September Letter
  Dear Friends   
  New things, old things – reimagined for this generation  
There is something rather lovely about old things. Old buildings, old stories, old traditions – they connect us with the generations who have gone before us. And churches are particularly good at holding on to things that have been part of our lives for a very long time!    

But there is also something exciting about trying something new. As a Benefice, we are discovering that there are lots of different ways of being together, and that people of different ages and stages of life are looking for different things.    

Take Jimmy’s, our baby and toddler group. I love meeting parents, grandparents and carers with their little ones and being able to say, “Come in – there’s a place here for you.” It is a place to make friends, share a coffee and discover that you are definitely not the only person who has survived a night with very little sleep!    

Then there is Messy Church – and the clue really is in the name! We have created a space where children and families can be adventurous, creative, a little bit messy, and explore the stories of Jesus together. And for those of us who are a little further along in life, there is Wednesday Welcome – coffee, cake, companionship, interesting life stories and, most importantly, plenty of opportunity for a good chat. Now we are trying something else.
    
On the final Sunday of each month at 7pm, we are launching Sunday @ 7 – a new contemporary worship service with music, prayer, teaching and time to simply be in the presence of God. Perhaps Sunday mornings don't work for you. Perhaps you work shifts, have family commitments, or simply prefer a later and more relaxed start to your day. Or perhaps you haven't been to church for a long time and would like to explore faith in a setting that feels a little different. Whatever your reason, you would be very welcome.   

  Our first Sunday @ 7 will be on 27th September at 7pm at St James Church, High Wych, and the band has been busy rehearsing. We are hoping for some beautiful music, some good worship and, above all, a chance to discover what happens when we make space for God in our busy lives. So why do we keep trying new things?    

Quite simply, because people matter. We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to discover the good news of Jesus – his love, his hope, his forgiveness and the difference he can make to our lives. The Apostle Paul understood this. He wrote: “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.”

1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul was willing to adapt the way he shared his faith so that more people could hear and understand the message of Jesus. And perhaps that is something worth remembering. The message doesn't change, but the way we share it can.    

So, whether it is coffee and cake, paint and glitter, a toddler group, a conversation over a cup of tea, a traditional Sunday service or singing along with a band on a Sunday evening – we are simply trying to find different ways of opening the door and saying: “Come in. There’s a place for you here.” Because ultimately, that is what we hope all these different things will help us to do: create places where people can meet one another, discover something of God's love and grow together. 
Growing in faith.
Growing in hope.
Growing in love. 
And perhaps, this September, there might be room for you too. 
Sunday @ 7 – 27th September, 7pm.St James, High Wych
Come and see.  
Your Priest Alison