There will be no Sunday Worship on Sunday 1st November as there is a Circuit Service at Chadsmoor where all will be welcome.

Remembrance Sunday 2026 will be on Sunday 8th November. There will be a time for the Village to gather to remember the sacrifice made for us all at the Cenotaph by the New Talbot where wreaths will be laid, the names of the fallen will be read out, and the Last Post will be played. This will start around 10:30 am and end just after 11am. Then there then will be a service aimed at 11 year olds and under in Salem Hall, and a service of Remembrance in Salem Church, both starting around 11:10am. Both services will last about 1 hour. 

Our next Charity Coffee Morning will be on Saturday 7th November in aid of Parkinson’s UK. This will be in the Lecture Room from 10:30 am and homemade cakes will be on sale to enjoy with your beverage, or to take home to enjoy later. The one after that is Saturday 5th December.

Plans are underway for our Christmas Tree festival in December. More information will be available soon here. 

On Sunday 7^th June the AGM took place and the following report was given about ‘The Life of the Church’:

“There is much more to say than what happens on a Sunday.  Sunday worship of course, is the glue that binds us to God and in fellowship with each other.

We often comment that we have no children or young people here, but actually we do, because we have a healthy Boys’ Brigade here.  On Friday (12^th) at 7.30 they will seen receiving the awards that they’ve earned during the year.  Boys’ Brigade is a Christian organisation and they are very much part of this church.

Growing our faith:  As Churches Together we ran an Alpha course which led up to Easter, and I have to say that no-one from Salem, except myself (Ruth) attended. Maybe we’ve all done Alpha courses before but I think it’s good to think again about what we believe and how it affects our daily lives.  Currently we are showing ‘The Chosen’ on a Thursday afternoon – it’s detailed in the notices and after each viewing we usually have a chat about what we’ve seen.  We are at the stage in the series where we are being introduced to the disciples before they actually became disciples.  Yes, it is a drama, but it provokes thoughts and self-examination.  Also with Churches Together we are meeting for Prayer and Praise – again dates are shown in the notices.

As outreach Coffee Stop meets on three days each week.  Over a drink we talk about everything and nothing, but sometimes we have deep and meaningful conversations which witness to our visitors something about our reason for being here, and being ‘church’.  Our flower ministry is also a form of outreach.  Flowers are donated to church each week and then go out to people who are celebrating, or who are ill, or in need of some sort, and these people are not necessarily church people.

When it comes to mission work we are a very active church in that we support Christian Aid, Action for Children, Baby Bear Project, and various local needs with our advent giving, as well as the charities we support with our monthly coffee mornings.  As individuals, as individual local churches, and as Churches Together we try to fulfil the commission given to all disciples, to take the Christian message to all in word and deed.  

Not all Coffee Stop volunteers are from this church, and the bereavement support group and food bank is supported by people from various churches, and some who don’t have a connection with any church.

We keep in contact with the various groups who meet on Salem premises:  local history society, flower club, table tennis, the dance school, and Ruby Doo, the mother-toddler group.  By working in liaison with each other, people see that Salem is a welcoming church.

We hold various social and fund-raising events such as barn dances, skittle evenings, Irish evenings, and table-top sales.  People are happy to come and help and by working alongside us are drawn into the fellowship and hopefully one day, will enter fully into Church worship and membership.

There is a lot going on at Salem, and information is at hand, on the weekly notice sheet, in Meeting Points, and on the web-site.  It is a good place to be, so bring your friends along to enjoy the fellowship we have here.”