Hello everyone,

As we have the opportunity to meet and worship all together this Sunday, please take some time to pray for our team. Pray for all the people who do so much to make our churches places of welcome and who live out their Christian faith in our communities, sharing God’s love with others.

Services this week:

This Sunday at 10.00am there will be a united team service at Donisthorpe; Appleby also have their Harvest Festival.

Looking ahead:

Midweek communion will be at Appleby on Wednesday at 10.00am in church.

Activeage also meet at 11.00am in Measham Church Hall on Wednesday.

Kids Kingdom Baby & Toddler group meet on Thursday from 9.00am to 11.00am in Appleby Church Hall.

Next Sunday (6^th) at 10.00am there will be services of Holy Communion at Measham and Snarestone, Morning Prayer at Donisthorpe and Swepstone, and Harvest at Normanton. Packington also have their Harvest at the slightly later time of 10.30am, followed by lunch.

Further ahead, there is an open invitation to us all to Choral Evensong led by Leicester Cathedral Choir at 4.00pm on Sunday 13^th October at Christ Church, Coalville.

Woodfield Team prayer

God our Father, you long to draw all people into your love.

Increase in number your church throughout the Woodfield Team; deepen us as followers and learners of Christ; and give us courage to share the good news of your kingdom.

We pray this in the power of your Spirit, to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for Sunday 29^th September – The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

God, our judge and saviour,

teach us to be open to your truth

and to trust in your love,

that we may live each day

with confidence in the salvation which is given

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Reading for 29^th September – James 5.13-20 New International Version (UK)

The prayer of faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Prayers for today:

We pray:

Eternal Lord, you are our creator and sustainer. We bring before you the needs of our church, our world, our communities, and ourselves.

• We pray for all people who seek to follow your way in their lives. Let your church speak your word of truth with confidence and in unity so that those who are searching and listening will be able to see and hear clearly your message of love and peace.
• Merciful Father, we pray for peace in the world; that every nation may seek the way that leads to peace. We remember those who cry out for peace as they work in their communities and across the world to end conflict. We pray for the peoples of the world that they may enjoy safety and security, and especially for the people of Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, Ukraine, and Sudan at this time.
• Creator God we pray for harvests in parts of your world suffering drought, natural disaster, disease, war, and terrorism.  We pray for the struggling and the oppressed. Bless all working to meet their needs and fill us all with compassion and a willingness to share what we have with those in need, both near and far away from us.
• Loving God we pray for those who are ill and in pain, longing to live full lives, for those who are sad and hurt longing for comfort, for those in hospital awaiting treatment, and for those convalescing.  May we always offer gentle support to those in trouble, sensitive encouragement to those in need, and strength and support to those in weakness. Be with all who face difficult times.
• Merciful Lord, your love reaches beyond the grave. At the end of our days on earth, be with us and with those we love, and with those whom we love and have gone before us.   We pray now for those who have recently died and those bereaved by their passing.
• Faithful God, thank you for helping us to pray. Deepen our loving so that as we pray through this coming week, we may do it with confidence and with your heart of compassion.

Amen.