I feel it is important to keep you updated with events!

As a result of the Away Day for the PCC members of St. Paul's and St. Mary's, the general agreement was two fold - that both churches would

1)   Run parallel services with appeal to the widest number of people possible in our community.

To this end, our Worship Committee is meeting to consider how we might do this even more effectively to link in with the current services at St. Mary's.

Since our monthly All Age Communion Service and, latterly, our monthly Horizons service, we have not catered for our younger element or for those who would like to have a service which is non-eucharistic. This has been deliberate because I knew that the United Benefice's PCCs would be considering the way forward and I wanted to listen to the views of the members, and also your views. This is why I have given you all the opportunity over the last few months to contribute these to me.

The views of those of you who have shared them, together with those of PCC members are now being considered over the next few weeks by the Worship Committee and options for services will be taken to the PCC meeting at the end of September.

PCC members will then make their choice - and this will be presented to you as members of St. Paul's as soon as possible thereafter. This will be by way of meetings, open to all, in which you will be able to ask questions and share anything about this particular way forward that you would like.

Please pray for the members of the Worship Committee - Tony Harris, Bev Hunt, jane Sachdev, Michael Grundy, Daphne Wharton, Margaret Waller, Karen Moss and myself - as we prayerfully work through different options over the next couple of months that:.

2)   We would get involved in a joint project to benefit those who are in need

This can be a local, national or international project (or more than one if we have the necessary man and woman power and other resources) and in the autumn representatives from both St. Paul's and St. Mary's will be considering the best way forward for the United Benefice to be reaching out to show we care.

Exciting times ahead!

With warm greetings

                           Angela