Hello All!
As we approach Harvest Thanksgiving, it is always good to stop, pause, reflect and pray thanksgiving for 'all good gifts around us' - the provision and blessings that make our daily lives possible and enriched.
There will be two services of harvest thanksgiving on Sunday, at 10am, one at either church and also the following week the forest church will have a harvest thanksgiving. If you can please do bring along dried and tinned produce as offerings, which will be passed onto Exeter Foodbank (St Luke's) and Exmouth Foodbank (St Margaret's). This is a practical way of showing that thanksgiving for one's own provision should then prompt an outreach towards those in need.
I also ask that you consider an offering to your respective church at this time, grateful for the provision of spectacular and cherished church buildings, and the countless hours of work that go into keeping them in good condition, and open to not just the congregations but also the wider community.
People often underestimate how much money they cost and also where money comes from to keep the churches open. (I used to when I was a committed congregation member, but before I trained to be a priest). There is a frequent assumption that money flows from the diocese/national church structures to ourselves at the local level to assist in costs; whereas the truth is we send considerable amounts of money in the opposite direction (called Parish Share). That then leaves us having to fundraise over and above in order to meet the additional costs of the church buildings - St Margaret's, for example, costs £300 a day to maintain.
Moreover, St Margaret's PCC voted on using rent from the parish rooms to reinvest into community outreach and mission, which will leave a considerable shortfall in the maintenance budget, as the parish room rent has been used to 'plug the gap' in income for maintenance. The rule of thumb in good church financial stewardship is that running costs should be covered by regular congregational and friendly community giving.
Please do consider then any of the following as part of your harvest thanksgiving offering this year:
- a one-off donation, by going through the A Church Near You website, using the card reader (St Margaret's), or on the donation plate during the harvest services (preferably in an envelope if you are able to gift aid)
- signing up to the planned giving scheme, which is an excellent way of helping church budgets in maintenace
- leaving a legacy to your church in your will
Keeping our churches financially secure ensures a legacy indeed for generations to come, as well as blessed provision within our own lifetimes.
Thank you in turn.
Revd Louise
Louise has a new email address: [email protected]
Safeguarding
For any safeguarding concerns, please contact :
Katie Gray: [email protected]
For issues with rough sleepers:
Elizabeth Reed: [email protected]
Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by Thursday evening.
Services and calendar for the week
Saturday 4th October
8am…Prayer Breakfast…St Margaret’s
Sunday 5th October (Harvest Festival)
10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Morning Worship…St Luke’s
Monday 6th October
10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 7th October
9am…Morning Prayer…St Luke’s
Wednesday 8th October
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
1.15…Lunchtime Concert…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
Thursday 9th October
10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s
Friday 10th October
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Saturday 11th October
10am – 3pm …Safeguarding Day…St Margaret’s
Sunday 12th October
10am…Joint Family Holy Communion and baptism…St Margaret’s
12-1pm…Safeguarding…St Margaret’s
6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’s
The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)
Please note that the Family Service is on the second Sunday this month ONLY.
October 26th will be a Holy Communion service.
Watch this space for details of the next Forest Church
Bookings
St. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.
Contact:[email protected]
St. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy:
Contact: [email protected]
St. Luke’s churchwardens can be contacted on:
[email protected] or phone 01392 271458
St. Luke’s church will re-open on Wednesday afternoons in the New Year.
St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 and 5.00.
This Harvest, we give thanks for our many blessings, yet we remember those who go hungry, especially in Gaza. As Jesus said, ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat’ (Matt. 25:35). Please consider giving to Save the Children, Oxfam, ActionAid, or UNRWA. Your gift will help feed those in need.”
There are other humanitarian causes that you might hold close to your heart, so please, this Harvest, remember others in need.
Jackie Crozier - Churchwarden
Mini-messy Church
Mini-messy church will be meeting on Mondays and Thursdays at 10.00 a.m. in St. Margaret’s.
Coffee and Cake
Wednesday afternoon at 2.30 p.m. - coffee, tea, cake and a chat!
♥️ 🧁
Safeguarding 'Open House'
On Saturday 11th October and Sunday 12th October our Parish Safeguarding Representative, Mrs Katie Gray, and Rev Louise Grace will be available at St Margaret's Church to support volunteers to apply for DBS checks, complete applications for volunteer roles and complete safeguarding training.
It would be super to see anyone interested in a new role, or needing to reapply for out of date DBS checks.
Katie and Louise will be available on Saturday 11th October from 10am until 3pm, and on Sunday from the end of the morning service until 1pm.
If you wish to apply for your DBS check please bring 3 forms of official ID with you, to include photo ID and proof of address. A good combination is passport, driving licence and a bank statement or utility bill (which must be within the last 3 months).
If you wish to do training it would be helpful if you could bring a laptop computer or tablet - we can then log you in to the church wifi.
We look forward to seeing you over the weekend.
St. Margaret’s Dream Big
Have you booked your tickets for the Dream Big Salmon Supper yet? It is on Thursday 16th October at 7pm in Route 2 café, and there are only 50 seats available. Tickets can be bought (cash please) from Route 2 café or from Topsham Bookshop. There will be the salmon meal and a choice of dessert. There will also be a raffle, and a cash bar. Come and join in a communal Topsham tradition from the days when salmon fishing was an important local trade.
Dream Big is now the beneficiary of the charity quiz nights held every Wednesday at the Old Fire Station. We will try and have a table for each of the next four or five weeks. If you enjoy quizzing and would like to take part, please contact Paul Jakeman 07952821463 or [email protected]
Museum News
Leading up to the anniversary of the rebuilding of St. Margaret’s in 2027, a group from Topsham Museum have been looking at the history of the church.
Two booklets have just been published and two more are in preparation.
There will be an opportunity to purchase these new books after morning service on Sunday 5th October and after the concert on Wednesday 8th October.
Booklets are £5 each or £8 for both. We will also have the history of the churches of Topsham available. Cash or card are accepted.
Lunchtime Concert
Wednesday October 8th at 1.15 - Joyce Clarke gives a piano recital of Classical and Romantic music.
PLEASE FIND INFORMATION FOR POSITIONS VACANT ATTACHED.
Exmouth Food Bank
This month we would welcome donations of the following items:
Tinned meat meals (e.g. stew, meatballs)
Tinned cold meat (e.g. ham, corned beef)
Porridge oats & instant porridge
Pasta
Stir in pasta/pasta bake sauces
Tinned fruit
Fruit squash/juice
Longlife whole milk
Thank you so much ❤️
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Kirsten, Jan, Roger, David Byrne, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Elizabeth Taylor, Carol Walker
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear
Please pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.
Anne spent ten weeks at Bethlehem Bible College earlier this summer. During this time she acted as chaplain to their annual summer course in Peace and Justice studies, which included several visits around the country, and also taught an English language course.
Anniversaries
Frederick Poultney, Peter Phillips, William Trigger
Hilda Copland, Daniel Wilson, Eric Hume
Recently departed
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 5th October John 6: 25-35
Monday 6th October Luke 10: 25-37
Tuesday 7th October Luke 10: 38-end
Wednesday 8th October Luke 11: 1-4
Thursday 9th October Luke 11: 5-13
Friday 10th October Luke 11: 15-26
Saturday 11th October Luke 11: 27-28
Sunday 12th October Luke 17: 11-19
Collect and reading for Sunday 5th October
O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know which things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
John 6.25-35
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
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