All Saints & St Barnabas News

Rain didn't stop play on Sunday, when the Foxley Woods Quiz Trail was relocated to the St Barnabas Church Hall... Our dedicated quizzers enjoyed a fun morning, pitting the brightest minds of Purley and Kenley against each other to raise money for The Friends of Foxley. Huge thanks to Nicki for organising and to everyone who took part and made it such an enjoyable event!

A lovely Monday morning at the Kenley Memorial Hall as our Church helped at the community Family Craft event. Lots of monsters running around, numerous spiders scuttling by and tons of poster paint creations as we celebrated Halloween.  And plenty of yummy refreshments to keep us going.  A great start to the half-term break!

We have a number of special services planned for the season of Advent and Christmas.  Everyone is very welcome, whether you're a regular visitor to our churches,  or you've never been before.  Bring friends, family and come and celebrate this most wonderful of seasons with us. Sunday 3rd December:   Remembering Service  3pm at All Saints, Kenley - A Service to Remember Loved Ones  Saturday 9th December:   Carol singing in the local care homes and around the parishes  Further details of the time we’ll meet and our route will follow.  Sunday 10th December: Parade Christingle Service for the Scouting and Guiding Units  4pm at All Saints, Kenley  Sunday 17th December: Candlelit Carols  6.30pm at All Saints, Kenley  Monday 18th December: Christmas Party & Games afternoon  1.45pm – 3pm at All Saints, Kenley  Sunday 24th December: Christmas Eve 2pm, All Saints, Kenley – Crib & Christingle Service  3.30pm, All Saints, Kenley – Crib & Christingle Service  Come and hear the C

  World Mental Health Day was on Tuesday this week and we've been thinking a lot about those of us who might feel isolated or lonely and how this affects mental health. We have lots of community based activities going on in our churches, where we welcome everybody, regardless of age, background or faith. If you, or anyone you know, might be feeling lonely and want to come along and meet other people for a cup of something warm and a chat, we would be so very happy to see you. MONDAY Every 3rd Monday of the month, we have our Games afternoon at All Saints' Church Hall (1.45pm - 3pm). No experience necessary and no charge.  Just a lovely friendly atmosphere to come and share a cuppa and a few laughs together over a game of Scrabble, Jenga, Dominoes or even a Jigsaw Puzzle. WEDNESDAY CCC - Every Wednesday, 10am - 12 noon at All Saints Church Hall, is our Coffee, Company and Craft session. All are most welcome for warm drinks and cake. Feel free to bring a craft along to do, as you

  In this troubling time, we offer a prayer for peace from The Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell of Saint George's College, Jerusalem:  O God of all justice and peace, we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslims and Christians, for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children, for to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you would like to donate funds to the Anglican Al Ahli Hospital, to help those being treated there in Gaza, you can do so via The Jerusalem and Middle East Church Association  

  The Animal Blessing Service at St Barnabas on Sunday was packed with a menagerie of animals.  We saw dogs, cats, snails, worms and even a chicken! What a celebration of all God's creatures, great and small.  Rev Elizabeth gave a wonderful sermon on endangered animals, both worldwide and at home.  We learnt lots about our resident hedgehogs and what we can do to protect them. It was wonderful to see the church so full of humans and animals, of all ages, joining together to celebrate the wonderful creatures of our world.

October is Black History Month in the UK, an occasion to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British economy, culture, and history. At the beginning of October, as we continued our ‘Caring For Our World’ season, we discussed the devastating impact of climate change on the Global South. Due to shortages in crops and water scarcity, as well as the contamination of water sources,  citizens in the Global South are vulnerable to malnutrition and dehydration. Prolonged droughts and heatwaves are affecting 3.6 billion people in developing countries, who are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. The efforts that we can make here in the UK, to tackle global warming, will have the biggest impact on those more vulnerable than ourselves. Thought provoking stuff… especially as it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated if you don’t think what you’re doing can possibly make a visible difference. Later in the month we will focus on Black Music in Croydon and

  Absolutely stunning flowers at the Harvest Lunch. Centrepieces put together from flowers from Sarah & Ros' gardens.  Thank you, ladies!

  October is ADHD & Dyslexia awareness month.  These neurotypes often (but not always) go hand in hand, both causing executive function and processing issues, but also providing the world with incredible creative minds. It is estimated that 40% of people with Dyslexia, also have ADHD. With this combination, they use 5 times more energy to complete mental tasks, which can lead to fatigue. Both conditions are commonly misunderstood and ADHD is often thought of as a label for “fidgety” or “naughty” boys, whilst dyslexics are often dismissed as just “poor readers” or “not very academic”.  In fact, both ADHD and Dyslexia are gender neutral conditions, affecting biological males and females equally. However, women can present very differently to the stereotypical indicators and, as such, often go undiagnosed, in comparison to their male counterparts. Historically, it is thought that societal expectations of girls and women meant that “daydreaming”, disorganisation or “impulsive and e

  It was great to be able to sit down with Sue Myers today over a coffee and talk about her ministry and role as a Pastoral Assistant. Sue does so much, both behind the scenes and visibly, to help our parishes learn and grow together as one. It was great to hear about how training to be a Pastoral Assistant has helped her to grow personally and in her faith. I know I can share many of those feelings. I wonder what God might be calling you to do? For more information on exploring future ministries talk to Sue, Justine or Elizabeth or have a look at https://southwark.anglican.org/exploring-your-call/ Rev Justine