Posts from January 2025

Dearest friends, Last week Rev’d Dave, Gareth and myself took a team away day at Sheldon Retreat. We spent some time reading and discussing the whole of St Peter’s second letter, praying together and talking about how we might develop a real visible sense that we are one benefice in partnership with St. John’s. As a result, we agreed to do the following things: We’ll also be continuing our town centre outreach (in which we hope to include Bovey soon)…

Dearest friends, This Sunday is Sunday of the Word of God.  In 2019 the Pope established this new day in the calendar, he did this because he wanted us to to revisit, celebrate, study, discern and share our Holy Scripture.  The centrality of scripture to our everyday life can so easily be lost and so this is an annual reminder that it MUST be part of our everyday life and not something that we simply hear on a Sunday (if we’re…

Dearest friends, Next Sunday is often called ‘Bible Sunday’ – we set aside the following week, and in particular that Sunday to consider what scripture means in our lives and perhaps take the opportunity to re-engage with it after a time away. Good news then that our Bible Course starts THIS THURSDAY!  The Bible Course is put together by The Bible Society and will run at Wickham Hall on Thursday evenings for eight weeks. What’s it about? Well, here’s how they…

Dearest friends, Evangelism is not a dirty word. I’m sure that many of you are sick to the back teeth of me going on about evangelism. Or rather, you get sick of me writing, preaching, teaching and telling you to go out and tell people about Jesus.  We pray that more people will come to know Him every day at mass, but we also have to DO it. Pray, then do – that’s how we buld the church and in…

Dearest friends, I want to start the new year by thanking you all. What an amazing Advent and Christmas we have shared.  At moments I felt as if my little feet would never touch the ground! We offered so many carol services and visits for schools – including new schools who have never visited our churches before.  We welcomed new people and old people and people who simply wondered why the bells were ringing, or why the lights were on,…