MISSION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
w.b.11th January 2026
Hello All,
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Christ. It inevitably leads us to remember our own baptisms, which welcomed us into the Body of Christ and also set us on the path of service: we proclaim many times during our service 'we are the Body of Christ...let us pursue all that makes for peace and builds up our common life'.
I extend deep gratitude to all within the body of the church who give so much to maintaining peace, goodwill and building up our common life.
I pray that we all remember our common purpose that transcends our multitude of differences.
Our Bishops are famously tasked with being points of unity within the church, and so it is appropriate that on this feast of the Baptism of Christ, Bishop Moira will be joining us for worship at St Luke's, at 10am. This is a great opportunity to provide a warm welcome to the new Bishop of Crediton.
The afternoon service of Forest Church will also be at St Luke's, with a theme of baptism. We are peripatetic at the moment as our regular forest church site is being used for the community school's building site needs.
Special thanks go to those who have been very busy preparing the ground for the building works at St Margaret's, due to begin imminently. Thank you to Helen, the churchwarden, in particular for supervising and organising the work party, ably assisted by Paul, the PCC secretary. So very much appreciated.
We are still earnestly fundraising to meet the deficit in finances for the build; if you are able to donate, please do so.
Please also watch this space for updates on how the church will be maintaining safety throughout the build.
Louise’s 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 next week
Sunday 11th January
10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
3pm…Forest Church…St Luke’s
6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’s
Monday 12th January
2.30pm…Julian Contemplative Prayer
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 13th January
9am…Morning Prayer…St Luke’s
Wednesday 14th January
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
Thursday 15th January
Friday 16th January
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Saturday 17th January
Sunday 18th January
8am… BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Joint Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
*Dear Friends, whilst the St Margaret's building works are ongoing, our monthly Contemplative Silent Prayer, will be held at Holy Cross, Catholic Church's meeting room.
The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)
Bookings
St. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.
Contact: [email protected]
Please book in for any use of the church including church meetings and events.
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
Message from Jackie
After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to step down from my role as Church Warden at St Luke’s. This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one for this season.
It has been a privilege to serve, and I am deeply grateful for the support and kindness I have received. I especially want to thank those who have encouraged and walked alongside me in this ministry.
We will be worshipping on occasion within the benefice at St. Margaret’s.
God Bless
Jackie Crozier
St. Luke’s church will re-open on Wednesday afternoons in the New Year.
St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.
The Dream Big Project
The long awaited day has arrived and work begins on January 12th. There will be the inevitable disruption and muddle, but after so many years of prayer and giving, it is wonderful to see God's work in action. The first stage will be the stripping out of the kitchen area, the cupboards and the fixtures that will be replaced. This will involve a skip outside church which is a temporary necessity.
Many thanks to those who have helped to pack up and store precious items. The interior of the church will look different as we go through this first phase, with many items stored in containers and boxes at the sides of the seating area. Our brilliant team of vergers will guide us to use the middle section of the church. The south door (overlooking the Exe) will be open as usual but the social area at the back of the church will not be fully accessible.
Also to mention that we will not be serving hot drinks at the end of the service, at least for a while. We encourage you to share a coffee with friends in town or bring a flask and wander down to the river. When it is over we will organise a celebration so that we can all reconnect! Sadly, the Stay and Play will not be able to meet, but Forest Church is unaffected.
Louise and I thank our fantastic cleaners, choir, organists, intercessors, readers, and flower arrangers, sacristans and bell ringers as we try and keep business as usual and to our prospective AnnaChaplains and others who are adapting to the removal of facilities.
I am happy to answer any questions: 07843260444
It is so exciting!
Helen Swaffield Churchwarden
Offertory at St. Margaret’s
We are happy to return to the presentation and blessing of gifts during the Offertory hymn. Please place your collection in the bowls provided as you come in, and thank you for your kind support.
Estuary Magazine
The editors of Estuary are looking for someone to organise the 30 distributors.
600 copies a month go to subscribers and shops.
Other aspects of the job involve liaising with St. Margaret’s treasurer and Brightsea Printers.
This takes up to two days a month on average, except for Christmas/New Year when collection of money requires attention.
Please contact the editors of Estuary if you feel this might be something you could do.
Di Trout [email protected]
José Northey [email protected]
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The dates for 2026: 19th - 23rd January
11.00 a.m. Monday to Friday – prayer at Holy Cross Church
One Body and One Spirit
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January is an annual opportunity for the churches in Topsham to come together for a time of both celebration and prayer, using worship and study tools that are being shared across the Christian world. The theme this year is based on Ephesians 4:4, 'There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling', using material prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church along with the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. These resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
Paul’s epistles stress the importance of unity within the Church, urging us to live lives worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience and love (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians 4:4 summarises the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasising here, too, that the followers of Christ represent ‘one body and one Spirit’, united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition. Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.
In Topsham, the Week's activities will comprise opportunities for shared daily prayer and reflection and an ecumenical service, all using the material produced by the ecumenical team in Armenia. The short prayer meetings will take place over the five weekdays at 11 am, 19 to 23 January in the lounge at Holy Cross Catholic Church*, with each session led by a member of St Margaret's, St Nicholas Methodist or Holy Cross churches. The Week will culminate in an ecumenical service, to be led by the Revd Wayne Grewcock at St Nicholas on Sunday 25 January at 3 pm (followed by refreshments). Everyone is most welcome to attend some or all of these occasions.
Coffee and Cake
Wednesday Coffee and Cake will continue throughout the building works and be hosted in the front entrance Foyer of the Church. We look forward to welcoming you between 2.30-3.30 - not just for coffee, tea and an array of cakes, but also for friendly chat and a warm welcome. There's no charge, and we'd love to see you, whether you're Christian, or of a different faith, or of none at all!
🎂 🥮
Exmouth Food Bank
In preparation for an increase in demand for our services during the winter months we are planning to build up our stocks of essential tinned items. We will include these in the parcels we supply to our clients and will also share them with other local organisations that are supporting people in food poverty.
If you are kind enough to be planning to donate to us, we would be grateful to receive the following priority items:
Tins of soup
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned baked beans and spaghetti
Tinned meat meals such as stews, meatballs or curry
Tinned cold meats such as ham, chicken or corned beef
Tinned tuna
Tinned fruit, rice pudding or custard
Thank you for your Kindness ❤️
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Kirsten, Jan, Jeremy, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller
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.
Anniversaries
Dorothy Coombs, William Ware, John Date, Emma Date
Alice Southcott, Leslie Hudson, Raymond Henton, Meriel Tamlyn, Alison Olding
Recently departed
Carol Walker
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 11th January Matthew 3: 13-end
Monday 12th January Mark 1: 14-20
Tuesday 13th January Mark 1: 21-28
Wednesday 14th January J Mark 1: 29-39
Thursday 15th January Mark 1: 40 - end
Friday 16th January Mark 2: 1-12
Saturday 17th January Mark 2: 13-17
Sunday18th January John 1: 29-42
Collect and reading for Sunday 11th January
Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who ar born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to ou8r calling as your adopted children, 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.
Matthew 3.13-end
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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