Parish Newsletter

Dear Church Family

What a wonderful time of worship we have had over Easter!

Starting with Palm Sunday and ending with three services on Easter Sunday. We were blessed by Alan Baines leading the Agape supper as he took us through the last supper, a very moving experience; ‘This is my body broken for you and this is my blood shed for you’ took on renewed meaning.

We were led on our walk of witness on Good Friday by Katy Garner, another thought-provoking experience, as we prayed and remembered our Lord’s suffering at St John’s church and St Mary’s and finally to St Peter’s for Holy Communion. The rain held off until we were in church which was very welcome.

A joint team from St Peter’s and St Mary’s led a service of celebration at Sunrise at St Mary’s on Easter Day. This was a huge effort as the service was at 6am but amazingly 17 people came and we were able to watch the sunrise together whilst we worshiped and remembered all Jesus did for us on the cross.

I want to say a huge thank you again to all those involved in the services, we really couldn’t manage without you and this includes Debs who tirelessly churns out lots of service sheets at this time of year!

Thank you to all of you who remembered (despite my forgetting) to contribute to a collection for Dorothy House Hospice on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. We collected £99 which was amazing!

Just a reminder that we continue to collect food for Barnas Aid ‘Food Gives’ project.

We are collecting rice, dried lentils, peas or beans salt and sugar. No tinned goods. There is a box at St Peter’s church if you wish to donate.

We have already sent 2 parcels to the project which feeds hungry Christians throughout the world. Our Christian Brothers and sisters are often the poorest in their communities.

Please continue to pray for the vacancy team as they fill the final few Sundays before our new Rector takes up his position on the 28th July.

For the school children and teachers as they return after the Easter break.

It’s pretty much common knowledge since the last newsletter, but we were very pleased to announce that our new Rector for the Parish will be the Rev Nigel Rawlinson. Nigel has been at the University of Bath for a number of years where he is currently the University Chaplain.

We are very much looking forward to Nigel and his wife Pat joining us.

Just before Easter, Freshford School held their Easter service in St Peter’s Church, on the theme of Jesus, the Servant King. Some of the children re-enacted the Last Supper and Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. We were grateful to Rev Matt Vaine who once again led the service.

Freshford pre-school often visits St Mary’s Church. They are able to take advantage of being able to walk across the fields in safety, avoiding the roads.

We love to see our parish churches being visited and used by the children and staff from both the school and the pre-school, and we hope it helps them to feel comfortable and welcome in these wonderful old buildings, which are open daily. Penny Murray

Freshford and Limpley Stoke will be holding their annual fete on June 20th. If you’re able to help with the refreshments in any way, please let me know, (pennylanemurray@aol.com)

Setting up, serving, clearing up and, most of all, offers of cakes will be gratefully received!

There were some very special services at St Mary’s over the Easter period. It was a new initiative to include a midweek early evening communion service during Holy Week but it proved to be a positive one and well attended. Rev Andy Hutchinson took the service and the Elizabethan chalice was used for the first time in a very long while.

Easter Day started with a sunrise service at 6.00am, again with a good number in the churchyard to greet the Easter festival.

Also on Easter Day there was a Songs of Praise in the late afternoon. It was particularly pleasing that the hymns were chosen by members of all three churches and the congregation was also representative of them as well. Rev Nigel Rawlinson started us off in prayer and the singing was hearty! David

There was a very celebratory service on Easter Sunday led by our new Rector Nigel Rawlinson, who will be coming to the Parish in July. Around 150 people attended including many children and the family of William who was Baptised at the service. The children enjoyed an Easter egg hunt afterwards. Karen

4th May                10:30 am St John’s  Morning Communion

11th May               10:30 am St Peter’s Sunday Service

18th May               10:30 am St Mary’s Morning Communion with Baptism

25th May               10:30 am St Peter’s Morning Communion

Wednesday Mornings 8.30am at the Old Bakery. Please join us as we pray for the parish. Pam 

The next walk is on the 14th May, 11th June and 9th July. There will be no walking group in August. Please contact Debbie Ashcroft on 07889 780984 or debbieashcroft@live.co.uk if you would like to join the walking group. All welcome! Debbie

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

I’m planning to step down as churchwarden this year after completing my six years. I’d love to hear from anyone who may be interested in the role – happy to chat about the kind of things you’ll get involved in. Please have a think about if this may be something God is calling you to do which will be a great help to the community. It would mean standing for election at the Annual Parochial Church Council meeting on Sunday May 11th (around 12noon after the service at St Peter’s). You can also email me on kgrattage@me.com.  Karen

Rector – starting in July!

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 until the 11th of May

Karen Roberts-Wray (Grattage) kgrattage@me.com or Tel: 01225 729364

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