This volunteers week, we want to celebrate everyone who makes St Mary’s, the Chapel and all our local community projects and neighbourly activities so wonderful and welcoming.
Did you know? Everything at St Mary’s relies on volunteers. With the exception of Revd Neil Lambert and Alex our part-time project manager, everyone else you see at church events and projects is a volunteer.
Thank you to those who help bake, cook, make the coffee and wash up, set up and clear down, wipe tables, stack chairs…. at church, at toddlers, at cafe, at bible study, and at our events like the quiz and summer fair and the light party and Christingle.
Thank you to all those who write articles for the online for the Parishioner magazine, put up posters and support us on social media with likes and shares. Thank you to the website and internet gurus and the technical whizzkids!
Thank you to everyone who volunteers on the PCC to help the church run, keeps us legal, looks after safeguarding and manages the building. Thank you to everyone involved in organising and leading events.
Thank you to everyone who makes the Sunday services so uplifting – flowers, altar linen, readings, prayers, worship, preaching, sound, zoom, service sheets, choir – there are so many ways to serve and we need them all.
Thank you to the army of helpers who turn up week after week for the food parcel project – donation collections, stock management, cleaning, taking calls, packing and deliveries.
Thank you for looking after the buildings with all the tidying, gardening, mending, polishing, fixing, skip runs, decorating and security.
Thank you for the care and love that goes into making Sundayschool happen, thank you for prayer ministry, thank you for welcoming people as they arrive.
Thank you for answering phones and emails, taking hall bookings, payroll and invoices, hearing aid clinics, chasing grants, managing the accounts, fundraising, stewardship and pastoral care.
thank you for donating raffle prizes, food donations, playing music, being the DJ, running a craft, sharing your talents, offering a hug, being a listening ear, leading a bible study, lifts, cooking for the community, putting up a shed, wiring up the Chapel office…..
….there are so so so many people who are are so kind and generous with their time and skills. Leading, encouraging, helping, visiting… we have probably missed lots off this list but please know that everything you so kindly do is priceless, important and appreciated.
Some may say that in church we don’t volunteer, we are called to serve. On the other hand, some of our most faithful and dependable community volunteers are not actually church goers at all and we only see you in the week! Whatever you do, and whatever your beliefs, we treasure you and thank you. Please know that you are a huge blessing and we love you! THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!