News ✞ St Margarets Church

News for 24th October 2021

Living Faith Course
The Diocese of Chichester Diocese is running a course for lay people who are active in church life and who want to grow in discipleship. The course is designed to help people find and grow
in the ministry to which God is calling them which may be Reader ministry, Authorised Lay Ministry, or using other gifts as a volunteer in church. It is an exploratory course, so you’re not committing to anything! Information is available online by searching ‘Chichester Living Faith’. Highly recommended, especially as the church of the future will rely less on ordained ministry (i.e. the clergy) and more on lay minsters.

Knit & Natter
The group meets on Wednesdays at 1900 in church. New members always welcome. We knit and we natter. Just come along! Sue Leaney – 07803 179 617

Quiz Night
Many thanks to Elaine and Philip Eardley and everyone involved in organising and running last night’s quiz in the Village Hall.

Preparing for Christmas – The Gospel of John Study Course
I shall be running a 6-week study course on the Gospel of John as preparation for Advent and Christmas. Saturday mornings at 1100 on 13th, 20th, 27th November and 4th, 11th 18th December. Please let me know by e-mail or a written note if you are interested. Fr Anthony

Daphne Read RIP
Daphne’s funeral will be held in church this Tuesday, 26th October at 1430.

Muriel Harrow RIP
A reminder that there will be a Memorial Service for Muriel in church this Wednesday, 27th October at 1200.

Confirmation Service at St Margaret’s
The Bishop of Lewes, The Right Reverend Will Hazlewood, will be with us at 1800 on Sunday 21st November this year for a service of Baptism and Confirmation. We have two (possibly three) candidates for this. If you – or anyone you know – might be interested in being prepared for Baptism and/or Confirmation please let me know. Fr Anthony

Monthly Ecumenical Prayer Group on Zoom
Last Monday in each month at 2000 for 40 minutes free Zoom time. Everyone is welcome especially members of local churches and anyone is welcome to lead the Group if they want to – just let me know. It can include Ignatian Meditation, Lectio Divina, and any other ideas around prayer. If you would like to join us please email me for a zoom link at tracy.stickland@gmail.com. Please feel free to join as and when you can, there is no commitment. Tracy Stickland from Our Lady of Lourdes Church

News for 10 October 2021

Living Faith Course

The Diocese of Chichester Diocese is running a course for lay people who are active in church life and who want to grow in discipleship. The course is designed to help people find and grow in the ministry to which God is calling them which may be Reader ministry, Authorised Lay Ministry, or using other gifts as a volunteer in church. It is an exploratory course, so you’re not committing to anything! Information is available online by searching ‘Chichester Living Faith’. Highly recommended, especially as the church of the future will rely less on ordained ministry (i.e. the clergy) and more on lay minsters.

Knit & Natter

The group meets on Wednesdays at 1900 in church. New members always welcome. We knit and we natter. Just come along!

Sue Leaney – 07803 179 617

Jazz Night

Come along to a jazz concert in church on Saturday 16^th October at 1930. ‘Work in Progress’ Swing sextet (including our very own Mark Danieletto) play and sing Big Band classics. Tickets £7.50 (inc. refreshments) from Dawn (07808 170 117), Heather (07932 958 116), or Ewart (07584 496 190)… and on the door.

Quiz Night

Quiz Night in the village hall (with fish and chips!) on Saturday 23^rd October. Please sign up on the notice in the church porch or be in touch with Elaine Eardley to book a place: 01273 302 255. Tickets (including food) are £10. Liquid refreshments will be available, as will raffle tickets.

Preparing for Christmas – The Gospel of John Study Course

I shall be running a 6-week study course on the Gospel of John as preparation for Advent and Christmas. Saturday mornings at 1100 on 13^th, 20^th, 27^th November and 4^th, 11^th 18^th December. Please let me know by e-mail or a written note if you are interested. Fr Anthony

Harvest Festival Flowers

Many thanks to Duncan Ward for the beautiful pedestal of flowers gracing the church today!

Daphne Read RIP

Daphne’s funeral will be held in church on Tuesday 26^th October at 1430.

Harry Denby RIP

Some of you will remember Harry Denby who moved away to Cambridgeshire. He has died, aged 105. His funeral will be held in his home church in Willingham on Thursday 14^th October at 1030. David Hunt will be in church here at that time with a copy of the Order of Service and would be glad to be joined by anyone who would like to come and remember Harry in prayer.

Confirmation Service at St Margaret’s

The Bishop of Lewes, The Right Reverend Will Hazlewood, will be with us at 1800 on Sunday 21^st November this year for a service of Baptism and Confirmation. We have two (possibly three) candidates for this. If you – or anyone you know – might be interested in being prepared for Baptism and/or Confirmation please let me know.

Fr Anthony

Thank you…

to everyone who organised and participated in last Sunday’s surprise celebration of my 50^th birthday, and to those who made a special effort to be with us in church. I have been overwhelmed with cards, messages and gifts from members of the congregation and residents and traders in the village. I am also extremely grateful for the cheque for £1,300, some of which will be spent on getting my dear Godfather’s clock repaired – I remember it from my early childhood.

As I said at the time, you are a very lovely and loving congregation. Thank you so very much. Fr Anthony

The next two weeks…

There will be no Eucharist this coming Thursday at 1000 (although see above re Harry Denby). The services next Sunday and on Thursday 21^st October will be taken by Fr Dominic Keech, Vicar

of Brighton, St Nicholas of Myra, to whom I am extremely grateful.

Monthly Ecumenical Prayer Group on Zoom

Last Monday in each month at 2000 for 40 minutes free Zoom time. Everyone is welcome especially members of local churches and anyone is welcome to lead the Group if they want to – just let me know. It can include Ignatian Meditation, Lectio Divina, and any other ideas around prayer. If you would like to join us please email me for a zoom link at tracy.stickland@gmail.com. Please feel free to join as and when you can, there is no commitment. Tracy Stickland from Our Lady of Lourdes Church

News for 26 September 2021

Mission Planning ‘Away Day’
Many thanks to members of the congregation and local residents who joined us yesterday. The plans for the developed church were projected onto a screen and talked through in detail and artist’s impressions of the proposed extension and the interior of the church were revealed (copies are on the wall in the porch). This was an open opportunity for people to ask questions, raise concerns or offer positive feedback. The rest of the day was spent exploring ways in which we might inhabit the newly created space, and it was good that many people contributed imaginative ideas and are willing to get involved. We will be looking for volunteers to help run events in the church and to maintain the churchyard. Thank you to Heather for facilitating and to Dawn for organizing the catering. A happy day!

Knit & Natter is resuming!
The group is reconvening on Wednesday 6th October at 1900 in church. New members always welcome. We knit and we natter. Just come along! Sue Leaney

Jazz Night
Come along to a jazz concert in church on Saturday 16th October at 1930. ‘Work in Progress’ Swing sextet (including our very own Mark Danieletto) play and sing Big Band classics. Tickets £7.50 (inc. refreshments) from Dawn (07808 170 117), Heather (07932 958 116), or Ewart (07584 496 190)… and on the door.

Quiz Night
Quiz Night in the village hall (with fish and chips!) on Saturday 23rd October. Please sign up on the notice in the church porch or be in touch with Elaine Eardley to book a place: 01273 302 255. Tickets (including food) are £10. Liquid refreshments will be available, as will raffle tickets.

Church Services – a change
Now that the majority of people who have returned to church are attending the 1000 Eucharist on Sundays, and given the very low attendance at the 1130 service last week as a result of that, today will see the last celebration of the Eucharist at 1130. From Sunday 3rd October there will be one service, the Parish Eucharist, at 1000. The Thursday morning service will continue. Although we will not be reintroducing the 0800 Holy Communion on Sundays, we will begin to experiment with the idea of the occasional Choral Evensong on Sundays, reintroduce the Healing Service, and explore other alternative non-Eucharistic services.

The Smugglers Play!
‘Touched Theatre’ will present ‘The Smugglers Play’, a free family puppet show, on Sunday 3rd October at 1400/1500/1600 in St Margaret’s Church marquee. The event is being sponsored by Rottingdean Heritage. Do come – it’ll be fun!

Rottingdean in Bloom Silver Award for the churchyard
Below are some comments from the judges’ report. Many thanks to our gardener, Paul Wright, for all his efforts. We’d like some volunteer help too!

‘This very extensive and historic churchyard is made up of a number of separate areas divided by old flint walls and is clearly an attractive haven for wildlife. A very large part of the churchyard has been largely left to nature. Paul the gardener has up to one day a week allocated to managing the site and with no volunteers, this is clearly insufficient to maintain this very large area of land to a reasonable level.

Paul is keen to encourage wild flowers by leaving large areas uncultivated. This is to be encouraged but rather than leaving entirely to nature, wild flower areas need to be managed. There are many volunteer groups in Rottingdean and it would be worthwhile tapping into them via Rottingdean in Bloom.

The churchyard would benefit from some interpretation boards indicating what is going on and explaining the extensive flora and fauna to be found. Bird and bat boxes would be a useful addition. Overall an area with much scope which is an obvious wildlife haven but would benefit from a management plan and some volunteer input.’

Monthly Ecumenical Prayer Group on Zoom
Last Monday in each month at 2000 for 40 minutes free Zoom time. Everyone is welcome especially members of local churches and anyone is welcome to lead the Group if they want to – just let me know. It can include Ignatian Meditation, Lectio Divina, and any other ideas around prayer. If you would like to join us please email me for a zoom link at racy.stickland@gmail.com. Please feel free to join as and when you can, there is no commitment.
Tracy Stickland from Our Lady of Lourdes Church

News for 19 September 2021

Mission Planning ‘Away Day’
We're holding an ‘away day’ (in church though!) on Saturday 25th September from 1000-1500 to think about ways in which St Margaret's might better engage with the wider community and offer the resources and space we hope to develop to a broader constituency of users. Do come along and share positive thoughts and ideas. We hope to have artist’s impressions of the proposed development too. Get involved! We'll be recruiting volunteers too in the future to make the church building the community hub we’d like it to become. Lunch provided – please sign up on the sheet in the porch.

Jazz Night!
Come along to a jazz concert in church on Saturday 16th October at 1930. ‘Work in Progress’ Swing sextet (including our very own Mark Danieletto) play and sing Big Band classics. Tickets £7.50 (inc. refreshments) from Dawn (07808 170 117), Heather (07932 958 116), or Ewart (07584 496 190)… and on the door.

Congratulations!
Jill and Roy Crossland celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday 23rd September. Our love and congratulations to them!

Muriel Harrow RIP
Our dear friend and sister Muriel Harrow died last year on 19th March. Attendance at her funeral service was very restricted because of the first national lockdown. A memorial service will be held in church on Wednesday 27th October at 1200, and her family would be delighted if members of the congregation would join them to give thanks for Muriel’s life. Do come if you can.

Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal
I will again be supporting the Christmas 2021 Appeal and hope that you can help with a ‘gift-wrapped’ box and goods for me to box up or a donation for goods and transport. Please ask me for a leaflet (also available at he back of church) or ‘phone 01273 303 236. The last date to ensure delivery to Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria by Christmas is 31st October 2021. David Hunt

Donations

You can now donate online to support the upkeep of the church building and support our mission and ministry. Please see the Donations page on this site!