St. Mary’s month for collecting in the House Boxes is October so please would you bring your boxes along on a Sunday in October?

The Children’s Society Service will be held on Sunday 20th October at 10am, so this could be the opportunity for you to bring your house boxes back to church so that the money for 2024 can be counted and sent off to the Children’s Society.

If you would like to join our House Box team, I will have sign-up sheets for the House Boxes as well as a house box for you to take away, thank you.

 Please let me know if you are unable to get to church as I am happy to collect your box from you, so please call me, Monica Mason, on 01460 221356, thank you.

Monica Mason – Your House Box Co-ordinator

We hoped for pleasant weather for our annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic, but the forecast was for thundery showers during the afternoon. Saturday came and we were so lucky that the forecast changed, and we were able to have the Zip Wire outside from the tower which the teddies actually prefer as 90 teddies went down on the zip wire.

The outside treasure hunt also benefitted from the drier weather and 60 treasure hunters took part in this annual hunt.

These numbers are a good indication of how well attended the Teddy Bears’ Picnic was this year with an amazing atmosphere inside the Church where adults and children alike were having such fun.

There were children’s games of Roll a 10p; drop a Disc and Hook A Duck which kept the children entertained for quite a while. The play dough table was popular as always.

We had the ever-popular prize-every-time Teddy Tombola and Guess the name of the Panda for all. The lucky winner guessed the name of Peter the Panda

For the adults there was a great assortment of jewellery, lighted bottles, wax teddy bears plus other gift items. The plant stall was new this year and was a popular addition.

The craft tables were busy with adults and children having fun making their teddy bear related crafts.

In the hall refreshments were being served and the raffle was being held.

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to help and support the Teddy Bears’ Picnic and help us raise £556.88 for Church funds. £527.88 on the day and donations of £29 on Sunday from the sale of plants and from  those who could not be there on Saturday.

On Monday 28^th July a large group of very excited children, and slightly apprehensive leaders will be gathering for the start of Holiday Club week at Holyrood school. Please pray for us.

The theme this year is Space. An adventure where imagination can run wild, where children’s minds will take them to incredible places, unencumbered by the restraints that get in the way of an adult mind. 

They will be able to see things, and dream up thoughts we have long put behind us. Sadly.

In good old Star Trek words, they will go where no one has been before.

In amongst the space adventures, we will all have a travelling companion alongside us in Jesus, the children will be learning about his life and what he gives to us, they will hear the words of Jesus without preconception but just as they are.

While we were preparing for worship this week, we looked at this story of Jesus

In Matthew 19 v 13-15 we read: One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left.    ( The Message)

Do we as adults allow our intellect to get in the way, have we lost some of the wonder of a vivid imagination which is free and can take us to new places? Your answer might be yes or no or undecided. Where could we go if we just allow ourselves to receive the love of God through his Son

In these months of summer when there should be a little sun, if we are lucky, allow yourself a small privilege.  Accept the words that Jesus speaks and you find hard to fathom, for the face value, allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of consideration, pondering and trying to make sense. Jesus valued everyone of all ages as children of the heavenly Father. Join us and become spacemen for a week…or more.

 Rev Georgina