Holy Saviour Church, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

3-10 March Easter cards For some years we have made a great ecumenical effort and delivered an Easter card to every household in Hitchin. The card includes an appropriate Easter greeting and encloses a sheet giving details of all that is happening in each of the member churches of Churches Together in Hitchin around Easter itself.

Help is sought with the interleaving of cards with inserts. Cards can be delivered and collected from your home at any time of day. If able to help, please contact 01462-640793, or email

Sunday 7 March Churches Together in Hitchin 7.00pm-8.00pm. Caffe Nero is once again kindly allowing us to have sole use of its premises. It's an opportunity to have a cup of coffee and meet people from other churches socially. Just come along, or, if you would like to know more, contact Helen Richardson on 01462-435595.

Sunday 14 March Mothering Sunday 10.30am. Ann Parsons would very much appreciate any suitable greenery you could contribute for the children's posies, and any help that you can offer in making them that morning.

Lent Lectures organised by Churches Together in Hitchin to commemorate the centenary of the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference, at which Christians from all over the world agreed that there should be less competition and more co-operation in mission, marking the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. This will by commemorated this year by another Edinburgh conference with the theme of mission and unity, but here in Hitchin we are marking the centenary by our own version of the conference, spread over a number of Lent lectures.

All the meetings will be at 8.00pm in Christchurch, Bedford Rd. Coffee and tea will be served about 9.15pm for those who wish to stay. Each lecture will be recorded, and CDs will be available. For further information about the lectures, or any other aspect of Churches Together in Hitchin, contact the Chair, Helen Richardson, on 01462-435595 or the Secretary, Georgina Flack on 01462-456747 or see the website here

Wednesday 31 March Good Old Days lunch 11.30am-2.00pm. Price £4. Contact Audrey Stewart on 01462-453353 at least two days beforehand if coming.

Friday 2 April Good Friday walk of witness and service 10.30am. Members of all congregations are invited to gather by the bandstand in Bancroft Gardens and then, after a prayer and a few instructions, to join the walk led by three crosses along Bancroft and High Street to Market Place. At 11.00am there will be a half-hour service with prayers, music and word, led by the ministers of our churches. Numbers have been going up steadily over the past few years so perhaps we can make it the biggest ever this year. More details from John Richardson 01462-435595.

Saturday 19 June Party in the Park 12.30-4.30pm, Bancroft Gardens. This event is being organised by Churches Together in Hitchin based on the successful Re-Act event held in August 2008. The difference is that this time it is to be run entirely by local churches with some additional extras. There will again be free entertainment, food, sideshows etc to show love to the people of Hitchin as well as an opportunity to put in prayer requests and be supported in prayer. As previously there will be a Christian literature stall for those enquiring and an opportunity for people to ask questions and talk to someone. This year churches are going to be encouraged to display information about any special projects that they have supported (eg Lideta for Christchurch). It is also hoped music and testimonies will be provided. Practical help will be needed nearer the time such as the loan of gazebos and provision of cakes and help in various ways on the day. Prayer support is asked for now and in the coming months. Please put the event in your diary.

The Financial Mountain Anyone observant of church finances, and in particular our own parish finances, can't fail to have noticed that we have been facing some challenging times. It is likely on current levels of giving and of fundraising that most of the churches in the team will have to use reserves, in some cases all of their reserves, to meet the financial commitments of the parish for 2009. This leaves us, as we look forward to 2010, with a huge challenge. Somehow we have to find many thousands of pounds more in order to sustain ourselves financially as a parish, with predictions from our treasurers for next year telling us that across the parish we need to raise £45,000 more than we did this year to avoid the dwindling reserves having to be raided again at the end of next year. For some churches, there will be no reserves to raid.

In February we will be focusing on giving and stewardship across the parish. When that time comes, please respond. We are very blessed with four good churches, with four witnessing, loving and serving church families. As one parish family, let's come together to make sure that we remain effective witnesses to God's love in our community, as we seek to love and serve God.

The mountain we have to climb is immense, but so is God. If we believe in the power of God, and in his provision, we can approach the foot of this mountain with optimism and with faith and we will rejoice together when we reach the top. Jane Mainwaring, Acting Team Rector

Needed urgently - Volunteers for Meals on Wheels services in Hitchin and Letchworth. More volunteers desperately needed. You don't have to commit to once a week, you arrange to do what you can offer. Maybe fortnightly or once a month. If you have to cancel for holidays/days out or family incidents, that is no problem. This is a growing service that does more than just a deliver a meal. It's a friendly person that drops into what can be a lonely existence. Ring the Meals on Wheels office to find out how you could help, tel 01462-4440737

North Herts Sanctuary The North Herts Sanctuary is a direct access night shelter for the homeless, based near us in Nightingale Road. They take in up to 17 people per night and offer a bed, washing facilities, and cooked meals. At the moment they are very short of food items and would appreciate things such as coffee, sugar, cereals, biscuits, tins of fruit, custard,etc. If anyone is willing to donate, or would like further information, please contact David or Cathy Renney on 01462-431956, and we will pass on any items to the Sanctuary.

Thursday Afternoon Group, 3.00pm at Tilehouse Street Baptist Church. The group would welcome people from other churches. The meeting takes the form of a short service with hymns, readings and prayers. There is an invited speaker, and a cup of tea at the end. Car lifts could be arranged. If interested, contact Jenny Nicholson on 01462-632726.

Last Wednesday of each month (except December) 11.30-2.00 pm: Good Old Days lunch
Holy Saviour Church in Radcliffe Road provides a 2 course lunch for the elderly on the last Wednesday of each month except December.This is cooked by a number of volunteers; the food is very good and the occasion sociable. This is not just for church members and we would particularly like to extend a warm welcome to anyone living in the 'Triangle' area around the church.The cost is 4 pounds and we start at 12 midday and usually finish before 2 p.m. If you would like to join us, please ring me on 01462-453353 or e-mail

We do need to know numbers by 2 days beforehand, so that our cooks can shop accordingly.

Triangle Garden The Triangle Residents' Association started a community garden in Ransom's Recreation Ground, Nightingale Road some time ago and it is growing in variety, with an orchard, sensory garden, herbs, plants for dyeing, a pond area & much more of interest. They would very much like to increase the number of volunteers, so if you would like to be involved, perhaps because you have no garden of your own and/or would like the sociability of community gardening, please get in touch with Rosie Rigg on 01462 435316. Volunteers meet on Fridays from 4-5.30 p.m. March-October inclusive. Some of the planned events for the rest of the year are bulb planting in November and workshops on dyeing, weaving & basketry. More information about Triangle Garden here