Hello All!
At our recent joint PCC meeting we had an extensive presentation from our lead for safeguarding Katie Gray. She explored with us the scope and depth of the safeguarding tasks, including embedding safeguarding culture, within everything we do. To help us address this monumental, and top priority, aspect of our churches life, we voted to have an independent safeguarding audit conducted by the leading national charity for safeguarding in churches of all types, and Christian charities: Thirtyone/eight. This will enable us to see what we are doing well, where the gaps are, how we prioritise with the little resources we have, when of course everything in safeguarding presents as urgent. They will also address any issues of concern, past and present, and will be able to help us discern how to take further action if that is needed.
There has been much in the media recently about the need for independent safeguarding within the Church of England, and although we have held the diocesan safeguarding team in great respect, and have always worked with them closely, as well as show our support for them by paying fully our common fund for example, Katie and I discern that this is a moment in time when we need independent scrutiny of our benefice safeguarding.
We are grateful to have the support of the PCCs in that lead.
You can find out more about Thirtyone/eight if you google them, and it is interesting to note their unusual name comes directly from the Bible:
Many biblical passages call us to protect and care for those who are vulnerable. Proverbs 31:8 calls us to 'speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable'.
Louise
If you are needing to contact Louise, please use either email or mobile phone, text or call.
[email protected] or 07779585908
Safeguarding
For any safeguarding concerns, please contact one of the following:
Revd Louise Grace: 07779585908 [email protected]
Katie Gray: [email protected]
Caryll Ingerslev – St. Luke’s: [email protected]
Jane March-Mcdonald – St. Margaret’s - [email protected]
For issues with rough sleepers:
Elizabeth Reed: [email protected]
Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by the end of [email protected]
Material for A Church Near You to Tony Raven: [email protected]
Services and calendar for the week
Saturday 1st March
8am…Prayer Breakfast…St Margaret’s
Sunday 2nd March
10am… Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
Monday 3rd March
10am…Take 5…St Margaret’s
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 4th March
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Wednesday 5th March
10.00am…Morning Worship…Zoom
7pm…Ash Wednesday Service…St Margaret’s
Thursday 6th March
10am…Mini-Messy Church…St Margaret’s
Friday 7th March
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
11am…Holy Communion…Pym Court
12noon…Lent Lunch…St Margaret’s
2.30pm…Thanksgiving Service for Wendy Turner…St Margaret’s
Sunday 9th March
10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
3pm…Open the Story…St Luke’s Forest Church
6.30pm…Evensong…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]
St. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy.
[email protected] or phone 01392 271458
St. Luke’s church is open on Wednesdays afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.
St. Margaret’s church is always open from approx. 9am, but closure times depend on the season. The church is now being closed at around 5pm.
Please note that there were a couple of errors in the monthly newsletter.
1. Jackie Crozier’s email on page 8 should be:
2. Tony Raven will be presiding at St. Margaret’s this Sunday and Louise will be at St. Luke’s
Lent Lunches
St. Margaret’s, Holy Cross and St.Nicholas Methodist churches will be offering lunches on Fridays during Lent between 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.. A simple meal of soup, bread and cheese will be served with a donation of £4 suggested.
7th and 14th March at St. Margaret’s Parish Church
21st and 28th March at St. Nicholas Methodist Church
4th and 11th April at Holy Cross Catholic Church
All are very welcome!
Dream Big
The official faculty (church planning permission) has been granted and an enlarged copy is on a notice board in the social area – conspicuous by its impressive red seal. That is one big hurdle crossed, with thanks to our professional team, architect and project manager, who helped us get here. The overall project budget is also published in church, both in numbers and as pie-charts for those who prefer them. Applications to grant-giving organisations (such as National Lottery and the National Churches Trust) are already going out. As our contribution to the remaining amount, we will be appealing to the local community for £15,000. There will be no further pressure on the regular congregation – although if we are offered donations, they will not be refused – but you could always raise the project in conversation with generous friends. We won’t be able to plan a start date for the building work until some grants have been received.
Electoral Roll
Thanks to all those early birds who have already signed up, either on paper or online. We are approaching 80 applications so far. Do join these if you haven’t yet got round to it. The prize draw will close on Pancake Day, but as there is no event in church that day, the draw itself will take place after the 10am service on Sunday 9th May. Winners not present will be notified by e-mail if we have it, or by post. Even if you are too late for entry into the draw, applications will be accepted right up to the end of April.
Paul Jakeman
Walking Group
After a pilot walk in the autumn, a small group of us are keen to establish monthly pilgrim walks from the springtime this year. Much of the Gospels shows Jesus on the move. There is long spiritual tradition that affirms connecting with our bodies, our senses, and connecting with the outdoors is a way of drawing closer to God and one another. The walks will be accessible, start with prayer and end with refreshments, and will be approximately two hours long. The dates will be MondayApril 28th, Monday May 19th and possibly Saturday June 21st. Please register your interest with Gill Yates: [email protected]
Alpha Course
St. Luke’s will be running an Alpha course as our Lent study group on Tuesdays at 6.30 p.m. from 11th March, in St. Luke’s Church Rooms. A meal, a talk and great conversation will be included!
Message from Louise:
This Lent, the benefice offering for both churches is the Alpha course. If you have previously been attending courses in either St Luke's and St Margaret's, demonstrating availability and a commitment to weekly attendance, you are very much encouraged to sign up for the Alpha course. Whilst many would see Alpha as only for enquirers, it is true that we come back to the same Bible readings year in year out, but each time with fresh insight because of experience and study in the preceding twelve months. No one is too mature for Alpha, in other words. Be open and prepared to be surprised by the joy and wisdom of others; and also as maturer Christians, it is a wonderful opportunity to serve the wider church community.
All of us can serve by holding the course in daily prayers.
At the very least, hold in your prayers the principal organiser, warden Jackie Crozier, and all the volunteers who are making it happen, as well as the folk who will be coming. Everything from making sure we have enough food to feed everyone to praying that the wisdom in the room will lead us further into God's grace.
Please see attached flyer.
Volunteers – If you would like to get involved with readings, intercessions, verging, administration of the bread/wine, please let Gill Yates know.
Volunteers are also needed for the cleaning rota, flower arranging and the coffee rota.
More people are always very welcome and very much needed!
Please find newsletters for St. Luke’s and St. Margaret’s attached.
Exmouth Food Bank
February 2025 we are focusing on replenishing our core stock so that we can continue to feed those in need.
In particular we would welcome donations of:
Tins of soup
Tins of tomatoes
T ins of baked beans and spaghetti
Meat meals (e.g. tinned stews, curry, meatballs)
Tinned cold meats (e.g. corned beef, ham)
Tins of tuna
Packets of spaghetti and rice
Tinned fruits
Tins of custard and rice pudding.
In addition toiletries such as hair shampoo, conditioner, body wash and deodorant would also be helpful. Plus bags for life.
Thank you for your generosity YOU are AMAZING !
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Fay, Kirsten, Chris Whitehead, Tony Bradford, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Carol Walker, Wendy Lockwood
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear, Peter Gwynne
John Davies
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
Hilda Rowe, Kenneth Pattenden
Annette van Oppen, Penelope Robinson, William Wills, Barbara Tolliday, Peter Scott,
Recently departed
Wendy Turner, Lynda Plain
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 2nd March Luke 9: 28-36 (37-43a)
Monday 3rd March Mark 10: 17-27
Tuesday 4th March Mark10: 28-31
Wednesday 5th March Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21,
Thursday 6th March Luke 9: 22-25
Friday 7th March Matthew 9: 14-15
Saturday 8th March Luke 5: 27-32
Sunday 9th March Luke 4: 1-13
Collect and reading for Sunday 2nd March
Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Luke 9.28-43aThe TransfigurationNow about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen;listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a DemonOn the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.
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