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 Autumn Newsletter 2023

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'Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God

Micah 6:8

Dear Friends,

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Greetings to all our Friends. With this newsletter you should receive:

• our new event programme

• a booklet from The Prayer Trust: ‘Like a Watered Garden’

• a Friends renewal form

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If you pay by standing order please ignore the form unless your details have changed.

Do encourage others to become Friends as you have opportunity.

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Please make a special effort to attend our AGM, 3.00pm Tuesday October 10th.

The more who come, the better. Come and share news, ideas and fellowship.

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New Website ...

But our old web address! A huge thank you to Simon & Tracey Dunkley who have set up the new site. Do check this out: www.degibnaprayerchapel.org.uk

It is deliberately simple to negotiate so that people can easily find the information they want under one of the 7 tabs: Home / Bookings / Eco Church / Events / Friends / Garden / Newsletter.

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Please let us know if you spot any errors or can think of ways to improve the site. The advantage of having our own site is that we can update or correct content ourselves as the need arises. The downside is the cost involved, but we have kept this to a minimum. We have paid initially for a year, but plan to renew for a longer period if all is satisfactory.

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Julian Meetings

Our Julian Meetings began in 2020, and continue every 3rd Sunday 4.00pm – 4.45pm at the chapel. Julian Meetings are groups of people who meet regularly in order to grow in the practice of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition. Our small group is open to people of all denominations or none. For many Christians the contemplative life is a reality - a response to the call of God. For others of us we have to practise being silent in God’s presence, for half an hour, to draw closer to him. In the meeting, we hear a short reading and then are quiet in God’s presence.

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These words by Kathy Galloway (1996) reflect the relevance of silence:

When the world tells us we are what we do with our spending power, selling power,

or our power of speech, let us learn we are what we do with our silence.

When the world tells us to drown the silent sufferings of others with indifference or noise

or to forget the art of stillness even in the storm, let us learn we are what we do with our silence.

It would be wonderful to welcome you at the Julian Meeting.    Rev Amanda

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Resources

There have been some recent new additions to our mini-library. Do have a look and feel free to borrow any that are of interest.

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Events & Bookings

Our Community & Friends Socials are always our best attended events. However some events this summer had low numbers attending and on 2 occasions no one came along. We know that people have other commitments and cannot attend all events, but we do like to see you, so do look at the events sheet and perhaps try something new. If you have any ideas for events, please let us know.

 

August, usually a quiet month, was especially busy with extra bookings. The local WI Quilting Group now meet monthly at Degibna on the last Saturday of the month. We have also had several bookings from other WI Groups whose regular venues have been unavailable over the summer.

In addition, the National Trust have booked Degibna for 4 separate meetings. We are delighted to welcome these new groups.

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Degibna News

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• In August 50 people came to our 10th Garden Anniversary Celebration. It was a wild and windy day so few ventured into the garden, but all enjoyed our amazing anniversary cake, baked by Hazel Treloar.  £260 was raised for The League of Friends of Helston Community Hospital.

• In June we recorded 75 species of birds, flowers, insects etc. in the garden during the Churches Count on Nature Week and in July we recorded 9 species of butterfly as part of the Big Butterfly Count.

• We give thanks for the life of Alan Higgs who died, aged 90, in August, We remember his wife, Joyce, and all the family in our prayers. Alan was a valued Friend of Degibna Prayer Chapel from its start and a former member of Degibna Methodist Church.

• Sadly one of our granite gate posts has recently been laid low by a reversing truck! Restoration is in hand.

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Some Prayer Points

As we journey through Autumn towards Christmas, let us pray:

• With gratitude for individuals and organisations that care for creation

• For National & Local leaders in these difficult days

• For those who struggle in colder days for health or financial reasons

• For our local churches and growing unity between them

• For God’s blessing upon our events and bookings + all who visit our Prayer Garden

• For one another as Friends of Degibna Prayer Chapel

 

Every blessing, as we continue to support one another in prayer.

Rev Andrew Hill (01326 569803) & Rev Amanda Stevens (01326 561792)

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