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ST. MARY'S MATTERS
HEROIC: Remix volunteer Joan makes over 40 milkshakes for the Year 6 visitors! 
Dear Friends
  • If you've heard Simon Guillebaud speak before then you'll know that we're in for an interesting time this Sunday. Simon will be speaking from Luke's gospel, as well as telling us all about his work in Burundi, in a talk that promises to be entertaining and challenging in equal measures. To get even more inspired we've included some really incredible books about Burundi in "Resource(s) of the Week".
  • Last Sunday Sue Coyne introduced us to "Personal Discipleship Plans", a chance to get to know ourselves better and unlock those gifts and passions that we all have, tucked away. Below we explain how you can look into joining the scheme.
  • Finally, please don't miss the fact that "Set A Watch" is on a new link starting from Monday morning.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.


Luke 10:2
N.B. Because we don't need as many Zoom accounts any more (hurrah!)
"Set A Watch"
will be on a new link starting Monday morning. Please scroll down to find the new link.

GUEST SPEAKER: SIMON GUILLEBAUD
This Sunday morning we welcome Simon Guillebaud as our speaker. Simon is the founder and International Director of Great Lakes Outreach (GLO), one of our mission partners.

GLO works with visionary local leaders to transform Burundi through education, sport, business, healthcare and more, bringing hope to thousands of the most vulnerable.

They identify, equip and empower the best local leaders of passion, integrity, gifting and vision for the transformation of the nation. They have identified a network of exceptional Christian leaders in Burundi now representing multiple projects. GLO helps these partners to develop, enabling them to build their increasing self-sufficiency. The results are exciting and encouraging despite Burundi’s many challenges.

Many of these leaders have extraordinary testimonies of the faithfulness of God through the most challenging of circumstances – civil war, poverty and much more.

You can find more about their work and their stories at: https://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/

Much to his frustration and ours, Simon is not able to make it in person this Sunday as he has to isolate due to Covid. However, these days that is no obstacle and he will still be "joining" us via video.

PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP PLANS
Identifying your gifts and developing a Personal Discipleship Plan

Last Sunday, those at St Mary’s Chipping Norton and joining us online heard about the chance to take some time, with an encouraging listener/mentor, to think and talk about where they are at in their life as a Christian.
 
Oxford Diocese has been running a scheme called Personal Discipleship Planning which involves a few opportunities (spread over some months) to talk with a local Christian and discern where your life is now and where you would like it to go as you try to live out your faith. It is intended to help you reflect on your gifts and abilities, your work and life experience, where you have come from and where God could be nudging you for the future.
 
St. Mary’s piloted the scheme amongst a few people last year and now we would like to invite everyone interested to get involved. Identifying your God-given gifts and strengths enables you to deepen your relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit and helps you see how being an effective apprentice of Christ can impact all 360° of your life.
 
Each person who signs up will be matched with an encourager/mentor who has had some training: in asking helpful questions, listening discerningly and helping you set some practical goals in areas you want to develop. They will be the same gender as you and it will be up to you to mutually arrange when you can meet, perhaps just 3 or 4 times, knowing that whatever is talked about remains confidential.
 
We hope that this ‘light touch’ mentoring programme will really encourage you. We trust this benefice has a wealth of gifts and talents ready to be developed in every one of us, for ministry in every sphere of life. Discovering how we can be better disciples is at the very heart of what we do as a Church.
 
But don’t just take our word for it! Here are two members of St Mary’s talking about involvement with the PDP scheme has helped them:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g8sDzBkIwg&ab_channel=StMary%27sChurchChippingNorton
 
Interested?
  • Please email the church office, including PDP in the subject line: office@stmaryscnorton.com
  • Alternatively, sign up on the sheet at the back of church on Sunday. (If you did so last week, apologies but could we ask you to sign up again to confirm our records?)
-Toby Artis, Sue Coyne

YOUTH: MURDER MYSTERY NIGHT

Murder Mystery Night (School years 9-13)
Tuesday 13th July
18:30 - 21:00
The Parish Rooms

Theme: Sherlock Holmes
RSVP: youth@stmaryscnorton.com (by Sunday evening)

Food included
Email Joel

SETTING A WATCH - ON A NEW LINK STARTING MONDAY

N.B. On a new link starting Monday

We continue to meet to pray via Zoom at 6am and 6pm daily for Building to Serve, as well as our world, nation, community, church and each other.

Topic: 'Setting a Watch' prayer time

Join Zoom Meeting NEW LINK
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88489690256?pwd=RG85M1pPbGRnbkhEaFVlKytCZmhTdz09

Meeting ID: 884 8969 0256
Passcode: SetAWatch

Dial by your location
        +44 208 080 6592 The United Kingdom
        +44 330 088 5830 The United Kingdom
        +44 131 460 1196 The United Kingdom
        +44 203 481 5237 The United Kingdom

RESOURCES OF THE WEEK:
BURUNDI SPECIAL

Do visit the GLO website at https://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/ .
If you need any further inspiration then be challenged by the testimonies of Theo and Freddy in these two books:

My Country Wept by Jess Komanapalli


One man’s incredible story of faith, hope and forgiveness in the Burundian civil way

Theodore Mbazumutima was forced to flee from his native Burundi when tensions between Hutus and Tutsis escalated. Theo's dangerous and incredible journey fleeing civil war is an amazing testimony of God's miraculous intervention, protection and guidance. Despite experiencing suffering first hand, God has brought Theo to such a place of forgiveness that he is now a peace-worker bringing reconciliation to the Burundian people. My Country Wept reminds us that when we submit to God's plan for our lives, he can rescue us from any circumstances and work in every situation.
My Country Wept

Where the Cow-Grass Grows by Freddy Tuyizere

 
Planting Faith and Hope in Burundi

Freddy Tuyizere is the Founder and President of Youth For Christ in Burundi, Africa. Freddy was born in 1970 to a family of 11 children, and was chosen as one of the few in his village to attend school. He became a teacher during Burundi's devastating civil war, which spurred him to help heal his country through the love of Jesus Christ. He graduated from the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa and founded Burundi YFC in 2000. This is his story of faith against all odds and his determination to raise up a generation of godly leaders to transform Burundi and beyond.
Where the Cow-Grass Grows
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What's happening soon?

Connect Café Tue 4th Nov The Branch, Market Place More info
Minis Wed 5th Nov The Branch, Market Place More info
First Priority Prayer Wed 5th Nov Parish Rooms More info
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