MISSION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
w.b. 22nd March 2026
Hello All!
Pilgrimage has hit the news headlines as the Archbishop undertakes one, ahead of being celebrated next week, as she fully takes on her new high office. It is a tradition that is millennia old and that Christianity embraced with enthusiasm, with routes to Santiago de Compostela, Rome, Jerusalem being particularly prominent.
The idea is to integrate our understanding of spirituality to embrace both body and soul.
As you take a stroll, or stride out with more vigour, over the coming spring weeks, perhaps do so with spiritual as well as physical intention. Give thanks for the ability to enjoy nature, for the beauty of our environment, and have an intention to good stewardship. Let the rhythm of walking, or cycling, help your mind slow down and seek that peace which passes all understanding.
If you would like to walk in company, then the benefice walking group are intending to begin again in April. Please contact Gill Yates if you would like to be part of that. We had some wonderful walks last year, which took in a variety of churches and historical interests, as well as some good company and afternoon teas.
Louise
Louise’s email address: [email protected]
Safeguarding
For any safeguarding concerns, please contact :
Katie Gray: [email protected]
For issues with rough sleepers:
Elizabeth Reed: [email protected]
Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by Thursday evening.
Services and calendar for the week
Sunday 22nd March
10am… Family Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am… Morning Worship…St Luke’s
6.30pm… Evensong…St Margaret’s
Monday 23rd March
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 24th March
Wednesday 25th March
10am…Morning Worship…Zoom
2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s
Thursday 26th March
Friday 27th March
9.30am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
11am…Holy Communion…Pym Court
12.30pm… Lent Lunch…Holy Cross
Saturday 28th March
Sunday 29th March (Palm Sunday)
10am… Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am… Holy Communion…St Luke’s
6.30pm… Stainer’s Crucifixion…St Margaret’s
The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)
Bookings
St. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.
Contact: [email protected]
Please book in for any use of the church including church meetings and events.
St. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy:
Contact: [email protected]
St. Luke’s churchwarden can be contacted on:
[email protected] or phone 01392 271458
St. Margaret’s Churchwarden can be contacted on:
St. Luke’s Church will reopen on Wednesday afternoons from Wednesday 8th April until Wednesday 30th September.
St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
N.B. The riverside door may be unavailable from time to time because of the building works.
The door on Fore Street will remain open during the usual hours.
The Dream Big Project
The Dream Big Project is progressing well. There are now toilet cubicles which have been constructed and plastered. The floor is being laid and the sanitary appliances plumbed in., The cupboards are being fitted. The work is on track apart from one glitch to do with a sewer in the churchyard.
Helen, Churchwarden
Services at Watermeadow Grange
Services: 2nd April, 23rd April at 11.00 a.m.
Celebration!
We are celebrating Kris and Matt’s first wedding anniversary. They will be renewing their vows at Evensong on Sunday and bringing cake for afterwards!
Do come along to support them and celebrate together.
Lent Lunches
The final Lent Lunch will be at Holy Cross Catholic Church on 27th March. A simple meal of soup, bread and cheese will be served, with a donation of £4 requested for a charity chosen by the church. The lunch will be available between 12.30 and 1.30 pm. Everyone, of any faith or none, is very welcome to attend and share conversation with friends from across the town.
Cook Book!
A few unsold copies of Tried and Tested, the recipe book which was produced to raise funds for the church, have been donated to the Dream Big project. They will be available at the back of church after the Family Service on Sunday 22nd March for a suggested donation of £7.50 (or more) by cash or card. If you missed out before, or have joined the church since they were last on sale, this will be a good opportunity to get hold of a St Margaret’s classic!
Coffee and Cake
Wednesday Coffee and Cake will continue throughout the building works and be hosted in the front entrance Foyer of the Church. We look forward to welcoming you between 2.30-3.30 - not just for coffee, tea and an array of cakes, but also for friendly chat and a warm welcome. There's no charge, and we'd love to see you, whether you're Christian, or of a different faith, or of none at all!
🎂 🥮
Exmouth Food Bank
If you are kind enough to be planning to donate to us, we would be grateful to receive the following priority items:
Crisps/savoury snacks
Bottles of squash e.g orange squash
Jams/peanut butter
Tins of soup
Tinned meat meals such as stews, meatballs or curry
Tinned cold meats such as ham, chicken or corned beef
Tinned tuna
Tinned fruit, rice pudding or custard
Hair shampoo & conditioner
Thank you for your Kindness ❤️
We are also really short of clean, large 'bags for life'
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Kirsten, Jan, Jeremy, Rob,
Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear
Please pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.
Anniversaries
Kay Waugh, Gilbert Crossland, Muriel Marquess, Dorothy Guest, Dorothy Sanders
Recently departed
Sarah Hampshire
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 22nd March John 11: 1-45
Monday 23rd March John 8: 1-11
Tuesday 24th March John 8: 21-30
Wednesday 25th March Luke 1: 26-38
Thursday 26th March John 8: 51 - end
Friday 27th March John 10: 31 - end
Saturday 28th March John 11: 45 - end
Sunday 29th March Matthew 26: 14 – end of 27
Collect and reading for Sunday 22nd March
Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross, we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
John 11.1-45
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
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Positions vacant
St Margarets’ Topsham and St Luke’s Countess Wear are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory DBS check of the appropriate level for the role.
We are currently wishing to appoint suitable people to the following volunteer role in our parishes:
Sacristan for St Margarets
We are looking for a new Sacristan to join our team and to prepare for the service on the first Sunday of the month. The successful applicant will need to spend approximately twenty minutes on a Friday or Saturday to make the required preparations in the vestry, in readiness for the Sunday morning service. Then on Sunday you would be required to arrive at 09:30 to lay everything out on the altar.
Email: [email protected] for an application form and full Role Description