September Round Up
Our September round up includes articles from our team and highlights of Junior Church and Brick Church activities.
A few words from Abi St John’s new Assistant Curate
Coming to a new church can be a slightly daunting experience. You never quite know what you're walking into, where to sit, when to stand, or whether there's an unspoken system for where the biscuits live!
As someone who is still very new to St John's, I've been wonderfully surprised by how quickly I've been made to feel at home. From my very first Sunday, you've all been so kind, welcoming and genuinely interested in getting to know me.
What has struck me most is the sense of community here. There's a warmth about St John's that comes from all of you. It's clear that St John's is a church where people look out for one another, enjoy being together, and share a deep commitment to their faith.
I've also been impressed by the joy and life of the parish. There is plenty going on, but underneath it all is a simple desire to worship God and serve others, which is a lovely thing to witness.
I'm still finding my feet and learning names, but I already feel very fortunate to have found St John's. Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me so warmly. I look forward to getting to know you all better in the months ahead.
Rev Abi
Chaplaincy at George Stephenson High School – Hilary Elder
My second year is already the same and different – it’s great to see familiar faces and know my way around, but I have been able to jump into school life much more quickly this year.
Walking around school on my first day, there was excitement around the 6th form lockers, where two Year 12s had created an extraordinary space inside their chosen box. It inspired me to write a little poem, which they are happy for me to share. I’m sure you’ll agree, though, that the poem isn’t as good as the actual locker.
LOCKER – a new school year
For T and S
Lockers for 6th form are free,
first come, first served,
all you need is a padlock.
It’s part of the new dispensation:
no uniform,
free periods,
independent learning.
You are all-in,
fully committed,
up for this.
Your locker, shared,
is a thing of wonder.
Pictures inside the door, of course,
new textbooks neatly stacked,
a row of pens suspended by tack,
foreshadowing serious study.
And snacks,
many snacks,
ranged in serried ranks,
ready to sustain
when the road is long.
At the back, a mirror
and, tacked beautifully like the pens,
lip balm in three flavours.
You know yourselves; what you will need.
To crown it all
fairy lights
because this – sixth form –
is going to be a time of magic
and delight.
Hilary Elder 2026
Junior Church
At Junior Church and Brick Church this month we’ve been thinking harvest-y thoughts.
We began by looking at the story of Ruth, who loved and looked after her mother-in-law and found out that God was looking after them both!
Then we explored a story Jesus told about a rich man who thought his problem was that his barn was too small because he couldn’t fit all his harvest into it. But it turned out that wasn’t his problem: he spent so much effort trying to get more and more that he never got time to enjoy any of it. If only he’d shared what he had instead of building bigger barns, he and everyone else would have been much happier. At Brick Church we thought about this story too, and used ALL the yellow bricks making barny and corny things!
We went on a scavenger hunt and used the things we found to make a picture. We then used the picture to make prayers for the church Harvest Family Communion, which some of the children read out for us.
