the ways in which they might be used in a wide variety of service within the life of the church. There is a fee of £3 for the day. Diana Harries has further information and booking forms, which must be returned to the address given on them by 31 May. More details here.

A pre-Confirmation group will meet in the Centre from 11:30 am for an hour on Sunday mornings, beginning on Sunday, 15 June. There will be six sessions, concluding on Sunday, 27 July, but not including Sunday, 13 July. If you are interested in being confirmed at St Paul's, Roundshaw on 14 September, please speak to Heather or Selwyn beforehand and then come along to these sessions - which are entirely painless and no previous experience is necessary!

MU speaker for 19 June is Rev'd Sue Peake, Hon Curate at Christchurch & St John the Evangelist, Clapham. A major part of her work is involved with the Springfield Community Flat, for one of whose projects St Mary's responded to a plea for teddy bears a couple of months ago. Its activities include two community crèches, a breakfast club, after-school clubs and groups for senior citizens, summer and Easter play schemes, and work with refugees and asylum seekers. She is a person of great enthusiasm, and will be talking about many of these aspects of her work, particularly the last, in an area of south London very different from our own.

Sunday, 22 June – Corpus Christi – is the annual occasion to think about Christ’s generosity in giving us the Eucharist itself, and to thank Him for all that it has meant and continues to mean to Christians. As usual we shall mark the day by asking all those who have a regular part to play in the conduct of the Sunday Eucharist – servers, readers, intercessors and ministers of the chalice – to attend the 9:30 service and be ‘re-commissioned’ for what they do to lead our worship around the year. So, if you fall into any of those categories, please do be with us once again for that service, so that we can thank you for your own ministry and pray for you as another year of it begins.

That same evening there is the now-annual Churches Together Music Festival, at 7 pm at St Elphege’s. As those who have been before will remember, this is not an evening of ‘Christian music’ but an opportunity for ‘Christians to make music’, and last year it was so well-attended and so well-supported by members and musicians from most local churches, that cars were actually being turned away from St Elphege’s bulging car park. Sadly our own choir cannot take part this year, owing to a prior engagement at an event at Finchcocks musical museum in Kent – but we hope that many members of St Mary’s will still come along and enjoy the talents of other churches and their choirs and musicians. Obviously there will be no evening service here that evening.

On Tuesday, 24 June (the Feast of St John the Baptist) there will be a Sung Eucharist at 7:30 pm.

Friday, June 27 - a special day on which Frank Davison celebrates his 90th (yes, 90th!) birthday. We all send him our warmest congratulations and best wishes for many more birthdays to come. Frank's faith in the Church is shared with us here.

10 am on Saturday, 28 June sees the flag go up for the St Mary's Car Rally - see details on Special Events page..

Evensong on Sunday, 29 June (SS Peter & Paul) will take place at the earlier time of 4:00 pm. It will be conducted by the vicar and choir of St Peter's, South Croydon who, together with their congregation, will have held their annual Patronal Picnic during the day in Beddington Park. I hope as many of us as possible will join them for this special Evensong.

What’s on in June?

SUN	1	EASTER 7
Mon	2	Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	6.00 pm
Tue	3	Parents and Toddlers Group meets in church	10.00 am
		Intercessors Meeting in church	8.00 pm
Wed	4"	St Mary's Guild Garden Party at 31 Carleton Avenue	2.30 pm
		Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Thu	5	MU&OG. Clare Murden will give a talk on Aromatherapy. Church Centre	8.00 pm
Sat	7	Chimes Musical Theatre at St Andrew's, Kingswood	7.45 pm
SUN	8	PENTECOST
		Guides and Brownies present at the Sung Eucharist	9.30 am
Tue	10	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
WED	11	ST BARNABAS
Sat	14	PCC training morning. Church Centre.	10 am-1 pm
		Diocesan Vocations Day, Southwark Cathedral	10 am-4 pm
SUN	15	THE HOLY TRINITY
		Confirmation Group meets. Church Centre	11.30 am
Tue	17	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Wed	18	MU Corporate Eucharist	10.00 am
Thu	19	MU&OG. Rev Sue Peake will talk about her work at the Springfield Community Flat. Church Centre	8.00 pm
Sat	21	St Mary's Court Trustees meet at St Mary's Court	10.00 am
		Quiet Day at Malling Abbey
SUN	22	CORPUS CHRISTI	11.30 am
		Confirmation Group meets. Church Centre
		Churches Together Music Festival at St Elphege's	7.00 pm
TUE	24	BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
		Sung Eucharist	7.30 pm
Wed	25	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Sat	28	Car Rally in aid of Church funds	Starts 10 am
SUN	29	ST PETER AND ST PAUL
		Confirmation Group meets Church Centre	11.30 am
		Evensong conducted by the Vicar and Choir of St Peter's, South Croydon	4.00 pm

Advance notices for your diary

Saturday, 5 July – Gerrie and Eileen will be holding their ever-popular 'Pudding and Plonk' extravaganza.

The July wedding bookings will be taken on Monday 7th, not Monday 14th.

Monday 7 to Saturday 12 July – Richmond Shakespeare Society present their annual open-air production in the gardens of York House, Twickenham. Cassie gives details here.

Monday, 14 July - a visit from the new Bishop of Croydon - more here.

Readings for Sundays and Festivals in June

Sun 22 June

Corpus Christi

Genesis 14: 18-20 (page 261)

1 Corinthinians 11: 23-26 (page 262)

John 6: 51-58 (page 263)

Tue 24 June

John the Baptist

Isaiah 40: 1-11 (page 1098

Act 13: 14b-26 (page 1100)

Luke 1: 57-66, 80(page 1101)

Sun 29 June

SS Peter & Paul

Acts 12: 1-11 (page 1103)

2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18 (page 1105)

Matthew 16: 13-19 (page 1106)

Sun 1 June

Easter 7

Acts 1: 15-17. 21-26 (page 564)

1 John 5: 9-13 (page 565)

John 17: 6-19 (page 566)

Sun 8 June

Pentecost

Presented by Guides and Brownies

Sun 15 June

The Holy Trinity

Isaiah 6: 1-8 (page 573)

Romans 8: 12-17 (page 575)

John 3: 1-17 (page 576)

Sutton Deanery Synod

A meeting of the Synod was held on Thursday, 8 May, at St Dunstan's Church, Cheam. The speaker was the Rev'd Bruce Saunders, Canon Missioner, Southwark Cathedral and Executive Secretary to the Board of Church in Society. The Board consists of 28 lay people and 28 clergy, ie one lay person and one clergyman from each deanery in the diocese. It has a very broad remit, its purposes being mainly as follows:

* To provide resources, training advice, and stimulation for mission.

* To create networks of expertise.

* To help to give shape and purpose to key areas of the mission of the diocese.

* To represent the diocese in ecumenical London-wide and national forums.

It includes the following groups:

* Social Responsibility

* Urban Umbrella

* Ministry and Training

* Children and Young People (chaired by Nick Baines)

* Interfaith Relationships

* Relationships, Relationships and Family, MU

Bruce said that he is happy to come and talk to PCCs about any of the resources available. He said that church attendance in Britain was 8% in 2000 and would be down to 7% by 2005 and descending. He said that it is important for churches to make the Gospel mean something to the people of our times. He then challenged us to think about our churches and their purpose - are we about sustaining our present congregation or about making new Christians; or having lots of activities for people to 'come to' or creating confident Christians to 'go out' into the community to witness to our Lord in our homes, places of work and leisure. Where does our particular emphasis lie in these areas? He said that we are a Missionary people because God is a Missionary God - a fountain of self-giving love - pouring Himself out from the beginning of creation; creating new beginnings all the time.

Bruce said that there needs to be a shift from church-centred mission to a mission-centred church, but he knows that it is easier to talk about church than it is to talk about God. Nevertheless, "the church empowered by the Spirit is itself part of the message it proclaims. It is a fellowship which actualises God's love in its everyday life and in which justice and righteousness are made present and operative" (a quotation from Jurgen Moltmann). Rev'd Saunders reminded us that the church is always one generation away from extinction. We need to talk about God in a language people can understand; most people learn their theology from hymns, so we should be careful about which hymns we choose - the language of faith has to change.

Date of next meeting is 16 July at St Michael's, Beddington.

Jenifer Davison

From the registers

Baptisms

May 11 Freddie Robert Boud,

of 19 The Brandries, Beddington

May 11 Thea Caitlin Browne

of 8 Mallinson Road, Beddington

May 11 Sophie Clare Edgington

of 29 Oakmead Road, Croydon

Funerals

Apr 28 Lorna Patricia Steele, aged 66,

of 15 Royston Avenue

Daily prayer topics in June

Sun 1 The communication of the Gospel to the world

Mon 2 All who seek to spread the Gospel through music, art and writing

Tue 3 All who lead intercessions

Wed 4 Our Bible Study Group

Thu 5 Those who translate the Bible into other languages, Braille and voice recording

Fri 6 The Melanesian Brotherhood

Sat 7 The Chimes concert being given tonight

Sun 8 Thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Spirit

Mon 9 Our Guides and Brownies

Tue 10 All who care for church buildings and property

Wed 11 Croydon & Kingston Area Councils meeting tonight

Thu 12 Those who feed the hungry

Fri 13 Those who shelter the homeless

Sat 14 The Vocations Day at Southwark Cathedral

Sun 15 Give thanks for the Anglican Church of Papua, New Guinea

Mon 16 All planning courses and events for the summer holidays

Tue 17 The police force, magistrates and judges

Wed 18 Prison Chaplains and Visitors

Thu 19 Brixton, Highdown and Downview Prisons

Fri 20 Local social groups for the elderly

Sat 21 The Quiet Day at Malling Abbey

Sun 22 Thanksgiving for the Holy Communion

Mon 23 The Diocese of Ely

Tue 24 Thanksgiving for the life of John the Baptist

Wed 25 The Probationary Service

Thu 26 Youth groups and workers

Fri 27 Nursery schools and play groups

Sat 28 Rejoice in all things bright and beautiful

Sun 29 Those being ordained in the cathedral today

Mon 30 St Helier Hospital and Epsom General Hospital

Now listen here…

Everybody is familiar with the work of the wonderful Guide Dogs for the Blind, which has existed since 1934. However, less familiar are the other Assistance Dogs organisations, which have developed over the last twenty years or so. Service Dogs assist people with a variety of physical disabilities; and then there are the Hearing Dogs.

All hearing dogs are trained to alert to sounds that hearing people often take for granted such as alarm clock, cooker timer, doorbell, telephone or baby cry. They are also trained to alert to danger sounds such as smoke alarm, fire alarm, carbon monoxide alarm or burglar alarm. The increased independence that this can give to a deaf person is indescribably valuable.

Chimes Musical Theatre was glad to support the Hearing Dogs at one of their concerts last year, and since then I’ve become very interested in the work of this organisation. One especially appealing aspect of their work is that the dogs are not bred specifically for this task. The average hearing dog is a small, mixed-breed dog who will very likely have been selected from a dog pound, rescue centre or as an unwanted pet. This means that not only do the deaf people benefit, but so do the dogs – who otherwise might have been destroyed. In addition, any dogs who don’t succeed in the rigorous training are placed as pets wherever possible.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is celebrating its 21st birthday in style by introducing the first-ever Hearing Dog Week, which will run from 2-6 June. During this week, the Charity is aiming to raise awareness of deafness and how hearing dogs can help deaf people.

If you know of or have seen a hearing dog in your area, then you will probably be aware of the difference that dog has made to its owner’s life. Perhaps you work with someone who has a hearing dog, or you live near one and have seen it in your local shops. If so, then why not nominate that dog for the Hearing Dog of the Year Award.

Or join in the special Togs for Dogs Day on Friday 6 June. This day is a chance for everyone, especially children, to learn about, and raise money for, people with a hearing loss who depend on their four-legged hearing aids. To take part, all you need to do is give a small donation of £1 to wear non-uniform clothes to school or the office for the day, or don an item of clothing that is burgundy in colour to match the hearing dogs’ working coats.

I also have some raffle tickets (prizes include a Land Rover, flights to New York and some cuddly dogs!) – please let me know if you’d like to support the Hearing Dogs in this way. If you have access to the Internet, you can read more about the charity’s work at www.hearing-dogs.co.uk