Dear friends,

Did any of you see the beautiful double rainbow last Friday?
We were driving up the ring road when I looked up and there it was!
Seeing it started me thinking about God's wonderful creation and all the blessings showered upon us. That led on to thinking of this coming Harvest Sunday, when we come together to celebrate the harvest, thanking God for his abundant generosity as we bring fruit, vegetables, and other foods to be blessed and shared with others.

In the current economic situation, listening to daily bulletins about energy prices and the rising cost of living, it can be hard to avoid feeling anxiety, despair, fear for the future, and easy to forget that not all God's blessings are dependent on the state of national and personal finances.

If you feel unable to share in a monetary way, share something which costs nothing but has immense value. Never underestimate the power of a warm smile or an act of kindness to friend or stranger. Who fails to be uplifted by a hug or a kiss from family or friends? Laughter is known to produce 'feel good' endorphins so tell a good joke or look through the family photo album for all those embarrassing pictures and have a good laugh!

And finally, share this verse from the prophet Jeremiah:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So don't be discouraged by life's troubles but trust in God's unfailing love and his promise for our future and don't forget to smile!

With every blessing,
Brenda

Harvest Sunday Service
Come and join us at 9:15am or at 11am for our annual Harvest Festival!
We encourage you to support the Bradford North Foodbank by bringing donations of food that they require. After our visit to their depot, we know at the moment they are in need of long life fruit juice, chocolate bars, long life milk, as well as sturdy bags for life, empty washing-up liquid bottles, and tin openers. Money is always needed too, since this allows them to purchase what they are short of. Other things on their shopping list are below:

Harvest Flowers
The flower team will be in church working wonders with the flora today, 9am – 12pm. If you wish to join the team please have a word with Julie Horan, Kim Pollard, or Sally Corbin. Donations of hydrangea heads, green foliage, & autumn flowers are required, plus fresh produce i.e. vegetables etc.

Go Deeper
Our new 'Go Deeper' notes are a chance to look at issues from that week’s sermon in some more detail, and to help us engage with how our faith and our lives work together. If you would like to receive these weekly notes by email, please click here to sign up. (Apologies, this link was missing from our Newsy Email last week.)

Confirmation Start! Course
God, Jesus, and the Journey of life in six sessions.
We will be meeting at 6pm on Tuesdays in church to eat together and explore questions about faith, life, and Jesus, and this is open to everyone!
The dates for the course are Tuesday 4th, 11th, & 18th October and 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd November, culminating in a special confirmation service led by the new Bishop of Kirkstall on Sunday 27th November at 10am.
If this is something you’d be interested in, please chat to Rev Rob or email [email protected] for more info.
Can you help by providing a simple one-pot meal including a vegetarian option for approx. 15 people at our Start course? Please add your name to the list at the back of church & Sally will contact you nearer the day with more information.

St. Wilfrid’s, Calverley Beer Festival! - 8th October, 11am – 10pm
With just a week to go, everything is dropping into place. It’s sure to be a fantastic event. If you’ve not purchased your tickets yet, we encourage you to do so to guarantee entry. Tickets are £10 (pre-booked) or £12 (on the door), includes 4 half pint beer tokens & commemorative glass. For more information and to book tickets, please visit calverley.church/beer

Can you help?
To help the Beer Festival be a success, we are looking for sponsors.
Whether you’re a local business, an individual, or a family group, we have varying levels of sponsorships available. For further information about sponsorships, please email [email protected]
We also require volunteers to help on the day, signup sheets are available at the back of church. The day is split in to 3-hour blocks, so you can help out and still have time to enjoy the event.
Spread the word about the event!
- Display a poster at home, in a local shop or at work
- Share our event on Facebook & Instagram
- Invite family, friends, & colleagues

Spring Harvest (10th - 14th April 2023)
Do you fancy a break by the seaside next year?
We’re thinking of going to Spring Harvest Skegness as a church group.
There is something for everyone, insightful teaching, passionate worship sessions, and space to relax and recharge. Set against the backdrop of the Butlin's resorts, there's so much to do and enjoy.
Grab a coffee, sip a wine, dip into teaching seminars, take a walk on the beach, and join with thousands of other Christians in worship.
Prices are from £139, and more information can be found online here.
At this stage we would like to know if you're interested in attending, please contact the [email protected] with "Spring Harvest" in the subject.

Tech on Sundays
We're still looking to expand our Teach Team!
This a great opportunity to serve at church by helping facilitate all the audio-visual aspects of Sunday worship. Are you called to be part of the team?
Please have a word with Rob or the wardens.