MISSION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
w.b. 8th November 2026
Dear Friends!
This week in five daily reflections sent out to the church I wrote about fighting fear. There is so much in the news and possibilities we face in our lives that can make us fearful. But if we let the love of God permeate our lives and our churches we have to stand against fear in all its forms. The very brokenness of our world is robbed of peace. Fear can motivate our thinking, our action and our words. Yet the very heart of our loving God wanted us to know peace. If we can glimpse how much God loves us as seen in the life of Jesus, we can receive the peace that offers each of us.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27
All we need to do is to accept this offer and give out his love in all we do and say. Have a great weekend!
Blessings
Peter
Revd Louise’s ministry: temporary amended duties
On medical advice, I am working amended duties until 11th November inclusive. During this time, I remain at work full time, undertaking training and other duties, but will be stepping back from leading public worship and other large scale public-facing commitments.
Thank you for your understanding and for giving me the space to follow this advice. I am grateful to everyone helping to sustain the life of our churches during this period.
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 8th November (Remembrance Sunday)
9.30am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
6.30am…Evensong…St Margaret’s
Monday 9th November
9.30am…Mini-Messy Church…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Julian Contemplative Prayer…St Margaret’s
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 10th November
Wednesday 11th November
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
2.30pm…Holy Communion…Watermeadow Grange
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
7pm…PCC Meeting…St Margaret’s
Thursday 12th November
Friday 13th November
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Saturday 14th November
12.30pm…Baptisms…St Margaret’s
3pm…Wedding…St Luke’s
Sunday 15th November
8am…BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Joint Holy Communion…St Margaret’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 Church is open every day between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
We have received a nice letter of thanks from the Exmouth Food Bank for our contributions at harvest. The food bank collection is continuing, and we have the contact details so someone can collect from the church when the box is full.
In church this weekend are three samples of a new set of chairs that the PCC is considering. The comfortable blue chairs will remain, but we will have new chairs for the south transept and for special services, concerts and other events. Thanks to St Leonard’s church for the loan, and for sharing their experience of using the chairs over a number of years. Please try them out!
Mini Messy Church has returned!
We are delighted to let you know that Mini Messy Church is back on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the back of the church.
This is 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!
Update
Mini Messy has been really well attended, and we have welcomed eleven families into the church just this week. We hope to see many more next term! The group runs during term time only.
Here is what some of our families had to say:
"Mini Messy Church has become a special part of our week. It’s a lovely way to feel part of the church community and connect with other local families." — Sophie (with Jack, 8 months)
"The boys felt at home straight away and really enjoyed the thoughtful craft stations and singing at the end. We can’t wait for the next one!" - Katie (with boys aged 3 & 1)
How You Can Help to welcome new families
Knitted Nativity Characters: We would love some knitted Nativity characters for the children to play with. If any knitters in the congregation can help, please contact Pippa on [email protected] and I will source and print the patterns for you
Empty Toilet Rolls: Please save your empty loo rolls for an upcoming children's Christmas craft activity! These can be left in the children's area
Volunteer Support: We’re delighted to have found two amazing volunteers for Mini Messy, but we now really need one or two more for our Kids Matter parent support groups—a course designed to support young families most in need in our community. If you can help, please get in touch.
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
These have finished for the year.
Thank you to everyone for loyally supporting these concerts. After expenses, about £4,500 was raised for funds.
The next series will start in April 2027.
Tea/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, Graham Daurge
Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Gail Miller, Anthony Appleby, David Byrne
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Georgina Lear, Paul Morgan, Fran Gollop
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
John Lear, Dorothy Price, Tony and Vivienne Counter
Brian Parkinson, Joan Ashford, George Simey, James Fricker
Recently departed
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 8th November Matthew 25: 1-13
Monday 9th November Luke 17: 1-6
Tuesday 10th November Luke 17: 7-10
Wednesday 11th November Luke 17: 11-19
Thursday 12th November Luke 17: 20-25
Friday 13th November Luke 17: 26 - end
Saturday 14th November Luke 18: 1-8
Sunday 15th November Matthew 25: 14-30
Collect and reading for Sunday 8th November
Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Matthew 25.1-13
‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.
But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”
Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”
But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”
And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.
Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.”
But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”
Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
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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