The Parish of Freshford with Limpley Stoke and
Hinton Charterhouse
A message from the Rector
A question from the rector… The church’s year – circle or spiral?
Greetings to everyone – and welcome to November. Time flies, doesn’t it; and our minds, and diaries, are turning to Christmas. We have just completed our Harvest celebrations. After the three churches, we enjoyed Freshford Primary School’s service on Monday 20th, when the children gave many gifts of tinned and packet food and toiletries. Then on Thursday the Preschool, led by Debbie and her team, made the intrepid walk up to St Mary’s for their songs – and a meeting with Harvest Bear. Kathy Tucker’s home-baked bread loaf was present in every service.
This autumn has seen some spectacular sunrise and colours. So, a new day dawns.
The weekly prayers, set by the church’s calendar, now start the run-up to Advent, and are labelled accordingly… “4th before Advent”, “3rd”, “2nd”, and then “Christ the King – the next before Advent”. And so, the church’s year starts again.
I was talking with someone recently, wondering how to think of this. The church calendar is often drawn as a cycle. However, I am not sure that that tells the whole story. Each year we have new experiences, we have to navigate expected (and unexpected) changes and challenges, and have a mixture of joys and sorrows. In the process of living through these we, I hope, learn again of the love, patience and grace of God. This is not always easy to see, especially when one is in the thick of it.
I try and earth my faith in the reality of day-to-day life, and the certainty of hope in the mystery of God. I am always asking what is on our minds… Faith needs to touch this. We help each other see. Jesus is always reminding us of the “widening of God’s mercy”. So, for me “life is a spiral” – we begin again but from a different place. Remember the love of God. Be encouraged. God bless.
Revd Nigel Rawlinson – Rector
Christmas services
This is my 1st Christmas in this benefice. I am looking forward very much to celebrating this great day – God’s gift to humankind – with you. We are working on the Advent programme.
I am keen to have a Christmas service in each church. We are offering:
- Christmas Eve 9.00pm (an “early midnight service”)
St John’s, Hinton Charterhouse – CW Holy Communion
- Christmas Day – 9.00 am
St Mary’s, Limpley Stoke – CW Holy Communion
- Christmas Day – 10.30am
- St Peter’s, Freshford – Family Service, followed by (at 12.00 midday) a shortened service of Holy Communion
Nigel – Rector
St Peter’s News
Open Day November 8th 10am-2pm
Please join us for coffee and cake and bulb planting. There will also be a display of the history of the church and some activities for children. Everyone very welcome.
We are collecting Christian books for our bookcase, so if you have any books that are in good condition that you would like to donate or a favourite book you would like to buy for the bookcase we would be very grateful. We hope to create a lending library of Christian books.
We are no longer able to donate foods to Barnabas Aid ‘Food gives’ as the cost of transport to the centre in Swindon has become too high. If you wish to continue to contribute to this work, please visit the Barnabas aid website where there are options to give financially to this project. We were able to send four large boxes of food to our hungry brothers and sisters so thank you.
Services at St Peter’s for November
November 9th – Remembrance Sunday service 10.30
23rd November – Morning Worship 10.30
31st November Café Church 10.30
Please join us for any of our services – you would be most welcome.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for you do so much for St Peter’s Church. Many of you are on multiple rotas for coffee, flower arranging, afternoon teas, unlocking the church cleaning, Welcoming at services and last but not least clock winding! We really couldn’t manage without you. Debbie
St Mary’s News
The Act of Remembrance at the Limpley Stoke war memorial is starting at 10.50am on Tuesday 11th November.
Evening Prayer at St Mary’s on November 30th at 4.00pm now that the clocks have gone back.
When you next come to church at St Mary’s you will hopefully notice a difference in the light levels! There were eight bulbs not working at all and several flickering. Everything has been checked by an electrician; the flickering dealt with and the blown bulbs replaced with LED ones that give a brighter light. All the remaining bulbs will be replaced with LED ones as and when they fail. David
St John’s News
News from the school
The first term of the school year ended spectacularly with a wonderful Harvest Service in St Peter’s for Freshford School, followed by a jolly harvest sing song for Freshford Pre-School in St Mary’s. Nigel retold the parable of the sower in a way that can only be described as novel and very meaningful! It involved showering the children with seeds (confetti), an experience they’ll doubtless remember for a long time to come!
On both occasions, the children brought a huge amount of gifts for us to take to the Hub in Bradford on Avon. The volunteers at the Hub were delighted, especially as there is always extra demand on their food supplies during the school holidays.
We are blessed that both the school and the pre-school staff are so happy to engage with us and it’s wonderful to see the children feeling comfortable and relaxed in our church buildings. We now look forward to the joy of Christmas. Penny
Services for November
2nd November 10:30am St John’s Holy Communion (Common worship)
4th before Advent
All Saints Day
2nd November 12:15am St Mary’s BCP Communion
4th November 5.30pm St John’s Evening Prayer
9th November 10:30am St Peter’s Remembrance Sunday service
3rd before Advent
11th November 10.15am Limpley Stoke war memorial
The Act of Remembrance
11th November 5.30pm St John’s Evening Prayer
16th November 10:30am St Mary’s Holy Communion (Common worship)
2nd before Advent
18th November 5.30pm St John’s Evening Prayer
23rd November 10:30am St Peter’s Holy Communion (Common worship)
Christ the King
Next before Advent
25th November 5.30pm St John’s Evening Prayer
30th November 10:30am St Peter’s Café Church
Ladies Wednesday walking group
The next walk will be on the 12th November, 1oth December and the 14th of January 2026. Please contact Debbie Ashcroft on 07889 780984 or debbieashcroft@live.co.uk if you would like to join the walking group. All welcome! Debbie
Wednesday afternoons – Tea, cake & chat
Please do come and join us in the Old Bakery on Wednesday afternoons from 2.30 – 4.00 for tea, coffee, cake and chat. Everyone is very welcome.
Monday Zoom sessions
If you don’t get out much and feel like a chat, a small group of us zoom together for 45 minutes on a Monday morning. To give it a try, please contact Penny Jones on jonespennyg@gmail.com. Penny
Need a lift? Think LINK
A reminder that the Limpley Stoke and Freshford LINK service is available to residents in both villages who lack the means to get from A to B. Volunteer drivers will transport you to a doctor’s appointment or local hospital, as well as to shopping or social visits. The service includes the delivery of prescriptions from the Galleries for those unable to collect them. If you have a car and some free time, why not consider becoming a LINK driver. Details at freshford.org.uk or you can contact the LINK co-ordinator on 07714 169216.
List of contacts
Rector
Nigel Rawlinson rector@flshc.com
Churchwardens St Peter’s, Freshford
Roland Birchby birchbyr@gmail.com or Tel: 01225 723432
Debbie Ashcroft debbieashcroft@live.co.uk
Steve Ashcroft steveashcroft@hotmail.co.uk
Churchwarden St John’s, Hinton Charterhouse
Liz Wordsworth hintonwords@icloud.com
Churchwardens St Mary’s, Limpley Stoke
Trevor Quartermaine redadmiral7965@gmail.com
David Sibley dssibley38@gmail.com
Parish Administrator
Debs Jones contact.parishoffice@gmail.com 01225 720347