News

Sunday Services for November

9th November: Revd. Dr. Mark Kimber – Remembrance Sunday

16th November: Mr Phil Collins

23rd November: Revd. Andrew Pottage – Holy Communion

30th November: Revd. Peter McNeill

Monthly Thursday Communion will be held in the Sanctuary on 20th November at 11 a.m.

Pastoral News

Doreen Richard's funeral will be held on 7th Nov at 11.00am at Harbour View Crematorium.

A message from our Minister

Being Church has always been more than just attending services. It is about walking closely with Jesus and encouraging one another as we grow in faith. It’s a shared experience, a team effort. We were never meant to do it alone.

Behind the scenes, many faithful people help keep our Church life running smoothly. From Pastoral Care to Safeguarding, Property and Finance, Bookings and Lettings, Stewarding, Refreshments, the Church Council and its Secretary, the Worship Team (flowers, music, AV), our Caretaker, and so many others—thank you. Your quiet dedication is the heartbeat of our community.

We are still working to strengthen our ministry through roles like Administrator and Families Worker. In the meantime, there are opportunities to get involved – especially in:

· Audio/Visual: Help create weekly worship presentations. If I can do it, anyone can!

· Bookings and Lettings: A vital part of our ministry – could you help, even short-term?

If those aren’t quite your thing, perhaps you’d consider helping with Pastoral Care, Stewarding, or Committee organising and support duties. Every role matters, and every contribution helps us be the Church we’re called to be.

Please pray with us this week/month for those who may be called to step forward. Ask God to stir hearts and reveal gifts. Maybe it is you – or someone you know. Perhaps you know a teenager looking to get involved. Perhaps it is a friend seeking meaningful volunteer work to help build community. Or maybe you’ve just been waiting for someone to ask.

Consider this your invitation.

We are open to new ideas and ways of serving. If you feel a nudge — or even just a curiosity — please come and talk to me or one of the Church Stewards. We would love to hear from you, pray with you, and explore together how light might shine in our Church family.

Light and life

Mark

Light Celebration

Our Light Celebration held on Monday 27th October was a busy afternoon. This event serves as an alternative to Halloween, so no witches, ghosts or pumpkins were to be found. Instead, we celebrated the light of Jesus being in our lives. This year we talked about lighthouses, what they do and how important they are. So we made a large lighthouse and small ones to take home. Our story from the Bible told how Jesus calmed the storm on Lake Galilee and we thought about how Jesus can help us through today’s ‘storms’ of life. This event was our biggest Light Celebration yet, with over 40 children and their parents attending. Which only proves that not all parents want the scary stuff that fills our shops at this time of year. Many, many thanks to everyone who helped in any way. We simply could not run these events without your help.

Jan and Joy

RELIGIOUS BOOKS TO BORROW

Have you read a helpful religious book recently? There is certainly a huge range available these days.

If you still have the book, and would be willing to make it available for others to borrow – please let me know.

We will then be arranging for all these books to be readily accessible in the Coffee Lounge.

David Vincent (01202 883061. david.vincent16@outlook.com)

A message from the Flower Team

September and October proved busy months for our small church flower team. We did a display entitled 'Woodland' for the Minster Flower Festival held from 25th – 29th September and then a week later decorated the Sanctuary for our Harvest Festival on 5th October! The Minster Flower Festival proved a great success and there were over 2,000 visitors who enjoyed seeing the beautiful displays provided by various local clubs and organisations thus enabling them to raise more than £10,000 towards planned refurbishments.

In between these events a few of us also provided pedestals of flowers celebrating special occasions for church members such as birthdays and anniversaries. We are now preparing ourselves for decorating the church for Christmas so plenty to keep us busy going forward!

Christine Reach on behalf of the Church Flower Team

A Jigsaw Puzzle Sale of good quality, used puzzles will be held at out church on Saturday 22nd November 10 – 12.30. Refreshments will be available.

Proceeds will go to Routes to Roots, the Poole Homeless charity. Founded on Christian principles, Routes to Roots seeks to help all homeless and vulnerably housed people in Poole regardless of their faith out of the Genesis Centre in Hill Street – an old Methodist church.

Since 2000 Routes to Roots has supported rough sleepers, vulnerably housed (sofa surfers or in B&Bs) and newly housed (formerly homeless) adults in Poole.

At five drop-ins they provide basic necessities, such as showers, hot food, clothing and sleeping bags and help those who need it access services, such as addiction or mental health teams who visit the centre. Visit routestoroots.og.uk to read more about their work and come and support the sale.

With blessings

Linda Bennett
On behalf of the Stewards