Church Newsletter Issue #116 4th October 2026
Honouring Our Communities – Black History Month begins
Sunday 4 October will mark the beginning of Black History Month at St James as we celebrate this year’s diocesan theme: Honouring Our Communities.
At our 10.30am Harvest Communion, we’ll give thanks not only for God’s gifts to us, but for the people and communities who have shaped our shared life. As part of the service, Roy Walters will share something of his own story, giving us an opportunity to listen, honour and celebrate a life rooted in our local community.
Then the celebration continues from 1–4pm with Dwell at the Well, launching Black History Month with a special afternoon of Caribbean hospitality, food, music, conversation and story-sharing.
Black History Month gives us an opportunity to listen well, celebrate the contribution of Black people to our churches and neighbourhoods, and recognise more deeply the gifts God has placed within our wonderfully diverse community.
Come for worship. Stay for hospitality. Come and hear the stories of our community.
As we prepare for our Harvest celebrations, we’re inviting everyone to help us gather a generous collection for the Foodbank.
We tarted 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.
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.
Harvest – Giving Thanks & Sharing God's Gifts
This Sunday we celebrate Harvest at St James' — giving thanks to God for all that sustains life and remembering that God's gifts are given to be shared.
Please bring food donations for our local Foodbank and place them with our Harvest gifts during the offering.
Our readings take us from thanksgiving and sharing to Jesus, the Bread of Life:
🌾 Deuteronomy 26.1–11 – bringing the first fruits, remembering our story and celebrating God's generosity.
🙌 Psalm 100 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving” as the whole earth rejoices in God's goodness.
🍞 John 6.25–35 – Jesus leads us deeper: “I am the bread of life.”
St James Harvest | Sunday 4 October | 10.30am
And at St Edmund's, please keep gathering and bringing your Harvest gifts ready for your own Harvest celebration next Sunday, 11 October at 10.30am.
Together across our churches, we give thanks for God's abundance and share what we have with our neighbours.
Celebrating Doreen - 99 Years!
As we celebrate Harvest and give thanks for God’s many gifts, this week we are especially thankful for the wonderful gift of Doreen, who celebrated her 99th birthday!
On Tuesday, our Place of Welcome gathering had a very special visit from an ice cream van. And, of course, there was only one way to celebrate a 99th birthday properly — with a classic 99 Flake ice cream!
It was a joyful morning, full of friendship, laughter and thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who came along to share the celebration and make it such a special occasion.
One of the loveliest moments came when Doreen stood up herself and thanked all her friends for being there. We felt genuinely blessed and inspired to be in her company and to share this milestone with her.
Congratulations, Doreen — 99 years, 99 Flakes, and truly a wonder! Here’s to you!
Finding Joy – Lay Leadership Conference
All lay leaders are warmly invited to the next Manchester South and Stretford Deanery Lay Leadership Conference, hosted at St James, Moss Side, on Saturday 24 October, 10am–1pm.
This is for everyone who contributes to the life of their church—not only licensed or authorised ministers. The morning will offer worship, fellowship and encouragement, with guest speakers The Ven Karen Best, Archdeacon of Manchester, and Dr Adesola Akala, Lay Ministry Officer.
Together we’ll explore “Finding Joy”, giving thanks for the many ways lay people serve across our churches and discovering practical resources to help sustain joy in Christian ministry.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Register for the Lay Leadership Conference>>e
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 Our Church into Growth
Last weekend a few of our team went to the Leading your Church into Growth (LyCiG) on the inviation of the diocese for our benefice to be part of this great resourcing project.
LyCiG isn't a quick formula for making churches bigger. It asks a deeper question: how can we become healthy, growing churches where people encounter Jesus, become disciples and discover their place in God's mission?
We explored five important practices: Prayer, Presence, Proclamation, Pathways and Perseverance — praying intentionally for growth, being present in our communities, sharing the good news of Jesus, helping people take their next steps in faith, and faithfully keeping going.
We also explored welcoming newcomers, engaging worship, evangelism, children and young people, and intercultural and intergenerational church. Growth is more than attendance: it includes spiritual, missional and numerical growth.
Over the coming months, we'll explore these themes together across St James and St Edmund's, asking what is already bearing fruit and where God might be calling us next.
This belongs to our whole church family.
Where is God already at work among us — and how might we join in?
Is Confirmation Your Next Step? Let us know this week...
Where are you on your journey of faith? Could confirmation be an important next step for you?
We have been asked if we would like to request a Confirmation service in 2027 by the Area Dean Revd Peter Matthews.
Confirmation is a special moment in the Christian journey. If you were baptised as a child, it gives you an opportunity to affirm the promises made at your baptism for yourself. During the service, a bishop lays a hand upon each candidate and prays for God to confirm and strengthen them with the Holy Spirit.
For some of you, this may be an especially good time to meet together and explore the Christian faith more deeply. You don't need to have all the answers. Preparation for confirmation gives us space to learn, ask questions, pray and discover more about what it means to follow Jesus.
And for some children, young people or adults who have been baptised but haven't yet received Holy Communion, this journey may be particularly significant. Confirmation preparation can provide a thoughtful pathway towards receiving Communion for the first time and discovering more deeply what it means to gather at Jesus' table.
Confirmation isn't only for teenagers. People of all ages can explore taking this step.
There is no commitment at this stage. If something here makes you wonder, “Perhaps it's time for me,” please speak to Tom, Kausar, Elizabeth or Solomon.
Come and explore. Ask your questions. Take the next step of faith.
What's on at a Glance
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Readings for St Edmund's: Exodus 20.1-4,7-9,12-20. Psalm 19*. Matthew 21.33-End.
Harvest Readings for St James: 🌾 Deuteronomy 26.1–11 🙌 Psalm 100 🍞 John 6.25–35 Jesus: Bread of Life
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9.30am - Short 20-30min Communion Service at St Edmund's
10.30am - Harvest Festival with Communion at James' and a Service of the Word at St Edmund's
1-4pm - Dwell@The Well at St James Church - gather around the table, share food, hear stories and learn more about Caribbean heritage.
4pm - Grace Community |
Monday
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Morning Prayer - 9.30am at St Edmund's
Tuesday
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Morning Prayer - 9.30am at St James'
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Place of Welcome - 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 our special 'Jesus Be the Centre' monthly bible study.
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
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Readings for St James: Exodus 32.1-14, Psalm 106, 1-6, 19-23*, Matthew 22.1-14.
Harvest Readings for St James: 🌾 Deuteronomy 26.1–11 🙌 Psalm 100 🍞 John 6.25–35 Jesus: Bread of Life
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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 with Communion at St Edmunds' and Communion at James'.
4pm - Grace Community |
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>>