Today's service on the theme of the Ascension was taken by the Rev. Kenneth Batt. We have been really lucky to secure his help during this year when we have had no vicar and wish to express our thanks to him for stepping in to help.

The readings were from the end John's gospel as Jesus prepared his disciples to take on his work when he was no longer with them. Whe then heard about the the Ascension itself from the Acts of the Apostles, with the disciples being left staring up into the heavens as Jesus rose out of sight and was hidden by the clouds. These two readings link in with our current value of Perseverance, with Jesus telling his disciples that they would not be alone but that he would send the Holy Spirit to help them and give them the strength to persevere.

Children from year 6 wrote the following prayers reflecting on our theme:

 Dear Lord,

Please guide us through the things that make us anxious and grant us curiosity about what we find worrying. Let us be proud of the achievements which we have worked hard for and for granting us the power to fight our fears and stresses in our life.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice and ascension that set us free from our sins.

Please help us to show courage and try new things throughout our lives and remind us to be curious.

Tell us to have faith in ourselves and others around us and that you will always be with us during tough times.

Dear Lord,

Please help us to always be brave when being curious. Please guide us through tough and challenging times – give us the strength to be fearless in the face of difficulty.

Thank you also to for Jesus. He made us feel courageous through his actions and his sacrifice. His guidance is a model which we hope to follow.

The children behaved beautifully throughout the service, showing great respect for those who went up to receive communion. Thank you to those people, from our wider community, who were able to join us.