Message from an Elder – March 2026 Dear Friends, We are already two months into 2026, where does the time go? I have a feeling that this yearwill fly by very quickly because of all the anniversary events we have planned. We are already busier than we have been in previous years what with the […]
A New Year Message for Bitterne: Celebrating 40 Years in Our Church Building
February 2026 Dear friends, As I write this letter I think back to our celebrations once again of Christ’s birth and the opportunities offered to welcome visitors to our Christmas Tree Festival and special services, our thanks to all who worked so hard to make these possible. It was lovely to see our sanctuary full […]
Christmas Reflections: Supporting One Another Through the Festive Season
Message from an Elder – December 2025 Happy Christmas Everyone. As I write this letter it seems too early to wish you all a Happy Christmas, but time seems to fly so fast these days that soon it seems like it will be Easter, another very special time of the year. Some people find it hard […]
Family Memories at Butlins: A Holiday Reflection
Message from an Elder – November 2025 Dear Friends, I am writing this whilst on holiday with my grandsons at Butlins, Bognor Regis. Many of you, like me, will have many childhood memories of holidays or day trips. Butlins has changed a lot to keep up to date, but has still kept many original features; […]
Faith and Loyalty: Lessons from Football Fans
October 2025 Message from an Elder Dear Friends I know it’s a few weeks ago, but on writing, the last home game I attended at St Mary’s Stadium was Southampton v Portsmouth. A local derby that has a lot of history and was hyped up by the media so much in the week preceding the game, […]
September Reflections: A Message of Hope and Solidarity
Dear Friends Welcome to September 2025. I was thinking about what September means for some people, mainly students and their parents in respect of the academic year. There will be 4/5 years olds going to primary school for the very first time with anxious parents in tow. Existing pupils will be starting a new year, […]
The Importance of Praying for Climate Change
July/August 2024 Message from an Elder Dear Friends In my set of prayers for May I included the following prayer: for gentle rain; “Dear God, we thank you for the Summer Sun and warm days that we have, that ended a long cold wintry spring, but please could we have some gentle rain? No rain […]
Reflections on June: Holidays, Pentecost, and Community
June 2025 Message from an Elder Dear Friends, Well. what do I write about as we come into the month of June? People are going on holidays, students are finishing exams and beginning to go home for their breaks from university and college. Others are finishing school for the long school holidays, while others are […]
Keeping the Spirit of Easter Alive Year-Round
May 2025 Message from an Elder Dear Friends Our Church is so fortunate to have had some wonderful services during Holy Week. We are thankful to Dave, Jill, Ian and all those who have helped make our services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday so meaningful and inspiring. I find the joyousness of […]
Join Us: Easter Services and Community Highlights
April 2025 Message from an Elder Dear Friends, As I write this ‘Spring’ seems to have sprung and lots of colour is appearing in gardens and along roadsides. We must always remember to be forever thankful for the beauty around us and the changing seasons but always remember to pray for those parts of the […]