St Mary Redcliffe Church Parish Magazine, February 2019

As the month draws to an end, we will be rapidly approaching the start
of Lent. I am delighted that our Lent Appeal Charity this year will be CCS
Adoption, a charity that helps match children longing for a family with
families yearning for children. For both this often comes after a journey
of grief, pain and loss, and so CSS also provide extensive support for
adoptive families for as long as they need it post adoption. When we met
representatives of the charity to explore what a Lent partnership might
look like, they posed a challenging question — “what if you had to give up
your family for Lent?” For those who give up their families this is rarely a
real choice — more often, families are taken away. But this stark reminder
of our need for loving relationships, and the intrinsic risk of loving — that
we could lose the people we love the most and build our lives around —
will be a theme for prayerful exploration during Lent.
But for now we have this picture of God becoming a vulnerable human
being, becoming part of a human family, journeying towards a sudden
and violent death, to show us what it means to love and to be loved.
And inviting us, always, to be part of the family that calls God our Father
and Mother.
Revd Kat Campion-Spall
— Associate Vicar
Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing — 1 February to 6 May 2019
BRISTOL CITY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY is marking the 500th anniversary of
Leonardo da Vinci’s death by displaying 12 of his finest drawings as part of
#Leonardo500 — a national celebration of one of history’s greatest geniuses
A total of 144 of Leonardo’s drawings from The Royal Collection will be on show
at 12 venues across the UK ... to be followed by major displays at The Queen’s
Galleries in Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
The works show the extraordinary scope of the artist’s interests, from painting
and sculpture to engineering, zoology, botany and anatomy ... and are among
the most diverse and accomplished in the history of art [text from website].
For details of the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery exhibition and activities visit —
culture
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/
whats-on/leonardo-da-vinci/
LENT APPEAL 2019
THIS YEAR’S LENT APPEAL has a strong focus on family, as
we partner with CCS Adoption. They are a Bristol-based
charity, who for 115 years have been finding permanent,
loving families for children who need them, and providing ongoing
support for adoptive families for as long as they need it. You can
find out more about them on their website at ccsadoption.org
As always there will be a host of events as part of the appeal which
you are encouraged to support.
• Sunday 10 February 9.30am: Representatives from CSS will be
speaking at our service and in Sunday School about their work.
• Saturday 9 March 7pm — Voices of Adoption: An event to
launch the appeal with an opportunity to explore the CCS
exhibition in the South Transept and a panel discussion giving
voice to different people involved in the adoption journey.
• Saturday 30 March 1–4pm: CCS Family Fun Day, with Melody
Makers Choir. Come and enjoy music from Melody Makers,
afternoon tea, games, activities and fun for all ages.
• Sunday 31 March 6.30pm: Lent Appeal evening service with a
speaker from CCS.
Sunday School events will include a Secret Cinema, Community
Cooking and Sunday event… look out for more details!
Also look out for the 2019 40 days of Lent booklet to help your
Lenten devotions.
Ways you can get involved...
Run a stall at the Family Fun Day; volunteer at the Voices of Adoption
event; hold a fundraising event at your workplace, school or in your
social group — or how about a coffee morning?
Get planning! Please let Kat know if you’d like to get involved