St Helens Church, High Street, Wheathampstead, St Albans, AL4 8AA. Worship Times: 10am every Sunday

21-07 Email from the Rector
 

As lock-down eases, and the pace of life gradually picks up again there is lots to share in the newsletter this week.  Naturally there is our Online Sunday Service, and linked to this is a tool we hope you will find helpful in managing your emotions. Unusually we’re pointing you to several other worship resources within the Diocese to mark the Alban Pilgrimage and Windrush day.

Plus the usual invitation to connect with us socially, opportunities to support our ministry and ways to receive support should you need it during Lockdown.

With my very best wishes and prayers – Richard.

P.S.  St Helen’s Church will be CLOSED on Monday whilst the interior scaffolding is removed, and on Tuesday morning for a memorial service .  It will be OPEN for Private Prayer again from Tuesday afternoon. 

 

 
 

Can you please all of the people some of the time?

 

 
 
To view the Online Sunday Service on YouTube, please click here. 

 

 

Every minister knows that within a congregation there are lots of different opinions and not everyone will be happy all of the time.  We’ve received loads and loads of positive feedback about our online worship – but opinion seems divided about filming inside the church or outside in the garden!  Hopefully this week there is something to keep everyone happy!

The sermon touches on the theme of our emotions – particularly less helpful emotions such as anger.  There’s a resource below which you might find helpful as a ‘health check’ if you notice yourself feeling ‘out of sorts.’ And, as ever, the clergy and Readers are available to listen should you ever wish to talk to them.

Click here to join our Worship.

 

 

 
 

Feeling out of sorts?  Use “H.A.L.T” as a health check.

 

 
 

Our emotional state of being is a complicated subject, and I do not claim any particular expertise.  After three months of lock-down there are likely to be all sorts of complex and interlinked reasons for our emotions to fluctuate more than they normally might.   However, I recently came across this ‘health check’ which I now use regularly.  As it has proved really helpful for me, I thought I’d offer it to you – for free!

It’s based around the word HALT. Whenever I notice that my emotional state is off-balance or out of kilter I pause and take a moment to run through the four questions below. It’s surprising how often I can find a way to get myself back on track.

H: Am I hungry or needing hydration?
A: Am I anxious about the future or angry about something in the past?
L: Am I lonely and lacking company (or needing more ‘alone time’)?
T: Am I tired or trapped indoors?
Of course it could just be me, and this certainly isn’t meant as a ‘cure all’!  Nor is it a replacement for seeking appropriate medical help for any mental illness.  But I do hope it will help you – and equally importantly those around you – when your emotional state is not what you’d wish!

 

 
 
St Alban’s Cathedral invites you to join The Alban Pilgrimage Eucharist at 10am which will be rather different from previous years but promises to be very special with participation from churches around the world dedicated to St Alban. The order of service is available here.   Following the Eucharist there will also be The Alban Pilgrimage Children’s Service (video online for Sunday) – including participation from one of our St Helen’s families!
 

Two invitations recalling historical events…

 

 
Monday, 22 June, will be the third National Windrush Day celebrating the contribution made by the Windrush Generation and their descendants. Britain has been wonderfully enriched by the arrival of people from the Caribbean, many of whom came to live here in the diocese. Yet this was also a generation who faced terrible prejudice and racism, not just in the early years but also recently when many were threatened with deportation.
Churches in various parts of the diocese will be marking Windrush Day and you can see how to join All Saints, Bedford’s service here.

All Saints with St Peter in Luton’s film ‘Windrush Voices’ illuminates the experiences of people coming from the West Indies.

Ahead of Windrush Day, the weekly service on from the Church of England is also about racism.
 

Let’s get social…  

We look forward to catching up on your latest news either on Sunday at 11am or Wednesday from 10:30am.  Please use the links below as we gather together using the video conferencing platform Zoom.


Click on the Meeting ID and password to join either session.

Coffee After the Online Service Coffee NOT in the Chancel
Every Sunday at 11am Every Wednesday from 10:30am
Meeting ID: 844 7123 3219
Password: 527776		 Meeting ID: 828 3397 7877
Password: 304021

In addition to these social events, you are invited to join us for Morning Prayer.  We meet at 9am from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday using Zoom. Download the details here including links to the liturgy we follow. 

 

 
 

We are grateful for every donation we receive which secures future ministry, mission and outreach from St Helen’s and St Peter’s to our community and further afield.
You can click here to donate by debit or credit card. 
You can click here to find more ways to support us on our website. 
Lastly, our bank details are: Wheathampstead PCC
Sort Code: 40-52-40          Account No: 00099644

 
 

We’re here for you and help is at hand!
We have set up teams offering both pastoral and practical support, so please let others support you – they are keen to do so! Hilary Hollick is helping organise this – so do contact her by email here, or on 01582 832567.  Alternatively call the village wide helpline “Support for All” on 01582 380910.