The Benefice of St. Bartholomew

*** NEW *** KidzClub@St.John’s - Charlton

Details

Written by Theresa Gowers

An exciting new venture meeting on
the third Tuesday of the month from 3.15pm to 4.30pm in St John's Church, Charlton.

All children up to and including the age of 10 are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult.

Come for fun, craft, a drink and a snack.

Dates are:
18th September 2108
16th October 2018
20th November 2018
18th December 2018 (possibly)

Click here for a map showing the location of St John’s Church.

*** NEW *** The Text This Week

Details

Written by The Rev'd Richard Warhurst

Bible study in the Rectory, Semley - “The Text This Week”

On Thursdays at 7:30pm, during term-time.

The first session is on 20th September 2018 - everyone is welcome.

The idea is that we will explore the text for the coming Sunday (over a glass of wine or cup of tea...)

Come each week - drop in - come when you're reading - it's up to you !

*** NEW *** Messy Church - Semley

Details

Written by The Rev'd Richard Warhurst

We are starting a

new Messy Church on the fourth Saturday of the month
at Semley Primary School.

The first session will be on Satuday 22nd September 2018 from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm.

We will need volunteers of all ages please!
Please get behind this new venture.
Please make sure that local families are aware that it is happening.
If you are interested in helping, please contact the Rectory on 01747 830174

Harvest Festival in the Benefice - 2018

Details

Written by Tony Gowers

Harvest will be celebrated at churches throughout the Benefice at the following services and events:

Donhead St Mary & Donhead St Andrew

A combined Donheads, Charlton, Ludwell and the Coombes Harvest Eucharist will be held at St Mary’s Church, Donhead St Mary, on Sunday 23rd September 2018 at 9.30 am. The Harvest Supper will be held on the previous evening, 22nd September, at Donhead St Mary Village Hall. For more details, click here.

St Catherine’s Church, Sedgehill

The Harvest Evensiong will be held on Sunday 23rd September 2018 at 6.00 pm. The Harvest Supper will take place on Saturday 13th October in Sedgehill Village Hall.  Click here for more information.

St Leonard’s Church, Semley

Harvest Festival Eucharist will be held on Sunday 7th October 2018 at 9.30 am. The Harvest Supper will take place on Saturday 6th October at the Barn, Grove House, Semley. Click here for more information.

St Mary’s Church, East Knoyle

Harvest Evensong will be held on Sunday 7th October 2017 at 6.00 pm. There will be refreshments and finger buffet served in the church immediately after the service - no ticket needed, everyone welcome. For more details, click here.

Please do come and join us - all are most welcome.

The Donheads, Charlton & Ludwell Harvest Festival - 22nd & 23rd September 2018

Details

Written by Tony Gowers

Harvest Festival has always been a time for the whole community to celebrate together. The churches in the Donheads and Charlton invite you to join them, both for a celebration supper and also for their traditional Harvest Service.

Saturday 22nd September 2018

6.30 pm for 7.00 pm

Harvest Supper

at

Donhead St Mary Village Hall

Bring your own drinks and glasses

Tickets - only in advance:
£10.00 adults / £5.00 children
Available from Bob (tel: 01747 829035), after services at St Mary's and St John's Churches,
and from Ludwell Village Stores (http://www.ludwellstores.co.uk)

Please bring a contribution for the Food Bank if you can, either tinned or dry goods, but no baked beans, tea, cereals, biscuits or soup.

Sunday 23rd September 2018

at

St Mary’s Church, Donhead St Mary

9.30 am: Harvest Festival Eucharist

 Do come and join us - all will be most welcome.

From the Rector - September 2018

Details

Written by The Rev'd Richard Warhurst

Dear Friends,

September is effectively the start of a New Year for many people. It is always a busy month with every group and committee in churches, schools and many other organisations wanting to hold meetings so that they can make a ‘good start’.

Looking through the pages of this website (and the recent edition of the ‘Parish News’), you will read of all the things we are planning to do in the Benefice over the coming months. it can make you dizzy reading about it all... and thinking about Christmas — well that will immediately set you in a spin!

So what is it with all this ‘busyness’? Why are we planning all these activities? And who are they for? As is so often the case, simple enough questions don't lead to simple answers. Is all this for the benefit of the congregations within our Benefice...? Well, yes! We will enjoy taking part in all the things that are planned for the coming months, whether it be a Harvest Festival, a Christmas Carol Service, Messy Church, Bible Study... But we are not planning these things just for our own benefit. We are planning them for the benefit of friends and neighbours, and members of the Benefice who we don't even know — yet. We are seeking to invite people into the Church fellowship. Why? Because our church is something that we value; it is important to us and helps us in our lives, and so we want others to benefit from that, just as we do. We want to travel with other people on a shared journey of discovery, and the sharing of that journey with other people in our church is one of the most important things that we as a church can do.

So the question you should ask yourself as you read through the events of the coming months is not really: ‘Do I want to come to that?’ It is rather: ‘Who am I going to invite to come with me to this or that event?’ By approaching things from this angle we start to engage in a fundamental activity of the Church — mission.

For the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed Messy Church and Bible Study in my list above! Starting in September I will host a bible study in the Rectory - “The Text This Week" — on Thursdays at 7:30pm, during term-time. Everyone is welcome and you don't have to commit to attending each week. The idea is that we will explore the text for the coming Sunday (over a glass of wine or cup of tea...) - not only will it help you understand and dissect the readings, but it will support my sermon prep!

Also, following an incredibly successful Children’s Activity Week, Anna & l have decided that now's the time to explore “Messy Church”. This will be held on the 4th Saturday of the month (except December & August) in Semley School Hall. We will need volunteers for this please... it doesn't need to be a monthly commitment if enough come forward —— but people to make refreshments and support activities would be very welcome! Please speak to Anna or myself for more details.

Yours,

Richard

Prayer Cycle and Prayer of the Month - September 2018

Details

Written by The Rev'd June Lane

Please keep your Prayer requests coming. Contact us: Julia (tel: 01747 829166), The Rev’d June (tel: 01747 828427) or The Rev’d Richard (tel: 01747 830174).

There are two prayers this month, very different but both about forgiveness.

The first is by the poet Christina Rossetti:

O Lord Jesus, because, being full of foolishness,
we often sin and have to ask pardon,
help us to forgive as we would be forgiven,
neither mentioning old offences committed against us,
nor dwelling on them in thought.
nor being ifluenced by them in heart.
But loving our brother freely,
as You have freely loved us.
For Your Name's sake.  Amen.

Here is modern prayer from the heart by someone called Nancy Martin:

Dear God, I find it so hard to forgive those who are unkind to me,
Or those who blame me for the things which are not my fault.
I go on bearing a grudge even when they try to make up.
It makes me feel bitter and hard.
I know this is wrong.
When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive,
Jesus just gave an impossible number,
meaning go on and on forgiving.
Jesus even prayed for his persecutors from the Cross.
Please help me to be more like him.  Amen