St John's HARVEST Catch Up

St John's HARVEST Catch Up

Dear All,

This coming Sunday, the 2nd October, we are holding our Harvest service. It will form part of our Family Eucharist and The Sunday Club will also be with us. So, I think we can look forward to a lovely service. A Harvest Festival is the annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest.

We have been giving thanks for successful harvests since pagan times. Farmers would give thanks for a good harvest during the full moon closest to autumn equinox, it was important to them as it meant they could store the food and eat well through the hard winter months. We celebrate this important Festival by the singing of hymns and the decoration of St John’s with flowers and produce. Harvest Festival reminds us of all the good things God has given us.

I hope you will join us on Sunday, with your gifts of food (tins) fruit and all other food items. As we donate much of the Harvest gifts to Yeldall Manor, a Christian Charity helping men struggling with addition, they welcome toiletries , socks and other essential items. Some of the food donated will also go to the Maidenhead food bank.

If you are not able to join us on Sunday, please bring your gifts to church this week ( Church open 11am to 4pm) and leave them in the porch. I will make sure they are placed on the Chancel steps on Sunday. The Service starts at 9.15.

QUEEN ELIZABETH 11.

So many of you have come into St John’s to sign the book of condolence. The feeling of loss , admiration and love for our late Queen, flows from the pages. Tomorrow ( Tuesday) is the last day of the Royal Mourning period after which I will be placing the book in our safe to be read by future generations. I will also be removing the Coronation silks placing them back into store. This will occur in the evening should you want to pop into church tomorrow.

THE REVD DILYS WOODMORE.

I learnt last week that Dilys and Michael will shortly be moving to St Albans to be nearer to their family. Dilys has given such dedicated service to our Parish over many years. We as St John’s have enjoyed having Dilys lead our worship on so many occasions, the last time was when the children from Sunday Club were with us. What a lovely uplifting service that was. May I on behalf of all of us, wish Dilys and Michael every happiness in St Albans and they will be welcome to come to St Johns at any time. We will miss them both. I will place a card in church for this Sunday should you like to sign it. I will also accept donations so that we can buy Dilys a gift from St John’s.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD SCHEME.

As someone who in my youth, achieved the silver award in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme, I would like to congratulate Sophie Habershon who has recently finished the Gold award. I hear that a visit to Buckingham Palace will be on the cards. Well done Sophie, enjoy your very special day.

REFRESHMENTS AFTER OUR SERVICES.

Through the dedicated efforts of Viv Molyneux and her band of helpers, we have been able to resume refreshments again. I should add that this dedicated band has been doing refreshments for many years. We have from time to time had new members join them. Viv, who recently underwent an operation has indicated that at least for the time being, she is no longer able to run the coffee rota or to provide the refreshments herself. I am also aware that quite naturally a few of the existing members have also indicated that they now wish to step down.

I do believe that to have the social gathering after a service is not only important but has formed part of our worship experience at St John’s. Looking forward, I have given some thought to the matter and think that we should try and retain refreshments. So, in the fist instance I make a plea for anyone who could offer to look after refreshments perhaps once or twice every few months. If you could email or telephone me I would be so pleased to add your name to my list of helpers. My intention would be to email the group prior to the start of a new month, listing the services and asking for volunteers for one of the services. That way the commitment is what ever you can do. Sandra and I have placed cups, biscuits, long life milk and instant coffee in church this week. We will lay out cups, bring over the water ready for heating, all before the service or on the Saturday night. That way the help needed will be to heat the water and serve. Obviously, if we don’t have some one for a service, Sandra and I will endeavour to do this ourselves.

The most important service each month is the first Sunday when we have Sunday Club. Not only are there more in church but we have the little ones. The second service in the month is the 4pm All Age. Our third Sunday service is a Family Eucharist. There is no service on the 4 th Sunday.

My role as Church Warden is not only to ensure the service is set up ready to go but also to welcome our congregation, old and new, so I would not want to be distracted from doing this but neither would Sandra and I want to lose the lovely interaction we all enjoy over a cup of tea or coffee, so if needed, we would add this to our somewhat long list of things to do.

Finally, I am aware that we have percolators and filter coffee, but in the event that Sandra and I are called on to help out, we would need the simplest way possible.

We are blessed at St John’s with so many people doing so much, and although I was hesitant to ask for help, I think I needed to in this instance.

TRAIDCRAFT COFFEE MORNINGS....Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November.

Sandra will again be holding her coffee mornings in November when her Christmas cards and gifts are on display.....more later but please put the dates in your diary.

GOD BLESS>

Richard.