Harvest home!

This Sunday, we'll be celebrating St Michael and All Angels: Michael is one of the archangels. But what does that mean? And what can angels mean for us?

Look out too for "Steeple People", our church magazine, which will be delivered to 4000 homes in the next week.

Yet the big one is our sensational harvest week.

This kicks off on Thursday morning, when Christ Church school will be coming for a special assembly in the morning.

Then, on Saturday night, we'll celebrate with a harvest supper. Bring £3 and a bottle of something and come along. It will be great fun.

Then, at 10am on Sunday is our special Back to Church Harvest special. It'll be a service quite unlike anything you've ever been to before. We all bring something before God, but exactly what is it? And what's that got to do with the earth? That's what we'll be thinking of. The Church will be full and please do think of coming, even if you haven't been to a church in a while.

This is followed by the joyous occasion of the marriage of Jason Thompson and Christine Samms, at 1.15pm. This promises to be a special wedding and the church will be packed to hear them pledge themselves to each other.

Finally, at 6pm, we will have a beautiful baptism of Benjamin Brooks Smith, son of Barbara and Danny. What an amazing day that's going to be!

Further ahead, in two weeks' time, we have the great Youth away weekend. This will be a cracker. Kayaking, hiking, chilling out, football, discussion are all on the agenda.

Fr Robert

Healing and Harvest

Next Sunday, 23rd Sept, we have a service of Healing and Wholeness in Church at 4pm.
This will be a short, peaceful service where we bring ourselves before God in everything we are. People can come forward to be prayed for individually, with the ancient practice of laying on of hands and anointing with oil.
(Of course, we'll also be worshipping at 10am in the morning as usual.)

Then Sunday 30th September, we'll celebrating St Michael and All Angels. What is an angel? What does it mean? How close to God is an angel?

Look out on October 7th for our special Harvest Back to Church service. It's going to be a great time to come. It'll be about the traditional stuff: giving thanks for the fruit of the land, but also with a modern twist: what is the harvest of our lives? And join us on the evening of Oct 6th for a special Harvest Supper. There'll be a small charge but it will taste sensational.

Of course, weddings and baptisms continue and also on Sunday 7th October, there'll be a very special wedding happening at lunchtime, and a baptism at 6pm, so that's a busy day!

The next weekend (12th to 14th Oct) sees the youth weekend. it should be brilliant. Get your forms back to me (Fr Robert) by 28th September.

Fr Robert

Lots on: baptisms, young people, Harvest...

Loads of events coming up:

First, this Sunday (16th) at the main 10am service, we've got the baptism of Isaac Cottrell , who's been winning hearts and minds ever since his arrival just before Easter. It's also the first Sunday of our new Youth Talk with Ian and Becki.

Next Sunday 23rd, we've got the main service at 10am as normal but also a Special service of healing and wholeness service at 4pm. This will be a beautiful, peaceful time.

Then Sunday 30th, we'll be celebrating St Michael and All Angels. We may be exploring what an angel actually is:
(you can check out Robbie Williams' version of the sermon here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxZztI7264
Or you can also check out the stained glass in church for an idea.)

Saturday 6th October: Harvest Supper. Book your ticket or just turn up. Delicious food at a small price.
Then Sunday 7th October, Back to Church Harvest Sunday Special at 10am. It's going to be Harvest, but a special service where we're particularly inviting people who haven't been to Church in a while. If that's you, do think of coming: we won't whack you over the head with a Bible. But we will hope to share with you why we think something special happens in a church that doesn't happen anywhere else.

Then, the weekend after that, our youth weekend area away on an activity weekend in Kent. It's going to be sensational. I am just hoping that I'll be able to get some sleep in between the kayaking, night hike, discussion and football... But get your forms back to me as soon as you can.

Fr Robert

PS Fr John's on leave from 17th Sept till Oct 2nd, so if you've got any questions, call me in the first instance: 0208 699 3466.

New Term

When I grew up, the last day before school started was bad. And the last day of the summer holidays was worst of all. It was definitely the worst day of the year. So depressing. I fairly had to drag my feet back from the garden as the sun set on fun and games for the last day of the holidays. The laughs had gone. School was coming.

I like to think I don't have that same sense of dread as September comes. Not having a 6 week holiday any more probably helps, as does enjoying my job, but I still have something of that anticipation. August is a time for relaxation and holiday. September is a time for doing.

Which is why there are lots of things happening at Church now.

First up to ban those "back to school" blues. Come to our Quiz Night: Sat 8th Sept at the church hall from 7.30pm. Bring £3 and your best trivia knowledge if you want to participate. They are always fun, the questions aren't too difficult, but nonetheless competitive.

Earlier that day, the young people (11 to 17s) are off to an event in Dulwich with football, music, food and the Bishop of Woolwich: not necessarily in that order.
See me if you want to come (robertstanier@btinternet.com).

Then, looking ahead, we're now going to run our Back to Church event on Sunday October 7th. More to follow.