23 April 2006
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Sunday School meets in the Vestry
Sunday Youth meets in the Glebe Maisonette
Small Children are welcome to play in St Thomas's Chapel, near the porch
Baptised Communicants of other Churches are encouraged to receive communion
Children and other non-communicants are invited to come to the altar for a blessing
The Ministry of Healing is offered in the Chapel, after Communion is given

Welcome to Rev. Phyllis Bates

Processional Hymn     149 Light’s glittering morn bedecks the sky                    (verses 1-4 and 12-13)

Collect of the Day
Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Reading                 Acts 4.32-35                                       (p.547)
32The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Second Reading          1 John 1.1-2.2                                   (p.548)
1We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – 2this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us – 3we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.  5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gradual Hymn               159        The strife is o’er, the battle done

Priest   Alleluia, alleluia. I am the first and the last, says the Lord, and the living one; I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.
All        Alleluia.

GOSPEL                         John 20.19-31                                    (p.549)
19When it was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’  26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’  30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

INTERCESSIONS

Please pray for

- The sick and suffering: especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Felicity Balwant, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Sean Lim, Clive Heywood Ron & Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, John Asbridge, Caroline Nevill, Ruth and Tracey Davies.

Offertory Hymn          140     Christ is alive! Let Christians sing

Communion Hymn      153        Now the green blade riseth

Post Communion Prayer
Lord God our Father, through our Saviour Jesus Christ you have assured your children of eternal life and in baptism have made us one with him: deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in your love, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Recessional Hymn      157        The day of resurrection

 Coffee in Church after the service

Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000. Invitation to Confession (Easter Day until Eve of Ascension) ©  1988 Continuum (Mowbray) (Adapted) Collect (2nd of Easter) ©  The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

NOTICES

THIS WEEK:
Tues 25th     6.00-7.30 pm     Youth Club – 11-13 year olds
                  7.30 – 9.00 pm  Youth Club – 14 years +
Wed 26th     8pm                  Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Thurs 27th    6.30 pm            Christian Meditation Group, St Stephen’s
Fri 28th        7-9 pm              Youth – Connecting with God, Glebe House
Sun 30th      11.45-13.15       Confirmation Classes, St Stephen’s Vicarage

NEXT SUNDAY:        30 April 2006              Third Sunday of Easter

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant and Preacher – The Reverend Dr Bob Mayo
Acts 3.12-19 (p 551), 1 John 3.1-7 (p 552), Luke 24.36b-48 (p 553)

Father Bob is away today, running the London Marathon to raise funds for a much-needed new notice board for the church.  We wish him lots of luck and success. 

Important notice re Electoral Roll

We need to update our Electoral Roll annually – the deadline this year is 26 April.  Anyone who attends regularly at St Stephen’s should be on our Electoral Roll.  There is a copy of the Electoral Roll at the back of the church.  Please add your name and details to it if you are not already on it.  Likewise please amend your details if these have changed since last year.  Please also indicate if you know someone has moved away or should otherwise be removed from the list.

At the Annual Church Meeting the following officers were elected for the coming year
Church warden – Marjorie Bedassee
Deputy Church Warden – Nathan Charlton
PCC Members – Barry Clarke, Tobi Adebiyi, Fiona Minors, Juliet Byford, Tim Turnbull, Nathan Charlton
St Stephen’s Council Members – Caroline Allen, Paula Aitcheson Walker, Nathan Charlton, Vince Cooper

Visit the new church web site at www.stmg.org.uk