Dear Friends,

As you can see, the church is ready for Harvest Sunday, with it’s tins of beans in position!

Harvest is a wonderful time to pause, and to give thanks to God for all the good gifts that He gives us. We will be praying for local farmers, giving thanks for their work, and asking for God’s blessing on them in the year ahead.

If you’d like to contribute to Cranleigh Food Bank - this is what they need www.cranleighfoodbank.org/donations‍ and you can add it to the collection on Sunday. ‍

For Harvest Sunday, we’ll be continuing in Genesis 17, thinking about what it means to have faith while we wait. Abram and Sarai had been waiting nearly 25 years for God to keep his promise of a child, and still the promise had not arrived. In Genesis 17, God comes to Abram again, stretches his promises even wider, gives him the sign of the covenant, and reminds him that the heart of the promise is not merely land, children, or blessing, but God himself: “to be your God.” So as we give thanks for the harvest, we’ll be asking how we can keep trusting God’s promises while we wait for the final harvest, when Jesus returns and all God’s promises are fulfilled in him.

We meet twice this coming Sunday morning in St John the Baptist Loxwood.

8.30am | BCP Morning Prayer |
10am | Harvest Sunday with Communion | with groups for the kids and coffee afterwards.

And once in the evening at St Nicholas Alfold.

6pm | Evensong | Luke 17:11-19

Everyone is welcome & we’d love to see you!

With love in Christ,

Revd. James Forward

Read on Below the Line!

Little Angels

Our Thursday morning toddler group, Little Angels, is back this week!

Little Angels is a relaxed and friendly group for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, parents, grandparents, and carers. There’s plenty of time to play, chat, enjoy refreshments, and get to know other local families. Each week we also have a short Bible story, some singing, and a simple reminder of God’s love for us and our little ones.

We meet on Thursdays at 10am at Loxwood Church.

Whether you come every week or have never been before, you would be so welcome. Do invite friends, neighbours, children, grandchildren, or anyone you know who might enjoy coming along.

Pilgrim Groups

Pilgrim Groups are a place of deeper fellowship, where we support one another in prayer, and go deeper into God's word together. If you are not already in a Pilgrim Group and would like to join one, please email Richard Allan or speak to him in church. richard@alflox.org

Prayer Central

Our 1st Wednesday of the month Prayer Meeting is coming up next on Wednesday 7th October. We will meet in Loxwood Church Room. We meet at 7.30pm for refreshments, 8pm to sing and pray, and we always finish by 9pm. There is never an obligation to pray out loud. God hears the prayer of our hearts just as well! Please do join us.

Year of Prayer

Psalm 127 says ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.’ Monday Morning | Alfold or Loxwood Church Room |

Fasting

You may or may not know, but we as a church are currently looking for a Kid’s and Youth Pastor to help us with our vision of passing the gospel onto the next generation. In God’s kindness he has provided us with a significant financial gift, so that we can make a full-time appointment for the role. And the PCC are in the process of putting together an advert for the job.

This is a huge moment for our church, and I want to make sure that we are earnestly praying for God to provide just the right person for us. So I am calling for a fast on Monday mornings, from whenever you wake up, until midday when our prayer meeting ends. If you are able (medical reasons permitting) to join me in skipping breakfast on Mondays, please use the time to ask God to match his financial provision with just the person of his choosing. You can come along and pray at our Monday morning Year of Prayer meetings (which are continuing for a second year), or you can pray at home or at your work. But wherever it is… please pray!