Bill Thomson
About Bill Thomson
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June 1/2 events
Special events in church for the weekend of 1/2 June
Organ Extravaganza
Saturday 1 June, 4pm, in church. Free admission, but with a retiring collection for the Friends of Steyning Parish Church, in aid of the building improvements.
Brian Sawyer,
Special events in church for the weekend of 1/2 June
Organ Extravaganza
Saturday 1 June, 4pm, in church. Free admission, but with a retiring collection for the Friends of Steyning Parish Church, in aid of the building improvements.
Brian Sawyer, director of Music at Steyning Parish Church, plays several popular pieces of organ music, incuding ‘Three pieces in Jazz Style’ composed recently by the Canadian organist Denis Bedard and finishing with the very popular piece by Mons Leidvin Takle: ‘Power of Life’.
An audio recording of the concert is available below;
Special Sung Eucharist to include commissioning of the Steyning Parish Church pastoral care team
Sunday 2 June, 9.30am, guest preacher is Revd Steve Gurr, former Chaplain to St Barnabas House Hospice and currently Chaplain to Ford Prison, who kindly facilitated the team’s training.
Steyning Festival Closing Service
Churches Together in Steyning & District, Steyning Festival special service on Sunday 2 June at 6pm (NB not 6:30pm as stated in the printed programme). This will include an interview with the Chair of the Festival, a reprise of some poetry and music performed during the past week, and choral and organ music written by Rutter, Stanford, Takle and Vaughan Williams.
Chanctonbury Chorus May concert
Chanctonbury Chorus – 11 May
Join us for the next Chanctonbury Chorus concert. Tickets as below, or from Canon Nigel after 9:30 Sunday services.
Chanctonbury Chorus – 11 May
Join us for the next Chanctonbury Chorus concert. Tickets as below, or from Canon Nigel after 9:30 Sunday services.
Families and children’s worker
Families and Children’s Worker Appointed
We are delighted to announce that Gary Pickett, who has many years’ experience establishing work with children and families, has accepted the new post of our Families & Children’s Worker. Gary will begin full-time work
Families and Children’s Worker Appointed
We are delighted to announce that Gary Pickett, who has many years’ experience establishing work with children and families, has accepted the new post of our Families & Children’s Worker. Gary will begin full-time work at the end of the summer holidays.
Gary writes: “I am 39 years old and have been a paid church youth worker for the last seven years. Within this role I have looked after six churches and four schools, and built up lots of other great community relationships in that time. I have also done voluntary youth work for many years, helping to lead many youth groups, junior church groups and serving on tech teams, as well as helping out anywhere else I can. Before I became a youth worker I was a retail manager, so am very much used to lots of hard work! Come and talk to me if you see me around – even before August.
Currently I am studying on a part time basis and hope to finish my course before I join you in August. This will give me a higher certificate in Theology, Ministry and Youth Ministry. As someone who has only just been found out that they are dyslexic because of my study on this degree level course, I now have an explanation as to why I always get told off for my bad grammar and spelling, so hopefully you are all going to be very forgiving for this.
I have four godsons, I love kayaking and running mission trips to Uganda where I have been supporting a local school for the last six years. I have been on other mission trips for the last 14 years.
I am really excited about coming to Steyning and building relationships with you all in church, but most importantly building relationships with the local community. Together we can work to reach the goals of the five-year vison that you have all put together. I’m looking forward to exploring Steyning and seeing how St Andrew’s & St Cuthman’s can support the mission of building God’s kingdom in the local area.”
Annual meetings
Annual Meetings – 21 April
Our church annual meetings for Steyning will take place in church following the Music Group Eucharist on Sunday, 21 April. As well as the usual reports and elections for churchwardens and PCC members, this will
Annual Meetings – 21 April
Our church annual meetings for Steyning will take place in church following the Music Group Eucharist on Sunday, 21 April. As well as the usual reports and elections for churchwardens and PCC members, this will be an important opportunity to update church members about our plans for fundraising, families and children’s work and other aspects of our Five-Year Plan.
Meeting papers will be available on the day and may be read online here.
The statutory notices are now on display in the church porch, or they can be read online here (three pages). Electoral roll forms, which entitle you to vote in elections, are available from the back of church. Nomination forms for elections may be downloaded from the Parish Resources website – or email the Vicar in case of difficulty.
Shoreham Chamber Choir Concert
Shoreham Chamber Choir
13 April
Please join us for this concert on Saturday April 13th at 7:30pm where Shoreham Chamber Choir will be performing evocative music written by William Byrd (who died 500 years ago) and others including Elgar, Holst,
Shoreham Chamber Choir
13 April
Please join us for this concert on Saturday April 13th at 7:30pm where Shoreham Chamber Choir will be performing evocative music written by William Byrd (who died 500 years ago) and others including Elgar, Holst, Rachmaninov, and Gjeilo. The Choir is directed by James Elias and this is their first visit to our historic church.
Tickets are available on the door (£13) and refreshments will be available. We look forward to welcoming you.
Good Friday Sacred Concert
Good Friday Sacred Concert
Friday 29 March 7:30pm
Good Friday Sacred Concert
Friday 29 March 7:30pm
Families and Chidren’s Worker
NEW FAMILIES & CHILDREN’S WORKER ROLE CREATED
We’ve created a new role, Families & Children’s Worker, at Steyning Parish Church.
Our mission at Steyning Parish Church is to know and share the love of Christ. We see families and children’s
NEW FAMILIES & CHILDREN’S WORKER ROLE CREATED
We’ve created a new role, Families & Children’s Worker, at Steyning Parish Church.
Our mission at Steyning Parish Church is to know and share the love of Christ. We see families and children’s ministry as an exciting key area of church growth and discipleship. The purpose of the role is to offer children and their families/carers, opportunities to encounter and know Jesus, to grow in faith and become disciples of Christ. Families and children may be from Steyning parish, our local schools, our wider worshipping community or those otherwise connected with Steyning Parish Church.
Our Families & Children’s Worker will work as part of our parish team within the context of our Five-Year Plan, with the ultimate objective of developing a sustainable ministry for families and children. We are currently working to fill the role, and we look forward to sharing further updates in the near future.
Tower roof repair
TOWER ROOF REPAIR PROJECT
Over the last year or so, significant water ingress has been noted in the church tower. The five-yearly inspection carried out in 2023 by our architect identified decay and rot in the roof timbers, confirmed by
TOWER ROOF REPAIR PROJECT
Over the last year or so, significant water ingress has been noted in the church tower. The five-yearly inspection carried out in 2023 by our architect identified decay and rot in the roof timbers, confirmed by a specialist surveyor. The cause seems to be inadequate rainwater run-off arrangements at the top of the tower, combined with blocked gutters and defective gutter joints.
A structural engineer has inspected the timbers and prepared a report, and our quantity surveyor has provided detailed costings of the work required, which is estimated at £187,000, including contingencies and overheads, plus professional fees at around £37,400.
The necessity of raising funds and carrying out the repairs means that the other improvements proposed under our Five-Year Plan are likely to be delayed. The tower work is provisionally scheduled to be undertaken in Spring/Summer 2025. It is hoped that grants can be obtained towards this important work on our Grade I listed building to supplement the money in our own building fund and the hoped-for contribution from the Friends of Steyning Parsh Church.
A public appeal will be launched this year – in the meantime please see here for how to make a donation to the Parish Church of St Andrew and St Cuthman in Steyning.