Xtra Monthly Update for All Saints Whitstable: September 2016

Dear all,

I am sending this newsletter out now as October is a busy month in the life of All Saints and it is important that we give people advanced notice of events that are happening.

Firstly though may I say that I do hope you are very well and that I hope you are still enjoying the summer which seems to be very much in full spate today on 13th September!

HARVEST

Harvest is soon upon us.

On Saturday October 8th we have our Harvest Supper and Barn Dance.

Tickets are on sale now from John Johnson (01227) 262581 or any Social Committee member.
Adults: £6, Children 5-15 yrs £3; Under 5yrs free
Starts 6.30pm. Ends about 10pm.

This is always a light-hearted and popular event and you are advised to order your tickets soon.

The day after, Sunday October 9th, we have our Harvest Family Communion service at 10am. Please bring tins or packets of food - not fresh food - to both the 8am Holy Communion and 10am Family Communion services. This will be given to the charity "Catching Lives" which works with the homeless in Canterbury.

All Saints always brings a very generous amount of food to church on this Sunday and we do ask both children and adults to participate in the donation.

A poster of the Harvest Festival is below - please click on the screen to enlarge:

However, before that, on Sunday 25th September, we have a very important event in the life of our church when Denise Blaskett is licensed as Reader (Lay Preacher) for All Saints. This will occur at 6.30pm at Canterbury Cathedral and it would be great if members of All Saints could attend the Cathedral to support Denise. Thank you.

CHURCH COUNCIL NEWS

We had an important church council on 12th September.

At the meeting we made a number of important decisions.

1) Owing to a number of incidents we are now requiring dog owners to put dogs on leads when in the churchyard. You will see the signs appearing in the churchyard in the coming days to this effect.

2) We have decided as a Church Council to fully support the Churchyard Car Parks and Paths appeal which is in the process of getting underway. There is a new website with details on the Church Council's significant donation to this appeal and ways in which you can be involved.

Please click on this link to visit it.

http://allsaintscarparkandpathways.blogspot.co.uk/

3) The Church Council agreed with the setting up of a new informal church service on a Thursday afternoon for families and their children.
CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE DETAILS

Rather similar to Celebrate, this is aimed at strengthening our relationship with families and children in this part of Whitstable which will hopefully have a positive effect in encouraging them to come to church on Sundays. However, even if they do not do that, it will in itself be a valuable enterprise giving families and children the opportunity of hearing about Jesus and his love for us.

Please remember to click on the poster to see it wide screen. This goes for all the pictures and posters on this website.

I need to appeal to our regular congregation and anyone else who has connections to All Saints to consider helping me with Holyballoo. I will need at least two helpers per week on a monthly rota system to help with refreshments and setting up and clearing away.

Would you consider being a helper? Obviously, if you can help more than once a month, that would be even better. Perhaps you can let me know by emailing me at tillotsons@gmail.com.

Holyballoo is being given extra help by the fact that Denise Blaskett will be helping me to run the project as she is asked to be involved in a Mission Project as part of her training. Denise will therefore assist me with the talks and the running of Holyballoo in its early stages.

I would also like you to pray for this project please. We did make the right decision in losing Celebrate as we are no doubt a more united church family now, but at the same time we also lost an informal act of worship which has instant connections with our informal culture. This will hopefully reawaken a spirituality and style of worship which we have lost in recent years and aid our mission into the future.

VICTORIA ROGERS - NOW VICTORIA HALL

Many of you will be aware Victoria has been leading our choir in a voluntary capacity in recent months. As from this week she will formally be taking over the leadership of the choir, working alongside Michael Cooke our organist.

This photo was taken at Victoria's wedding to Chris in August at All Saints.

Please pray for Victoria as she starts work this Thursday and for the choir, which has already grown since she started helping a few months back.

At the same time, we continue to be blessed with a wonderful music group led by Dave Parry which will continue to play at our Family Communion services alongside the organ, and we will have Victoria playing with one or two other instrumentalists on two or three other Sundays a month for some of the songs and hymns, with the organ playing as usual for large sections of each service too.

ORGAN

That brings me to news of the Church Organ.

This is being renovated by the London Organ Restorer Tarquin Wiggins. See this website to view his work:

http://www.pipeorgantuners.co.uk/

Tarquin will be beginning work on restoring the organ to its full potential and replacing all the worn parts from 10th October onwards. For a period of months the organ will be out of action. However, there will be an electric organ that will sound just like a normal church organ instead. You may be pleasantly surprised to hear how realistic it sounds. Watch this space...

DEANERY BREAKFAST MEETING

Deanery Meeting coming ..
The CHALLENGE OF REACHING MEN FOR CHRIST
Why the church needs men’s ministry!

Speaker – Stuart Budden of Christian Vision of Men
Saturday 15 October 9.00 -11.00 am
(please arrive at 8.45am)
All Saints Church Hall
Breakfast, talk, discussion & prayer
An open meeting for men and women in Reculver Deanery.
Book a place with Hazel 749762 or at office@parishofhernebay.org.uk

As we are hosting the meeting we will need a team of volunteers to help set up the hall and to clear up afterwards. If you can help please speak to Christine Williams, Deanery Lay Chair or one of our Churchwardens. Please could people make every effort to attend this event. Thank you.

CELTIC PILGRIMAGE

I (Rev Simon) am leading a PILGRIMAGE to Holy Island and Iona next year. We now have 15 pilgrims who are definitely coming plus two or three more interested.

For information please visit this website
http://acelticpilgrimage2017.blogspot.co.uk/

COMING UP IN NOVEMBER....Click on poster to read text. Our famous and ever popular.....

The highly popular Annual FIREWORK NIGHT at ALL SAINTS will be on Saturday 5th November in the Vicarage Garden, Church Street CT5 1PG.

Tickets will only be sold in advance this year- NO TICKETS ON THE GATE
Price is unchanged at £5 for adult, £1 for a child (3 - 15 in a family group)

TICKETS will be available from 9th October – the day of our Harvest Festival Service
from All Saints Church Office (which is at the churchyard end of the main hall, the door at the top of the ramp)
on Tues / Thurs / Fri / Sat ~ 10-11.30am
or from Church Hall (through big glass doors) on Sundays after service - (approx 11.15-11.45)
Please purchase your tickets early in advance to avoid disappointment as numbers are limited, and they won’t be available on the gate.
Gates open at 6.15 to allow you plenty of time before the main action starts to buy glow bracelets, hot dogs, doughnuts, or drink if you wish, or to have a go at one of the sideshows (includes Splat the Rat and the popular lollipop game)
NO SPARKLERS / PERSONAL FIREWORKS ALLOWED FOR SAFETY & INSURANCE REASONS

This poster is being delivered around the parish as a flyer together with details of our Holyballoo venture and also our churchyard appeal.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP THIS FLIER IN MID TO LATE OCTOBER - can you let me know if you can help please?
We do not normally approach our usual deliverers who deliver the newsletter for the fliers but if any regular deliverers feel they can help with the mailshot please let me know. Thank you.