“What’s to do?” A new Methodist year, new activities to get involved with, new ways to welcome folk into church. What would God have us do in our community? What will you be able to do to keep our church alive and welcoming? What will you do, try, pray?
The new homework club might be something you could help with; maybe you could help with the Friday coffee drop in. Don’t think these are things you can’t do, just get involved, even once a month, and God will honour your efforts.
Our craft and friendship group is another occasion where we open our church to anyone who would like to share friendship – bring your own craft or not – it is a way of sharing and welcoming. Our Men’s Group and Women’s Circle meet once a month so if you know of anyone who would like to be part of these meetings, then please don’t hesitate to invite them, we would love to welcome them.
We also have Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meeting on our premises. Do you know of a family whose children would like to enjoy their activities – tell them.
All the above activities and invitations are ways we can show friendship and love. Moreover our church services can be a real life-changer. Invite someone to get to know Jesus and tell them the difference being His friend makes in your life. That would be the most wonderful invitation and could result in a life changed which again could change another when they tell the story too.
Services in September
Worship at 10:30am
1st – Revd T Nowell, Holy Communion
8th – Mr K Chester
15th – Own Arrangements
22nd – Revd T Nowell, Cafe Church
29th Revd T Nowell, Baptism
Dates for your Diary
Mon. 16 Sept – Women’s Circle – 7pm
Tues. 24 Sept – Homework Club – 3.30-5pm
Fri. 27 Sept – Coffee Drop-in – 9.10-30am
Sat. 28 Sept – Messy Harvest – 10.30-lunch
Mon. 30 Sept – Craft & Friendship group – 10.30am
Mon. 30 Sept – Bible Study 10.30am
Sun. 06 Oct. – Harvest Festival followed by Lunch
Sat. 19 Oct – Jumble Sale
Environmental Concerns
Do you look round your house and wonder where changes could help protect our environment. One room which often has lots of plastic bottles and tubs is the bathroom. Plastic toothbrushes from decades ago have been dug up and they have not degraded and so one small item millions of times over polluting our earth. Bamboo toothbrushes with degradable bristles are widely available now.
Holland & Barratt sell bio-degradable heads for electric toothbrushes.
Have you looked at the toothpaste you use? Is its tube recyclable and are the ingredients natural? Look further afield and find a natural product without chemicals – it will clean your teeth just as well and help our environment. Do you turn off the tap while cleaning your teeth? We can waste six litres or more of water by leaving the tap running. Fill a small cup with water and use this to rinse your brush and mouth.
The toilet too uses lots of water – 15-20 litres – reduce your consumption by placing a brick (carefully) in the cistern or fill a plastic bottle with water, cap it and place in the cistern; as well as helping our environment your water bills will be reduced.
Lastly save trees. On average families use 110 rolls of toilet paper over a year and less that 10% are made with recycled paper which means virgin forests in Scandinavia are used. With regard to paper tissues also, did you know you can buy tissues made from sugar cane? Much sweeter than cutting down virgin forest!
Groups and Events
Women’s Circle
When we hold our September meeting we have our very short AGM looking back and looking forward to what our speakers will have to tell us. Please join our easy-going group, we’d love to see you and welcome your input.
Women’s Anniversary Celebration Weekend will be 15th and 16th October when we have our Coffee Morning on the Saturday and welcome our visiting preacher, Vicki Vallow.
Men’s Group
All men are welcome at 7.15am when a variety of speakers are invited through the year. Thank you to
everyone who supported our Coffee morning, we raised £63.30.
Messy Harvest
Saturday, 28th September, 10.30am – noon Come and share a fun morning with us as we think
about the world God has given to us and how we can protect and cherish it. Crafts, singing and lunch will fill our morning. Everyone is welcome.
Craft Group
Our Craft and Friendship group meets on Monday mornings from 10am. Our new term will see us creating items ready for the Shoeboxes which provide items for those in Eastern Europe who have very little. We shall also be making and wrapping things for our Christmas Fair.
Please come and join us, bring you own craft, help us wrap Shoeboxes and prepare for Christmas Fair; or just come and share friendship with us. We have soup and a roll at the end of the morning before we head home and everyone is welcome.
Other News
Jam Jars
If you bought jam from church recently, please could you let me have the empty jars ready for another batch of jam! Thanks, Irene.
Shoeboxes
Shoeboxes will need to be collected at the end of October so please remember to get your items ready.
Deadline for October Newsletter – 22nd September 2019
If you have any news to share then please be aware of the above date and let Irene have your item a few days before.
Closing Thoughts
Responding to the Gospel is the title of this year’s Prayer Handbook – a resource which helps us think about God’s world and God’s people. However, the title is something all Christians try to do day by day. Let God’s love speak to you as you read your Bible and pray for His world and His people with thanksgiving, with penitence and intercession, asking God that we take responsibility for our actions and participate in the healing of creation.
Here is a prayer from this year’s handbook and most appropriate for our new initiatives with the Coffee Drop and Homework Club.
Lord of the Harvest, we pray for more harvest hands. We come to you knowing that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. We pray for willing harvest hands to join in your work in our communities so that all might come to know they are loved and cherished. As we commit ourselves to pray, renew our hope and restore our passion so that we might welcome your guidance and influence. May your kingdom come and your will be done. Amen.
Download a PDF copy of the Newsletter
If you would like to download a PDF copy of the newsletter, you can do so here.