Not a Pretty Site
Be among the first to visit a new website at www.argonet.co.uk/users/jdyule for up-to-date details of what is going on in the four parishes of the benefice. But please don't expect to find lots of pictures and fancy graphics. The site is designed to be quick, easy and cheap to visit or download (and easy to maintain). The text of The Fisherman will also appear on this site - complete with any corrections or updates to diary details and possibly fuller versions of some articles.
It is planned that the more complete church pages at www.ely.anglican.org/parishes/swavesey and ...swavesey/fendray will shortly have a facelift and pages be added for Lolworth and Conington.
The Diocese of Ely web site at www.ely.anglican.org has itself undergone something of a transformation recently and is well worth a browse. It includes current and recent editions of Ely Ensign at .../ensign/index.html.
To find information about any English parish church, you can in theory find this at www.church-search.com or through the main Church of England website at www.cofe.anglican.org. Of course, the information you find there is only as good or up-to-date as someone has fed it in.
Palm Crosses
Each year on Palm Sunday worshippers at our churches receive a small cross fashioned from the leaves of a palm tree. The crosses are made in Nongoma in Kwa Zulu and distributed in England through the Zululand-Swaziland Association. The money raised goes to pay the workers who make the crosses and finance a hospital and other Christian projects in Zululand.
The Children's
Society
The annual St Andrew's, Swavesey, Christingle service was held on Sunday 5th December 1999. It was, as usual, a most enjoyable service and £90.46 was raised for the Society plus a good quantity of Christmas gifts were received for the children's wards of Addenbrookes Hospital.
I would like to thank everyone involved: Jackie Few, Verna Moyse, Wyn Oakman and Freda Wake who assembled the Christingles, Peter Marriott for help in providing the oranges and the church music group for playing at the service.
A special thank you again this year to the Sunday School children who collected money for the Society with their sponsored colouring sheets - every collecting candle was returned enclosing cash. Many thanks on behalf of the Society.
And finally, just a reminder that the Children's Society collecting boxes are due to be opened at the end of March.
Dorothy Gilbert
Christian Aid Week
This year Christian Aid Week is from 14th-21st May. Under the title, "Children make our future" the focus is on the children of the world and their many needs. Christian Aid is helping children to make a future for their families and communities and operates through local organisations in some of the world's poorest countries.
Last year, 21,560 churches took part in Christian Aid Week through worship, giving or campaigning. An astonishing 300,000 volunteers, collecting from house to house, contributed to the record £10,500,000 that was raised. This money right now is making a real difference to the lives of some of the poorest people of the world.
If you can help with this year's collection, please have a word with the clergy or local organisers. Thank you.
Of organists
The traditional worship of our churches is made possible by the untiring efforts of those who accompany our singing at the organ. Our organists are in many ways the unsung heroes of our churches to whom we owe a deep debt of gratitude.
Mrs Swaine has played the organ for the fortnightly evensong at St Mary's, Conington, since the 1970s and the congregation are very sorry she has been forced to retire recently through ill health. We send her our every good wish for a good recovery.
Dr Sydney Kenderdine of Pembroke College has recently passed the 25-year mark in playing the organ for services at All Saints', Lolworth. Again the congregation are very grateful for his faithful and expert playing during that time.
The retirement of Mrs Swaine leaves a gap in the organ rota at Conington and there are other times when assistance with music at Fen Drayton and Lolworth would also be most helpful. If anyone reading this can assist in this way, please get in touch with the Vicar. Or if any pianist or keyboard player would like to 'convert' to the organ and would consider playing for services, there are courses which can help with this. Please ask the Vicar.
St Andrew's Choir
The anthems and other items we sang at the Harvest Festival services at both Swavesey and Conington were well received by both congregations.
In October we were pleased to welcome Liz and Colin Kennedy to the choir and we hope they will enjoy singing with us. They have recently moved to Swavesey from the Midlands.
Despite this welcome addition to our numbers, we are still very short of voices, especially sopranos, and would welcome new members both young and more mature. Practices are on Thursday evenings starting at 7.45pm. Communion at Home
The clergy are always available to offer Holy Communion at home to those who cannot come to church, particularly at Christmas and Easter. A special short service is used. Please ask the Vicar for details.
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