Three Parishes Newsletter October & November 2018

Transcription

1 Saltford, Corston and Newton St Loe Three Parishes Newsletter October & November 2018 Dear Friends, Shoe Box Appeal 2018 Operation Christmas Child The days are shortening, the autumn is beginning and this reminds me that it is time to start thinking about collecting shoe boxes and small gifts to go in them. The shoe boxes are shipped to children all over the world and distributed by OCC partner operations to children suffering difficult circumstances. Leaflets will soon be available in the church porch giving you some ideas of what to put in the box and we will also have some Go Boxes to fill if you cannot find a shoe box. Alternatively check out the web site We hope you will support this fantastic charity for another year. Filled boxes can be returned to our church, Saltford Marina, The Bird in Hand or we can arrange to collect them from your home - just give me a call. Filled boxes need to be ready by 19th November to send to our local warehouse in Stockwood. They are then checked, packed in bigger boxes and loaded onto lorries ready for delivery. We had an amazing response to the 2017 Shoe box Appeal and Saltford contributed a record 158 shoeboxes to the 6244 processed by South Bristol Depot at Stockwood. The majority of these boxes went to Romania. Year on year Saltford has increased the number of boxes sent - so to beat last year s effort we have a big challenge ahead of us. Whether you are a seasoned shoebox filler or new to the task we would love you to join us to bring a smile to another face this Christmas time. If you have any queries or require more information please contact Lynn Pickup on or (lynnpickup@live.co.uk). Please join us at the Family Service at St Mary s on the 14th October at 9.30am, where we will be joined by Cannon Sue Farrance and Mary leader. They will be sharing with us some stories from last years appeal and also talking to us about where the boxes filled last year were sent. Come along to the service to find out more all are welcome. Daile

2 Information regarding the Three Parishes Magazine Copydate for the next newsletter will be 10 th December at the latest. Please deliver all copy to the Parish Office. If you produce it on a computer, it would be a great help if you would please it to: scnbenefice@gmail.com Should you no longer wish to receive any further correspondence please UNSUBSCRIBE to the newsletter by ing hgriffiths@blueyonder.co.uk and you will be removed from our database. Thank you for your support The Three Parishes Editorial Team What on Earth does it mean to be Holy? Only God is holy, yet He calls us to be holy...because He is holy. We are called to be separate, different and special. When we begin to realise how and why we are special, we can begin to see that holiness is not something we are expected to possess, or indeed can possess. We are special because God sees us as special. God loves us. Not as a result of what we are, but because of what we are. We are special not because God loves us more than others; God loves everything He has made. God made us for Himself, not as possessions (because love is not possessive or controlling) but to share what He has...what He is. If God loves everything He has made, does that mean everything is Holy in God's eyes? Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil." Then he goes on to say how it has become grimed, soiled and damaged (and isn t that true of us as individuals, too?) He finishes by saying that that is not the end because, "The Holy Spirit broods over that damaged world with warm breast and with ah! bright wings". You and I will never see ourselves or others around us growing more holy because holiness is not a possession. What we will see is more of the holiness of God, in flashes or twinkles, reflecting off us, or shining through us, as we learn God's truth...that it is in God that we live and move and have our being. God loves us and God is holy. Ken Plant St Mary s Prayer Meetings throughout October & November Thursday 4 th October, 4 Roundmoor Close at 7.45pm. Hosted and led by Judy Penny Thursday 18 th October, 7 Homefield Close at 7.30pm. Hosted and led by Bernard & Val Smith Tuesday 6 th November, 52 Uplands Road at 7pm. Hosted by Monika Earl and led by Julia Scott Wednesday 14 th November, 3 Trenchard Close at 7pm. Hosted by Rob & Amanda Lynn and led by Pam Faulkner Thursday 22 nd November, 14 Beresford Close at 8pm. Hosted & led by Nigel & Rachel Taylor All are welcome

3 Grab a Coffee across the Benefice during October & November The Coffee Shop held in All Saints Church, Corston will be open on the following dates: Tuesday 2 nd October, Wednesday 17 th October, Tuesday 6 th November & Wednesday 21 st November. Coffee is served from 10.30am. Don t forget there is also a Coffee Shop which meets every Friday from 10am in Hinton Close Day Centre. Corston Soup & Pudding Lunches Come & join us on Wednesday 10 th October & Wednesday 14 th November for our Soup & Pudding Lunch at Corston Village Hall 12-1pm. A great selection of seasonal soups and puddings available. The next Messy Church events for families across the benefice is on Sunday 7 th October & Sunday 4 th November at 4pm in St Mary s Church Hall. All are welcome Messy Play our community Toddler Group meets on Mondays 9.30 to during term times in St Mary s Church hall. It is a lovely group of Mums, Grandmas, their toddlers and sometimes a Dad or two. We need help from Sept getting the toys out, making snacks, reading a story or singing some songs and tidying away at the end. If you can help a little or a lot, or if you would like to co-ordinate Messy Play, we would love to hear from you. For more information please contact Liz in the office on or Karen on Thank you. Nativity Scene Festival for 2018 We can't have a Christmas Tree Festival because the Church is just too small SO...we will be holding a Nativity Scene festival which is just the same but smaller. Lots of Nativity Scenes will be on display for you to admire, refreshments will be available on the Saturday. Please put the dates in your diary so that you don't miss this lovely event. We would like just a teeny bit of help. We need to have a rota of "guardians" to ensure the scenes on display stay safe. If you could spare any time during the opening hours below please let us know. Thank you so much David and Vicki Cox [ or allcoxes@blueyonder.co.uk]

4 On The Victory Side Sauntering through a graveyard can be an interesting experience. On a recent walk in St Mary s churchyard I came upon the memorial stone for Israel and Eugenia Moran and was immediately interested. Across the top of the stone is the Bible text 'Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57). These people, I thought, were Messianic Jews who had given their lives to Christ in conversion. Firstly, and obviously, this couple believed that Jesus death on the Cross was Jesus' victory over Satan as it was for them personally and that it had changed their lives. 'The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work' (1John 3v8). Death which came into the world by sin (Romans 5:15) did not hold Jesus who three days later rose from the dead. What a victory! It is in this victory, wrought by Jesus for us that we can enjoy life rejoicing in our salvation and eternal heavenly security. It is easy to see that the teaching and prophesy for believing Christians in 1 Corinthians 15 was key in their lives. It is a most uplifting passage of Scripture and worth the time you take to read the whole chapter. Verses 55 and 56: ' Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ'. By extension, we can be sure that Israel and Eugenia lived their lives rejoicing in their salvation, keen to share it with others, and were assured of their future with Christ. What would these people say to encourage each of us? I believe it would be the words of 1 Corinthians 15:58: 'Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain'. The red ring file kept in St Marys (author BJ Bendall) gives more detail about this couple and their lives. On the Vict'ry side, On the Vict'ry side No foe can dant me, No fear can haunt me. On the Vict'ry side, On the Vict'ry side With Christ with-in, the fight we'll win on the Victory side. VICTORIOUS LORD! Bernard Smith

5 Jesus didn t sacrifice his life for himself, or anything he could get out of it, he did it for others, for the other, for the good and well being of others, that s love. Imagine our homes and families when this way of love is the way. Imagine our neighborhoods and communities when love is the way. Imagine our governments and countries when love is the way. Imagine business and commerce when this love is the way. Imagine our world when love is the way. No child would go to bed hungry in such a world as that. Poverty would become history in such a world as that. The earth would be as a sanctuary in such a world as that. We would treat one another as children of God, regardless of differences. We would learn how to lay our swords and shields down by the riverside to study war no more. There would be a new heaven, a new earth, a new world, a new and beautiful human family. The very dream of God Love is strong as death, It s flashes are flashes of fire. Many waters cannot quench love. One scholar said it this way: "Jesus has founded the most revolutionary movement in human history: a movement built on the unconditional love of God for the world and the mandate to live that love." Bishop Michael Curry Royal Wedding May 2018 Bible Study Bible study has started again! The next scheduled dates are the 4 th, 11 th & 18 th October and 1 st, 8 th, 15 th, 22 nd & 29 th November. If you would like further information about these stimulating and interesting evenings contact Peter or Angela LeRoy on We meet at 7.30 for 8.00pm start at 8 Brook Cottages, Corston, where a warm welcome awaits you!

6 Press release from The National Churches trust 10 August 2017 Funding Boost Helps Save Historic Newton St Loe Church The church is on Historic England s Heritage at Risk Register Holy Trinity Church has received a 10,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant to carry out urgent structural repairs to its vestry. The church is one of 70 churches and chapels in England, Wales and Scotland that are set to benefit from rescue funding of 522,241 from the National Churches Trust, the UK s church support charity. Huw Edwards, Broadcaster and Journalist and Vice-President of the National Churches Trust said: I m delighted that Holy Trinity, Newton St Loe is to be saved for the future with the help of a 10,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant. This will ensure that this important church remains open and at the service of local people. The project The repair work will include underpinning the vestry building to resolve structural movement and damage. This is essential to the future structural stability and fabric of the church. It will ensure that the entire church is safe to use for generations to come. The church will then be able to bring facilities within the building up to modern expectations such as installing a toilet. There is a strong determination amongst the village residents and farming community to keep the church open for the generations to come. The project will create opportunities for engagement with heritage, architecture and history and allow greater use of the building by students for music, plays and location filming. The Church A Church has stood on the site, close to Newton St Loe Castle and Newton Park, since the 11th century. However the current stone building was constructed in the 14 th century with the tower being added in the 15 th century. It was restored in An unusual feature is that the bell tower has a clock face with only one hand. It is within a conservation area. Grenville Gore-Langton, PCC member of Holy Trinity Newton St Loe said: "The repairs to Holy Trinity church are costly and we are extremely grateful to National Churches Trust for their financial support. The repairs will be a good example of church restoration for all to see and I am delighted that the future of the building with so much history is assured for generations to come. Listed building information from the National Heritage List for England Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest; 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II* Grade II buildings are of special interest; 92% of all listed buildings are in this class and it is the most likely grade of listing for a home owner. National Churches Trust Grants The National Churches Trust continues the work of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, founded in Together, we have allocated over 12,000 grants and loans in excess of 40 million to help the UK s church buildings, which in current prices equates to over 90 million. The National Churches Trust accepts grant applications from listed and unlisted churches, chapels and meeting houses of any age of any Christian denomination, to fund urgent structural repair works, and the introduction of new facilities that enable the building to be more widely used by the community, such as kitchens and toilets. We also have a maintenance grant programme and project development grants. Church buildings must be open for regular public worship (i.e. more than six services a year) and be located within England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. More details at

7 About the National Churches Trust The National Churches Trust is the leading national independent charity concerned with the protection and welfare of churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the United Kingdom. We aim to: a) Provide grants for the repair, maintenance and modernisation of church buildings b) Act as a catalyst to improve and bring more resources to the management of church buildings c) Promote the value of church buildings to the community at large For more information visit

8 Very sadly, Elizabeth Everitt died on 30 August. Elizabeth and her husband John came to live at the Mount, Newton St Loe in 2002, she became a very valued member of the church choir and was the local treasurer of the Henry Smith Charity. The village residents will miss her so much and send their love and sympathy to John, Kate, James and all the family. The funeral took place on 20 September.

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10 A Message from Bishop Ruth Dear Brothers and Sisters, Back to school.? It s now a month into a new school year. Some families will relish being back in the normal routine with structured days for indefatigable youngsters. Others will miss the relative freedom of weeks without the treadmill of various sports fixtures, practices, after school clubs and picks-ups. When I was a child I remember the school holidays seeming to stretch of forever, lazy, hazy days spent breakfasting in the garden on stewed apples and rhubarb (it was always sunny!); making tents with blankets and the swing frame or clothes line; or fishing for tiddlers in the nearby stream. Like all of us of a certain age, I m sure I m looking back with rather rose-tinted spectacles! I m sure for hardworking teaching staff in our 182 church schools, whose holidays are often spent planning the new term, the six weeks is never long enough. We give thanks for them and their calling. I also want to pay tribute to some of the more unsung heroes diligently working away behind the scenes our network of 400 church school governors. These volunteers give up their time to serve and support their local school, its children, families and staff. They truly enrich what the school can offer and promote its distinctiveness as a church school through their knowledge and experience. It s a vital role but in our diocese right now we have governor vacancies in over half of our church schools. That s a big gap, with 98 out of 182 schools missing out on the full and diverse range of skills and expertise that governors bring. We re seeking people from a range of backgrounds and ages to fill those gaps and serve as governors. If you d like to give back to your community, and feel you have skills that will help local children and your local community thrive, I encourage to you find out more and apply at: We look forward to welcoming you to our church school family! With thanks for all our wonderful schools and remembering our children and students in their endeavours this term. The Right Reverend Ruth Worsley Bishop of Taunton Give and Take A little bit of give and take, is all we need in life As each of us sets out to face, the hell of stress and strife When you feel discouraged and stress quells up to fear In times like this, a passer-by will give a listening ear It s not the contents of that help, but the way it is applied Which warms the cockles of the heart and strengthens you inside Again you challenge the road ahead, no matter what the styles You can guarantee when you succeed, the journey was worthwhile But wait! Just cast your mind back to when you were in despair If it hadn t been for the passer-by, you would still be there.

11 God s Blessing The tender, gentle love you give To all those in despair Your arms are always open To show them that you care It doesn t matter who they are Their colour or their creed You both are willing to share the care And help fulfil that need The unique technique that you apply Just binds your hearts together With love and understanding To face all storms and weather Whenever any tiffs of love In a home so full of love It is tenderly returned to you From the good Lord up above These poems were written by a dear friend of the late Jean Crowther from Corston who died last year, and were inspired by their friendship. The Benefice of Saltford, Corston and Newton St Loe A Safe and Welcoming Church for All The Benefice of Saltford, Corston and Newton is committed to making the Church a safe and welcoming place for all through the implementation of our Safeguarding and Safe Recruitment Guidelines. If you have any safeguarding concerns regarding children, young people or vulnerable adults, please contact Revd Daile Wilshere or Mrs Sue Dixon, our Safeguarding Officer on The Benefice Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policy has been updated and outlines our commitment to the welcome, care, and protection of all in our Church community. A copy is available for all to read in each of the Churches The Parish Office St Mary s Church Hall, High Street, Saltford, BS31 3EL Tel: scnbenefice@gmail.com Rector: Revd Daile Wilshere dailewilshere@live.co.uk Tel:

12 October Schedule of Services 7 th Oct 14 th Oct 21 st Oct 28 th Oct Saltford 9.30am Corston NSL 4pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong Morning Worship 9.30am Family Worship Operation Shoebox 6.30pm Holy Communion Family Service & Baptism 9.30am Holy Communion 6.30pm Evening Praise Family Worship & Baptism Morning Worship 8am 9.30am Morning Worship Afternoon Tea from 4.30pm 6pm A Time to Remember November Schedule of Services 4 th Nov 11 th Nov 18 th Nov 25 th Nov Saltford 9.30am 4pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong 8am 10am Scout Service of Remembrance followed by laying of wreaths at Saltford War Memorial 9.30am Holy Communion 6.30pm Advent Praise 8am 9.30am Morning Worship Corston NSL Refreshments from 10.30m Patronal Family Service & Baptism With Corston 5.45pm Act of Remembrance 6pm Ringing for Peace 10.55am A Service of Remembrance Refreshments from 10.30m Family Service Morning Worship & Baptism 6.30pm Evensong