Please see the What’s on page for recent posts about church life.
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HARVEST
Thank you to all who contributed harvest gifts. We filled the Foodbank trolley outside Horsham Matters and gave them £95 in cash, with all of which they were delighted.
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SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER – ST LEONARD’S 85th BIRTHDAY
To mark 85 years of Mission and Community at St Leonard’s Church
and as Sunday services at St Leonard’s come to an end after December
you are warmly invited to a Time of Thanksgiving at St Leonard’s on Saturday 30th November from 2.00-4.00 pm with memories, readings and prayers for all that has been and for all the future holds.
If you have any St Leonard’s memories you would like to share, please contact the Rev’d Sam Maginnis
We hope to see current and former members of our congregation for tea, cake and memories of our times together.
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CHRISTMAS 2024
Sunday 1st December – Advent Sunday – will be the final monthly Sunday service at St Leonard’s but there will be Christmas services this year as follows:
Monday 23rd December – 4.00pm – Carol Celebration with mince pies and mulled wine
Christmas Day – Christmas Communion at 10.00am
Details of the Christmas services in other churches will follow in the December news-sheet.
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TRINITY CHURCH PLAYERS
Why not join in with the 2025 pantomime? There is a notice on the board in the hall or email for more information [email protected]
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TIDYING-UP DAY
We need to spend a day (or half a day if there are enough people) clearing out the vestry and Peter Apted Room. Both are very untidy and have become depositaries for much “stuff” that we no longer need. Please talk to Margaret if you can help and we can sort out a date.
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Bric-a-Brac Donations needed by Horsham Matters!
Horsham Matters are urgently requiring donations of bric a brac! If you’re having a clear out, please consider donating any good quality items; these can be dropped off at 1 Redkiln Close Monday- Friday, 9:30 am-4:00 pm. Your kind donations will help create funds to support those living in need. For larger furniture, please send a photo to [email protected]
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HORSHAM CHURCHES TOGETHER NEWS
For a while I have been sending HCT newsletters to those who asked for them but now there is a link to their notices via their website. Using this link you can download the pdf document to view. It is also available in Word format through the same link: https://horshamct.org.uk/notices/
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Volunteers wanted – drivers and office help
HACCS, Horsham Area Community Car Scheme, are urgently needing volunteers both in the office for reception and administration support as well as driving clients to clubs and appointments both in and out of Horsham. If you are interested, please phone their office on 01403 250202 and ask for Deborah.
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NEEDED – URGENTLY!
A Deputy Warden to allow Margaret to focus on her ministry as Reader. Our AGM is approaching and it is vital we have nominations and/or volunteers. There are other positions to fill too. Please speak to Sam or Margaret.
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BOOKS AND JIG-SAW PUZZLES
With winter coming on – eventually – we thought it might be good to have a stack of books and jig-saw puzzles people have read and finished with and can pass on to somebody else. We have a few books to start but please, from now on, bring books and puzzles when you come to a Sunday service and put them on the swap table for others to take – and help yourself to any that have been left. It might also be nice if you could put a small donation in the BEATS tin when you do this.
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HORSHAM MATTERS CONNECTING CAFÉ
Building on the tremendous success of our community Connecting Café at St Andrews Church, we have decided to expand this fantastic provision into another location in the centre of town.
Lavinia House is now the home of our Thursday Connecting Café which will run from 11:30-13:30. It will follow the same style of our current popular set up at St Andrews Church. offering hot meal choices along with sandwiches and simple snacks. Our Eat; Share; Donate! model will also continue, so you can buy a meal, but you can also donate a meal too!
We want the Connecting Café to be a place where people feel welcome to enjoy a meal together and meet new people in their community.
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FAMILY SUPPORT WORKERS – HORSHAM TEAM!
The Family Support Workers have been active across Sussex for many years, and it’s great to see their team growing. They have now appointed two new practitioners to cover the Horsham area – Dominique Short covers the Central Horsham area, with the North Horsham District villages being covered by Penny Rae. This brings FSW to 20 practitioners, doing tremendous work to support families across East and West Sussex. You can find out more about the work of the team and find contact details for all the practitioners at www.familysupportwork.org/
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HORSHAM FOOD BANK
We need your support more than ever as our district, and the rest of the country, is put under enormous pressure by the current cost of living crisis. In March we fed 434 people in April this increased to 617 people and we expect this increase to continue. Needed URGENTLY:
Long-life milk, custard, instant mash, coffee, gluten free items (not pasta).
They have plenty of soup, baked beans, cereal and tea.
Donations can be made Monday-Friday 9-5 pm at their Redkiln Close office.
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COME AND SING EVENSONG AT HOLY TRINITY
On the 2nd Sunday of every month there is a service of Evensong at Holy Trinity Church at 6.00pm, preceded at 4.30pm by a practice of all the music to be sung. This is a great time – singing, learning new anthems, singing hymns in harmony (or not!). Everyone is welcome – please come. Even if you can’t come to the practice you will enjoy the service at 6.00. Next service on Sunday tbc.
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OASIS
An opportunity to become part of the Oasis team
The Oasis Crisis Pregnancy Centre is a local Christian charity which has been helping those who find themselves in a difficult situation facing unintended pregnancy since 1997.
The charity is also involved working with several local secondary schools as well as offering baby equipment to those in need.
Our education programme provides interactive sessions for year 9 or 10 students, offering them the chance to learn about the development of the foetus and giving them the opportunity to consider the feelings and emotions that could arise in an unplanned pregnancy situation.
The Oasis is currently expanding and is looking for more Volunteers in all areas of their work.
If you feel called to be part of what God is doing through Oasis please contact our centre manager via email [email protected]
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