Dear friends,
A little word
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshipped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28)
Today is Ascension Day. Although in the story, it is the day in which Jesus leaves us in bodily form, his parting words are that he is “with us always”. Something to remember when you feel like you are far from God: God is not far from you.
Things to pray for
Pray for those who feel far from God, and those who don’t recognise God’s love for them
Give thanks for everyone who put their name forward and was elected to PCC last Sunday
This week
As the weather fluctuates, the temperature decides whether we’ll be in the Church or Welcome Centre. If it’s cold, services will be in the Welcome Centre – if it brightens up, we’ll be in Church. Let the English Spring/Summer be our guide.
Sunday 17th May
10.30am Holy Communion
Readings: John 17.1-11
Refreshments will be available after the service.
Thursday 21st May
10am Holy Communion
Refreshments will be available after the service.
12pm Lunch Club
And in advance: we look forward to welcoming Bishop Pete to Christ Church next Sunday (24th), when he will be leading our Pentecostal service.
APCM update
The 2026 APCM was held last Sunday 10th May in church. We elected 2 x church wardens, 2 x deputy church wardens, and a full PCC. A complete list of representatives will be displayed in church next week once we have held the first PCC meeting of this new committee.
We also reviewed the the finances and reports from 2025. Copies of the minutes and all the papers for this meeting will be available shortly – if you you would like a copy, please email Sarah: office@pitsmoor.church
Thank you to all those who put themselves forward for nominations, and to everyone who provided a report and helped bring everything together for the meeting. It was no walk in the park. But we got there!
News
CAP Debt Centre Manager – deadline to apply 23rd May
Coming up
Bishop Pete’s Garden Party – Raffle & Silent Auction prizes
The event webpage is now live and has all the details for the Bishop’s Garden Party, happening June 13th. There will be a brass band, choirs, a wonderful range of local stalls, and many prizes to be won. All proceeds go towards 3 excellent causes: The Archer Project (supporting people experiencing homelessness, based at Sheffield Cathedral), ASSIST (an asylum seeker and refugee charity in Sheffield, of which Bishop Pete is a Patron), and Refurnish in Doncaster (providing community benefit in South Yorkshire).
There will also be a raffle and a silent auction full of exciting prizes – including tickets to Chatsworth, Yorkshire Wildlife park, afternoon tea at Mosborough Hall, backstage tour at Sheffield Theatres, and much more! Full details of all prizes are available on the webpage (scroll down to the raffle section) and advance bidding is now open.
They are still looking for volunteers to help on the day – if you have capacity and would like to get involved, please email dominique@bishopofdoncaster.org.uk
Confirmations at Sheffield Cathedral 19th July
Confirmation is a part of the Church of England’s way of being a Christian. It’s the special church service in which a person confirms their baptism promises and commits their life to following Jesus Christ. The bishop then lays his or her hands on your head and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life. It’s a great service – very moving and one you can invite others to, if you wish.
Condfirmation is preceded by a short series of meetings that prepare us for that service and the Christian commitment involved. They tend to be informal discussions and take about four sessions of one hour each.
We have the opportunity to join with the confirmation service at the Cathedral on 19th July.
If you are interested, chat to Huw Thomas or email him: huwthomas75@googlemail.com
Listen to your Life
An Introduction to the Enneagram led by Dave Tomlinson @ Christ Church Pitsmoor
Saturday 13th June, 10:15 – 4:00
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for personal and spiritual development combining ancient wisdom from the Christian tradition with insights from modern psychology This study day will be relevant both to newcomers to the Enneagram and those already familiar.
Dave Tomlinson is an Anglican priest, author, and broadcaster and author of “How to be a Bad Christian” (Hodder) and “The Post Evangelical” (SPCK) .
The day costs £35 (unwaged £25 – please contact us if this prevents you from attending).
Tea and coffee will be provided but please bring your own lunch.
Places limited. To book, email huwthomas75@googlemail.com