Church Quiz: Save the date: Saturday 10th October sees another round of the quiz in church as hosted by the Bell Ringers. An evening of fun and fellowship, with a hot meal and ....yes, a few questions posed as we go along. Starts at 6.30pm. Tickets now available at £8 each. See Katy or Bridget after the 10am service or contact Alistair 0115 8778276 or email [email protected].

The next Julian meeting will be on Thursday 15th October at 4.30pm. This meeting is a monthly opportunity to sit in silent prayer in church for thirty minutes.

Messy Church: Our next Messy Church is titled 'I am the true vine' and we will be thinking about Jesus holding us together in times of need. There will be craft, play, singing and of course food! Saturday 17th October 3-4:40pm in Church. All families welcome. We will be donating to the food bank in Church so any donations welcome on the day.

All Souls’ Service of Remembrance: There will be a service of remembrance for those who have departed on Sunday 1st November at 6:30pm and Wednesday 4th November at 10am. If you would like anyone to be remembered by name, please add their name to the list at the back of church.

Training Session: Kate (Local Authority child protection) and Ed (Destitution casework) recently delivered a bespoke session for church staff, volunteers, stewards, group leaders, wardens and PCC Trustees. The session included:

• Provide practical guidance on managing confrontation and maintaining personal safety in the church context.
• Increase understanding of how mental ill-health, addiction, disability, social background and other factors may affect an individual's presentation and behaviour.
• Support the church's inclusive approach while maintaining appropriate boundaries and safety standards.
• Equip stewards and volunteers with strategies to respond confidently and appropriately to concerns.

As there were a number of people who were unable to attend, a repeat session has been arranged. This will take place on Saturday 7th November in church, starting at 10 - 11.30. There will be a sign up sheet at the back of church for those interested in attending.

Eco Corner: World Food Day 16 October. Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow. Enough food is produced already to feed everyone. The UN want to innovate how it’s grown, marketed and transported to reach those without enough!

Hope Food Bank: Many thanks to all who donate to the Food Bank. It is very gratefully received. Currently, they are running very low on cereal and long-life skimmed milk. If you are able to donate these items in particular, it would be much appreciated.

Christmas Shoebox Appeal

We will be running the Christmas Shoebox Appeal again this year at St John’s through the charity Teams4U. This year the boxes will be going to children and families in Eastern Europe.

How You Can Get Involved:

• Fill a Shoebox: Pack a box for a child or family. You can wrap any medium-sized shoebox, or purchase an official Teams4U orange box at the back of the church for 50p.
• Donate Items: Drop individual items into the collection box at the back of the church by Friday 6th November. Our Sunday school and youth group children will use these to assemble complete boxes.
• Sponsor a Box: Donate £3.50 to cover the delivery and shipping costs of a St John’s shoebox.

Leaflets with details of what items are recommended, the collection boxes for individual items and the money box for orange boxes will be on the table at the back of church. Please place completed boxes under the table.

The boxes will be blessed in mid-November before being taken to the local distribution centre.

Any questions please get in touch with me at [email protected] or catch me in church.