Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe that as this month’s magazine goes to print, schools will have reopened and the summer holidays will have drawn to a close.

In parish life we look forward to organisations and activities reopening after the summer break. We are so grateful to all our marvellous volunteers who help to lead and coordinate all these activities that mean so much in the life of our community.

This year on the weekend closest to our Foundation Day, we hope to fling open the gates and welcome our friends and neighbours and the local community to come and visit us. Why not invite a friend or neighbour to come and share in our community fun day on Saturday 6th September?

We look forward to hosting an exciting free event where there will be something for everyone. There will be a petting zoo and pony rides, there will be bouncy castles and face painting. There will be hot dogs, ice cream and games. There will be the chance to visit and explore our beautiful church with a windows’ quiz. There will be tea, coffee and refreshments and our organisations will be on hand to give people information about activities that they might like to come and experience for themselves.

On the Sunday morning of that weekend, we look forward to a special speaker coming to share his experience of finding new hope and faith through participating in a course to explore the claims of Christianity called the Alpha course. We hope to be running one of these courses beginning on Wednesday 10th September, St. Finnian’s Day and there will be information available if you would like to come and give it a try for yourself or come with a friend.

From 1st-7th September, we hope to partner with other churches in our area Deanery to participate in a global week of prayer for our world. All the nations have been invited to get people praying for the many situations of need around the world and we would like to be part of this initiative. Maybe you would like to sign up to pray for some hours during that week and you can pray either in the prayer room in the church hall or in your own home as we intercede and pray for local and global situations along with people from every nation on the planet.

We want to wish parishioners well who are embarking on new things. Some will be starting school for the first time or changing schools or heading away to university or 3rd level education. Others will be starting new jobs or perhaps starting a new season of retirement. All of these things can bring their own stresses and challenges as well as exciting new possibilities and we want people to know that the church is here for you.

As a new season begins in parish life, we get excited at the possibilities that brings for people to discover peace and new life as they connect with the spiritual part of their lives. If we can encourage or guide in those things, we would love to do so.

Please come and share in our community fun day or come along to church services either in person or online. Connect into some of the activities on offer and we hope that you will be richly blessed in doing so.

With every good wish.

Yours sincerely

Jonathan Pierce (Rector)

Telephone 02890 793822