NewsLink
26 June — 9 July 2022
Dear Friends,
I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather? These glorious June days are to be treasured,
aren’t they! I hope like me, you have been delighting in being in your garden, going for walks and
seeing the wonderful flora and fauna all around us.
As many of you will know, we don’t have a dog, but always enjoy a walk
with other people’s dogs. Last week we had a house guest for an
afternoon. A beautiful Border Collie by the name of Bella.
Bella belongs to one of our Church Organists, Keith Bennett and his wife
Pam, who left us a list of very useful instructions regarding Bella’s care,
including what Bella likes to do on a walk. She enjoys exercise having
her rope toy thrown repeatedly. Pam explained that once Bella has
retrieved the rope toy she will then leave it somewhere, and position
herself at a distance from the rope, with her nose pointing towards it, as
a clue to where we will find it. We were thankful for this information, as
otherwise we would have returned without the toy, lost in the long grass! Bella’s archetypal sheep
dog behaviour was exactly as Pam had described. Her behaviour is set in her breed DNA.
Richard had a similar experience this week, doing his regular local
butterfly survey walk around Haugh, on the edge of Winsley. He thought
he had identified a Large Skipper butterfly on his walk. When he got home
he checked his butterfly book which informed him that Large Skippers are
usually to be found perched on the tips of long grass at the intersection
between long and short grass. This very specific habitat was exactly the
environment in which he had spotted the butterfly, thus supporting his identification. He was very
chuffed!
Both Bella the dog and the Skipper butterfly were behaving in ways true to type. This has made
me very thoughtful about human behaviour and activity and especially for us as Christians. I
wonder where people expect to see Christians and what behaviour/actions they may expect? I
guess people expect to find Christians in a church, maybe on their knees in prayer or maybe with
a placard on a street corner telling people their sins will find them out! They may have an
expectation that Christians behave morally. Sadly, due to many horrific church based scandals
which have come to light in past years, public expectation is pretty low.
I wonder how we might answer that question? To confuse things even more, different traditions
in the Christian Church will answer the questions differently. Different traditions will have different
emphases. For me, the key verse from the book of Micah informs our behaviour and habitat.
He has shown you what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly,
to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
I wonder how this verse might inspire our behaviour, choices or actions? Where might that verse
take us in our praying, thinking and behaviour this week? As children of God, our speech, actions,
choices and behaviours share DNA with Jesus, as those seeking to follow his mandate to …
Bring good news to the poor,
proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
let the oppressed go free. Luke 4:18 continued on page 3
Upcoming Services
Sunday, 26th June
10.00am Holy Communion at St James, South Wraxall, joint with Monkton Farleigh Bernard/
Keith B
10.00am Together in Worship at St Nicholas, Winsley Tessa/Gerry/Richard
10.30am Refresh at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon. Cedric & Penny Pierce/Tricia and Music
Group
4pm-5pm Forest Church at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon. See below Tessa/Zoe
Sunday 3rd July
10.00am Benefice Service with Holy Communion at St Nicholas, Winsley. Ann/Paul/Pippa and
Music Group/Geoff
Wednesday, 6th July
10.30am Holy Communion at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon Tessa
Sunday, 10th July
10.00am Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Monkton Farleigh, joint with South Wraxall Tim /Gerry
10.00am Refresh at St Nicholas Church, Winsley Cedric and Penny Pierce/Tricia & Music Group
10.30am Holy Communion at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon Ann/Harold
Sunday, 17th July
10.00am Holy Communion at St James, South Wraxall, joint with MF Tessa/Keith B
10.00am Holy Communion at St Nicholas, Winsley Ann/Pippa/Richard
10.30am Holy Communion at Christ Church, Bradford on Avon Paul/Gerry
Events and Notices
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
NewsLink
The next edition of NewsLink wlll be on the 10th July.
Please email any relevant contributions to Caroline by
Tuesday 5th July. You can read the full version on our
website at www.nboachurches.co.uk
If you would like an electronic version of NewsLink or
require a hard copy, please email or leave a message
for Caroline at the Benefice office on 01225 865046.
Benefice Directory and Online Diary
Copies of the updated Directory are available from the
church wardens (details opposite) if you require one.
Please refer to the online Church Diary on our website
for all church bookings.
Benefice Men’s Group
Wednesday 29th June – The World of Education Re-Visited in Verse: “A Poets’ Eye View”
Joint meeting of the Benefice Men’s and Ladies groups in St Nicholas church hall, at
7.30pm
Bob, Sue & Roy, all formerly at the sharp end of ‘delivering’ education to the young, will be sharing
with us a selection of contemporary poems, ranging from the highly amusing to the rather
poignant. We will start with fresh takeaway fish & chips from the Seven Stars but please bring
your own drink.
Please book with Paul Billingham (pr24bill@aol.com – [or phone 01225 722229]) by the end of
Monday 27th at the latest – but do try and book early since we have a limit on maximum numbers
in the church hall (and on fish & chips from the Seven Stars!)
Thanks,
Paul Billingham
Continued from page 1
We don’t have to look very far to find Christians locally, nationally and internationally in places
of need. Supporting Food Banks, refugee groups, showing loving care to families, prison visiting,
being alongside the dying, working to combat climate change, visiting the lonely, campaigning
for justice and peace etc.
Our habitat is this wonderful world God has created. Our DNA is linked to God, in whose image
we are created. There are many things which can draw us away from God’s pattern for us. The
pattern of worship, prayer and fellowship is the way that DNA is embedded and temptations are
resisted.
May we be encouraged in our worship, prayer and service in this coming week. Asking humbly,
that we may bring justice and mercy.
Tessa
Rev Tessa Mann
Associate Priest, North Bradford on Avon and Villages.
Kettle’s On
Winsley’s Community Cafe
Any questions:
Roy Ludlow
01225 868779
royludlowd4@gmail.com
This will take place in the Church Hall on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 10am
until midday in Winsley Church Hall. Dates for the second half of 2022 are:
6
th and 20th July Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you.
3
rd and 17th August
7
th and 21st September
5
th and 19th October
2
nd and 16th November
7
th and 21st December
