Thank you so much for your generosity at a time of such shock and heartbreak
Weekly Newsletter 2nd August
Dear friends,
Lionesses. Leadership. Leaving…& Love.
Emotions are funny things aren’t they. They can catch you totally unaware. Wasn’t it wonderful to hear and see the Lionesses at Wembley! I, for one, am incredibly proud of the Lionesses, who have won the Euro 2022 championship. They are credit to the nation and have inspired so many in the way they have endured the competition and finally ‘brought football home’. Elation. Joy. Awe.
Contrast that with another sphere entirely, as we are bombarded daily with promises of hopeful candidates seeking to become the Prime Minister, each promising one thing or another in how they would operate their government as they run their leadership campaign. Exasperation. Confusion, Doubt. Hope.
Further still, our hearts are broken as we continue to pray for Ukraine and especially those who have managed to leave and have joined our communities recently. Pain, sorrow, sadness.
This is not including all the ups and downs of life we have to contend with on top of all of these. It’s fair to say that emotions are running high at the moment. And that’s ok!
I love that in the scriptures we see Jesus, the Son of God, experience so many of the same emotions we experience today too. He was totally overjoyed at pleasing his father. He was completely exhausted from the demands of his ministry. He was furiously angry at the hypocrisy of the religious. He was disgusted at racism and oppression of the poor. He was completely full of sorrow when his friend passed away. He was full of apathy for those suffering and so full of agony as he himself suffered. This is the man who is so bent on loving us that he was willing to die for us. It’s fair to say he was a fairly emotional person.
This means that Jesus understands our struggles. He has been where we are, he has overcome the temptations we try and overcome. For that reason, we can come to him just as we are, without reservation, knowing fully that he understands, he sympathises with us in all that we face. What a lovely God we worship. One who is on our side. One who is for us. One who loves us no matter how we are feeling or whatever emotion we are feeling. For whatever it is, he is with you. May you know that this week. Let me encourage you to go to him with whatever you are facing, however you are feeling.
Why not join us this weekend as we continue to pray for all the issues we face in the world and to seek to know and feel God’s love and support as we do?
Love and blessings,
Grant
The Benefice Weekly Newsletter
SERVICES THIS WEEKEND
Around the parishes:
Next week’s services
Prayer Points
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. Many families are settling locally so do please pray for inspiration and wisdom how best to serve and welcome them during this time.
Please pray for the families who’s homes have been damaged due to fires in Basildon recently.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for those who are currently ill with covid. May they be protected and restored quickly.
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from various illnesses or operations.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
Please pray for those who are enjoying holidays and breaks this summer. After the difficulties of the past few years, we pray that true rest will be found.
If you would like something to appear in this newsletter please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
Previous Messages
An appeal for help
There has been another devastating fire this weekend in Aldworth Road, Upper Basildon - only a week since the previous fire. The houses of both families are completely destroyed together with all their possessions. Grant, Jen and I have decided to set up a Benefice fund-raising page to help them start to rebuild their lives. The money we raise will be shared between the two families. Please do contribute and encourage others to do so too - we need to give them the best shot at being supported by our community. The fires have been an absolute tragedy for both families and we can't think of anything more traumatic than losing your home like this. The link is: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fire-response-fund-1. The fund is already open and the first contribution made. Thank you so much. Our blessings, Grant, Katy and Jen
Weekly Newsletter 5th July
Dear friends,
It has been a few weeks since my last email to you, so I do hope you are keeping well.
It has been busy across the parishes over the past few weeks and as we enter into summer proper there is plenty going on too. A couple of things I’d like to draw your attention to.
Firstly we have a new minister who has joined the team. The Revd Jen Green was recently ordained by the Bishop of Oxford and licensed to serve as a curate here in the benefice. Jen brings with her a wonderful family and a wealth of experience and is looking forward to getting to know more of you over the next few years. You can read a little bit more about Jen’s ordination and what she will be up to here.
Secondly, its a busy month for St. Mary’s Aldworth. The summer Tea’s with the Giant’s are back by popular demand. Yum! Each Wednesday through July, August and September we are hosting afternoon teas at St. Mary’s from 2.30-4.30pm. Come along and bring a friend. A great excuse to have a catch up!
Further to this, we are hosting a wonderful concert at St. Mary’s Aldworth on 30th July. It includes music by the Adderbury String Quartet and a special piece of music which has been written and inspired by the Aldworth Giants will be played for the first time. You can find out further info and how to get hold of tickets here.
Finally, many folks are now beginning to receive and host Ukrainian families. I am keen to help and support wherever there may be need. We are considering hosting a Ukrainian church service or regular services if that would be helpful. If you knew of any local families to whom that might be useful then I’d love to hear from you so we can begin planning as needed.
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and we can see you soon at a service or event. As always, please do feel free to get in touch if there’s anything we can do, or pray for.
Love and blessings,
Grant
The Benefice Weekly Newsletter
Coming up!
Services this Weekend
Next week’s services
Prayer Points
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. Many families are settling locally so do please pray for inspiration and wisdom how best to serve and welcome them during this time.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for those who are currently ill with covid. May they be protected and restored quickly.
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from various illnesses or operations.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
Please pray for those who are enjoying holidays and breaks this summer. After the difficulties of the past few years, we pray that true rest will be found.
If you would like something to appear in this newsletter please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
Previous Messages
The Revd Jen Green Joins the team
Weekly Newsletter 25th May
Dear friends,
As we begin to prepare to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend coming up, do please look out for the latest updates across the villages. As you can imagine, there have been lots of updates as things have fallen into place! The Jubilee weekend also falls on Pentecost Sunday. So all our services across the parishes will be focussed on celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit and the strength and comfort the Spirit gives us - as has been demonstrated so magnificently by Her Majesty The Queen. More on this next week!
Tomorrow evening (Thursday 26th) we are celebrating Ascension day, with a reflective communion service at St. Clement’s Ashampstead beginning at 7:30pm and then this coming Sunday we join all of our villages together for a whole benefice service at 10am in St. Stephens Upper Basildon, as its a 5th Sunday in the month.
Thank you to everybody who has contributed to the welcome gifts for the new Curate, Jen and her family. If you wanted to add anything in last minute, there is still time to do so, please do let me know so I can get it to them in time.
As always, may you know how loved you are by God, may you know how precious you are in the eyes of his Son, and may you know how through the Holy Spirit you are more than conquerors!
Love and blessings,
Grant
The Benefice Weekly Newsletter
Coming up!
Services this Week
Next week’s services
Prayer Points
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. We have welcomed a Ukrainian family to Basildon Primary School. We are working closely with the school to support them. Please pray for the staff and the family as they settle into local life.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please pray for HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the Jubilee celebrations this year.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from illnesses.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
