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A reminder that the APCM will be held at 8pm on Wednesday 21st October via Zoom. All papers and login details were emailed out last Friday, but if you have mislaid them just contact Margaret Day (375916, margaret.day12@btinternet.com).

As everyone will understand we are not able to hold our usual Remembrance Sunday service and parade this year.  But we do, of course, want to remember and honour all those who have lost their lives in war.

We will be holding an online service starting at 10.30am on Sunday 8^th November.  This will include a film of wreath laying, a bugle sounding and the two minutes silence at 11am.  Please do join us for the service which will be available via Facebook – just look for ‘Kidlington Anglican Churches’ on Facebook or go to worship-online where there will be a link to take you there.

We are also inviting everyone to bring their own poppy, mounted on a cross, and place it in St Mary’s churchyard in the week November 1^st to 8^th. This could be a poppy you have bought or one you have made. Below are some examples – but please feel free to be as individual and inventive as you chose – knitting, crochet, material ….

• Make a cross from two sticks (pea sticks or bamboo canes work well). Fix them with glue, wire or string and perhaps paint black (optional) with acrylic paint.
• Make a poppy (see below for some possibilities).
• Fix the poppy onto the cross with glue or wire.
• Bring to St Mary’s and insert into a small hole in the ground (perhaps made with hammer and bradawl). If you don’t fancy hammering it into the ground leave it in the church porch and we will ‘plant’ it for you.

There will be some spare crosses and poppies in St Mary’s church porch for those who cannot make their own.

Making a poppy

• Cut out of the bottom of a plastic bottle. Paint on the outside surface – first the centre with black acrylic paint then, when dry, add red acrylic paint over the centre and sides, for the petals.
• Cut the top off a drinks can with scissors (WEAR GLOVES). Then cut the petals from the side of the can leaving them attached at the bottom. Use red spray paint for the surface, then black acrylic paint for the centre. You can also add extra petals from a second can if you want.

In Hampton Poyle the village is making a pumpkin trail on All Hallows Eve (Halloween) for children to find decorated pumpkins whilst parents provide their own children with sweets. (Much safer than knocking on doors…)  We will be involved, making pumpkins on a theme of ‘Light in the Darkness’ and ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.

If you feel inspired to cut a pumpkin and would be willing for it to go in the churchyard at Hampton Poyle please let Felicity know – she will organize lighting them at the appropriate time. Please also feel free to bring your family to walk the pumpkin trail if you are looking for safe things to do.

Always, light is stronger than darkness, goodness stronger than evil, Christ is stronger than anything in the world.

This year for All Souls we are making an interactive installation near the main door of St Mary’s Kidlington.

We will not be able to hold in person our big service at St Mary’s Kidlington, where we remember by name each person we love who has died. But we can remember them by taking part in the installation. The shape of a cross will be marked out in the churchyard and we invite you to decorate a stone with the name of your loved one, or paint it with a simple design, or just choose a stone, and then bring your stone to the churchyard and lay it inside the marked out cross at any time in the week from Monday October 26^th to Saturday 31^st. You can also send to us the name of anyone you would like us to remember.  If you would like to paint a stone but you don’t have one that is good for painting we will place some smooth stones in a bucket in the porch at St Mary’s for you to use. Any waterproof paint, marker pen, or even nail varnish is good to use.

We will then have an online service at 3pm on Sunday November 1^st using the stone cross, lighting candles, and reading out all the names we are remembering.  You can see that service now on Facebook.  The stones will be in the churchyard at St Mary’s Kidlington for a couple of weeks so there is still time to add one if you would like to. 

There will also be a small “in person” service of remembering at St Mary’s Hampton Poyle at 5pm; this is mainly for the villagers and numbers will still be limited – please book directly with Felicity.

We are now putting the finishing touches to our new website, which will be officially launched on 21st October. You are very welcome to browse round now – especially if you spot any problems then just email to webmaster.

Our next pop-up service will have a Harvest theme. Join us in the churchyard of St Mary’s Kidlington at 2pm on Tuesday 22nd September. No need to book. Seating available.