Welcome to a very special edition of Pew News!
This is a truly memorable week for St Mary’s, Sholing, as we celebrate 160 years of worship, witness and community, and give thanks for the restoration of our much-loved church building. Since its consecration in 1866, St Mary’s has been at the heart of the community, a place of prayer, comfort, celebration and welcome for generations of people.
Our special Service of Rededication is an opportunity to look back with gratitude, celebrate all that has been achieved, and look forward with hope to the future of our church and its place in the life of Sholing.
🙏 THIS WEEK PLEASE PRAY FOR
Annie G, Enid & Jim M, Sally & Chris, Jake C,
Garry R, Stella O, Hilary & Chris L, Carol Q,
Tyler, Anna B.
The prayer team continues to pray for all who have requested prayer.
To request prayer: Contact Claire prayer@sholing.church
🙏 REMEMBERING
Nora Y, praying for Peter, Gary, Susan, Maria, Mandy and family.
Mark (Kojack), praying for Claire, Mark, Archie, Missy, Zack and family.
⭐️ Christmas Striders Extra
All our children and young people are warmly invited to celebrate Christmas with us on Sunday 6th December, from 5pm to 7pm in the church.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we’ll enjoy an evening of games, food (bring your own), friendship and festive fun, sharing in the joy, hope and love that Christmas brings.
We’d love you to join us! Please let Michele or Jo F know if you can make it!
🧹 Church Cleaning & Maintenance Morning
Sat 14th Nov
Come along and lend a hand as we give our church a little TLC! Whether you can spare just an hour or stay for the whole morning, every bit of help makes a difference. There are always jobs big and small, so everyone is welcome. Many hands make light work, and it’s a great chance to work together and enjoy a bit of fellowship too. We’d love to see you there!
JAM JAR APPEAL
Lesley is super busy preparing her wonderful Mango Chutney, Chilli Jelly, Marmalades and Jams for Christmas fayres. She desperately needs jars with metal lids - jars with plastic lids eg coffee jars aren’t suitable. Could you please bring your cleaned jars into church.
🎄 Christmas Fayre
Our Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 5 December, and we’d be very grateful for your support!
🎁 Raffle Prizes: We’d welcome donations of prizes for our Christmas Raffle. Please let Joyce know if you can help.
🎁 Gift Donations: We’d be delighted to receive donations of new, unused gifts for the Fayre. If you have suitable items at home or would like to buy something especially, please bring them to church. All proceeds will support the church.
🙌 Volunteers Needed: Thank you to everyone who has already offered to help. We still need a few more volunteers to make the Fayre a success. If you can spare some time on Saturday 5 December, please speak to Kirsty.
🎉 HERITAGE EVENT
ROMANI POET RAINE GEOGHEGAN
📅 Sat 7 Nov, 3pm
We’re thrilled that the heritage events have been so well attended. The last event is this Saturday. It is FREE to attend, but we ask that you register in advance to help us plan seating. Email: heritage@sholing.church
Bitterne Local History Society Talk
Local Men who Served in Siberia during the Russian Civil War by Rupert Wieloch
Sat 14 Nov at 7pm at Bitterne United Reformed Church. Admission £3.
STORAGE
Storage in the church and hall is now being strictly controlled by our Church Wardens. Please speak to either Mick or Philip if you need anything added or removed.
Joyful Advent Sessions
Listening to God’s Voice Through Bible Passages with Hilary Lynham
Hilary is hoping to run a series of Joyful Advent Sessions this December and would love to know which day and time would suit people best. Please let us know which day and time you would prefer. We’ll use your responses to help decide which option works best for the majority.
Please choose Either Wednesday or Thursday and your preferred start time from the options below:
Option 1:
Wednesdays – 2nd, 9th & 16th December
7.00pm
7.30pm
8.00pm
Option 2:
Thursdays – 3rd, 10th & 17th December
11.45am
1.00pm
2.00pm
How to vote: Please speak to Hilary or email the office – office@sholing.church - with your preferred day and start time.
Your feedback will help us choose the most suitable time for as many people as possible. Thank you!
📖 FUNDRAISING COOKBOOK
A big thank you to everyone who has already supported us by purchasing our fundraising cookbook. We’ve had some wonderful feedback, with many people saying how much they love the recipes and how beautiful the finished book looks.
Every cookbook has been lovingly put together with recipes and contributions from the friends and families of St Mary’s, making it a very special collection - and a great way to support our church at the same time.
It makes a lovely Christmas present! 🎁
If you haven’t got your copy yet, why not pick one up? And if you don’t see the cookbooks on display, please speak to one of our PCC members, who will be very happy to help.
Anna Buston Baptism
Sun 29 Nov | 12.30pm
Everyone is warmly invited to come along,
FOOD BANK URGENTLY NEEDS
· Deodorant
· Washing capsules
· Shower gel
· Shampoo
· Conditioner
· Sanitary towels
ARE YOU FREE ON TUESDAYS?
We urgently need volunteers to help keep our Food Bank running!
You don’t need to be a regular churchgoer to get involved - just a friendly, welcoming attitude and a willingness to help people from all backgrounds.
Duties may include packing food items, making tea and coffee, and helping to create a warm, welcoming environment for everyone who comes through our doors.
Could you spare some time on a Tuesday? Your help could make a real difference in our community.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please speak to Mick or Chris Humphries. We’d love to hear from you!
IKNOW APP
We hope you are all enjoying using the iknow app and receiving reminders for when you are serving.
If you ‘ve not yet signed up for the phone app, there are a few leaflets in the service folders giving instruction or you can email Bev at office@sholing.church
The Parish Giving Scheme - A simple and efficient way to support your church regularly. The Parish Giving Scheme makes giving easy, secure, and tax-efficient - helping your gift go further and reducing administration for the parish. If you’d like to know more, please speak to Ben or Garry.
SHARE YOUR STORIES OF SHOLING & ST MARY’S
We’d really love to hear from you.
As part of our Heritage 160 celebrations, we are collecting stories, memories, and treasures that make up the living history of our parish.
We’d love to hear about your connections to St Mary’s Church Sholing or the wider Parish of Sholing. Your contribution will help preserve our shared heritage for future generations. There are forms and envelopes available in the Hall or you can speak to one of our team or email us at Heritage@Sholing.Church
WHAT’S ON - LIVE CALENDAR