Services in the BeneficeSunday, 18th April
Holy Communion in St Michael's, Hill, at 10.30 am. Evening prayer in St Mary's, Berkeley, at 6.00 pm. Sunday, 25th April Holy Communion in St Mary's, Berkeley, at 10.30 am. Click the following link for services at Gloucester Cathedral:
https://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/worship/services/services-live-stream/ 
A prayer for our new priestDear Lord
Thank you for being with us during this last year, even in the times when we have forgotten to look for you. We ask for your guidance as we begin the process of advertising and appointing a new Priest in Charge for our parishes of Hill, Stone and Berkeley. Help us to remember that you have a plan for us and may your spirit guide us in how we can join in with that plan, for the good of the wider community and those yet to know of your love for the world. Please send the person you know we need to live and work amongst us to further your kingdom, in Jesus name. Amen. Thought for Sunday 18th April“We are witnesses of this”
This week the nation has been mourning the death of HRH Prince Philip, with people from all walks of life paying tribute to him and sharing their personal experiences of him. Such stories are uplifting and the insights they reveal help us feel closer to someone we only know of or see at a distance in the media, someone we don’t personally know. We all love to share good news stories and our personal experiences. But how often do we take the opportunity to share our personal experience of our faith and the impact this has had in shaping us? In our reading today from Acts 3. 12-19 we encounter Peter and John in the Temple doing just this. They have just performed a miracle at the Beautiful Gate at the entrance to the Temple, healing a man who had been lame since birth. Peter dismisses the crowd’s astonishment and deflects praise from himself to God as the source of the miracle. While he has their attention he takes the opportunity to share his experience of Jesus Christ. He talks of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who restored His people to wholeness, and who raised Jesus from the dead. Rather than take credit for the lifechanging influence their miracle has had on the lame man, the Apostles signpost God working through them. In this way they bear witness to the power of the risen Christ. Like the early Christians who picked up the mantle of sharing the gospel following Jesus’ death and resurrection, like Peter in today’s story, we too can testify to the power of the Spirit. We too are witnesses of this. As Christians it is our job to be Christ’s ambassadors in the world today. It’s our duty to share who God is and what He has done, and the transformation and renewal we have experienced in our lives through knowing Him. We can make a big impact on those around us when we share our personal experiences of this and enable those who don’t know Him an insight of someone they may want to know better. Debbie Page – Berkeley informal worship team 
Private prayer in churchIf you would like to enter the church for a moment of private prayer, please contact Naomi (details below). She will arrange for the church to be unlocked for you.
Should you need someone to talk to, or you'd like someone to pray for you (or with you), contact Naomi (details below). At the moment All Saints' doesn't have a vicar.
For general enquiries you can contact Naomi by emailing stonechurchwarden@gmail.com or phone 01454 260376. For enquiries about weddings and funerals, please contact David Bainbridge: 01453 810049 A call to prayer for the nation
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Upcoming Events:
Colour Key: Berkeley Benefice St Mary's - Berkeley All Saints' - Stone St Michael's - Hill Benefice Services
During the next few months (depending on Covid restrictions) there will be a 10.30 am Sunday service each week in one of our three churches. Our Lay Readers, the ‘Eleven’ team and the Stone Leading Worship team have stepped into action to take the majority of these services, and we have priests booked for Parish Communion services. Risk assessments and careful planning to manage services have been done for each of our very different churches. It is a good idea to arrive early for a service so you have enough time to ‘check in’ - hand sanitising and finding a socially distanced seat mean it could take longer to settle in. You'll be asked for a name and contact number from each ‘bubble’ so we can assist ‘Track and Trace’ if need be. Don't forget to bring a face covering. Foodbank in Thornbury. Click on the link below to find out more:
www.thornburybaptistchurch.org.uk/?page_id=734 Meals for those in need in Gloucestershire. £5 buys a tasty meal. You can get in touch with either of these not-for-profit organisations:
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