MISSION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
w.b. 26th April 2026
Hello All!
As we draw closer to spring bank holiday and Whitsun bank holiday, our thoughts turn towards plans for the summer. I hope that you will put some time aside to consider a course being run by the parishes during June and July which will help build up closer community as church.
The course is called: Pastoral Principles for Living Together Well, and is published by the Pastoral Advisory Group of the Church of England. The description of the course is as follows: As communities of Christians we are held together in the love of Christ. Our many differences are gifts that can build us up in trust and mutual affection....or they can mar the image of Christ that we are called to reflect through our life together. In this course, we are invited to think about six things which impair relationships: prejudice, silence, ignorance, fear, hypocrisy and power. These can hinder our personal growth as Christians, hurt other people, and create barriers that stop our churches from growing into Christian communities of welcome and belonging. They are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit.
Our safeguarding audit last year highlighted the need for us to intentionally focus upon building up our culture in this way, and as such it is a focused invitation to all those who hold roles in the church to take part, as we in turn model the principles of the church community, and hopefully express its values in all that we do. However, the course is open to the whole church community, and a warm welcome awaits all participants.
The course will take place on the evenings of Tuesday 2nd June, Tuesday 9th June, Tuesday 16thJune, Tuesday 23rd June and then Tuesday 7th July. Further details and timings will be shared nearer to the time.
Please let our safeguarding lead Katie Gray know if you will be attending so that resources can be prepared in advance for you. [email protected]
Louise
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 week
Sunday 26th April
10am…Family Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Morning Worship…St Luke’s
6.30pm…Risen with Christ…St Margaret’s
Monday 27th April
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 28th April
Wednesday 29th April
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
1.15pm…Lunchtime Concert…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
Thursday 30th April
2pm…Funeral for Jan Bhanji…St Margaret’s
Friday 1st May
9.00am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Saturday 2nd May
Sunday 3rd May
10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…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 open on Wednesday afternoons until Wednesday 30th September.
St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
Risen with Christ – Sunday 26th April at 6.30 p.m.
An Easter Devotion for choir and congregation – hymns, carols and readings.
The readers are from our local churches.
Do come and join in!
The Dream Big Project
Exciting news! The project work is being formally handed over to Louise and representatives of the PCC by the contractor on Monday afternoon, and professional cleaners will do a deep clean ready for us to move things into their new homes. This will inevitably be a gradual process, as we are dependent on the availability of the relevant people to oversee the moves, but gradually the church will return to normal.
The Musical Lunchbox – Wednesdays at 1.15
Free lunchtime concerts are back!
The first is on Wednesday April 29th. Joyce Clark is back to give another piano recital of classical and romantic music.
Donations for St. Margaret’s and the Dream Big Project.
Cook Book!
A few unsold copies of Tried and Tested, the recipe book which was produced during Covid to raise funds for the church, have been donated to the Dream Big project and are available for a suggested donation of £7.50 (or more). If you missed out before, or have joined the church since they were last on sale, there is now a final opportunity to get hold of a St Margaret’s classic! Please contact Paul or Niki Jakeman, who can deliver copies within the EX3 postcode.
The Flower Festival – Thursday July 16th – Saturday July 18th
The theme this year is “Dreams”.
If you have taken part before you will soon hear from Valerie Holland.
If you would like to do a display this year for the first time, please contact Valerie Holland:
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
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 ❤️
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, Kirsten, Jan, Jeremy, Rob,
Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, David Byrne
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Georgina Lear, John
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
Mike D. Shapland, Bruce Doust, Hilda Crabb
Mary Thomson, Peggy Traynor, Sylvia Shortis, Peter Mathewson, Joan Wheeler, Anne Davies
Recently departed
Jan Bhanji, Brenda Joan Webb
Janet Mutter
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 26th April John 10: 1-10
Monday 27th April John 10: 11-18
Tuesday 28th April John 10: 22-30
Wednesday 29th April John 12: 44 - end
Thursday 30th April John 13: 16-20
Friday 1st May John 14: 1-14
Saturday 2nd May John 14: 7-14
Sunday 3rd May John 14: 1-14
Collect and reading for Sunday 26th April
Almighty God, who enlightened your holy Church through the inpspired witness of your evangelist Saint Mark: grant that we, being firmly grounded in the truth of the gospel, may be faithful to its teaching both in word and deed: 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 10.1-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
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 volunteer roles in our parishes:
Sacristan for St Margaret’s
We are looking for a new Sacristan to join our team and to prepare for the service on the first 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 Clerk to the PCC
St Margaret’s PCC are looking for a volunteer to act as their Clerk. Following training this would involve advising the PCC on procedural matters, liaising with the vicar to set an Annual Cycle of business for the PCC and then drafting agendas. The successful candidate would attend PCC meetings and take minutes and would prepare the Annual Report for the APCM.
The role takes approximately 2 hours per week, with a greater number of hours around the time of PCC meetings.
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 which will recommence weekly in May (with some flexibility during school holidays).
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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