The African Children’s Choir™ is made up of some of the neediest and most vulnerable children in their countries. Many have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease. The Choir helps these children break away from the everyday cycle of poverty and hopelessness. While touring with the Choir, the children are exposed to a world of new possibilities. Chaperones, host communities and caring professionals share their wide variety of experience with the children, exposing them to many new ideas and encouraging them to dream. After returning to Africa, the African Children’s Choir™ provides care and education that builds on the unique international exposure the children experienced abroad. The children receive a quality education, leadership training and spiritual ministry at the Music for Life Primary School in Kampala, or at other well-equipped schools in their respective countries.

More information at http://africanchildrenschoir.com

For those of you who are curious as to what is coming up in our future Abbey series a sneak preview of what is provisionally planned: This autumn we hope to study 1 Corinthians together which will probably challenge us on a number of ethical and spiritual levels; from Advent to Easter our focus will be Matthew’s gospel, Christ’s birth, life, death & resurrection; at Easter we hope to have a series on Ephesians shaped by Eugene Peterson’s new book Practice Resurrection; and then after Pentecost in summer 2011 (yes we do plan that far ahead!) we return to the Old Testament for a look at the powerful prophetic ministries of Elijah & Elisha (from 1 & 2 Kings).

Rev Lee Barnes, curate at the Abbey will be ordained priest on Saturday July 3rd at Bristol Cathedral at 3.30pm. Members of the Malmesbury & Upper Avon group are very welcome to attend, although the service is long and not easy for young children. Lee will be presiding at Holy Communion in the Abbey the next morning at 10.30am.

Rev James Pettit who was on the staff here for 4 years and is now curate at St Mary of Charity, Faversham will be ordained priest at St Mary’s on July 4th at 10.30am.

Rev Toby Crowe from St James Alperton who has been on placement with us for the last month will be ordained priest by Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, on Saturday 3rd July at 10.30am.

And finally the Rev Eve Pegler who has been serving as curate of the Gauzebrook Group for the last three years and was very much a part of our Holy Week Festival and our Gospel Choir leaves the diocese with her husband Jerome to become Team Vicar in the Shaftesbury Team in Dorset. She will be licensed by the Bishop of Sherborne at 7.30pm on July 21st.

Please remember them all in your prayers and get along to support if you can.