13th April 2023
Carbon Footprint Calculator
As part of the Eco Church award which we are working towards, St George’s is inviting you to use a Carbon footprint calculator to see what your impact is on the environment and to give suggestions to reduce it. These are a few we’ve found, you may like to use a different one. Do let us know how you get on! We don’t need to know the results, but we’d be delighted to hear from those who have engaged with this.
Many thanks in advance
The Eco Church Group.
This one is free, secure and gives results without the need to give your email address. Quite detailed info needed though.
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
A nice, quick, easy calculator but it needs an email address to get the results and you effectively sign up for newsletters but can unsubscribe at any point.
https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/questionnaire
Secure, comprehensive, asks you for an email address if you want to but you get a summarised report anyway. Offers good ways to reduce your carbon footprint which are personalised to your answers. This is the best in our opinion!
https://carbon-calculator.climatehero.me/?source=GoogleKeywords&gclid=CjwKCAiAxvGfBhB-EiwAMPakqibqdzpzexkCOpIvlRq2QyDR1dVuIeGvgJ4qZRRUJWRCbuHyleLNuBoCeEIQAvD_BwE
Scams and Tricksters - We have been warned by the Diocese that Churches and their congregations are being targeted by fraudsters, so please be alert. The latest scam is an email, purportedly from the Vicar or some other trusted Church Official, asking the recipient to contribute to a secret and discreet gift collection for a church member by purchasing Amazon Vouchers, and sending the voucher codes in reply.
Any church fundraising activity will have appeared in the Sunday Bulletin, you can view both current and past copies on the church website HERE.
There are people who have lost huge sums of money by being scammed by someone purporting to be the Police, or from a Bank, saying perhaps that an account has been compromised and persuading the withdrawal of cash or transfer of funds to another account. Never withdraw cash or transfer money on instructions of any ‘Officials’ or your Bank. They will be fraudsters who are persuasive and creating a sense of urgency. Remember you have done nothing to cause an account to be comprised, so it is the Bank’s problem not yours! So stop, allow time for some calm thought, and before doing anything contact us for advice.
There have been scam emails going around purportedly from NHS about COVID vaccinations and vaccination status. You will never be asked to pay for a vaccine or to establish your vaccination status. The NHS will never ask for Bank or Card details, PIN numbers or passwords, or for documents to prove your identity.
Never expose bank or credit card details in response to an email or on the telephone to anyone who has called you, and be suspicious if they suggest you call back - you can still get caught out. Under no circumstances ever give your PIN number to anyone else - even to your bank. Never open an email attachment from an unexpected, suspicious or unknown source.
If in any doubt forward emails, or describe and detail any other approaches (e.g., by telephone/text) to: webmaster@stgeorges.church and we will advise if it is a scam. Do this before doing anything else!
6th September 2024
Bulletin & Reading Sheet for 8th September
The Bulletin and Reading Sheet for Sunday 8 September 2024 are now available HERE.
David Pask's funeral will be held at 1pm on Tuesday 24th September at St George's Church, followed by a family only cremation. Family flowers only but donations in memory of David can be sent to the charity Headway. The wake will be held in the Church Hall and Sara and Sonja have asked if the ladies of St George's would provide the food and serve tea and coffee. There is a list of food required on the table at the back of the Church. If you are happy to provide a plate of food please sign up. Many thanks
Shoeboxes - Jane Cook is collecting shoeboxes for Wessex Rotary to deliver to disadvantaged children in Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Ukraine via Poland. Rotary provide the shoeboxes so if you would like a shoebox/leaflet please let her know. The boxes are pre-stamped so you just need to clearly mark the age group and whether it is intended for a boy or girl. The boxes need to be decorated with Christmas stickers, Christmas pictures or colour yourself. There is a poster on the table at the back of Church explaining it. Don't forget to sellotape £2 towards transport and admin costs to the box. Please let Jane Cook have your box(es) by Sunday 20th October. If Jane is not around there are shoeboxes/leaflets in the chapel, please help yourself.
Chris Gadd writes : You may not know but St George's has a growing youth group called St George's Dragons. We recently had a fabulous day at Big Church which the PCC kindly paid for. For the next few weeks we will be collecting money to help pay for the day that we had this year as well as to start saving for next year's event. Our youth group is growing and is the future of our church so please help if you can.
Kind regards
Alison
Parish Administrator
30 August 2024
Confirmation Classes
Confirmation Classes will run in the choir vestry after Church on Sundays from 11.20 - 12.10 starting on Sunday 15th September. If you, or anyone you know, is interested, please see one of the clergy. The course doesn’t commit you to anything - if you decide it’s not for you, or perhaps not yet, that’s fine. +Jonathon will be confirming our candidates on Sunday 17th November.
25th August 2024
Fr Colin
After a long and significant illness, Father Colin is feeling ready for an increased role in parish life. This is fabulous news and we pray for his continuing return to good health. We, as a community, need to provide lots of support and encouragement over the coming months.
To help Colin achieve this return to ministry, the Area Dean, churchwardens and retired clergy who are licensed at St George’s have agreed a phased return subject to regular reviews. There are 3 principal elements to the plan:
Please consider the wardens, the PCC and the retired clergy as part of your St George’s support network. We will try to share out the care and pastoral needs so that Colin does not face the danger of becoming overwhelmed.
Father Colin will increase the number of services he leads, including celebrating the eucharist on two Sundays a month.
Father Colin will not be available for Parish business on Thursdays or Fridays until further notice – please respect his need for peace and rest.
St George’s faces several challenges but with the example of Jesus and the prayerful, generous efforts of our congregation we can move forward. Please help us develop as a community - seeking God’s Kingdom here.
