Newsletter - October 2023
This month’s issue coincides with our Harvest celebrations so by the time you read this, the church should be adorned with colourful flowers and vegetables of the season!
There is a definite chill in the air and as households prepare to put the heating on and get cosy at home, we can also do something to help those who are struggling with the rise in the cost of living, to pay bills and to heat their homes. As a church, we are supporting the Redhill Foodbank at St Matthew’s church. Donations of food items can be made during the the Harvest service and at any time using the collection bin by the vestry. Monetary donations can be made using the white ‘special collection’ envelopes.
Autumn is a time when we marvel at the leaves on trees turning from green to bright orange and red. Later in the month, we will be holding another special service to give thanks for the beauty of the natural world. The Eco team will remind us of our commitments as an accredited Eco-church, following our achievement of the A Rocha Bronze Award in 2022.
Our preparations for the colder weather have also included a new flat roof for the church hall entrance. We discovered during the wet and windy weather in September that the section of the roof above the door and accessible toilet was leaking and no longer watertight. Thanks to our hall managers and other volunteers for resolving this issue so that the after-school club and other groups have had uninterrupted use of the hall while these works were completed.
At our PCC meeting on 19th September, we worked through a full agenda. The meeting agreed to go ahead with a structural survey on the west wall of the church building as recommended by our architect at the Quinquennial Inspection in May. We heard reports from each committee, but we prioritised our discussion of St Philip’s Parish Profile, the document which will, when finalised, go on to form an important part of the job description for the new vicar at St Philip’s. This will also be reviewed by the Area Dean and the Archdeacon before we meet with both of them on 31st October.
‘Coffee and chat’ on Tuesdays at 10.30am in the hall has started up again after the summer break. Around 15-20 members enjoy hot drinks, cakes and a weekly raffle with some great company. One regular is Elizabeth who recently celebrated her 99th Birthday with the group!
