The Benefice of St. Bartholomew

All Souls Service, East Knoyle - 29th October 2017

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Written by Rev'd Richard Warhurst

This year's All Souls' Service will be held at St Mary's Church, East Knoyle, on Sunday 29th October 2017 at 4.00 pm. This is a quiet service when we gather to remember our friends and loved ones who have gone before us, and pray for those left behind. Candles will be lit and quiet music will be played. Refreshements will be served after the service.

There is a sheet in each church on which you can write down the names of those you especially wish to remember and have read out during the service.

Please do join us for this special service.

Open the Book at Semley School - Narrator Required

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Written by Tony Gowers

Do you have an hour to spare on a Thursday morning?

What a silly question!

I don’t suppose any of us have a spare hour, but if it was re-phrased to “Could you find a spare hour on a Thursday morning” perhaps that would grab your interest.

For some years now a small team of dedicated people have met every Thursday morning during the Autumn and Spring terms at Semley Primary School to re-enact the Bible stories to the school in a prescribed format. There is usually a Narrator plus two or more “actors” and possibly help from the school children. These assemblies are greatly enjoyed by the whole school (and the staff as well, I think!). Sadly one of our team, who mostly narrates, is having to step down due to health reasons, and so we are looking for someone who could replace him. Acting in front of the school, if you have never done it, can be a bit scary, but if you are happy to stand up and read from a script in a lively manner whilst the rest of us do the acting, we would love to hear from you.

We meet in the school hall at 9.45am for a short run-through before the children come in for the assembly and our Open The Book offering at 10.10am. We are usually finished by 10.30am.

Please do contact Theresa on 01747 829188 if you think you could help, or leave a message at the school reception, or contact the Rector on 01747 830174.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Vacancy - Children & Youth Worker

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Written by Rev'd Richard Warhurst

We are looking to fill the position of Children & Youth Worker which has recently been created in the Benefice.  Details of this role is set out below.

Children & Youth Worker

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic individual for a new and exciting role to develop a roving Sunday School for our weekly Sung Eucharist.

There is an occupational requirement for the post holder to be a practicing Christian in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

Part Time position - 6 hours per week
£2,500 p.a.

Enhanced DBS required

Click here to read and/or download for a full job description and person specification for the role.

For further information, please telephone the Rector on 01747 830174. Alternatively, you can send the Rector an email from this website - to send the email, click here and when the new page opens, select the 'Contact Form' tab, and then complete the form.

From the Rector - October 2017

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Written by Rev'd Richard Warhurst

Dear Friends,

The observant among you may have noticed that we have been using a new logo for the Benefice.The old logo was a simple clip-art picture. Our friend Lynda Appleby, who you will know is an exceptionally talented artist living in the Donheads and is one of our elected Parochial Church Councillors, has designed a new one for us.

Lynda worked through several drafts trying to incorporate various architectural features of our six churches. We then looked at combinations of maps and other features. Lynda in the end came up with an image of St Bartholomew himself.

In one way it is incredibly simple; in another sense it conveys several intricacies and connections. The image created by Lynda is a depiction of a statue of St Bartholomew on the Great West Front of Salisbury Cathedral. The statue was made between 1867-69 by James Redfern. It is therefore a reminder to us that as all the churches and communities are connected through the Benefice, we have a wider connection through our Deanery and Diocese.We are connected wider still to all the church. We hope that this simple logo of an image of our Benefice patron will also be a continual reminder of our interconnectedness and mutual need for each other.

On the border between Semley parish and Donhead St Andrew there stood a Chapel, now incorporated into a house. St Bartholomew’s was a Roman Catholic Chapel served from Wardour and opened in 1887. Mass was said each Sunday from at least 1938 and it closed in 1960. I think it is a good thing that our Benefice reminds us also of the connections in faith with our brothers and sisters across the family of the church. On that note may I encourage you to attend a talk by Fr Luke Bell of the Order of St Benedict from Quarr Abbey on the 21st October 2017 at Tisbury Methodist Church - talk starts at 11.50 am with refreshments beforehand.

And a big thank you to Lynda!

Finally, on Sunday 29th October 2017 at 4.00 pm in St Mary’s Church, East Knoyle, we are having a service of remembrance for our departed loved ones. If you would like anybody remembered by name, please leave their details on the sheet in Church. Alternatively, send the information in an email to the Benefice Office by clicking here, and when the new window opens, click on the ‘Contact Form’ tab to send your email.

Yours ever,

Richard

Prayer Cycle and Prayer of the Month - October 2017

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Written by Rev'd June Lane

Prayer works! Please keep bringing your requests so that we can pray more effectively. Just let us know: The Rev’d June (telephone 01747 828427, Julia (telephone 01747 829166) or The Rev’d Richard (telephone 01747 830174).

Two prayers about acceptance, both from The Oxford Book of Prayer:

The first by Reinholt Niebur 1892-1971

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things
that cannot be changed.
courage to change the things that should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Amen.

The second is adapted from one by Michael Hollings and Etta Gullick

Lord, I thank you for teaching me how to live in the present moment.
In this way I enjoy each simple task as I do it, not think I must rush to the next thing.
Thank you for this, help me always to do everything at Your time and Your speed.

Amen.