Weekly Email w/b 27th September 2021

September 30, 2021

This next two Sundays (3rd and 10th October) sees us celebrate harvest. Think Apple Day, floral displays, scarecrows, harvest gifts, and the like. We’re going to be marking this in our Sunday services as well as a few other midweek activities. As always, we’d love you to join us.

I often joke that though we sing “we plough the fields and scatter” most of us prefer to go to the shops when it comes to our food. This year, more than ever, we thank God for the amazing network of people who help bring food to our tables. The dedication of all those in farming communities, the skill of those working in food production, the hard work of those who work in selling… and of course the delivery drivers who need fuel for their vans to bring fuel for our bodies! “All good gifts around us” indeed!

Read on for a few other things coming up too. You’ll find updates on Apple Day, Alpha and a Radbrook Quiz night, as well as ways of saying ‘count me in’ to the life of the Church. There’s a word too about our current COVID guidelines, and a reminder about Cafe Connect and Cloisters.

With our thanks, and prayers, as always, as together we seek to be “growing faith, proclaiming hope and living the love of Jesus.”

Grace and peace

Phil Cansdale

Vicar of Trinity Churches and Area Dean of Shrewsbury

Sunday 3rd October sees us meet at 9am and 11am as usual at Holy Trinity Church. It’ll be the first week of harvest celebrations, alongside Neville Willerton speaking on “fellowship.” We’re also meeting at 11am outside the Meet Place, weather depending, for our monthly celebration on the Meole Estate.

Our evening congregation will be meeting at 6.30pm in the Trinity Centre. During October, November and December we’re trialling meeting on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, with the hope to return to a weekly gathering from January 2022. (October 3rd and 17th, November 7th and 21st, December 5th and then something Christmas-shaped on 19th)

We are inviting people to bring their harvest gifts to Sunday services on both 3rd and 10th October. As usual we will be sharing these non-perishable goods with both Shrewsbury Food Bank and Shrewsbury Ark, who work closely together to support those who are vulnerable across the town and beyond. You’ll see above the sort of things which Food Bank are running particularly low on….

Shrewsbury Food Bank

The Shrewsbury Ark

Saturday 9th October, 12pm to 3pm, sees a welcome return of our annual Apple Day featuring Cloisters Cafe, great food, apple pressing, games, crafts etc. We’ll be meeting outdoors in the courtyard and on the Glebe Field.

Over that weekend there is also a scarecrow trail taking place across the local area. If you would like to host a scarecrow in your garden and you live in Meole please contact the Church Office.

The next Alpha Course begins on Wednesday 6th October 2021, from 7.30pm to 9.15pm. We’re excited to be meeting “in person” in the Trinity Centre again. We’ll be starting each week with some food together (usually puddings, but a larger meal first and last weeks).

Alpha is an informal and relaxed course designed to help you explore the big issues we all think about and discover the basics of the Christian faith. Each evening includes a chance to get to know other people, a short talk, and discussion at the end where you can share your thoughts.

Find out more about Alpha

Come and join us for our Big Quiz Night on Saturday 9th October at 7pm in Radbrook Community Centre! We will be having lots of fun including a fish and chip supper, desserts and refreshments and you can even bring your own drinks! All for only £10 per person. Sign up online or give Keith and Amal a call on 07512135584.

Let us know you’re coming and pay online

We wanted to say thank you to those who have contacted us recently about our COVID guidelines, and particularly over our continued request that people wear face coverings whilst inside church. You’ll find a link to our latest review of this below.

Our principles in making these decisions have been to allow singing indoors whilst in closer proximity to each other, and to create a safe space where those who are feeling vulnerable can come and join in. In making these decisions we also recognise that at some services there are young people and children who haven’t been double-vaccinated, and that local COVID rates in Shropshire are currently above the national average.

I’m aware that no policy is perfect, and there may always be some internal inconsistencies in any guidelines like this. What might be possible in a hospitality venue, a shopping centre or on public transport may not necessarily be best practice in churches. Churches all over the UK are seeking to live out – albeit imperfectly – how to “love God, neighbour and ourselves” in our gathered worship life together.

The vicar, wardens and PCC review our COVID guidelines on a regular basis, and will continue to monitor how we can best live well – and worship well – in this current season. We’ll continue to review the wearing of face coverings. In the meantime if you have questions or concerns then please do talk to one of us and we’d be happy to discuss that further.

Our current COVID guidelines

There’s something really important about finding ways of saying “count me in” to God and to the life of the Church. We’d love to help people to do that. Bishop Sarah, the Bishop of Shrewsbury, will be with us on Advent Sunday, 28th November. At our mid-morning gathering that day we’re having a service of baptisms and confirmations.

For those who haven’t already been baptised – either as babies or older – baptism for young people and adults is an amazing opportunity to commit to following Jesus and to live as life-long and whole-life disciples of Christ. Before the big day there will be opportunities to meet together to check out what this means, and to support you as you take a step of faith.

Confirmation is for those who have been baptised already, particularly as babies. It gives people an opportunity to “confirm” for themselves their commitment to follow Jesus and be part of the life of the church, and for your church family to pray for you and cheer you on as part of God’s amazing family here and across the world.

To let us know you’re interested in being baptised or confirmed please answer the questions below, and we’ll then be in touch with you about ‘next steps’ to get ready for November 28th. And if you want to chat further, do talk in particular to Phil, Fi or Craig and we’d love to meet up….

Let us know you’re interested….

With autumn approaching – and not quite so many guarantee of sunshine and outdoor sitting – CLOISTERS cafe will be open on Tuesday mornings 10am to 12pm only. Barring a heatwave we’ll be heading indoors to the back of Holy Trinity Church. Whether you’ve been a regular or not yet found your way there yet, we’d love to see you.

And Cafe Connect is open 9am to 4pm Mondays to Fridays, plus Saturday mornings. What possible excuse is there not to be drinking great coffee, and coming to these two cafe spaces where you’ll not only find good drinks and great snacks available but also a listening ear and a prayerful presence.

We’re on the lookout again for new team members to get involved in these two projects. Contact the Church Office if you’d like to find out more.