Harvest Festival is coming up….

We are holding our Harvest Festival on Sunday 12th October at 9.45am.

A reminder about donations for the Harvest Festival on 12th October at St Alban’s. All donations should be non-perishable items, no fresh food please. Tins are a really great idea. Pasta, rice tea, cereals, also good, but they need to have a long use by/best by date. Toiletires and loo rolls also a great donation. Everything will be given to the Crawley Free Shop in Bewbush. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Age UK Pop-up – 30th October 10.30-11.30am

Emma Finister, Community Agent for Age UK, will be at our Heart of Welcome Cafe on 30th October and 11th December, in St Alban’s Hall. She will be on hand with information and advice, so come and find out all the different ways you can find support. In association with Crawley Borough Council.

Shoebox time!

You can drop off items for the Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal at the back of church. We will be packing the Shoeboxes at the end of October.

Bible Study – Friday Mornings

Next date to be confirmed.

Wild Wednesdays

Wild Wednesday’s at Goffs Manor are all done for 2025. Hopefully see you again in 2026!

Volunteers Needed

Jesus said, ‘Remember, you did not choose me. I chose you. And I chose you to bear fruit’.
He also said ‘do not hide your light under a bushel’.
There are many ways in which you can contribute to our common life as a church and be a beacon of light to our community. For example, we need people:

To join the fundraising team. You may bring new ideas or you may bring a pair of hands. All contributions are really needed and appreciated, especially at this current time when church finances need every boost we can find.
To enhance our worship. We need people to join the serving team (training is provided). We need more people to do the prayers (could this be you? Guidance is provided).
To help with Junior Church. Do you love working with children? Our Junior Church leaders really could do with more people on the rota so that they, too, can have weeks when they can worship in church along with everyone else.
To do pastoral visiting. Since the pandemic started and home visiting became impossible, most of our pastoral team have stepped down. We do need to resurrect a team of visitors to either do Home Communions or just to simply visit or keep in touch with those not able to come to church. Could this be you?
To help with Tiny Toes, our carer and toddler group on Monday mornings. The group runs from 9.30 to 11 am but setting up and clearing up adds an extra half hour at each end. Even if you can only help with part of this (doing refreshments, clearing up etc) every little helps. Please do offer some help if you can.

Please, please, do consider any way you can help with the mission and ministry of our church. You may have new ideas to bring to the table. Please do, because every little helps!
If it helps you to think of how your individual gifts contribute to the whole, helping us all to celebrate God’s love in the community, remember the words of a favourite hymn ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine’!

St Alban’s supporting the Free Shop Crawley

The Free shop Crawley is a charity based in our parish, in Dorsten Square, Bewbush. The work they do to support those in need is truly heart-warming. If anyone would like to donate food items there is a designated box at the back of church for collections. Alternatively, text to donate cash: Text: 70085 5FOOD to donate £5,10FOOD to donate £10, 20FOOD to donate £20 etc. Go to freeshopcrawley.com for more info.
Thank you!

Heart of Welcome Cafe

Our ever popular Community Morning (The brainchild of Merle Martin and a small team of Mothers’ union members) has now been running for 24 years, and is now a Place of Welcome Café. This is a place where all are welcome, and where refreshments are free (donations are allowed for customers who insist!…) It is a place to belong, make friends, feel safe and valued. A place to talk and be listened to and share ideas. Somewhere to knit and natter, or play scrabble or chess etc (more information https://www.placesofwelcome.org.uk/). If you can make scones or cakes (as a one off, or regularly), this would be very much appreciated! If you would like to volunteer to help on a regular basis, then please get in touch.

Tiny Toes!

Our new group for parents, carers, babies and toddlers meets on Mondays at 9.30 – 11am.

Dawn and Sarah will be here to welcome you!

All are welcome, especially if you’re a Toddler. Booking is not required and there is no charge but donations will be gratefully received.

Building works update June 2023

We are delighted that the first phase of building works, installing a new heating system in St Alban’s, has been completed. We are very grateful to the Benefact Trust for the small grant which helped us along as we raised the funds to pay for this. We are also grateful to PJB Electrical Ltd who did the installation work so efficiently.

Grant Awarded

Great news
We are delighted to have received a grant from Allchurches Trust towards the building project here at St Alban’s. We aim to create a new accessible entrance, install toilets, new heating system, a refreshment area, and repair the tower. This work will benefit both the church and the local community. Thank you Allchurches Trust for your support.

St. Alban’s Opening Times

In addition to normal services, the Church will now be open to the public at the following times:

Mondays 9am – 4pm

Tuesday – Thursdays 9am – 5pm