This poem involves two passages in my own life: the approaching death of my father, and the birth of my son. The first involves the last interaction I recall my dad ever making with someone outside the family. The second, the first time we noticed that my son was sharing his experience. They are linked, by light; and they never leave me.

Members of the United Reformed Church, from pre-schoolers to pensioners, have knitted, crocheted, and sewn hundreds of flowers for the Greenbelt festival.

The call to the denomination’s arts and craft enthusiasts, to help create a ‘garden’ and ‘path’ inside the takeaway with creatively made flowers, first went out in April and people have responded enthusiastically.

Following severe flooding across Kerala, a southern state in India, the United Reformed Church has joined the Church of South India (CSI) and global ecumenical partners in appealing for prayers and support for the region.

Since the monsoon began in June, around 400 people have died, and thousands have been displaced and rendered homeless. The figures are expected to rise as many people are still reported missing.

The CSI Synod has reported that nearly three million people from 52,856 families have been rescued from various parts of the state and are being sheltered in 5,645 camps.