Town Pastors not only prove they have a valuable spiritual contribution to make but they can also be in the right place at the right time when it comes to first aid. Recently, while out on patrol, the Pastors were called to an emergency where a young man had collapsed unconscious in the street. His friends had laid him on his back and the ambulance had been called. When the pastors arrived, they realised the young man needed to be on his side in the recovery position because there was every chance he may choke if on his back. They rolled him over and made him safe and as comfortable as possible until the ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

Commented Town Pastor co-ordinator, Kevin Jones: “This is proof that Town Pastors can save lives because there was every chance this person could have choked. If a casualty is unconscious it’s important to remember, that until professional help arrives, and where possible, they are gently rolled over to their side and their chin lifted forward to open their airways better. This stops the possibility of their tongue going to the back of the throat and choking the person.”

First Aid information can be found on the St John web site: www.sja.org.uk .

Welcome to Kettle & Fish – we hope and pray that your visit today is a very special one. Great news – K&F will be here in St Peter’s every Thursday in March! There’s a lot of news to share this month. First of all, a big thanks to Eleanor who has produced these Kettle & Fish bulletins for a long, long time, with great enthusiasm and imagination. A new guest editor is moving in provisionally.

During March the churches in the town follow the season of Lent. In our everyday lives we have blood tests and are screened for various conditions quite normally. In a similar way, the period of Lent for Christians gives the opportunity to have a spiritual check-up, to assess how or if our spiritual lives are progressing, to detect areas that need sorting and others where we can see that growth has taken place. We recommend the practice to everyone – and, as you know, if there are matters you would like to talk through with someone, about faith, life, things that weigh heavy on your heart, there is a team of folk here, recognisable by their badges, who will be only too pleased to chat with you. We would love to pray with you too – it would be a privilege for us and hopefully a blessing to you.

The first week of March is the second week of Fair Trade fortnight, and that links in very well with the principles of Lent. Our Fair Trade stall is always very well stocked and is the best dedicated outlet for such goods in the town. An important meeting of our umbrella organisation, Churches Together in Sudbury & District takes

place on the evening of 4 March, and the main topic on the agenda is how we can encourage young folk towards faith. Our deepest desire is to find ways of showing them the joy, peace and sense of forgiveness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

And speaking of Him brings us to the climax of Lent, and the most important festival in the churches’ year – Easter, when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, Son of God. Ever since the beginning of the year, a big team of church folk has been preparing for Easter Story. This is a re-enactment of the events of Easter that takes to the streets on Easter Saturday, 3 April from 11am. Our aim is to bring to the notice of the people of Sudbury the facts, consequences and repercussions of those events and remind them of God’s love for us, which entailed the death and rising again of His Son. Hallelujah! Jesus’ death is remembered in church services on Good Friday, 2 April. One or two churches are having sunrise services (and breakfasts) on Easter Sunday to celebrate the beginning of that most special day.

Friday 5 March, at 10am in St Gregory’s Church, was the Women’s World Day of Prayer. This should be a very lively occasion – there were drums! – when women the world over joined together to focus their prayers on issues of importance to them – this year it was on discrimination against and lack of equality for women in Cameroon.

So, March brings the opportunity for a bit of introspection and taking stock and a lot of activity. We all need to do it. It’s a no-brainer to ignore our wonderful God – Come close to God and he will come close to you (James 4.8). Try it and see.

Malcolm Offord, Chairman Kettle & Fish

To download a poster, click: A4 BStE Flier MkI

Fairtrade Fortnight

Is your church fully committed to Fairtrade? Does everyone know? Is the certificate displayed?

It’s not just Coffee and Bananas!

The Fairtrade product range includes Beauty, Beer & Ale, Biscuits, Cakes & Brownies, Cereals & Bars, Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, Dried Fruit, Flowers, Fresh Fruits, Fresh Veg, Herbs & Spices, Honey, Hot Chocolate, Ice Cream, Jams & Spreads, Juice & Soft Drinks, Nuts/nut Oil, Olives & Olive Oil, Quinoa, Rice, Spirits, Sports Balls, Sugar, Sweets, Syrup, Tea & Herbal Tea, Wine, Yoghurt.

The Big Brew is a national initiative to raise awareness of fair trade issues. All are invited to Afternoon Tea at St Andrew’s Church, Great Cornard on Thursday 4 March between 2 pm and 4 pm.

On Saturday 6^th March, St John’s Methodist Church have a Fairtrade Coffee Morning from 10 am to 12 noon.

See also  www.fairtrade.org.uk and www.fairtrade.org.uk/thebigswap . Although overdue for updating, www.fairtradebraintreewitham.ik.com is a local example of what can be achieved.

Yet another link – Rachel Clark, now in Bristol, is blogging about Fairtrade again this year: thecommunitypub.co.uk/blog/?p=191 .

Many shops sell some Fairtrade products; at Somerfield the Cooperative Fairtrade range is increasing.

Invite you to join us for an

Easter Day Sunrise Service

6.30 am at Woodhall School

Followed by a full English breakfast!!!!!

It would be a pleasure to see you and if you can stay to breakfast so much the better, but we need numbers for catering purposes by 12th March.

Please contact Chris Rowe on c.m.rowe@talktalk.net or 370844 by that date.

(Please let us know of any special diets)

Read the full report …