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                                                          Degibna Prayer Chapel and Prayer Garden

     

                                            Autumn Newsletter 2025                  

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                                                                           “ All things are possible for one who believes”

                                                                                    Mark 10:27                           

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  Dear Friends,

 

  Greetings to you all.  At the end of August we had 95 Friends, our highest total ever.

  However, you mean much more to us than mere numbers. We are truly grateful for your

  prayers, encouragement and support. Do please encourage others to become Friends as

  you have opportunity and, perhaps, we may break that 100 barrier in the year ahead.

 

  Annual General Meeting  

  These three words have the ability to tune people out or send them running for cover!

  Please tune back in. We hope many of our Friends will come along at 3.00pm on Tuesday

  14th October as well as representatives from our Booking Groups. All are welcome. This is

  an opportunity to look back over the past year and look forward to the year ahead. It is an

  opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions and explore possibilities. It is an

  opportunity to listen to one another and to God. What may God’s Spirit be saying to

  Degibna Prayer Chapel? For those who cannot come, please do pray for this important

  gathering.

 

  ‘Our Story, Our Song’ is the theme of the new Methodist Prayer Handbook ‘an

  encouragement to a journey of discernment as we seek afresh the story God has called us

  to live and the song God has called us to sing’. This theme will be the focus for our

  conversations at our Annual General Meeting. How has the story of Degibna Prayer

  Chapel and the Prayer Garden played its part in God’s story, and how can it continue to   

  do so?

 

  Praying The Scriptures

  Rev Dan Haylett, Chair of the South West Peninsula District, writes in the September   

  District Enews:

  “Across the District in this new Connexional year, we are focussing on the themes that we

  find in Ephesians 3 v14-21 … In what ways do we need to be strengthened, not in terms of

  might or a sense of personal power, but in our spiritual growing into the image of Christ?

  How are we being rooted and grounded in faith, and what attention are we paying to the

  things that will do that for us? How open will we be to the love and grace of Christ that is

  God’s intention and promise for us?”

 

  It is a well-known, much-loved and powerful prayer by Paul for the early church. We want

  to share in this District initiative so this passage will be the focus of our ‘Praying the

  Scriptures’ event on Friday 14th November. Do read the passage! Pray the prayer

  (especially with Degibna Prayer Chapel in mind)! And, if you possibly can, come along to

  the event itself.

 

  Events & Bookings

• The annual Grand Afternoon Tea was attended by around 100 people, a record number. On a sunny afternoon it was lovely to see so many friends from local churches, our booking groups etc. £404 was raised for the National Trust Degibna Orchard Project so thanks to all who contributed.

• Our monthly Julian Meeting varies in attendance, but August saw us break into double figures with 11 people sharing in a time of silent prayer and reflection. Do commend this and our other events to any who may be interested.

• 2 new bookings: Kerrier Deanery have booked 6 sessions this autumn for a course led by Rev Dr Robert Evans on “1 Corinthians: Paul’s teaching then and now”. I gather over 20 are already booked in. Also YWAM Immerse Cornwall have booked a Team Retreat Day. It is good that the Chapel is being well used.

• Over the winter we shall be reducing the number of events offered as recently some have been poorly attended. If you have ideas for new events or would like to lead an event, do let us know.

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  Degibna News

• We took part in the national Big Butterfly Count again this year. On one sunny day in July seven species were spotted in the garden, attracted by the buddleia in flower – Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Comma, Wall, Gatekeeper, Large White and Small White. It has been a better year than last, but numbers are still low compared to 20+ years ago. ​​​​​

• Thanks to Simon who has refreshed/polished the                                                        chest-of-drawers and look out for our new bamboo toilet roll                                              holder (which will not rust!).

• Thanks also to Peter for providing the small, solar-powered                                              water feature in the garden.

• Thanks to those who have opened the Chapel on Sundays in recent months and a special thanks to those who offered a welcome on Sunday afternoons. There was never a large number of visitors, but some significant conversations took place. We have been reminded how Chapel and Garden are valued by many in the wider community.

 

  Some Prayer Points

  As we move through Autumn to Winter let us pray:

• with gratitude for God’s love, mercy, grace, peace, faithfulness and more!

• for healing of broken relationships between individuals, communities and nations

• for the light of Christ to shine bright in darker days

• for the lonely, the sorrowful and the despairing in our local communities

• for God’s blessing upon all who attend our Events & Bookings or visit the Prayer Garden

• for one another as Friends of Degibna Prayer Chapel

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

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

www.degibnaprayerchapel.org.uk