To obtain a copy of The Estuary Magazine please visit St Margaret's Church or The Topsham Bookshop.
Dear FriendsThis Sunday is the joint service of our Mission Community of St Margaret’s Church and St Luke’s Church and a chance to welcome our vicar Rev Louise back from her break. Joint services are an opportunity to renew friendships, celebrate what God is doing in our community and our lives.Our monthly ‘Forest Church’ usually meets in the Forest School area in part of Countess Wear Community School but refurbishment work on the school means we are not able to use that his month. However Rev Louise found a new temporary location in the grounds of the Point in View Chapel in Exmouth. I admit that I thought that moving out of our area on last week’s wet Sunday would deter out parents and children from coming to this new location. But we had a great time with over 80 parents and children in this unique place under a large tent.God’s blessings sometimes surprise and delight us. Let us trust in the journey He takes us on in our live and be thankful for all His blessings this Sunday.Have a great weekend!Revd PeterLouise has a new email address: vicartopshamwear@gmail.comDuring her leave of absence until mid September, the account will be monitored by a member of the leadership team.SafeguardingFor any safeguarding concerns, please contact :Katie Gray: safeguardingtopshamwear@gmail.comFor issues with rough sleepers:Elizabeth Reed: homelessoutreachtopshamwear@gmail.comPlease send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by Thursday evening.gyates@uwclub.netServices and calendar for the week Sunday 21st September 8am… BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s 10am…Joint Holy Communion…St Margaret’s Monday 22nd September 10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s 7pm…Compline…Zoom Tuesday 23rd September 9am…Morning Prayer…St Luke’s Wednesday 24th September 10am…Morning Worship…Zoom 1.15…Lunchtime Concert…St Margaret’s 2.30pm…Tea and Cake…St Margaret’s 6.30pm…PCC Meeting…St Margaret’s Thursday 25th September 10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s Friday 26th September 9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s Sunday 28th September 10am…Family Friendly Holy Communion…St Margaret’s 10am…Morning Worship…St Luke’s 6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’sThe Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)BookingsSt. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.Contact:Bookingstopshamwear@gmail.comSt. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy.churchwardenwear@gmail.com or phone 01392 271458St. Luke’s church is open on Wednesdays afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.St. Margaret’s is open every day between 9.00 and 5.00.St. Margaret’sDream Big Please note that a charity Salmon Supper will be held on Thursday 16th October at 7pm in Route 2 café. This replaces the event in church mentioned in this month’s Estuary magazine, but will still be a fundraiser for the Dream Big project. Tickets will be available through Topsham Bookshop at £25 per person. Sincere thanks to PCC member Liz Hodges for organising this, and to her family and friends who are supporting our project. Other fundraising events are also planned.News and NoticesParish WalksThe next walk is Monday September 22nd. Carolyn Keep will lead a walk round Woodbury. The vicar of Woodbury may join us.2.00 meet at St. Swithun’s Church, Woodbury.This will be quite a short walk, so accessible to most.If you have not already expressed an interest in these walks and would like to be added to the list please email Gill Yatesgyates@uwclub.netMini-messy ChurchMini-messy church will be meeting on Mondays and Thursdays at 10.00 a.m. in St. Margaret’s.Coffee and CakeWednesday afternoon at 2.30 p.m. - coffee, tea, cake and a chat! ♥️ 🧁Lunchtime ConcertWednesday September 24th at 1.15 - Organ recital by Timothy Noon, Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral: “The King of Instruments”.Exmouth Food BankThis month we would welcome donations of the following items:Tinned meat meals (e.g. stew, meatballs)Tinned cold meat (e.g. ham, corned beef) Porridge oats & instant porridgePastaStir in pasta/pasta bake sauces Tinned fruitFruit squash/juiceLonglife whole milkThank you so much ❤️For further information email: info@exmouthfoodbank.org.uk 07787758511PrayersFor those who are ill or in need of our prayers:Jill and Adrian, Kirsten, Jan, Roger, David Byrne, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Carol WalkerHousebound or in nursing/care homes:Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina LearPlease pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.Anne spent ten weeks at Bethlehem Bible College earlier this summer. During this time she acted as chaplain to their annual summer course in Peace and Justice studies, which included several visits around the country, and also taught an English language course. AnniversariesKaren Austin, Cyril and Eva Wensley and DrusillaEvelyn Lemon, Enid LeQuesne, Colin WessonRecently departedDave Crozier, Molly Fricker, Patrick BeasleyGospel Readings for the coming weekSunday 21st September Luke 16: 1-13Monday 22nd September Luke 8: 16-18Tuesday 23rd September Luke 8: 19-21Wednesday 24th September Luke 9: 1-6Thursday 25th September Luke 9: 7-9Friday 26th September Luke 9: 18-22Saturday 27th September Luke 9: 43b-45Sunday 28th September Luke 16: 19-endCollect and reading for Sunday 21st SeptemberAlmighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; 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.Luke 16.1-13And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.This email was sent from Mission Community of Topsham and Wear using iknowchurch. 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Big Dream moves forward, bit by bitThe Archdeacon of Exeter and his architectural advisor came to the church to discuss final details on the plans for our redevelopment of the rear of the church. They were very encouraging and made some helpful suggestions. By the time you read this, the updated plans will have been submitted and we have been told the legal permission should be issued around Christmas. Before that, there will be a formal notice on the church railings for 28 days to let everyone know about the plans and the process for approval.Give to Go Green We're excited to announce that St. Margaret’s is one of just nine parishes in Devon to receive a Go Green (G2GG) grant this year—a positive step in making our church more energy efficient and sustainable. We will be installing energy-saving heaters to allow us to warm an area for meetings during winter without heating the entire church. This will significantly reduce our carbon emissions, lower energy costs, and enable us to reinvest those savings into community initiatives, including funding for our new Families Worker.This project won’t just benefit the church—it will also provide a warm, bookable space for community use as well. If you're passionate about tackling climate change and supporting community efforts, we invite you to join us in this project. Could you help by giving or fundraising – maybe a charity coffee morning for your neighbours? Your contribution will be doubled by the Church of England, so every penny counts and will bring us closer to a greener future! Start making plans; details of the fundraising campaign will be in next month’s Estuary magazine.
