THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE DAMEREL
(ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Please note: Stoke Damerel Church does not divulge
personal information to third parties.

Sunday 29 March                Palm Sunday 
 

Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
The sick:-
Maureen, Margaret W, Graham, John S, Kathy, Mo, Matt,
Bertie, Morwenna, David J, Wendy.
The long term sick and infirm:-
George, Peter, Diana, Liz & Keith N, Rob, John and Shirley.
The recently departed:-
We give thanks for the lives of Robin Tugwell, 
Barbara Jean Allen (known as Jean) and Desi Carnell.
We pray for their families and friends at this sad time.
The Ministry Team:-
Wendy, Ruth, Marilyn and Rhona.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.
By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

Watch our livestreamed services
Please follow the link to make your way to our YouTube page: 

 STOKE DAMEREL YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

Sunday 29 March            Palm Sunday
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist with dramatic reading
of the Passion.
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Harman

Wednesday 1 April
1000 Morning Prayer and Lent Course

Maundy Thursday 2 April: 7.00pm
Celebrant: Rev’d Dr Sacha Pearce
The chairs are arranged in a circle to represent the
Upper Room. We gather with the disciples as Jesus
conducts the Passover meal and institutes the Last
Supper. He also shows us how to be his disciples
by loving one another.
We process to the south of the church which
represents the Garden of Gethsemane. The service
ends watching with Jesus as he wrestles with his
conscience to do his own will or that of his Father.
The watch ends at 9.00pm with the arrest of Jesus.

Good Friday 3 April: 10.00am
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
We gather in a solemn church building to mark this
day with: the reading of the Passion; the praying of
the solemn prayers; the Proclamation of the Cross;
and the reception of Holy Communion.
We leave the church in silence as befits a grave.

Saturday 4 April: 7.30pm
Celebrant: Rev’d Trevor Furness
We gather in a darkened church in anticipation of
Our Lord’s glorious resurrection. We start with the
Vigil readings and then exit through the north door
to light the Easter fire. Candles are lit and we sing
the Easter anthem as we process back into church.
We renew our baptismal vows and make our Easter
Communion.

Sunday 5 April                Easter Day
0800 NO service at Stoke Damerel
Sunrise Service in Blockhouse Park starts 6.40am.
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: The Ven Jane Bakker, Archdeacon of Plymouth.

WELCOME BACK
Today to Rev’d Sue Nicholas at 8am and Rev’d
Mike Harman at 10am. This Sunday we will start
our 10am service in the parish centre, then process
into church with our palms.
Next week there is no service at 8am, but
Archdeacon Jane will preside and preach at our
10am service.

ROBIN TUGWELL
Our dear friend and organist, Robin, died in his
sleep on the night of Sunday 22nd March. He had
not been well, but intended to play for the service
that morning. We were very concerned when he
failed to arrive. He phoned on the Sunday
afternoon to apologise and explain that he had felt
too ill to come to church. He said he was feeling
better, and sounded in good spirits. We had quite a
long chat, which ranged over his schooldays,
family life, and learning to play the organ. It was
such a shock to learn only a few hours later that he
had died.
Robin was such a quiet, modest, shy man, but on
the few occasions when he felt able to let his
personality shine through, he could be very
engaging. His smile, though rarely seen, was heart-
warming. His love of playing the organ as his
unique contribution to worship was so important to
him. It enabled him to express his faith. On the
sixtieth anniversary of his confirmation, he
brought to church the prayer book given to him on
the occasion by the bishop, which he still held
dear. Through his music he touched so many
people's lives, those of fellow-organists as well as
ours at Stoke Damerel. He has been a blessing to
us. May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.
John Steere

Robin playing the instrument he loved.

RUTH’S REFLECTIONS
Luke 2 v 41 – 52
If there is one thing we have been shown through
the readings that we have during lent it is the
humanness of Jesus. Even though he was born as a
child in this world, he was and is the Son of God.
His life reveals the place where the human and
divine meet. This is not easy to understand but
scripture helps us in the accounts we have of Jesus
early life. I say, early life, but there is very little
that we are told about the young Christ after his
birth and before his Baptism as an adult. The
account of Jesus, as described in Luke 2,
wandering off from his parents and ending up in
the temple sitting at the feet of the religious
teachers is the only one that tells us about an event
in his young life as a twelve-year-old.
As devout parents, Mary and Joseph took Jesus
to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. This was a
yearly event, and Jesus was used to traveling with
them and the community that returned to their
hometown for this special feast. Imagine the crowd
and Jesus’ darting between talking to his friends
and walking with his parents. After the feast was
over, they started out on the return journey. After
a day’s walking, they realized that Jesus was not
traveling with their group and so they started to
look for him among their relatives and friends.
Not to be found, they returned to Jerusalem only
to discover him sitting with the teachers, listening
and asking questions.
Mary and Joseph by now and perhaps from the
very beginning, knew that their son was special
and yet they may not have realized that even the
Son of God needed to prepare for his ministry
ahead. Was there a better place than the
Synagogue to learn his craft?
We can understand the angst and worry that Jesus’
parents had when they could not find him. Even
the boy Jesus, it seems, caused his parents great
anxiety. I am sure some of us can identify with
this. Children are not easy to bring up and we need
to remember that children are God’s gift to us.
I remember as a young person feeling that my
parents did not understand me and that being a
middle child with 2 other siblings was not always
the best place to be. I also needed to discover who
I was. Ever felt like that?
This account of Jesus in the temple, shows us
many things. No one can stand still in their faith,
we all need to grow. Despite their faith, Jesus’
parents still were worried about their Son. They
had witnessed the birth and their journey bringing
him up in Nazareth and yet here they were
struggling to understand that their son needed to
learn his ministry. Jesus had to grow into the
ministry that his Father, God, had called him to.
A real test of their faith. Jesus’ ministry that was
growing even before his baptism. From the
beginning this child was special and sitting at the
feet of wise people in the synagogue was part of
his learning in the fulfilment of God’s plan for
him.
Lent is a time where we can grow. Travelling with
God may not be an easy journey. Jesus himself
spent 40 days in a wilderness and for him and
perhaps for us too, the hard times are the places
in which we grow the most. Hard times are places
when we can call out to God, knowing that he as
a human being, knew what it meant to feel
abandoned and lost. God knows us through and
through as a creator does his creation. Psalm 139
tells us clearly the He searches for us and knows
us. Even in the hard times God is with us.
Ruth

ELECTORAL ROLL
Just a reminder that revision of the Electoral Roll
finishes today so please see Ruth or Wendy if you
need to add your name.
Forms are on the table at the back of the church.

MARILYN'S MEMOS

LEMMY'S BAPTISM 22ND MARCH

We were delighted to welcome Lemmy into our
church family at her baptism. Thank you so much
to Rev'd Sue who conducted the Eucharist. Many
thanks to Jenny, Emma and Toby who provided the
congregation with suitably celebratory cakes
/edible goodies which were much appreciated by
all!




Lower Parish Centre
On Friday 27th March, at 4.30 pm we had the
pleasure of passing the keys of the Lower Parish
Centre to the new tenants, who will be working
towards opening a new pre-school later in the
year. Their plans look very exciting and we look
forward to working harmoniously with them in the
future.

SUNDAY 29TH MARCH PLYMOUTH CONCERTS
Sunday 29th March: 3pm - 5pm
A final reminder about the jazz concert on Sunday
at 3pm, which promises to be an excellent
session. Tickets available on the door.

Maundy Thursday service
Please come prepared to offer your feet/foot
washing during this service. Not compulsory!

Sad loss of Robin
This means that we will be asking you to sing
vigorously while we source musicians to play the
piano or the organ. Please support our choir, who
will be working extra hard.
Marilyn

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN MARCH
Geoff Bersey, Jenny Whalley, Ellie Brown,
Katie Armstrong, Jean Farrar, Jackie Richmond.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN APRIL
Chris Tozer, Jenny Storey, Deborah Turner,
Matt Forster, Lemmy.

MORE ABOUT THE G.F.S.
Last week, when writing about Miss Florence
Collins, I noted that, amongst many other tasks,
she kept the accounts of the G.F.S. Hostel. Not
having come across this abbreviation before, I
wondered if anyone might be able to enlighten me.
I must thank both Sarah and Reverend Brian for
their quick responses. It appears that the initials
stand for the Girls’ Friendly Society and the
organisation still exists. Last year was the
Society’s 150th. anniversary. According to their
website, the G.F.S. was established, with support
from the Anglican Church “to protect working-
class country girls who left home to take up
urban employment.”
Mary Elizabeth Townsend was the daughter of an
Irish clergyman. She was probably able to set up
the Society because her husband, Frederick, was
wealthy. Initially, girls from the age of 12, cut off
from friends and family, could become members,
befriended by ‘Lady Associates’. In 1882, the age
of eligibility was reduced to eight-year-olds. It is
difficult for us to accept today that girls of that age
were perhaps having to leave their rural homes to
find work in towns or cities. The hostel referred to
in the magazine was probably one of the ‘Lodges’
which provided “cheap, good-quality
accommodation to young women working in
domestic service and as mill or factory workers.”
The society communicated via various
publications, the first in 1875 being “The Girls’
Friendly Society Reporter”. This was followed by
“Friendly Leaves” which by 1883 had a monthly
circulation of 46,000. Trawling through the old
Stoke Damerel magazines that still exist I was
fortunate in finding, in the October 1880 edition,
probably the first mention of this organisation. The
entry reads – “A branch of this useful Society will
shortly be established in this Parish. Mrs.
Townsend, the Society President of the Central
Committee of the Girls’ Friendly Society, has
promised to attend a Meeting which will be held
in December, for the purpose of hearing from her
the objects and working of the Society. It is hoped
that all who may be interested in the welfare of
our working girls - ladies, mothers, and girls
themselves, will make an effort to be present.”
In the November magazine there was an item
announcing that a branch of the Society was to
be formed on Thursday 16th. December 1880 at
3.00pm, when the President of the London
Committee would be present in the School Room.
I am not sure where this room was located but we
can be certain that Mary Elizabeth Townsend did
come to Stoke Damerel parish church.
At the end of 1880, the rector reported on all
church activities in the past year. He noted that
70 local girls and young women had become
members of G.F.S. They needed to be “...of good
character, of a religious community...” to be
accepted, at a cost of one penny a month. The
January 1881 magazine included a “Servants
Registry” which listed six members of the G.F.S.
looking for employment as housemaid, nursery
maid, or kitchen maid, and aged between 13 and
15.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
On Wednesday afternoon we were able to watch
the installation service of the 106th Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame
Sarah Mullally. Many of you will know that the
new Archbishop is the niece of Brigadier Peter
Bowser who, when living in Stoke, was a hard-
working member of our congregation. Sadly, both
he and his wife, Jean, have passed away. Had they
still been alive, I am sure that they would have
been so proud of their niece’s achievement. It was
certainly a joyous occasion to watch and we can
only hope and pray that, as the first woman to hold
the role, she will be able to bring unity to the
Church of England.
I feel sure that she would certainly be a supporter
of G.F.S. and would be made very welcome should
she ever decide to visit Stoke Damerel church.
Tony Barnard