NewsLink
9 October – 22 October
Dear friends
As we discern how best to serve those in our communities during the coming winter, the
Theologian Brian D. McLaren writes in his book ‘We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long
Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation’ of the power of ongoing discernment,
allowing ourselves to be ever drawn by the Holy Spirit into
service and action on behalf of others. He writes as follows:
‘The Spirit leads us downward. To the bottom, to the place
of humility, to the position and posture of service….that’s
where the Spirit, like water, flows…..
If you listen to the Spirit, here is what will happen to you.
You’ll be at a party and you’ll notice on one side of the
room all the beautiful people laughing and having fun
together. In a far corner, you’ll notice a person who is alone, feeling awkward, not knowing
anyone. The Spirit will draw you to the person in need. You may become the bridge that connects
the outsider to the insiders – and in that connection, both will be better off….
Here’s what will happen to you if you listen to the Spirit. You will realize that someone is angry at
you or resentful toward you….or worked behind your back to do you harm. Everything in you will
want you to write them off or get them back. But the Spirit will draw you towards them in
humility….
Here’s what will happen if you listen to the Spirit. You will see a person or a group being vilified or
scapegoated. Everyone is blaming them, shaming them, gossiping about them, feeling superior
to them, venting their anxieties on them….but the Spirit will draw you to differ courageously and
graciously….you will risk your reputation in defending the person or people being scapegoated.
And in that risk, both you and they will know that God’s Spirit is alive and at work in your midst.
If you listen to the Spirit, here’s what will happen to you. It will be late. You will be tired. There will
be washing up to do, clothes to pick up, or bins to be put out. Someone else should have done
this, you will think with anger. You will rehearse in your mind the speech you will give them and
then you will think, but I guess they’re just as tired and overworked as I am. So maybe I can help.
You won’t do this as a manipulative ploy but as a simple act of service….
There is a prison near you. A hospital. A park or a bridge or an alley where homeless people
sleep….there’s a country in great need or a social problem that few people notice. If you listen to
the Spirit, you will be drawn towards an opportunity to serve. At first, the thought will frighten or
repel you. But when you let the Spirit guide you, it will be a source of great joy – one of the richest
blessings of your life.’
Where is the Spirit leading each of us,
and where is it leading our churches….
we pray for ongoing discernment as we
seek to serve….
God bless us all in our discerning…
Ann, Rector
Upcoming Services
Sunday 9th October
10.00am Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Monkton Farleigh, joint with St James, South Wraxall.
Ann/Gerry
10.00am Refresh at St Nicholas, Winsley. Keith C/Pippa and Music Group
10.30am Harvest Festival Service with Holy Communion at Christ Church, BoA. See page 3 for
more information.Tessa/Keith B
3.00pm-4.00pm Forest Church at St Nicholas, Winsley. Tessa/Zoe. See poster on page 3
Sunday 16th October
10.00am Holy Communion Service at St Peter’s, Monkton Farleigh. Paul/Keith B
10.00am Harvest Festival Service at St James, South Wraxall. Bernard/Gerry
11.00am Harvest Festival Service at St Nicholas, Winsley. Note change in time. Followed by a
simple lunch at 12 noon in the church hall. See poster on page 4. Ann/Pippa and Music group/ IT
Richard M
10.30am Holy Communion at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon. Tim/Richard T
Tuesday, 18th October
7.30pm Healing Service for St Luke’s Day at St Nicholas, Winsley. Paul. This will be a quiet,
reflective service in which there will be an opportunity for the laying on of hands and anointing for
healing. You may wish to attend for yourself or on behalf of somebody else. All are welcome.
Please contact Paul Batson if you have any queries.
Sunday, 23rd October
10.00am Holy Communion Service at St Peter’s, Monkton Farleigh, joint with St James. Tim/tbc
10.00am Together in Worship at St Nicholas, Winsley. Rachel/ Organist tbc/ IT Geoff
10.30am Refresh at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon. Keith C/Tricia and Music Group
Sunday, 30th October
10.00am Benefice Service with Holy Communion at St James, South Wraxall. All Saints Day.
Ann/Paul/ Keith B
Ministry Team:
Rector Rev Ann Keating
Rev.ann.keating@btinternet.com
(722230)
Rev Tessa Mann (309374)
LLM: Rachel Pound (862223)
Benefice Office:
Caroline Brydon (865046),
nboabenefice@gmail.com
Website www.nboachurches.co.uk
Church Wardens:
Winsley: Roy Ludlow (868779) Linds
Batson (720069)
Christ Church: Hilary and Stephen Pike
(782537)
South Wraxall: Dave Wyper (865384)
Valentine Thornhill (862552)
Monkton Farleigh: Rachel and Colin
Exley: (851485)
Lay Pastoral Assistants:
Stephen Pike (782537),Denise Davies
(863678)
Gill Fairhurst (867560),Daphne Cox
(868224)
Elizabeth Bush (866624),James
Middleton (920564)
Children’s and Families Worker:
Zoe Yeomans – zyeomans3@gmail.com
Weddings and Baptisms
Baptism at 12 noon on Sunday, 9th
October at St Peter’s Church, Monkton
Farleigh. Ann taking
Baptism at 11am on Sunday,16th October
at St Nicholas, Winsley. Ann taking
Wedding of Daniel Bamford and Amy Ford at 2pm on
Saturday 22nd October at St James, South Wraxall.
Paul taking
NewsLink
The next edition of NewsLink wlll be on Sunday 23rd
October. Please email any relevant contributions to
Caroline at nboabenefice@gmail.com by Tuesday 18th
October. You can read the full version on our website at
www.nboachurches.co.uk
Breakfast in South Wraxall
Village Hall – Sunday, 9th
October from 9am
All welcome, donations much appreciated in aid of the
upkeep of St James Church. Jean Atkin
Harvest Festival at Christ Church, BoA
Sunday 9th October at 10.30am when we will celebrate the
Eucharist and afterwards share the harvest loaf with our
refreshments. All harvest donations will be given to The Hub –
if you would like to donate there is a list of items suggested by
The Hub on the blue board at the back of church.
Many thanks
Stephen Pike
St Peter’s Harvest Festival
St Peter’s, Monkton Farleigh held their Harvest Festival on Sunday,
25th September. Our Flower Ladies Team created a wonderful series
of autumnal floral displays to celebrate this special service.
There was also a display of locally grown
produce including wheat sheaves from nearby
fields reminding us that the village is in the
midst of farmland.
Food donations received have been given to
The Hub in Bradford on Avon. We plan to
continue to collect items for The Hub and a
team is being formed to run this.
Many thanks to everyone for their help with
this very special service.
Rachel Exley
News from Monkton Farleigh
Hot off the press: St Peter’s new under-pew heaters
have arrived! Heating a person directly in their pew
will keep us all toasty warm this winter.
Keep an eye out for some fun fundraising events this
autumn to help with the costs of installation.
From St Peter’s PCC
Harvest Festival
Sunday 16th
October at
St Nicholas, Winsley
Service to start at 11.00am
followed by a simple harvest themed lunch in
the Church Hall
If you can come, please sign up on the sheet in
church. Everyone welcome, do please invite friends
and neighbours. We will decorate the church on
Saturday 15th so please leave any produce near the
front of the church.
Donations of food will be delivered to The Hub
There will be no charge for lunch but any cash
donations will be given to the charity Farming
Community Network which supports farmers and
their families who are struggling in any way.
Ann
Volunteering Opportunity
Winter School/Church Project
Winsley School and St Nicholas Church are working together
to run free, weekly (term-time only) after school (3-5 pm)
drop-ins in the school hall, for families during the winter
months. These once a week sessions are being planned to
provide a warm, welcoming and fun social space.
In order to provide these sessions, we will need a small band
of committed volunteers to welcome and offer hospitality to the families, who will have the
space to play games, read stories and share toast, jam and hot chocolate with their children.
All children attending will be accompanied by a parent or carer, and it is expected that
volunteers will be asked to hold a DBS certificate and undertake appropriate safeguarding
training. Please contact me for further information and to offer any help. Thank you!
Rev. Tessa Mann 01225 309374 revtgm86@gmail.com
WINSLEY COMMUNITY CAFÉ
Following the success of Kettle’s On, the
PCC has decided to expand the
Community Café Project on a trial basis
by offering “Soup’s Up” on Fridays in
the same week as Kettle’s On.
Soup’s Up will be open from noon and
will provide home-made soup and rolls,
cake and hot drinks as well as
opportunity for conversation, friendship
and possibly other activities in a warm,
friendly environment.
We are hoping that congregation
members will want to support this with
cake making, soup production or by just
being there on the day.
For more information or to volunteer
please contact Penny Pierce on 01225
723284 or penny@thepierces.me
Christmas Knitting
Christmas Knitting Get Together! Join
us or drop in on Thursday 13th
October 1pm -2:45 at Winsley
Church Hall. This years theme is
Angels.
Patterns will be
available then and in
advance. Email Zoe on
zyeomans3@gmail.com
Open the Book – Christ Church School, BoA
Would you like to join us in the Christ Church School, Key
Stage1 Team? We would love to have you on board!
No experience needed, full resources provided! We would like
to grow the Key Stage 1 team we have for Christ Church
school so that we can offer Open the Book every week on a
rota basis. Commitment would be approximately once or twice
a month and we are flexible. It is a lot of fun and the children
love it!
The time of the sessions at school currently are Wednesdays at
2:45-3pm, term time only.
Please contact Zoe (zyeomans3@gmail.com) for more details.