As you are probably aware Pauline Streeter has retired because of ill health from running the Post Office in Sandham Hall
We are hoping that Pauline Streeter will be well enough to attend ‘coffee shop’ at the Sandham Hall from 10am (coffee shop 10-11.30) THURSDAY 30th NOVEMBER for the unveiling of a plaque in recognition of the huge contribution and vital roles she has lead and been involved with over many years in our village communities.
Her health on the day will determine whether this can go ahead as planned but it will be lovely to welcome her even it’s for a short time.
Attended by Bury School, Dorset House and St James. Led by Fr Russell Dewhurst.
Over 150 children and adults attended a moving service led by the children who laid wreaths, read poems, read the names from the Roll of honour and provided the music. A memorable service.
What a hot spell we have had. Luckily temperatures are falling and autumn will soon been here.
It has been very busy at all the churches in the last month.
We have had weddings at St Giles, St John’s and St Nicholas. All very joyous and memorable days for the couples. We wish them all every happiness for their future.
We have had a work party at the vicarage and garden. The house is now the responsibility of the Diocese; the garden remains the responsibility of the PCC. It is the intention of the Diocese to rent the property — hopefully soon!
September 10th RIDE AND STRIDE visited all four churches. Cyclists and walkers from all over Sussex visited our beautiful churches and left very complementary comments.
We would like to thank Paul Ayling who continues to look after St Nicholas, Houghton and made the graveyard and paths look beautiful for Emma and Steve’s wedding on September 22nd.
Thank you for your continued support.
CHURCH WORK PARTIES
Saturday 21st October, 10.00am St Johns graveyard work party. More clearing for the winter.
Please bring gloves, scrapers, secateurs etc etc.
Saturday 28th October, 10.00am St Giles graveyard work party. More clearing of foliage, ivy from headstones. Please bring gloves, scrapers, secateurs, strimmers etc etc etc.
These work parties have been hugely helpful to keep the church grounds looking well kept.
We so appreciate your support in this community activity.
Refreshments will be available at both.
HARVEST FESTIVALS
St Giles Sunday 8th October 10.30am Led by Rev Michael Jackson
St Johns Sunday 15th October 10.30am Led by Fr Russell Dewhurst
Please if you would like to come and donate food for Petworth Food Bank they are desperate for tins, packets with long expiry dates and MUST be labelled with ingredients. Can be tinned fruit, vegetables, soup, fish, meat, pasta, rice, cereals, chocolate or toiletries. The demand is huge and winter is approaching when demand rises. Thank you.
PARISH PROFILE MEETING
Thursday 26th October, 7.00pm at Bury Village Hall
Please come and discuss what should be included in the parish profile to advertise for a new parish priest.
All are welcome. All ideas can be discussed. Please come so the Churchwardens can listen to your ideas.
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
Not only do we have our wonderful website www.arunchurches.com but we are also now on Facebook and Instagram. All you have to do is search Arun Valley Churches on Facebook or Instagram and click on Like or Follow. We will be posting items regularly to keep you up to date with all that is going on.
Our congratulations to and prayers for Johnny and Georgie, married at St John’s on 13 May 2023, Elspeth and Andy, married at St John’s on 27 July 2023 and Emma and Chris, married at St John’s on 7 October 2023.
Our parish is still interregnum (the period between successive administrations – i.e vicars) but we have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming a group of supportive priests that have led us in thought provoking and often entertaining services.
St John’s Work Party
We would like to thank Archdeacon Luke, Fr Russell Dewhurst, Canon John Bundock, Rev Jack Mulder, Rev Charles Hadley, Canon John Green and Fr Mark Gilbert.
If you have not been to a service within the parish for a while, please consider joining us one Sunday as you would be extremely welcome and might enjoy a different perspective.
We have already held 6 weddings this year and looking forward to another six before winter.
Thank you to everybody who came together to join a very successful work party at St Johns when the tower was given a spring clean; the graveyard is now looking so much tidier following several bonfire parties.
We are grateful to Rod who is helping to develop a wild life garden to encourage hedgehogs and other wild life to make themselves at home in the wooded area.
On 18th June, Hugo and Emma Merison held a lunch party in their garden to raise much needed funds for the fabric of St Botolph’s, Hardham. Thank you to everybody who was so supportive and generous in helping raise well in excess of £4,000.
The Bury Fete on July 29th was a day to remember with the final result being nearly £8,300 raised from all the marvellous efforts and work.
After weeks of preparations, a Friday night of loading and unloading tables, chairs, books, bric a brac, plants, clothes, childrens games, tombola, cakes, burgers and beer the scene was set for the final preparations on Saturday morning. The Fete committee worked tirelessly to achieve such a great success and our heartfelt thanks go to them, their team of helpers and to Dorset House School for again allowing us all to descend on their beautiful grounds.
With circus performers entertaining children of all ages and the Petworth Band entertaining us with toe tapping music the scene was set for a very happy afternoon.
The sun shone on the righteous, the setting was perfect, there was real sense of community and hosts of smiling faces.
In the current economic climate, raising the necessary funds for the day to day running of our churches – which are community assets as well as places of worship – let alone the maintenance of the historic buildings, is increasingly difficult and would be pretty much impossible without the generosity of those who organise and support such events.
On August 6th members of the church PCC helped to host the Bury Coffee morning. This was the first time that we have done this and we look forward to being asked to do it again. It is always such a sociable morning and where else can you get coffee and cake for £1.00?! It is held on the first Saturday in the month so please do come and join everybody.
Many delicious cakes on offer!The total raised at the fete is announced
On Thursday 26th October at 7.00pm the Churchwardens would like to invite everyone, whether a churchgoer or not, from across the combined Parish to a meeting at Bury Village Hall.
During this period of interregnum, we will have to prepare a Parish Profile and start the process of advertising for applications to become our new incumbent vicar.
We feel it is important that everybody has an opportunity to express what attributes they would like the new vicar to have and how we can all help the new incumbent to integrate themselves into our communities and ultimately increase our footfall and congregation.
We want everybody to have a chance to speak but please remember, Geraldine Grainger is not only fictional, but has retired!
