The family joke is that this picture shows the Astin family, Moira, Ed and Tim (the Old Man of Hoy). Many years ago my opinion about whether the famous sea stack was going to fall down soon (I said it wouldn’t) was published in the Sunday Times.
The recent break in these emails was because of our annual holiday in Orkney. I tend not to advertise our holidays widely in advance, as if the Vicarage was broken into you would all be suspects!
Tomorrow our family service has the theme of ‘Food for the Soul’. Certainly Orkney and can provide inspiration for the spirit through its scenery, its people and its attractions. One of these is the Italian Chapel made by Italian prisoners of war – a testament to their faith and an inspiration to ours.
In our ‘Icebreaker’ during the Family Service there will be a chance to share your experience of what is food for your soul.
With every blessing,
Tim
Services for 4th August: 10th Sunday after Trinity
8am: Holy Communion
10am: Family Service - Food for the Soul
We welcome children of all ages to our Family services
1pm: Parish Lunch for August
Services & Events for Next Week
Wednesday 7th August at 10am: Mid-week Service with our Mothers' Union branch; coffee served afterwards
Sunday 11th August
8am: Holy Communion
10am: Family Communion Service - The Bread of Life
12.30pm: Baptism Service - Luke Alex Kurian
Service for Compline 8pm Thursday 11th July
After the strong support for the first of our monthly services of Compline in July our next service will be on Thursday 8th August at 8 pm.
We invite you to this service which is a reflective, spiritual way to end the day.
Thanks for Recent Care of the Churchyard
The yew hedge has been trimmed by Emma and Chris Dixon—our thanks to them for what is a big effort.
Thanks to Tim Drake as he resumes cutting grass in the churchyard for the rest of this season.
The beauty of the flower bed under the west window, the hydrangea bushes at the porch door and the Garden of Remembrance are all striking. We are thankful to all those people who bring this about.
I Choose Freedom
I Choose Freedom is the name for Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid. When a survivor makes the choice to come to one of their refuges, when they seek a safe place, they may not realise it but they are choosing their freedom. We can encourage these women by providing toiletries, and you will find a box at the back of church for any gifts you feel able to make. Thank you very much for all your gifts over the last year.
Food Bank Donations via the Church Porch
We are encouraged to continue with donations of food for the St Matthew’s Foodbank, Redhill through the summer. They tell us that donations typically decrease over the summer, meaning they are buying in some of the food that is distributed.
News of Building Projects taking place in the Hall and the Church
Stage Lighting improvements
After preparatory work checking the roof rafters, work is ongoing to fit new lighting bars above the stage with the work being done by Adam Packham and Callum Hawker. This will provide safe mounting for new stage lighting to be used at performances like the Pantomime.
Organ loft repairs
Following damage over the winter from water entering the church from the high level gutters above the sanctuary, minor repairs to the organ have taken place. In a couple of weeks, one of the organ loft walls will have its grouting stabilised to prevent further grit falling onto the organ. Discussion with the church insurers for the cost of these repairs is ongoing.
The church is developing a longer term plan to improve the outflows from these gutters to prevent a repeat.
For our Prayers
If you have particular people on your heart and you would like the church to pray for them, please let the Vicar know.
Calendar
Don't forget to check the Church Calendar for all our upcoming events!
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