Beccles church plans to celebrate two harvests

When a church holds its annual Harvest Festival, it will in fact be celebrating two different harvests.

St Michael’s Church in Beccles will have its usual celebration of the crop harvest where people are invited to bring non-perishable food items for the food bank - but there will also be a Harvest of Talents.

Next Friday, September 25, the church will open for an exhibition showcasing the creative things members of the congregation do, from painting and embroidery to poetry and mountaineering.

Bishop Gavin Reid said: “There will be no pretentions, some of us may be judged to be good at the things we do, some of us may be judged to be ordinary, like me and my poetry.

“But all of us just like having a go at being creative.”

Next Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26, there will be morning coffee, tea and cakes, lunchtime organ recitals and afternoon demonstrations including glass painting and embroidery. The traditional harvest festival will then take place next Sunday, September 27.

Holy Communion will begin at 9am, followed by Harvest Festival Morning Worship with St Michael’s choir at 10.30am, during which time contributions to the Beccles Food Bank are welcome.

Bishop Reid said: “And behind everything we hope there will just be the pleasant buzz of people drinking coffee, munching cakes and generally enjoying each other’s company.”