All Saints & St Barnabas News

  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...

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

  We will be hosting a Quiz Trail in Foxley Woods on Saturday 21st October from 10am. This a great opportunity to enjoy this special area, before sharing a light lunch and the answers back at St Barnabas.  The trail is appropriate for both adults and supervised children, but sadly the terrain is not suitable for wheelchair users or for buggies, due to the narrow paths and rough ground.  However, everyone is welcome to join the lunch at St Barnabas, from 12 noon, even if you haven’t been on the trail. As usual, please advise any dietary requirements in advance. When? : Meet at the notice board at the Cullesden Road entrance to the park at 10am. What? : Follow the clues around the wood finishing back at the Cullesden Road entrance. What to bring? : Make sure you have good footwear and something waterproof if it’s wet. Each group will also need a mobile phone. How Much is it? : £10 for adults and £5 for children. Any profit will go to The Friends of Foxley Wood. ...

We celebrated Harvest Festival at St Barnabas on Sunday. We donated money to the Purley Food Stop; food to the Purley Food Hub; birdseed for our feeders at All Saints and sold home-produced goods to raise money for Foxley Woods! It was one of those special 'giving' days that we love at our churches. Special thanks to the uniformed organisations who decorated the church's windowsills marvellously!  

  We are planning a special animal service on 8th October at St Barnabas, where children and adults are encouraged to bring along their pets and also learn about endangered animals around the world. In this season of Caring for our World, it seems so appropriate for us to learn more about those wonderful creatures with whom we share our world. All are most welcome - all creatures great and small.

Last night, the Beavers of 7th Purley (All Saints Kenley) initiated a litter pick through the woodland between Firs Road Kenley and Crossrig in Pondfield Road. The amount of rubbish they collected was incredible.  A huge well done to all involved and thank you for clearing up our community space. A wonderfully selfless act during the Caring for our World season.

Sunday 17 September: we celebrated and said thank you to God for his amazing creation using all our senses. Our Caring for our World season has begun!