Welcome

                       Photo large of St Johns Church

 

 

Please click on the link below to watch an aerial video of the church and listen to our bells.

Drone photography courtesy of https://www.upaerial.co.uk

 

Welcome, and thank you for visiting our website.

Our church is situated in the picturesque village of Lemsford, close to Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City and opposite Brocket Hall. 

We warmly welcome all visitors to our church and we would love you to come to one of our services or events.  We hope that you find what you are looking for in these pages, but if you have any questions and would like to speak to someone about the church, please do contact one of the team members listed in the Who's Who and Contacts page.

We look forward to seeing you.

 

WHAT'S ON AT ST JOHN'S IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AT A GLANCE

   

 
  • Thursday 18th April
    • 9am - School Collective Worship*
    • 10am - Morning Prayer
       
  • Sunday 21st April 
    • 8am - BCP Holy Communion
    • 11am - Reflective Worship with Sunday Club
       
  • Monday 22nd April
    • 7:00-8:30 pm - Christian Explorer START course begins at St Ethelreda's
       
  • Thursday 25th April
    • 9am - School Collective Worship*
    • 10am - NO Morning Prayer - Rev. Kathryn away
       
  • Sunday 28th April 
    • 8am - BCP Holy Communion
    • 11am - Parish Holy Communion
       
  • Thursday 2nd May
    • 9am - School Collective Worship*
    • 10am - Morning Prayer
* Children are welcome at all our services, but these services and events are especially suitable for families and children (as well as people of all other ages!)
 
  •  

    •  Easter 4 Readings
    •  
        Psalm 23  - to read click here (opens in new window or new tab)

      New Testament: Acts 4:5-12 - to read click here (opens in new window or new tab)

      Gospel: John 10:11-18 - to read click here (opens in new window or new tab)
        

    •  
CAR PARKING

Because car parking at the church is becoming difficult, we are again opening up the school playground on Sunday mornings for everyone to use.  The playground is at the back of the school, and is large enough to accommodate about 30 cars.  Please do use this area to park in, but take extra care when exiting into the street as cars do tend to speed up and down the hill.



CHRISTIAN EXPLORER START COURSE  (starting 22nd April) AND CONFIRMATION (8th June, 5pm)


Rev Kathryn will be joining Fr Darren for a six-week  Christian Explorer course, starting on 22nd April at St Etheldreda’s church. This course is a great opportunity to explore the basics of the Christian faith either for the first time, or as a refresher.
At the end of the course there will be an opportunity to be confirmed on 8th June; however, this course is for absolutely anyone. Confirmation is a joyful service in which adults and teenagers confirm for themselves that they wish to accept the Christian faith into which they were baptised as a baby or small child. If you’re not already baptised, then you can be baptised and confirmed in the same service.
Please email Kathryn to let her know if you’re interested in attending the course and/or in being confirmed (revkathrynalford@gmail.com)
 

 


LEMSFORD FETE - MONDAY 7th MAY - 12.00 - 4.00pm - HOW YOU CAN HELP 



The fete is fast approaching (Monday 6th May) and we are beginning to get very busy with the preparations.
If you could contribute in any of the following ways please get in touch with any member of the PCC or Rev Kathryn soon:
Providing Donations 

  • Bottles of wine for the wine or no wine stall
  • Chocolates for the chocolate tombola
  • Bake a cake for us to sell at the fete
Selling Raffle Tickets
  • Raffle tickets for the Grand Draw are available at the back of the church; please buy and sell as many as possible.
Volunteering
  • If you haven't already put yourself forward to help on the day, and would like to help, please get in touch
  • Many hands make light work and it's also great fun!
Many thanks!




IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON ENABLING THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF OUR CHURCH

  • Electoral Roll

This is your annual reminder to join St John’s Electoral Roll, if you’re not already on it. 

The Electoral role is the parish church’s register of electors.  In the same way as being on the civic Electoral Roll allows you to vote of parliamentary and local elections, joining the Church Electoral Role means you can vote on church matters at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and stand for election to the PCC.
Being on the Electoral does not make you a ‘member’ of the church; simply regarding St John’s as your spiritual home does that.  To qualify for the roll you must be aged 16 or over, baptised and either live in the parish of have attended church in the parish for at least 6 months. Forms can be downloaded here, or there are copies available at the back of church. 
https://www.parishresources.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Application-for-Enrolment-Electoral-Roll.pdf

Please return your form to either Lucy Earl (the electoral roll officer) or Rev Kathryn by Sunday 21st April.


  • PCC and churchwarden elections 
At our Annual Parochial Council Meeting (APCM) on 13th May we will be holding elections for Church Wardens and Parochial Church Council (PCC) members. It’s been wonderful this year to have a mixture of long-serving members and newer people on the PCC, so please do think about whether you’d like to join the group responsible for the strategic oversight of the church.  Meetings are held approximately 6 times a year, between 7:15 and 9:15pm, and are a great opportunity to get involved with the life of the church. 
Nigel does an absolutely amazing job as covering the work of two church wardens at the moment, but it would be wonderful if someone could step forward this year and share the responsibilities with him. The role of churchwarden is both rewarding and vital to the running and flourishing of the church, so please do prayerfully consider whether is something that God’s calling you to do. 
For more information on both the PCC and the role of churchwarden you might light to take a look at the PCC handbook, which is a cracking read! Click on the image on the left to download the pdf of the handbook.
 


 

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - 27th May - CHURCH OPEN DAY 10 am - 2.30 pm

SERVICE OT THANKSGIVING AT 10.30 am 

 


To commemorate the 165th anniversary of the consecration of St John’s Church in 1859

Come and join us at 1030am for short service, plus history talk and refreshments.

Or pop in any time during the day to find out more about our beautiful church and pick up a copy of the Lemsford Local History Group's Commemorative Edition book entitled - ’St John’s Graveyard tour’ a history of St John’s church. All profits will go to the church.

Thank you to Andy Chapman for his generosity and time.



 THE APRIL / MAY PARISH MAGAZINE

 
We released our Parish Magazine - April/May Edition on Easter Sunday, and if you haven't got your copy (and don't live in the parish, where we deliver them to the door), then pick one up in Church.  You can also download a pdf version by clicking here, but remember the pdf version does not contain the parish directory.



100 CLUB - MARCH RESULTS

The March '100 Club' draw took place on the 30th March in the presence of two PCC members. 116 numbers were in the draw.  The winning numbers were:
1st:  Number 29 (winning £104.40)
2nd: Number 40 (winning £62.64)
3rd:  Number 77 (winning £41.76)
Thanks to everyone, parishioners and friends, who are supporting the '100 Club'.  The next draw will take place on Friday 26th April 2024.
If anyone who has not yet signed up to the '100 Club' would like to do so, please contact the Promoter Nigel Johnson whose email address is najofwgc@gmail.com
 




 

Could You be a St John's School Foundation Governor?

St John’s school currently has vacancies for up to three Foundation Governors. Foundation Governors are nominated by the PCC, represent the Church of England on the Board, and help ensure that the Christian ethos of the school is maintained.
 
Please pray and think about whether you - or someone you know - would make a great governor. They don’t need to be a member of St John’s church, but would need to be able to fulfil the role description above.
As a governor myself, I promise you that it’s an extremely rewarding (and often fun) role, and is manageable alongside other responsibilities.
Please contact me if you’re interested.
Rev Kathryn
 



FOOD BANK

Our local Food Bank at the New Zion Christian Fellowship church would appreciate receiving donations of food and other things from us now and all year round. It would be wonderful if you could support them by bringing various things in on Sunday mornings, and placing them in the big plastic box which will be placed in the porch. The sort of things the Food Bank would like to receive are:
  • All food with good sell by dates (tins of fruit and veg, jams, packets of cereal, coffee, tea, long life milk and so on)
  • Toiletries such as shampoo and conditioner and toilet rolls
  • Cleaning products (kitchen and bathroom cleaners etc)

We are asked not to donate clothes.

Nigel will arrange to take our offerings to the New Zion church every Wednesday morning.



 
 



Please sign up for a spot in the Cleaning Rota
Still slots to fill!
"The Cleaning Rota" did not run during Covid and instead the Churchwardens Jenny and Nigel cleaned and disinfected per Covid best practice, but now it's time to ask for your help with getting the rota started again.
Jenny will be contacting people who have previously taken a turn with cleaning. More volunteers are needed to help us. All the  materials you'll need are provided. All that we need is your time!
Let's spread this load between us all!! Please contact Jenny if you would like to take a turn with cleaning. 
You can choose a date that suits you!
 


The violence in Israel and Gaza
A message from the Archbishop of Canterbury & the Archbishop of York

“We are grieved and deeply concerned at the violence in Israel and Gaza, and we unequivocally condemn the attacks by Hamas. We pray for those who are mourning, those who are injured, and all those fearing for their safety. We pray for restraint on all sides, and renewed efforts towards a just peace for all. The way forward must be for both sides to build confidence in a secure future through which Israel and its people can live in security within its internationally recognised borders, and Palestinians have their own state and live in their lands in security, and with peace and justice.”
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury & Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York

 


We continue to think of Ukraine:

Update - John Blanch emailed me to say that the "Taste it Polish Restaurant" in Hatfield is no longer taking donations of clothing for Ukraine.  However this doe snot stop our efforts.

Bishop Alan says we can pray, and practically we also have an option to donate to the Red Cross Appeal which I again repeat here:

To see their appeal details, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal.  You may donate any amount you wish, and your cash will go towards helping people who are being affected by the crisis, by supplying them with food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes and shelter.  Donations may be made direct to the Red Cross appeal, or alternatively, you may care to donate using the QR code below.  The QR code will also be displayed in church.

If you don't do QR Codes then clicking this link on your computer goes to the same "give-a-litte" link: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/753bbfac-510a-47d8-86cf-f6a707ddc585
 


Zoom Chat has moved to Mondays at 7pm

We've moved our Zoom chat to Monday at 7pm and the first one went well. If you've found you couldn't get to the Sunday 4pm one, or never came to any, this is your chance - see below for joining link and details.

Topic: Coffee and Chat
Time:  Monday at 7pm - use this link
Join Zoom Meeting
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81951586866?pwd=Z1ZhTjEycElnQjJmSWtrRkRBaWg0UT09
Meeting ID: 819 5158 6866
Passcode: 904402

 

Church Giving.   We are now passing the offerings plate at services.  I know that many of us are happiest giving cash rather than scanning QR codes or tapping payment cards or smartphones, so this is good news indeed.
But, if you like the QR Code, you can point your Smartphone’s camera or QR app at it, and it will let you give, or from your PC/Mac you can just click this link: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/10cd954f-25f7-46d9-8813-634634729bfa.    You can also give via the new (easy to use) card payment device – both at the back of the church - these donations go to St Johns funds.  We are planning to make the QR Codes easily accessible from the pews too.
 


Friendship Teas - every second Tuesday of the month at 2:30pm in the Annexe!
The next one is this Tuesday 13th February 2023 at 2:30pm
 


 

 HOME INSURANCE

If you need to take out, or renew, a home insurance policy, please think of using Ecclesiastical Insurance as they will donate £130 to the church through their Trust 130 Promotion.  All you need to do is to say that the donation is to go to St John's Church, Lemsford.  Find out more at www.ecclesiastical.com/trust130 or call their team on 0800 783 0130 and quote Trust 130.

 


 

2024 PCC meeting dates


15th January at 7.15pm

13th February at 7.15pm

16th April at 7.15pm

30th April via Zoom 7.30pm

APCM - 12th May at 12 noon

4th June at 7.15pm

10th July ay 7.15pm

7th September at 7.15pm

14th October at 7.15pm

  


    

 

 


PLEASE CAN YOU HELP

 

WE COULD REALLY DO WITH YOUR FINANCIAL HELP IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING IF YOU CAN TO SUPPORT OUR CHURCH AND OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.

EITHER

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR QUICK DONATION PAGE

CLICK HERE


   OR

ALTERNATIVELY WE CAN NOW RECEIVE DONATIONS VIA TEXT MESSAGE BY TEXTING THE WORD LEMSFORD FOLLOWED BY A SPACE AND THEN AN AMOUNT OF YOUR DONATION, TO 70085.  FOR EXAMPLE, TO GIVE £5 TYPE LEMSFORD 5, TO GIVE £10 TYPE LEMSFORD 10.  THEN SIMPLY SEND YOUR TEXT TO 70085.  TEXTS WILL COST YOUR DONATION AMOUNT PLUS ONE STANDARD RATE MESSAGE.

MANY THANKS

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

IMPORTANT REQUEST TO REGULAR GIVERS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

 

If regular givers would prefer to make their payments by bank transfer, the bank details of the church are:

HSBC Bank.  Sort Code: 40-46-08 A/C No: 51431609

Many thanks

 

 

 

Choir practice every Sunday at 9.30 am 

Bell ringing practice every Monday evening at 7.30 pm

 

 

To email us either click the button below or go to the Who's who and Contacts page and click on the person you would like to contact.  Alternatively please use the form at the bottom of the Who's who and Contacts page.