The kingdom of God is like...a big party with a grand feast!  Come and find out more at our Communion service in Mulbarton Church or online (WiFi permitting!) this Sunday.

Service order here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/a2N0T4Y_yrY

Join us for worship in person at Mulbarton Church or online via YouTube or our website, as Jill leads us in an exploration of God's vineyard

Service order here

APOLOGIES! Livestream unavailable this week!

We welcome Raphael into the family of the church, as we worship the living God together, and explore what it means to think again about life.

Service words here.

Livestream here:

https://youtube.com/live/0lw5xHT3knU?feature=share

Sunday Worship at Mulbarton Church draws on special resources for this season of creationtide, to offer a harvest service feel.  The service will include a special blessing for our churchyard.

Service order here.

Livestream here: https://youtu.be/uRlFLeOnbDw

This Sunday we welcome young Freddie into the church, through baptism, as he begins his journey of faith.

We explore the ancient wisdom from the Psalmist, who helps us discover the most excellent pathway of love.

Service order here.

Livestream here Sunday morning.

https://youtube.com/live/Tg-Tg4zWdEY?feature=share

Join us as we worship together, explore the costs and rewards of following Jesus, and welcome young Noah into the family of the church through baptism.

Service sheet here.

YouTube live stream here Sunday morning.

https://youtube.com/live/wdV7ZciL_x8?feature=share

Join us for a 45-minute communion service, suitable for all ages.

Service sheet here

Livestream here:

https://youtube.com/live/Y8uzkae3_3s?feature=share

Following up from a fab holiday club week, exploring the theme of lost things being found, all welcome to hear the stories, sing the songs, and celebrate together.

Broadcast on YouTube and here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/9mD4EEHLHds

Join us live at Mulbarton Church, or from your own home, as all ages gather to worship together and explore the story of the feeding of the 5000.

Service order available here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/AJ7BLh-HTlM

Sunday Service 10am Mulbarton

Follow the service here:

https://youtube.com/live/BtFgw9bv_KU?feature=share

Not quite at the Feast of St Mary Magdalene, Mulbarton's patron saint, but almost.  Her feast day is 22nd July.  For our communion service at Mulbarton Church this Sunday morning, we will be thinking about some new learning that has been uncovered about Mary, and exploring what that means for us.

Service order here.  

https://youtu.be/iVjoa-NuxHE

Livestream available here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/iVjoa-NuxHE

If you’ve always wanted to learn to dance or would like a refresher, please come and join us on Monday evenings at Mulbarton Village Hall! 

Ballroom & Latin class from 7.30pm to 8.30pm;   Modern Jive class from 8.30 to 9.30pm. 

Interested? Then please contact Sandra Boatman for more information and to register interest on 01508 528284 or email sandra@simplydance.net

The intention is then for Sandra to host a Tea Dance as a church fund raiser in September for both learners and more experienced dancers - more details to follow shortly.

Morning worship with modern worship songs, as Adrian leads us on an exploration into what it means to have a rule of life; how we choose one and how we live it out.

Service order to follow along at home here.

Livestreamed at 10am here: https://youtu.be/ibLnLOLNIyw

An interactive service for al ages, exploring the call of Jesus, for whom welcome and kindess were key values.

On YouTube here: https://youtu.be/REBIiGXVRdE

A message from the soon to be installed new Bishop of Thetford - Venerable Ian Bishop, formerly Rector of the Tas Valley group of churches.

Click on the link and then click 'skip ads' after 5 seconds:

https://youtu.be/AzQXmzOLiVs

Morning Worship, with Baptism of Leonardo, livestreamed on YouTube, as normal.

Service sheet here.

Livestream will be appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/7PF7nM0TYOA

Communion Service, exploring Jesus call to his disciples.  Who were they?  What were they calledd to do?  Where were they sent, and how did it go?  What can we learn together?

Service order here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ODVt7owyyLM

Morning Worship for all, as we explore in relation to finances what it means to live and love like Jesus.

Service Sheet here.

Livestream is here: https://youtu.be/Mm4DdPrvk6U

.

All Age Worship, interactive and engaging, with songs, activities, Bible readings and prayers.  All truly welcome, as we explore the journey of life and the help that is available along the way.

Service sheet is here.

Livestream here: https://youtube.com/live/SaK7rb1B_rY?feature=share

Steve leads us in worship at Mulbarton's 10am service.

Livestream here Sunday morning.

https://youtube.com/live/NzRVSZJr384?feature=share

Informal, all age friendly and faith affirming to mark this Coronation Weekend, a Coronation All Age Service, this Sunday morning, 10am at Mulbarton.

We have ‘A Minute to Win It’, a blast from the past with The Word Association Game, a chance to think about Jesus as God’s representative, and an opportunity to pray for King Charles III as he becomes ours.

We’d love to see you there or you can join from the comfort of your home via YouTube or embedded here on the website.

Service order here.

Livestream here Sunday morning:

https://youtube.com/live/mQsFe_XyFho?feature=share

We look forward to a special service of worship this Sunday morning, during which we welcome young Eden into membership of the church through baptism.

Service sheet here.

The service will be broadcast on YouTube as normal.

https://youtube.com/live/DCQkRmXFRQU?feature=share

We welcome Jane Minchin, on placement from Attleborough, who will be sharing reflections on the disciples' journey with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  Jane has been journeying with us through Lent, and this will be her farewell to the benefice.

Service sheet here.

Broadcast live on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Kjk330bPu_c

Jill will be leading worship this Sunday morning at Mulbarton Church, broadcast on YouTube and here.

Service sheet here.

Youtube livestream here

Easter celebration communion with all ages.

Livestream here: https://youtu.be/E5M5EIHYOig

We enter into Holy Week with a special service for all ages, marking the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey.

The service will be broadcast live on YouTube, available here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ZZAoYJ742hI

We explore another of John's narratives about an encounter between an individual and Jesus - perhaps the most striking of all - the dead man, Lazarus.

Service sheet here.

Broadcast live on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/uvohn4-nDyI

Communion service at Mulbarton Church on this special occasion.

Service order is here.

YouTube livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/8rGvN-a4vsA

Adrian leads us in worship, with live music and an opportunity to share encouragements, as we explore the encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well.

Service sheet here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtube.com/live/IzvOJhWIp5M?feature=share

Sarah and Adrian lead us in worship, as we explore the story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus by night.

Service order here.

Livestream here Sunday morning: https://youtube.com/live/OytHezWJWkI?feature=share

Jill leads us in worship, exploring the transfiguration.

Service sheet here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning:

https://youtube.com/live/u55kw7DWmCQ?feature=share

Steve leads worship this morning.  From the readings about the call of those first disciples, he will be exploring the God who cooses the foolish things.

Live YouTube stream here:

https://youtu.be/-BsHethDDWc

Communion Sunday, as we consider the diocesan vision for this year: transformed by Christ to become more PASTORAL

Service order available here.

YouTube livestream and catch up here Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/EN6gTeYA4-Y

And part two: https://youtu.be/KhoK0jvm3n4

Sunday worship at Mulbarton Church, exploring the baptism of Jesus by John.

Service sheet here.

YouTube livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/5AC4G1caLQU

Christmas Day Celebration at Mulbarton Church

On Youtube: https://youtu.be/aoBiydZaD-8

In person or online, see the sun go down on Christmas Eve at Mulbarton Curch as we tell the age old story.

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/GvyswWcuoxo

Sunday Worship

Livestream here:    https://youtu.be/cav89h4nxFQ

Our second Sunday of Advent explores how we find hope in turning our attention to Jesus.

Service sheet

Livestream: https://youtu.be/-Y8tdVistp0

Steve leads us in worship at Mulbarton Church for our livestreamed service of the day.

Livestream will appear here on Sunday morning:  https://youtu.be/UXXqM2heOn4

This Sunday, that marks the end of the liturgical year with the celebration of "Christ the King" is also the Sunday before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Friday 25 November).  We shall be comparing King Jesus with King David of old as we worship together, and share bread and wine.

The 10am service in Mulbarton will be broadcast in the normal way.

Service sheet here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/j8HyhCApL4M

 

 

 

 

We explore questions of life and death and how we handle the big questions of life in the life of faith.

Service sheet available here.

10am service at Mulbarton Church broadcast on YouTube and below here: https://youtu.be/OFB5ockXsBo

Rachel and Sarah will be leading us in a gentle meditative service, to which all are warmly invited.

YouTube link here: https://youtu.be/8i_4at7oelc

A religious leader and a publican walked into a temple to pray...sounds like the setup for a joke, but the insight and life lessons packed into this little story are no joke - some profound things to reflect on this Sunday, as we break bread together.

Service order is here.

Livestream here: https://youtu.be/FNx7TD3XFcc

Derrick leads us in worship on the theme of "Knowing the Word" at Mulbarton Church 10am service.

Join in with order of service here. 

And online stream on YouTube or embedded below on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/4tPEvt7dGTQ

A part of our Christian discipleship that Jesus talked a lot about is how we handle money.  This week, we look at the ways Paul helped a local congregation to think through issues on this subject and take action.

A service order is here.

The service will be broadcast on YouTube and here as usual on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/KVaPy_rSq40

This Sunday we are back in the rhythm of our regular first Sunday of the month all age worship sevices, with interactive dramatic Bible stories and prayers, games, songs, and activities, suitable for all ages.  The service is shorter than normal, at about 50 minutes, and all are welcome to take time out to gather, re-centre, and enjoy one another's company, as we encounter God together and explore the engaging material from when Paul was writing to young Timothy from prison.

A full service order is available here.

The service will be broadcast on YouTube and available here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ZpkdPuBGiKw

Our Annual Harvest Service, to which all are welcome.

Poverty isn’t God’s plan. The church is. Come and fnd out how, together, as the church, we can help families around the world break free from poverty and reach their God-given potential this harvest.

You’ll hear about Mahima from Nepal – how she was struggling to feed her family after the rainy season failed again – and how you can make a difference to communities like hers.

Everyone is invited. Come and join us, and give people the freedom to grow this harvest.

A service sheet is available here.

And a livestream is here: https://youtu.be/kOfLpiPP0Gs

:

Join us for special commemorative church services this Sunday, 9am Communion at Bracon Ash, 10am at Mulbarton and 6:30 Evening Prayer at Flordon.

A service order is available here.

The 10am service at Mulbarton will be livestreamed here: https://youtu.be/wyt5wZEgtU4

We welcome Hallie's family to Mulbarton Church for a service of worship, exploring the ways in which Jesus seeks and saves the lost, at which Hallie will be baptised in water and begin her Christian journey.

Click here for a service sheet.

The service will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel and available here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ZwqgxmQ_sjQ

This Sunday, the last of the summer holidays, we worship together and consider another hard saying of Jesus, and his call to put Him first in the choices we make.

Service sheet available here.

Livestreamed on YouTube here Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ts0nKFGuZuM

We welcome the family of Freya Lincoln for her chrsitening service, at which she is baptised in water, and welcomed into the family of God.

Service order with all the words here.

Livestream here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/XPXeG6_w_H4

This Sunday worship at 8:30am at Hethel, 10am at Mulbarton and 6:30pm at Flordon.

Also, remember cream teas served at Hethel Church 2-5pm!

The 10am service is livestreamed and available for catch-up.

10am service words here.

Livestream here:

https://youtu.be/U01Kl6CFtis

Worship this Sunday livestreamed from the 10am service for all ages at Mulbarton Church.

Service words here.

Livestream here: https://youtu.be/3rSy54_v59A

This week, just one service in the benefice, at which we welcome the families of Zachary and Charles, on the occasion of their baptisms, at Mulabrton Church.

A full service order is available here.

A live stream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/GScGmzRv2rk

This Sunday is the first of the summer holidays.  We have an 8:30 communion service at Flordon, or 10:30 Church @ Hanover, meeting in Hanover Gardens Lounge.  Or you can join us in Mulbarton Church, either in person or remotely, for a 10am service, suitable for all ages.

A service order for the 10am service will be available to download or view here.

The livestream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/ZUXGC4dCsDw

Join us in person or online for live streamed worship at our monthly communion service, as Adrian explores the story of Jesus visting the home of Mary and Martha.

A full service order is available here.

The livestream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/OB7DBYMh6uU

Join us in live worship on our YouTube channel, and embedded here below.

Click here for full service words and lyrics.

YouTube stream here: https://youtu.be/yJO7RU_r0ig

All Age Worship, as we explore how Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two, and what that might mean for us.

Service order and words here.

Livestream here: https://youtu.be/Ey2ydaA5mWY

This Sunday Steve leads us in worship, as we consider the invitation to follow Jesus and the fruit of the Spirit.

A service order is here.

The livestream will appear here on Sunday morning:  https://youtu.be/dQY9qjdmQgo

Adrian leads a service of communion at Mulbarton Church, considering the dramatic story of the man healed by the shores of Lake Galilee in Luke 8.

A service sheet is available to download or view here.

The livestream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/Ggys5vouvik

We welcome Ram to Mulbarton Church today, as he preaches on the Trinity readings and shares news from Nepal and Rochdale.

Order of service is here.

Livestream is here: https://youtu.be/qX8b4qfThNA

Join us at 8am at Mulbarton Church for a spoken Holy Communion service on this extra special Sunday, or join us at 9am for Pentecost Morning Prayer, with hymns, at Bracon Ash Church.

Or, as usual, you can join in person or remotely, for a 10am service for all ages at Mulbarton Church.

A service order for the 10am service is here.

A livestream is here: https://youtu.be/hKY2tplFF8g

Rachel leads us in meditative worship for all in Mulbarton Church and available to view remotely.

A service sheet is available for download here.

The Trinity Knot Actiuvity Sheet is here.

The live stream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/skQYkePDYOY

Derrick leads us in worship as we explore the ascension and return of Christ.

A service order is available to view or download by clicking here.

The live stream will appear here on Sunday morning:

https://youtu.be/5d4lkBJDYX8

We receive bread and wine this morning, as we consider John's vision of a world made new and Jesus' command to love one another in the meantime.

A service sheet is available by clicking here.

The live stream is available here: https://youtu.be/eb5TkTHCpuc

We welcome Archdeacon Steven Betts to a benefice service of Holy Communion at 10am in Mulbarton Church.

A full service sheet, with all words is available to view or download by clicking here.

The service will be broadcast on YouTube and available to view or catch up later right here:

https://youtu.be/Y1EIqxZDqkE

Sunday Worship in person 9am at Bracon Ash or 10am at Mulbarton Church.

The 10am service will be broadcast on YouTube and available to view live or later here.

A service sheet is available to download or view by clicking here.

The livestream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/iq-GYBqFJHY

Join us for worship at Hanover, or at Mulbarton Church at 10am, which will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Words for the service are available to view or download by clicking this link.

The live stream will appear here on Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/F4xYfYWt_lo

Join us in person or online for a contemporary Easter communion service, suitable for all ages.

Service sheet here:

Online stream here: https://youtu.be/wIBblHzDiRA

An interactive Palm Sunday service for all ages.

Service words available by clicking here.

Online Stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1wb5awL70g

Jill leads us in worship on this "Passion Sunday" at Mulbarton's 10am service, which will be broadcast here in the normal way.

Words for Service available to view or download by clicking here.

YouTube stream:

https://youtu.be/cl6oXlWs0xk

Outrageous love - the theme of today's special Mothering Sunday service, at which we welcome a new addition to the church family, as we baptise young Annabelle.

Service sheet available to view or download here.

Live broadcast here or on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/u7PHPBq9awo

Join us this Sunday, either in person at Mulbarton Church, or remotely right here or on our YouTube channel.  We share communion, and explore the teachings of Jesus as we continue to travel through Lent.

A service sheet with all words is available here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_03_20_Lent_3_Communion.pdf

The live stream is: https://youtu.be/dT_XrInekJo

Join us for morning worship at Mulbarton Church at 10am, or remotely on our YouTube channel or embedded below.

A full service order is available here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_03_13_Lent_2.pdf

Livestream on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DS_PCDifOAg

Adrian will lead discussion on Wednesday evenings during Lent in Harvest House. It will be a chance to talk about the resource that Susanna Gunner is working on. You'll need to sign up as below to get it 'delivered' daily.  We will also be posting links on the website and Facebook.

Susanna is recording all her reflections, so you can listen to her read them out, as well as read - especially useful for the visually impaired among us.

If you do not have access to the internet, please let Adrian or Sarah know, and we will print out the 40 reflections and let you have them on paper.

This Lent focus on prayer is part of the new diocesan vision for being "prayerful, pastoral and prophetic".  This is what Susanna herself says about it...

The Diocese of Norwich has recently embraced a new Vision: Transformed by Christ: Prayerful, Pastoral, Prophetic. So, to support our ‘Prayerful’ focus in the Vision’s first year, I’m offering a prayer a day during this Lenten season. Once again, because I’ve decided to include the six Sundays of Lent (and to end with Easter Day itself), that’s actually 47 (not 40) prayers!
 
How have I chosen the prayers? Well, some of my choices have been triggered by special days in the calendar or by biblical readings set for that day. Others have emerged out of what’s going on in the world around us. I’ve deliberately spread the net wide and drawn on prayers from across the globe, centuries and traditions. Each prayer will be accompanied by a reflection, an image and often by a musical setting too.

See the 40 Prayers for 40 Days here.

Derrick leads us in worship for this first Sunday in Lent, exploring three common temptations, and leading us in special prayers for Ukraine.

Service sheet available to view or download here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_03_06_Lent_1.pdf

Live YouTube stream will be here Sunday morning: https://youtu.be/0VF-86JfAVk

We welcome Annabelle's family to the service today as we celebrate her baptism, and as we consider the mountain top experience of the first disciples of Jesus, at his transfiguration.  Moments of change.

A service sheet is available to download here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_02_27_Annabelle_Baptism_Next_Before_Lent.pdf

APOLOGIES!  No broadcast for the service this morning, since the internet is down in Church!

This week, Derrick leads our worship, and reflects on the next part of Luke's gospel, following on from last week, as Jesus explains to his disciples how his coming fulfils the Jewish religion.

All the words for the service are available to view or download here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_02_20-1.pdf

The service will be broadcast on YouTube here on Sunday morning:  https://youtu.be/ihVKfqUWWsE

Join us in person or remotely this Sunday morning at 10am, for a service fo worship in Mulbarton Church.

A service sheet is available to download here ahead of the service, in case you want to join in remotely: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_02_13_3rd_Before_Lent_Communion.pdf

The service will be streamed live on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/jc_nMZ5Fuek

1. Meditative Service led by Rachel and Sarah, exploring "Enough and more".

A creative worship response is available here, which you might want to print off and use at home: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/JugandJar_Reflection.pdf

If you want to follow along, you can download a PDF with all words here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_01_30_Meditative_Enough_and_more.pdf

Two videos are used in the service:

• The first is available online here, You have to pay to view beyond the first two minutes, but you'd be able to view most of it for free.  The words displayed on the video are shown in full on the service sheet PDF in any case..
• The second video is freely available on youtube here.

The service is live on YouTube, and available to catch up with later here: https://youtu.be/m75ai_b9k48

Join us in person or remotely for worship this Sunday morning, as we explore the commission of Jesus from Isaiah.

A ful service sheet, including all the litrugy, Bible readings and words for songs can be downloaded here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_01_23_Epiphany_3.pdf

The YouTube link is here and embedded below: https://youtu.be/aq3GQNW23Kk

Join us remotely for our monthly communion service at Mulbarton Church, where Adrian will be leading an exploration about the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the outset of his public work.

A service sheet, with all the words for the service, including song lyrics is here (this will open in a new tab): https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_01_16_Epiphany_2_Communion.pdf

YouTube videos of the worship songs are here, in case you'd rather watch along:

• Come, now is the time to worship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usBFdIbGZvk 
• Give thanks to the Lord (Forever): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lPdtqgouCc
• Transformed: no recording available, but lyrics are here: https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/app/uploads/2021/11/Vision-hymn-Prayerful-v2.pdf
• Behold the Lamb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACHPwx7EGQA
• Rejoice the Lord is King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipRM9AelP6w

The live YouTube link failed today!  I thought I had turned the power switch on for the laptop charger when I set the live stream going before heading to Bracon Ash; but in fact the laptop was running on battery, so went into standby and ended the stream before the service had begun.

So, no recording of the service today, but the service sheet is there, with links to the songs!

In my talk, I reflected on three things arising out of the passage about when Jesus turned the water into wine, from John 2:1-11.

Transformation of water into wine.  Using the Jewish ceremonial washing pots, symbolising the fulfilment of the Jewish traditions, in how Jesus came to bring transformed religion that revealed the love of God in fresh ways.  150 gallons of water into the same amount of wine!  This was serious transformation.  We have a God who turns things around and brings change - which is welcome news for many of us at the outset of 2022!

Obedience of the servants, after Mary had told them "do whatever he says".  Not obeying human authority, which can often mislead us, but listening for the voice of Jesus, and our own God-given conscience, above the authority of the church or the given dogma.  There is an innate human need to belong and fit in, and comply, which can be exploited, and has been used to control people inside the church as much as outside of it.  Our task as Christians is to obey Jesus only, and in any leadership responsibilities we have, to do as Jesus did in leadership, to serve and not to be served - to offer a direction and not to demand obedience, to be safe and not exploitative.

Everyday context of the miracle.  It wasn't a special religious setting in which Jesus showed this first miraculous sign, which revealed his glory.  It was a wedding party, where the wine had run out prematurely, and risked bringing shame on the family.  There was a real need in a non-religious setting, and Jesus helped meet it - and most people there were unaware that a miracle had happened.  The quiet, unnoticed miracles, meeting a need in every day ordinary life - that's the essence of what Christianity calls us to.  Making a difference with what we have where we are, to help our neighbours.  The specific religious stuff, like Sunday worship, praying with others, singing worship songs, preaching a 3-point sermon with points, whose first letters spell "TOE", etc. - all of that can be really helpful and is important to try to get right - but it is intended to resource God's people for service, and not to be the end in itself. And sometimes that stuff can be used in a hypnotic way, to control thoughts, beliefs and behaviour.  The account of water into wine at a wedding to meet the need as it presented itself draws us back to the heart of servanthood worship.

Join us as we worship God together and explore what the baptism of Christ means for us, at the start of this season of epiphany.

YouTube live stream is available on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/WbsFO7-ZsFA

Or embedded right here below:

Adrian leads a communion service, as we explore the journey of the magi, and our own journey into a new year.

Service without music on YouTube Channel here:

We also introduced Norwich Diocese adapted "Covenant Prayer" and the new hymn Susannah Gunner has written for 2022, full text reproduced below...

Adapted Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to prayer.
Put me to deepening my life with you by deepening my life of prayer.
Put me to the faithful setting aside of time;
put me to listening;
put me to wonder;
put me to holding a broken world in your love;
put me to trusting.

I willingly expect to be changed by prayer:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield to being transformed by Christ.
Let me be changed by you and so change the world for you.
Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And this covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Transformed by Prayer

Transform, O Christ, your people
assembled in this place;
our longing to be prayerful
is gathering depth and pace:
just as those first disciples,
we too make our request –
‘Teach us to pray, Lord Jesus,
and lead us on our quest.

We glimpse you in the gospels
before the break of day,
alone there in the shadows
and making time to pray:
inspired by your example,
give us the grace to dare
to deepen our discipleship
through deepening times of prayer.

Who knows how this will change us?
What challenges await?
Who knows where prayer might lead us?
What love might come from hate?
So light the fire within us,
stir us afresh to pray;
we’re frail but long for faithfulness: transform us, Christ, today!

We long for peace and plenty
where all we see is war;
we long to feed the hungry,
to change the global law
which keeps the poor from thriving
and elevates the rich;
we long for holy justice:
teach us to pray for this.

We long to heal the forests,
protect the suffering seas,
to halt the melting ice-caps,
increase the hum of bees;
we know our need for wisdom
(so close to the abyss),
for unity, humility:
teach us to pray for this.

Transform, O Christ, your people assembled in this place,
attune us to your presence,
still us in your embrace:
then grace us as we listen,
hearts opening until,
with boldness and with vision,
we’re nerved to do your will.

Susanna Gunner, November 2021

This Sunday, we celebrate holy communion, as we worship God using lively contemporary settings of traditional carols.

The service will be broadcast on YouTube as normal - available below.

With covid cases increasing, we continue to take the rules seriously, and require those attending worship to wear masks, unless exempt on age or health grounds.

Live stream on YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/RLBQrxJezCI

https://youtu.be/lRZG4x4NMis

For "Christ the King" Sunday, Adrian will lead a communion service, exploring the ecnounter between Pilate and Jesus, and what that teaches us about how to listen to the voice of Jesus, whose kingdom is made known through truth and community, and not through power and rules.  We are also delighted to be welcoming Chris into communion in the Church of England.

The service live stream is available on YouTube here, or embedded below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY1gAirelco

Cubs, scouts and explorers paraded up from the scout HQ to join war veterans and representatives from community groups as we engaged in our annual act of remembrance around Mulbarton's village war memorial, within an act of worship, led by Adrian.

The YouTube recording is here: https://youtu.be/UiRCCrrohKI

A full service sheet is available to download here

This year, to keep as safe as possible with regard to covid, we spread the opportunities to remember around different churches and war memorials:

• 10am Remembrance Sunday Service at Mulbarton Church, to which Mulbarton cubs, scouts and explorers are also invited.
• 10:30am Remembrance Sunday Service at Flordon Church, to which rainbows, brownies, guides and rangers are also invited.
• 10:55am Remembrance Sunday Service at Swardeston Church, to which Mulbarton beavers are also invited.
• 10:45am Outdoor Remembrance at Bracon Ash and Hethel war memorial, outside Bracon Ash and Hethel Village Hall, all welcome

Altogether there were about 110 children and 230 adults in attendance at all the events and 8 households joining Mulbarton's service remotely.  We raised about £270 for the work of the Royal British Legion.  It was great to see some medals being worn and sacrifices honoured in that way, and also to have the rainbows, brownies, guides, rangers, beavers, cubs, scouts and explorers in support.  The covid-aware safety measures generally worked well, with Flordon being the most crowded.  We will continue to listen to feedback and reflect on how best to arrange things next year - but thank you to all those who enabled us to mark the occasion well today.

Adrian leads an exploration of the generous widows from the times of Elijah and Jesus.

The YouTube stream is available to catch up on here: https://youtu.be/Vhv62l2TK4w

I write this on the last day of October, having completed my challenge to be outside at dawn, with sight of the horizon, on as many days as possible this month.  Some of the views were breath-taking.  You can see a few of them in the video below, as well as a couple of trips up the precarious tower ladders.

In a season of dryness, difficulty and disillusionment, I needed something simple, spiritual and sustaining.  I was listening to Jacqui Lewis’s podcast, “Love. Period.” (check out "Love. Period." podcast here), and one of her guests talked about his discipline of being present for every sunrise.  It is a practice that great Christian mystics and writers have recommended for centuries, and it is a universal human point of connection with the beauty and love that has been poured into the natural world.

So, I have found myself on fields, hills and up the church tower, being present with the rhythm of each day.  No agenda, no set prayers or blessings, simply a willingness and openness to be present to the immense beauty and goodness painted in our skies, to ground myself, and seek to stand aside from the internal noise.  It brought a certain perspective - day 22 especially, standing on Mulbarton church tower, feeling myself hurtling at 1000mph away from the moon hanging low in the sky behind me, and towards the rising sun in front of me, poised between the heavenly bodies, small and absolutely not in control.  In need of grace, as are we all.

"Love and Storms"

Rachel will be opening up for us a space in which we can come and encounter God creatively through music, video, readings and prayers, in a meditative style.

The YouTube stream will appear here live on Sunday morning, or will be available live on YouTube - just search for "Mulb Church" channel on your YouTube app.  You can also catch up after the event.

Refreshments will be served in Mulbarton Church after the service - please bring your own mug or cup if you can, for the ultimate covid-safe experience!

Unfortunately, it is not possible to embed the powerpoint that Rachel will be using for the service, but if you would like to get a better view of the videos than the camera view allows, they are available below, as well as the livestream - you may have to turn the volume down on the live feed if you watch real-time, so as not get a conflict of sound!

If you are going to join us online on Sunday, blessings to you and know you are with us, even if not in person.

Live Feed:

As well as 8:30 communion service at Flordon and 10:30 Church @ Hanover, we meet at Mulbarton Church as usual at 10am, where you can access in person or remotely on YouTube or embedded here on the website.

Adrian leads a service of worship, exploring the encounter between Jesus and the blind man, Bartimaeus.  In addition, we will hear from Caroline and Ian, as they prepare to say goodbye to us after about ten years of fellowship and faithful service here.  We wish them well on the next step on their journey.

The service sheet, with all song words, etc. in, is available by clicking here.

The YouTube live stream link is here: https://youtu.be/QgKUanWf_o0

Deadline for Applications: 31 October 2021

Since the current administrative assistant is moving away from the county imminently, an immediate need exists for an administrative assistant to support the Rector and the work of the churches.

If you are capable, available and motivated to contribute to the mission and ministry of the Mulbarton group of churches in this way, please send your CV and covering letter by email to the PCC secretary: derrick@mulbchurch.org.uk

Our Commitment

We provide a supportive, inclusive and positive environment that aims to help you enjoy your role.  We commit to treating you with respect and courtesy and providing appropriate training, safety, supervision, and adequate equipment.

Job Summary

• Church administrative work and other duties, as reasonably requested under the direction of the Rector, relating to the needs of the church.
• 9 hours per week
• Based in Harvest House office and at home, flexing to suit
• Working in accordance with the church's policies on safeguarding and lone working
• Real Living Wage, adjusting each year, currently £9.50 per hour
• 6 weeks holiday per year (pro rata 54 hours), including bank holidays or days in lieu
• Hours and working arrangements to be reviewed after 3 months and 6 months

Person Specification

• Familiarity with Church of England generally, and preferably Mulbarton group of churches specifically
• Sympathetic to the Christian faith and the work of the church
• Experience of volunteering and working with volunteers
• Skills to include IT communication, design and printing
• Organised and reliable
• A willingness to develop skills and training

Breakdown of Duties

• Assisting volunteers and Rector with management of Harvest House and bookings: 1-3 hours per week

• Design and printing: 1-3 hours per week

• Communication: 1-2 hours per week

• Organising, planning, record-keeping, supervision: 3-4 hours per week

Further details available here: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Admin/Administrative_Assistant_Job_Details_-_October_2021.pdf

Jill explores the theme of "The Pathway to Promotion" through Mark 10:35-45, while Adrian leads us in a service of Communion at Mulbarton Church, streamed live on YouTube.

A service sheet is available for download here, so you can follow along from home if you're watching on YouTube: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2021_10_17_Trinity_20.pdf

The YouTube stream is available here: https://youtu.be/2JhthrN3Uyg

PLEASE NOTE: There is just ONE service in the benefice on 10th October, in Flordon Church.

From 9:30am, please come for a bite to eat. Croissants, pain au chocolat, fresh Flordon free range eggs, hot and cold drinks available.

At some point after 10am (!!), we’ll begin a service of holy communion, as is our practice receiving the bread and wine simultaneously to be as safe as possible.

There will be no livestream of the service on YouTube.  We continue to encourage masks to be worn during services to protect others.

Our annual harvest service, in support of Tearfund and Norwich Foodbank.  Please do join the celebration, as we engage with this year's Tearfund Appeal, using video, discussion, traditional harvest song, Bible readings, and specially written prayers.

Donations of dried foods gladly received for Norwich Foodbank.

Donations of money gladly received for this year's Tearfund Harvest Appeal.

A full service order is available here, with all words to sing along to from the comfort of your home, while watching live on YouTube

The live stream on YouTube is available on YouTube here or you can watch below: https://youtu.be/B0CjbPunjQg

We'll be looking at how we can love our neighbours and the planet with some interesting data, video clips, thought-provocation and worship.

All welcome of course.

Such an important topic with COP26 coming up in November.

Watch live on YouTube or right here on this page, or catch up later: https://youtu.be/6_zurbdxQgE

Thanks to Gavin, John, Tom and Ryan, who cycled round various churches in Norfolk last week.  They covered a lot of ground between them and raised a few hundred pounds to share between our parish church and Norfolk Churches Trust.

Thanks as well to everyone who helped make our four parish church buildings welcoming places for those doing the rounds.

Great effort all round!

Adrian leads us on a journey alongside Jesus' disciples of old, as they are confronted with what it will really mean to follow Jesus.  The costs – as well as the benefits – are integral to Christian faith.  This is a "Package Deal".

We also welcome young Violet and her family, as she is baptised at her christening.

A full service order with song words is available here, so you can follow along to YouTube livestream.

This Sunday, we have a christening at Mulbarton Church, at which we welcome the family of Aurora at 10am.  With the treat of well resourced live music, Adrian will be leading the service, considering Jesus' teaching about a world without borders.

A service order with all the words to follow along with when watching the youtube stream is here.

This Sunday, we have two christenings at Mulbarton Church, at which we welcome the families of George at 10am and Edith at 12noon.  Adrian will be leading both services, considering Jesus' teaching about how what we do comes from what's inside us.

10am Service: George Christening

12noon Service: Edith Christening

Derrick explores the lectionary passages of Joshua 24 verses 14-18 and John 6 verses 56-69 as a response to the question "Are you confused?"

A full service order with song words is available by clicking here.

To join remotely, simply access the Zoom meeting in the usual way, and you will find links to the YouTube live stream and the service order from there.

Zoom meeting click here.

Live stream link is here: https://youtu.be/2QxUca3Yap4

Adrian leads a communion service for all ages, as we conclude our exploration of Jesus' teaching about being the bread of life.

A full service order with song words is available by clicking here.

To join remotely, simply access the Zoom meeting in the usual way, and you will find links to the YouTube live stream and the service order from there.

Zoom meeting click here.

Live stream here: https://youtu.be/R1bWW7PwNZU

The government and the church have issued new guidelines as legal restrictions lift. In summary, it is up to us to judge the risk and to set our own rules. You may be wondering what that means for worship patterns and other things in the Mulbarton Group of Churches. Read on to find out more...

Singing…Together!

The changes mean we now have more freedoms to join together for corporate worship, including singing together in our churches. We are blessed with technologies that enable us to worship remotely, and we have facilitated this as much as possible over the lockdown months, but we all know it isn't quite the same as the joy of meeting together in person.  Worship services are now happening again in our church buildings - although you can still worship with us remotely if you would prefer (see Live Streaming section below for more)

Masks

Our old medieval buildings are mercifully well ventilated, spacious and airy which helps mitigate the risks of transmission. When just a few are present to worship, we will be able to continue to keep socially distanced and put our masks in our pockets. When many are gathered to worship, we will still ask you to wear masks for singing.

Social Distancing

If you would like to gather with others to worship, but are anxious about being too close to other people, we will endeavour to have areas set aside in the church buildings where social distancing measures are enforced.

Covid Testing

If you are planning to come to a worship service or church event, we recommend taking a lateral flow test, freely available from your local pharmacy, in the 24 hours before attending, even if you are not showing symptoms. If you do have symptoms or if the test is positive, please join in remotely instead of attending in person.

Communion

For communion services, we will not be offering the common cup yet, but we will offer bread or wafers that have been dipped in the communion wine by the priest, an authorised practice known as "simultaneous administration". The priest will pray over the bread and wine while they are covered by a napkin, and with hands sanitised and mask worn, will dip portions of bread or wafers into the cup and hand to each communicant, before the priest consumes any wine.

Musicians

We have a limited number of people who are available to provide musical accompaniment in our church buildings and at Hanover. We will do our best to see that we have live music wherever possible, but as things stand we will not be able to make that provision at every service. If you know of musicians who would like to volunteer their time and skills to help with that, please do direct them to me.

Church @ Hanover & Paper Mailings

For the ever popular monthly "Church at Hanover", which was meeting in the lounge at Hanover Gardens on the 4th Sunday of each month, up until February 2020, we are delighted that we will soon be able to recommence.  The smaller Bible study afternoons are meeting again on the second Thursday of every month at 2pm.  The Sunday morning service will reconvene with a special Harvest Service at 10:30am on Sunday 26 September 2021.  The last DIY service for use at home will be sent in in August 2021, along with a month of Bible readings. Huge thanks are due to Jill Wright for preparing these monthly mailings so faithfully and capably all through lockdown!

Service Rota - Most Up-to-date Information

The church website will continue to be the authoritative source of information for our Sunday services. Any changes will be reflected there first, so always check the website if you are not sure what's coming next or what is available. From the home page, click on "Worship" in the top menu or on the first image at the top that says "Sunday Worship". Or bookmark this link: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/worship/next

Live Streaming

Since March 2020, we have been making Sunday services available to access from home via Zoom, and afterwards on the benefice YouTube channel and website. This has been much appreciated by many, and opened up church to a wider potential audience. Special allowance has been made in these covid emergency times to deal with the streaming licences needed to do that legally - but some of these provisions have now come to an end, and has meant we have needed to re-think this provision over the summer break, and will review what we do in September.. You can still use the regular Zoom link to access a Sunday morning Zoom meeting, but this will no longer include a live feed from the church. Instead, we will share a link from the Zoom meeting to a livestream on the benefice YouTube channel. YouTube has the license agreements in place that Zoom doesn't. The recording will also be available on the website afterwards in the usual way.

Refreshments and Fellowship After Services

We are now allowed to serve coffees and the like after services, but there are quite a few guidelines about how to do this safely and respectfully. We have made the decision not to offer refreshments over the summer break, to keep things simple, and to review in the autumn term. Mingling after services is allowed - please just respect others' boundaries.

Morning Prayer

We will be pausing the morning prayer meetings for the summer. They have been happening Mondays-Thursdays on Zoom and will pause from Thursday 22nd July through the summer, aiming to reconvene on Monday 6th September. We hope that it will be safe to meet in Harvest House for prayer at that time, but will continue to Zoom the meeting from there, so if you want to join in, you will have the choice of coming to Harvest House or joining remotely.

Open the Book

The "Open the Book" team stopped going into Mulbarton school to conduct weekly acts of worship in March 2020, through dramatising inspiring stories from the Bible, and drawing out a simple relevant point for the gathered children. We would love to return to the school in September, and have been invited to do so. Not all of the original team are going to be able to step back into role, so if you are interested in being involved, please do let me know. The "Open the Book" format is tried and tested, and fully scripted, and it is a fun team to be part of, doing really valuable work.

Finances

We trust in God for provision as we seek to follow the vision we believe God has given us: following Jesus and sharing the journey with our neighbours. Where there is vision, there is provision. Nevertheless, churches and charities, like some businesses and individuals, have felt the pinch of the economics of this last 16 months. Norwich diocese received almost £1million less in 2020 than in 2019, with income down to just over £6million. They are cutting central staff significantly and are having to cut clergy posts by 10% over the next two years. In our group of parishes, we fell short on our contribution in 2020 for the first time in years, by about £10,000 across the benefice. Huge thanks to those who generously give of their time, skills, compassion and money. During this season of doing different, please do continue to hold in prayer our needs and how we might adapt our giving practices. If you would like to find out more about ways you can give, please do contact me, a churchwarden or a treasurer, who would be happy to help.

Feedback Please

I would love to hear from you about your experience of church and Sunday worship in particular over lockdown. And I would really love to hear from you about your plans over the next few months, as we navigate through this uncharted territory.

• Are you planning on attending in person now that we can sing?

• Are you going to feel uncomfortable or anxious about returning to worship for the foreseeable future?

• Have you appreciated Zoom worship and would you like that to continue in some form?

• If you access Sunday church over the summer, let me know what you think about the new way to key into it, the Zoom-YouTube combination.

If you have any thoughts about what you are planning or what you would find helpful over the coming weeks, I am all ears! I can't promise to cater for everything, but would love to get a good feel for where we all are at with things.

Jill Wright leads us in worship, as we learn lessons from the prophet of old.

A service sheet with all the song words, etc., is available here, to complement the live YouTube stream, which will be broadcast live on our YouTube channel here.

A video of the live stream is embedded below:

Adrian leads us in a reflection on Jesus' enigmatic words to the Jews who were seeking a sign, about him being the "bread of life".  We welcome Gabriel into the family of the church, as he begins his journey of faith.

A service sheet, including all the words in the service, is available by clicking here.

Our first worship service in Mulbarton Church when we were able to sing together! A cheerful service, celebrating new beginnings along our journey of faith.

If you want to follow along, a full service sheet is available by clicking this link.

After having to postpone from 2020 due to the pandemic, Hethel Church were finally able to hold their weekend event celebrating the beauty of the Earth.

We were privileged to welcome Brother Sam to Hethel Church's special weekend, "For the beauty of the Earth".  A member and once leader in the Society of St Francis, Brother Sam encouraged us to refocus on what really matters in relation to God and God's world, our home.

On the Sunday morning, he gave a simple message during the morning services, which is well worthwhile revisiting.  You can see that message here:

On the Saturday, Brother Sam talked about some of the themes from his book, "Seeing differently".  After the talk, there was a Q&A session, and a summing up from Brother Sam, all viewable on our YouTube channel, and embedded below.

Brother Sam main talk: "Seeing Differently":

Brother Sam Q&A:

Brother Sam summing up:

Derrick leads a reflection on journeying with Jesus

Adrian leads a communion service, in which we explore the account of Jesus calming the wind and waves from the boat.  Adrian draws our attention to the questions contained in the passage.  First the disciples ask whether Jesus cares if they drown.  Then, once Jesus has calmed the storm, he asks them what they are scared about and where their faith has gone.  Finally, the disciples ask one another "who is this?"

Derrick reflects on the parable of the mustard seed and the kingdom of God, as we worship together.

Adrian leads us in a service of worship, suitable for all ages, that explores friendship with Jesus, through Bible, prayer, games and song, in an relaxed and interactive way.

Adrian leads a service, in which we look at pictures of the trinity, seeking to tease out the theology and worship of the artists, and what the Trinity might mean for us in our Christian lives.

Jill leads us in a reflection on the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to the church, the people of God, while Adrian presides over Communion.

Adrian leads us in worship, as we reflect on lessons learned from Jesus' great prayer for the church in the world, from John 17.

Adrian preaches on Acts 10:44-48 and John 15:9-17, reflecting on Jesus' invitation into joy and friendship.

And Derrick leads a Zoom service from home on the same theme:

Live video will be starting shortly....

I'm planning to shave my head on 30th April 2021 (before my wedding season gets underway in earnest!), as a way to raise awareness and raise funds to help us continue to develop healthier and safer church communities, and to support survivors of abuse perpetrated by clergy and church leaders.

Shaving the head is a biblical symbol of lament and repentance, and for me also says something about symbolically shaving off the trappings of the toxicity around male privilege, and some of the unhelpful cultural trappings that have been a factor in some recent high profile cases - the likes of Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier and several others, from across the spectrum of Christian traditions.

For me, this has great personal meaning, in terms of my own story and background.  This is a symbolic representative lament, a personal statement of intent, and a way to do something to raise funds to help on the frontline.  I am delighted to be partnering with Thirtyone:eight in this, who have been wonderfully supportive with the endeavour.  The work they are doing is making a difference, and the funds raised here will help more churches become healthier places for all.

One of the first people I told about my crazy head shaving idea was a friend whose life has been blighted by the poor behaviour of church leaders.  I asked how she would feel if some of those people were to shave their heads as a sign that they were sorry for the ways they had exploited their position and privilege to her detriment.  She said it would be a powerful image, after years of feeling invisible.  Since they won't, I will.  I want to listen, lament, repent AND see churches become ever healthier and safer communities.  The way church culture, power, opportunity, celebrity and privilege operate has seen change for the good in recent years, but there is further to go.

More information about Thirtyone:eight: We're an independent Christian charity which helps individuals, organisations, charities, faith and community groups to protect vulnerable people from abuse. To do this, we provide training, consultancy, disclosures and a 24 hour helpline, making sure everyone is equipped and empowered with the tools they need.

Road to Recovery of Hope & Faith

We remember Prince Philip with gratitude for decades of tireless service and dedication, and with sadness at the loss his death brings to his family and to the life of the nation.

We are being urged not to open physical books of condolence, but there are facilities online to send a message.  You can write a message of condolence on the Church of England website, and find more resources to assist in your prayers at this time of national mourning.  Alternatively, or in addition, you can send a message via the Royal Family website, or by emailing South Norfolk Council on condolence@s-norfolk.gov.uk.

The Queen has expressed her desire that people refrain from sending or placing bouquets or flowers in memory of Prince Philip, but instead consider offering a donation to charity.  Please do consider offering something to a local charity or one of the many charities supported by Prince Philip in his memory.

The church buildings remain open daily for private prayer, and we encourage you to visit and offer prayer.  You can find resourecs to help with this on the Church of England website.

We will be offering prayers at this Sunday's service held via Zoom, livestreamed on Facebook, and broadcast on YouTube and the church website afterwards.

We will also be tolling our church bells ahead of Prince Philip's funeral, observing the two-minute silence at the end of the funeral service, and will post a link to the official commemorative service, which will be broadcast on the Church of England's Facebook and YouTube channels.

Our prayers and thoughts are with those who are grieving in so many ways at this time

Theme: The God of second chances

Cathy and Peter lead us through a contemplative occasion, using props, readings, prayers, music and silence to help us engage with the last moments of Jesus' life on Earth.

Bev leads us through interactive reflections on the story of Moses placed in the basket among the reeds by his mother, and how we too can take action to make the world a better place, no matter what our circumstances.

Adrian explores the theme of finding God in a world of people, from Paul's letter to the church and corinth and John's acccount of Jesus clearing the Temple at the start of his public ministry.

Jill leads us in an exploration of the meaning of the cross

 - Consider the Stars 

 - a Communion Service led by Adrian Miller

 - As a result of the worsening COVID-19 situation, all Services for the foreseeable future will be online using zoom at 10am on Sundays.  We hope that those taking place on February 14 and March 7 will be Holy Communion (again by zoom). 

Zoom Services link https://zoom.us/j/993672961  Meeting ID: 993 672 961  Passcode: 123 

For those who don't have internet access it is possible to 'dail in' to the Zoom Meeting on 0330 088 5830.
After dialing 0330 088 5830 be ready to be asked for the Meeting ID, which is  993 672 961 followed by # and then # again (as there's no participant ID), followed by the passcode, which is  123 and then #.

 led by Jill Wright. 

Picture: Caravaggio's 'The Conversion of Saint Paul'

Peter leads us through a helpful exploration of what it means for us all to be called to the service of God.

 Worship with Holy Communion - recording of live zoom service.

 Christmas 2 and Epiphany

   Advent Joy

Due to slight technical hitch the start of the service is missing. There are two videos. Please watch the “Recapturing a Magnificat vision of Joy” by Nick Morgan first. The second video is the rest of the service led by Derrick.

Service continues ...

: led by Jill Wright “Good News”

  led by Cathy Nicholls "The Light shines in the darkness"

For details of services in the next few weeks see Events

  ----  If you intend to go to a service in one of our churches, please contact the relevant churchwarden, if possible, by phoning 571176 and selecting the relevant option - this really helps us to plan ahead.

Masks must to be worn at all services held in church.

 led by Derrick Hill :  "The festival of Christ the King"

 led by Sam Theobald : "Being expectant people"

  Sunday's outdoor act of remembrance Mulbarton.

Photos courtesy of Red Zebra.  (c) Red Zebra photography.

- led by Derrick Hill

Download PDF of Service-Sheet to accompany the recording below

: led by Peter Nicholls –

 - Led by Derrick Hall

 - led by Jill Wright

We are making use of Zoom technology to continue to meet remotely.  Please do join us at any of the following regular meetings, through this season, using the links and codes below...

You can also join in with Morning Prayer 9:15am-9:45am Monday to Friday:
https://zoom.us/j/878150264
Meeting ID: 878 150 264  Passcode: 123  

And for Sunday worship:
https://zoom.us/j/993672961
Meeting ID: 993 672 961  Passcode: 123

You can also join any of these meetings by using your phone, without any need for a computer, tablet or smartphone:

Meeting ID: 236 542 856 (Tuesday Lent Course)
Meeting ID: 878 150 264 (Morning Prayer)
Meeting ID: 993 672 961 (Sunday Worship)

- Talk by Derek: Labouring for Jesus in ‘our’ Samaria

 - - Note:final song "Hear the Call of the Kingdom" removed from this recording due to artist's performance copyright, Please find a version to listen to elsewhere on Youtube.

- 'Forgiveness' led by Jill Wright

 - led by Cathy Nicholls: ‘God Keeps His promises’

Morning worship with talk on 'Aidan' by Derek.

_

Sunday morning worship led by Bev, with Talk "Living Sacrifice" by Sam Theobald

Thanks to Natalie Colline for this excellent guest blog...

One of the most challenging things about domestic violence is that rarely does the person who is being subjected to abuse realise that they are being abused.  A victim is one of those women, the shrivelled up ones who (according to most stock images) cowering in a corner with a bruised face.  And their partner isn’t one of those men.  He’s a good guy really.  He doesn’t mean it.  It’s only because of all the stress and he had a really bad childhood and he loves me and soon things will get back to how they used to be.  To take the step of acknowledging that our partner is abusive is a huge thing.  Once it’s not “me overreacting”, “his difficult childhood”, “the way I push him to the edge”, “how passionate he is”, “only that one time when he left me bruised”, once we label it ABUSE, everything changes.  Nothing can go on as normal.  We have to take action.  We have to accept that our relationship must end and that our children will lose their father and nothing will ever be the same again.  And that’s before we begin to reckon with all the ways his behaviour will escalate if we try to leave.  Around 80% of men who kill women, do so within eighteen months of her leaving him.

Men are more abusive over Christmas.  Often people think it’s because of the stress, the money worries and the increased alcohol consumption.  But that’s not why.  It’s because an abuser deliberately destroys whatever is precious to his partner and children.  He destroys birthday celebrations and anniversaries.  Some abusers destroy every family mealtime, leaving their children with eating disorders because their father (or step father) has thrown food, screamed at their mother, or gone into that silent sulk which they all know ends in him being violent.  The other reason abusers are worse at Christmas is because there is greater opportunity to abuse.  Most people get time off over Christmas, and the abuser will use those extra hours to demand he get whatever he wants.  And because it’s Christmas, his partner will acquiesce, because she wants to make it special for the kids; because where would she go on Christmas Day when he’s kicked the Christmas tree over?  On Christmas Eve he pushes her to do sexual stuff she doesn’t like, but he promises her that if she does what he wants, he’ll make Christmas nice.  So she does what he wants.  Then on Christmas Day she asks him to help with the dinner and he kicks off and blames her for ruining Christmas.  And she just wishes that she’d not asked for help, he was tired after all.

You may be wondering why I’m writing about Christmas when we’re dealing with a global pandemic…  It’s because this crisis, and the self-isolation and physical distancing caused by it, creates the similar context as living with an abuser at Christmas, but about a million times worse.

He’s now at home 24/7, not just for three days.  He uses his need to work from home to demand that everyone in the home stays silent all day.  If his partner can’t keep their three-year-old silent; he screams, punches walls or makes threats that she’s knows he’ll carry out later.  He’s always hated her speaking on the phone with her friends or family and normally she waits until he’s out of the house to call them, because he’ll tut or huff and puff throughout the phone call.  Now she can’t speak to her anyone.  And then he says he’s started with a temperature and they all need to stay in for fourteen days.  She hasn’t seen any evidence he’s got a temperature, but she daren’t question him as she knows he’ll hurt her, or worse, take out his outrage at her insolence on the kids.

And she can’t leave now.  He’s there all the time.  She’d thought about it before, was just waiting for the right time.  But now the kids are off school and don’t have any stability and so she can’t move into a refuge.  And anyway, she’ll be exposing her asthmatic seven-year-old to the virus.  She keeps trying to make everything nice for them all, exhausting herself to make things nice.  He always leads her to believe that she can “make” him nice, if she only plays by his rules.  But then he changes them, or the kids needs something that means she has to break them.  Her job say she can’t have time off as she’s a carer.  But she knows he won’t look after them properly.  He’ll undermine her and play fight with them until they cry and then when she gets home, he’ll keep her up until 4am in the morning interrogating her about which male co-workers she interacted with, accusing her of having an affair.  She says she can’t go into work and her line manager is horrified at her lack of commitment in this crisis and fires her right there and then.  She daren’t cry, because he’ll mock and deride her for it.  She dreads Sunday, when he’ll demand that she and the children participate in the online streamed church service that he’s been planning, the one that was so important all of them had to be silent for three days straight.  Afterwards, he whispers to her that he’s never punched her in the face because people might see it, but now things are different.  She’s his and he’ll do what he wants to her.

Specialist domestic abuse services are working around the clock to make their provision effective for women during this epidemic, but due to ideologically driven cuts, they’ve already been stripped back, defunded and de-specialised.  For each of us, there’s not a lot we can do to make a difference while also social distancing and self-isolating.  Abusers are making choices to isolate, control, abuse and harm their partners and children, and the only people who can stop abuse are those who choose to be abusive.  But it’s important that we understand what abuse is, what the dynamics are, and how this virus is going to hugely increase women’s vulnerability.  It’s crucial that we don’t perpetuate myths about abuse; it’s not the stress or financial difficulties caused by the virus that is increasing perpetration, it’s about increased opportunity.  Women who don’t leave abusers are not stupid or wrong; they are doing everything they can to keep themselves and their children safe.  Abusers deliberately act in ways that prevent their partner making sense of what is going on or being able to articulate it as abuse; so doing announcements about “if you’re being abused we can help you” is not really going to reach that many of the people who need support.

What can we do as we continue into this unknown place?

1. Contact your local domestic abuse and ask them how you can help; do they need financial support, donations, volunteers to drive/move/clean?
2. Educate yourself about domestic abuse (my book can help with that).
3. Be aware that if someone is being abused, their online interactions may be tracked.
4. Notice who isn’t able to engage with your community; who isn’t on Facebook/Twitter/Whatsapp, and see if there’s a way to check in with them some other way.
5. Facebook is particularly risky for those who have left an ex-partner, because it is very easy for him to find her. Ensure you have an additional option other than Facebook for engaging with those in your community.
6. If you hear violence or noise from a neighbour’s home, call the police (use 999 if you are concerned it is an emergency).
7. Be vigilant. Are there people in your family or friendship group, amongst your colleagues, church community or neighbourhood who are acting differently, whose communications have gone down dramatically or who seem withdrawn or different.  Try to make regular contact with them.
8. Be aware. When you do your shopping, are there women and children who seem overly subdued, or is there a man behaving in domineering ways (abusive men will be emboldened in a context where they have so much uninterrupted space to abuse, and this may be visible in the brief encounters we have with people).
9. Trust women. If someone tells you something that sounds abusive, if they talk about feeling suffocated by their partner, if they say they feel scared or need help to leave, believe them straight away.  Whatever they tell you will be the tip of a very horrific iceberg.

If you identify with the abusive behaviour detailed in this post, it may have shocked you to become aware that what is being done to you (or what you are doing to someone else) is abusive.

If you are recognising that what is being done to you is wrong and if it is safe to do so, here are some places that can help:

• You can find your local domestic abuse service here: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-abuse-directory/
• Women’s Aid Online Chat (10am – 12pm Mon – Fri): https://chat.womensaid.org.uk
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk (0808 2000 247)

If you are concerned about your behaviour towards a partner, you can contact the Respect perpetrator helpline: https://respectphoneline.org.uk (0808 802 4040).

Fri 13 March

We are now in a serious pandemic situation, which is new ground for most of us.  What I have been doing, and will continue to do, is to monitor the advice given by government and church and make sure we're doing our utmost to follow that advice.

There are some things we have been advised to suspend, including Messy Church and Open the Book collective worship at school.  Mulbarton Mardlers is also suspended for the time being, given the church advice is to suspend catering, and given the clientele are the most at risk.

The advice is that church services should NOT be suspended, but that various measures are taken to ensure they are as safe as can be.  You will notice these being adopted this Sunday.  These include:

• Asking people to wash hands as they come into church.  Washing hands can be done using alcohol sanitiser or with soap and water for 20 seconds minimum.  Try as I might, I have not been able to source hand sanitiser.  If you have your own, please do bring it to the church service with you, and apply it as you enter.  Where we don't have running water, we will make arrangements for hand-washing to be available, using flasks and individual paper towels.  If you are coming to Mulbarton's 10am, you might want to call in at Harvest House to wash hands first.
• Distribution of bread only at Communion while standing - no common cup and no kneeling at the rail
• No shaking hands, laying on of hands or oils, and no sharing a sign of peace
• No passing around of collection plates or bags - plate at back of church to receive the offering - please feel free to place your offering in the plate on entering the building
• Suspending coffee and biscuits where multiple people touch mugs, utensils and foodstuffs.  This Sunday, there will be refreshments served at Harvest House, but not self-service, and ensuring careful hand hygiene for those in the kitchen and using paper cups, which you can place directly in the bin after use.  Similar measures will be in place in Bracon Ash.  Churchwardens of the benefice are meeting me on Tuesday, and we'll decide then longer term plans for serving refreshments.
• Door handles regularly cleaned.

Messy Church met again on Maundy Thursday at Mulbarton Primary School.

We were exploring the  theme:  Why do bad things happen to people, and how can I help?

We used the Easter Story to do this having another set of very creative crafts:  donkey making; a collage of the tomb and crosses; sowing a seed and making a palm (handshape/leaf) to put in the pot until the seed germinates.  We also had a sensory table with opportunities for children to talk about things that worried or concerned them and Carl Bradley from CB Drama did some work with the children acting out different emotions.

A group of children and some adults then prepared to act out the story with costumes as two readers narrated the story, which Adrian then talked about in relation to the theme, before a song, prayer and lunch together.  It was as always the creativity and hard work of a big team of people, so thank you to all those who took part.

We were able to welcome some new faces as well as welcome back those who have been with us from the beginning.

This year's Lent Course runs on Wednesday evenings, from 13th March to 10th April.  We meet in the Lounge at Hanover at 7.30pm, and will finish by 9.15pm.

The United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has produced a free booklet that we'll be using, in we which we listen to and reflect upon the prophetic voice from India. Each evening will consider a different theme.

The five-week study course looks at the radical nature of the gospel, with a special focus on the church in India.

"We might think the prophetic voice belongs to the Old Testament, but we want to show there are still many prophets to be found throughout the world church today.

"The prophets’ voices are challenging because they alert us to issues we might want to ignore - they call us to be like Jesus, who stood on the margins, comforting the oppressed and challenging those who are comfortable."

Study 1: Community – inspiring congregations to be dynamic in mission.
Study 2: Injustice – taking action to combat human trafficking.
Study 3: Gender – a skills training programme is giving women a new lease of life.
Study 4: Climate – schools are inspiring a new generation to care for the environment.
Study 5: Hope – giving hope to India’s marginalised Dalit and tribal peoples.

See more details of the course here

Love God and love others.  Sounds simple enough.  How hard can it be?  We know it's the way of life that Jesus introduced to the world.  It sounds good.  I've not met a Christian who disagrees with the sentiment.  And yet, in practice, it doesn't always work out the way we imagine.  Just how do we do it?

Do we just make a decision, pray a one-line prayer, and we're good to go?

Or do we actually need to invest time and effort and learn new disciplines in order to cultivate a real life of devotion - of living in the Father's love and knowing Jesus?  And if, like me, you realise that this is something that doesn't just come automatically, how do we do it effectively?

The reality is that many professing Christians remain too long in the shallows of divine love, and rarely experience the depths that God offers.  There are unvisited emotions, locked away under the surface of our lives.  There are unrecognised and ungrieved losses that we've experienced.  There are unresolved issues and unprocessed conditioning from our past that tie us to old unredeemed ways.  There are pressures and expectations, lifestyle patterns and choices, that keep us from the sustaining rhythms and rules of love and devotion.

When we slow down and take the time to face these things and explore them, like many before us, we can find lasting transformation that connects us with the love of God and new ways of living and being.

Peter Scazzero was a leader of a church in New York, which appeared to be flourishing.  He was doing all the things that looked good, and earned admiration from certain sectors of the church - but the reality was that he was too stressed and busy to properly attend to his family, his own soul or his life with God.  After a crunch time came, he took 4 months out of ministry and learnt some really important things about emotional health, which utterly transformed the church, and has since developed into the discipleship course, which we are preparing to look at over Lent next year.

Conversation evenings on the six highest voted puzzling questions of life:

1. Who am I?
2. What is God like?
3. What happens after I die?
4. How can I be happy?
5. Why is there suffering in the world?
6. What is the spiritual world, and how does it impact my life?

Peter and Cathy Nicholls will be leading conversations at their home in Hethel every Monday night, starting Monday 28 January, spending an evening on each of these 6 puzzling questions.  An opportunity to explore some of life's deeper issues.

All are welcome.

So, Christmas is a distant memory now, there are signs of spring around us already, and life is zooming by.  We're into the special season of Lent, early this year, and Easter is fast approaching.

This year Ash Wednesday the day Lent begins, fell on Valentine's Day for the first time since 1945 (though it will happen twice more in the next 11 years).  It made an interesting juxtaposition of celebrating romantic love on the one hand and on the other hand beginning to engage with a season of serious reflection and penitence.  And yet it wasn't entirely unfitting.

As many of us gathered at Bracon Ash Church on Ash Wednesday, it was a privilege for me to make the sign of the cross on people's foreheads with ash, as a sign that we were each wanting to accept all that the cross of Jesus has secured for us, and to live our lives more fully and deeply in its light.  The cross reminds us of the depths of the love of God, and so fitting after all for Valentine's Day.  This kind of self-sacrificial love is what motivates us to pursue change in our lives through this penitential season.

On Ash Wednesday , we considered the journey of the Pharisees from Jerusalam to Galilee in search of Jesus.  They had heard about this new teacher and miracle-maker, and wanted to see for themselves.  There was no hint that they were against him at this stage - just really wanting to find out more. They arrived, observed what was happening and had questions, which they put to Jesus.  We too might be approaching Jesus this Lent with questions about what we see around us, about God, the Bible, church.  What those Pharisees didn't anticipate is that Jesus immediately saw right to the heart of the real issues that mattered for them, and he challenged them very strongly about what they were missing, with questions of his own.  It was a surprisingly penetrating and uncomfortable encounter for those unsuspecting Pharisees, who were faced with having to make a decision to change or to resist.  As we truly approach Jesus ourselves, it is possible that we too might discover a need for change.

As you observe this season, by giving something up, taking something on, saying extra prayers, attending one of our mid-week groups, or whatever, I'm praying that you will truly encounter the God who sees, who knows and who helps us to change.  This is a time when we are mindful of the things we all say, think and do that hurt others and hurt God.  It's a time when we may well feel the need to say “I'm sorry.”

In any healthy relationship, those two words are important.  They  are  also  two  words  which  can  cause  healing,  build bridges  and  enable  relationships  to  be  repaired  within communities as well as between individuals.   They are two powerful words which, when truly meant, are never easy to say, but are essential if relationships are to move forward.

As Christians, we also believe that when we speak those two words, God always responds with forgiveness.

“An apology is the super glue of life.  It can repair just about anything.”  Lynn Johnston

February is the month that Lent begins.  We are planning plenty to nourish you in spirit through the season of Lent and Holy Week across the benefice.  I do hope and pray that as you tap into some of what is available, that as you approach Jesus for yourself, you will truly encounter Him afresh, in a way that is life-giving and sustaining.  May you find joy in the journey!

Each parish church will have a special service as we progress through Lent: 

• We begin Lent with our Ash Wednesday Communion Service at Bracon Ash on 14 February. 
• Then as Lent ends, in Holy Week:
  • on Wednesday, 28 March, Flordon will host a (new for us) Tenebrae Service, otherwise known as  a "Service of Shadows";
  • Mulbarton will host a Maundy Thursday Evening Communion on 29 March;
  • and then on Good Friday, 30 March, the Good Friday Walk through Mulbarton in the morning,
  • and the Good Friday Meditative Service in Hethel in the afternoon. 
  • In addition, there will be extra times of prayer and reflection through Holy Week, and a couple of outings arranged to the cathedral.

In between the Ash Wednesday Service on 14 February and the Tenebrae Service on 28 March, we will follow the Lent readings on Sundays, and mid-week, we will be looking at a series entitled "Approaching Jesus".   

We will learn from the ways Jesus shared the journey with a number of different people.  People, who approached him at different times and places, as recorded in Matthew's gospel. These practical and personal six studies combine honesty with humour in order to take you through the 40 days of Lent.

These six fascinating studies are sure to give us lots of stimulating and enriching food for thought, and lead us closer to our Lord.  The six sessions are:

Session 1:       The Pharisee: A Passion for Purity

Session 2:       A Father: A Persistent Prayer
Session 3:       Peter: A Question of Forgiveness
Session 4:       A Rich Man and a Generous Woman
Session 5:       Judas: A Hidden Agenda
Session 6:       Mary & Martha: A Restoration Project

I'll draw from the first of the six studies at the Ash Wednesday Service, and the remaining five studies will be the focus of small groups through Lent.  You can key into a group on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings:

• Mondays: 19 February, and 5, 12, 19 & 26 March, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., led by Jill Wright, meeting at 22 Birchfield Gardens
• Tuesdays: 20 February - 20 March, 7:30-9:30pm, led by Fran Kittle, meeting at Willow Farm, Silfield Road, Wymondham
• Wednesdays: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., led by Adrian, Peter & Cathy: 21 Feb - Church View, The Common; 28 Feb - King John's Thorn, Hethel; 7 March - Hethel Hall Cottage, Hall Road, Hethel; 14 March - Church View, The Common, Mulbarton; 21 March - King John's Thorn, Hethel
• Also on Wednesdays, 7:45-10pm, led by Tom & Becky Taylor, meeting at 69 Orchard Way, Wymondham

A study book will be available for the Lent Course, from any of the group leaders, at a discounted price of £4.50

The Bishop's Lent Appeal 2018 is focused on enabling local mission in Simbai, Papua New Guinea. In this remote community the church building is the hub of village life.

Your gift will:

• help to develop a larger church building;
• facilitate new mission initiatives with the young people of this scattered community; and
• support people, such as giving Lynn and Tony Fry periodic Retreat and Refreshment breaks

For further details and to donate, click here.

Thank you to all those who supported one of our five Remembrance services this week.  In total, over 300 congregated and about £400 was raised towards the Royal British Legion appeal.

23 people attended the moving service in Hanover Gardens on Thursday afternoon, with a short act of remembrance, led by Adrian.  Some people there talked with fondness about their personal memories of the men from Mulbarton who had lost their lives in war.

About 50 gathered outdoors at the war memorial in Bracon Ash at 11am on Armistice Day.  Andrew led a short service, followed by refreshments in Bracon Ash Village Hall.  Thanks are due to the members of the armed forces who were in support, to the quartet who led the singing, and to those who prepared refreshments.  We remembered the fallen from Hethel and Bracon Ash, as well as those who were based at Hethel's 389th Bombing Group.

On that Saturday evening, 165 people gathered at Hethersett Church to hear Mulbarton's community choir, Wherry Brass Band, and Mulbarton Primary School Choir in concert.  Sales from the programmes went to the Royal British legion annual appeal.

On Sunday morning, we held 2-minute silences at 11am, incorporated in acts of worship, in 3 of our churches.

Over 200 gathered in Mulbarton Church, including 92 children, many of whom Adrian had visited during the week in their scout and guide units. Adrian led an age-appropriate exploration around the theme of freedom, considering what we like to do with the freedom we have, and what it has cost people in the past to give us that freedom.  We were delighted to see so many in support.  Guides and scouts groups had made wreaths, poppies and decorated stones in memory of the fallen, which were laid at the font.  About £160 was donated, to be split between the church and the Royal British Legion.

About 30 gathered in Flordon Church, where Andrew led a moving service, sharing the story of Norfolk's first V.C. award, some thoughts on heroes, and how it all relates to Jesus' self-sacrificial love.  £100 was donated to the Royal British Legion.

18 gathered in Hethel, where Peter & Cathy led a meaningful time of worship, around the theme of remembering.  £86 was donated to the Royal British Legion.

All the churches were beautifully decorated by dedicated volunteers.

Once again, thanks to all.

Lots of exciting things coming up for children over the festive season...

There are copies of the new Quarterly Daily Devotionals from United Christian Broadcasters at the back of each of our Churches – do take one or consider joining their mailing list to receive your own free copy – you can contact them directly on 0845 6040401 or contact me, as your local rep for Christian Broadcasting and Care for the Family, and I’ll pass on your details.

Do you read The Magazine? I don't mean our benefice Mardle, nor even Mulbarton Parish News (often referred to as 'the magazine'). I mean The Magazine, produced by the Diocese of Norwich. It used to be quite boring: lists of vicars, died or moving; what other parishes have done/will be doing..... But not any longer - it is a good read with helpful articles on a bi-monthly theme. Last autumn's on Mental Health raised lots of issues; Nov/Dec was challenging - on being a Christian at work; and the current one, Jan/Feb is about the Bible and Bible Study. Very appropriate for Lent! 

Copies are normally available at the back of church - in that corner you forget to go to 'cos you are chatting as you go out..... Have a look, pick one up, read it, pass it on.... And if they go too quickly and you can't find one, have a word with Caroline and she can order more each time. After all, we pay for them as part of our Parish Share!

But I really do recommend everyone takes one and dips into it: The Magazine is a really useful and helpful Christian magazine.

Hethel Church has been granted their faculty to install air-source heat pumps to heat the air in church.  Praise the Lord!  And many thanks to Peter's sterling efforts to do some ground-breaking research, and spear-head the project.  Hethel also secured a £4,500 grant from British Airways Carbon Fund towards the project. 

Mulbarton Church has its application in as I write, and we will know the outcome by the middle of February.  All bodies have made their views known now and we have had a chance to respond.  South Norfolk have given planning permission.  The DAC have given a certificate of recommendation.  Public notices have had their time.  We are just waiting for the Chancellor to give the final go-ahead, and for the BA Carbon Fund to decide on whether it will award Mulbarton £4,500 as well.  Please pray that there will be no further spanners in the works, that all the funds will be there for both projects and that the work will be able to proceed without a hitch.

There are usually 35-40 each 4^th Tuesday of every month in the Social Club 2:30 – 4:30p.m. On 16 December our Christmas party in the Village Hall brought around 70 together, including friends and families, and a good time was had by all!

If you know anyone who is on their own and may enjoy an afternoon out please take an invite from the back of church, Caroline’s office, or see Sue Mellows. The current invites cover January through to April. Transport is available if needed.

We would always welcome volunteers to drive or to come to chat to visitors during the afternoon.  You do not need to commit to being available every month.  If you are interested in helping in any way just speak to Sue or simply pop in to see us one Tuesday afternoon.

Thanks for the faithful band of bakers who provide us with goodies. Added with those that Angie from the Social club provides, we have a wonderful spread each time!

February’s Mardlers will be on Tuesday 27^th.  And looking forward to March, we will be having a small celebration for Easter, also on Tuesday 27^th, but 2:30 – 5:00 p.m., when the Social Club will also be running some games of bingo.    

Our January Swap Shop at Harvest House was the third one we've run, where we invite people to come with up to 3 items and swap them.  There is also free drinks and cake, and a chance to meet others.  Donations in the pot all go to a local charity chosen at random from those nominated by people who come.

On 13 Jan 2018, about 30 people came along, over 50 items were swapped, and £24 was raised for Mulbarton Cubs.  There was a great atmosphere through the afternoon, as visitors had a lot of fun with the swapping - and there were some really high quality items that changed hands.  Thanks to those who baked delicious cakes for it, those who helped serve in the kitchen, and to Sarah for organising.

Do look out for the next one later this year - 28th April!

Having preached through all of our 6 values, I think I’ve been most struck with this one about joy.  We value finding joy in the journey, but the reality is that for many of us joy is often elusive.  What can we learn and how can we experience more joy in our own journeys?

The Bible talks an awful lot about joy, and describes many sources of joy: good news, harmonious families, justice, wisdom, the presence of God, and much else.  There’s also a deeper level in which we seem to be encouraged to carry joy with us even when our circumstances seem against us.

Joy: The Gift

In Romans 15, we see that that real joy is a gift from God. Paul was following Jesus, praying confidently for the church, that Jew and Gentile alike would be filled with joy and peace.  Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus have had some bitter disagreements

and strained relationships over the years.  Paul was at pains to have them accept one another, just as Christ accepted them both.  He was imploring them to follow Jesus’ example.  And Paul knew that the way they would be transformed in their relationships with each other was by this experience of the God of hope, filling them with joy and peace, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  There may be lessons from that today where relationships are strained. God wants joy for us, He is prepared to give it, and it makes a huge difference, not only to us personally and individually, but corporately – it overflows to others.

Joy: The Choice

So joy is a gift from God that we seek after.  And yet the other side of the coin is that joy is also something we choose.  We see both Jesus (e.g. Luke 10) and Paul (e.g. Phil. 4) telling us to choose to rejoice, and especially to rejoice in the Lord and in what He’s done for us.  Sometimes, we can’t help it – the joy just bubbles us, but sometimes it requires an active decision from us.

Joy: Sharing Life

The disciples experienced their biggest joy, described in Luke 10, when they were out sharing life with their communities, according to the strategy Jesus had given them, and because it was appropriate and sensitive to their context, it was working.  And when Paul reflected on joy in 1 Thess. 2:17-19, he recognised that it was the people themselves with whom he had been able to share life that were his joy.

So, receive the gift, make the choice, share life, and I pray that we will all find more and more joy in the journey.

April is the month in which we have to have our annual church meetings.  It is also the month In which Easter often falls - this year it's right in the middle of April.  It always strikes me as something of a juxtaposition.  Remembering the week leading up to Jesus' death and celebrating His resurrection is perhaps the most intensely spiritual and searching of all  our festivals.  The word "crucial" comes from the Latin "crux", meaning "cross", and this week of celebration is truly crucial in every sense.  On the other hand, we have the intensely practical work of attending to the legal aspects of running 4 charities, and ensuring that notices, electoral rolls, and reports are all in order for the annual meetings.

So, I find myself with this balance between spiritual and practical, between meditating on the timeless meaning of Jesus conquering death, and reading up on the latest changes around charity regulations, and making sure we do what we should.  In reality, both these things are important.

We have to keep circling back to the roots of what we believe and what really makes us get out of bed in the morning.  How Jesus has expressed His love to us in the person of Jesus Christ and in the events of Holy Week, is nothing short of astonishing, and it does lie at the heart of all we engage in.  And yet we find ourselves with our own unique context and our own specific calling to pursue.

The APCMs provide an opportunity to review how we are living out God's call upon us and to cast the vision for where God is calling us to next. The annual meetings are much more than a series of talking heads, giving dry reports out of duty to the demands of charity law. They are a time when we can gather the wider church family,  celebrate what God has done in the past year and seek God together for fresh vision and direction in the year ahead.

Our foundations and our values remain constant, and the resurrection celebrations bring us back to these.  But our vision shifts and turns as the Spirit blows in new directions, and our annual meetings give ear to this.

I do hope to see as many folk as possible from the church families gathering through April, to seek both a re-grounding with God and a re-envisioning from Him.

APCM Meetings

Hethel Tuesday 4 April 7.30pm in Bracon Ash Village Hall

Mulbarton Monday 10 April 7.30pm in Harvest House.

Bracon Ash Tuesday 11 April 2.00pm in Bracon Ash Church

Flordon Tuesday 18 April 7.30pm in Flordon Church

Dear praying friends at Mulbarton Church, greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ! I hope this finds you in good health and spirit! I am pleased to inform you that finally we have been able to hand over the second phase of five houses to earthquake victims.

I am sorry that due to constant rain and unfavourable situations in Nepal, construction work got delayed. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your prayer and partnership in helping these suffering people. We are going to start building a similar building in another district soon and will continue to build houses as long as we have funds. In Him, Ram Prasad Shrestha

Flordon Flower Festival attracted a steady stream of visitors during the August Bank Holiday weekend. It featured in Radio Norfolk’s Treasure Quest on Sunday morning – the picture shows Sophie finding the clue.

Delicious teas and Ploughman’s lunches were enjoyed in Helen and Jimmy’s garden next door.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it such a successful event.

The magnificent sum of £1385 was raised for church funds.

See some photos of the beauty and goings on here.

What a great 4th birthday we had on Thursday!  A huge well done to everyone for adapting so well to different surroundings and the heat -  and for adjusting to last minute surprises, like no electricity.   The team worked brilliantly together and also created a new way of producing and presenting another set of imaginative crafts on our 'stage' for Adrian to re-tell the story.  Thank you Gill for this great suggestion.  A special thank you to Evie for reading
the story so well.  Everyone was listening intently and we have already had feedback from parents saying how helpful this was.  Thank you for your debut on the piano Andrew.

Theresa was a star in the kitchen once again juggling coffee making when the electricity came back on in the midst of preparing a delicious lunch for us all.  Thank you again everyone for what you have baked and brought.  Ros, special thanks for making our birthday cakes this year.

We were 61 people in total:  29 adults and 32 children.  Several of our regular families were away, but there were still a good number.  It was encouraging to hear from these families how much their children also appreciate the Open the Book team who go into both schools to act out Bible stories.

Thank you everyone for a great day.

Our next Messy Church will be in the October half term on Thursday 27 October.   Between now and then there will be a Harvest Service with a taste of Messy Church, very suitable for families, on Sunday 25 September at 11 am at Hethel Church, followed by lunch at Hill Farm, Hethel (tickets soon available for the lunch).

Update of 14^th bath of Residential Mission Training Course

National Mission Commission of Nepal

Three months Missionary Training was organized from 2^nd March to 24^th May 2016. There were twelve students, including 2 ladies across the country. Most of the students came from the least evangelized region of Nepal.

During the training, including NMCN staffs and more than 20 pastors, teachers, taught different subjects such as: Walk through the Bible, Bible study method, Biblical foundation of mission, History of Mission, Christian ethics, Preaching, Christian family, Book of Acts, Church management, Church planting, Fivefold ministry, Role of Holy spirit in Mission, Spiritual warfare, Muslim religion, Tent Making, Spiritual Leadership, Holistic Mission, Income generating, Evangelism and Discipleship.

NMCN promotes Cross-cultural and holistic mission. Students were taught how one must get involved in the community transformation to look for an avenue to witness the Christ. It has been strongly emphasized that the church must take the whole Gospel to the whole society. Apart from that, students were taught an Income Generating Training in order for them to do mission without any support from outside.

A Graduation Ceremony

A Graduation Ceremony was held On May 24, 2016 in Jyoti Great Commission Church, Sainbhu Lalitpur. At the ceremony, we had invited our board members, distinguished pastors and leaders as well as pastors and relatives of graduating student to bless the students. Over 50 pastors and leaders were present at the ceremony where 2 students shared their experiences and blessings of their time at the Mission Training Course. The ceremony was presided by Prem Kumar Rai, while Rev. Satay Tamang a Chairman of NMCN gave the message of exhortation to the graduating students.

CEO Ram Prasad Shrestha, during his welcome speech thanked to pastors, leaders and supporters for encouraging the NMCN through valuable presence. During his talk, he mentioned that more than 250 missionaries have been taught so far and 99% of them have gone to the unreached areas to plant a church. More than 300 churches have been planted by the missionaries sent by NMCN through the partnership with the churches and denominations. Of them, some have been sent to India and Bhutan as missionaries. He also specifically thanked to the TEAM Mission for their long standing partnership through providing grants to make this training successfully. We would not have been able to come thus far with manifold blessings if TEAM would have not prayed and supported.

Finally, former chairman Rev Indra Thapa shared a word of encouragements to the graduating students and led the dedication prayer along with other pastors and leaders present at the ceremony. The Ceremony was concluded with the benediction prayer pronounced by the Rev. Indra Thapa.

List of Students

Strong views, big assertions, fear of the unknown.  I don’t know how you’re finding all the talk about our big decision this month.  This is a much more significant vote than a general election.  It will chart a course for the future of our nation, the EU and the wider world and it’s something that will be felt far and wide and for generations to come.

Surely the simple thing is to work out what the Christian way to vote is, and then we can all do that.  Just as within the political parties, however, we find within the church there is a wide range of opinions.  So, if our minds are made up, how can we check that our views are consistent with our Christian convictions?  And if we are unsure how to vote, how can we think Christianly in order to come to a decision?

Andrew Goddard has recently published a Grove booklet, aiming to help us identify the key areas to consider.  From that, here is a checklist of questions for starters:

• Have we understood something of the history and founding vision of the post-war European project, and the widening and deepening relationships between European countries over the last 66 years?
• Can we be clear on the difference between the EU and Europe?
• Can we sum up the political, economic and ethical foundations of the EU?
• OK, so having a foundation of understanding, are we committed to loving our neighbour and maintaining the best possible relationships with neighbouring nations?
• In coming to a decision, are we considering the common good rather than individual interests, relinquishing “what’s best for me” – including considering minors who can’t vote but will have to live the longest with the consequences?
• Likewise, can we relinquish “what’s best for the UK”, instead considering consequences for EU neighbours and the wider world?
• Finally, and as a springboard to deeper engagement, are we striving to think biblically and theologically, beyond specific policy issues, to broad debates on the nature of the EU and the UK’s relationship to it? Notably, considering the EU’s composition, ethos and structures?

From this last point, Goddard delves into the theology of nations, ungodly empire-building, identity, migration, peace, solidarity, money, consumerism, debt, justice, subsidiarity, democracy and representative leadership, while examining some of the intricacies of how the 7 political institutions that make up the EU operate and seeks to relate theology to practice.

He then shows how a strong Christian case can be made for remaining in the EU, centring around its foundational Christian values, the good that has been achieved, the need to stay in relationship with neighbours, and the potential damage caused by leaving.  He also shows how one could construct a strong Christian case for leaving, arguing from the current failings and recent damage caused by putting economic issues too high on the agenda, failed reforms, the lack of spiritual vitality or acknowledgement of Europe’s Christian heritage, the inability to adequately represent the people of the EU, and the democracy-deficit.

Goddard finishes by encouraging us to disagree well as we debate these issues, keeping in mind to be honest, open and attentive, resisting caricaturing opponents or parroting standard arguments.  He encourages us to see this vote in the context of God’s coming kingdom and God’s plan to gather people from all nations to Himself and His service, and urges us to work hard at developing principled views, which we can defend biblically and theologically.

Some food for thought…?

You can read more from Goddard here

Come along on Sat 18th to think together some more

Also check out some pointers the diocese has gathered together: http://dioceseofnorwich.org/churches/society/eu-referendum

FROM THE RECTORY

Third Easter in the Rectory Household

We moved house just over 2 years ago, and began work here on 6th Feb 2014, so now Year 3 begins.  Time has flown, and yet lots has changed, with more change coming in 2016, as we welcome a stipendiary curate into the mix, and get used to cats in the Rectory.  Staff changes, financial and building challenges, some personal health issues, and lots of learning has characterised our time here so far.  We've been involved in some really good things along the way, and made some good friends, and we’re looking forward to more of that as things progress. I’m sometimes painfully aware of what I’m not doing, and particularly lament that I’m not able to visit as widely as Jess and others did, under different circumstances. Nevertheless, I’m working hard to be as effective as possible with my time, and to develop a pastoral visiting team to ensure we continue the treasured legacy of home visiting in this benefice – please be in touch if you’d appreciate a visit.

It seems like there are a lot of things hanging in the air at the moment - unresolved issues, from the personal to the global.  The increase in Islamic militancy. Our government cutting support for green energy and associated businesses, and introducing Ofsted inspections for Sunday Schools. More debt taken out than ever before over the Christmas shopping season. These are just some of the things that leave me wondering where it’s all heading, as well as issues closer to home. Nevertheless, I'm reminded of the old Bill Gaither hymn: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow".  I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future, and therein is our solid ground. What’s true of God is true for good.

As we approach our third Easter here, the message behind arguably the most important of all the Christian festivals is so apt. Whatever is happening in the world, and whatever is going on in our personal lives, there is a God who has beaten death, and who ultimately will bring good, harmony, peace and restoration to all things. It doesn’t depend on us to make it happen. It’s certain, because it depends on what God has done in history through the person of Jesus Christ.

Wishing you true hope and security in a changing world,

Adrian

A roof piercing slogan was chanted again and again by the pastors and leaders gathered in Damak when a Mission Conference for Pastors and leaders was held in Eastern Nepal. The slogan was the declaration of their renewed commitment of being a missionary people as a Nepali Christian. A three days Mission Conference was held in Hope Church in Damak in partnership with the Regional wing of the National Churches Fellowship of Nepal. Despite the strike and road blockade, more than 180 enthusiaistic pastors and leaders attended representing different denominations and a group of eastern Nepal Pastors from the plains and mountain were gathered where they joyfully shared their fellowship, learning together and while eating and chatting over the break.

It was surprising to see how the team of kitchen served food by cooking with firewood in open air despite the shortage of cooking gas due to unofficial blockade imposed by the Indian Government.

We did experience breakthrough in the lives of the participants when Rev. Tom Keppeler of Elmbrook church ministered with the word focusing on what is missing and why the church must get involved in mission. The pastors and leaders have been cast the vision in fulfilling the Great Commission. Similarly Dr. Matt Gibson from the Emlbrook church ministered to participants about the importance of prayer lives and spirituality for missional leaders. We would like to thank the Elmbrook Church and Life North Church, USA for their financial partnership to make this event happen successfully.

During our review meeting after the conference, the organizing team of the leaders expressed saying that the conference has hugely impacted on their lives and they have been enormously blessed. They also requested that such kind of mission Conference must be held for youth as well.

"We would like to thank the Lord for enabling National Mission Commission of Nepal to continuously create the movements of World Mission by equipping and teaching to the churches. We thank once again to Elmbrook Church and New Life Centre in USA for their partnership. In Him."  - Ram Prasad Shrestha

Over 120 days of ruthless and harsh unofficial blockade imposed by the Indian Government supporting one of the ethnic groups called Madhesi has over shadowed the cry and pains of the victims of the earthquake. Moreover, the pain and suffering have even increased due to the blockade by the severe shortage of humanitarian and daily essential items in Nepal. Due to such inhuman acts, the country of Nepal is almost in the verge of becoming failure status.

When the most devastating earthquake hit Nepal, Kanchhi Maya's house was not spared, her house was also destroyed but thank God no one got killed. She and her father in-law lived the tent for several days in Thakle Kavre, which is one of most destroyed district. This was quite challenging time for her because there was no one to help her.

Kanchhi Maya had lost her husband 14 years back due to the HIV. Kanchhi Maya who got HIV transmitted by her husband. Now she lives with HIV under the humiliation and desolation in the society, her days are numbered due to the lack of medication because she does not have proper job for the medication. The money that she earns by doing tedious job is not sufficient to cover the medication. HIV related social organization does not have enough resource to cover her medication however; the organization had helped her previously. She has got two children who are looked after by Koinonia Grace Home and they are studying well in Kathmandu.

Kanchhi Maya and her father in-law were homeless and did not have shelter to put their heads or to go anywhere as HIV affected person. The freezing winter is already at her door post which put their lives in risk. The National Mission Commission of Nepal has helped her to build the house where she and her Father in-law reside now warmly and happily. She has expressed her deep and sincere thanks to NMCN for meeting her need by building the house for them. I would like to take this opportunity express our heartfelt thanks to generous donor like you who has prayed and responded the needs to reconstruct the broken world and soul. WE are ever thankful to God for enabling us to touch the lives through in the name of Christ and share the good news in order to change the life to toward joy and happiness. Once again thank you for your generosity and fervent prayer support.

In Him, Ram Prasad Shrestha and NMCN Family. 

As we go into White Ribbon Fortnight, marked by over 50 countries, aiming to increase awareness about violence against women, and as Norfolk plays its part with the "Norfolk Says No" campaign, Adrian talked about how we as church can contribute to tackling the root beliefs about gender. Adopting the right beliefs can lead to lots of good fruit, but adopting wrong beliefs, as the church sometimes has, leads to abusive and destructive behaviours.

To read more about this important topic, Adrian's top recommended read is "Women and the Kingdom" by Roger and Faith Forster.

Listen to the talk and view the powerpoint here (talk starts at Slide 4, after preamble!)...

So many positive comments coming through about Letton this year.  Thanks to all who made it such a special time.

Just beginning to upload talks and powerpoints now, so folk can catch up if they want.

Here's some inspiration from Jonah, which was our Friday evening talk:

Adrian's notes on the Jonah slideshow

And on Saturday morning, a look at Ezekiel and a glance at Matthew - considering the scroll Ezekiel ate, compared to the feast of the king that awaits at the consummation of all things:

Adrian's notes on the Ezekiel slideshow

On Saturday afternoon, Steve Benton, visiting from Reading, led us on a journey of reconnecting with the hopes and dreams God has given. The children also blessed us with sharing God's promises for us:

On Sunday morning, we summarised all we had been considering over the weekend, and heard from a dozen people about their experience, which highlighted what a blessed time it had been. We also heard from the children and youth before breaking bread together. The recording captures Adrian's summary, and a couple of contributions from Jack and Liz:

Update from National Mission Commission of Nepal

October, 2015

Relief Work:

There are still many people who are suffering without proper shelter due to deadliest earthquake hit on 25 April and 12 May this year. Somehow, people have survived the rainy season despite suffering with flood and landslides. Whatever shelter families are living in now, they are not enough to fight the winter. The tough winter is approaching from the month of November. The winter is quite severe which may claim many lives of old and children because of poor shelter and lack of warm clothing.

The government of Nepal does seem helpful to continue the relief work. Now they have imposed new rules and regulations for the relief work. No agencies are allowed to go to the communities to do the relief work unless the budget, activities, proposals are approved by the government and local officials. This is an unnecessary hassle that the government has imposed upon the organization that have involved in relief work.

Our relief work has been stopped now because of the new policy which has been imposed upon us. However, we have been distributing the foods that we had purchased earlier and corrugated sheets in small quantity. We are working on submitting the fresh proposal to the government and we hope by December or January, we can start building the shelter and houses.

Nepal in Crisis:

It seems like a curse over the people of Nepal. After the catastrophic earthquake, pouring rain and landslides, the people of Nepal are now suffering unjustly due to unexpected blockade from India, after the promulgation of the new constitution. The political party based in southern Nepal called Madhesi has been constantly protesting and calling the general strikes and blockage which has stopped all the vehicles from coming to Nepal. India seems indirectly imposed sanction supporting this party. Since Nepal is depended upon the Indian supplies of petrol, gas, foods, medicines, raw materials for factories and all the business, now things are coming no longer, which has made life very hard. There are already foods daily household things are shortage in the market. People are finding hard to travel from once place to another. It's likely to prolong the blockade which will put life in serious danger. People are dying without medicines and oxygen in the hospital.

Churches are also being threatened by the Hindu extremist. Recently, 3 churches were bombed in the eastern part of Nepal. Nepal used to be a Hindu country but now the new constitution has declared as a secular country which as upset the Hindu political parties. They have ordered that all the missionaries must leave the country or face the consequences. There are riots and demonstrating taking place in a different part of the country, the church could be attacked any time. There are no proper justice and strong security in Nepal.

Due to lack of petrol and cooking gas, we have cancelled 2 upcoming events which were Missionary Retreat and Income Generating training. There are other Christian organizations who also have cancelled their meeting/training as well.

Please pray that country would be politically stable so that people can live and travel without any fear.

Please pray that the government would be helpful and caring toward the relief efforts.

Please pray for the protection of the churches and church leaders.

Ram Prasad Shrestha

We have produced a consistent representation of the finances for each of the four parishes, which should help us talk together about how we cope with increasing demands, and help church members to understand a bit more clearly what's going on financially. We'll be meeting with representatives from the diocese at 9:30am on Sat 7th November to put in our plea for some assistance to meet the 15% increase to parish share for 2016. If you'd like sight of the user-friendly financial summaries for any of the parishes, please do be in touch with Adrian or Caroline in the church office.

In our group of churches, we've been working hard on thinking about what it means to be team and how the Lord is calling us to develop team. There's something in the very identity of God that tells us team matters. God is a triune team - three distinct persons in one. Diversity in unity. Just like the universe God has made, where time and space and matter, seemingly distinct and diverse, yet all related, all connected, and all functioning as one entity. And so it is with us, the people of God. Diversity in unity.

Teams have always been God's way. Moses had his 70 elders; David had his mighty men; Gideon had his army of 300; Nehemiah had his brick-layers; the prophets had their own "schools"; Israel began with a band of 12 brothers; Jesus had the Twelve, as well as a wider team of disciples. When Paul planted churches, he appointed elders to act as shepherds and overseers to the people of God. The local church always had leadership from teams, and everyone in the church had a valued role to play to contribute to the outworking of God's purposes - bringing good to the people God had made in the world God loves.

Wherever churches today have been able to follow the leading of God's Spirit in working these team principles out, church has been better for it. We have just launched a new leadership team in Mulbarton Church, in which 8 people will be taking on the co-ordination and leadership of different areas of ministry. We have also been working at getting the right structures for improving teamwork across the benefice, and making positive steady progress there.

It is such a privilege to be able to join in with what God is doing, and my prayer is that we each discover the fulness of what it is that God is calling us each into, as we work together to become a fruitful team, that glorifies God and earns the respect of our communities.

Update from National Mission Commission of Nepal

‐Ram Prasad Shrestha, September‐2015

Shelters for the Homeless

The Gorkha District is still a most shattered district due to the earthquake, but still the Dalit people of this the district is overlooked in the distribution of relief materials. The National Mission Commission of Nepal has been able to do an assessment based on needs through the missionaries and networks working in the devastating areas.

Our missionaries with Resham Pariyar, vice chairman of NMCN, along with local leaders distributed corrugated sheets in Amppipal Gorkha. The distributed corrugated sheets have been used to build seltars to stay safely under in the rain and in winter.

We have distributed Zinc sheets to about 60, most of them have built shelters and wish to say they are thankful to partners like you who have prayed and sent generous funds to build the shelters for the victims of the earthquake.

Missionary Purna Builds the Shelters:

Another missionary through whom we distributed the zinc sheets has also been able to build a few houses in Ramechhap Districts. Besides distributing the food and house materials, we could also distribute zinc sheets and tents for them. Due to our involvement the church has been recognized by the society and by the government. The society who used to be hostile to the Christians has become a friend and a good neighbor. Now Purna has been able to establish a good relationship with the government officials. He has been appointed as relief co‐ordinator in this region because he has shown his integrity and accountability in the society where there are other community leaders who have been found corrupt in terms of delivering relief materials to everyone regardless of caste and creed.

Orphans without Food and Shelter:

Krishna and his two brothers aged between 10‐14 are orphans without food and shelter. However, they have a Grandmother who is 70 years old, but they do not know her whereabouts. Sometimes she shows up but then disappears. She is surviving with the food that is given by the villagers. Krishna and his brothers Shantosh and Pradeep live in their relative’s house working for them. Unfortunately, they dropped out of school after their parents’ deaths.

Krishna’s father went to India to earn a living for his family. Due to his sickness he had to

Return home after a few years. He was not able to bring much money, only his things, but what he also brought was a killer and deadly sickness called HIV. Without knowing, the HIV was transferred to his wife who died of HIV. When Krishna’s mother died of HIV, people were not aware that her death was due to HIV, so she was cremated with dignity. His father kept drinking wine and smoking while taking care of the children. However, after two years his father died of HIV. When he died, nobody would touch his body in the village because most of people knew about his sickness. After his death, nobody came to his house to get the body to be cremated, so the body was left at home decaying. After a few days, the worms started eating his Body. When the smell was unbearable, the villagers came to the house and cremated the body beside his house itself. Now the boys are left without parents’ care and concern.

Now Krishna says, if my house is rebuilt, I and my brothers and grandma can live together and make our living by working in the village or elsewhere. He further says my grandma has the skill of stitching cloth; she can make her living and we can be together as a family. By realizing such a pathetic and heartbreaking circumstance, the National Mission Commission of Nepal has helped to build a house (picture above). Now boys along with their grandma live together in their home comfortably and their lives with dignity and pride.

We are ever grateful for your continued prayer and sacrificial giving for the sake of the Love of Christ and his people.

In Him,

Ram Prasad Shrestha

An objective which aims to provide essentials and small recreational items to some countries in Eastern Europe where poverty and need have reached critical levels.

e.g. - Ukraine, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania.

Felicity McIlwrath is launching her annual campaign within our Benefice to contribute shoe boxes filled by volunteers with items suggested on the Appeal form. Shoe Boxes can be either ‘Family’ or ‘Elderly Person’ specific – see example shown.

Felicity has a supply of forms for those interested.

Once completed, please bring boxes to Felicity’s home address -The Gables, The Common, Mulbarton, Norwich, NR14 8JQ

by

28th October 2015

They will then be taken to a Norwich collecting centre, eventually being added to the overall UK shipment, made from Link to Hope’s warehouse in Worthing, Sussex.

Link to Hope’s website is at www.linktohope.co.uk

Email address - shoebox@linktohope.co.uk

Forms and further details available for download by clicking here.

For further information and help locally please contact Felicity on 01508 571254.

We made our annual pilgrimage to East Sussex for Revive camp at the start of August and once again it proved to be a great blessing - refreshing, motivating, stimulating and spacious. I hope others have had similar space for recharge and refocus this summer. As well as much needed time to stop, enjoy the lakes and woodland, and declutter my mind, there was useful input on a range of topics, to give food for thought. I spent time considering:

• children's work and parenting
• the threat and challenge of Islamic jihadists
• the role of spiritual gifts
• the difference between relational and calvinistic theology, and why the former is preferable
• the need to be serious about evangelism
• the challenges of being part of the state church, and the role of the new churches in our nation
• some ways of handling the problem of violence in the Old Testament
• the wells from which I do/should draw to sustain me in life and ministry
• what it might mean to truly embrace our Jewish roots in today's church

All good stuff, and all moving me a bit further along in my own Christian journey. I also managed to chat with Steve Benton, who leads the children's work at Revive. I'm very excited that he will be joining us at Letton Hall to lead our children's work there and inspire us in what we're doing and where we're going with our own children's ministry.

Through the summer in our churches, we've been considering a broad sweep of the whole of Jesus' life. It is apparent that building a team was key to what Jesus was about. This term, I'll be aiming to make progress in team building. Our profile will also arrive in theological colleges, with the hope of attracting a curate to join us end of June 2016. Food for your prayers. 

I’ve been reading Tom Wright’s latest book ‘Simply Good News’ (SPCK 2015 – I think £9.99). Tom Wright was Bishop of Durham before becoming a Professor at St Andrew’s University. He’s written loads of books – all worth reading. This one is subtitled ‘Why the Gospel is NEWS and what makes it good’. The point he really wants to drive home is that Christianity is NOT a philosophy, it is NOT advice on how to live better, it is primarily NEWS – about facts (Jesus’ life, death and – especially - his resurrection) as a result of which the world is no longer the same. As with most news there is the back story (the people of God in the Old Testament and their expectation of a Messiah) and there is the need for a response (believe it or not). And he spends several chapters correcting misconceptions about our faith which made me think again about how I talk about the gospel. Well worth reading – and thinking about.

Messy Church is 3! and 64 of us celebrated our birthday on 20 August
with a fabulous birthday cake. But cake wasn't all we feasted on.
Our theme was "helping" - how do we live like Jesus in the world
by being helpful - and we explored how a young boy helped
Jesus feed 5,000 people at a big picnic. Now that was a feast!
Come and join us at our next Messy Church in half term
on Thursday 29 October.

Nepal Updates: Building Houses for the Earthquake Victims, July, 2015

Dhading is one of the hardest hit districts by the earthquake. Ninety percent of houses have been affected, either they are destroyed completely or cracked which are quite dan-gerous to live in. Most of the people are forced to live in the plastic tents. The plastic tents are not durable, after few weeks of rain and heat, the tents starts tearing down with lots of holes in it. Now the rainy season has begun, people must find a strong shelter to live with their family. One of the families in Gorkha shared scary story. They said, 'we find snakes and scorpions crawling under our plastic bed which are much dangerous to us. Kids hard-ly sleep at night due fear of snakes and wild harmful insects. Moreover, the mountain where they live are cracked due to the earthquake which is prone to trigger landslides
because of out pouring of the rain.
Witnessing such a pressing and desperate need for strong housing, we, through the help by the generous partners and supporters, have built 21 houses partnering with LTD/NCFN. We have financed to put the roof of every house which is coloured and high quality zinc sheets.
The blue almost a dozen houses you could see on the mountains are in one area that we built houses for the earthquake victims who are now homeless. We held a handing over ceremony inviting government officials and local representatives. This handing over cere-mony has given us an opportunity to witness Christ. Now the perspective of Christian by the Hindu has been changed from the religious an invader to integral part of the society, who cares for the people in the time of needs and struggle. A handed over the house where a small family would live comfortably. The total cost of the house is USD 1,000.00. It is a semi permanent house where families can live over 10/15 years.
The Distribution of Zinc Sheets
The National Mission Commission of Nepal has distributed 54 bundles of zinc sheets to 54 households in Pida Village Development Community. Two missionaries Ram Chandra and Yakub are tirelessly working to serve the people in their communities. The household who has received the zinc sheets will build the shelter by themselves. We will send the
updates when they finish it. We thank God that the District officer of Dhading district has given official permission to build houses and supply food materials to the earthquake vic-tims.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all for giving sacrificially and praying
unceasingly to serve the people in Nepal in the times of crisis and natural disaster.
In Him,
Ram Prasad Shrestha
FROM

Greetings!

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you for praying with us in the time of suffering and calamity in Nepal. I would also like to thank you also for responding  prayers  by giving sacrificially to help the needy people of Nepal.

I am enclosing the relief update herewith this email. The rainy season has started, now our next phase will be to build the temporary houses so that they will be safe in rainy season. We are going to give zinc sheet which they will put roof on the house. They will use their local materials to build the temporary house. Once rainy season is over then they will build the permanent house by using the zinc sheets as roof.

We have received official approval to distribute the zinc sheet and build the houses from two different districts, which are Dhading and Ramechhap. We are still waiting to receive from Gorkha as well. The official permission would grant us work with local government and the use of foreign funds.

Our latest report on the relief distribution effort in Darbanga of Gorkha is available here.

Last year we stated our intent to be in a strong position to respond in crisis situations. This intention is our aim, and as we grow in support, we are enabled to step closer and closer to this vision becoming a reality. Nepal is the most recent step. Brad Moore (Charity MD) went directly after the first earthquake to assess the situation and figure out the best way we could help. In many cases, charities give what they think people need. People are grateful for absolutely any help, but for us to be true to our core values - we wanted to find a response that was both culturally relevant and somehow sustainable.

The outcome? Corrugated metal sheets - these provide shelter for families who lost EVERYTHING during the quakes. Tarpaulin is OK as temporary relief but will not withstand the monsoons. Brad worked with the locals to come up with this solution providing families with temporary, immediate shelter in the short term and a roof, ready for when their homes can be rebuilt.

Brad managed to identify one young girl, Anita, who lost her support structure during the earthquake. We are committed to looking after Anita but feel even more committed to making this emergency response a priority. The public have been so generous and through our simple appeal to help the people of Nepal we have raised over £7,000.

In the Autumn, once the rain has stopped, we plan to take a team of people to distribute winter clothing and offer manual support to help families affected by this earthquake. If you would like to join us please e-mail globalexpeditions@ operation-orphan.org                               Becky Taylor from Operation Orphan News

PICNIC BLANKETS AND FLEECES FOR SALE

Summer is here and the picnic season is upon us but have you got a blanket? We have a number of green and blue tartan waterproof-backed blankets and white fleece blankets which have been used once at the wedding. If anyone would like to have a blanket we are just asking for a donation which will be sent to Operation Orphan. Any blankets left at the end of the summer will be donated to Operation Orphan for distribution to those in need. Give us a ring (570746) or just call in at 18 Primrose Close, Mulbarton. Becky Taylor

As you may all be aware, we have recently had the roof work completed, so hopefully later this year we will not be contributing too much to global warming! The next stage is that we want to start working through the various rooms with a lick (or more!) of paint, together with any other reasonable refurbishment that is required (e.g. replacement flooring).

So there are a few things that are needed before we can start:

Does anyone have a plasterer contact that we could ask to look at the ceilings in the Bouncers and Prayer Rooms? The roofing work has high lighted the need for these to be looked at before we can start any decorat ing. If so please let me know.

To work up a schedule of work, we need to know who would be able to help in any decorating, and when (thinking of the period over the summer - August and September and possibly into October). Again please let me know.

Once all this information is available, we will be back in touch, with a timetable and the necessary materials for work to commence! Many thanks in anticipation of your support!

At 8.00 pm every Thursday evening the homeless people of Norwich gather in the Haymarket where the Salvation Army and other charities meet to serve them with hot food, and provide them with clothes, blankets, and other essentials for living. Tom and I recently visited them with some clothes and I met a young girl, I’ll call her Hannah, who was pregnant and homeless. It was a cool evening and as I pulled my coat around myself over a top and a jumper, she stood in her T-shirt and jeans which was all she owned, the clothes she would still be wearing in the morning. It was difficult to talk to her, she seemed silenced by something or someone. When I pulled out a coat from the bag I had brought Hannah’s face lit up and as she tried it on she was obviously delighted. On prompting from her boyfriend she quietly said, “Thank you” and I gave her a hug.

The ‘whys and wherefores’ of the circumstances that have brought people to this place can be debated at great length but talking about it will not put food in their mouths or clothes on their backs today - tonight. If you have clothes, blankets or toiletries which you can spare we would be happy to deliver them to the Haymarket or better still take them yourselves and share your time with those who need to know that someone cares. As it says on this young man’s notice, ’Homeless, hungry, sick & tired, anything helps I have no-one. From my heart - Thank you’.

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE.

When the houselights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. And the audience was mesmerized.

Whatever our situation in life - however outrageous, however desperate, whatever dry spell of the spirit, whatever dark night of the soul-- God is whispering deep within our beings, "Don't quit. Keep playing. You are not alone, together we will transform the broken patterns into a masterwork of my creative art. Together, we will mesmerize the world with our song“

The resurrection is massively political; there can be no greater political statement than the Christian belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God; though somehow it’s become like an afterthought, just a happy ending tacked on to make the story better – even something embarrassing to sidestep.

We talk confidently and politically about Jesus’ life and ministry, his words about love, peace, justice, money, even about kingdoms; we can talk of his death, his sacrifice. But his resurrection provokes accusations of insanity, of one step too far; bringing personal irrationally-held beliefs into the public sphere.

So it becomes a metaphor. His death becomes just solidarity with suffering; the resurrection just a symbol of hope – triumph over adversity. Which isn’t wrong. But it’s like saying winning the Champions League was a good chance to make the stadium grass look nice. It may be true, but it’s not the point.

David Cameron recently presumed to define the heart of the Christian message in a Christian magazine, telling us that our Easter faith is about “change, responsibility, and doing the right thing”. Isabel Hardman in the Spectator responded by pointing out that Christians have generally seen the heart of their message as being about God visiting, living, dying and rising in the person of Jesus Christ, from which everything else flows - which is way more edgy.

Archbishop Justin Welby recently warned vicars against preaching “moral claptrap” messages about being “a bit nicer”.   Moral living is good – but there’s more.   The resurrection, as Christians understand it, says something about a real transcendent God being interested and calling us to be connected to God and God’s world; about the possibility of transformation; about the fact that darkness cannot win; and about the way in which the “little people” are honoured, the first witnesses to the resurrection being women, working men, nobodies.

Placed at the centre of God’s plan to shake up the powerful are the very people the powerful would ignore. Christian politics also places them at the centre, so it cannot be a politics of dominance, but one that embraces prostitutes, adulterers, tax-evaders, wealthy land-owners, poor zero-hours workers and Syrian refugees; and sees the same darkness in all of us, no matter our status; and promises the same resurrection to all of us, no matter our status.

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is an historical truth, not a metaphor; it is a deeply political event, not just a happy ending; it is about God transforming this world, not us escaping from it; if we truly understand it, we cannot help but be changed by it.

Thanks to Kevin for permission to use material from his blog

How about reading the story of Ruth in the Old Testament of the Bible?  It's the story we explored this week at Messy Church as we thought about the theme of "kindness" and how we can live like Jesus in the world by being kind to one another. 

In the story there is loving-kindness all around: the loving-kindness Naomi showed Ruth as her daughter-in- law; the loving-kindness Ruth has for Naomi, when Naomi as an old woman wants to return to her homeland.  Ruth, committed to helping Naomi says the amazing words:

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. "

Would we have said those words I wonder?  Then there is Boaz who shows loving-kindness to Ruth when she is gleaning grain to feed herself and Naomi.  Boaz and Ruth fall in love and get married and give birth to Obed, who became the grandfather of King David and the ancestor of Jesus.    God's loving-kindness shining through the whole story!

So what did we do this week to explore Ruth's story?  Well, we had 4 brilliant craft tables:

Ellie's table made 'Pencil top friends' and thought about how we can be loyal and kind in our friendships.

On Sarah and Charlie's table there was a bead hanger prayer craft, where they were thinking about how kindness makes a difference.

Janice and Janet's table made a model of Ruth.  They were thinking about how Ruth was a kind person who loved Naomi very much.

Jill and Lisa's table made pasta harvest pictures and thought about how God is someone we can rely on and how God gives us the food we need.

We had a Big Draw messy collage too of Ruth and Naomi and a puppet theatre with some hand puppets near the quiet zone for those wanting some quiet space.

Adrian told the story of Ruth beautifully, using two huge hand puppets for Ruth and Naomi (with Naomi nursing baby Obed) and Sarah joined in with Boaz.  We were all enthralled and you could have heard a pin drop during the story!

Sarah taught us the action song "Our God is a great big God" and after our prayers we were all ready for lunch.  Turning round from our story time seats we saw tables of food beautifully prepared for us by Theresa and Sally.

We were 54 people in total, of which 30 of us were adults and there were 24 children.  As well as regular faces and those who we see several times over the course of a year, there were also two new families today.  Wonderful to see everyone!  Thank you to everyone who baked, brought food, made a donation!

Our next Messy Church-style gathering will be the Christingle Service at Hethel Church on Sunday 7 December at 4 pm - very family friendly - do come along and join in!   Our next Messy Church will be in the spring half term on Thursday 19 February 2015.

Cathy Nicholls on behalf of the Messy Church Team

Back now from our first Letton Hall church weekend away - what a fabulous experience!  A chance to eat together, laugh together, work together, worship together, learn together, pray together and talk together.  What a valuable time!

We were privileged to have some special guests - and I don't just mean the world-famous Moretti family circus!  Kim and Penelope Swithinbank travelled from Wiltshire to be with us for the weekend.  They shared some pertinent insights from the lives of different New Testament characters.  It was also interesting for the church family to meet some people who have been significant for Sarah and I in our own Christian lives and ministry development.

The weather was with us for the go-karting tradition, and 18 people braved the track.  When it came to the competitive racing, with 2 teams of 9 people, it all came down to the last race, 6 points a piece, with Danny racing Ian to decide the winner.  Experience triumphed as Danny's clutch faltered and Ian made no mistakes.

The evening entertainment was a lot of fun, with many reporting that they hadn't laughed so much in a long time.  Tom performed his usual culinary marvels, keeping us all well fed for the weekend.  Tony brought us up to speed on the financial situation, after which I encouraged us all to keep in prayer and keep believing through the current challenges.

In total, 95 people attended, with comings and goings, and it was over all too quickly - but there are certainly things to take forward from the weekend, so in a sense it's not over yet.

Recordings of the teaching sessions are available on our website, to stream or to download.

 Sarah kicked off proceedings by introducing Kim and Penelope and then Kim said a bit more about the journey they've been on and what they are doing now in retirement from ministry:

 Penelope led the first session, and considered Peter's experience in the boat in the midst of a storm, when Jesus appeared walking on water and invited the disciples to join him.  Peter was the only one who responded positively and got out of the boat, after which he realised the impossibility of what he was doing and began to sink, needing Jesus to rescue him.  Penelope posed 3 stages to this experience:

1. Peter was crying out: "Get me out of here!"  The storm was unexpected and not pleasant.  Penelope spoke movingly about the loss of her own mother in a tragic car accident and how storms can take us by surprise.  She encouraged us to think about the unexpected storms that we have faced in our lives and as a church.
2. The disciples were invited to get out of the boat!  The response for most of them, understandably, was "You cannot be serious!"  Stepping into stormy waves - giving up the security of the boat seemed crazy.  Penelope encourgaed us to trust in Jesus and be real about facing up to when we are not actually trusting Jesus, but rather the boat, the company of others, etc.  Many things can subtly take the place that Jesus wants to occupy in our lives - if we can begin to identify what we are really trusting in, we can begin to re-focus our trust in God.
3. Peter stepped out and realised he had done something crazy.  "What have I done?!"  Penelope encouraged us to think about where we have felt overwhelmed because we've stepped out in faith and attempted something so big for God that it is bound to fail unless God be in it.

In the second session, Kim spoke on the familiar parable of the lost son, and challenged us to reflect on whether we identified more with the rebellious prodigal or the religious prodigal. There were some really relevant insights on the older brother, whom Kim called the "religious prodigal", and a challenge to stop circling the wagons to keep the world out, but embrace the call to seek and to save the lost.

In the third session, Penelope reflected on the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, and how she had been willing to say yes to God no matter the cost.  Full and free surrender to God, even at personal cost, is the only way to fulfil the call of God and unlock the kingdom of God in our midst.  Penelope challenged us to think about how to be willing to be willing to follow Jesus whatever the cost, in our personal lives and in the life of the church.

In our final session on Sunday morning, Kim opened by asking how many years it had been since the people gathered had first started following Jesus.  By far the majority of us were fairly long in the tooth, and this set up a challenge to prioritise evanglism in what we are doing as church and to structure church to be welcoming to those who are new to the adventure of following Jesus.  As Kim spoke from the encounter of blind Bartimaeus with Jesus, and talked about "the shout that stopped God", we were encouraged to understand the need for the extravagant grace of God; and for us to be church in a way that we know how desparate we are for God and that we help those who have not received mercy to come to the place of crying out for mercy as well.

I was told when I took up the post here that 6 months is the turning point in parish ministry, after which you are no longer “new” – I’m now into the season of being part of the furniture!  Well, we’re certainly glad to be finding our feet, and grateful for the warm welcome - so thank you.

I still have a few firsts left, and I’m especially looking forward to my first Christmas here, completing the year of Sunday worship on my 40th birthday the Sunday after Christmas!   Do look out for a Christmas card from the churches coming to you with details of all the seasonal events.  Next year will see a few changes to the Sunday service pattern, and already I can see both big encouragements and big challenges looming for us in 2015.

I often wear a white ribbon, and when you receive this magazine, we’ll be right in the midst of White Ribbon Fortnight, so I’d like to explain what it’s about.  After 3 inspiring courageous South American sisters, the Mirabels, were assassinated, an annual “International Day of protest against violence against women” was established every 25th November, from 1981.

In 1991, after 14 women were shot dead in Montreal University just for being female, men in Canada realised they had a vital role to play - they realised men are the initiators of so much violence, so they asked men to wear a white ribbon between 25 Nov and 10 Dec (Global Human Rights Day), as a pledge that they would "never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls". Over 60 countries have since adopted the practice.

Since I became aware of the need for the church to have a voice on this, I began to write and speak about it and found from personal experience that the statistics are true.  The Secretary-General's in-depth 2006 study revealed that violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world.  Globally, it found that women aged 15-44 are more likely to be maimed or die as a result of male violence than through cancer, malaria, traffic incidents and war combined; and that domestic violence is the most common form of abuse worldwide.  The reality is that it's on our doorsteps, and it takes many forms.  See www.breaking-the-silence.co.uk for more.

I want the churches to be equipped, aware and active in this area and we’ve been working on it.  You can join me in clipping on a White Ribbon.  Please do be in touch or pick one up from the back of church.

Mulbarton Infant School hall was alive with activity on Thursday 21 August as Messy Church gathered again. Amazingly it was our 2nd birthday!  Sixty one of us gathered:   31 adults and 30 children.  It was fun and it was messy!

Our theme was "Honesty and Fairness" and we explored what it means to live like Jesus by being 'Honest and Fair'.  We used the story of Jesus meeting Zacchaeus to help us and our crafts came from that story.

We made palm trees to remind us that Zacchaeus climbed the tree so that he could see Jesus.   We made a figure of Zacchaeus who could 'grow', to remind us that after Zacchaeus met Jesus he became a new man and could truly stand tall. We made purses to remind us Zacchaeus met Jesus and then gave half of all he owned to the poor and paid back four times the amount of money he had stolen from people.  As our prayer craft, we made hand wreaths to remind us how we can be honest and fair.  Zaccheus stole with his hands from people but then meeting Jesus changed him and he gave back what he stole.

Our new activity was having a puppet theatre and hand puppets so we could explore the story for ourselves.  The puppets are part of our community knitting project and we hope to 'knit the Bible' before we're finished!

Adrian told the story after our craft time.  It was fantastic - see for yourself from the photo!  He dressed up as Zacchaeus and told the story in a song.  Then he explained how Jesus made the difference to Zacchaeus' life.   After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus changed from a cheating tax collector who nobody liked to someone who was honest and fair and wanted to give his money away rather than rob other people.

After singing the Zacchaeus song together and praying for God's to help us live
honestly and fairly as Jesus would, we had a great lunch including birthday cake.

As a team we are so grateful to all those who come along to assist with crafts and those who help with baking for lunch.  It is a wonderful way of working
together across all the parishes.  Donations came to £46 which is an additional blessing and goes towards resources for crafts next time.

Our next Messy Church gathering will be in half term on Thursday 30 October from 10 am to 12 noon including lunch in Mulbarton Infant School hall. Do come and join us! 

 Cathy Nicholls on behalf of the Messy Church Team

Do you like to have a good old natter about the stuff that matters? I do. I can’t see what the latest gadget means, or money, power, knowledge, anything really, without other people to share them with or use them for. As a Christian, I see that need for conversation and connection with others as a reflection of God in us. God is personal. No surprise that we are too. Whatever the case, we all need to talk, to listen, to be understood, to connect.

The trouble is that we sometimes find our attempts to connect end badly. So, we learn to avoid certain people, certain topics, certain taboos. Life is safer - but less interesting! The old adage about never talking religion and politics is borne out of this. If we talk about stuff that people feel strongly about, we risk offending, and then things can turn nasty - so let's talk about the weather, sport and our latest consumer purchases instead. Stay safe! Be afraid! I learnt early in life that this was ultimately an uninspiring way to live.

In childhood, I just agreed with what my parents told me and what I learnt at school and watched on the telly. I was a Christian by default, because I went with the flow. In my teenage years, I realised that I didn't have to go with the flow and I was free to think what I wanted, and behave as I pleased. It was quite a revelation. Ironically, though, I just ended up drifting with a different crew, as my peers and I tried to navigate together, none of us really knowing where to go or why we were here. Pretty soon, it was less about navigating, and more about enjoying the taverns en route! I was stuck in a rut. That was when my Christian parents' marriage ended and my atheist best friend tried to commit suicide. Suddenly, I knew life was no game and I couldn't just drift my parents' way or my friends' way. Finally I was ready to do real talking, to listen, to discuss, to explore, to engage, to find out where to go and why I was here.

Since then, I haven't stopped seeking to listen, to understand others and to discuss. With Jehovah’s Witnesses, Nepalese Buddhist monks, all manner of Christians from all denominations in several countries, a variety of humanist atheists and more, I’ve hunted out some really fascinating conversations. That hunt has led me to some firm Christian convictions - but my appetite for discussion is still strong, and my search for truth goes on. Daring to talk about big things can be risky, but if we can find a safe place to think big thoughts, why not grab it?!

The “Alpha Course” is one of the best places for doing this sort of exploration and is what it accounts for its enormous success, with over 20 million people having taken part in 169 nations.  And it's coming to us in October.  Check it out!

Thank you to so many people for giving Sarah, Toby, Naomi and I such a warm welcome to this group of villages and group of churches.  For us, this continues to be a season of "looking, listening and learning".  There are a few hundred new faces I've encountered; I'm well into triple figures on the names I've learnt; and I am slowly getting to know the stories behind some of the names.  I have begun to pray systematically for each of our church members, rotating through several households each week, and would be happy to extend that to anyone who would like to be included in that practice.  I'm finding that's also good for my prayer life, and for getting to know the fold, so win-win on that front.

There is still a lot of learning to be done, but I am also now starting to reflect and re-imagine, as together we seek God for guidance as to the way forward for us at this time of transition.  Please pray for the various PCCs as we meet and think big thoughts, and also for the benefice steering group that will be coming together this month.  There is certainly a diversity of styles on offer across the group of churches, which is encouraging to me, and evident in the range of Easter services available.

I hope that we can continue to grow in mutual appreciation of what we each bring, and that between us we can develop stronger connections across the board to enable us to bring something of the love of God to our communities and help make the world a better place in a variety of meaningful ways.   I’m looking forward to making more connections outside of the churches personally by having three “Open Rectory” events in spring, and by going out to do some visiting in the summer months, as part of the Hope 2014 "Who Cares?" initiative.  If you know anyone who would especially welcome a visit, please do be in touch.