SERVICES THIS WEEKEND – 8th March
10.00 am Holy Communion with Choir
6 pm Evensong with Choir
LENT GROUP
Meets on Wednesdays (25 Feb; 4, 11, 18 & 25 March).
Coffee from 10.45am, followed by discussion 11.00am–12 noon.
The group will use Gravity Defied, a five-week course by Rachel Mann, drawing on the work of novelist Gregory Maguire alongside Biblical passages.
LOOKING AHEAD
St Mary’s Church Services in March 2026
| 8th March | 10 am | Morning Prayer with Choir | Rev David Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Holy Communion | Rev David Lloyd | |
| 15th March | 10 am | Mothering Sunday – Choir | Janet McBride |
| 22nd March | 10 am | Holy Communion – Choir | Rev Ann Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Reflective Evening Prayer | Janet McBride | |
| 29th March | 10 am | Palm Sunday Communion | Rev Ann Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Evening Prayer with Choir | Rev Ann Lloyd |
COMING SOON – SAVE THE DATE
| Date | Time | EVENT |
| Sunday 5th April | 10.00 am | Easter Day Service Decorated Easter Bonnets; donations invited; judged by David Loyd |
| Saturday 9th May | 7.30 pm | Quiz Night – Tickets £10 |
| Saturday 16th May | 7.30 pm | Feria Baroque Ensemble Charity Concert in aid of Children’s Hospice South West |
| Saturday 6th June | tba | Avon Police Choir Concert |
| Saturday 27th June | 3.30 pm | Strawberry Tea and Pimms – Tickets £10 |
| Saturday 18th July | 2.00-4.00 pm | Summer Fete |
| Saturday 5th September | 7.30 pm | Feria Orchestra Concert |
| Saturday 10th October | 7.30 pm | Silent Auction |
MESSY CHURCH – Held on the first Sunday of each month. The next date is 9am on Sunday 8th FebruaryMessy Church is Church, but not as you know it. It is for everyone, and every element aims to be relevant and accessible to all ages. It reflects God’s creativity in its imaginative, hands-on approach to being Church together. Join the fun of creativity, hospitality, and celebration. Everyone is welcome.
COFFEE MORNING – Join us on for coffee and cake on Thursday between 9.15 am and 12.00 pm at St Mary’s, Olveston.
CALLING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
Join us for Refresh, it’s a café style of church held at St Mary’s, Olveston on Saturday afternoon at 4.30 pm. Term time only. Join us and take a long a friend of two. You will be very welcome.
Messy Church is proving very popular indeed. The latest one, 1st February, was attended by 14 children and an equal number of adults. Breakfast provided, probably more healthy than the one served at the Big Breakfast! Arts and crafts for Juniors always enthuse the children Perhaps the highlight of the morning was watching all the youngsters sitting in a semi circle and captivated by David Lloyd’s talk. Well done everyone.
The FRIENDS of St. MARY’s financially support our church through the monthly lottery.Over the years, it has donated more than £125,000 by funding items such as church carpets, pew runners, handbells, bell ropes, etc. Currently, we give £5000 annually to the Church.If you want to join the lottery, just talk to Andy Phillips (andisp28@hotmail.com) or ask David Prothero (diprothero@talk21.com). The monthly cost can be as little as £2, and the ten lucky winners receive over £400 monthly between them. Don’t forget if you’re not in, you can’t win!
OTHER NEWS
Is compiled by Martin Gibson (mrtngibs@aol.com) or phone 01454 616856.
Join us for a fun filled Quiz Night– Saturday 9th May 7.30 pm
Get ready for a fun and friendly evening at our Quiz Night on Saturday 9th May at 7:30pm! Gather your friends, family, or neighbours and form a team of up to six people to test your knowledge, enjoy some laughs, and share a great community evening together. Tickets are £10 per person, which includes a delicious supper, and a paying bar will also be available. Whether you’re a quiz expert or just coming along for the fun, everyone is warmly welcome. Spaces are limited, so be sure to book your place soon by contacting Debbie at oboe-debbie@live.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!
At the most recent PCC meeting, the Rev David Lloyd had his position at St Mary’s officially confirmed. To all intents and purposes David will, to all intents and purposes, become that Associate Vicar in Olveston. David was for many years the priest in charge at Henbury Parish and is a most welcome addition to our Benefice stretched clergy.
Last Sunday, with the outbreak of feared hostilities in the Middle East, Angus Macaskill produced a moving painting aiming to remind people of the need for meaningful prayer for peace. This was exhibited in St Mary’s for both Messy Church and our traditional 10am service of Holy Communion. In addition Sue Farr’s powerful Intercessions focussed attention on the fragility of World peace.
An extremely good turnout for the Monday Movie film, Mrs Caldicott’s Cabbage War. A great British comedy film with a poignant message about how we treat elderly people. There was a round of applause at the end. The evening’s takings were the highest of the year, so thank you to our anonymous sponsor (they paid for the licence fee) and everyone who gave so generously.
The Many Ways We Serve
It is quite remarkable how many people are involved in the smooth running of our church. So many generous souls give their time and energy: tending the graveyard, arranging services, ringing the bells, providing flowers, cleaning the brass, serving tea and coffee, winding the clock, singing so beautifully, and captivating children through Open the Book and handbells to name but a few. If you would like to join one of our teams, please get in touch by email to revsrural@gmail.com. We would love you to join us.
It’s OPEN! Alveston Hill. It was four long months ago that Alveston Hill was closed for road works aimed at improving life for cyclists. Those of us in Olveston (and Alveston) Parishes have been forced to detour via Grovesend (an extra 2 mile detour) all this time. Inconvenience is one thing but spare a thought for all the businesses in Thornbury which have suffered financially. Incidentally there will be large scale roadworks on the A38 involving night time closures for the next 3 months. The stretch of road most affected will be that between Ridgeway Park and Washingpool Hill.