MISSION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
w.b. 11th October 2026
Dear Friends
Returning from my annual leave has given rise to me reflecting upon the past six months and the months ahead.
Many of you will have received or heard about the notification of the Bishop’s visitation to our benefice. Given its public circulation, I believe it is important that you also hear briefly from me.
I have raised substantial concerns about the visitation process and its report. Those concerns remain unresolved. My decision to respect confidentiality and avoid discussing individuals publicly should not be understood as agreement with everything that has been said or written.
This has been a prolonged and deeply distressing experience, with a significant impact. Although I remain a familiar public face in our churches and community, much of that experience has necessarily been carried privately.
I recognise that parishioners may have questions and concerns. I ask that we make space for fair hearing, respect confidentiality, and avoid treating disputed accounts as established facts. These responsibilities matter to the wellbeing of everyone involved.
I remain grateful for the kindness, prayer and practical support I have received, and for the relationships built through more than eleven years of ministry here. I am seeking a fair resolution that respects the dignity and wellbeing of all concerned, including my family.
Louise
Louise’s email address: [email protected]
Safeguarding
For any safeguarding concerns, please contact :
Katie Gray: [email protected]
For issues with rough sleepers:
Louise Grace: [email protected]
Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by Thursday evening.
Services and calendar for the week
Sunday 11th October
10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
3pm…Forest Church…St Luke’s
3pm…Concert…St Margaret’s
Monday 12th October
10am…Kid’s Matter…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Julian Contemplative Prayer…St Margaret’s
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 13th October
10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s
Wednesday 14th October
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
1.15pm…Lunchtime Concert…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
Thursday 15th October
Friday 16th October
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Saturday 17th October
Sunday 18th October
8am…BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Joint Holy Communion…St Luke’s
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 churchwarden can be contacted on:
[email protected] or phone 01392 271458
St. Margaret’s Churchwarden can be contacted on:
St. Luke’s Church is now closed during the week for the winter.
St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
Mini Messy Church Returns Monday, 12th October!
We are delighted to let you know we are bringing back Mini Messy Church starting on Monday, 12th October from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM in the back of the church.
This will be a weekly drop-in space once again for young children and their families to gather for stories, songs, and friendly connection. No pre-booking is required—just pop in, and please help us spread the word to any local families who would love to join us!
Help us stock our Baby Bank at St Margaret’s
We’re excited to be setting up a Baby Bank at St Margaret’s, providing practical support to local families who may be finding things financially difficult.
We’re looking for good-quality, clean items that can be passed on to families and put to good use. We’d particularly welcome:
Baby and children’s clothes (newborn–5 years), freshly washed and in good condition
Sleepsuits, babygrows and sleepwear
Coats and warm clothing
Socks, tights and hats
Nappies of all sizes
Unopened baby wipes
Unopened baby toiletries, such as baby wash, shampoo and lotion
Baby feeding equipment such as bottles, cups and bowls
We’re especially grateful for everyday essentials that families can use straight away. If you have clothes that your children have grown out of but are still in lovely condition, or unopened baby essentials that you no longer need, we’d love to receive them.
We’re hoping to create something that is welcoming, practical and dignified for local families, with a good selection of things that parents and carers can genuinely choose from and use.
Please email me to organise any donations before bringing to the church - [email protected]
Thank you for helping us get our Baby Bank off the ground and for supporting local families in our community.
The Musical Lunchbox – Wednesdays at 1.15
Free lunchtime concerts!
The next one is on Wednesday 14th October. Trios by Farrenc and Martinu, Robert Stephenson, flute Amye Farrell, cello, Roger Stephenson, piano
St Margaret’s Church, Topsham Sunday 11th October 2026, 3 p.m.
Come & Sing with Exeter Singers
conductor: Tony Yates organist: Matthew Wright, hymns to well-known Classical tunes including Dvorak’s Largo (Hovis bread), Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, Charpentier’s Trumpet Tune (Eurovision), Holst’s “Jupiter” theme, and “Finlandia” by Sibelius with 20th Century Choral Music sung by Exeter Singers Admission free: donations to local care charity, FORCE.
Coffee and Cake
We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesdays 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
If you are kind enough to be planning to donate to us, we would be grateful to receive the following priority items:
Crisps/savoury snacks
Bottles of squash e.g orange squash
Jams/peanut butter
Tins of soup
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
Hair shampoo & conditioner
Thank you for your Kindness ❤️13-20
We are also really short of clean, large 'bags for life'
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Jan, Jeremy, Graham Daurge
Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Gail Miller, Anthony Appleby
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Georgina Lear, Paul Morgan
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
Peter Phillipps, David Gillard, John Burrow
Patricia Aykroyd, John Sharples, Gerald May, Lionel Gould
Recently departed
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 11th October Mathew 22: 1-14
Monday 12th October Luke 11: 29-32
Tuesday 13th October Luke 11: 37-41
Wednesday 14th October Luke 11: 42-46
Thursday 15th October Luke 11: 47 - end
Friday 16th October Luke 12: 1-7
Saturday 17th October Luke 12: 8-12
Sunday 18th October Luke 10: 1-9
Collect and reading for Sunday 11th October
O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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 22.1-14
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.
Positions vacant
St Margarets’ Topsham and St Luke’s Countess Wear are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory DBS check of the appropriate level for the role.
We are currently wishing to appoint suitable people to the following paid role in our parishes:
Cleaner
St Margaret’s Church Topsham is looking for a cleaner to work in our newly refurbished social area. The area includes a new toilet area, kitchen servery and communal area.
You will be employed to work for 2 hours a week (1 hour early in the week and 1 hour towards the end of the week). There may be an opportunity for additional hours after specific larger events.
This is a paid, contracted role at £15 per hour (holiday pay will be paid). All required health and safety training, products, equipment and PPE will be provided.
If you take pride in your work, have an eye for detail and want to be an essential part of our community creating a welcoming space for all, then we would welcome your application.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
We are currently wishing to appoint suitable people to the following volunteer roles in our parishes:
Cleaner for Main Body of Church
St Margaret’s Church Topsham is looking for more volunteers to join our team who clean the main body of the church not the new social area.
The role involves spending an hour every four weeks (or less frequently if we can recruit enough cleaners), working in a group of two. The work involved includes:
Vacuuming the carpets in the entrance, in front of the altar, and in the little side chapel
Sweeping the aisles and the pews
Dusting the woodwork (pews, choir stalls and any other woodwork)
It should not take more than an hour each time and you can arrange a time to suit your team.
Please do think about joining the team. Our group of volunteers is becoming smaller and some of the members have mobility issues and may not be able to continue for much longer.
If you take pride in your work, have an eye for detail and want to be an essential part of our community to create a welcoming space for all then we would welcome your application.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
Sacristan for St Margaret’s
We are looking for a new Sacristan to join our team and to prepare for the service on the second Sunday of the month. The successful applicant will need to spend approximately twenty minutes on a Friday or Saturday to make the required preparations in the vestry, in readiness for the Sunday morning service. Then on Sunday you would be required to arrive at 09:30 to lay everything out on the altar and spend time after the service putting things away.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
Volunteer in Forest church.
We hold a monthly service that needs volunteer support to assist in delivering activities alongside established leaders. A requirement will be to arrive early to help with the set up and read the plans for the session. You would then be expected to help in the clearing up afterwards. You would be needed from 2.30 pm until 4.00pm every Second Sunday of each month. The activity takes place at St Luke’s Church.
Essential requirement: experience of working with families.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
Volunteer for St Luke’s Intercessions
St Luke’s Church is looking for volunteers to lead the intercessions during the 10 o’clock Sunday Service. Volunteers take turns to lead the prayers once a month on a rota.
The successful candidates will need to liaise with the incumbent and leadership team. They will need to give approximately one hour preparation time in the run up to each service. Prayer resources are encouraged to be used.
Key skills: clarity and appropriate communication, confidentiality, awareness of current affairs and needs for prayer further afield as well as local, team player, humility and ability to convey pastoral care.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
Volunteer Second Lead for the Parent and Toddler Groups at St Margaret’s Church
St Margaret’s Church is looking for a volunteer Second Lead to help run our friendly ‘Mini Messy’ Parent and Toddler Groups and the ‘Kids Matter’ parenting programme.
St Margaret’s Church is seeking a warm, energetic, and compassionate individual to join our team as a Second Lead for our thriving Parent and Toddler groups. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys interacting with young children and fostering meaningful connections with parents and caregivers.
The Second Lead will support the running of our sessions, working closely with our group leader to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all attendees. These groups play a key role in our church’s mission to provide community support, foster spiritual curiosity, and offer encouragement in a non-judgmental and respectful environment.
Are you energetic, great with children, and love connecting with parents and caregivers? Join us in creating a welcoming space where everyone can feel part of a community, explore Christian values, and have meaningful conversations — no matter their beliefs.
Must be happy to chat, play, and support!
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description
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