- Lent Lunches (Tuesdays at 1pm)
- Lent Group (Tuesdays at 2pm)
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Lent Events 2015
This Lent why not join the Bansfield Benefice and Churches Together for our events? During Lent we will be meeting in the Bansfield Benefice Hall for:-
Rector's View - March 2015
Dear friends,
One of my favourite festivals (they're all my favourite) celebrates the close of our Church's wondering and delight in the infancy stories of Jesus. Not only does the Nativity story tie together Jesus' origin, Son of God, son of man, but weaves our wondering of God into the delight of new birth. The favoured festival – Candlemas, "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple", sets the scene of many families today celebrating new arrivals. Mother father and baby meet the family of faith, those who congregate in God's name, deliverance hope and praise are spoken for all their futures.
For our congregations celebrating this last look back at Jesus' nativity, of course there are candles – Candlemas – but too there is that looking forward to Jesus' return to the Temple. That day too our congregation processes along with the drama of these biblical stories, this time not with candles but with our palm crosses as we rehearse the praises of the crowd greeting Jesus' entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
When look back on the journey of our lives from infancy to adulthood, we can wonder at our purpose and expectancy in life. The rhythm of the Church's story of God's living among us reminds us there are times of preparation times of celebration, times of waiting times of trial, times of turning and new beginnings. Faced alone we flounder and fall, faced in company of friend, family even the family of faith, we find strength to stand even to grow, to look for hope and joy in deliverance.
This waiting time of lengthening days (lenten) do think of joining those who congregate in God's name to share in our story of hope, and share with us your story.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
One of my favourite festivals (they're all my favourite) celebrates the close of our Church's wondering and delight in the infancy stories of Jesus. Not only does the Nativity story tie together Jesus' origin, Son of God, son of man, but weaves our wondering of God into the delight of new birth. The favoured festival – Candlemas, "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple", sets the scene of many families today celebrating new arrivals. Mother father and baby meet the family of faith, those who congregate in God's name, deliverance hope and praise are spoken for all their futures.
For our congregations celebrating this last look back at Jesus' nativity, of course there are candles – Candlemas – but too there is that looking forward to Jesus' return to the Temple. That day too our congregation processes along with the drama of these biblical stories, this time not with candles but with our palm crosses as we rehearse the praises of the crowd greeting Jesus' entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
When look back on the journey of our lives from infancy to adulthood, we can wonder at our purpose and expectancy in life. The rhythm of the Church's story of God's living among us reminds us there are times of preparation times of celebration, times of waiting times of trial, times of turning and new beginnings. Faced alone we flounder and fall, faced in company of friend, family even the family of faith, we find strength to stand even to grow, to look for hope and joy in deliverance.
This waiting time of lengthening days (lenten) do think of joining those who congregate in God's name to share in our story of hope, and share with us your story.
- 1st Sundays each month 9:30am Ousden, 11am Stradishall
- 2nd Sundays each month 9:30 Lidgate, 11am Denston
- 3rd Sundays each month 9:30 Stansfield, 11am Cowlinge
- 4th Sundays each month 10, Family Worship Wickhambrook.
- 5th Sundays 10am, ‘Sung Matins’ see Bansfield Benefice website for service details:-
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Rector's View - February 2015
Dear friends,
We have been offered powerful reminder of the strength we may find in that fraternity equality and liberty which bonds individuals together from disparate backgrounds to lift them from despair to hope, a greater ideal that no terror can conquer. Such was the hope that bought nations together in post-war vision to work for that union of ideals and shared values which rises above our destructive self-interests.
Often in our individual pursuits and passions we forget the value of our common belonging, that greater strength we find when serving a common ideal of shared values, and shared challenges, that all should have opportunity to live free from fear's oppression, held equal in fraternal belonging each to the other in sisterhood and brotherhood.
The Good News told in our Churches through February begins with the Presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple offering new hope to God's people, and ends with our own presentation as Ash Wednesday offers our own new beginning through the season of Lent (the original self-improvement course).
I hope I too may better present our Church to our villages over the next few months, that we may again hear the call of our common belonging each to the other, all of us God's children. The Church's role in offering company healing and hope in life is so often crowded out or forgotten amidst today's new-age market place of spiritualities. Your Church is not only here for the Sunday Worship, but also here to offer face to face God's free grace, wherever that may be asked of us.
The spiritual marketplace too often can be seen to exploit our need, our fear, our weakness only to diminish us. Yet our Church seeks to offer freely of God's grace to all who may call on us.
Blessing healing and prayer, is offered freely, blessings of homes or individuals, healing, company or spiritual counsel, just a call away, we are here to share both celebration and trial, that we may reconcile all life's challenges and live in hope, in that fullness of life which God purposes for all His children.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
News Letter Archive.
We have been offered powerful reminder of the strength we may find in that fraternity equality and liberty which bonds individuals together from disparate backgrounds to lift them from despair to hope, a greater ideal that no terror can conquer. Such was the hope that bought nations together in post-war vision to work for that union of ideals and shared values which rises above our destructive self-interests.
Often in our individual pursuits and passions we forget the value of our common belonging, that greater strength we find when serving a common ideal of shared values, and shared challenges, that all should have opportunity to live free from fear's oppression, held equal in fraternal belonging each to the other in sisterhood and brotherhood.
The Good News told in our Churches through February begins with the Presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple offering new hope to God's people, and ends with our own presentation as Ash Wednesday offers our own new beginning through the season of Lent (the original self-improvement course).
I hope I too may better present our Church to our villages over the next few months, that we may again hear the call of our common belonging each to the other, all of us God's children. The Church's role in offering company healing and hope in life is so often crowded out or forgotten amidst today's new-age market place of spiritualities. Your Church is not only here for the Sunday Worship, but also here to offer face to face God's free grace, wherever that may be asked of us.
The spiritual marketplace too often can be seen to exploit our need, our fear, our weakness only to diminish us. Yet our Church seeks to offer freely of God's grace to all who may call on us.
Blessing healing and prayer, is offered freely, blessings of homes or individuals, healing, company or spiritual counsel, just a call away, we are here to share both celebration and trial, that we may reconcile all life's challenges and live in hope, in that fullness of life which God purposes for all His children.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
- Your Rector welcomes calls for Home Communion, Home & Hospital Visiting, Healing & Prayer, Baptisms, Weddings & Bereavement Support.
- Your Church Family welcomes Questions of faith & Questioning faith, Community & Family support & Celebration.
- Your Parish Church welcomes your Prayer, Worship, & Friendship.
- Our Offering to Our Village Communities:- the Spirit's fellowship through God's love in Christ.
News Letter Archive.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Christingle service Wickhambrook church Feb 1st at 3pm
The Bansfield Benefice is holding its annual Christingle service at Wickhambrook All Saints' on Sunday the 1st of February at 3pm. At the service, children will make a Christingle - an orange bearing a
candle, red ribbon and decorated with sweets. The highlight of the
service is when all the Christingle candles are lit, shining light into
darkness. We are supporting the Children's Society.
Each year The Children's Society helps over 50,000 children and young people through its 90 projects across the UK. It helps children at risk on the streets; children in trouble with the law; young refugees; children with disabilities. Please help us support the work of the charity by attending our service. You can be sure of a warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Each year The Children's Society helps over 50,000 children and young people through its 90 projects across the UK. It helps children at risk on the streets; children in trouble with the law; young refugees; children with disabilities. Please help us support the work of the charity by attending our service. You can be sure of a warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Rector's View - January 2015
Dear friends,
New Year's Resolutions are by some keenly entered into, a new beginning, a fresh page, a chance to set goals on life. The Christian Faith, having celebrated God's new beginning in us in the story of Christ's birth, offers in January's stories of the visit of the Magi – Epiphany (God's light in Jesus shown to the World in the worship of the Wise Men), and Jesus' Baptism (God's Holy Spirit seen descending on Jesus as He rises from the waters of His Baptism), opportunity for the celebration of faith's new beginning in Baptism. In Baptism we are given that new start our New Year's resolutions speak of, though by our Baptism Christians may turn a new page in life each day of the year, every time we determine to correct, reform, or set things right in our lives God begins again in us as is the promise of our Baptism.
Indeed every Sunday in our Act of Worship, we by our confession of our failings before God, are given the assurance, as that of any loving parent when faced with their child's sorry plea, of our Heavenly Father's merciful embrace and in the company of His Son we are shown the path we may take toward fullness of life.
As many as have shared our Christmas story and more are most welcome to accompany us through our celebration of fullness of life in God's name Sunday by Sunday through this coming year. Don't keep the promise of a new start only for New Year's Day, remember God's New Year in us begins every time we come before Him, this grace is not just for Christmas or New Year but for life, fullness of life in Christ's life giving Spirit.
Happy New Year!
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
News Letter Archive.
New Year's Resolutions are by some keenly entered into, a new beginning, a fresh page, a chance to set goals on life. The Christian Faith, having celebrated God's new beginning in us in the story of Christ's birth, offers in January's stories of the visit of the Magi – Epiphany (God's light in Jesus shown to the World in the worship of the Wise Men), and Jesus' Baptism (God's Holy Spirit seen descending on Jesus as He rises from the waters of His Baptism), opportunity for the celebration of faith's new beginning in Baptism. In Baptism we are given that new start our New Year's resolutions speak of, though by our Baptism Christians may turn a new page in life each day of the year, every time we determine to correct, reform, or set things right in our lives God begins again in us as is the promise of our Baptism.
Indeed every Sunday in our Act of Worship, we by our confession of our failings before God, are given the assurance, as that of any loving parent when faced with their child's sorry plea, of our Heavenly Father's merciful embrace and in the company of His Son we are shown the path we may take toward fullness of life.
As many as have shared our Christmas story and more are most welcome to accompany us through our celebration of fullness of life in God's name Sunday by Sunday through this coming year. Don't keep the promise of a new start only for New Year's Day, remember God's New Year in us begins every time we come before Him, this grace is not just for Christmas or New Year but for life, fullness of life in Christ's life giving Spirit.
Happy New Year!
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
News Letter Archive.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Rector's View - December 2014
Dear friends,
Of all the season's of the year it is Christmas that most likely finds us journeying to our local church to become part of that great story of wonder and new beginning.
The Nativity story itself is one of the great journey narratives of our time. Mary and Joseph journey to Nazareth, the Shepherds journey from their fields, the Wise journey from nations afar, even we ourselves journey to Carol Services, Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning that all the more we may wonder at God's journey to come among us in the babe, the Christ child.
We have the gloss of century's tradition, and these days Christmas shows putting their own shine on that first daystar starlit sky.
The reality of Mary and Joseph's perilous census journey to crowd the village of their ancestry though is all too common an experience for modern day refugees.
Today's migrants seek new beginnings in escaping poverty, and seek safety in escaping war. And these days we see more desperate journeys still, as people travel to temporary tarpaulin shelters or swiftly constructed treatment centres seeking aid against Ebola.
Please remember these modern day nativity families in your gift giving this year to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
May we be ready to offer new beginnings for survivors of poverty war and epidemic that all mankind may look to the light and hope of a new dawn in realising our belonging together in our common humanity.
Grace and Peace be yours this Christmas.
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Of all the season's of the year it is Christmas that most likely finds us journeying to our local church to become part of that great story of wonder and new beginning.
The Nativity story itself is one of the great journey narratives of our time. Mary and Joseph journey to Nazareth, the Shepherds journey from their fields, the Wise journey from nations afar, even we ourselves journey to Carol Services, Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning that all the more we may wonder at God's journey to come among us in the babe, the Christ child.
We have the gloss of century's tradition, and these days Christmas shows putting their own shine on that first daystar starlit sky.
The reality of Mary and Joseph's perilous census journey to crowd the village of their ancestry though is all too common an experience for modern day refugees.
Today's migrants seek new beginnings in escaping poverty, and seek safety in escaping war. And these days we see more desperate journeys still, as people travel to temporary tarpaulin shelters or swiftly constructed treatment centres seeking aid against Ebola.
Please remember these modern day nativity families in your gift giving this year to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
May we be ready to offer new beginnings for survivors of poverty war and epidemic that all mankind may look to the light and hope of a new dawn in realising our belonging together in our common humanity.
Grace and Peace be yours this Christmas.
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Reverend Canon Martin Seeley anounced as 11th Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Great news to hear that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Martin Seeley, who will become the 11th Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
Further details on the Diocese's website.
http://www.cofesuffolk.org/index.cfm?page=news.story&newsid=345&view=current
Further details on the Diocese's website.
http://www.cofesuffolk.org/index.cfm?page=news.story&newsid=345&view=current
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