OCTOBER NEWS
REPORTS
Youth - Modern Psalms & Cycling
In September at their monthly evening session, the youth undertook an exercise to collaboratively write psalms. A bit like that game where you each draw part of a person, without seeing what’s come before, they wrote a line for a psalm, then folded the paper and passed it on to the next person. The results were so good - prayerful and reflective - and so cohesive that we wanted to share a couple:
Lord God, you are beyond understanding,
You made all of us unique and different,
Help us stay true to you, even in difficult situations
as you are always true to us,
Because you gave us life through Jesus,
AmenFather, you are a loving friend
who’s always there to listen to us,
You are the God who saves and heals nations,
you hear all our prayers, nothing is missed by you,
it is mind-blowing!
Rescue me from anxious thoughts from the enemy,
that aren’t from you,
Because of your greatness and power, we don’t have to fear,
you have won the battle, all the battles,
thank you for constantly loving us,
Amen
On the first weekend of October a group of our young people are doing a sponsored, 2-day, 40km cycle ride to raise money for child hunger. This was a challenge they heard at the Satellites youth camp in August and they wanted to do something to help.
We’ll give a report next month, but if you want to read more about it and sponsor them, you can do it by clicking here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/evc-youth
October’s Contributing Church
A reminder that for the two Sunday Services in October we are trying something a bit different. Instead of a sermon we’re going to leave space and see what God might prompt for people to share. You can find out more here.
Goodbye (well, not really) to Rachel
Rachel has left her staff position as Operations Manager for Exeter Vineyard. She’s done this role for almost 6 years and has made an invaluable contribution to the church.
If this was Match of the Day, her highlight reel would include working to get us through and out of Covid, helping set up Messy Church and putting so much into pastoral care. Of course there are countless tasks behind the scenes: safeguarding, ordering supplies, booking rooms, dealing with other organisations, insurance renewals, contracts, buying milk and coffee, sorting through decades of stored items, ordering pastries…
She also coined our (unofficial) motto - “We don’t fly by the seat of our pants… we soar!”
Rachel is still very much part of the Exeter Vineyard family, still involved (as a volunteer) in Messy Church and still leading a Hub. But she will be very much missed in her role as Operations Manager.
Home for Good / Safer Families
On Sunday 21st September we were joined by Matt Smith from the charities Home for Good and Safer Families. They are currently working on an exciting project with Devon council to help at risk families stay together. If you’re interested in getting involved - an hour a week to offer early-intervention support to a family - then get in touch.
Matt’s talk on Sunday 21st, more broadly about how we are called to overflow the love and blessings we have, was excellent and worth a listen if you missed it.
DATES
Next 6 weeks of key dates:
Sun 5 Oct - Sunday Service, 10:15 @ St. Leonard’s Primary School
Sat 11 Oct - Messy Church, 10:30 @ The Beacon Centre
Sun 19 Oct - Sunday Service, 10:15 @ St. Leonard’s Primary School
Sun 2 Nov - Sunday Service, 10:15 @ St. Leonard’s Primary School
Sat 8 Nov - Messy Church, 10:30 @ The Beacon Centre
Sat 8 Nov - Elevate (Youth) 6pm @ The Beacon Centre