'Not the Carol Service'

Thank you to everyone who attended this morning’s service, labelled as ‘Not the Carol Service’ because of the restrictions which had to be imposed in order to comply with the guidelines in force during the pandemic. Sadly these included restricting numbers and preventing the congregation from singing. Fortunately the choir, strengthened once again by Fabian and Gabriel Reis and Francesca Ede, were permitted to sing; so we were still able to hold a service comprising the usual mix of lessons and carols. Fabian started the service with the traditional solo of the first verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s city’. Thank you to our brilliant organist, Hugh Cobbe, for organising the music and leading the choir.

So that those who were unable to attend could still take part we broadcast the service via Facebook, which also shows the wonderful arrangements by our fantastic flower team.

Thank you, Christine, for leading us.

Today's feast of St Luke

Trinity is the longest period in the Christian calendar, lasting just less than six months;   that’s the only excuse I can come up with for the long delay since the last blog item…

Much has happened during this period.  Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic we have been able to reopen the church for services although with restrictions relating to social distancing, face protection and sanitisation.  All the churches in the Benefice have reopened and it has been wonderful to be able to meet each other again, despite the constraints.  Two weddings have also taken place, although with reduced attendance.  Today we celebrated the feast of St Luke at the Benefice communion service.  Thank you to all those who attended and also to Christine and Marvin who led us.

Our APCM (annual parish church meeting), postponed from earlier in the year, took place on Monday at the church.   The churchwardens were re-appointed and PCC members also elected.  Their names are published here;  so please don’t hesitate to contact any of them if you have questions, comments, complaints etc… The meeting was an opportunity for us to thank our Rector, Canon Christine, for her leadership during the past challenging seven months.  The situation is unprecedented but, despite everything, she and the ministry team have found ways for us to continue to worship and we are all most grateful.

Message from the Rector

Dear Friends,

May I assure you of my prayers and thoughts in these unprecedented times during which we have been instructed to close our church buildings and to hold no public worship for reasons of public health and safety.

If you wish to contact me or Canon Marvin you are very welcome to telephone or e-mail us. Details have been provided separately but if you would like our phone numbers or email addresses please request via the contact page.

I would like to update you on how we are working together as church communities during these days.

E-mail updates, devotional resources and prayer: As you can see we have finally organised ourselves to create electoral roll circulation lists which I hope will be both more comprehensive and more coherent going forward, and will prevent you receiving e-mails form me either multiple times or not at all! It is my intention that I will send an e-mail updates every Saturday along with a devotional reflection from the Ministry Team for the Sunday. During Holy Week I will send an e-mail every day with devotional reflections. I may send updates and resources at other times as things change and develop.

Updates on the current crisis and resources are available from the Church of England website (www.churchofengland.org) and the Diocese of Winchester website (www.winchester.anglican.org).

Facebook page: We have set up a Benefice Facebook page. I do realise that not everyone uses Facebook! It is however a useful tool to keep in touch and I will be posting regularly on the page and even will experiment with short video messages etc.
So firstly, if you are a Facebook user then I encourage you to have a look and like or follow ‘North West Hampshire Benefice’ or search for www.facebook.com/nwhbchurches/.
Secondly, if you don’t use Facebook, why not have a go? If you are not sure what to do, we have folk who would be happy to talk you through how to set up your own page. Let me know if you would like help with this. 

Keeping in touch with each other: We are working on setting up ‘keep in touch’ networking within our church families and will be in touch further about this. This is proving more complicated than I at first thought and as things have changed so quickly, I have fallen behind with it. More on this in due course.

Community support co-operation: East Woodhay and Highclere Neighbourcare have spearheaded our communities’ response to offering support for people in our parishes. This has become a terrific overlap of folk from our communities, churches, societies and parish councils and is working in close partnership with our local surgery. I and many from our churches have become involved. I encourage anyone who would like to volunteer to help others during these days, or indeed those of you who find you need help, to use this scheme. You can register to volunteer or ask for help online at www.ewhneighbourcare.org.uk. Leaflets are being distributed to all homes in our parishes giving information and phone numbers to call for help. You can also sign up via their website for a regular update newsletter.

So what is the Rector doing, is it extra holiday?

I am not on holiday! I and Marvin are keeping daily prayers in our own homes and although we can now only celebrate Holy Communion at home we will both keep a tradition of this on Sundays. We would both be glad to receive any prayer requests.

I am becoming proficient with using various video conferencing tools. School governing bodies are all meeting in this way, as is the Neighbourcare community collaboration, I have also met virtually with clergy colleagues in the Deanery. Locally I am working with the youth confirmation team to move our confirmation preparation course online – using a combination of home packs (which can be e-mailed) with video conferencing – so I hope the six young people who have begun confirmation preparation will be able to continue. When the Confirmation service can take place – well that is another matter!! I am working on developing the Benefice Facebook page as a way to reach out to share news and worship. I am keeping in touch with a number of folk by telephone and will be doing more of this as the ‘keep in touch’ networking takes better shape. I and the Ministry Team are working on devotional resources to circulate for Sundays, Holy Week and Easter – and we are also hoping to experiment with video conferencing!

Funerals : clergy at this time are able to conduct funerals at the graveside with immediate family only or at the crematorium according to the crematorium’s rules. I have two funerals in the diary on this basis, neither of which are related to COVID-19.

So I hope this has been of help to you to know more of what is happening in our parishes.

Please do join in prayer during these days. I will send a second e-mail to supplement this with our Sunday devotional reflection and prayer resources.

With every blessing to you all,

Christine

October and early November

A lot has happened over the past six weeks. Thank you to all those have participated and to the organisers.

A week after the Harvest celebration, on the afternoon of 13th October, the Benefice Songs of Praise took place . Hymns were selected from a (long) list of suggestions received during the August services. Each hymn was preceded by a short introduction by the person who chose it, mirroring the BBC Songs of Praise model, which added even greater interest. A big thank you to those who made and served the tea, cakes etc after the service.

The Parish Communion service on 3rd November included a baptism, always an exciting and special occasion. The newest member of our Christian community behaved impeccably throughout!

Then this morning we met at the East End war memorial for our annual Act of Remembrance. Judging by the number of service sheets used, over eighty people attended. Thank you to Christine for leading us and to Tim Cross of the East Woodhay Silver Band for sounding the Last Post followed by the Reveille after the period of silence. Special thanks to the Chipchase, Clifton and Brunsden families for again providing the refreshments afterwards.

The lost sheep

Very many thanks to Mary Herbert and the Reis family for their leadership in this morning’s Family Service. The Gospel reading, excellently read by Fabian, was Jesus’ parable which compares the celebration by an owner of a hundred sheep who recovers a single lost one with God’s joy over a single sinner who repents. Mary then arranged a retelling of the story, appointing members of the congregation to provide appropriate sound effects (farmer, sheep etc!), encouraging us all to look for ‘lost sheep’ in our community and encouraging them to return and come to the Benefice Songs of Praise on 13th October.
Thank you to everyone who attended and also for our wonderful refreshments team who arranged coffee, tea, juice, biscuits etc after the service.

Caring for creation

Today was the fourth Sunday in the Benefice’s August pilgrimage on the theme of caring for God’s creation. Thank you to everyone at St Michael and All Angels, Highclere, for welcoming us all this morning.
Special thanks to Suki Coe who addressed us on respect for the environment and how to avoid single-use plastic. Suki is about to start her course to become a Lay Preacher. I think we all would echo Margaret’s comments at the end of the service on how inspiring Suki’s sermon was.
The last August service is next Sunday at Ashmansworth. Looking forward to seeing everyone again…

May and June

The past few weeks have given us a mixture of sorrow and joy.  Phil Beaver died in early May and her funeral service was a mix of sadness but proud reflection and admiration for all that she, with the wonderful support of her husband Don, achieved during her long life  -  as a Churchwarden, choir member, friend, mother, and member of the community, setting a wonderful example to all of us. 

Liz Castle wrote a marvellous tribute in the recent edition of Spectrum which is just one example of Phil’s legacy:

“Phil was a founder member of the St Martin’s Kneeler Group when it was started by Miss Irene Gordon in 1979.  She was a most accomplished needlewoman and produced beautiful work. She completed nineteen kneelers, designing most of them herself.  The first one was an oak tree followed by flowers and birds in our flora and fauna scheme.  Phil loved to design commemorative kneelers so she did one for the Millennium, the Queen’s Jubilee, the Women’s’ Institute, St Martin’s Guild Centenary and another for 175 years of St Martin’s School. When we started our pew seat project Phil was the first to complete one. She suggested that we should have a design of various crosses and we have followed this on subsequent seats.  She was working on her fifth seat when she died – they are 1.5 metres long, so no mean feat.  What a wonderful legacy Phil has left for St Martin’s church and we will miss her at our meetings with her wise words and sense of humour.  If ever she or anyone else made a little mistake in their needlework she always said the same thing – ‘a blind man would be happy to see it’; so don’t bother to unpick it!”

Phil was an active participant in the annual St Martin’s Guild Fete, as treasurer, tea tent supervisor and numerous other roles over the years. I think she would have loved to have attended this year’s event, held at Stargroves for the first time for more than thirty years. Many thanks to Mr and Mrs Dalrymple for allowing us to use their magnificent grounds and to everyone who made the fete such a success.

Thank you also to all those involved in today’s Open Gardens event, particularly the five families who allowed us to enjoy their beautiful gardens and the many volunteers who helped organise the day.

Celebrating Easter

It was great to see so many in church yesterday.   Thank you to everyone who attended. My fellow churchwarden, Andrew Colville, and I had a few anxious moments when 11 o’clock arrived and there was no sign of Canon Marvin who was due to take the service.  But we need not have worried as he had been slightly delayed after the 0930 service at St James’, Ashmansworth where there was also a large congregation.

It was well worth the wait!  Thank you, Marvin, for leading us in our celebration of Easter Day.  Thank you also to all those others who contributed to the service, particularly our fabulous flower team whose decorations in the church created a wonderful atmosphere and also to our organist, Hugh, and choir for leading the singing.

Celebrating Mothering Sunday

Thank you to everyone who attended our service this morning and helped to make it such a fitting tribute to the work, love and achievements of mothers and others who care for us. Special thanks to our wonderful flower team and the pupils from St Martin's School for making the posies, which the children then distributed to all the mothers present in the congregation.

Thank you also for giving generously to the collection which raised more than £100, which will be further boosted by the Gift Aid envelopes, to the Children’s Society.

Candlemas, and All Together at St Thomas'

It was a shame that we had to cancel today’s Parish Communion service.  Although the church would have looked lovely in the sunshine and snow, sadly the approach roads were icy and probably impassable for cars.  Nevertheless it gave some of us the opportunity to attend the ‘All Together’ service at St Thomas’ Woolton Hill.  Similar in structure to the St Martin’s Family Service, it was led by the inspirational Jayne Roch who, as well as referring to Mary and Joseph’s presenting Jesus in the Temple and witnessing Simeon’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, also reminded us that we are celebrating Candlemas  -  the midway point between the shortest day and the vernal equinox.  Yes, despite the cold weather, the days are getting longer and spring will soon be here!

Epiphany

Thank you to all those who attended this morning's parish communion and to Christine for leading our service and introducing us to Malcolm Guite's wonderful sonnet about the visit of the Magi / three kings.

Although we took down the Christmas tree after the service (thanks again to the Reis family for decorating it), as Christine pointed out, the kings have now arrived at our model of the stable and crib which will remain in place until Candlemas.

Preparing for Christmas

Thank you to everyone who joined the work party on 1st December both inside and outside the church. Despite the drizzle we were able to clear the churchyard of most of the leaves. Special thanks to Nick who was willing to climb the ladder inside the church to replace three light bulbs one of which was particularly high up! The church is now looking great as we travel through Advent towards Christmas Day.

Next Sunday (16th) our annual carol service takes place at 11am. Then on Christmas Eve our annual midnight mass service is at 1130pm preceded by carols from 1115.

Please come and help us celebrate Christmas!

Remembrance weekend

Thank you to everyone who participated in the events to commemorate the end of the First World War this weekend. The East Woodhay Local History Society organised an exhibition in the Woolton Hill Church Hall and took part in the evening of music and readings at St Thomas's Church on Saturday evening. The East Woodhay Silver Band produced their customary high standard of performance which included community songs as well as two stunning pieces composed by Peter Stanley, a member of the band, but also well known to us at St Martin's as he occasionally plays the organ when Hugh is away.

We were very lucky with the weather this morning when Christine led the Act of Remembrance at the East End War Memorial, supported by the Band and children from St Martin's and St Thomas' Schools. It was wonderful to see so many people and special thanks go to the Chipchase, Clifton and Brunsden families who provided coffee, mulled wine and snacks afterwards.

PS Since writing this, I can report that the book presented by the Local History Society with biographical details of those local people who were killed in the two world wars is now in the Church, under the two memorials on the north wall. Please click here for a link to the digital version.