From the Curate

Christmas Cards, Carol Services, and Alpha

Sunday marks the launch of our Christmas Card, wonderfully designed by one of our children, Niamh Fenlon. We would love to encourage everyone to prayerfully choose three people to pray for daily who you would like to give a Christmas card to, and personally invite them to our Carol Services in December.

At the start of 2024 we want to provide an opportunity for every guest who comes over the Christmas season to explore the good news of Jesus. That’s why we will be running Alpha again. Alpha is a 10-week course where people invite their family and friends for a conversation about faith, life, and God. Each session begins with food and a short film about an aspect of Christianity. There’s plenty of time to discuss, ask questions, and listen to others. It’s a free and fun way for people who don’t normally come to church, or wouldn’t consider themselves Christians, to explore faith. We are offering Alpha at two different times:

Revd Roland Slade is leading Alpha on Thursday mornings 9.30am- 11.30am from 11th January, and Revd Simon Oatridge is leading Alpha on Monday evenings, 7.30pm-10.00pm from 15th January. Who would you like to give our Christmas Card to and invite to our Carol services? Who would you like to invite to go on Alpha in 2024?

Let us all pray that God would put three people on our heart to invite.

Rev. Simon Oatridge

From the Curate

This Sunday, we welcome our uniformed groups to our service of remembrance. We give thanks for the ultimate sacrifice made by so many to ensure our freedom and peace. We reflect too on the horrors and evil of war in our world today.  With ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly filling our news screens, Jesus’ words to his first disciples over 2000 years ago resonate with our own time and age: “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24.6-7).

As we pray for peace and justice in the war-torn places in God’s world, may we do so as those who have Jesus’ words in our hearts as a source of comfort and strength. The end to the evils of war will come, says our Lord. There is a promised day when the earth will be filled not with violence, but with the peace of Christ, the one who sacrificed his life that we might enjoy peace with God.

May each of us know his presence and his hope in our lives this day.

Revd Simon Oatridge

From the Children's Minister

When I watch the news it often reminds me of how much darkness there is in our world and the important job we, as Christians, have to share Jesus’ light, hope, love and peace. On Tuesday we had our annual Light Party and it was an absolute joy to have 79 under 11s and members of their families come to church, have fun and hear about Jesus being the Light of the World but also challenging them with the words we find in Matthew 5 “You are the light of the world”. We hope and pray for each person that came to our Light Party that they would know Christ’s light for themselves and then share that light with others they meet. For party bags we gave out the Arise Bags of Hope, which had some Bible stories and an invitation to know more about Jesus, as well as a card inviting them to our Christmas services, chocolates, an LED toy and some sweets.

Please do join me in praying that God would work through the things the children and adults heard and experienced at the party and through the Bible stories and invitations, so that each person would be drawn to Christ and meet with Him in a transformative way.

Please also join me in giving thanks to God for the marvellous volunteers who worked very hard to make the party such a wonderful evening and for the many answers to prayer. Despite having more children than we expected, there was enough food to go round, everyone stayed safe, had fun and all the technology worked, improving the way we could deliver the talk. Praise God!

Rosie Blackett
Children’s Minister

From the Parish Safeguarding Officer

It is with mixed feelings that I find myself writing my last message to you as Parish Safeguarding Officer. After serving in this role for the past five years I am stepping down at the end of October. It has been both a challenging and a very rewarding role – and one that I could not have carried out on my own. I want to take this opportunity to thank members of the Ministry Team for their support for safeguarding. I am especially indebted to Rosie, the only remaining member of the Ministry Team who was in post when I was first appointed. I was very green when I started as PSO, and I learnt so much from Rosie in those early days. Her strong commitment to ensuring that safeguarding measures are in place to protect children who take part in our various activities was, and still is, a huge encouragement to me.

I would also like to thank the many volunteers who so freely give of their time to support activities involving children, youth and vulnerable adults. They have all undergone DBS checks and safeguarding training to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all involved in the church. I am also grateful to members of the church family who generously provide support to individuals who are experiencing difficulties in life.  I could not have carried out this role without your help.

 Although Mark as our Vicar and I as PSO oversee safeguarding, we do so on behalf of the PCC who are ultimately responsible. I would like to thank PCC and the Wardens, who have served over the past five years, for ensuring that safeguarding is integrated into the very fabric of church life.

 As I write this message we have yet to identify a replacement for me. I would ask you to join me and the Ministry Team in praying that the person of God’s choosing will be called to this important role in serving our whole church community. It an immensely rewarding role and well supported through help and advice from the Diocesan Safeguarding team.  I will be happy to support the new person(s) in transitioning into this role.

Finally, I would like to remind us all that we serve a God who cares deeply for the vulnerable. The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us of our responsibilities to care for others in need. In Matthew Chapter 25, Jesus also urges us to care for the hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, and prisoners, reminding us that in caring for the vulnerable ‘Truly, I tell you that whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me’. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility and looking after the vulnerable in our church community remains a central part of how we all serve our Lord.

Kate Gerrish

From the Associate Vicar

Praying for peace in the Middle East

I’m sure we have all been shocked by recent atrocities in Israel and Gaza over the past week and wondered how can we pray for this situation?

Here are four things we can be praying for:

• We can pray for protection of people, the majority of whom are caught up as innocent bystanders in this conflict.

• Pray for peace in the region and both short term and long term solution - Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.’ (Psalm 122:6-7)

• Pray for divine intervention to this human made catastrophe. When we can’t see a solution we know a God who intercedes for us - Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. (Luke 12:2)

• Pray for Jews and Muslims in this country who are receiving hatred and discrimination.

Revd Roland Slade

From the Vicar

 Stewardship Sunday 

‘Time, Treasures, Talents’

Dear Friends,

I am very grateful to the staff and finance team for providing some clear resources and instructions as to how we can all be involved in Stewardship Sunday this year. Please listen and read carefully to all that is said in the context of all our public acts of worship this Sunday. Thank you also to Sue Blaby and Tim Robinson who in addition to their already substantial contributions to our parish will be interviewed live this week.

As was made visible in the official parish profile for the appointment of a new Vicar in 2020, the finances of the Parish were in a precarious position. Thanks to your generosity and the thoroughness of the finance team in the last couple of years we have returned to a more stable position. Going forward, and we always need to look ahead, any development (continuation of a Youth Ministry post and the appointment of a half time Music Minister for example) will need to see an increase in funds, hopefully from new regular givers who are not yet part of our easy-to-join scheme and, where possible, an increase prayerfully considered by our regular members. As last year, so this year, Stewardship will tangibly express our ongoing desire that giving is not just in fiscal terms but also in terms of time and talents. Do your best please to ensure that both forms are filled in and returned. Last year saw half of you returning forms (previously it was an embarrassing quarter or a fifth!)

Join with me in praying for a united response (everyone returns something) and a generous response that our prayerfully discerned targets might be met despite the challenging circumstance many are facing with their personal finances.in parts of the country The finance team are always happy to answer questions in detail – please just ask them.

I have put the following times in my diary to meet with any who wish to come to discuss any aspect of our work and the future direction of travel at All Saints. Your time and your gifts are important in the Lord’s service and if a conversation with me, with others might help, then please come along. The door is always open in any event so please don’t feel shy to ask for another time slot. They are: Monday 30th October 10:00-11am, 2:30-3:30pm or 7:30-8:30pm all in church.

The important above mentioned forms are available as hard copies in church but you can also download copies here.

Read, reflect, pray, fill in and return asap.

Thank you in the Lord’s name for your partnership in the Lord’s work. May we see others find and grow in faith during these days.

The Revd Canon Mark Brown

From the Curate

‘So I mustn't forget, No, I mustn't forget. To say a great big Thank You, I mustn't forget…’

Each year as Autumn arrives, I am transported back to my primary school and singing “Autumn Days”. The song captures something of the child-like delight of being alive, of appreciating life, and of being grateful for the gifts of each day.

As we celebrate Harvest on Sunday we are reminded of all that we have been given by God. It is an opportunity, in our entitled society, to give thanks for all that comes from the hand of our good and generous heavenly Father, to recognise our indebtedness to the abundance of his creation, and our dependence upon others for our daily bread. The festival of harvest has the power to school the people of God in the annual – and daily – calling “to say a great big thank you” for all we receive, and to imitate God by generously giving to others in need.

The benefits of cultivating an attitude of gratitude are well celebrated – and gratefulness is a key aspect of the renewal of our minds as followers of Jesus Christ. Who can you say thank you to this week? What would it look like to be grateful for the person working on the supermarket till, your local butcher, or the farmers in our parish? How can you grow in gratefulness? Why not think of three things you are thankful for from the day as your head hits the pillow. Or you could begin a gratitude journal, pausing to write down what you are thankful for each week. As the song says, let’s not forget to say thank you.

Yours, in gratefulness for our shared life together,
Revd Simon Oatridge

From the Treasurer

At the last PCC meeting Mark made one of his amusing, but at the same time  serious comments in his Vicar’s item.  He said the two questions he gets asked most as he greets visitors or potential members of the church family are: “where are the toilets?” and “where/how can I leave my financial gift?” These are questions hopefully every church family member can answer!

Giving via the plate or the digital machine is always welcome. So far in 2023 around £4,500 (including gift aid) has been donated by these means from people attending services or events such as the friendly stops. However, by the end of the year it will probably only represent 1.5% to 2% of total giving.   

It is, therefore, great when All Saints becomes “our church”,  that the question  often changes to: “how do we give regularly?”  This can bring a sense of belonging to the All Saints church family and be an important way of contributing to our joint life together.  If can be a sign of the Spirit working in us and a way of responding to Jesus’ amazing love for us.  Leaflets on how to join the pledged giving scheme are always by the digital machine on the stewardship table.

It will be Stewardship Sunday on Sunday 15th October, a time for us all to reflect on how we give of our time, talents and treasure.  As part of this,  members of the church family will receive a letter setting out why PCC would love to see  regular giving grow substantially as we seek to sustain and develop activities to meet Jesus through His Open Door.  

I look forward to answering any questions you may have on our finances on Stewardship Sunday. I am also happy to answer them throughout the year!

Julia Newton
Treasurer