Lenten Opportunities 2025
There are a lot of opportunities with St Mary’s Church, the Church of England, and in the surrounding area this year. Hopefully here is a one-stop-shop.
Ash Wednesday, Holy Week & Easter Services
This Years Lent Charity
EAAA (East Anglian Air Ambulance) 5th March – 17th April 2025
The members of St Mary’s and St Peter’s are invited to save their small change for our chosen Lent Charity. We will have some EAAA Gift Aided envelopes available to collect in St Mary’s from Sunday 16th February. You are very welcome to take one of these to save your small change/notes in.
Please return your filled containers/envelopes to St Mary’s any time from Sunday 20th April. The total amount raised will be given to EAAA together with the monies donated via The Mission Plate when EAAA will be our ‘home’ charity from 1st April – 30th June 2025.
St Mary’s Lent Course
This year we are running the Difference Course over Lent. The course explores how we live as Christians in a complex and divided world. More details can be found here: The Difference Course | The Archbishop of Canterbury. You would be welcome to join either of the existing house groups for this course, even if you don’t normally attend. The Monday home group meets on zoom and for more information contact Rosie Whitmell or Will. The Beale’s home group meets in person, and to find out more please contact Joanne or Andrew Beale. We are also planning to run an additional day time group on Fridays at 10am at Petra’s starting Fri 7th March. Please do contact Petra if you are interested in joining this group. You can also contact the office for any information office@stmaryssawston.org.uk
Church of England Lent Resources
This year’s theme is ‘Living Hope’. We are encouraged to see signs of hope around us on our journeys through life, even when things feel dark and difficult, and to discover (or to rediscover) that God is present with us and offers us a hope of a brighter future.
Starting with ‘What is hope?’ each week then follows a theme – LIVING:
Week 1 ‘Imperfect’
Week 2 ‘Together’
Week 3 ‘Trusting’
Week 4 ‘ Noticing’
Week 5 ‘Courage’
Week 6 ‘Transformed’
You can follow the reflections either via the Lent Booklet – adults or children’s ( available from church from Sunday 2nd March), the Everyday Faith App Everyday Faith | The Church of England, weekly downloadable videos Living Hope Weekly Reflection on Vimeo, or daily notifications Living Hope – Lent reflections | The Church of England.
If you want to delve deeper there is also a book you can might like to buy called ‘Wild Bright Hope’ available from SPCK publishing (Wild Bright Hope – – SPCK Publishing) which explores these areas in more detail.
More information is available from the Church of England website Living Hope – Resources for Lent 2025 | The Church of England
Events in the surrounding area
Sawston Free Church are hosting ‘I am Mark’: Stefan Smart’s one-man performance of Mark’s Gospel. As seen at the Edinburgh Festival and around the world.
Tickets are now on general sale on Eventbrite but there are a very limited number remaining so grab them quick!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1300453103239?aff=oddtdtcreator
Hope in Today’s World – a series of talks hosted by St Mary’s Great Shelford in partnership with The Faraday Institute.