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Dear
Friends,
In a `summer` that has not been noted for its good
news - more, perhaps, for the irony that the Thursley Fire
Anniversary Event was rained off ! - we determined that we
would raise a collection for farmers affected by flooding
in the north and west of England. No sooner had we announced
this (through the auspices of the ARC Addington Fund - a central
church fund set up to help farmers during the 2001 Foot and
Mouth outbreak) than we had an outbreak of Foot and Mouth
locally, with Prides of Elstead as the first hit. Please
continue to hold the Pride family (and all our local farmers)
in your prayers - remember also to buy `FairTrade`
where you can, and support our local Farmers' Markets
and Farm shops].
I do not know the final totals for both parishes (not least
because there was some cross-over between us, with joint services
in August), but so far one cheque has gone off for £958 -
so a big 'Thank You' to all concerned - and keep praying for
our farmers, local and otherwise, as they struggle with the
effects of Foot and Mouth restrictions and of the flooding
which originally prompted our appeal.
**********
We do have other things to celebrate, too. Our Harvest
Festival this year will be on Sunday 23rd October,
with a Festival Service at 11 am in church, followed by a
Harvest Lunch in the Village Hall at 12.30 pm. We shall
be having a visiting speaker - Commander Michael Casement,
OBE, RN - on behalf of the Mission to Seafarers, and we will
therefore be collecting on behalf of the Mission. It
is easy to overlook the fact that so much of what we eat (never
mind manufactured goods!) comes to us by sea, that we are
therefore heavily reliant on the long hours and lonely lives
of seafarers, of both sexes and many nationalities, for the
`harvest` we enjoy in our shops.
On the following Sunday, 30th September, we are
keeping 'Back to Church Sunday'. I have been speaking
about this during August, and the idea is that members of
our congregations give individual invitations to friends and
neighbours to come to church that day (and offer to come with
them!). There will be one service at Thursley, a special
Family Service at 10 am, and three services at Elstead: a
traditional service of Holy Communion at 8 am, a special Family
Service at 10 am, and a service of Prayer for Healing at 6.30
pm. You are very welcome to any of these services, whether
you receive (or give) a personal invitation or not [and
if you would like to have a personal invitation, just ask
anyone who comes to church !]
**********
Before any of that - and before the Thursley Fire 'Not the
Anniversary' Event on Friday 28th September (11.30
am- 2 pm) - there will be a unique event to raise money
to help to fight any future fires on the Common. `Last
of the Summer Whines`, a dramatic offering in two acts
and one auction, will be staged in the Thursley village
hall on Saturday 22nd September (not Friday,
that's the Dress Rehearsal !) - if we can all remember
our lines it should be quite something...
William
Lang.
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