REACHING OUT. A last word from the curate. Issue 47 September 2016

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1 REACHING OUT... on behalf of the Benefice Churches of Bradfield St Clare, Bradfield St George with Little Whelnetham, Cockfield, Felsham and Gedding Issue 47 September 2016 A last word from the curate Well it s been a year since I joined the Cockfield Benefice (but not moved in) and what a year it s been! I remember preaching my first sermon here at the Songs of Praise service at Cockfield. Since then, you ve all trusted me to build a family service for the benefice, attend PCCs and lead countless services. I have to say that being a curate in any place for a year is not normal practice. However, from day one you ve all helped me fit right in to life in your villages, to the Church s life and into your own lives too. Of course, a curate has their uses! I certainly haven t been bored during my time here. From visiting to writing sermons, it has been a real joy to be curate amongst you. My last service in the benefice is on Sunday 18 th September, 9.30, at Bradfield St Clare. So the next few weeks is really about handing over and finishing off. I m more than confident that the family@felsham project will continue to grow and thrive. Yes, it will look different and I won t be the one bossing people around, but none the less, the vision is there to see the church full! I ll squeeze in a few more sessions with the Confirmation class and will certainly attend their Confirmation on 8 th October. I ve learnt a great deal about rural ministry and I m sure my time here will impact my post as Priest In Charge at Claydon with Barham, Henley and Great Blakenham. My highlights to take away will probably be the quiet

2 moments spent with those I ve been to visit the bits people don t see! Of course, I ve loved the Pet Services, Family Services, the hospitality and the generosity of the benefice. I ve also loved the buzz at Communion services, the laughter at meetings and the variety of events from Summer Jazz to Lunches. You are all invited to my licensing at Barham Church on Sunday 9 th October at 6.30pm. But this isn t the end. I m only up the road and Sharon will no doubt have to answer several phone calls to help me with form filling! Just a huge thank you to all who have made my time here memorable and have allowed me to just get on and do things. Revd Carl

3 Messy Church So what is Messy Church all about? It may seem odd but I am starting by saying what it isn t! It is not about making a mess in the church: as a friend of my late in laws asserted recently. And it is not a stepping stone to proper church; it is Church in its own right. (If Messy Church families wanted to come to a service we would, of course, encourage them to). However, it is about bringing the message of the gospel to 21st century children and their families who are largely unchurched. It is not just for children: it is aimed at the adult/s accompanying the child too. In short, it is Sunday School for the 21st century but includes adults too. However even that may give the wrong impression. It is not about passive sitting and listening and rote learning of Bible passages, that some of us may remember, but being actively involved and, yes, sometimes, getting messy! There are 5 core components at the heart of Messy Church: It is Christ-centred It is Creative It is All-age It offers hospitality There is a celebration/worship time These are the DNA of any Messy Church anywhere in the world. The session follows a pattern: 1. A welcome. 2. An activity session during which the children move around from one activity to the next spending as long or as little time as they like. They do not need to visit each activity but are free to choose. These activities are creative, fun and related in some way to the main theme of the whole session. There is an adult with each activity and they try to draw out the main theme of the session in their conversation around the activity. 3. A Celebration. This is a quieter time when the story at the centre of the session is explored in a little more depth. This is usually active or participatory in some way and often includes a song and finishes with a prayer. The session ends with a shared meal. If you would like to find out more you are welcome to come along to a session, (they are all age! ) or talk to myself or Sharon. Or if you would like to help in any way please have a word with me. The next one is November 12 in Felsham Village Hall 3 5pm. Please also pray for Messy Church: for the team who run it and the families who come. Quite a lot of resources are needed for Messy Church and therefore cost money: so donations to help to finance it would be very welcome. Christine Stainer Hospitality christinestainer57@gmail.com Christ Creativity Celebration All Age

4 Commissioning Of Elders The commissioning of our three new elders, Pat Hipwell, Beryl Meed and Duncan McLaren by Archdeacon David at the morning service in Little Whelnetham was a wonderful occasion. During the service Pat, Beryl and Duncan declared that they believed God had called them to their ministry and we, the congregation, promised to support them in this ministry. The other part of the service was a celebration of the life of Mary Magdalene, the Patron Saint of the church. What is the link between the ministry of Mary Magdalene and that of the elders? The elders' ministry will largely consist of visiting the sick, housebound and elderly on behalf of the Church in our benefice, but it can be much wider and the new elders promised to serve God to the best of their abilities. In the same way Mary Magdalene served Jesus in the best way she could, remaining with him right to the end and witnessing his risen body. She was then a messenger to the other disciples. We promised to uphold our elders in their ministry, work and witness. In this, may we all be as encouraging to them in their new ministry as Jesus was to Mary Magdalene. A notice from Bradfield St Clare Has anyone got any corn dollies St Clare could borrow for their Harvest Exhibition? We will take great care of them please mark them in some way with your name or at least a telephone number. Please contact Pat Hipwell on or Margaret Newlands on William Cardale Village Friends Autumn lunch is taking place at the Horseshoes Inn, Cockfield on 15th Sept, booking essential. All welcome. Contact Lynn Cardale or Sue Jell

5 Cockfield Benefice and Cockfield Congregational Church are joining the nation in prayer for we believe that local people praying for their neighbourhood can transform the nation one life, one street, one community at a time. Gerry and Geraldine Blake are hosting our Cockfield gathering at their home, 17 Dukes Meadow, Cockfield on Friday 23 rd September from pm. Our time of prayer will begin with light refreshments. All are welcome to join us. Please let us know if we can pray for you, your family, friends or work by completing a Prayer Request Card. There is no prayer request too big or too small! The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, encourages us with these words, When we have a Church that prays and is reconciled and reconciling, and that tell people confidently about Jesus, then the dawn will break, hope will rise, our countries will be transformed and the empty threats of economies and terrorists will be utterly and finally overthrown. To God be the glory. Home Group News. William and Lynn Cardale s Home Group restarts on Thursday 15th Sept 7.45pm at West Lodge, for more details contact Malcolm and Judy Gifford s Home Group restarts on Tuesday 6 th September, for more details contact Rev Sharon s Home Group restarts on Thursday 1 st September at 10am, for more details contact Macmillan Coffee Morning at Linden House the home of Margaret and Mike Lovick on Sat 1st October. Entry 2 which includes coffee and a scone. Time between 10am and noon. Events a raffle, bring and buy stall and a cake stall. Learning Together. The Diocese has published Learning Together which highlights opportunities for learning and development for everyone in our Church.

6 There is a copy of this at the back of each of our churches, if you would like to receive one by then please let me know. Each month in Reaching Out we will be highlighting one of the courses/study/quiet Days advertised. The first one that caught the eye is entitled Greening the Faith Christianity and the Environment. This is a morning talking about the Christian Faith and the natural world covering topics such as climate change, renewable energy and other environmental concerns. The speaker is Dr Hilary Marlow of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. It s taking place on Saturday 8 th October, at the Hyndman Centre, Bury St Edmunds. To book a place telephone or events@suffolk.org. Cost: 4, drinks included. Iraqi and Syrian refugees in Jordan an opportunity to be involved! From 5-15 November, a group of us will be visiting Jordan to support the work of Global Hope Network International in their efforts to help Iraqi and Syrian refugees Vast numbers of refugees live not in camps but in rented accommodation and are still in great need. We will be taking food parcels to about 40 refugee families, buying food locally, and listening to their stories. We will also be visiting various training and incomegeneration projects in the region. Malcolm and Judy Gifford will be joining the group, and Judy also hopes to help the women and girls learn new sewing skills, to enable them to support their families. If you would like to donate towards the cost of food parcels or otherwise support this trip, or for more information, please contact Malcolm and Judy on malcolmgifford@btinternet.com or tel There will also be a coffee morning at the Rectory on Sat 8 October in aid of this trip.

7 You re invited to the Cockfield Benefice s Harvest Festival Weekend September 2016 All churches open from dawn to dusk FREE entry Lt Whelnetham St Mary Magdalene IP30 0DA: Open for visitors Bradfield St George IP30 0DH: For all the Saints flower display Gedding St Mary IP30 0QD: Art Exhibition Felsham St Peter IP30 0PJ: Saturday evening Pip Wright will tell the true story of a Suffolk Farming Family Tickets 10 (including a drink). Church open with a photograph exhibition. Cockfield St Peter IP30 0LA: Exhibition of old farming implements and photos Bradfield St Clare IP30 0EE: Exhibition of old photos of the village and old farming implements Ending with: Evensong at Cockfield St Peter On Sunday 25 September with St Edmundsbury Cathedral Choir at 6pm, with guest preacher Canon Sally Fogden Enter the Scarecrow competition: For more details and an entry form contact: Revd Carl Melville, carlmelville@hotmail.com or telephone or or see the website Walk from Church to Church using maps available in all Churches over the weekend Cockfield Benefice

8 Cockfield Benefice Services September 2016 Sunday 4 th September 15 th Sunday after Trinity Sunday 11 th September 16 th Sunday after Trinity Sunday 18 th September 17 th Sunday after Trinity Sunday 25 th September 18 th Sunday after Trinity Harvest Weekend 9.30am Communion BCP 11am Communion 6pm Exploring Healing 8.30am Communion 9.30am Family Service Morning Praise 6pm Evening Prayer 9.30am Communion Revd Carl s farewell service 6pm Six2seven 8.30am Communion 6pm Harvest Festival Evensong with St Edmundsbury Cathedral Choir Gedding Cockfield Bradfield St Clare Felsham Felsham Cockfield Show, Clipt Bushes, Cockfield Bradfield St George Bradfield St Clare Felsham Bradfield St Clare Cockfield Daily Prayer Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 9am Cockfield 12 noon Felsham 6pm Bradfield St Clare 12 noon Gedding 6pm Bradfield St George Please note these services may be subject to change for up-to-date service times see the benefice website at For more details or to discuss any other matter contact Revd Sharon Potter, , revsharon@btinternet.com.