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Grandparents Day: Sunday, 6 October

A message from John Sheppard, Reader, St Peter and St Marys, Fishbourne and St Mary the Virgin, Apuldram:

I recently remarked during one of my sermons that as Churches, Fishbourne and Apuldram need to focus on ensuring the message of the Gospels gets through to all in our parish, not just those at our Sunday Services. Developing ways to ensure this happens is very important. A quick look at the Gospels shows how in-touch Jesus was with the lives of his contemporaries when he was teaching!! With this in mind, we are planning to hold some special services in months to come, the first of which celebrates everything about grandparenthood.

As people live longer and parents work harder, the role of grandparents in the lives of children has probably never been more prominent. Acting as I do, as a guide on children’s walking holidays, I see more children come with grandparents than with parents. The wider view of grandparenthood, including those who fill the role without a traditional genetic link, and those who support and help the younger generation generally, is also important and valued. It’s all about linking generations together and making them aware of each other across the years, however that might be achieved.

Sunday 6 October is Grandparents Day. I know it sounds like an Americanism designed to sell greetings cards but today, more than ever, it has real meaning. We will be holding a service to celebrate at 16.30, at Fishbourne Church on that day. If you have a grandparent figure in your life, if you are a grandparent, if you fulfil that role in some way or if you are a supporter of the rise in grandparent importance, do come. It will be a short celebration of all that’s good about grandparenthood. A little music, some readings and a few thoughts. I wouldn’t like to do it alone. Please come and enjoy celebrating the importance of young people to the older generation and the importance of the older people in the lives of youngsters. Our society could be said to be in need of some unification right now!

I look forward to seeing you there.

Upcoming PCC Meetings can be found here.