Dear Church Friends,
Hello. I hope you were able to make the most of the hot days at the beginning of the week. The gardens received some most welcome rain on Wednesday night and later on Thursday and are already looking refreshed. John and I went for a stroll around Fairhaven Lake on Thursday and were surprised, but delighted, to see that the entire path round it is now open again, even though there is still work going on to complete the refurbishment of the café. We saw a heron standing on one of the boats which were tied up alongside the larger island and further round as we nearer the RSPB centre there was another, or maybe the same, heron. We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful facility so near to us.
The elders met this week and have agreed that from October 3rd we will return to a more normal order of service, which will include five hymns and two bible readings. Please continue to wear a face covering in the church. On October 3rd which is a Communion Sunday, communion will be served to you in the pews again. To help manage this, please leave alternate pews empty so that the servers can use these to bring the bread and the cup to you. There will be two servers who will wear masks and gloves and they will put the bread into your hand, then they will subsequently bring the cup to you. Two bible readings will be included each Sunday and those people who have read in the past have been contacted. If anyone else would like to join the list of readers, please let me know.
The elders have discussed whether to resume passing the baskets/plates round for your offertories. Please let me know if you have any objections to this.
Are you able to help? It is essential that we have an adequate team of stewards every Sunday to keep people safe and to offer advice and support where needed. At the moment, this responsibility is falling on the shoulders of a dedicated few and we are deeply grateful to them for doing this for us. However, we desperately need more volunteer stewards. If you are willing to join a rota as a steward to ‘meet and greet’ people on Sunday morning, please sign the sheet on the back table.
Janet S has received the following thank you message from the Traidcraft Exchange Team:
“It has been a few months since the Regenerators Appeal wrapped up and we’ve been hard at work totting up the final total. Thanks to amazing supporters like you, we have reached a final total of £1,312,585, including £656,292 of match funding from the UK government, to help people on the front line stand strong in the face of climate change. People like Issa, in Tanzania. You might remember his story from the start of the appeal. Thanks to your support of the Regenerators appeal, people like Issa can begin the fightback. Issa’s village can now receive training in climate-resilient agriculture, forest protection and invest in tech such as solar panels.”
Thank you everyone who contributed to this appeal earlier this year.
Some comforting thoughts in a poem by Margaret Ingall
When you feel that your life’s in confusion,
When your steps seem to slither and slide,
When each road seems to lead to disaster,
Remember – you do have a Guide.
When you feel very small and forsaken,
When you’re fearful of terrors unknown,
When you’re lost in a land full of strangers,
Remember – you’re never alone.
When your world seems o’ershadowed by sorrow,
When you’re hurt, or cast down by despair,
Remember – there’s Someone who loves you,
Who will keep you throughout in His care.
Our Worship on Sunday 12th September at 10.45am will be led by Linda Lunn on behalf of the Worship Group.
Our Worship on Sunday 19th September at 10.45am will be led by Andrew Barratt
Our Worship on Sunday 26th September at 10.45am will be led by Jean Cookson
Special Birthdays. If you know of any special birthdays coming up this year (those ending with a “0” or “5”) please let me know, so that we don’t miss them.
I AM
Bible Study Sessions
I AM – A Bible study in 8 sessions at 4 locations: Hambleton URC Monday 7pm starting on 4/10/21; Poulton URC Wednesday 7pm starting on 6/10.21; Fleetwood URC Thursday 2pm starting on 7/10/21; Fairhaven URC Friday 2pm starting on 8/10/21. Contact Rev Jim on 07484221809 for further details. Jim encourages people to move around the various locations and meet new people.
Let us pray
Dear Lord Jesus,
We pray for those families known to us who have recently been bereaved. Please comfort them and help them through their grief. May they know the consolation of Your mercy, grace and powerful love. We pray for those in America who are still suffering the effects of ‘9/11’ after 20 years. We pray for our church family as we move towards normality, knowing that we do not journey alone, for you are with us and will guide us on our way. In Your name. Amen
Please join me in saying the Grace together.
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen
God Bless you all
Ruth
