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OUR CHURCH BUILDING MAY BE CLOSED, BUT THE
CHURCH IS STILL HERE from Revd Ben
Many of you will have heard the prime minister say that places
of worship may be opening in July. Although this may be the
case, I am not able to confirm this for Newbold Parish Church
at the moment.
Any plans for us to reopen will be based on information
coming from the Archbishop’s office, not parliament. If we are
to reopen it will need some very careful planning and some
significant safety protocols. However, for the time being, we
remain closed. I have now been given permission, by Bishop
Libby, to enter the building, along with one family member, for
private prayer or to record online content.
However, our online services are very active!
All of our videos of services, Bible readings, reflections and a
song or two can be found on Youtube: Search on your
browser for — Newbold Parish Church Youtube
You can access regular updates via our website:
www.newboldparishchurch.org.uk
Note that The Evangelist is on the website if you want to look
at any of the pictures in this edition in colour.
Our Facebook page is updated daily:
www.facebook.com/newboldparishchurch
As mentioned previously, if you, or someone you know, would
like prayer at this time, please contact:
Revd Ben 450374, or Revd Rhoda 07838316610,
or email us: [email protected]
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FROM THE CURATE Revd Rhoda
June 1st will be 10 weeks since the prime minster announced
the lockdown, and 3 weeks since some of the restrictions
were lessened. I don’t know how that makes you feel, but, to
me, it certainly feels like we are in this for the long-haul.
In the church calendar, we are now in what is known as
ordinary time, meaning ordered or numbered time. The great
festival of Eastertide, lasting 50 days from Easter to Pentecost
has ended, and we have a long stretch before us until Advent
begins at the beginning of December.
I found even Eastertide was hard to celebrate this year,
without being able to meet together. And, we still don’t know
when this will end, and whenever it happens, it’s likely to be
gradual with lots of restrictions.
Facing ordinary time with no celebrations in sight feels extra
challenging to me. Where is God in the ordinary? We know
that life doesn’t consist of
constant festivals, constant
mountain top experiences.
Life consists of downs and
plateaus as well as ups.
Where is God then?
For me, it’s about knowing
and trusting that God stands
alongside of us whatever
happens, and that as a
community we are all standing
together too as we pray for each other and keep in touch by
phone and other means. The image above shows this
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(designed and reproduced with kind permission of St Peter’s
Belper). We are together even though we are physically apart,
and the cross reminds us that God suffers with us, in solidarity
with our situation.
This month’s edition includes the readings and collect prayers
for the Sunday’s in June (pages 24 & 25), which you may
want to use to supplement your Prayer Resources Booklet
sent at the beginning of the lockdown.
We have been using the group video software Zoom for
Morning Prayer, and for the Pastoral Care Team group
meeting, and we are hoping to trial it for the coffee morning
☕ in June (see page 27 for more details)
Let’s continue to encourage one another.
Every blessing 🙏
ANSWERS TO THE LONDON EMOJI QUIZ (MAY 2020, P. 41)
Many congratulations to Millie who got 19/20 correct 😊
Adrian will ensure you get your chocolate reward as soon as circumstances allow! 1- Madame Tussauds 2 - Abbey Rd 3 - Piccadilly Circus 4 - Battersea Dogs & Cats Home 5 - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 6 - Kings Cross Station 7 - 1 Canada Square 8 - Walkie Talkie (20 Fenchurch St) 9 - Elephant and Castle
10 - Waterloo Station 11 - Oxford St 12 - National Maritime Museum 13 – The Serpentine 14 - Portabello Rd 15 - Imperial War Museum 16 – The Royal Exchange 17 - The Barbican 18 - Cutty Sark 19 - Crossrail Place 20 - The Dorchester
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LOCKDOWN—A MEDIEVAL PERSPECTIVE:
JULIAN OF NORWICH from Steph Parkes
On the 8th of May the church commemorates Julian of
Norwich. She was born in 1342 in the city of Norwich. At the
time of her birth she was so unremarked that we don’t know
who her parents were or her baptismal name. We call her
Julian because she became an Anchorite at the church of St.
Julian, in Norwich.
Becoming an Anchorite or hermit was a common choice for
some in the Middle Ages. Men who became hermits could live
and move around, often serving people by keeping roads and
bridges in good repair. Women, however, had to stay near
inhabited places for safety. An anchorhold often consisted of
one or two rooms like a small bungalow with a small garden
where vegetables could be grown. The anchorite did not leave
this place, a servant would run errands, bring water and
attend to any other needs. She would live a life devoted to
prayer.
The anchorhold had three windows, one looking on the
sanctuary of the church to which it was attached, one on the
road to which people could come for advice and counsel, and
one to admit light.
During Julian’s time within her enclosure she would be aware
of life and events in the city around her. She lived through the
pandemic of the Black Death which then caused social
upheaval in the Peasants Revolt in 1381. She would also be
aware of the fate of the Lollards who were followers of
Wycliffe and who were put to death as heretics.
Before she entered the anchorhold, Julian had had a deep
religious experience of Christ’s passion during a time of
illness, when she had come very near to death.
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It seems that sometime after her “Shewings” or visions, she
retired to the anchorhold beside St Julian’s church and spent
the rest of her life pondering over her experience. About
twenty years later, after much prayer and reflection, she wrote
down her thoughts and teachings. She was revered as a wise
counsellor and woman of God and many people came to her
window to ask her advice.
Who she was, where she had lived and who her family was is
now forgotten. She became just ‘the lady at St. Julian’s which
was then shortened to the lady Julian and this is the Name by
which we know her.
It was the 8th of May that she had her visions and from her
meditations and pondering she taught that love was all - God’s
love is tender, dependable and utterly trustworthy; that sin
cannot have the last word, no matter how much suffering
there is in the world, because Christ has conquered sin once
and for all. She wrote in a very homely way - God, she writes,
is Mother and Father as well as Lover, nothing is purely
secular. She was not a scholar or theologian, but she wrote
with wit and sound common sense, she is both humorous and
blunt.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about her writing is that it
is written by a woman and in the newly developing English
language (not Saxon or Norman French). It is unique and
Julian is acknowledged as the ‘first lady’ of written English.
Written with thanks to:
‘Revelations of Divine Love’, Julian of Norwich, Penguin Classics.
‘Julian, woman of Norwich’ Elizabeth Ruth Obbard.
“ All shall be well, and all shall be well
and all manner of things shall be well.”
Julian of Norwich
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FREE PHONE LINE FOR HYMNS AND PRAYERS Archbishop Justin has launched this free phone line to dial in
to hear hymns, daily prayers and reflections. It is available for
anybody to use, but might be especially helpful to pass on to
anybody you know who doesn’t have internet access.
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JUST A COINCIDENCE OR GOD’S PLAN? from John Drake
I’ve just celebrated my birthday on the same day as Elizabeth
Alexandra Mary Windsor, aka Queen Elizabeth ll, but there
the similarity ends. Elizabeth was born in 1926 in London and
I was born eighteen years later in Banbridge, Co Down,
Northern Ireland (NI).
My Great Grandfather, Samuel, one of fourteen children, born
in 1859 at Hinton in Hampshire, a Quarter Master Sergeant in
the 37th Hampshire Regiment, was stationed in Malta when
my Grandfather, Arthur, was born in 1887. Arthur joined the
British Army as a Civil Engineer and was stationed at Shimla
(formerly Simla) in Himachal Pradesh, India as part of the
“Survey of India” team. When World War 2 broke out he was
attached to the Indian Army, and using his detailed knowledge
of the country to benefit the war effort, was awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Shimla was the summer residence of the British Government.
It being too hot in Delhi, the Government from 1864 moved
“lock stock and barrel” to the foothills of the Himalayas. The
distance from Delhi to Shimla is about 218 miles and today
the journey by road would take 6 hours. If one goes by main
line train from Delhi to Kalka it takes 6.5 hours to be followed
by a journey on the “Toy Train” to Shimla, which can take
another 6 hours. The train, which opened in 1903, is a narrow-
gauge (30 inch) railway and calls at 20 stations, has
103 tunnels, 800 bridges and 900 curves. So, in the 19th
century I guess it may have taken several days to get there as
the only means of travel up the mountain was on horseback or
by foot.
My Dad, Vivian, was born in Shimla and spent his early school
years at a boarding school in Naini Tal (apparently many of
his cousins also went there). There is a requirement for the
children of British people born abroad to return to England by
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a certain age so as to be able to enter the English education
system. So, my Dad was sent back to Southampton to stay
with his Aunt Eileen to be educated locally. His secondary
education was spent at Blundells, a public school at Tiverton
in Devon.
On leaving school, his mother, Aileen, encouraged him to
study to be an Accountant, but after many years of study he
became disenchanted with the subject and because he didn’t
want an office-based job he decided to become a Veterinary
Surgeon instead, attending the Royal Veterinary College, at
Camden, London. After failing one particular subject he
transferred to Dublin Veterinary College, where he was able to
complete his degree.
While in Dublin he began looking for a job and, in response to
an advert, applied for a post in Banbridge to work for my
maternal Grandfather, Hugh Chambers, who had a Veterinary
practice. He also owned an hotel, the Downshire Arms, which
was run by the family. My Mum, Doris, who was one of four
sisters and two brothers worked in the hotel. Her other three
sisters had left home and as is the Irish tradition the youngest
daughter had to remain at home, so marrying my Dad was an
escape route for her.
As a result of the union I was born and we lived for some time
in a flat above the hotel. I’m told that while I was in my pram in
the yard, a slate from the roof fell off just after I had been
brought inside (an act of God?). Being in private practice was
financially uncertain and since he now had a family to support
my Dad began working for the Government, which would
provide a regular income. Soon after we moved outside
Banbridge to an apartment block in an area known as
Ballydown where I attended the local school.
When I was about seven years old, we moved to a two-up and
two-down terraced house in Derry (Londonderry) as my Dad
had arranged for a transfer within the Government Veterinary
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Service. I attended the local “Model” school, which still gives
me nightmares when I think of my teacher who previously was
a heavy weight boxer. As the family became more
prosperous, we moved to a new estate, called Prehen, about
two miles outside the city and close to the River Foyle. The
estate was friendly, very modern and surrounded by
countryside and fields, even though it was opposite the now
notorious troubled area of the “Bogside”. It was here I heard
my first corncrake as they nested in the field close by.
It was also here while out playing Cowboys and Indians that I
was struck in the eye by a spear. This obviously necessitated
a period in hospital. As there were no beds available in the
children’s section I was placed in an adult ward where I
learned to play poker. The other good news was that my sight
wasn’t damaged. Having left primary school I attended Foyle
College, which was an all-boys grammar school, which meant
a bus ride followed by a one mile walk to school or a two mile
walk if the bus failed to come or I missed it.
Unfortunately, late on in the first school year, we moved to
Portstewart. Consequently, I still had to attend the same
college, which necessitated an eighty-mile return trip every
day. This usually involved an early morning car journey with
my Dad and a lonely return trip on the train to Coleraine and
then a further bus trip home. I continued my education at
Coleraine Academical Institute – one of only two such
grammar schools in the country. Alumni there included James
Nesbit (actor) and Henry McCullough (guitarist with Joe
Cocker and later with Wings), among others.
I really liked Portstewart as it was a popular seaside resort on
the North Antrim Coast and close to the open golf course at
Portrush and the Giant’s Causeway. Our house was only a
short walk into the town and close to the mile-long sandy
beach, now in the hands of the National Trust. It was a beach
one could drive onto, which usually resulted in some Summer
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visitor getting bogged down in the sand. One could spend
hours just watching them being rescued by tractor. On
occasions the vehicle could not be rescued and when the tide
came in it was covered by the sea. I used to swim there all
year long and would often see shoals of porpoises swimming
close to the shore.
One year as a Summer job I was an attendant/lifeguard at a
nearby swimming pool which was a natural inlet of the sea,
with its own changing huts, diving boards and cafe. It was a
great place to hang out with your friends and visitors and
when not busy one could fish off the rocks.
After my GCEs, I thought I might like to teach science and go
to Stranmillis teacher training college in Belfast, but the
thought of teaching practice in the rough areas of the city did
not appeal to me at all (I did get my chance to train others
later on in my career).
There was then the opportunity to work for the American
Chemical Company Monsanto which produced “Acrilan” at its
Coleraine factory, about five miles away. Due to the high
unemployment in NI the Government of the day was
encouraging industry to come to NI but such companies only
stayed a short while and so were unreliable as employers. My
Dad very strongly encouraged me to look outside of NI so I
applied for several jobs in England.
I was offered a job in the Scientific Civil Service in the quality
control laboratories of the GPO based in Islington, London.
There I met Wendy, who had been due to go to the University
of Sussex at Brighton, but her plans were cut short when she
failed her Physics “A” Level.
As you can see from the above a number of unforeseen
events occurred that altered the planned direction of the lives
of those mentioned. Were they just coincidences or God’s
plan?
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FUN BIBLE SUDOKU
First you answer the scripture-based questions to determine the
numbers for each puzzle and place them in the squares mentioned.
Then proceed as normal, placing numbers 1 to 9 in each row, each
column and each of nine 3 x 3 shaded areas within the larger puzzle.
For A5, H8
How many years did Paul stay in his own rented house in
Rome? (Acts 28:30)
For B1, C6, F7
How many measures of barley will sell for a penny during the
tribulation? (Revelation 6:6)
For C1, F3, A4, E7
How many of the tabernacle curtains were to be coupled
together? (Exodus 26:3)
For C3, I4, A6, B7, D8, G9
What was the approximate height in feet of Goliath?
(1 Samuel 17:4)
For D1, C2, G3, F5, I7, A8
How many days after Jesus said “There will be some of them
that stand here, which shall not taste of death till they have
seen the kingdom of God come to power” did Peter, James
and John see Jesus transfigured on a mountain? (Mark 9:1-2)
For D2, I3, F4, H6, E8, C9
On what day were male babies – descendants of Abraham- to
be circumcised? (Genesis 17:12)
For E3, G4, H7, B9
How many heads does the beast of Revelation have? (17:7)
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For F1, A3, G5, D7, I9
According to Joseph’s plan, after paying Egypt’s tax, how
many fifths of the harvest were left for the people? (Genesis
47:24)
For G2, C4, H5
How many tenths of an ephah is an omer? (Exodus 16:36)
A B C D E F G H I
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
From Fun Bible Sudoku, published by Barbour Publishing Inc. Used by permission.
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DICTIONARY FOR TODAY from Stuart Watkinson
Seeing as we are all living in a Brave New World which nobody expected and nobody wanted, let’s explore what it’s all about . . . Coronavirus Despite being the be-all and end-all cause of everything we can or can’t do at the moment, it’s about the tiniest little organism you might imagine. The virus particle itself is around 10 nanometres – meaning that a hundred million of the little nasties would, if they queued up together, stretch just one metre. One single cough can contain 200 million individual virus particles and freely donate them to anyone else close enough. Hence . . . . . . Social distancing Lepers had to get used to it. People who would normally happily pass you in the street now have to walk down the middle of the road, or cross over, or expect you to do it, to avoid close proximity. Now it is accompanied by distant smiles and platitudes between people who are obliged to practice social unfriendliness as far as possible. Self-isolation This can become the most boring aspect of anyone’s existence, especially for that group of social pariahs who have managed to live into their seventies. Psalm 90 verse 10 does not extend much hope for their future, Coronavirus or not! Lockdown A new concept for all, recalling the 17th century plague-ridden residents of Eyam. Failure to observe lockdown is now a social naughty, even if it only attracts a warning. In less tolerant times ignoring lockdown would have probably invited lockup or at least a spell of social distancing in the village stocks. History doesn't change!
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Restriction easing Can’t come too soon! Oh yes it can! Easing too early and the evil little bugs can have a field day. Mind you, eventual easing will mean that any currently-enforced overkill of good housekeeping being done in isolation at home and in gardens will likely give way to a welcome bit of social normality. A benefit will be that television schedules may be able to include something other than repeats and repeats of repeats. I am reminded of a children's morning assembly hymn written by the 19th century essayist Thomas Carlyle: "So here has been dawning another blue day – think, will you let it slip useless away?" Well, in a word, without many options – yes! Stay safe, stay well, pray well and be thankful – What else is there to say?
FOR
YOUR SAFETY
PLEASE
OBSERVE THE
2 MITRE
DISTANCE
THANK YOU
This sign was spotted in a convenience store and sent to The Church Times. with thanks to Chris Barnes
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THE ICON OF PENTECOST
from Steph Parkes
The feast of Pentecost is not only the commemoration of an historical event, but a celebration of a present reality—the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
The icon for Pentecost is meant to be much more than the depiction of an event. The presence of the Apostle Paul in the icon, even though it was before his conversion, hints that
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this icon depicts more than a purely historical narrative.
The gathering is a representation of the Church.
The Apostles are seated in a semicircle representing unity and harmony. The source of this unity comes from another small semicircle at the top, showing the descent of the Holy Spirit.
A single ray of light for each of those gathered shines down to illumine them. The tongues of fire are shown on the tip of the rays of each seated Apostle.
At the bottom of the icon is another semicircle, showing an old king against a dark background. Sometimes called “Cosmos”, this figure represents the world. He is crowned as a symbol of earthly authority and he represents all the people of the world. He is surrounded by “darkness and the shadow of death” to show the corruptibility of the world. Yet he holds a cloth containing the scrolls of Apostolic teaching. Although the world is in darkness, the Holy Spirit has not only reached the Apostles but all corners of the world into which the gospel is preached.
Between the Apostles Peter and Paul there is a space, this is the Teacher’s Seat- the place of honour where Christ should be seated, but he has ascended to heaven. This is a reminder that, although Jesus told his followers that he would physically leave them, he also promised he would send them the Holy Spirit as a comforter, advocate and guide. This was fulfilled at Pentecost.
So this icon of Pentecost is an icon of the Church, with the Apostles gathered in unity, sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit, surrounding Christ who is invisibly present. The world, Cosmos, is at their feet, waiting to be harvested through the passing on of Christ’s teaching.
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MAKING A PENTECOST MOBILE from Steph Parkes
A. Making a dove
template from a
piece of card.
B. Make a
hole for
string or
thread to
hang your
dove up
C. Make a mobile
with streamers
THE COLLECT PRAYER FOR PENTECOST
Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
ignite in us your holy fire; strengthen your children with the gift
of faith, revive your Church with the breath of love, and renew
the face of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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TO ADVERTISE in
The Evangelist
January to December will cost
£30 for ¼ page
£55 for ½ page
£100 for full page
If advertising with us after
January, the price will
decrease accordingly.
Contact Evelyn Lowe
Tel: 206458
When using the businesses
advertised in this issue, please
mention that you saw the
advert in The Evangelist.
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WALSINGHAM 2021 from our churchwarden Richard Peet
I have received an e-mail from Keith at The Shrine Of Our Lady Of Walsingham with regards to this year’s cancellation, and booking for 2021.
I have booked the pilgrimage for next year as follows:
FRIDAY 4TH JUNE 2021 - SUNDAY 6TH JUNE 2021.
If you are interested in going next year please contact me by phone or e-mail as soon as possible as I will need to send a deposit to them, which I will arrange at this time.
I have booked 25 places for next year’s pilgrimage, and look forward to hopefully filling all these places as soon as possible.
Please pray for all the staff during these difficult times at the Shrine.
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WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST;
the coffee or the communion wine?
from Chris Barnes
In early May we celebrated VE day. It was surreal to be
celebrating a victory over Germany when we are in the middle
of a war against a germ! When the Second World War was
over, many people reflected on their role in it and spent time
with fellow survivors discussing it. Their world had changed
beyond recognition.
What will happen when the war against Covid 19 is over?
Our world will have changed beyond recognition – old
assumptions will be seriously questioned. So, what changes
will it have made to our faith and the attitude towards faith
from non-churchgoers?
Our religion is far more than a performance of a set of rituals.
It is based on a relationship with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. From that comes a set of new and changed
relationships with our fellow believers and those who choose
not to have our faith.
That is why it has been so difficult during lockdown. Hilary and
I have had some wonderful times when we have felt very
close to God during our prayer times. And we’ve very much
enjoyed sharing in the You Tube worship. But we know we
want and need more – the extra something that comes from
worshipping God together with fellow believers.
We seem to be moving towards an easing of the lockdown.
The government has announced that churches cannot reopen
before 4th July at the earliest. Probably it will happen a few
weeks after that. When we do finally get back together it will
almost certainly be a different type of worship; probably no
communion and perhaps no singing because apparently a
singing voice can spread the Covid virus further than two
metres.
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And no coffee afterwards. Which will you miss the most; the
coffee or the communion? Either way, it will still be great to
worship together again, even with such limitations.
What about our relationships with the outside world? I think
that many people will have realised that there is much more to
life than simply survival or acquiring more stuff. In fact, many
will be looking for something beyond the material, something
vaguely spiritual. Over 200 people have viewed Ben’s Easter
Day sermon on YouTube.
When social distancing finishes, it is possible that a friend or
neighbour who knows we go to church may ask us about our
faith. If they do, what will we say?
The best answer is always to describe something that God
has done in our own lives – a personal testimony. This is only
our story of our relationship with God. The worst that could
happen is that some think us deluded fools. Others might be
prompted to re-examine their own need of faith and a
relationship with God.
There won’t be the equivalent of VE day in the war against
Covid; a virus is not going to sign a document of surrender!
But there will be days of celebration when we meet with family
and friends again. And there will be a day when we as a
church family can meet together again. As the lockdown
stretches from weeks into months, let’s keep that joyful
prospect in mind and always live in the hope that only God
can give us.
Fellowship is heaven, and lack of fellowship is hell: fellowship is life, and lack of fellowship is death: the deeds that ye do upon earth, it is for fellowship’s sake that ye do them.
A dream of John Ball.
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BIBLE READINGS AND COLLECTS FOR SUNDAYS IN JUNE
Sun 7th June 2020 Trinity Sunday
Isaiah 40. 12–17,27–end; 2 Corinthians 13.11–end; Psalm 8
Matthew 28. 16–20.
Almighty and everlasting
God, you have given us
your servants grace, by the
confession of a true faith to
acknowledge the glory of
the eternal Trinity and in the
power of the divine majesty
to worship the Unity: keep
us steadfast in this faith, that
we may evermore be
defended from all
adversities; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for
ever.
(or)
Holy God, faithful and
unchanging: enlarge our
minds with the knowledge of
your truth, and draw us
more deeply into the
mystery of your love, that
we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Sunday 14th June 2020 First Sunday after Trinity
Genesis 18.1–15[21.1–7]; Romans 5.1–8; Psalm 116.1,10–
17. Matthew 9.35–10.8[9–23.]
O God, the strength of all
those who put their trust in
you, mercifully accept our
prayers and, because
through the weakness of our
mortal nature we can do no
good thing without you,
grant us the help of your
grace, that in the keeping of
your commandments we
may please you both in will
and deed; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for
ever.
(or)
God of truth, help us to keep
your law of love and to walk
in ways of wisdom, that we
may find true life in Jesus
Christ your Son.
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Sunday 21st June 2020 Second Sunday after Trinity
Genesis 21.8–21; Romans 6.1b–11; Psalm 86.1–10,16–end
Matthew 10.24–39.
Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without
love are nothing worth: send
your Holy Spirit and pour
into our hearts that most
excellent gift of love, the
true bond of peace and of all
virtues, without which
whoever lives is counted
dead before you. Grant this
for your only Son Jesus
Christ’s sake, who is alive
and reigns with you, in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever.
(or)
Faithful Creator, whose
mercy never fails: deepen
our faithfulness to you and
to your living Word, Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Sunday 28th June 2020 Third Sunday after Trinity
Genesis 22.1–14; Romans 6.12–23; Psalm 13
Matthew 10.40–end
Almighty God, you have
broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of
your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate
our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may
be brought to the glorious
liberty of the children of
God; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who is
alive and reigns with you, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
(or)
God our saviour, look on
this wounded world in pity
and in power; hold us fast to
your promises of peace won
for us by your Son, our
Saviour Jesus Christ.
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Funerals and Announcements
Funerals are not taking place in the church building at present, and those taking place at the crematorium, or at the graveside, are taking place with immediate family present only.
Funerals
1 May Fr Brian Hoskin aged 88
22 May Alan Paul Brewer aged 85 29 May Jean Oates aged 89 Prayers for their family, friends and loved ones at this most difficult time.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory
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DIARY FOR JUNE 2020
In light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact,
the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that
public worship is suspended until further notice.
This means that we will have no services, or other meetings or
events in church until this suspension is lifted.
Sunday 7th June Trinity Sunday (S1)
The Aumbry Light is sponsored by Frank Handford
Sunday 14th June The First Sunday after Trinity (S2)
The Aumbry Light is sponsored by David & Annette Priestley
Sunday 21st June The Second Sunday after Trinity (S3)
The Aumbry Light is sponsored by Ena Johnson
Sunday 28th June The Third Sunday after Trinity (S4)
The Aumbry Light is sponsored by Revd Rhoda
☕ Virtual COFFEE MORNING June 6th 10am to 12 noon ☕
Rhoda is going to set up a Zoom* meeting at the time of the usual
coffee morning in June.
You can join a Zoom meeting from a computer, a tablet, a
smartphone, etc. and you can even join via a landline (when you
can hear everyone, but not see them).
Please contact Rhoda (07838 316610 or [email protected])
if you’d like the invitation to the Coffee Morning on Zoom
*Zoom is a video-conferencing platform that we have been using for Morning
Prayer on a Tuesday, and for the Men’s group.
Items for the July Magazine to the editors by Sunday, 21st June 2020, please.
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KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON SEWING. . . from Christine Wieloch
Lisa, my daughter in law, is a midwife and a key worker as
babies do not stop arriving just because of corona virus. She
does ‘bank’ days at her local hospital but also takes private
clients. As you can imagine many mothers-to-be do not want
to give birth in hospital as they are afraid of catching corona
themselves or their newborn child getting it. This has led to
Lisa being contacted by ladies who feel that a home birth is
the safer option. My son tells me his wife has really got too
much work at the moment but feels she has to help if she can.
Just over a fortnight ago I had a text from Lisa. Could I make
her two full aprons from Polyurethane Laminate Fabric (PUL)?
This fabric is not only waterproof but it can also be washed in
the washing machine and so be used multiple times. She
wanted the aprons because her clients did not want her to
look as if she came from a hospital and an apron over her
scrubs would make a big difference. In a subsequent
conversation Lisa asked if I had ever worked with PUL before,
no I said I’d never even heard of it before but I was willing to
try.
Lisa ordered the fabric from a specialist supplier in London
and had it delivered to me. Despite never having worked with
PUL before, thankfully it wasn’t a difficult fabric especially as it
didn’t fray and all I needed to do was turn the edge under.
Lisa’s aprons are unique in one way though. At home I didn’t
have any tape to do the neck loop and for the apron ties.
Obviously, I couldn’t go out and buy any as the haberdashery
along with all the other shops was shut and buying by mail
order would have taken too long. I had to use what I had to
hand and with Lisa’s permission I used some 1-inch wide
curtain tape I had found in my store chest. It had come from
my mum’s when we cleared her house. I’m sure she would be
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pleased I had found a use for
some of it, especially when it
was for someone in the family.
The aprons were sent and a
day or so later I had a text
thanking me along with a
photo of her wearing one of
them.
I am in awe of the people who
have sewn all sorts of things
for the NHS. I am not a
dressmaker and do not feel I
could sew scrubs and other
items but feel I may have just
helped in a very small way.
Beryl Malcolm improvised in true wartime spirit, and used the bunting she had sewn for the church fete to mark VE Day. For those of you who have the printed version and can only see grey, the pennants from left to right are blue, (with faint red and white spots showing through from the other side!) white, and red, repeated.
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POP QUIZ The 60s 1 What is the rest of the title of the Tremeloes’ 1969 top
three hit Call Me …….? 2 Name the singer in the 1960s who made the Top Ten
with hits As You Like it and Don’t That Beat all. 3 In 1966 the Beatles topped the charts with the double
A-sided hit Yellow Submarine and which other song? 4 Charting in 1966, which country singer’s only top ten hit
was Make the World Go Away ? 5 Born in 1947, this popular 60s singer married fashion designer, Jeff Banks in 1968. Who is she?
The 70s 6 The Boomtown Rats achieved two number 1 hits during
the 70s. One was I Don’t Like Mondays, but what was the other?
7 Who wrote the country music ballad Help Me Make it Through The Night?
8 Mud made their Top Twenty chart debut in 1973 with which song?
9 In 1976 who had Top Three hits with Silly Love Songs and Let ‘Em In?
10 Released in 1976, The Boys are Back in Town was sung by which Irish band?
The 80s 11 Who’s last Top Twenty hit of the 80s was titled Orchard
Road? 12 Which Top Three hit by the Hollies topped the charts in
1988 when re-issued? 13 This electronic band, formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980 had a hit with I Just Can’t Get Enough. What was its name? 14 Olivia Newton John scored a ten week long run in 1981 with which song? 15 Achieving its greatest hits in the 80s this American rock
band’s songs included Eye of the Tiger. Who are they?
Answers in the July edition of The Evangelist
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A LOCKDOWN POEM by Richard Peet
We have now been in lockdown for quite a while, What have you done and said which has made you smile?
As those of us who are able to exercise each day, Do you often change your route as you go on your way?
Nature is all around us and the birds they are singing,
We find we have more time each day, as friends we are ringing.
We look forward to the day when all our groups can meet, To have our coffee mornings and to socialise and eat.
When you are out on your daily walk,
Make sure you are safe and don’t stop to talk, So we cannot wait for the day when we are able,
To all be together again at our Lord’s table.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE LOCKDOWN AND WHAT OUR
CHURCH IS DOING
from Richard Peet
We last met at church on Sunday 15th March, which seems a long time ago, but once we knew churches had to close, a plan was devised by Ben and Rhoda so that we could keep in contact with our congregation.
Firstly, the church directory was compiled, and the emergency pastoral team was put together. A letter from Ben, the church directory, and a prayer resource for those unable to meet, was put together and sent out to the congregation.
A service booklet was devised covering Holy Week and Easter and these were posted out with a palm cross. For those who have technology the online services are very active. We have our website page, Facebook, videos of
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services, bible readings, reflections, and songs on YouTube (Newbold Parish Church Channel).
The April and May magazines have been produced, put on our website, e-mailed to some of us, and posted out to many people.
From a personal viewpoint my house has never been so tidy and organised. My church and personal files have been sorted, paperwork organised and categorized and put into tins, boxes, and files. I have been sorting out my photographs and arranging them into different sections and labelling them, especially the ones taken at Walsingham.
I have shopped each week, exercised daily varying the routes I take, and made the important telephone calls to my pastoral friends.
I have read a little, listened to music and the radio, watched TV and tried not to watch too much of the news regarding the coronavirus, but watched the daily press conference. I have listened to the services on local radio (SHEFFIELD) at 8 am, Sunday Worship at 10.15 am or 10.45 am and Songs of Praise at 1.15 pm, both on BBC1.
The air seems cleaner, the roads quieter (I can cross the main Sheffield Road with ease). We can hear the birds singing, gardens are looking fantastic, we see the beauty of the plants and flowers in our gardens or other people’s when we are out on our daily walk.
Many people are working from home, is this the way of the world in the future? We may need to look at how our lives have changed, and may change in the future. What have we learnt about ourselves, each other, and life today?
We must look forward to the day when we will be together as a congregation, but in the meantime, we need to try and stay strong and busy and support one another, pray for each other and look after each other where we can.
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WYMONDHAM ABBEY CHURCH, NORFOLK
from Trish Law
This beautiful church is at Wymondham (pronounced
Windum) in Norfolk, my home town. I was fortunate when for
all the early years of my life I worshipped there and I was
confirmed there in 1960. From my bedroom window I could
see the main tower, a bold and reassuring presence in my life.
The church is dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas of
Canterbury.
The building was founded as a Benedictine Priory in 1107 by
William d’Albini, a local landowner. The monastery was a
daughter house of St Alban’s, where the founder’s brother
was the abbot. For hundreds of years part of the abbey was
used by the nearby townspeople as the parish church. The
vicar of the church was chosen by the abbot during this
period. However, disputes occurred between the monks and
the locals, resulting in the town being separately allocated the
nave and the two towers as the church.
As with so many others the monastery was destroyed during
the Reformation. The
only recognisable
ruin is a stone arch,
which stands isolated
among the graves in
what is now the
churchyard. No
significant
excavations have
been made at the
site, but a board
displays a plan and
reconstruction of
what the monastery
would have looked
like.
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The imposing
building can be
seen for miles
around and is
unusual
because it still
has two towers,
the west end
square tower
being the larger
and more
impressive. It
was built in the
15th century and replaced two low Norman towers. This main
tower is 142 feet high and is finished in flint, typical in Norfolk,
and houses the peal of ten bells. Only the shell remains of the
stone tower at the eastern end, built in the 14th century, but is
an interesting octagonal shape. The church has north and
south aisles, so is a conventional shape, although it was
originally in the shape of a cross.
Inside, the nave is supported by magnificent Norman pillars,
with different shaped decorations. There is a triforium of
arches above and then a clerestory with windows above this,
an impressive construction. The 15th century hammerbeam
roof is another wonderful feature of the nave, being decorated
by numerous carved wooden angels, also a common theme in
Norfolk churches.
The 14th century font retains much of its original decoration
and is topped by an interesting wooden spire canopy painted
in gold and green, a fairly recent addition.
Another relatively recent, but very impressive feature of the
church is the reredos screen, also made of wood but with
mainly gold paint it makes a striking visual impact. The
screen was designed by Sir Ninian Comper and was
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constructed in stages between 1919 and 1934. It covers a
large part of the east end wall and features 14 saints, with a
larger depiction of Christ in the centre. The canopy above has
angels at the corners and a dove underneath.
The organ is situated on a high balcony at the west end and
the pipes are all visible from the nave. It was built by James
Davis in 1793, the cost of £630 being a legacy of Miss Anne
Farmer “a maiden lady of the parish”.
A modern extension has been built fairly unobtrusively at the
back of the church very recently and houses an exhibition
centre and café.
Locally, Wymondham played its part in Ketts rebellion in 1549
when Robert Kett led a local army in protest against the
enclosure of common land. It did not end well as both Robert
and his brother William ended up being held in the Tower of
London. They were returned to Norfolk, where Robert was
hung from Norwich Castle and William was hung from the
main tower of Wymondham Abbey.
The church has twice been featured on Songs of Praise on
BBC1, the first in 1994 and again a few years ago. The latter
programme also included items on Julian of Norwich and
about Cromer, which is on the Norfolk coast, thus giving the
impression that Wymondham is near the sea, when in fact it is
thirty miles away. For anyone wanting to view the outside of
this wonderful building there is a drone view on
https://vimeo.com/206205086 which covers it very well.
At present, my only opportunity to visit is occasionally for the
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, which is a memorable and
moving experience, with the church nearly full and wonderful
music from the choir. I feel privileged to have attended this
wonderful church and to have been one of the many
thousands who have worshipped there during its history of
more than 900 years.
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THOUGHTS IN LOCKDOWN by Heather Peet
Enforced Lockdown has given me:
More time to spend with God More birds in the garden
More time to plant things in the garden More time to cook More time to read
More time to do chores More time to chat via technology
More time to reorganise More time in bed
More opportunities to be rather than do
Thank God for the positives and make no room for the negatives.
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THE MONDAY CLUB from Richard Peet
As we are all well aware we are unable to meet as a group at this time but look forward to the day when we are able to be together again. We are in lockdown, but it is important that we keep in contact with one another. For many of us this will be an all-important telephone call. With this in mind both Margaret and I are available to have a chat and catch up. Margaret’s number is 01246 453787 Richard’s numbers are 01246 520697 or 07967 564302 For those of you who are not members of our congregation but who like to purchase a magazine, please let us know and we can post a copy out to you. So, in these unprecedented times look after yourselves, take
care and keep safe.
Keywords at this time are SMILE, LOVE, KIND, LAUGH,
SAFE, CARE.
A prayer for Monday Club
We give thanks for our fellowship
We give thanks for the time when we can socialise
together
Build in us all a deep respect for one another
May goodness and love be present amongst us always
May we look forward to the time when we can meet
together again
May we all stay safe and well.
Amen
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ST CUTHBERT, MONK AND HERMIT
Courtesy of Bishop Bill Godfrey
Cuthbert is one of England’s greatest saints whose shrine is in Durham Cathedral. From earliest boyhood he longed to enter the religious life. One night while tending the sheep, he had a vision of angels, a light coming down from heaven, and carrying up the soul of a beloved saint. He learnt later that the angels were carrying the soul of Aidan, the founder of Lindisfarne.
Following the vision Cuthbert entered the monastery of Melrose, under Boisil, a priest of great virtues who instructed him in the Scriptures and a holy life. He later became its prior training many monks in the religious life. Cuthbert also worked among ordinary folk in neighbouring towns and villages, travelling on foot and preaching the way of Jesus Christ. Bede says that he had such a light in his angelic face, that none would hide his innermost secrets but openly confess his wrong-doing.
After many years in Melrose, Cuthbert was transferred to Lindisfarne. Here he had a growing sense of religious vocation entering upon a life of silence and solitary contemplation and living as a hermit, first on a tiny island close to Lindisfarne and then on the Inner Farne, an island some nine miles away.
From there he was called to be Lindisfarne’s Bishop, at the insistence of the king and, in the end, accepted the Church in a spirit of obedience. Bede recalls that Cuthbert was a real friend and pastor to his people, a man of prayer, who was moved to tears whenever he celebrated the Eucharist. His vocation was to be a ’Christ-bearer’ to his people and a true example of what it means to be a Christian.
After two years of episcopal ministry he resigned his bishopric and returned to his Farne island heritage, foreseeing his own death. He wanted to be buried on the island, but consented to be returned to Lindisfarne and buried within the church, where he was greatly revered, before eventually being taken to Durham. .
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CHRISTIAN AID 2020 Christian Aid Week 10th – 16th May came and went without sight of the familiar red envelopes, but the Reverend Kate Bottley appeared in a tv advert and fundraising has been, and still is, available on-line and by telephone. A Direct Debit form can be downloaded, card donations can be made by calling 020 7523 2269 and there is an on-line tool to create an ‘e envelope’ to send to family and friends to encourage them to join in the fight against poverty and injustice around the world. Christian Aid launched an emergency appeal to help fight the coronavirus and protect the poorest, most vulnerable communities around the world. They also arranged a system of daily prayers and a fun quiz via the internet to raise funds. Go to www.christianaid.org.uk for more information St. Andrews Church, through Churches Together in Newbold, had arranged an afternoon of tea and cakes during May which sadly could not take place. A similar event hosted last year was a great success with many people turning up, and together with a raffle, raised a goodly sum for Christian Aid and it was hoped this year’s social afternoon would prove just as popular. A Christian Aid Prayer before silence
Loving God, We seek your presence in the silence beyond words, looking to you for comfort, strength, protection and reassurance, breathing with gratitude, holding on to hope, trusting with faith that you are still God in the midst of the turmoil and that your love reaches to the ends of the earth.
Be present with us now.
(silence)
Amen
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DON’T QUIT from Evelyn Lowe
In the April edition we outlined the achievements of English-born Edgar A Guest who penned many poems whilst living in Detroit. We print here another item by him, but on investigation find that it is also attributed to other writers, John Greenleaf Whittier being one of them. I have decided, after reading various explanations, that Edgar Guest is the most likely candidate for being the author. Originally, this poem was entitled “Keep Going” but now goes under the headline of Don’t Quit and has recently been read by Idris Elba in a video about coronavirus on the BBC.
Don’t’ Quit by Edgar Guest
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low but the debts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must – but don’t you quit. Life is strange with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many failures turnabout, When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you can never tell how close you are It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
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PRAYERS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC from Churches Together in England God, our rock and shield, we pray for our land, and all nations and places in our world, as many endure the effects of the illness Covid-19 and the Coronavirus pandemic.
For those who are ill, grant healing For those who mourn the death of loved ones, bring comfort For those who care for the sick, grant strength and endurance For those who are isolated or whose livelihoods are threatened, give courage and hope For all who take difficult decisions, from governments to health practitioners, give wisdom and compassion to accompany the knowledge and experience that they bring.
Deliver us from this disease, we pray, and enable all nations and communities to grow in collaboration and unity as we face this challenge together.
Grant a legacy of enduring common purpose in facing all that threatens our global common good. We pray in Jesus' name, in the unity of the Spirit, Amen. from St Patrick’s Breastplate Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples, ‘I am with you always’. Be with me today, as I offer myself to you. Hear my prayers for others and for myself, and keep me in your care. Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
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Before going to sleep from The Church of South India God our Father, by whose mercy the world turns safely into darkness and returns again to light: we place in your hands our unfinished tasks, our unsolved problems, and our unfulfilled hopes, knowing that only what you bless will prosper. To your love and protection we commit each other and all those we love, knowing that you alone are our sure defender, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A prayer for the Church from Christian Aid May your love that never fails strengthen the weak encourage the fearful calm the anxious heal the sick through your church – your washed hands and feet on earth – distant but still present virtual but still connected apart but still helping. God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
A prayer for delivery drivers
Holy Lord
I hold before you the drivers still at work
The ones who deliver across the land
Travelling from depot to shop
Depot to homes
Depot to hospital
And again and again and again
I give you thanks for the great service they provide
Keeping people fed, keeping people healthy
We thank you for the risks they take travelling across the land
Preserve them and their families
For they help to hold the fabric of our society together.
A prayer from ‘Socially Distant – poems, prayers and postures
for the socially distant. Tim Watson.’ The collection is free to
download from Proost.co.uk
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GIVING DURING A CRISIS From Revd Ben
How do we give financially to church during ‘lockdown’?
Obviously, we cannot give to the church via the collection envelopes, on to the plate during services or into the wall
boxes at the moment.
Therefore, if you would like to continue to support Newbold Parish Church financially, please send cheques payable to
‘Newbold PCC income account’ to:
Newbold PCC, ℅ The Rectory, Littlemoor, Chesterfield. S41 8QN
Or, you can donate via direct transfer:
‘Newbold PCC income account’
HSBC Bank plc Sort Code: 40-17-15
Account No: 61331795 (mark it ‘donation’)
If you have previously filled out a gift aid form this will still count. If you need a gift aid form do let us know.
Standing order. Once again, a huge thank you to those of
you who give regularly via standing order. This is the best way for us to keep track of our finances. If you don’t give this way,
and would like to, please contact us and we can send you a form.
Finally, if you are struggling financially at the moment, do feel
free to lower your giving. We don’t want anyone to feel pressure to give at this difficult time.
Every blessing
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St John the Evangelist Church, on St John’s Road, is the Church of England Parish Church of Newbold with Dunston, in the North East Derbyshire Deanery, Archdeaconry of Chesterfield, Diocese of Derby and the Province of Canterbury. CHURCH DIRECTORY email: [email protected] www.facebook.com/newboldparishchurch Rector The Revd. Ben Griffiths 01246 450374
Please note: The Rector is unavailable on Thursdays Assistant Curate Revd. Rhoda Blackwell 07838 316610 Lay Reader
Chris Barnes
07753835687
Church Wardens Richard Peet 07967 564302 Lesley Howard 07712 921585 Verger Stephen Franks 01246 557059 P.C.C. Secretary Adrian Blanksby 01246 453648 Organist & Choir Stuart Watkinson 01246 278862 Child Protection Julie Franks 01246 557059 Adult Protection Ena Johnson 01246 451426 Magazine Editors Ena Johnson 01246 451426 Magazine Distribution
Evelyn Lowe Margaret Beasley
01246 206458 01246 453787
Church School Head Kerry Marsh 01246 232370 Business Manager Joanne Brown
01246 232370
Women’s Group Trish Law 01246 450407 Mens’ Group Chris Burrows 07843 780880 Monday Club Margaret Beasley 01246 453787 Craft Group Eagle Club Secretary
Christine Wieloch Angela Thompson
01246 274861 01246 451141
Pre-school Hope Seedhouse 01246 451141 Parent & Toddler Hope Seedhouse 01246 451141
Group Scout Master Roy Bagnall 07854414302 Parish Room (hire) Evelyn Lowe 01246 206458
For Baptism and Marriage arrangements
please contact our Rector, Ben, directly via email: [email protected] or phone 01246 450374