Church Newsletter Issue #115 27th September 2026
Gather the Harvest – Foodbank Collection
As we prepare for our Harvest celebrations, we’re inviting everyone to help us gather a generous collection for the Foodbank.
You can start bringing donations from Sunday 28 September, and we’ll continue gathering them as we celebrate Harvest across our churches:
🍂 St James’ Harvest Service — Sunday 4 October, 10.30am
🍂 St Edmund’s Harvest Service — Sunday 11 October, 10.30am
The Foodbank urgently needs:
UHT milk • Long-life juice • Tinned fruit • Meat meals in a tin • Vegetarian meals in a tin • Pasta sauce • Jam, marmalade or peanut butter • Tinned rice pudding • Tinned vegetables • Tinned spaghetti • Carrier bags
Harvest is a time to thank God for all we have received and to put that thanksgiving into action by sharing with others.
So, from this Sunday, bring a bag, bring a tin, bring what you can — and let’s gather the harvest together!
Thank you for helping us support people in our local community.
Kickstarting Black History Month
To kickstart Black History Month this October, Dwell@The Well will celebrate Caribbean food, culture and the rich legacy of hospitality that has shaped our communities.
Everyone from St Edmund’s and St James is invited to join us at Dwell@The Well, St James Church on Sunday 4 October, 1–4pm, to gather around the table, share food, hear stories and learn more about Caribbean heritage.
Food carries history, memory and belonging, connecting generations and communities.
Come and share the table and, if you can, bring a dish that reflects the wonderful richness of Caribbean culture and fellowship.
Come, share, listen, celebrate — and dwell awhile.'
More info coming re how we will mark this month. In the meantime check out the poster below re
Speaking Back to Power and come along if you can.
Welcome Tosin
We’re delighted to welcome Oluwatosin (Tosin), who will be beginning a Permanent Contextual Placement with us as part of her training for ordained ministry at Emmanuel Theological College mid October.
Tosin will be with us over the coming years, sharing in the worship, mission and wider life of our churches. Her placement is an important part of her formation, giving opportunities to learn through the everyday realities of ministry alongside her theological studies.
Our churches have a long history of welcoming ordinands and curates, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who helps make our churches places where people can learn, try things, ask questions and grow in their calling. We look forward to learning from Tosin too!
Here she introduces herself:
Hello! My name is Oluwatosin (Tosin for short). I’m very happy to be joining you for my placement. I’m really looking forward to serving, worshipping and sharing in the life of the Church with you.
A few fun things about me: I love to read, write, travel and tell stories. I’m always interested in the stories, experiences and little moments that make us who we are.
I enjoy good conversation, laughter and being around people, and I’m excited about all the learning, serving and new experiences this placement will bring.
God bless and see you soon — Tosin
Please introduce yourself when you see Tosin and help us give her a warm Life + Hope welcome!
Please Pray – General Synod Elections
Voting is now underway for the 2026 General Synod elections across the Church of England. Please pray for all those who have offered themselves for election and for those responsible for voting and discerning who will serve the Church in the years ahead.
We also want to take this opportunity to say a particular thank you to Addy Lazz-Onyenobi, who has served faithfully on General Synod for many years and is not seeking election for a further term this time.
Serving on Synod involves a considerable commitment of time and energy, often with many hours spent in meetings, reading papers, listening and contributing to the wider life of the Church of England.
We are very grateful to Addy for giving so generously of her time, and especially for continuing to bring her experience of General Synod back into the life of our churches — sharing updates and reflections with our JPCC and wider church community.
Thank you, Addy, for your years of faithful service to the wider Church and to us locally.
Please pray for Addy as this chapter of her ministry comes to an end, and for all those now seeking election to the new General Synod.
You can read about all the candidates standing in the Diocese of Manchester and view their election addresses on the diocesan website.
Meet the 2026 General Synod candidates and read their election addresses here>>
Leading Your Church into Growth
A little note from Revd Tom
This weekend Revd Elizabeth, Revd Kausar, Carol Smith and I are heading to a Leading Your Church into Growth (LyCiG) conference.
LyCiG will give us space to pray, reflect and think practically about mission, growth and helping more people discover life in Christ.
A huge thank you to everyone serving on the rota this weekend, enabling the four of us to step away from our usual responsibilities and attend together. We really appreciate those leading, preaching, praying, serving and keeping everything running across our churches.
Please pray that this will be a refreshing and fruitful time for us, and that we return with encouragement and ideas to share as together we seek Life + Hope for All.
With thanks,
Revd Tom
Celebrating Our Readers
This Sunday, 27 September, Manchester Cathedral will host the annual Reader Licensing Service, when six new Readers will be licensed and seven others will receive the title of Reader Emeritus. It is a wonderful reminder of the important ministry Readers offer across our diocese.
Here in our own benefice, we give thanks for our four Readers: Amit Chawhan, Martin Tonks, Yomi Akinade and Addy Lazz-Onyenobi.
Between them they bring different gifts, experiences and perspectives to the life of our churches. Through preaching, teaching, leading worship, prayer, pastoral care and their wider service, we are greatly blessed by their ministry.
Reader ministry can grow and evolve over the years, responding both to God’s calling and to the changing life of the Church. We want our Readers to know how much we value them and to continue creating opportunities for each of them to flourish in their ministry across our benefice for many years to come.
So this weekend, as the wider Diocese celebrates Reader ministry, please take a moment to thank God for Amit, Martin, Yomi and Addy, and pray for each of them by name.
And please pray too for those being licensed at the Cathedral as they begin this new chapter of ministry.
The Chosen – A Blessed Evening Together
On Thursday 24 September, fifteen people gathered at Carol’s home for the latest evening watching The Chosen together — including some of the children!
The group watched Episode 3, following Jesus and his disciples as the tension grows in Jerusalem: Jesus confronting the religious authorities, teaching in the Temple and preparing his disciples for what lies ahead.
But the evening was about much more than watching an episode. There was a wonderful sense of fellowship, hospitality, conversation and prayer as people reflected together on Jesus and the story unfolding on screen.
One person described it as “a blessed evening,” while another shared, “I feel refreshed with the words and prayers.”
A big thank you to Carol for opening her home, to Nikhil for leading the evening, and to Irene who led the previous week.
It is wonderful to see people gathering across our church family to watch, wonder, pray and grow in faith together.
What's on at a Glance
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Readings: Exodus 17.1-7, Psalm 78.1-4,12-16*. Matthew 21.23-32.
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9.30am - NO EARLY SERVICE THIS WEEK at St Edmund's
10.30am - Intergenerational Lay Led - Morning Worship at St Edmund's & Morning Worship at St James' (Clergy team are on a Diocesan Leading Your Church Into Growth (LyCiG) conference this weekend).
4pm - Grace Community
6.30pm - Communion at St Margaret's, Whalley Range - new new 4th Sunday of the month offering each month you are welcome to come along to. |
Monday
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Morning Prayer - 9.30am at St Edmund's
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Church Together Meeting
Date- Mon 28th Sept 2026
Venue- St James Church, 95A Princess Road, Moss Side, Manchester M14 4TH
Time- 7pm till 8:30pm (doors open 6:30pm for a informal chat with Andy Powell)
Tuesday
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Morning Prayer - 9.30am at St James'
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Place of Welcome (with special Birthday celebrations for a special 99 year old)- 10am at St James'
Wednesday
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St Edmund's Coffee Morning / Place of Welcome
We meet at St Edmund's each Wednesday morning between 10.30 and 12.00 for hot drinks and chat.
Thursday
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Grieving Together Cafe: 11.30am at St James' - Join us as we support one another on our grief journeys
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The Chosen at St Edmund's 7.15pm to continue watching The Chosen.
Friday
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Happy Cats toddler group meets Friday mornings at St Edmund's from 10am.
Saturday
A message from Julie re the above
Does anyone want to come to the Franklin Graham event at the Co-op live Arena on Saturday 3rd October (NEXT SATURDAY). He is the son of the evangelist Billy Graham. Some of us will remember Billy Graham coming to the UK in the 1980s and filling football stadiums. It was at one of his events that the gospel came alive for me and started me on my journey of faith. Franklin follows in his father's footsteps as an evangelist, preaching the gospel.
Through the Franklin Graham Trust I am organising a free coach to take us there and back. The event is also free. Please let me know if you want to come, as I need to give numbers asap to determine the size of coach. Do let me know, either on this Whatsapp, or give me a call on the number on the poster, if you want to come. I’ll need to know how many seats on the coach you require. So far I have about 30 seats booked.
There will be two pick up points - 4pm outside St Edmund's and 4.10pm at the back of St James. I do need to reserve seats, so please let me know asap. It's also a great opportunity to bring a friend or neighbour who might want to find out more about Christianity.
Arrival Guide from us. If not, please download it from the God Loves You Tour website
HERE!
It has lots of helpful information for instance:
Bags and Food
· The Co-op has a 1 bag per person policy – A4 size. Please see the Arrival Guide for more information.
· Please also note you cannot bring food and drink in with you. There are water points and lots of food outlets you can access once in.
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Readings: Exodus 20.1-4,7-9,12. Psalm 19*. Matthew 21.33-End.
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9.30am - Short 20-30min Service of the Word at St Edmund's
10.30am - Service of the Word with Youth Provision - Harvest Festival at St James' and Communion at St Edmund's
4pm - Grace Community
1-4pm - Everyone is invited to join us at Dwell@The Well, St James Church, to gather around the table, share food, hear stories and learn more about Caribbean heritage. |
Advance Dates
MOTHERS UNION COME DINE WITH US SUNDAY LUNCH
Join us for a homemade 3-course meal, cooked and served at St Edmund’s by our Mothers Union members
On a Sunday after the 10.30am church service (date to be confirmed)
It will be reasonably priced with individual and family group tickets
We have some menu ideas, and we’d also like to know if you have suggestions of a favourite meal or dish that you would like to see on the menu so you can put your feet up one Sunday and let someone else do the cooking! Please message Deborah (07855 181941) or speak to any of the Mothers’ Union members at St James’ or St Edmund’s.
Service Rotas
Please note a few tweaks will be made to these rota but this is always going to be the live new rota link.
Links to:
St Edmund's Next Rota - Sept 26-Jan 27>>
St James' Next Rota - Sept 26 - Jan 27>>