Sunday 15th November

Readings:
Zephaniah 1:7, 12–18
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Matthew 25:14–30 

What's on this week

Sunday 15th November

10–11am Holy Communion with Junior Church, followed by refreshments
  

Tuesday 17th November

11am–1pm Mary and Isabel's Compassionate Cafe at the Parish Centre Hall Grove. All are welcome.
  

Wednesday 18th November

10.30am Midweek Communion, followed by refreshments
  

Saturday 21st November

6pm Parish Quiz Night in church (see below) 

Sunday 22nd November

10–11am Holy Communion with Junior Church, followed by refreshments
 

Parish Quiz — Saturday 21st November, 6.30pm 

Join us for an evening of fun, laughter and quizzing at church. Tickets are £8 per person, including a fish and chip supper, and children go free.

We need to know numbers to order the food, so please sign up by the end of this Sunday by emailing treasurer@st-mary-magdalene.org.uk, letting us know how many adults and children are coming.

Doors open at 6.30pm and the quiz starts at 6.45pm. Spread the word and bring your families and friends.

If cost is a barrier, please speak to Ryan in confidence – we'd love everyone who would like to come to be there.

Parish Lunch: 29th November, 12pm at The Chieftain

Join us for lunch at The Chieftain after the service on the last Sunday of each month — a relaxed opportunity to spend time together and get to know one another better. Everyone is warmly welcome.

To sign up, add your name and your meal choices to the list at the back of church, or email caroline_duke@hotmail.co.uk. If you sign up, your meal will be pre-ordered, so if you need to drop out please let Caroline know at least two days in advance, otherwise you'll need to pay for the meal. 

Menu is at the back of church.

Fellowship Group — Autumn Term

Our Fellowship Group restarts on Tuesday 29th September, meeting fortnightly in church, 7.30–9pm.

This term we will do bible studies of four short books in the Old Testament in which women's voices carry the story — Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations and Esther.

• Tuesday 24th November — Esther, part 1
• Tuesday 8th December — Esther, part 2

Each evening will begin with refreshments, followed by an opportunity to share something of our week and to pray for each other, a short introduction to the book, and then we will have an extended time of discussion.

If you would like to prepare, do read the book beforehand — but this is entirely optional.

All are welcome, whether you can come to every session or just one. No need to sign up in advance.

Caring For Our Neighbours
 

Clothes for Creswick Primary School

Not every family can easily afford school uniform, and the cost of replacing worn-out shoes or a lost coat can be a real pressure. Creswick, our local primary school, keeps a stock of good second-hand items to offer families who need them, and we want to support that by collecting clothes for them.

This will be an ongoing collection, so please keep us in mind whenever you're having a clear-out or browsing a charity shop. To save the school having to sort through things they can't use, we can only accept the following:

• Coats (ages 5–11)
• Black school shoes (up to size 5)
• Navy PE shorts (ages 5–11)
• Trainers for PE (up to size 5)
• Socks and underwear (ages 5–11)

Items should be clean and in good condition. Anything outside these criteria will be gratefully returned to you to find a good home elsewhere.

Bring donations on a Sunday and hand them to Ryan or one of the churchwardens, who will deliver them to the school.
 

Helping to Feed our Neighbours

For a growing number of families in our area, putting food on the table is a genuine struggle. New Zion Christian Fellowship's foodbank is one practical way we can help, and your donations make a real difference.

The foodbank is open every Wednesday 9–11am. To donate, please drop off items from 9am on Wednesdays at 140 Cole Green Lane AL7 3JE, or leave them at the foodbank point at the back of church. Items particularly needed at the moment include long life milk, cereals, tinned meat, cleaning products, toiletries, and sanitary products.