Dear Brothers and Sisters!What a joy to welcome so many people to St Margaret’s this last week for the Patronal Flower Festival! Many thanks to everyone who has stewarded and provided refreshments. It’s been wonderful to see the beauty and creativity of the displays, each with their unique interpretation of the Olympic theme, many using the same flowers but in ingeniously different ways. Using the resources at our disposal to achieve more than we ever thought possible is also the theme of this Sunday’s readings. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle, apart from the resurrection, to be recorded in all four gospels. We may feel that our resources as a Mission Community in terms of people and finances are limited, but we can be encouraged that if we faithfully offer what we have, God is able “to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3.20).Every blessingMaggie(Please note Maggie will be on leave from 27th July to 5th August)Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill by the end of Thursday and material for A Church Near You to Tony Raven: tony@theravens.orgServices and calendar for the weekSaturday 27 July 10am-5pm…Flower Festival…St Margaret’sSunday 28 July 10am…Family Friendly Holy Communion…St Margaret’s10am…Morning Worship…St Luke’s12noon…Baptism…St Luke’s6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’sMonday 29 July 10am…Take 5…St Margaret’s 7pm…Compline… Zoom Tuesday 30 July 9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s10.30am…Coffee and Chat…St Luke’s church roomsWednesday 31 July 10am…Morning Worship…Zoom11am…Summer Study Group…St Margaret’s 2-4pm…Open Church…St Luke’s 6.30pm…PCC…St Margaret’sThursday 1 August 10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s 3.15-4.15…Summer Study Group…St Luke’sFriday 2 August 9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s12.30pm…Funeral…St Margaret’sSaturday 3 August 8am…Prayer breakfast…St Margaret’sSunday 4 August 10am…Eucharist…St Margaret’s 10am…Eucharist…St Luke’sThe Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)St. Luke’s church is now open on Wednesday afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.All are welcome...To look aroundTo sit quietly for a whileTo light a prayer candleTo pray.Bookings - St. Margaret’s bookings has been taken over by Caryll Ingerslev. Contact: C.I.churchbookings@outlook.comNews and NoticesSummer Study and Fellowship groupsWe meet on Wednesday 31st July for our final “Holy Habits” session in the social area of St Margaret's Church at 11am (tea/coffee from 10.40). All are welcome (even if you haven’t been before-each session stands alone). We plan to run a new course in the autumn. St Luke's are reading the same book, starting on Thursdays 3-15 pm - 4-15 pm, meeting in their Church rooms and also serving tea/coffee. All are welcome. Flower Festival at St. Margaret’s – Thursday 25th - 27th JulyIf you haven’t already, do come down to St. Margaret’s and enjoy the amazing displays. Refreshments available and proceeds to be split between Bread of Life and St. Margaret’s church funds.Wednesday 7th August, 3 – 5pm – There will be Cream teas in the garden of Ken and Sandra Greedy at 29 Southbrook Road, Countess Wear. Tickets are £5 and can be obtained from Ken, Sandra or Brian Bolt, or phone Ken and Sandra at 01392 271458 or e mail – Kenneth.greedy@sky.com. All proceeds will go to St. Luke’s Church Funds. We are hoping that the weather will be suitable to sit in the garden, not pouring with rain, as happened for the Desserts Alfresco evening.Please find the August newsletters for St. Margaret’s and St. Luke’s attached.Exmouth Food BankSupplies We Are Short Of This Month – July 2024 T ins of baked beans & spaghetti hoopsCerealsStir in pasta /pasta bake saucesTins or packets of soupTinned fruitPeanut butterJars of jamCoffeeTea bagsPackets of biscuitsShampoo & conditionerThe Exmouth Foodbank urgently needs bags for life/large plastic bags to enable people to carry their food parcels home. Thank you.Many thanks for your support. We simply couldn’t do this without you!Thank you in advance for your generosity!For further information email: info@exmouthfoodbank.org 07787758511PrayersFor those who are ill or in need of our prayers:Roger Fogwill, Lucy, Pauline, Jill and Adrian, Michael, Kirsten, Chris Whitehead, Fay, Anne, Tony Bradford, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Carol WalkerHousebound or in nursing/care homes:Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina LearPlease pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.AnniversariesMollie Cann, Elsie Williams, Timothy Orpen, Sven HerzogRecently departedPeter GouldGospel Readings for the coming weekSunday 28th July John 6: 1-21Monday 29th July Matthew 13: 31-35Tuesday 30th July Matthew 13: 36-43Wednesday 31st July Matthew 13: 44-46Thursday 1st August Matthew 13: 47-53Friday 2nd August Matthew 13: 54-endSaturday 3rd August Matthew 14: 1-12Sunday 4th August John 6: 24-35Collect and reading for Sunday 28th JulyAlmighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the light and life of your church: open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; 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..1-21Feeding the Five ThousandAfter this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.Jesus Walks on the WaterWhen evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.
As we all pray for peace in Israel and Palestine, please do keep alert to the work of Bethlehem Bible college whom we have been supporting for several years now.All of us at the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice have been shocked and horrified at the ongoing war in Gaza and the unimaginable suffering of the Gazan people. The magnitude of the destruction is beyond comprehension. A thriving city has been destroyed, as well as thousands of innocent lives, the most significant percentage being women and children. The murder of many Israelis was a tragedy, but Israel's response has been beyond excessive. A ceasefire must occur so that the indiscriminate attack on schools and hospitals where thousands of Gazans are sheltered is stopped. Instead of trivializing the need for peace and justice studies, the magnitude of the destruction is a statement of the fruit of the neglect of peacemaking and justice studies. Therefore, we are pressing ahead with all our programs at the BIPJ. Every semester peacemakers from an array of nations from Japan to Tanzania to Belgium and Canada are pursuing graduate-level studies with us for either credit or audit. Anthony Khair, a talented student at Bethlehem Bible College, says of his studies with the BIPJ this semester: "After living through this war in Palestine. I've realized more than ever how important it is to study peacemaking and justice. Therefore, I am eager to continue taking the BIPJ's spring semester course to have a broader knowledge of how to deal with injustices in our context and internationally." Our BIPJ course participants have established deep relationships with each other. The cohort from our two-week residential Summer Intensive last May has continued their conversations about peacemaking and met in live Zoom sessions during the war. The BIPJ is a peacemaking community. Our conviction at the BIPJ is that the more people study peace, the less conflict and war there will be. The prophet Isaiah's vision of the age of the Messiah points to the time when people will not learn about war: "He shall judge between the nations and shall decide disputes for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2.4). Instead of learning about war, people must know how to make peace to heal our world. We are so grateful you are part of the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice family. We pray that the Lord will multiply grace and wisdom to you during these difficult days. Let's urgently pray together for the war to end soon. One of the Bethlehem Bible College students, Rose, offers this prayer: In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, JESUS, I want you to be the sunshine of our life. We ask you to be with our people in Gaza, to protect them under their broken homes. Please be with the mothers, fathers, and their children. Our hearts are broken because so many people have died. Amen. For Christ always –
1 Corona Virus Guidance Click on this heading to go to Exeter Diocese Site and lots of information2 Love Topsham All sorts of news and events going on here only a click away3 Estuary League of Friends All sorts of help can be found here from advise about COVID-19 to having your toenails looked after.4 Coronavirus - Support for Schools, Parents and Pupils - Help is at hand.5 Difficult Conversations A resource from the NSPCC6 Childline More information for parents and children7 Information for parents - Talking about difficult topics