WEEKLY NOTICES FOR SATURDAY 15 AUGUST

Upcoming Services

See ‘Online Worship Resources’ below for the usual links to Sunday’s Bible readings.

The reader for this week is Lesley Slater and the intercessor will be Vivien Coates.

The choir and music group are enjoying their usual holidays over the Sundays of August. Tomorrow’s morning services will take place at the high altar.

Music from Taizé

Come and relax at the next Candlelit Taizé service next Sunday evening at 6pm. Meditative chants, prayer and silence fostering a spirit of peace, reconciliation and faith. All are welcome – and perhaps invite a friend who would enjoy this service.

Friends’ Summer Garden Day

The weather looks to be cooler tomorrow and places are still available for tomorrow’s Summer Garden Day, organised by the Friends of Steyning Parish Church and hosted by Sarah Leigh at Rosebank, Jarvis Lane, between 1pm and 5pm.

As well as tea, coffee and home-made scones, highlights of the day include displays of art, discussions about two sculptures (a work by Terry New, and Penny Reeve’s statue of St Cuthman opposite the church), a Gardeners’ Question Time style event (at the Steyning Centre at 2pm).

The event is open to everyone. Tickets are £15 and £10 for those not attending the ‘Ask the Gardener’ event.

For information about the artworks and further details please click here, and follow the link at the bottom of that page to book your places. This should be an enjoyable relaxing day as well as an opportunity to raise funds for the Friends.

Churchyard Projects

Some of our readers will have seen notices in the churchyard advising that we have obtained the necessary county council consent to close the public footpath that runs from the Shooting Field entrance by Gatewick House to the junction with the cobbled path by one of the lampposts. This is because contractors will be working throughout next week to lay a cable to provide a new lamppost at the junction of the two paths further down the hill and to run electricity to the lamp over the new arch over the Shooting Field entrance. The right-of-way closure order provides for a standard 21 days but in practice we will seek to keep closures to a minimum. Please note however that sections of this path, including the entrance itself, will be closed between Monday and Friday of the coming week. The closure is needed because the contractor will be using a mechanical digger on some days and because a trench will run alongside the path whilst the work is carried out. An archaeologist has been appointed to supervise the excavation work.

Separately some clearance work has been taking place along the retaining wall to the south east of the churchyard especially to the corner of Vicarage Lane on the way to Church Cottage. This is to enable investigation work with a view to improving the stability of sections of the old wall, including the length above the boarding and sign advising that sections of the wall may be unstable. This clearance will include the removal of ivy. The contractors began yesterday (Friday) and the work is likely to continue next Tuesday, 18 August.

Sussex Historic Churches Trust Annual Ride & Stride

The annual sponsored Ride and Stride will be up and running once again on Saturday, 12 September. This event raises money for our parish every year, with all donations split evenly between our building fund and the Sussex Historic Churches Trust – a charity that has made many grants to our church including for the work about to take place on our tower.

You can either walk, run, ride a bike (or horse!) – or why not follow a longer trail by car if you wish? – visiting as few or many local parish churches as you wish on the day – or sponsor someone else. Sponsor forms are available from John Downe or at the back of church, or see in church, or ring John on 01903 814007.

Volunteer Drivers Wanted

Our churchwardens are looking into the feasibility of setting up more systematic arrangements for those who find it difficult to get to church. We are asking for expressions of interest for those who might be able to help with this – especially those who don’t have weekly responsibilities in church before the 9:30am service. If you have a suitable car and might be able to assist with this please send an email to our churchwardens. If you need more information please speak to Judie or Kate directly.

Lunchtime Concerts

Thanks to everyone who supported this summer’s series of eight lunchtime concerts, which have raised over £1,900 to help church building and improvement projects.

Click here to find out about forthcoming weekend concerts from this autumn onwards.

Summer Holidays for Families and Children

Gary has asked us to pass on ‘a massive thank you’ to those who were able to help with the holiday activity mornings over the last fortnight. We welcomed 115 people including some we have never met before. Donations more than covered the costs of materials and refreshments and a sufficient surplus to support next year’s sessions

Little Stars will resume on Monday, 24 August (when it will be back to normal, except for being closed on Bank Holiday Monday on 31 August, and for the Thursday session on Thursday, 27 August).

Children’s church will now resume on Sunday, 27 September.

Good Grief Café 

The sessions take place every second Friday afternoon from 2pm until 4pm in the Penfold Hall, with the next session scheduled for Friday, 11 September. Those who have experienced any sort of loss are welcome to join us for tea or coffee, biscuits and a listening ear. Come to talk and share, or just listen. For more information, please ring 01903 813276 or, if you prefer, you can email care@steyningparishchurch.org

August Magazine

Our current magazine can be read online here. Printed copies are available from the back of church and from the other usual distribution points, including the Post Office.

Fill the FSW Basket!

And now that the summer holidays have begun our diocesan charity, Family Support Work will be facing increased demand for food to support their families. Anything you can give will be very much appreciated – especially any tins of meat and fish, tinned tomatoes, rice and pasta, tea and coffee and other dry groceries. Our basket for contributions is in the porch on Sunday mornings, or by the war memorial, to the far side of the font, during the week.

Pick Your Own Fruit

There is still some cooking apples available from the tree below the Vicarage drive. Feel free to come and pick but ring the Vicarage doorbell first. Don’t worry if there is no answer; just go ahead but try to avoid Fridays as it’s the Vicar’s day off. Plums are also available but you may need to borrow a ladder to reach them; ring ahead on 01903 879877 to avoid disappointment. Please remember to bring your own bags.

Wednesday Coffee

Our friendly coffee mornings continue without a break during August. Anyone is welcome to join us at the Penfold Hall on any Wednesday morning between 10am and 11:30am for real coffee or tea, conversation and big smiles. If you are willing to help, please speak to a member of the team.

Midweek Eucharist

All are welcome to our peaceful midweek service which takes place in the chancel of St Andrew’s & St Cuthman’s at 11:30am every Wednesday. The next service with prayers for healing will take place on Wednesday, 26 August (the final Wednesday of the month).

Free Food – Three Times a Week!

Steyning Community Fridge now holds three sessions each week, including Sunday mornings so feel free to pop down to the Cottage after the 9:30am service to pick up some fresh food that is close to or has just passed its best‑before date but is still good to eat. Opening times are as follows:

Monday evenings from 6pm to 7pm
Thursday mornings from 10am to 11am
Sunday mornings from 10:45 to 11:45am.

Click here to send an email to the organisers. Donations to help with transport costs are always welcome.

Intercessions for Healing

Please contact the Parish Office (or on 01903 813276) if anyone you know should be added (with their consent) to our public intercessions. To contact or update our Prayer Group, please write to prayer@steyningparishchurch.org

ONLINE WORSHIP RESOURCES

The readings for tomorrow morning (Year A, Proper 14) are as follows: Isaiah 56:1,6‑8; Psalm 67 ; Romans 11:1‑2a, 29‑32; Matthew 15: [10‑20]21‑28.

The Church of England continues to provide a videoed, pre‑recorded service, available every Sunday at 9am. These services tend to last between 30 and 50 minutes.

Services continue to be streamed live from our Cathedral. The text of each service, including hymns and readings, is usually available as a PDF on the same page.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Holy Baptism

Wallace and Dorothy Debaerdemaecker (Ashurst, 16 August)

Holy Matrimony

Isabella Cuthbert-Brown & Jack Dalrymple Hamilton (Ashurst, 22 August)
Ben Langan & Anna George (Steyning, 22 August)

Recently Departed

Brenda Wadman, Peter Stedman, Rachel Bennett (Deacon), Rosemary Anne Gooptu (née Read).

Year’s Mind

Anthony (‘Tony’) Bruce, John Cay, Stephanie Cloke, William Edward Jones, Alan Bamforth, June Nora Bullough, Jean Kistruck, John Smith.