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Our Good Friday walk was undertaken by a small number of participants. As Rev Sue prayed with us before we set off, she used a Celtic blessing containing the words ‘may be wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon the fields...’ We’d all seen the forecast and we looked up to the sky, and yes, amazingly, our walk to Rocklands All Saints was once more a dry one!

Our Easter benefice service was full of reasons to be thankful – the Easter candles were rededicated and we renewed our baptismal vows, complete with the sprinkling of water across the congregation. Rev Sue seemed to particularly enjoy that point! The service was followed by bubbly and cake to celebrate together.

The April pop up café was blessed with gloriously sunny weather and a decent turnout, including some new faces. It’s an event we hope will bring the community together to see that there is life outside a service. The cheese biscuits by Margaret and cemetery buns by Charles were particularly well received.

We held our APCM this week and are delighted to report that Charles has agreed to continue as churchwarden for another year. We also have two new members on the PCC, Caroline and Richard, to whom we are hugely grateful and we look forward to them being part of our team.

The Christian Aid Big Breakfast is coming up on Saturday 11th May, 9 – 11am. Everyone is welcome! Offers of assistance with the washing and drying up will be gratefully received!

For your next diary dates, the next St James Pop-up café will be on Saturday 8th June.

The Village Singers have their concert on 15th June - tickets are now available from Rocklands and Great Ellingham Village shops.
KD

During March we held our annual spring fair, raising around £600 for church funds. The church was filled with craft stalls and the school choir entertained with their songs Here comes the sun, If I had a hammer and Rocking Bunny. There were plenty of refreshments to go round too. A raffle was held and there are a couple of items uncollected: Barbara (pink 382) with a phone number ending 451 (I have tried to call but not able to get through) and Olivia (pink 340) with no contact details. If these might be you, please contact Kathryn 01953 572159 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com so you can be united with your prizes!

We had a lovely Mothering Sunday service, joined by young people from the Scout group. Many posies were made and then distributed during the service. Again, there was plenty of cake available afterwards!

As we look ahead to Easter, we have our walk of witness on Good Friday, departing at 12 noon from the church. This will take us to Rocklands, where walkers can join the congregation at Rockland All Saints if they wish, for the 2pm service. Everyone is welcome. Dress for the weather. Easter Sunday will be celebrated together as a benefice, with the choir, at St James’. Don’t forget to change your clocks though!

Our next events will be the pop-up café on Saturday 13th April, 10 – 12, and the Christian Aid Big Breakfast on Saturday 11th May, 9 – 11am. Do book these events in your diary. We’d love to see you. Our APCM will be on Wednesday 17th April, 7pm, in the church.

Spring into Summer
A reminder that British Summer Time begins this Sunday 31st March. This means the clocks will go forward by 1 hour.

Priest-in-charge Vacancy
We have been informed that due to illness the advert inviting applications to fill our vacancy has not yet been published.

Change to Deanery
We have been informed that, as from 26 March 2024, the Humbleyard Deanery will be dissolved with some of the parishes in that Deanery being incorporated into our Deanery, Thetford and Rocklands. Those now part of our Deanery are:

- Hethersett
- High Oak, Hingham and Scoulton with Woodrising
- Wymondham with Silfield and Spooner Row

The other parishes involved have been incorporated into other Deaneries.

My dear Friends,

I am writing this on Ash Wednesday which, of course, marks the beginning of Lent.  I think Lent is often a misunderstood season of the Church’s year.  The season of Lent is a period of self-examination, preparation, and self-discipline.  It is rather more than preparation for Easter or an opportunity to give something up, which has become a bit like New Year Resolutions! 

To be fair, giving something up can be a part of our spiritual discipline because it enables us to lay aside something that distracts us, or something that dominates our lives, but how ever we mark the season, it does no harm to reflect on, and examine, our spiritual lives from time to time, including our attitude towards the Church.

Paul, writing to the early Church reminds us that we are called to be disciplined in our faith, and that includes our collective Church life as well as ourselves.  It is easy to think that our faith is an entirely spiritual exercise, yet how we live our lives, individually and collectively, and how we care for ourselves and others, reflects much of how important our faith is to the way we live.  If our lives are lived to excess, then our words will be lost when we talk of self-discipline and self-control.

The world demands and thrives on excess, and fulfilling our own wants and needs, and so Paul is telling us that as part of our spiritual discipline we need to guard against this, and allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds.  The more we discipline our minds the easier it is to understand and fulfil our calling from God.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians Paul uses the metaphor of athletes running a race as a picture of our Christian discipleship.  He shows that every athlete prepares themselves so they can win the race and achieve the prize.  More importantly the athletes run with a purpose, and our lives, too, have a purpose - to point others to Jesus.  Paul tells us if we are not disciplined then we effectively make our message invalid.

In writing to his friend, Timothy, Paul says, “no-one wins an athletic contest without obeying the rules”.  Paul is showing that we are to stay focussed in our faith and not be distracted.  Lent gives us an opportunity to refocus and pay attention to the Holy Spirit in our lives, guiding and challenging us to change and grow to be more like Jesus.

If you choose to give something up this Lent, stick with it as an outward sign of your commitment.  Perhaps take up new disciplines and new spiritual activity to replace what you are giving up.  You might just be surprised at what difference it can make.

As we pray today we are reminded of the need to be self-disciplined in our faith, and so we ask God to strengthen us as we seek to live out our calling.  We pray too that we might listen to the calling God has placed on our lives, and not be distracted by the temptations that seek to draw us away from our desire to serve.  Finally, we pray that during this season of Lent we might discern the new challenges to face and take on, that will shape and strengthen our faith.

I pray that each of you will have a good and holy Lent,

Sue

Rockland St Peter

Fellowship

We offer fellowship every Tuesday morning at 10am. You can call Carol Bennett for more information if interested.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is a chance to indulge and use up the ingredients one would traditionally give up in lent. Pancakes were originally popular because they use up left over eggs and milk. While Christians want to show devotion to God, they also don’t want to show they are unthankful or wasteful with food they have already been blessed with. This means, before one starts fasting, a feast is had to show thanks and not to waste anything when it is bound to go stale or rot during lent. Not everyone follows these traditions now, with many choosing to give up their sweet treats rather than animal products.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent. On Wednesday the 22^nd of February Ash Wednesday was marked. This is where worshippers receive the sign of the cross on their forehead in ash. Some churches use the ash from the palm crosses from the previous year.

Lent

In the Christian faith, Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving. We are reminded of Jesus’s 40 days and 40 nights in the desert being tempted by the devil. Traditionally, Christians would give up meat and animal products during Lent, however, as mentioned earlier they increasingly give up something they are partial to instead. Others might choose to do something for charity each day to raise money.

Cheese and Wine

In the village hall, on the 18^th of March, there will be cheese and wine. This event is a collaboration with Rocklands All Saints Church and will have entertainment in the form of The Roskettes.

Mothering Sunday

On the 19^th of March, we shall be having our Mothering Day Service. This is a time to thank all those who have a mothering role.

We would love to see many children with pre-written notes for their mum’s (and those who mother) and they will be read out in church. After that, the messages can be hung on the tree in Church. You can bring a picture of Mummy too!

Prayer

With the terrible earthquake, that has taken the lives of many in Turkey and Syria, we turn our prayer to them.

KT

St James, Great Ellingham

As I write, we’re looking forward to the pancake races later in the week.  We look forward to welcoming familiar and new faces to enjoy this event.  Following Shrove Tuesday, we move into Lent.  This year, the benefice will be sharing a Lent course with Hingham; contact Colin for more information.

Our café church, back to its normal morning slot, was a small gathering but plenty of refreshments, fellowship and discussion over a challenging reading from Genesis.  The next café church will be 12^th March, followed by Mothering Sunday on 19^th March.  These will both be music group led and everyone is welcome.

There is now a service in St James every Sunday at 10.30am either morning prayer, holy communion or café church, plus the Celtic service at 4pm on the fourth Sunday.  Please see the service sheet in the porch or on the notice board for full details.

The Spring Fair is back on Saturday 11^th March, 10-12.30.  If you are a local crafter, we have space for a couple more stalls – or if you are a community group and would like a small fundraising table, please get in touch: sunflowerjones@hotmail.com or 456525.  We will have bacon rolls, cakes and an Easter egg raffle.  This will be a lovely opportunity to buy a special Mothering Sunday or Easter gift.  We look forward to having the Great Ellingham school choir perform a couple of numbers; I know they have been busy practising and are very excited to have the opportunity to sing to an audience!

There is a good turnover of books in the village library within the church along with a selection of magazines; please do stop in and find a book or two to take away and enjoy.  With the warmer weather starting to break through, there are plenty of gardening books if you like to get out!  The local history display by Heather Etteridge is regularly updated and always contains plenty of interesting local information; please come in to have a read through.  This month it has featured a Valentine’s theme.

KD

Rockland All Saints

Our service on 5^th February celebrated Candlemas, which marks the end of Christmas. We enjoyed an informal service, with music led by the Benefice Music Group and sang a variety of songs. Candlemas is the feast when we remember the purification of Mary, when the old man, Simeon, meets the baby Jesus in the temple, which he has been expecting for a lifetime. This year, we also heard the legend of St Brigid of Ireland, (according to some, she  was midwife to Mary in the stable at Bethlehem) and heard how she is now the only female Patron Saint, a goddess of healing, poetry and fire, whose patronal day is at the beginning of February.  As the Nativity scene set up by the children at Christingle back in December was dismantled by Sam and Emily, we thought about what each of the characters would have been thinking at that first Christmas and shared our thoughts with each other. (You may be interested to know that the lambs were concerned that they might be expected to eat the contents of their manger, Mary was glad it was all over at last and wondered what the future might hold and Gabriel was thankful that Mary had agreed to his Plan A as he didn’t have a Plan B.) We all went home with something to ponder in our hearts!  We were all given a candle as we came in and as the music group sang quietly our candles were lit one by one, filling the church with flickering lights as we remembered Christ, the Light of the World.

Our service in March is on March 5^th and will be Morning Prayer. As usual, we will be celebrating Mothering Sunday with our friends at St Peter’s church on March 19^th at 10.30 and we look forward to seeing families there, at what is always a lovely service.  Details about Easter services will be published in the April Rocklander.

CJ

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Not much to say about our church at the moment.  February was a quiet month after the Christmas season.  With the changes to the service rota, we have moved our morning service to an earlier time; our Prayer and Praise service remains as normal.  In light of the changes taking place, the PCC have been considering what else our church can do.  Like many of our churches, we are very much aware of the potential for success or failure in keeping our church open, so we are working to try and ensure it is the former rather than the latter.

We started the season of Lent with a very worshipful Holy Communion service for Ash Wednesday.  We all went home with the mark of the cross prominently displayed on our foreheads. 

We are still waiting to have our Kitchen Project, the Tea point, signed off.  The final task, the fitting of an internal notice board, has now been completed, hopefully to the satisfaction of the architect.

CT

Foodbank

Thank you for your support.  The ‘most needed items’ in short supply are the following: tea bags, tinned tomatoes, UHT milk and rice pudding.  Donations can be dropped off at the village shop/s and within St James’ church.

If you are in need of a referral or you of someone who does, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Lent Course

Our Lent course this year is ‘Not a tame lion’ based on the writings of CS Lewis.  This will be a joint course with the Hingham and High  Oak group over five consecutive Thursdays each starting at 11.00am followed by a Lent lunch of soup.  The details are as follows:

2 March          St Peter’s church, Little Ellingham with lunch in the village hall

9 March          St Andrew’s church, Hingham with lunch in the church

16 March        St Andrew’s church, Hingham with lunch in the church

23 March        St Peter’s church, Little Ellingham with lunch in the village hall

30 March        St Peter’s church, Little Ellingham with lunch in the village hall

Everyone is invited to attend any of the course days and to stay for lunch; further details from Colin Thomas or Sue Strutt.  It would help with catering if anyone who is going to attend one or more of the sessions to let Sue or Colin know, but still come even if you have not done so.

New Priest-in-charge

Sadly, there were no applications for the post of Priest-in-charge to our benefice and that of Hingham and High Oak.  The post will be re-advertised in the next few months with an amended advert.

The purchase of the new ‘Rectory’ in Hingham has been completed which may make it a little more attractive to someone considering taking up the post.  Further information will be given as and when it is available.

Springtime Poem

The seemingly, silent growth of the snow drop

signals the spring,

The lapwing and wren are flying high

on their wings.

 

The daffodils emerge

from their deep slumber,

The bees begin emerging

to collect and plunder.

 

The little lambs are the sign of new life

and have a spring in their step.

The squirrels are climbing,

they are very adept.

 

The hedgehogs appear from their hidden hides

to roam.

The humans sit quietly

admiring their home.

KYT Poetry

Rockland St Peter

January has been a sad month for the village with at least three deaths amongst our friends.

We held a funeral for Robert (Bob) Thacker who was known by many people in the village and who built many buildings in the area, including the pavilion and who helped support the funding of street signs you can still see today. Many people will recall a time Bob greeted them in the shop with a smile. He will be missed by many but he leaves a legacy behind for our village.

We have lost Ann Burroughes, a loyal PCC member for many years. Her and Stephen hosted many events for the church and graciously gave access to their beautiful house and grounds for these events. We recall a time when Ann hosted a Moroccan style meal as practice for the Advent lunch. Ann was a great lover of flowers and gardening. It is hard to think of a Rocklands without Ann.

John Abel was a jolly fellow who was on our PCC too. Even when he was no longer on the PCC he could always be found at a fundraiser with his dear wife, Delphine. John was a great supporter of the Royal British Legion and people will be able to recall him on Remembrance Sunday proudly wearing his medals and being a stand bearer with Cyril Ruffles.

As you will understand, a paragraph to write about each of these most wonderful people will never be enough and we hope you carry on sharing stories and memories of them in the future and keep them alive in your hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who knew and loved them.

“For grief is just love squaring up to its oldest enemy and after all these mortal human years, love is up to the challenge.” – Kate Braestrup

Youth Club

We are glad to hear that Rocklanders Youth Club is restarting after a short break whilst they re-adjusted the leadership. We pray that they are able to continue to run for the foreseeable future as they offer such a great amenity for the community.

KT

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Christmas appears so far away but as we know, for the church it is only just coming to the end with Candlemas.  Our two Christmas services were well attended and full of the spirit of Christmas.  Mince pies and punch were distributed at the Carol Service and we were treated to a duet by Carey and his daughter leading us in the singing of carols during osur Christmas morning service.  It was a lovely way to see out the end of the year.

We now look forward to whatever changes that are likely to take place over the coming months.

CT

Rockland All Saints

On Christmas Eve we had the traditional candlelit Midnight Mass (at a more sociable hour of 10pm to allow another service in Gt Ellingham at 11.30!)  The church was completely full and it was another very special occasion for those who came. We were especially honoured to have Carey’s daughter (sorry – I have forgotten her name!) accompanying her Dad on her flute for the carols….it really added a ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the occasion and made it a very special experience for us all.

The grass in the churchyard continues to grow apace and we are still working on getting it to require as little maintenance as possible as again manpower is in very short supply! Thanks to one family which has offered to buy a shrub in memory of loved ones for the sloping area we are hoping to tame on the east side of the church. 

Our next service at All Saints is Candlemas on 5^th February at 10.30 when we have an informal service suitable for all the family with lots of candles and singing. We would love you to join us! Many thanks to RSP for agreeing to swap service dates so we can host Candlemas again – it is much appreciated!

CJ

St James, Great Ellingham

Is it too late to wish Happy New Year?!  We hope you enjoyed a peaceful Christmas time.  It was lovely to see a busy church at Carols around the tree and some new faces at the Christmas Eve service.  The Christmas tree has now been removed but the lights continue to shine from the tower until Candlemas at the beginning of February.  Thank you to the local businesses and individuals who donated to the funding appeal – the target has been exceeded and we look forward to progressing the works to upgrade the electrics and install better lighting.

IT'S BACK!  The annual pancake race returns this year!  Bring your frying pan and pancake along on Shrove Tuesday, 21^st February, to Church St at approximately 3.30pm.  Races will start from the Methodist chapel and finish outside St James.  (Time is variable due to the high school bus drop off.)  Certificates will be awarded for the races and everyone is welcome, both young and young at heart!  Pancakes will be available in the church afterwards for a small donation. (see advert below)

DIARY DATES:  We are pleased to plan a Spring Fair on Saturday 11^th March, 10-12.30.  If you would like to book a stall, please get in touch: sunflowerjones@hotmail.com or 456525.  We will have bacon rolls, cakes and an Easter egg raffle.  This will be a lovely opportunity to buy a special Mothering Sunday or Easter gift.

Our services in February include the return of Café Church to 10.30am on 12^th February.  Food and refreshments will be available from 9.30am.  We also have the benefice Holy Communion service on 26^th February, where the benefice choir will be leading our singing.

We send condolences to the family and friends of Brenda Webster and David White, following their funerals in January.

Some new books have appeared in the village library within the church; please do stop in and find a book or two to take away and enjoy.  The local history display by Heather Etteridge is regularly updated and always contains plenty of interesting local information; please come in to have a read through.

KD

Foodbank

Thank you for your support.  The ‘most needed items’ in short supply are the following: tea bags, tinned tomatoes, UHT milk and rice pudding.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

New Priest-in-charge

The post for a priest-in-charge of our benefice and that of Hingham, High Oak, Scoulton and Woodrising has finally been advertised.  Anyone interested in the details can do so via this link:

https://pathways.churchofengland.org/job/pathways/3890/priest-in-charge-high-oak-and-hingham-and-great-ellingham-shellrock-benefices.

The closing date is 6^th February.  We shall keep you informed of any progress or none.

Monthly Service rota

With the ever increasing number of houses being built in Great Ellingham, members of St James’ PCC have decided they need to be prepared to face the challenge of many extra people moving into the village.  Key to this has been the availability of the church on a Sunday so the decision has been made to increase the number of services available.  After much discussion within the benefice, a new monthly rota of services has been agreed.  The new rota will start in full in March.

The Benefice Service of Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday will be rotated amongst the four churches of Great Ellingham, Little Ellingham, Rockland All Saints and Rockland S Peter.

The monthly rota is the basis from which the monthly services are allocated but, as has always been the case, will change as circumstances require.  The basic rota is as follows:

Dear Friends,

Happiness and prosperity are two things that are wished for others at the turn of a year.

My grandfather used to say “the way to be happy is to make others happy “. There is some truth in that because if we just plan for ourselves there is danger of failure which will make us miserable, until we learn to deal with it.

Thinking of others will also help us to prosper as it will bring us a ‘feel good’ factor and boost our self-esteem.  Building ourselves up in the way we are taught by Jesus, to love one another, is more about prosperity than making money which is the common understanding of the word.

2023 is going to demand that we and our parishes think of each other more than we have ever done before.  For each Benefice there will be new parishes with which we need to acquaint ourselves, as well as a new Rector who will be taking on the massive task of being a minister and pastor to us all.  He or she will probably have ideas on how they would like to organise us.  We have become very comfortable as we are, and things seem to be working alright.  But there are exciting opportunities and possibilities ahead which only God knows about at this moment in time.

Parishes, ministers, and individuals, all of us, will have opinions about changes that may be suggested or necessary, but let’s make a New Year’s Resolution to listen and consider other’s feelings before speaking out too loudly.  It is important to look at the larger picture, consult, and communicate with each other.

This will be a way of moving into 2023. Let’s have the intention of being happy and prosperous, together as a new Benefice.  I wish that for us all.

With every blessing, and love, for the New Year,

Sue

St Peter, Little Ellingham

A very enjoyable Carol Service has started our church’s Christmas celebrations.  Even the organ going silent mid carol didn’t dampen the enthusiastic singing.  A merry group remained to enjoy home-made mince pies and mulled cider.  With the organ now working again, we look forward to our Christmas morning Eucharist.

The New Year looks like bringing lots of changes for our church and the benefice.  In the meantime may we all have a jolly, happy Christmas. Thank you to everyone for their support this past year.

CT

St James, Great Ellingham

As I type this, the lights are up, the cards are out, the turkey is ordered – it’s just one week until Christmas Day.  All our Christmas services are yet to come.  The tree is not yet in place at church, but I’m sure it will look splendid by the time you read this!  Thank you to Charles and Jonathan for their efforts.

The lights appeal for the church tower has been well supported by local businesses, a small number of individuals and the teddy festival and we have now reached our original target, so thank you.  Hopefully when the weather warms up, we’ll be able to get on to the important upgrades ready for next year.

December has been a busy time for community events: hosting the Village Singers concert, the Nativity play by classes 1 & 2 and the school carol service.  All events have seen a packed church!

Many discussions have been held around the service pattern going forward and we hope that the new year will bring a stable offering and opening for villagers to join us in worship.  Please keep an eye out for the rota elsewhere in this publication.

There are still plenty of books and jigsaws in the village library within the church.  Do stop in and find a book or two to take away and enjoy.  The local history display by Heather Etteridge has been refreshed with a festive feel so please have a read through.

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Christmas and New Year.

KD

Rockland All Saints

Very many thanks to all who supported the Advent Lunch in aid of both Rockland churches at the end of November.  We had fewer diners this year, but I think it’s fair to say that everyone enjoyed themselves and the food, as always, was delicious!  The Advent Carol service the next day was also well attended and we enjoyed singing the traditional Advent hymns and listening to the familiar readings that herald the arrival of the Light of the World. Our thanks go to the choir and Neville for leading the singing.

The following weekend was the Winter Fair at the village hall when we supported our friends at RSP and Little Rocky’s parent and toddler group. Again, it was hard work but a very enjoyable day, raising much needed funds for both organisations. Father Christmas certainly multi-tasked that weekend and deserved a break afterwards, especially having gone down with covid in late November! Thanks from all of us, Santa!

The first Sunday in December was the annual Christingle service in All Saints. This year, for the first time, we had the Rocklands School choir, led by Mr Aitken, who sang two songs beautifully for us. The church was packed with close on 100 people and I experienced my usual ‘lump in throat’ and goose bumps as the children sang ‘Away in a manger’ holding their lit Christingles. Magic….and the wonder of the moment never gets stale! The smallest children set up the crib (as you will see in the photo, the Innkeeper’s wife, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Mary, looks as if she has over-indulged a bit, but nobody cared!!) and Christmas biscuits were consumed by everyone. Thanks to all for a beautiful service.

We would like to wish everyone in the Benefice a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy 2023……the past year has certainly been challenging in many ways and who knows what will happen next year both globally and closer to home, but we that Joy and Peace are experienced by everyone. As Tiny Tim said in ‘A Christmas Carol’- “God bless us everyone”!!

CJ

Foodbank

Thank you for your support.  The ‘most needed items’ in short supply are the following: tea bags, tinned tomatoes, UHT milk and rice pudding.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Dear Friends,

As I write, Liz Truss has just resigned. I am vaguely recovering from Covid having been quite poorly, as have a few others.   You don’t need to hear too much because it has become common place to field blow after blow after blow. We are, indeed, living in turbulent times. I'm sure you can recount Brexit, covid, Ukraine, the cost of living, as well as I can. What will happen to us next, either nationally or personally?

Even in the Church, which we usually hold up as the one steady influence in our lives, seems to be going through a transition, especially our Benefices.  High Oak & Hingham and Shellrock are being directed to join as one.  This will give us a completely new outlook which, eventually we will see as beneficial but, for now, we are not sure how it will work. And who will be our new Rector? Is there anyone who will take us on? What will they be like? Questions for all of us.

In the midst of the turmoil it is the small things that matter and will keep us grounded. Whilst we must continue to hold the overarching events in our prayers, we can look to the day to day doings in our lives to bring normality; whatever your normality is, anyway. At the moment, my normality is my little dog who, since I returned from a few days away last week, has not left my side, and the perennial question, ‘what shall we eat today?’  As I am confined to quarters, these matters have taken on huge significance for me.  I can’t influence what is happening in the world anyway.

But God can. And, as followers of Christ, we believe it. Each one of us is important to God, and so are our prayers. Everyone will pray for something different but God knows his plan. He wants us to talk to him, and bring peace to the world. So we pray for the right outcome to all these problems outside of our control. Let God take care of them. He is the one certainty in our lives. He loves us and his creation. Hold to him and he becomes our normality.

A prayer for us all:

May God the provider of green pastures and quiet waters, be the peace in our hearts today.

May Jesus our guide on mountain top and valley deep, be the hope in our hearts today.

May the spirit of truth and knowledge, comforter and friend, be the strength in our hearts today. Amen.

May Christ’s love keep you safe,

Sue

St James, Great Ellingham

The Harvest Festival café church was well attended with St James’ Scout Group represented by a large number of young people across the sections.  During the service, we had a talk on the food bank – a brief history, where our donations go and how much has been donated over the past year.  It included a chance to guess the items contained within a standard family food box!  There was also a talk on Tearfund, a charity supporting those in need across the world.  Their focus this year was on Nepal so there was a short geography lesson to find the country on the map.  (It’s between India and China if you’re not sure!)  Over 85% of Nepal’s population rely on agriculture and they have been severely affected by climate change leading to significant drought and crop failure, a problem replicated across many poorer countries of the world.  The collection will be sent to support their work to build water storage and irrigation systems, as well as provide education, training and drought tolerant seeds.

Plans for our Christmas shopping event are under way for Friday 18^th & Saturday 19^th November.  This is a chance to support local businesses and find a unique present.  Many of the stalls from last year will be returning, plus a few new ones.  Please do come and support them, and help raise funds for the church.  At the time of typing, there are a few spaces available on Saturday morning.  If you would like to book a table, please contact Kathryn: sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

Tower Light Appeal

Each year during Advent through to Candlemas, the top of the tower is lit with festive lights.  These shine brightly in the dark sky and can be seen on many routes, welcoming people into the village.  These lights have not been possible without the dedication of Charles and others to hang them each year.  The existing household versions are in need of replacement due to age and weathering and we would like to purchase commercial sets which will withstand the elements.  With the age of our volunteers and safety considerations, we would also like to upgrade the electrics to install a permanent supply to the tower, rather than the existing arrangement of temporary leads.  We are therefore asking if anyone would be prepared to make a donation towards this?  We can accept cash via our wall safe or a bank transfer to St James’ Church, 08-92-99 67260841.  Many thanks.

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

We had a very successful coffee and cake morning last month to raise funds for the charity Macmillan Cancer Support.  There was a wonderful range of locally home cooked cakes and savouries on offer which the many people who attended enthusiastically enjoyed.  The total money raised was £371 by donations and all sent to the charity.  We are grateful for all the contributions and to the many people who came and supported the event.  Thank you everyone.

In conjunction with the village hall, Old School Hall, we are holding our once regular ‘Pie and Pickle Lunch’ on Saturday 12^th November between 12noon and 2pm.  There will be a good selection of delicious home-made pies and desserts on offer.  So come along and join us.  All proceeds will be shared equally between the hall and the church.

CT

Rockland All Saints

We are still recovering from a couple of very busy weekends. Many thanks to Shirley Colenutt for her generous donation to All Saints funds following her New and Nearly New Sale in the village hall. At the end of the day, there still seemed to be loads of stuff left (I likened it to preparing sprouts when the pile for the compost is bigger than what’s in the pan!)but after we had sorted out items suitable for the Food Bank ‘household’ section, and for charity shops, a ‘man in a van’ came and collected what was left so hopefully Shirley can now move around in her bungalow again!

The following weekend was the annual Harvest Supper which was, as always, a happy event. Close on 60 people sat down to a two course meal, followed by entertainment from the Roskettes. Many thanks to the musicians and all who came, or provided food and/or raffle prizes, or helped on the night. Our treasurer, Cor, says we made about £450, which was a good result!

The Men’s Den chaps who meet in the old schoolroom on some Thursday afternoons have done a wonderful job with the church doors, both inner and outer! The oak outer door had slipped over the years and it was getting very difficult to lock and unlock, so some custom-made washers were produced to rectify the problem! I wish there had been a camera ready to record Barbara’s face when she and Maureen went to clean and found they could open the door first go and didn’t have to wrestle and grunt using two hands to turn the key for ages! The old inner door, probably dating from Victorian times, is rather shabby and we had been looking into replacing it at some point. You will be aware that there is a step down at this point, so a ramp is needed to assist the less mobile to get up and down. Because of the logistics of an uneven step, the ramp couldn’t  be a permanent fixture as the door has to be open for it to be in place, which means draughts and chill winds inside! The wooden ramp is heavy and difficult to manœuvre, so it has been a worry for a long time…….but now our wonderful Men’s Den volunteers stayed till after dark and have managed to accurately cut a slice off the bottom of the door so it can shut with the sturdy ramp in place as a permanent fixture.  Our condolences to Anne Cobb and family on the loss of dear Nancy as she was the inspiration to get this done, but sadly she didn’t get to see it in person.

The next Men’s Den meeting is Thursday November 3^rd at 2pm- you don’t need to be skilled at anything; just pitch up and enjoy a hot drink, biscuits and male company and put the world to rights!

We also need to thank our organist, Carey Moore, who has done some renovations on the old organ to make it sound better – Carey has been an organ-builder in a previous life and has further plans to do more repairs to improve things further! Many thanks, Carey (and to your pumper)!

Finally, some advance dates for your Christmas diary:

Saturday 26^th November Advent Lunch – please contact Barbara Scase, Cath Jones or Sharon Brown to book  tickets.

Sunday 27^th November 10.30 Advent Carols service

Sunday 4^th December Christingle service 2.30 for 3.00pm

Saturday 24^th December at 10.00pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Mass

CJ

Rockland St Peter

The autumnal weather and sunsets made for some lovely scenes across Norfolk and Rocklands saw its fair share of lovely, clear night skies too.

We have a few events coming up for your calendar for us and Little Rockies too:

5^th November 2022 – Pudsey Lunch at the Village Hall - 11am – 2pm

Children activities – Ploughman’s lunch – Cakes – Tea – Coffee - Soup

A great opportunity to keep the children occupied and meet up with friends, whilst also donating to a great cause.

3^rd December 2022 – Christmas Market at the Village Hall - 10am - 2pm

Free Entry

Santas Grotto – Crafts – Raffle – Face Painting

A perfect opportunity to get some gifts and stocking fillers.

We are looking forward to some events after what seems like quite a lull in the event calendar! We can’t wait to see you all!

Joan Dove’s Little Treasure Hunt Quiz

Rev Leonard James was murdered,

In 1608.

By the hands of Lowe

He did meet his fate.

 

A treacherous wife

Was burned at the stake

And Lowe was killed

For the lives he did take.

KYT Poetry

There is a book detailing the death of Rev Leonard James in the church. Ian Abel has carefully researched and compiled ‘Nothing Sacred’ which is also available on lulu.com if you haven’t managed to find it in the church.

Your Next Challenge

Why does our screen, in church, not reach to the walls?

KYT

Foodbank

Almost all the food bank donations – from Attleborough Sainsbury’s, Great Ellingham and Rocklands Village shops and St James’ church – are taken to Thetford Food Bank Warehouse.  (The remaining small proportion goes to Norwich food bank.)  Here they are weighed in, collated and then packaged for onwards distribution as 3-day emergency food parcels for individuals, couples or families.  It is part of the Trussell Trust network and works by referral from local agencies such as Citizens Advice, Health Visitors and some schools.  The aim of this is to provide those in need with additional support to break the cycle of need for the food bank.  The warehouse distributes parcels to Attleborough, Watton and Thetford food banks.

Donations during the last 12 months (to the beginning of October) have amounted to 3338kg.  There have been 126 referrals in Attleborough in this period, supporting 340 people.  Of the donations, around 2772kg has been returned to Attleborough for distribution, equating to roughly 3000-3500 meals.

Thank you for your support.  The most wanted items are currently tinned soup and tinned tomatoes, but also needed are UHT milk and rice pudding.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Dear friends,

It seems to me that many people are feeling very tired and weary at the moment.  We have had a long, hot summer and, just as we are acclimatising, the weather changes.  National and international news has not been good which leads to us feeling down and, on top of all that, we are bombarded with thoughts about the rise in the cost of living.

Even if most of us believe we can manage, there will be those amongst us who struggle.  As caring, thoughtful people we feel anxious on behalf of others.  Jesus tells us the feed the hungry, tend the sick, clothe the naked, take in the stranger, care for widows and orphans (Matthew 25:34 – 40).  We are willing, but we don’t always know when others are suffering, or who they might be.  People are very good at covering up.

Many of you support organisations that help others, the Food Bank for instance, but sometimes the need is closer to home.  In spite of our own world-weary tiredness, it is incumbent upon us to look out for our neighbours.

Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll, was one who recognised her neighbour.  Many stories have been heard in the last week or two about her kindness to individuals as well as her great statesmanship.  Her Christian faith shone out for all to see. From the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon at her funeral:

“In 1953 the Queen began her Coronation with silent prayer..........Her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her.  Her service to so many people in this nation, the Commonwealth and the world had its foundation in her following Christ – God himself – who said that he “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many”.  People of loving service are rare in any walk of life.  Leaders of loving service are still rarer.  In all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are forgotten.”

Her Late Majesty must have felt very tired at times, maybe even disheartened occasionally.   She had to deal with difficult people and disappointments, but she always managed a sacrificial effort to fulfil her duty and promises.  This was because she had Jesus in her life, who had gained a victory over death and gave her the strength she needed. There is always new life, no matter what the problem – Jesus shows us the way.

The question is, how sacrificial is our love?  Are we serving God and his people in a true and generous way?  Can we measure up to the shining example that people of this country have been privileged to witness in our midst for over 70 years?  God bless Her Late Majesty.

Let us look forward with hope and renewed strength.  God is with us. That is enough to banish all tiredness.

With Christian love to all,

Sue

Rockland All Saints

Thank you to all who have signed the book of condolence for our Queen. The pages will now be collected together and sent off to wherever they are collated nationally for the archives.  The outpouring of love by so many in the nation and all over the world has been quite amazing and humbling at the same time! We have lost the only monarch most of us have ever known, but her family has lost their much-loved  mother, grandmother and great-grandmother so our hearts go out to them as they  grieve in the public eye.

I have just returned from the Pets and Harvest Thanksgiving service at All Saints, where, in spite of the cold temperatures and biting wind, about forty of us sat outside with our pets and enjoyed an informal fun service. We sang with gusto, crawled under a rainbow parachute while making animal noises, took on vocal parts when hearing about the Little Red Hen, brought gifts for the Food Bank whilst singing a song to the tune of “Skip to my lou” (try fitting ‘Someone’s brought a tin of vegan spaghetti bolognese’ to the tune!!) and generally enjoyed ourselves! Many thanks to Rev. Sue for blessing the pets (and congregation) and to the Benefice Music Group + Peter and Angela for providing the music. We finished off with hot coffee and homemade animal biscuits that were handed round by the children present – thanks to Emily, Keira and Jessica, Edith , Albert and Ernest for their help.The collection will go to the Leprosy Mission as usual after our Harvest service.

On October 8^th, we will be helping Shirley, one of our PCC members, with a sale of new and nearly-new goods in the Village Hall. We would appreciate any donations of cakes for the sale as all proceeds are to be divided up between village organisations. There is a HUGE amount of top quality clothes, toiletries, costume jewellery, children’s toys etc as well as unused random household items for sale so many will be ideal for Christmas presents.  Please come and support Shirley (cash only, although the shop will be open so you could ‘top up’ there if you see something you hadn’t bargained on!)

The following week, on October 15^th at 7pm is the annual Harvest Supper, again in the Village Hall. There is a full home cooked meal followed by a concert by the Roskettes, who have been very busy practising their repertoire for ages (nearly as long as they have been discussing their outfits for the occasion!!) Tickets are available (£10 each) from Julie Dekker or Cath Jones, and must be booked in advance, please!

CJ

St Peter, Little Ellingham

With the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was decided to cancel our Harvest Festival and hold a Service of Thanksgiving instead to honour her life and devotion to this country and the Commonwealth.  A book of condolence was made available and which has several entries by people from the village.

There is little that can be said that has not already been said during the 10 days of mourning leading up to her funeral.  Our Queen was a remarkable woman whose life was deeply rooted in her Christian faith.  She was a fine example to all Christians on how to translate the message of Jesus Christ into our lives.  May you rest in peace your Majesty.

The Norfolk Churches Trust Bike ride was held in almost perfect weather for cycling.  Two members of our congregation took to their bicycles and spent a pleasurable day visiting many of the lovely churches in our area and raising much needed funds for the Trust which is available to help maintain any of the many church buildings in Norfolk.  Thank you to everyone who sponsored them.

On Saturday 1^st October we shall be hosting the MacMillan coffee morning again.  There will a delicious selection of cakes to go with your coffee or tea.  The event will run from 10am to 12noon.  Please come along to support this worthy charity which is renowned for supporting people during their darkest time.

CT

St James, Great Ellingham

A service of remembrance and thanks was held on 11^th September for the late Queen Elizabeth II.  It was a solemn occasion commemorating her life and responsibilities.  The church has a lovely display of artefacts in place to remember her and the book of remembrance has been signed by many villagers wishing to pay their respects.

There were a number of visitors during the Norfolk Churches Trust Annual Cycle Ride on 10^th September who came on foot, by car and cycle.   The weather was, once again, glorious for it!  It was also the day of a fundraising event by the Ukraine Support Group.

The PCC would like to thank Mickey Partridge for staining the entrance Elton doors.  It was a much-needed job and they now look great.

Watch this space…   The date for our Christmas fundraising event has been set as 18^th & 19^th November.  This will take the form of a shopping evening on Friday like last year (with mulled wine and mince pies) and then the morning (with bacon rolls), similar to our autumn fair.  If you would like to book a table, please contact Kathryn: sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

Volunteers wanted…. We are in urgent need of some help to clean the church due to a decreasing number on the rota.  If you can spare an hour or two during the month, we would love to hear from you.  The bats will slow down over the winter but their mess increases in the spring.  Speak to Charles or Kathryn for information.

The Café church service on 9^th October (4pm) will be our harvest festival.  All welcome – there will be some lovely autumnal refreshments.  Tinned and dry food donations can be brought and these will go to the food bank.  They have an urgent need at the moment for soup and tinned tomatoes.

KD

Rockland St Peter

A strange month hath September been, with the loss of our dear Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II served for so many faithful years as monarch and head of the Church. We send our prayers and thoughts for the family and countries who are affected by her loss. 70 years and 214 days served: the second longest reining monarch in history. A strong woman who loved her family and her people (as seen from her actions in her long reign).

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who took part in The Norfolk Churches Trust annual cycle ride. This helps raise money for the church as well as the trust because the money is divided between them. Thank you to John Brown and Dawn Thacker, who we know cycled for us. Thank you to Joan Dove, Ann Delf, Anne Brand, Kate Reynolds, Jackie and Ted Nicholls for holding the fort and offering refreshments. We are lucky to have such a great team. Thank you to all those who sponsored our cyclists; we received some most generous donations! Without the kindness and charity of people, our church would not be able to survive in these times.

We had some lovely vintage cars visit the church on the day too.

Pictured: Colin Thomas, Victoria Graham and Dawn Thacker

Joan Dove’s Little Treasure Hunt Quiz

The sundial is located by following this trail:

From Chris Riddell’s marvellously decorated loo,

follow round to the vestry door.

Find the building that protrudes,

A quarter of the way up shall reveal what’s in store.

Your Next Challenge

Do you know the year Rev Leonard James was murdered?

Answer: To discover the details of this gruesome tale venture to the church; the answer is hidden in amongst books.

Remember, our church is open daily. A book of remembrance has been placed in the church for the late Queen if you wish to leave thoughts and prayers there.

KYT

Poem about the Queen

On the day of the Queen’s death a poem, from a teacher, popped up on Facebook and we thought we would share it with you in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II.

Dearest Elizabeth, your time has come,

All of the nation are felling numb.

It’s time to enter your eternal rest,

You have really done your very best.

 

Seventy wonderful years on the throne,

We’ve celebrated your successes as you’ve grown,

A fine role model for young and old,

On how to be wise, strong and bold.

 

We thank you, Lilibet, for being our Queen

A fantastic monarch you have been,

Rest peacefully, wear your crown as you reunite with your love,

Up in heaven, in the Palace above.

Laura Roper, West Midlands

KYT

Foodbank

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the food bank with donations.  They are being taken to Thetford warehouse for sorting and onward distribution in our area.  Demand for services has now increased and is expected to continue to do so over the coming months.  Most wanted items are currently tinned soup and tinned tomatoes.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Dear Friends,

Are you fed up with the spin put on news headlines?  Things we have been used to for generations are now stated in a very negative way.  For instance, 700,000 parents will lose child benefit this month – well, yes!  The children are leaving full time education – it’s always been so. Urgent dog death warning, pets are at risk – it ends up being ‘don’t let your dog swim in the sea’; some dogs I have known will not keep out of the sea, or river.  We’ve always known about pollution, and once again, even that has been exaggerated.  No wonder there is a mental health crisis (or is that another distortion of the truth?).

I’m sure I could be, and probably will be, criticised for minimising perceived problems, and I am not underestimating the looming cost of living increases – we are all subject to that worry – but media headlines do not help us to keep calm and work out how to cope.  Fortunately, there does seem to be many people and organisations willing to offer professional advice and support, also neighbourly communities who look out for each other.  But these kind, helpful people do not make headlines.

So, although many of the worst, most shocking and upsetting captions are seen on social media, it is the very same that keeps us in touch with each other.  I am linked in to quite a few local Facebook pages and am so happy to see the kind response of people when someone reaches out and asks for help.  Lovely, generous people will offer lifts, clothes, even money if someone is really in need.  This is the real world and, for me, God’s world.  Jesus asks us to love one another, and look after the sick, the poor, and those in need of any kind.

We are so used to hearing about all the awful things that happen we begin to think there is nothing good in the world.  Most of us just want to live a normal life with no great drama but, even without social media, we can be aware of the others around us who might be going through tough times and reach out the hand of friendship, God’s love and touch.

May the love of God enter your hearts and you feel his gentle touch to keep you uplifted and grounded at the same time, in the real world.

Yours in Christ,

Sue

St James, Great Ellingham

We are looking ahead to the Norfolk Churches Trust Cycle Ride/Walk/Drive on Saturday 10^th September!  Dust off your bicycles or boots and raise some money for your church by raising sponsorship to visit as many churches as possible.  We would love to receive your support.  Sponsor forms are available in church and, as per last year, we will provide a ‘snack stop’ for visitors during the day.

The church is entirely funded and maintained by money received in the parish, at services or through events.  We are looking ahead to the autumn and planning our festive events.  We hope to repeat the Christmas Shopping Evening which was very well supported last year – watch this space….

As with many charities, income has significantly decreased over the past two years so we welcome anyone who is able to make a regular donation.  We are in the process of opening a new bank account, however if you would like bank details to set up a direct debit, please contact Kathryn: 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

The Café church service on 9^th October (4pm) will be our harvest festival.  All welcome – there will be some lovely autumnal refreshments.

KD

Rockland All Saints

As I write, the weather has broken but, in spite of the dark clouds, we are still waiting for any significant rain in Rocklands! The good side is that it has meant that the grass in the churchyard has not needed so much attention, so we are grateful for that!

It has been a quiet month following the Flower Festival but we are now preparing for a new (for us!) service on September 18th when we will be holding a combined PETS SERVICE and HARVEST FESTIVAL at 10.30, hopefully outside if the weather permits!  This will be a thanksgiving service with a difference as we celebrate our pets and the harvest all in one go! The Benefice Music Group will be leading the singing and the format will be informal. Please come along with or without a pet….I am sure you will not be disappointed!  Donations of gifts for the Food Bank can be brought along on the day and the collection will be in aid of the Leprosy Fund, which is our usual Harvest chosen charity.

Another date for your calendar is October 15th when we will be holding the annual Harvest Supper in the Village Hall at 7pm. Tickets will be available from Julie Dekker and Cath Jones nearer the time but please book date in your diary now! As well as the delicious home-cooked meal, the Roskettes will be entertaining us again, so an event not to be missed!

We still have little idea about the future of the benefice, although we are still expecting to be joined with the Hingham group of churches when they have appointed a new priest there. In the meantime, we are very grateful to Rev. Sue Strutt, readers Carol Bennett and Colin Thomas (together with Nadine Randall who is hoping to become ordained in the near future,) for all they are doing to keep the benefice running smoothly.

Thanks to all who have supported All Saints Church in so many different ways….and please take care of yourselves!

CJ

Rockland St Peter

On the 14^th of August, the sun was shining as we welcomed young Martha Edith Lotarius into the faith. We wish her well in her journey and hope she has a grand time when she starts school this September.

Joan Dove’s Little Treasure Hunt Quiz:

Do you know where the St. Peter’s Church sundial is?

Answer: We could tell you (and we might in the next issue) but for now, we would love for you to explore the grounds and see if you can find it. Hint: You might need a stick with a rounded end to hook in the hole… Good luck!

Christening Poem

Welcome the babes.

Welcome them to the Christ Light.

Welcome them to the Three in One.

Welcome them to God.

Welcome them to their greatest friend.

Welcome them to someone

who will fight to the end.

Welcome them.

Welcome.

KYT Poetry

St Peter, Little Ellingham

As the summer and the hot, dry weather continues, we start to look forward to Autumn.  This is a special time of year when we shall be celebrating our Harvest Festival this month with all donations for the Foodbank please.  With the weather as it has been, both farmers and gardeners have had a tough time but maybe it is something we are going to have to get use to, or at least make provision for.  So this is a good time to give thanks for what we do have and reflect on those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

On the 1^st October we shall be repeating our McMillan Coffee Morning in the church.  Last year we raised almost £400 for this worthy charity; let’s see how much we can do this year.

Before either of these events, we have the Norfolk Churches Bike Ride which raises money for the Norfolk Churches Trust and our own church to help maintain our ancient church buildings.  We are hoping to have some cyclists on the day peddling for our church.

CT

Foodbank

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the food bank with donations.  They are being taken to Thetford warehouse for sorting and onward distribution in our area.  Demand for services has now increased and is expected to continue to do so over the coming months.  Most wanted items are currently tinned soup and tinned tomatoes.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Shellrock Ramblings are now available for download in the resources section of this website here

Shropham with Snetterton

Looking forward to the service on 31^st July which will be at 11.30am.

DN

Rockland All Saints

I am writing this early as we are going to be away when the deadline arrives……so not much to report of June news because most of it hasn’t happened yet!

Keeping the churchyard looking clean and tidy has always been a priority for us at All Saints, but with an ageing and dwindling congregation, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep up the standards set by our predecessors! We are SO grateful for the work that David and Maddie Baldwin have put in over many, many years strimming the nettles down and cutting the hedges. Sadly, health issues now currently prevent them from doing as much as they have done……a HUGE thank you to them both and we wish them better health to come.

Although we get a small grant from the Parish Council, this doesn’t go anywhere near covering the cost of fuel and maintenance of the mowers, so we are now having to look for other ways of maintaining the beautiful and peaceful churchyard that is enjoyed by so many, not just churchgoers.  It is no longer sustainable to rely on purely volunteer labour.

On a more positive note, we look forward to the annual Flower Festival that will be held on the weekend of 16-18 July (the flowers in church are open on Monday too but without full tearoom service- drinks and cakes only!)  I am sure it will be as beautiful as ever- we have again ordered good weather! There will be a bric-a-brac stall including lots of books and lunches on Saturday and Sunday from the tearoom as well as the usual delicious cakes, scones etc! We look forward to seeing you there!

CJ

Rockland St Peter

The Platinum Jubilee was very exciting for St. Peters. On the 5th June we were joined at the service by Ed Connolly our County Councillor, he came to plant an Oak Tree to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. He was helped by Sue Strutt. The rain stayed away and we were able to have the Choir, accompanied by Kathryn Donald on flute, to sing the National Anthem around the tree. A plaque to put behind the tree, was kindly donated By James Harold, from Rockland Mere Fisheries. A special thanks to everyone who decorated the church with flowers. It looked beautiful. 

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Wow, what a special week-end we all had to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.  The church looked stunning as it was filled with flowers and memorabilia all depicting something of our Queen’s reign.  Refreshments were served throughout the weekend which was enjoyed by the many people who visited and admired the displays.  There was also an exhibition of artwork from two local artists, Cate Aspinall and Dale Southall.

Of course none of this would have been possible without the hard work of the many people who decorated the church, baked cakes, provided scones and sausage rolls, took turns in serving and welcoming people and finally helped to clear up afterwards.  The organisers are very grateful for their support and to all those who came along over the three days to look at the wonderful creations and spend time partaking of the lovely refreshments.

Although by no means the primary motive for holding this event, we were grateful for the many financial donations made by our visitors which will go towards the Church Repair Fund. 

The finale to the week-end was the Thanksgiving Service held on the Sunday afternoon.  Many people from the village and without came to the service which was conducted by the Revd Sue Strutt.  A mixture of well known hymns, poems and a talk by Sue provided a fitting tribute to our Queen and the end to such a wonderful four days.

CT

St James, Great Ellingham

In July, our café service will include a Teddy Bear Picnic and thanksgiving element for the Teddy Bear Festival.  We look forward to welcoming visitors to the service – we hope to hold the picnic outside, so bring along some nibbles and a picnic blanket.  Everyone is welcome – including teddy bears!

The festival originated at the church many years ago and we are pleased to host the art exhibition, starting with the preview evening on 1^st July and open until Sunday 3^rd.  There are always plenty of pieces to enjoy (and purchase) so we look forward to seeing the creativity of local artists again.  Access to the church will be restricted from Wednesday 29^th June during setup for the exhibition.

A local history exhibition will be held on 9^th & 10^th July by Heather Etteridge and Matt Hall, the metal detectorist.  If you have been to the church recently, you may have seen Heather’s superb display about the village schools.  Refreshments will be available and it is an event not to be missed!

The Celtic service continues to grow, with a regular established congregation enjoying the quieter reflective pace.  Unfortunately, due to the Arts Festival being held in the church that week-end it has been decided to cancel this service in July.

The first St James Social held in June was attended by a small number of people, playing Scrabble, learning to paint with Christine and enjoying a natter.  The next one will be on Tuesday 5^th July, 1.30-3.30pm.  Christine recently had a fall and is awaiting an operation - we wish her a speedy recovery and hope that she will be able to make this afternoon but others will be on standby in her place

KD

Foodbank

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the food bank donations.  It is likely that over the coming weeks, demand for its services will increase.  If you need support with food, please contact Citizens Advice who should be able to assist or provide a voucher to exchange at a food bank.  If you are struggling to collect a box, please ask for help.  Contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

KD

My Dear Friends,

As far as the Church is concerned, we are in Ordinary Time. This means there are no big Festivals or extraordinary events to mark before Advent. The Church seasons are in relaxed mode. Those of us who work to maintain and sustain the presence of God in our parishes, however, are still beavering away, making plans and organising events and services.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was very hard work for some. A very lovely Flower Festival took place at Little Ellingham with a Thanksgiving Service in the afternoon of Sunday 5th June, which was also the day of Pentecost. We had already had one celebration of the Jubilee with a terrific service of Thanksgiving at Rockland St Peter in the morning when the Benefice Choir was present, too. Well done, and thank you to everyone who contributed to the weekend and participated. There was lots of lovely food on offer! Plus - we had a wedding and Baptism at Great Ellingham over that weekend!

Looking forward, there is to be another Flower Festival at Rockland All Saints on the weekend of 16th July – more beautiful flower arrangements and more scrummy food anticipated. The annual Teddy Festival will be taking place in Gt Ellingham, with a Teddy Picnic Café Church on 10th July at 4.00p.m. In between times we have a few weddings and a christening to celebrate at various churches within our Benefice. We pray for all those who are coming to mark their life events with us and ask for the blessing of Our Father. It is a privilege to be able to be part of it all.

So... life does not stand still, but I hope you will have a chance for a break away from the usual round of the hard work it takes to keep our parishes alive and well. We all need time for refreshment and relaxation, and to renew our relationship with God. I am sure he knows all we do for his Church and our communities, but he also wants us to rest and not overdo it.

I will be on holiday off and on throughout August and, possibly, one week in September. Harvest is the next big thing when we will be gathering together, starting in September – look out for dates and details in your parish.

My love to all, and praying that you will have a wonderful summer,
Sue

It was originally intended to hold a Benefice BBQ at the Benefice office on Saturday 25th June.

Unfortunately due to an increase in events and workload this month, it has been decided to postpone this event until later this summer.

Available to download here: shellrockbenefice.org.uk/res/Ramblings/Shellrock_Ramblings_June_12.pdf

Rockland St Peter

We managed to have our traditional Agape Meal service on Maundy Thursday 14th April. It was a huge success. It was a chance for everyone to get together and share food and wine to remember the Last Supper, when Jesus shared food with his Disciples. 

We now have the go ahead to demolish the wall that has partially collapsed. It will be replaced with a post and rail fence.

We will have a Family Service on Sunday May 1st at 10-30

Looking forward to June and the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. 

We will have a special Thanksgiving Service on Sunday at 10-30, with the Benefice Choir. This is Rockland St. Peter's contribution to the Platinum Jubilee.

JB

Rockland All Saints

What a beautiful day it was on May 18^th when we were able to hold Barbara’s Day for the first time since 2019!  The sun shone all day long and it was so lovely to see so many people coming, after such a long break, to sample the delights of home cooked lunches (including desserts to die for!), drink tea and coffee and catch up with friends old and new in the big marquee as they chatted!

The plant stall was just about sold out by three o’clock and the bric-a-brac tables were looking bare!  The cake tent that had been bursting at the seams at 9am was completely empty….and all our wonderful helpers were exhausted (I was so busy I completely forgot to take any photos!) but on a high after our swansong (yes, this was the very last) garden party had been a success!

We are so grateful to the wonderful crew who helped make Barbara’s Day a success. Everything had to transported from the church down to the venue in Low Lane in various cars and Mr Mac’s trailer, marquees and more tables had to be collected from other corners of the village, the tents and marquees had to be erected (and dismantled afterwards!) and that’s without all the baking and cooking that was done! At the end of the day, all the above had to be done in reverse as everything was returned whence it came!

Thanks to all who helped with preparation, on the day and afterwards – many from other churches in the benefice who were so generous with their time. It is much appreciated.

The biggest ‘thank you’ of all, of course,  has to go to John and Barbara Scase who were the hosts and arch-organisers and allowed their home and garden to be used yet again to raise some money for the little church on the hill!  What the public sees on the day is just the tip of the iceberg ……the organisation behind the scenes is extraordinary! So THANK YOU  Barbara and John!  I have lost count of the number of times Barbara’s Day has been held but it is a village event so many will remember fondly, not least all the Rocklands schoolchildren who come over during the school day, with their helpers, each clutching an envelope with £1 inside and then return to school clutching their bargain buys and are so excited with their purchases! Magic!

We now look forward to the Flower Festival in July so please mark the weekend of July 16-18 in your diary!  Another event not to be missed!

CJ

Shropham with Snetterton

A piece of the font that fell out has been replaced and a window has been repaired. 

Looking forward to the service on 29th May

DN

St Peter, Little Ellingham

We are busy preparing for our Flower Festival to be held in our church over the week-end of the Queen’s Jubilee.  This promises to be a wonderfully colourful celebration of our queen and her 70 years reign, highlighting her achievements and her interests.  The church will be open Friday to Sunday between 10am and 4pm.  There is no entrance fee, only donations invited towards the church maintenance fund.  Light refreshments will be available throughout the week-end.

Our service of Thanksgiving at 4pm on Sunday will bring our Jubilee celebrations to a close.  Some traditional hymns will be at the core of this Thanksgiving reflecting on the service our queen has given to her country and her church.

CT

St James, Great Ellingham

Our café church service on 8^th May was on the theme of Noah and the Ark.  Due to two members of the music group being unavailable (covid strikes again!), the songs were adapted to be a simpler and led by the flute.  It was lovely to see new faces in the congregation – one family to hear their marriage banns being read and another visiting prior to their child’s Baptism.  Along with extracts from the bible telling the story, we also heard ‘All afloat on Noah’s boat’, a lovely rhyming book adaptation ending with all the animals performing in a talent show.  Whilst we like a bit of audience participation at café church, the suggestion of a talent show as part of the service, was swiftly dismissed!  We did use the ark as a visual prop and the children enjoyed lining up the animals and sorting them into different colours, to signify the rainbow sent as God’s promise never to send a flood again.

The Celtic service continues to grow, with a regular established congregation enjoying the quieter reflective pace.  Within it, there is plenty of opportunity for discussion and fellowship at this service.  As I type, the choir is rehearsing for its ‘outing’ at Great Ellingham on Sunday.  They continue to add an extra dimension to our services, bringing additional sung elements to the communion service.

Plans are also in final stages for the Big Breakfast – thank you to all the volunteers who have made this happen, particularly Charles with the bbq cooking.  Watch this space for the amount raised…. (£428.55)

During June and July there will be some disruption to access to the church and library – this is due to the set-up for the Village Singers concert and the Teddy Festival art exhibition.  Notices will be displayed on the porch door advising of closures and apologies for any inconvenience.

Look out for the July café church – this will feature ‘Thanksgiving’ for the teddy festival and be followed by a teddy bear’s picnic.  Everyone is welcome; please bring along your teddy, picnic blanket and nibbles.

KD

Foodbank

This continues to be well supported, with 6-8 boxes being collected each week from Sainsbury’s and 1-2 boxes from the village shop.  The donations are mostly taken to the Thetford warehouse for sorting and packing, before being distributed to its centres at Watton, Attleborough and Thetford.  ‘Bumper’ weeks are also sent onto Norwich.  Thank you to Mary, Neville, Colin & Margaret for their help.

KD

Dear Friends,

As you read this we will be about to embark on a glorious, celebratory weekend for our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. We are praying the weather will be glorious, too. I remember (just) that actual Coronation Day and it poured with rain. We were not one of the lucky families who knew somebody with a brand new black and white television and invited to gather around it to watch the whole ceremony flickering in front of our eyes, but I do have a memory (and a few photos) of a tea party in the local Methodist Church Hall. – rows of tables filled with children, and our mums in aprons, smiling and serving sandwiches and cakes.

I’m sure some of you have tales to tell of memories about the Coronation or meeting the Queen at some point in your life. If you do, I would like to hear about it and, if you agree, to relate your experience during the services. Or, do you have a relevant poem or piece of prose you would like to be read?

Each community has organised their own events. We do have, however, two services of Thanksgiving in the Shellrock Benefice on Sunday 5th June:

10.30a.m. Rockland St Peter with the Benefice Choir and the planting of a Jubilee Tree after the service.
4.00p.m. Little Ellingham, as part of a weekend long Flower Festival beginning on Friday 3rd, to 5th June.
In addition, there will be a wedding, wedding blessing, and a baptism in our Benefice over the weekend – lots of reasons to thank God and be joyful.

Sunday 5th is the day of Pentecost, already a celebratory day in the Church’s year. The next Sunday is Trinity Sunday. After that we relax and move into ‘Ordinary Time’ until Advent, although there will be several weddings and baptisms throughout the year in the Shellrock Benefice. We are also continuing to negotiate the merger with High Oak and Hingham Benefice – more news on that will be forthcoming over the next few months. Exciting times, we must let God lead us and be thankful.

My love to you all,

Sue

St James, Great Ellingham

We are looking forward to the return of the Christian Aid Big Breakfast on Saturday 21^st May, from 9am.  Breakfast to suit all requirements will be available in return for a donation towards the charity.  Christian Aid is a charity that works across the world, seeking to eradicate poverty by supporting projects like water pumps, skills training, education and health information to improve the lives of the most vulnerable.

The Breakfast menu will consist of bacon and sausages (from Tony Perkins Butchers), plus a range of cereals, toast and fruit.  Donations are hugely appreciated (big or small) and it should be possible to take contactless donations, technology permitting….  This was a great event in 2019 and we look forward to welcoming you all.

Another fund-raising event for Christian Aid is a coffee morning that the Methodist Church is holding on Thursday 5^th May between 10am and 11am.

The Good Friday Walk of Witness was a bright and sunny day as a group of us headed from the village down Penhill Road and on towards Rocklands.  A short refreshment stop at the shop was welcome before we continued onto Rockland All Saints church.

On Easter Sunday, a congregation of 25 gathered to remember the reason for our faith; the resurrection of Jesus.  In a sermon from Dale, peppered with amusing anecdotes, he reminded us that He died on the cross to restore and revive us.

KD

Rockland St Peter

We managed to have our traditional Agape Meal service on Maundy Thursday 14th April. It was a huge success. It was a chance for everyone to get together and share food and wine to remember the Last Supper, when Jesus shared food with his Disciples. 

We now have the go ahead to demolish the wall that has partially collapsed. It will be replaced with a post and rail fence.

We will have a Family Service on Sunday May 1st at 10-30

Looking forward to June and the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. 

We will have a special Thanksgiving Service on Sunday at 10-30, with the Benefice Choir. This is Rockland St. Peter's contribution to the Platinum Jubilee.

JB

Shropham with Snetterton

The Easter Day Service at Shropham included a very well attended baptism.  All in there were some 140 adults and 40 children in church.

Half of the NW window of the church has been removed for repair.  A part of the top of the font which came loose but luckily did not fall and break is due to be repaired.

The next service is on 29^th May, BCP Holy Communion.

DN

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Despite the efforts of a bird (we think) our church looked wonderful for the Easter service.  The flower arrangements were lovingly created by an enthusiastic group of women (yes not a man in sight) which bodes well for our forthcoming Flower Festival in June as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.

The week before, we held our Palm Sunday service which was almost scuppered by several key people becoming ill with Covid.  Sadly the choir were unable to sing their repertoire of songs which will be held over for another time.

The Walsingham Pilgrims visited our village for the first time since Covid struck.  Normally they would have stayed overnight in the village Hall but due to Covid they decided to return to Wymondham each night.  We provided refreshments prior to their holding an informal service in the church.  We hope next year the situation will be much improved and normal service resumed.

Another meeting is scheduled for this month to discuss the merger of our benefice with the Hingham and High Oaks benefice.  It is still too early to say how much progress has been made so hopefully more will be forthcoming at this meeting.

CT

Rockland All Saints

Spring has now arrived and we have all enjoyed some lovely weather this Easter, for a change!

During April, we held two services, both over the Easter period. On Good Friday we welcomed the weary team who had completed the Walk of Witness from St James’ in Gt Ellingham across the back (and somewhat circuitous) route and we had a meaningful reflective service as we remembered what happened on that day in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. But, as we know, on the third day He rose again and on Easter Day the service was joyful and looking forward…. both services were well attended and went very well.

We are pleased to announce that Barbara’s Day is back and will be held as usual at Cheyney (in Low Lane opposite Rocklands School) on May 18^th from 10am to 3pm.  Covid has prevented this event from taking place for the last two years so we are delighted it can happen again this year!  We will be offering the usual Ploughman’s lunches with salads and desserts and the usual array of refreshments, all homemade!  There will also be a plant stall, bric-a-brac, books, cakes and home made jams etc as well as a raffle.  (Please note that we do not have facilities for card payments so sorry, it is cash only!)  As always, we hope to welcome the children from the school during the day….attached is a picture from the archives with some children who are now very much more grown up than when the photo was taken!  Do you recognise anyone (apart from Julie Dekker, of course!)

We look forward to seeing you very soon – in the meantime, as always, stay safe!

CJ

Foodbank

We continue to supply the Thetford Foodbank with a good supply of items.  Thetford is the main warehouse for Attleborough and Watton.  It appears that nationally the situation is becoming problematic in that more people are needing to access the Foodbank’s services whilst donations are decreasing.  So thank you to everyone who continues to support this vital service.

Dear Friends,

We are on the cusp of summer, and what a summer it promises to be.  Two items of significance are occurring………..

At the end of May we will be looking forward to celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s 70 years reign.  There are not many others who can say they have stuck with the same job for that length of time, but she has not had a choice.  Imagine being born into a family where only one job is available, whether you like it or not.  Some members of that family have chosen to leave, others have undertaken what they see as their duty in support of that one person – the Queen – doing her work.

I, for one, am very proud of our royal heritage but many see it as a privileged waste of time and public money.  Be that as it may, 70 years is almost a lifetime for some of us, and congratulations are due to Her Majesty.  She has not wavered in her obligation and responsibility. I believe, however, that the times in which we are living now are probably the most difficult for her both personally, having lost her ‘strength and stay’, and publicly with the criticism of her family and the monarchy.  Parts of the UK and the Commonwealth are wishing to part company and, although much of that is political, I think she must feel it on a personal level.  Some of the headlines are very cruel.

So, I hope you join with me in wishing her well, and simply holding her, and her family, in our prayers on her Platinum Jubilee.

We have two Thanksgiving Services in the Benefice over the Jubilee weekend, on June 5th – Rockland St Peter at 10.30a.m with the Choir, and Little Ellingham at 4.00p.m.  We would like you, the communities, to suggest hymns/songs, and if there is a relevant poem or reading that you find, please tell someone from the church – suggestions in by May 14^th please, so we have time to arrange the service and give the choir time to know what they will be singing; their rehearsal is on May 19^th.

Appropriately, June 5^th is also Pentecost when we remember the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples and they are sent out to build the Church of Jesus Christ.  It is the birthday celebration of the Church – a very important day that will not be lost on Queen Elizabeth II.

BUT…….before that, we are giving more consideration to joining with the High Oak and Hingham Benefice, as mentioned in previous Shellrock News.  We are hoping that, before the end of the summer at least, an advertisement will have been put out for a new incumbent to be the Vicar of the two Benefices.  The merger of the two will take place later.

In preparation for that, a meeting with Bishop Alan and Archdeacon Steven is taking place at Gt Ellingham on May 10^th at 7.00p.m. to which all interested parties are welcome. This will include members of the High Oak and Hingham Benefice.  Please would all PCC members attend if you can?  Others would be welcome to observe and listen.

There are many events to look forward to; let us do so with hope and joy in our hearts despite the negativity of the world.  People are still coming to church to be married and bringing their children for baptism – occasions for rejoicing……..

My love to you all,

Sue

Rockland St Peter

Not much to report this month apart from our Agape Meal Service returns on 14th April at 1900hrs. We hope at RSP that the merger with Hingham goes smoothly. It was very pleasant to meet the people who came to our service on 6th March. Nadine seems a very positive forward thinking lady, it will be nice to share more services with the people from Hingham.

JB

Shropham with Snetterton

Shropham is looking forward to the service on Easter Day which will include the christening of Jack Nudds.

DN

St James, Great Ellingham

At our March café church service, we started to look at creation taking our reading from Genesis.  This will be the basis for our services for the next few months.  At the end of the service, we planted two trees in the south side of the churchyard.  These will be dedicated later in the year.

Coming up in April, we have Palm Sunday at the start of Holy Week – there will be a café church in the afternoon in addition to the service at Little Ellingham in the morning.  The annual Walk of Witness will take place on Good Friday, departing from Great Ellingham at 12 noon.  The walk takes us along Mill Lane to Rocklands.  Everyone is welcome, including well behaved dogs!  The walk ends at All Saints church; walkers are welcome to stay for the service if they wish.  There will be a Holy Communion service at 10.30am on Easter Sunday in St James’.

**Diary Date:  The Christian Aid Big Breakfast is returning on Saturday 21^st May.  This was thoroughly enjoyable when held three years ago – a selection of cereals, fruit and bacon rolls in exchange for a donation towards the charity.  Watch this space for more information next month!**

We are planning a new group at church, St James Social.  This will be on Monday afternoons and for anyone who would like to meet new friends, share stories, play board games, enjoy some refreshments.  Look out for the poster or see Christine Fuller for more information!

The library continues to be well used, with a good selection of books and magazines along with jigsaw puzzles.  It’s not just fiction – cookery books and gardening magazines are well represented if you are looking for inspiration!

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Thankfully our electricity supply was restored within the week of the fallen tree taking out the cable, so our services have now resumed.  There is some damage to the wall which held the cable but we are hoping this will require only minor repairs.  Sadly our wheelie bin, which was fatally damaged by the weight of the tree, has not yet been replaced.

We have started to plan our Queen’s Jubilee week-end with a flower festival and a special service of Thanksgiving.  More details will be given closer to the time of the celebrations.

For now we look forward to our Easter celebrations.  The benefice holds several services over this period starting with a Palm Sunday service in our church.  We shall have a special Prayer and Praise service on Easter Sunday evening.

Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in the church at 1pm on Sunday 24^th April.  We shall be reporting on the year past and electing our churchwarden(s) and PCC members.  All eligible people are invited to attend.

CT

Rockland All Saints

Last month, I mentioned the huge beech tree that was uprooted and fell in the churchyard at All Saints during Storm Eunice. Very many thanks to all those who offered advice and helped in the decision making of the safest way to sort the problem out.  It seemed a mammoth job and, although we were pleased no buildings had been affected, it meant that our insurance policy did not extend to cover any of the costs of getting the tree cut up and removed.

Now, with HUGE thanks to the work of Tom Bird and his assistant, (tree surgeons from Norwich who were able to attend promptly with their amazing equipment) most of the tree has gone and the churchyard is almost restored to how it was before the storm. Only one gravestone took a direct hit and that family is looking into getting a replacement headstone in place. Some larger bits of wood have been taken for use in gardens and other pieces have been chopped and taken for woodturning stoves and open fires. If there is anything left by the time you read this, please do help yourself!  This time last month, we thought we had an insurmountable problem, but today, thanks to the kindness of those people, we had it sorted in time for the funeral of Daphne Blackbourn on March 25th, sadly the latest in a long list of funerals in Rocklands in recent months.

Now, a date for your diary!  For what could be the last time in this format,  Barbara’s Day will be held at Cheyney, in Low Lane (opposite school) on May 18th with all the usual treats!  If you haven’t been before, make a special effort to attend this year for coffee and cakes and/or a delicious home cooked lunch, and browse the stalls with bric-a-brac, books, plants and shrubs and a whole lot more!!  If you have missed it for the last couple of years, put the date in your diary NOW!!  It would be lovely to make this a bumper year! And while you have your diary open, please add the Flower Festival which this year will take place from Saturday July 16th until Monday 18th inclusive….another event you won’t want to miss, I’m sure!  More details nearer the time!

CJ

Foodbank

The Foodbank donations continue to be gratefully received by Thetford Foodbank.  With the current poor financial situation for many, it is likely to be a busy time ahead for the staff.

Dear Friends,

Before Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the day we now call Palm Sunday, knowing he was challenging the authorities which would probably lead to his death, he prepared the disciples for his departure.  He talked about a new way of relating to God as Father, that he would not be there to guide them but that they must keep their vision of the Kingdom and reject the pressures to stay in the past – “those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it” (Luke 17:33).

We, in the Shellrock Benefice, find ourselves in a similar situation.  Changes are occurring within our Benefice in more ways than one, and we have to either go along with them in a steady, positive way or, in trying to keep what we have had, get left behind. 

The disciples found themselves in a vortex of events that was bringing them into one of the worst times they had experienced with Jesus but, after a few days, all was turned on its head and the future was bright.  Those that had stayed with him went on to bring his message of love to the rest of the world and their names live on forever, through the generations into eternity.

We have no dates for our joint venture with the High Oak and Hingham Benefice.  We pray that we will be led by the Holy Spirit, looking forward not back. And we pray for Bishop Alan and Archdeacon Stephen who are making the decisions on our behalf.  It is our task to work together, with them and the other Benefice’s ministers and congregations.  Many of them will be feeling the trepidation, too, but all we need to know is that wherever we go with it, Jesus has been before us. We need have no fear.

This is also true for our own lives.  Interestingly, “do not be afraid“ is in the Bible 365 times, once for each day of the year.

A very happy and blessed Easter to you all,

Sue

St James, Great Ellingham
February has been a quiet month of services at St James – a heating problem meant that café church was cancelled, but we look forward to the service on the 27th February where the newly re-formed benefice choir will be in attendance.

Storm Eunice brought a tree down in the churchyard – please bear with us as we clear this. Thank you to Charles who spotted this and used his tractor to bring away from the wall. Luckily, it appears no damage has been caused. Access through the gate from Attleborough Road is affected.

In March we will be welcoming Bishop Graham to a Deanery Synod meeting held in the church. Mothering Sunday on 27th March will be a celebration to mums of all shapes and sizes – not just direct relations but all those who ‘mother’ and guide us through life. We plan to give out traditional posies.

The library continues to be well used, with a good selection of books and magazines along with jigsaw puzzles. It’s not just fiction – cookery books and gardening magazines are well represented if you are looking for inspiration!

KD

Rockland All Saints

Typically, the visual aid I had lost when I gave the tribute to the Queen at the Candlemas service at the beginning of this month, turned up a couple of days later in a bag at the back of the shoe drawer (no idea how it got there - must have been the cat up to his tricks, as I certainly didn’t put it there!) So that you get to see it, albeit a bit late, here is the beautiful crown Carol knitted for the Flower Festival in 2012! Thanks to all who attended the service and gave such lovely positive feedback afterwards - we are so glad you enjoyed it!

Unfortunately, All Saints didn’t come through Storm Eunice without casualty - a huge tree fell in the graveyard near the most recent graves. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and there was no serious damage...but it is quite a headache working out how best to clear up the debris. The
Diocese has been contacted for advice and the insurance company will need to be involved, so hopefully we will see a way forward, without danger to life or limb. (Our usual tree surgeon advised great caution after he saw it and said it needed specialist action as it is such a huge tree that is completely uprooted.) Several families are very distressed that their loved ones’ gravestones have been disturbed but the story could have been so much worse. The good news is that the buildings are intact and nobody was hurt.....and so many have come forward offering to help when it is safe to do so, which is so kind!

Our next service is on 20th March and we look forward to the newly-formed choir singing at that! It has been a long time....!!

CJ

Rockland St Peter
First of all, can I just let the people of Rocklands know that we have a problem with the wall at the top of St. Peter's Lane. Part of the wall has collapsed, therefore it is not advisable to drive or walk up the lane to gain access to the church. We will attempt to get it sorted out as soon as possible. St. Peter's, as well as the other churches in the Shellrock Benefice, have to make a very important decision about our future. After Reverend Christina retired on 31st December we have been asked by the Diocese to join the Hingham Benefice. This will make it easier for the Diocese to manage staffing levels.

On a brighter note we have the Baptism of Freddie Dawney on Sunday 6th March. Many people from the village will be there.

We are looking forward to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. There will be a special service at St Peter's on Sunday 5th June.

JB

St Peter, Little Ellingham
Despite having our trees trimmed by UK Power recently, we suffered the same fate as many others when one of our trees came down during store Eunice. Thankfully the only casualty was our wheelie bin which tried to cushion the tree’s descent. Broken and with no wheels it awaits collection by Breckland Council and a replacement. I say it was the only casualty, but the tree did bring down the power line to the church. Sadly the weakest link was not at the pole but the church wall where the anchor point was ripped from the wall and the cable severed. It turned out that the cable was still ‘live’ and to give UK Power their due, they were there to make it safe within two hours of being told. As yet we don’t know the full extent of the damage, but we are hoping it is not too great. UK Power restored the power by the Tuesday evening after some alterations to the fittings. If the same thing happens again it is hoped it doesn’t take the wall with it next time! Note to self, ‘lop trees in vicinity of power line’.

CT

Foodbank
The Foodbank collections are still ongoing. Your donations are always appreciated so please continue to provide whatever items they can use. A full list is on their website, https://thetford.foodbank.org.uk/

Choir
As has already been mentioned, the Benefice church choir is again up and running. There are no specific practice nights, it depends on when during the month the choir is attending a service. We are looking forward to preparing for future services, including weddings, under the musical leadership of Neville Moon. Anyone who wishes to join us is very welcome.
CT

Church sponsored events to look forward to this month
Although we are not holding a Lent course this year there are two courses running in neighbouring parishes.

St Mary’s Church, Attleborough, five sessions on Wednesdays from 9th March to 6 th April:

7pm Holy Communion, 7.30pm to 8.45pm Lent course.
Each week ‘explore your own spirituality and prayer life with the help of some of the great Christian spiritual traditions:
Our own Anglican tradition
The Desert Father’s Solitude
The Benedictine Rule
The Franciscan Way
The Ignatian School

St Andrew’s Church, Hingham, five sessions on:
From Tuesdays 8th March 1130am with soup served at 1230pm or
Thursdays 10th March 7.30pm at The Meadows, Hingham
How does the uniqueness of Christianity work?
How does prayer work?
How does the church work?
How does God’s justice work?
How does heaven work?

Booking for this course is requested, to John Edmondson by email on: dean@johnedmondson.org

Ministers Corner
Dear Friends,

Firstly, as I write, Russia is invading Ukraine. It is an horrific situation for the people of Ukraine, and Kyiv in particular. Please pray for them and the country’s leaders.

Lent begins next week; 2nd March is Ash Wednesday. There will be a service of Holy Communion and Ashing at Little Ellingham at 7.00 p.m. to mark the beginning of Lent.

We are not running a Lent course this year (see church sponsored events, ed) but perhaps we can, in our services and individually, concentrate on Prayer. As mentioned above, we certainly need to pray for world peace and for governments to be stable, but we also have people around us who need our prayers. I have experienced the power of prayer several times in my own life, and it should not be underestimated.

Praying is a way of bringing God into our lives, also the lives of others. It can be a formal prayer such as those we use in our services. “Our Father, who art in heaven.....” is a good one to start with, but I also like what we call the Prayer for Purity – “Almighty, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secret is hidden; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your Holy Name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”. This is good when we are tired – God knows what it is we want to pray about, he knows all the secrets of our hearts. We don’t have to put it into more words!

OR .... we can use our own words. We could have a long ‘chat’ with God or a few short prayers. We can ask God questions, say thank you, tell him about something we have done, tell him we are sorry, ask for help. Above all, we can pray for others, especially those who need God’s healing love to be directed towards them, which will bring comfort and peace within their hearts.

It is certain that we all know people who are sick or anxious, bereaved, distressed, or just having a bad time. Sometimes those people are not unhappy for their names to be mentioned in Church at the intercessions. It helps to know that we are thinking of them, and we can broaden the number of prayers being offered for one person. Also, if they are mentioned in the Ramblings we can refer to it during the week so they can be prayed for every day. Happy events can be mentioned in prayers, too, such as thanksgiving for a newborn, a baptism, or marriage. If you know of anyone who would like to have prayers said for them, please let me know. We will ask their permission before they are mentioned publicly.

In the meantime, my prayers are with you all, and I hope the start of Lent brings respite and peace.

Sue

P.S. There is no more news on the plan to merge with High Oak and Hingham. Most responded in a positive way to Archdeacon Steven Betts in February. We have another Zoom meeting with him and Bishop Alan on March 28th. This is too late for the April Shellrock News but I am sure the outcome will be disseminated in some way.

The Benefice Church Choir has reformed after a long absence; over two years by my reckoning. As there is currently no fourth Sunday Benefice service with our churches taking it in turn, the choir will sing in one church each month in a rotation. The first time the choir will be present will be on 27th March in St James, next month in Rockland All Saints on 20th and so on.

We currently rehearse once each month in preparation for a forthcoming service and any weddings. The choir is open to all so if you wish to join us then please get in touch with me.

The Rt Revd Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, has recorded a Christmas message.  Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR-SRCuGWG0

Ministers Corner

Here is a letter sent out by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, to all parishioners:

Advent 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

 Advent marks the beginning of the Church year. We begin again the annual cycle of hearing and praying the story of Salvation in the birth and ministry, passion and death, resurrection and ascension, of Jesus Christ.

 Our Christian pilgrimage is a journey into the life and company of Jesus. I invite you to seek to live out our diocesan vision to be “Transformed by Christ”.

 To be Transformed by Christ inspires us to be Prayerful, Pastoral and Prophetic. All three ‘P’s’ are powerful words, full of promise and potential, and they will help us navigate the route along our journey of holy transformation.

 Will you come with me on this journey? It is not another programme, not another project, not another ‘thing’ to do. In fact, much more than more ‘do-ing’, I see this as a gift to ‘be’ more, to inhabit more fully and completely our lives as baptised children of God.

 Our new Vision is simply inviting us to build on what we, as disciples of Christ, are already doing – being open to God through prayer, being open to the needs of those around us through pastoral care and being open to issues of justice near and far through finding our prophetic voice.

 With the beginning of Advent, we will be focusing during the course of this next year on the first of those ‘P’ words – Prayerful. We could not begin with anything better, for everything flows from prayer. Advent’s weeks of watching and waiting are such good ones in which to begin deepening our prayer.

 At a time when we can often feel overloaded, and there is a pandemic ‘scratchiness’ around, how good it is to remember that the most important - yet simplest - thing we can do to prepare for the transformation brought by the Christ-child is to let prayer ready our hearts for his arrival.

 But our journeying together towards living more prayerfully goes on long after Advent. Our churches already have many wonderful resources at our disposal to help us to pray but some new ones – specifically for us in this diocese – have been produced to help us in the weeks and months ahead.

 There’s a poem … a new hymn … some notes for preachers … and various prayers and suggestions for how they might be used. All can be found on the diocesan website. In addition, do sign up for this year’s digital Advent Calendar: each of the ‘windows’ will reveal a different person from across this diocese, sharing with us the particular ways of praying. A wonderful opportunity to be inspired daily an incredibly rich variety of prayed-in lives.

 I see this year’s journey into deeper prayerfulness as a great gift. It is a gift offered to each one of us, to each congregation and to the diocese at large. An invitation to journey with me and each other into the mystery of God. As Bishop Jane, Bishop Alan and I travel around the diocese during this next year, we will be keen to hear from you what you are discovering about prayer. And to learn from you.

 Every blessing as you travel through Advent and open this gift in the coming weeks.

Shropham

Please see the diary page for upcoming events at Shropham.

Rockland St Peter

November has been very busy for St. Peter's with some really memorable events.

On 30th October we had Pudsey Lunch in aid of Children in Need which was a huge success.  It was wonderful to see the children in church doing activities, and adults enjoying cake and bacon rolls. People were very generous even to the point of one little girl who donated her £1.50 pocket money. We raised a total of £300 on the day.

The Winter Market on 6th November was another success. There was a lovely atmosphere in the hall despite the chilly air temperature. This was a perfect opportunity for villagers to get together and shop. The traders all remarked on how much they enjoyed being part of our winter market and working with our local community.

We have to say a massive thank you to Chris Riddell for his 'talk and draw' on 20th November and also for his on-line draw that raised much needed funds for St. Peter's.

On the 18th December we have a Nine Lessons and Carols service at 4pm. We are proud to say that the Wymondham Choristers will be there to sing for us.

On the 17th December Rocklands School will have their Carol Service at 2pm.

Santa's Grand Tour will also be on the 17th December; the tour will be around the villages of Little Ellingham and Rocklands finishing at The White Hart.

On Christmas Eve at 3pm is the Light of the World service aimed especially at Rocklands children. The stable will be in church from 1st December, please come and have a look.

Happy New Year.

On the 2nd January will be our first Family Service of 2022. 

JB

Rockland All Saints

It has been a busy month with various things going on and when you read this, December will be here and the ‘silly season’ will be well and truly upon us!  The Advent Lunch and Advent Carol service will be over and the Church Year will have started again!

On December 5th at 10.30,  the service will be at All Saints and we will be remembering and celebrating the lives of  all those we have lost since the beginning of the pandemic, including one of our PCC, Laura Thompson, who sadly passed away so recently on 11th November at home.

The wonderful Christingle service (see poster) is being held on December 12th. The children come at 2.30 and make their Christingles in the Victorian schoolroom and the actual service begins at 3pm. It is a short, lively informal service, with the highlight being the children holding their lit Christingle candles in the semi darkness singing ‘Away in a manger’. The Benefice Music Group leads the singing, with Colin and Kathryn playing guitar and flute……we finish off by eating Nativity biscuits!  If you plan to bring a child, I’d be grateful if you could please let me know beforehand so we can make sure we have enough oranges! (cath@jones871.plus.com) All monies raised will go to The Children’s Society as usual.

The other service at All Saints in December is the traditional ‘Midnight Mass’ held at the more civilised hour of 10pm on Christmas Eve. This is a candlelit service and all are most welcome to attend. It humbles me every year to think that Rocklanders have been attending  a service on Christmas Eve in All Saints for hundreds of years and very little has changed in that time in the church, even though the world outside and our lifestyles are so very different!

Please make the effort to join us…I am sure you won’t regret it!

We wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and happy 2022 from all at All Saints Church.  Look after yourselves and stay safe.

CJ

St Peter, Little Ellingham

It gives me great pleasure to report that the doors to our recently installed units now been fitted.  They were removed several months ago to facilitate the repairs required including a change of hinges.  Also the notice board is scheduled to be secured to the wall.  All together the West end of the church will look very much better.  Thank you to Peter Griffiths for his persistence in getting this work carried out, and in time for Christmas too.

On the subject of Christmas, we shall be holding our Carol Service on Sunday 19^th December which will be accompanied with the usual refreshments of drinks and mince pies after the service.  Everyone is invited.  At least this year we shall have it indoors where it will be dry and relatively warm.

Sadly, we have been informed of the death of Ann Nash.  Ann was a long-time resident of Anchor Corner, Little Ellingham and has always supported our church.  A fall in July resulted in Ann being hospitalised from where she failed to recover sufficiently to return home.  Covid rules meant only her husband Robin was allowed to visit.  Her funeral is scheduled for 1pm on Friday 10^th December at Breckland Crematorium. We send our sincere condolences to husband Robin and family, and to her many friends.

CT

St James, Great Ellingham

We’ve just held our first event for almost two year – a Christmas Shopping Evening.  Thank you to everyone who attended; it was great to see the church full of people buying their gifts and meeting people.  It raised almost £485.  (That covers a quarter of our annual insurance renewal or a third of our gas bill.)  There were some super crafts available and the stallholders enjoyed themselves too.  Our raffle prizes were donated – special mentions go to Tony Perkins Butchers, Norfolk Veg Box, Rachel Ray Reflexology.  Thanks to all who helped in some way, particularly Abby, Pat & Beryl, Charles & Iain, Christine, Nancy.

Another Thank You is for Nancy who makes a variety of jams and donates all the money to church funds.  Take a walk along church street to the white house (Attleborough Rd end) and you might be lucky enough to find a jar or two available for sale.  They are tasty!

Remembrance Sunday was well attended.  Warming refreshments were enjoyed by all after the service with homemade pumpkin soup by Charles (thank you to Richard at Rookery Meadows for the pumpkins).  Another beautiful banner representing the sections of Great Ellingham (St James’) scout group was presented at the service, made by Christine Fuller.

Carols around the tree is back!  It will be on Tuesday 21^st December at 6.30pm.  This year it will feature members of the Great Ellingham school choir and the Village Singers, alongside traditional carols for everyone to enjoy.  Mince pies, mulled wine and other assorted goodies will be available.

There won’t be a café service on the 12^th December as the music group will instead be playing at the Christingle service at Rockland All Saints.  Traditional midnight mass will be held at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve.  Is it too early to wish you all a very Happy Christmas?!

Keep an eye on the service sheet in the porch or notice board for our services.  Changes and additions are likely during the festive period.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

KD

Food Donations

Donations received at the church (there is a green lidded box in the church) and the village shops are now split between Norwich and Thetford Foodbank.  Most wanted items on the list include: tinned tomatoes, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, UHT/long life milk, long life juice & tinned fish.  They are well stocked with pasta!  If you are making extra donations for Christmas, please do this as early in the month as possible so we can get them to the distribution centres.

If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.

KD

Here is the Certificate of Appreciation sent from the Norwich Foodbank thanking us for delivering to them 3,044 Kg of food which is estimated to supply 358 people with enough provisions for three days.  It is sad that this service is even necessary but your generosity makes it possible.

See also the item on the Salvation Army’s Toys and Tins Appeal

Salvation Army Toys and Tins Appeal

Every year, the Salvation Army collect new toys to be made into parcels for families referred to them and in need of help.  If you are interested in supplying anything, then I'm happy to collate and drop off.  The earlier they arrive, the sooner they can be sorted, boxed and distributed - however, anything that arrives too late is kept ready for the following year.  Financial gifts through their Just Giving pages are welcomed, or you can buy gifts direct for delivery via their Amazon wish list.

Amazon Gift List

https://amzn.to/3HGdsmJ 

JustGiving Page

https://www.justgiving.com/fund.../toys-and-tins-appeal-2021

Please contact Kathryn on 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

St James, Great Ellingham

October started with a simple Celtic style service in the afternoon on the first Sunday – a reflective moment to end the weekend.  Our second Sunday was café church – followed by cake to celebrate Colin’s birthday!  The remainder of October will see a benefice Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday where a new colourful banner, painted by Christine Fuller, will be dedicated.  The Memorial Service on 31^st October is open to anyone, with additional invitations to those who have lost a loved one during the past year.

On Friday 19^th November we are hosting a Christmas Shopping Evening, 7-9pm.  Come along to buy a unique gift from one of the many stallholders – jewellery, knitted goods, sweet hampers, fudge, books painted glass, to name just a few.  We have 16 different tables booked!  Festive refreshments will be available and all monies raised go towards keeping the church open.

Keep an eye on the service sheet in the porch or notice board for our services.  There is a Holy Communion each month, plus additional services now at 4pm.

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

Our Macmillan Coffee morning was a great success thanks to the wonderful efforts of the various bakers and to the many people who came along, supped lots of coffee and tea, and munched their way through plates of cake and other nibbles.  A lot of new families have moved into the village recently and it was good to see many of them had come along to support the event.  The total sum raised so far is just over £375.  A big ‘thank you’ to everyone involved.

We shall be hosting the regular Remembrance Sunday Service this year.  This event is an opportunity to commemorate the many men and women who have given their lives for the freedom of our country.  As usual we shall proceed to the US memorial at what used to be Deopham airfield and then to the Great Ellingham memorial.  Refreshments will be available at Great Ellingham church.

CT

Rockland All Saints

The Harvest Supper on 2nd October was great success with a record number of tickets sold and a record amount of money made!  Many thanks to all those who provided the absolutely delicious food, prepared the  village hall, laid the tables, served the meal, made teas and coffees, washed the dishes and entertained the troops afterwards with their music!  What struck me as really heartwarming though, was the way, when it was all over, everybody present set to and cleared away tables and chairs, swept the floors and took stuff home to wash!  We are so fortunate to be part of such a lovely community!

The tuner came to service the old organ as he does annually and now it’s playing beautifully again…..it was well tested during the Harvest Songs of Praise on 17th when we came as thankful and faithful people to plough fields, scatter good seed and  raise anthems. While we praised the beauty of the earth and all creatures of our God and king, we thanked our God with hearts and hands and voices for the fruits of his creation…….seven rousing hymns sung with gusto as Carey and John played and pumped vigorously!  The collection, as always at RAS Harvest, went to the Leprosy Mission and instead of bringing harvest gifts, we were asked to support the local Food Banks. It was a lovely service, led by Rev. Christina.

The inaugural meeting of the Men’s Den, co-ordinated by Cor Dekker, has taken place in the old schoolroom and was attended by 9 chaps from across the Benefice. Ideas were mooted and some have started to be implemented already! Next meeting is on November 2nd at 2pm if you feel like joining them…!

Please make a note in your diaries of the Advent Lunch, an annual  joint venture with RSP, on Saturday November 27th in the Village Hall which is followed next day by the usual Advent Carol service on the first Sunday of Advent (28th November) but please note the different time of 2.30pm.

Shropham

There will be a Shropham PCC meeting on 16^th November.

DN

Centering Prayer workshop

There are still some places available for anyone wishing to join us for the Centering Prayer workshop on Saturday 13^th November between 10am and 4pm.

Centering Prayer is a form of Contemplative Prayer which, as one person put it, “even though we can perhaps find ways to stop “outer noise” it is more difficult to still the “inner noise”.  Centering Prayer is a way of developing this inner peace to enable us to connect to our inner self and improve our connection with God.

Anyone interested please contact me.

Colin

Food Donations

Donations received at the church (there is a green lidded box in the church) and the village shops are now split between Norwich and Thetford Foodbank.  Most wanted items on the list include: tinned tomatoes, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, UHT/long life milk, long life juice & tinned fish.  They are well stocked with pasta!  If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

St James, Great Ellingham

It was a lovely day for those who took part in the annual Norfolk Churches Trust Walk/Drive/Cycle – six people recorded their visits to St James’.  We hope you enjoyed yourselves!

By the time this edition prints, we will have held our Harvest Festival service, welcoming the young people from the Scout Group.  Food donations will be taken at this service and added to the donations collected elsewhere in the benefice for the foodbank.

Looking ahead to October, I made the tricky decision to cancel the autumn fair.  Many of our ‘regular’ stallholders were unavailable and I ran out of time to look further afield.  However, if you are local and would be interested in a stall at a future event, please drop me a message: sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.

Can you help?  If you have an interest in fundraising to keep the building open, it would be great to hear from you.  The building is solely funded by its collections and fundraising – it costs a minimum of £5000 to simply open the doors each year; this does not include the cost of holding services or paying towards ministers.

Keep an eye on the service sheet in the porch or notice board for our services.  There is a Holy Communion each month, plus additional services now at 4pm.  In October there will also be our annual service for All Souls Day – a reflective moment to remember loved ones in our lives who are no longer with us.  Everyone is welcome, especially those who have been bereaved during the last year.

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

We are continuing to hold two regular services of worship each month; a morning service on the second Sunday of the month and an evening service on the third Sunday.  See the listing for details.  We also continue to work closely with St James Great Ellingham in co-ordinating our services and any events.

Margaret Thomas participated in the Norfolk Churches ‘bike’ ride last month by walking the four churches of Rocklands and the Ellinghams.  Thankfully the weather was dry and cool for the most part.  The walk took just over five hours and raised £60.  Margaret would like to thank all who sponsored her.  Maybe next year the bike will be ready and more churches can be visited (and more money raised?).

Our Macmillan Coffee morning was a great success thanks to the wonderful efforts of the various bakers and to the many people who came along, supped lots of coffee and tea, and munched their way through plates of cake and other nibbles.  A lot of new families have moved into the village recently and it was good to see many of them had come along to support the event.  The total sum raised so far is just over £360.  A big ‘thank you’ to everyone involved.

CT

Rockland St Peter

What a wonderful Baptism on 5th September. The Marriott family filled the church and made it a joyous occasion.

We have another Baptism on Saturday 9th October, Jenson Joshua Owen, we hope the Owen family have a fantastic day.

On 30th October we are going to have a Pudsey lunch in St Peters with the church dressed as a cafe. This will be to raise money for Children in Need. We are hoping the Little Rockies toddler group will join us. Lots of cakes to eat.

The Winter Market will happen in November.

JB

Shropham

 It was so good to see such a happy wedding in the church. The only sadness was the replacement of the familiar Registers of Marriages and Certificates used for generations with a bland A4 Marriage Document.

DN

Centering Prayer workshop

Several months ago I announced I was considering setting up a workshop on Centering Prayer, a form of Contemplative Prayer. This workshop has now been arranged for 10am to 4pm on Saturday 13^th November in Little Ellingham village hall (Old School Hall).  The workshop will be led by Debbie House who is part of the Norwich Christian Meditation Centre based at St Augustine’s church, Norwich.

If anyone is interesdted in attending this workshop please get in touch with me so I can make the necessary arrangements.  Coffee and Tea will be provided but you will need to bring your own lunch.

If you are wanting more information here is a link to a website:

https://www.contemplative.org/contemplative-practice/centering-prayer/

Colin

Food Donations

Donations received at the church (there is a green lidded box in the porch) and the village shops are now being split according to need.  During September these have been taken to Norwich Foodbank and NNUH.  Most wanted items on the list include: tinned tomatoes, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, UHT/long life milk, long life juice & tinned fish.  They are well stocked with pasta!  If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

I'm looking for some help with taking the foodbank donations to Norwich as I've taken on a new role at work which comes with increased hours.  It doesn't have to be every week (I've been going every two weeks) on a Friday morning.  There are usually around 6 -8 large boxes.  Norwich foodbank is open on Mon/Thurs/Fri 9-1 for donations, located on Ivy Road (off Bowthorpe Road) - UEA side of the city.  Please drop me an email or give me a call!  Thanks Kathryn

KD

St James, Great Ellingham

Our August service in St James was a benefice service, café style with music group.  The ‘café’ service is moving in September to make way for a Holy Communion.  Please check the services listed in the magazine, on the notice board or website for more information.

Don’t forget the Norfolk Churches Trust Cycle Ride/Walk/Drive is back on Saturday 11^th September!  Dust off your bicycles or boots and raise some money for your church by raising sponsorship to visit as many churches as possible.  Sponsor forms are available in church and, as per last year, we will provide a ‘snack stop’ for visitors during the day.  Any funds are gratefully received.

The church is entirely funded and maintained by money received in the parish, at services or through events.  As with many charities, the income was significantly decreased during last year so we welcome any amount, small or large.  If you are able to make a regular donation, that helps throughout the year – if you would like bank details to set up a direct debit, please contact Kathryn: 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

We have started sorting ourselves out post Covid restrictions and trying to get to some sort of normality.  We have two services each month as will be seen from the service listing.  Everyone is welcome to attend any of our services.

It is with regret that it has been decided not to open the church building each day as we did pre Covid restrictions.  We have experienced several acts of anti-social behaviour recently and feel it is not an appropriate time to leave the church building open unattended.  This is not what the church wishes as it should be an oasis for those who require a time of solitude, peace and prayer.  Maybe those responsible will decide to change their habits from being destructive to something constructive.  We shall continue to monitor the situation.

We shall be holding a Coffee, Tea and Cake morning in the church on Saturday 25^th September in aid of the McMillan charity.  This excellent charity supports people with cancer and their families to live as full as life as is possible.  Everyone is invited to join us with all the proceeds going to the charity.

CT

Rockland All Saints

HARVEST SUPPER  IS BACK AGAIN
On Saturday, 2nd October we will be holding our Annual Harvest Supper at the Village Hall.   The meal will begin at 7pm. Seating from 6.30.   There will be quiches with ham and cheese accompanied by various salads and baked potatoes as well as a selection of home made desserts.  We will also be welcoming our Roskette Musical group with their popular music and song.  Please bring your own drinks and glass if you wish.   Amazingly, water will be free!

Tickets will be on sale in September priced £10.    You are assured of a lovely evening.   If you wish to order tickets please ring Cath 483542 or Barbara on 483420 or Julie on 488640.

PARKING CARS UP THE HILL
Please be aware when parking cars outside the church along the grass verge that often on a Sunday morning there are huge tractors travelling along the lane.   If cars are parked close to the hedges there should not be a problem.  If these tractors are unable to pass through please call in the church whether there is a service or not to request that a car can be moved to a safer position.

CHRISSY LISTER, our oldest Rocklander sadly died on 8th August at 97 years old.   The church was packed with family and friends to say goodbye to such a lovely lady, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.   She had lived in Rocklands nearly all her life with Walter, her husband.   Their four children all attended the village school.   Before 'lockdown' she enjoyed meeting knitting friends each Friday morning for coffee and a chat.  In fact she loved knitting and taught all her children, their children and grandchildren.   Latterly she knitted squares for charity blankets.  It was lovely to see that the family flowers included balls of wool and knitting needles.

Chrissy, Rest in Peace

BS

Rockland St Peter

September is a busy month for Rockland St. Peter.

We have a Baptism on the 5th September, a local family having their daughter Baptised at 10-30. Everyone is welcome to attend, we think the church will be full. Such a happy event after all the troubles we have gone through in the last eighteen months.

The Shellrock Benefice Fellowship Group will start meeting again on 7th September at 10am in Rockland St. Peter's Church.

The Rockland Clangers handbell ringing group are also starting on 13th September at 17-30.

On Tuesday 21st September is the first of the Rockland St. Peter's Talks.

A talk called "Bods" by John Brown. This is at 1900hrs. Complimentary Refreshments from 1815.

JB

Shropham with Snetterton

Shropham church is looking forward to the next service on 29^th August and to the wedding scheduled for the 4^th September.

DN

Food Donations

Donations received at the church (there is a green lidded box in the porch) and the village shops are now being split according to need.  During August these have been taken to Norwich Foodbank.  Most wanted items on the list include: tinned tomatoes, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, UHT/long life milk, long life juice & tinned fish.  They are well stocked with pasta!  If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Norfolk Churches Trust Bike Ride

Don’t forget the Norfolk Churches Bike Ride which takes place on Saturday 11^th September.  You don’t even have to have a bike; you can walk or drive your way around.  Your local church should have a sponsorship form if you wish to take part.

If you cannot participate, then please consider sponsoring someone who is.   If your church is open, check to see if they require anyone to be in attendance.  Remember that half the money raised will go to the Norfolk Churches Trust and the other half to the church nominated by the participant.

Church sponsored events to look forward to...

Saturday 11 September

9am-5pm            Norfolk Churches Sponsored Bike Ride  (see item)

Tuesday 21 September

7pm                      Rockland St Peter Talks, ‘Bods’ with John Brown.  Doors open at 6.15pm

Saturday 25 September

10am-12noon    McMillan Coffee Morning, in St Peter church, Little Ellingham

St James, Great Ellingham

During June and July, we have had art work from class 6 at Great Ellingham Primary School displayed in the church.  The pictures by year six have now been returned, but a small number of year five pictures still remain.  Do drop by and have a look at their talents!  We hope to feature more work from the children during the year.  The start of July saw the teddy festival art exhibition move into the church.  Many people attended the preview evening, enjoying a lovely burst of evening sunshine and plenty of conversation.  The exhibition featured a wide range of pieces, several from artists within the village.  It was great to see this back in church, along with visitors – a small step towards normality!

On 11^th July we held our café style service, with a teddy theme.  As part of the service, we had a talk about the festival and an activity about what our bears, or the festival, mean to us.  Charles wrote a poem entitled, My Ted:

He may live most of his life these days in a quiet corner and gather dust but, sure as night follows day, when he does come into sight, he takes me back to my childhood and family love and kindness, of days of joy and frivolity and for that, he is a cornerstone of who I am, and for that, I give thanks to Ted.

 After the service, we sat outside to enjoy our picnics.  Sadly, the rain appeared so this was cut short but definitely something to consider for the future!

During August there will be a service in St James on Sunday 8^th, 10.30am.  This will be the only service in Great Ellingham during the month.  Please see the service list or website for details of other services across the benefice.

The Norfolk Churches Trust Cycle Ride/Walk/Drive is back!  Dust off your bicycles or boots and raise some money for your church by raising sponsorship to visit as many churches as possible.  The date is Saturday 11^th September.  Sponsor forms are available in church and, as per last year, we will provide a ‘snack stop’ for visitors during the day.  Any funds are gratefully received.

With the closure of Chequers Lane, please beware of additional traffic using Church Street - take extra care when accessing the car park or walking along the boundary walls.

KD

St Peter, Little Ellingham

With the changes to the rota, there will now be a service in our church on the fourth Sunday of each month.  This will be in addition to our normal Prayer and Praise service.  There is currently no other services being planned.

The doors of our new units have been removed for maintenance.  Apparently they are to be dried and new hinges fitted to make them fit better.  We hope this will be a long term solution to the problems we have had previously.  It is a great facility which will undoubtedly benefit our church for many years to come.  The church remains closed when not in use for the time being.

In July Margaret Thomas was sworn as churchwarden.  Margaret is only one of three churchwardens in the benefice which should ideally number ten. 

CT

Rockland St Peter

St. Peter’s Church is open daily if anyone would like to wander in to have a look around or just sit for a quiet time for reflection.

We will be adopting a new system for services during August on a trial basis.  There will be a morning service in one of the Benefice churches each Sunday.  On the first Sunday in August there will be a service at Rockland St. Peter’s and on the third Sunday there will be a service at Rockland All Saints. The morning services will commence at 10.30 am.  Whichever church you choose to attend, you will be guaranteed a warm welcome. We know it will take time for people’s confidence levels to return but we can assure you that we will remain vigilant and maintain Covid guidelines, for the present.

Looking ahead, we have a really special Family Service with Baptism on Sunday 5^th September.  A child from a local family will be baptized in our church. We know this will be a joyous occasion and are looking forward to welcoming the family into our church.

*Saturday 6^th November*: Winter Craft Market in the village hall supporting St. Peter’s Church and Cancer Research. Doors open to the public from 10.00 am-2.00 pm. Many local artisans have applied to have tables to sell their wares but if anyone else is interested, please contact Sharon Brown on 01953 483 187. The cost of the ‘table’ is £10 if you wish to be inside or £8 if you would prefer to be outside.

We look forward to seeing you.

SB

Rockland All Saints

Nothing to report

Shropham with Snetterton

There is nothing to report from Shropham.

DN

Food Donations

Donations received at the church (there is a green lidded box in the porch) and the village shops are now being split according to need.  A batch was sent during July to the N&N Chaplaincy.  Thetford Food bank has re-opened for selected donations – tinned tomatoes, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, UHT/long life milk, long life juice & tinned fish.  If you are in need of a referral, contact Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.  For donation queries, contact Kathryn 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.  Please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

KD

Norfolk Churches Trust Bike Ride

The annual bike ride this year will take place on Saturday 11^th September.  You don’t even have to have a bike; you can walk or drive your way around.  Your local church should have a sponsorship form if you wish to take part.

One of the many causalities of Covid has been the (severe) reduction of church funds.  Of the money raised by the bike ride, half goes to the Norfolk Churches Trust and the other half to your nominated church.

Benefice Team meeting

From the meeting held on 12^th July it was decided that there will only be one morning act of worship in one church in the benefice each Sunday.  Other acts of worship may be planned for the afternoon and evening.  Please keep an eye on the Notices.

There is still no update on any changes to the structure of the benefice.  It is not expected we shall hear anything for a few months yet.

Peggy Joan Thomas

It is with great sadness that I have to announce that Peggy Thomas has died, 11 days short of her 100^th birthday.

Christina's Ramblings are in the nex article below...

This will be my last Ramblings for 2020.  It has been my pleasure to keep these Ramblings going during this strangely different year.  Thank you to Christina for her weekly offerings and to everyone for any contribution, however small, they have all been gratefully appreciated.  For all the comments and expressions of thanks I have received, I thank you all.

We have managed to keep ourselves positive throughout the various lockdowns and restrictions; more or less.  The world has not come to an end and we are still here, if a little battered and bruised.  Many of us will have not seen or held loved ones for many months now, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and we give thanks for that too.

Sadly some of our dear friends have not made it to this Christmas, maybe through no fault of Covid but simply by the cycle of life itself.  The fault of Covid has been to make it hard, if not impossible, for us to say goodbye in the manner in which we would have liked; so difficult after so many years of friendship.  This Christmas period may be a good time to remember them and their loved ones.

So we look forward to the New Year and maybe new beginnings.

As the vaccination program kicks into gear and more of us become immunised against this horrible virus, we can look forward to the slow dawn of recovery.

Brexit will have changed our relationship with our nearest neighbours though we do not know the extent of that yet.

For our church this may also become a time of change.  Like many other organisations, finances have been squeezed and already the diocese has announced that expenditure needs to be reduced.  One of the first casualties appears to be ‘The Magazine’ which has ceased publication.  Whatever the future holds, let us face it together in true Christian fellowship.

I wish you all a very Happy and safe Christmas.

Colin

The ‘Star of Bethlehem’?

Listening to the radio on Friday, I heard some details of the crossing of Jupiter and Saturn as seen from earth over the next few days.  These two planets will be at their closest on 21^st December appearing in the sky as a bright light.  Apparently, whilst planets crossing is fairly common, these two planets have not been this close for 800 years so we shall not see the like again.  Some believe that this occurrence could have been what produced the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ 2000 years ago.  If you are interested then here is the link to the BBC website for further details:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55364664

Attention – Facebook users

The Shellrock Benefice has a new Facebook profile in addition to the website. Anyone who has an interest in the parishes of Gt. Ellingham, Little Ellingham, Rockland St. Peter, Rockland All Saints, Shropham and Snetterton is welcome to join. We already have nearly 30 members.

If you have any news items, photos or thoughts relevant to these churches please post on the page, although anything not appropriate may be removed by admin.

Now we are out of lockdown and can worship in our churches again we will be posting details of Christmas events. There are not so many this year, and some will be outside, but we hope to bring Christmas joy to as many people as we can. The Facebook page, for those that have it, is an instant way of communication. I look forward to seeing your name join the members already there.

Yours in anticipation,

 Sue

We are really sorry but we won’t be able to hold the annual Christingle service this year at Rockland All Saints, for obvious reasons! But next year, hopefully, we will be back! Stay safe!!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus

Ronnie Holmes

Last week we were informed of the death of Ronnie Holmes; until recently a Churchwarden of Shropham church for many years.  We offer our condolences to Ronnie’s family and friends.  His funeral will be in Shropham church on Tuesday 24th March at 11am.

And don't miss...

Readings:
Genesis 2. 15-17; 3. 1-7
Psalm 32
Romans 5. 12-19
Matthew 4. 1-11

Starting again in February, the monthly service of Compline will be held on the first Thursday of each month in St Peter, Little Ellingham at 7pm.  This is a short service, highly valued for its simplicity and for bringing the day to a close in the presence of God.

Next Sunday we shall be celebrating Candlemas; the end of Christmas for the church.  Please note it has been decided that there will only be the two services on this Sunday one each at RAS and Shropham.

There are numerous references to prayer in the bible.  As is proper, prayer forms the major part of our worship; even the hymns can be prayer put to music.  However the prayers we say together are scripted in the order of service and the intercessions are led so giving no opportunity for input from the congregation.  The only time we have the opportunity to pray with complete freedom is in our private prayer. What we do not have in this benefice is a prayer group; a group of people who come together on a regular basis to simply pray.

Now there are many versions of prayer groups, with differences in style, content, method, focus, frequency, time, participants and leadership.  For some time I have had the belief that this benefice needs to have a regular prayer group; I also have a vision of how this group would operate.  But before I do anything I would first like to know what you think. Please communicate your thoughts on this, in whatever format you like, to me or one of the Ministry Team.

Readings:

Isaiah 9 Vs. 1-4.

Psalm 27. Vs. 1, 4-12 (or 1.11).

1st Corinthians 1. Vs.10-18.

Matthew 4. Vs. 12-23.

Last Thursday we said a sad farewell to David Clarke in St James, Great Ellingham.  During the service David was described as a ‘gentleman’ with never a harsh word uttered.  There are probably few, if anybody, who would disagree with this description of David; someone who appeared to have only friends.  How many of us can say that about ourselves.

In the time given for reflection on our relationship with David, it occurred to me that we could all perhaps consider making this year a time of reflection on all our relationships.  As Christians we are empowered to ‘love thy neighbour’ which is not always an easy thing to do. Maybe we just need to try harder!?

Apparently, as part of his tour of the Deanery last Tuesday, Bishop Graham paid a visit to Rocklands Community Shop.  We hope he found the visit informative and pleasurable, although the two don’t necessarily always go together!

Shellrock Talk. 

The next Shellrock Talk is being organised with Julie Dekker and Victoria Graham as our guest speakers.  The talk will be on the work of Cancer Research UK and their walk last year to raise funds for the charity.  The provisional date for this is Thursday 5th March starting at 7.30pm in Rockland St. Peter church. As always, it will be good if as many of us as possible can attend this talk so please put it in your schedule.

CT.

Readings:

Isaiah 9.Vs. 1-4.

Psalm 27. Vs.1, 4-12. (or 1-11)

1st Corinthians 1. Vs.10-18.

Matthew 4. Vs.12-23.

Firstly a message from the Rural Dean:

‘On Tuesday 14 January Bishop Graham, Bishop of Norwich, will be visiting our Deanery as part of a series of tours getting to know the Diocese. The day will culminate in a celebratory service at St Mary’s, Attleborough at 7pm, during which the Bishop will celebrate the Eucharist and we will sing his ‘Desert Island Hymns’.

There will be a chance to meet Bishop Graham and chat to him over refreshments after the Service. Please do come along and encourage your friends to come too. Let’s make the evening a real celebration of the Bishop’s new ministry among us and make him feel really welcome in our part of the Diocese.’

For a trial period, the readings for each Sunday will be included in your Ramblings.  This is to help you prepare for the service on that day.  You may wish to bring along your bible and read whilst you listen.  For non benefice services not all the readings may be used.  At this time I don’t know the readings for the Covenant service on 19^th.

Sadly, Revd Sue Strutt will not be available to continue her ministry with us for the time being.  Sue’s husband, David, is still very ill and requiring Sue’s continual support.  Please include David, Sue and their family in your prayers during this very difficult time for them.

Whilst Sue is unavailable, Christina will continue to fulfil her role as priest-in-charge.  The intention was for our two priests to job share and Sue had recently taken on principle responsibility for the two Ellingham churches.  So please be aware that Christina is now shouldering all the responsibility and do whatever you can to minimise her workload by referring to Christina only when it is necessary.

On a happier note, Beryl Chilleystone appears to be making good progress and there is even a possibility she will be returning home shortly.

CT

Readings:

Isaiah 42. 1-9;    Psalm 29

Acts 10. 34-43;  Matthew 3. 13-end

Happy New Year

Now the merry making and frenetic activity surrounding Christmas is but a memory, we enter a new year with high expectations. At one time I would liken it to a blank canvas with all the bad bits from last year gone and forgotten. However life is not like that. It is more like a garden with the expectation of new growth just around the corner but with the weeds patiently biding their time; like our Quinquennial Inspection Report from 2019 which has just been circulated!

Whilst our churches have rung out to the good news of Christ’s birth, I am sure we have all been saddened by the sudden death of David Clarke shortly before Christmas Day. David had regularly attended our services and was a member of the Benefice choir. In recent months he had experienced poor health and had been supported in many ways by other members of the church. Our condolences go to all his family and friends. His funeral service is scheduled for Thursday 16 th January at 2pm in St James, Great Ellingham.

Our prayers and good wishes also go to Beryl Chilleystone and David Strutt who are both experiencing ill health and for whom Christmas was not as they had wished.

Wishing each one of you and all the churches in our benefice a very happy and prosperous 2020.

After all the hype of the past few weeks........

Happy, sad, angry, relieved, disappointed, concerned, tears even.  These are some of the emotions people will be experiencing in response to the results of our General Election held last week.  Whatever the future now holds under a Conservative Government, with a large enough majority to basically do what they wish, only time will tell what kind of government we now have.  Brexit of course is major one on the list, with no certainty what kind of Brexit we shall ultimately be signed up to.  It is a time for cool heads to bring about some stability to this country and to temper the emotional roller coaster we have had these past three years.  Please hold these people in our prayers.

On the subject of prayers, please include Beryl Chilleystone in your prayers this coming week.  Sadly Beryl had a bad fall last week and although there is little information about her condition, it appears she has sustained a serious injury.  We wish her a speedy recovery.

We are now entering that time of the year when all our churches will be hosting celebrations for the birth of Jesus Christ.  Shropham have their Carol Service this Sunday and we have our Nine Lessons and Carols next Sunday.  It is a time when irregular attendees of church grace us with their presence.  Please look out for them and make them feel welcome.  Pour upon them the spirit of Christmas which is peace and goodwill to all.  We can all do with some of that!

CT

Dear Friends

Our two services today reflect the hope of Advent,

Firstly, at Café Church, we will be building a Jesse Tree.  The name comes from Jesus’s ancestry.  It is recorded that he is of King David’s line, and David’s father was Jesse.

The decoration on the tree remind us of the history of the Hebrews as recorded in the Bible, beginning with the Creation, through Adam, Noah Moses, the prophets, and others in between, until we reach Mary, John the Baptist and Jesus himself.  The candles on the Advent Ring also represent the Hebrew Fathers, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary, ending with the central white candle (Jesus) being lit on Christmas Day.

It is good to remind ourselves of the history from whence comes our faith.  Anglicanism may be relatively recent but the tenets upon which we hang our faith are ancient, formed before the very beginning of time. Although the interpretation of the faith may have changed over the generations, God was the same, is the same and always will be the same – our Rock upon which we build our lives.

The Christingle this afternoon will be bringing our faith into the present, explaining the fullness of Christ as we experience him in the world today, also discovering why he is our Saviour. His whole life and ministry was directed towards God the Father, towards Love and Hope for the survival of the human race, and to live in peace with each other which is, indeed, the message of Christmas

There are two more Sundays of Advent before Christmas day itself.  Let us keep a good Advent, remembering why we believe, what has been, and why we hope for the world to become a place of peace springing from the Love God has shown to his people
My Advent love to you all,

Sue

Dear Friends

As I write I am listening to Dvorak’s Stabat Mater.  I was privileged to sing it with the Midlands Festival Chorus in Worcester Cathedral seven or eight years ago. 

This Festival Chorus performs only once a year, bringing together singers from around the Midlands for an initial gathering to introduce the piece to be performed, then two more day-long rehearsals before the wonderful performance in the Cathedral.  It was an experience I will never forget.

One of the great things about it was that my brother was also singing in the chorus having come from Bedfordshire.  He had sung with the chorus for several years and being there gave us a few extra precious hours together.

 Listening now to the soaring voices of the soloists and the stirring choruses, and reliving those memories, it reminds me that singing with others in a choir, or a church congregation, or a band, or just together, lifts the spirits.  Music itself is, of course, a source of joy and peace but joining voices and/or musical instruments brings an additional companionship, especially when trying to hit the right notes whether it is practising for a more formal performance or just for fun.

Families and friends that came before us had the right idea, gathering around a piano in the parlour to sing all the old favourites, time to forget the stresses of life for a short time while making music together.

As we sing our Advent Carols today, we can look forward to the next few weeks with the carol services around the Benefice when we can all raise our voices in the familiar hymns and songs of Christmas - together - and remembering people around the world are doing the same.  Christmas is about joy and peace, love and goodwill for all.  Let us enjoy this season of expectation as we wait for the celebration of God coming into the world as a tiny baby, helpless, but heralded by the sound of the angels’ song bringing the power of his love to all.

My love to you all, Sue

Dear Friends

With the General Election looming, whenever I listen to the radio or watch TV there is nothing else being broadcast but discussions on this party or that, and what the polls say or where people are intending to place their vote.  Many of those interviewed seem not to know, very few are certain.

It has occurred to me that this confused way of being may affect our thinking on other matters, or is it just that nothing is certain in life?  Perhaps this is why we need our faith more, now, than we ever have before except when the country has been at war.

Believing that God is ever present in the world and in our lives, that he is the Supreme King above all earthly kings and governors, brings a confident assuredness that, in the end, all will be well. 

We live in a country where we are free to express our faith, our politics, our opinions, our gender, our everything else………….where our police do not carry arms, where crime is punished fairly, where we can be ill and receive treatment free of charge……………..let us count our blessings, it begins to put everything into perspective.  Why is it that people who live in countries where these things do not exist seem to have more faith? 

There has to be hope for the future, and experience has taught me that our hope is in God, not a political party or the economy.  As we approach Christmas, remember what we are celebrating – Emmanuel, God with us.

A reminder that the Advent Course begins on Wednesday.  Last week I mentioned it was called ‘Mapping Prayer’.  I was wrong!  It is ‘Mapping Advent’ (of course!).   Maybe we will map prayer in Lent.

The new Diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev’d Graham Usher, is being welcomed in St. Cuthbert’s Church, Thetford tomorrow, Monday 25^th at 7.00pm.   All are welcome to attend.

My love to you all, Sue

November is the month of remembrance.  It is good that the Church recognises we need a time to look back, be sad and nostalgic, remember our loved ones and all those who have left this earth before us, ask for God’s blessing on them and us, and then shift our focus towards preparing for the birth of Christ as we move into Advent.

Having remembered our own dear departed last Sunday along with those who have died for the love of Christ in generations past at All Saintstide and All Souls, we now think about all who gave their life in service to this country, especially the armed forces in times of conflict.  It is fitting that names will be read out from all our churches; none will be forgotten.

St James will welcome the scouts to the service.  We look to the next generation to take on these traditions.  Our young people have a very powerful voice when they raise issues – check the moves to take the changing environment seriously. I am sure that peace is at the top of their agenda, and learning about the casualties of war, present as well as past, is an important move to ensure diplomacy and negotiation take precedence over warlike gestures and threats in future.

It is also interesting to note the changing colours of the hangings in church during these seasons – white for All Saints, red on Remembrance Sunday, remaining red through the Sundays before Advent, then purple when Advent arrives on December 1^st.  White, of course, for Christmas………

My love to you all, Sue

For those who didn’t make it on Wednesday evening, you missed a thoroughly good presentation by the Revd Dr Peter Herbert on ‘Science and Religion’, our recent Shellrock Talk.  He obviously knew his subjects and his delivery was one of great enthusiasm; I, for one, felt informed and challenged as well as entertained.  Thank you to all who came to hear the talk, to RSP for providing a warm venue and to the ‘Refreshment Ladies’ for the tea and coffees.

Another huge “Thank You” to everyone who supported the MacMillan Coffee Morning last Sunday at St Peter, Little Ellingham.  Considering the atrocious weather, it was so good to see so many of you coming along and enjoying the refreshments on offer and contributing to the £211 that was taken.  All the donations will be sent to the charity.

It is hard to say whether the recent Brexit talks between PM Johnson and PM Varadkar will come to anything; but where there is a will there is a way!  The whole process has been gladiatorial in its style so we must consider ourselves fortunate that only words are being slung between the opposing sides rather than bullets and bombs; progress of a sorts at least.

It is all fodder for the media of course, but what about the aftermath.  There are going to be many people who will feel let down whatever the outcome, so necessitating a degree of reconciliation.  Of course Jesus showed us the way.  Let down many times by his weak and rebellious followers, he nevertheless always kept the door open to them, no matter how much he was hurt by their actions.  It is never too late for a new beginning.

Let the Love of God comfort you, the teaching of Jesus Christ guide you and the power of the Holy Spirit give you strength.

Have a good week.

Colin

When I started the Shellrock Talks the general idea was to give us the opportunity to expand our knowledge and understanding of what is happening in this world that has a religious or moral element to it.  So far we have heard how Christian Aid operates, the state of religious education in our schools, why we support Food Banks, and what role religion has in our prisons.  This week we have a talk from Revd Dr Peter Herbert on the association between Science and Religion.

For many people the notion is that science and religion are on opposite sides of an argument; the beginning of the universe and life itself is a good example.  Although science gives us answers to many questions about us and the world we live in, does it really give us all the answers?  As we have discovered, science is not infallible; many ‘truths’ have consequently been proved incorrect necessitating a rethink on what had been accepted as fact.  So how does science and religion make such good friends, or even are they good friends?

 Dr Herbert is an astrophysicist and an ordained minister in the Anglican Church, so a foot in both camps places him in an ideal position to help us formulate an answer if that is possible.  So do come along to RSP this Wednesday to what should be an interesting evening.  The talk starts at 7.30pm, with coffee and tea served from 7pm.  This is also an opportunity to bring along a friend who may sit firmly on the science side of the fence.

A reminder that this Sunday, 6 October St Peter Little Ellingham are holding a MacMillan coffee ‘morning’ in the church between 12 and 2pm after their Harvest Festival service.  Anyone who has been affected by cancer and supported by the MacMillan charity will know how important that support is to people travelling on this very difficult journey.  So please come along, spend your money, enjoy a drink and a bite to eat.  All the money will go to the charity.

Finally, a reminder that St James, Great Ellingham is holding its Autumn Fayre this coming Saturday, 12 October.

Your support is always welcome.

Dear Friends,

As I looked out of my kitchen window today I saw three collared doves on the handles of our lawnmower.  One was only half grown and fluttering for balance.  The adult on the same handle was obviously its mother and looked as though she was trying to feed the young one who eventually fell to the ground.  The other, larger, adult I took to be the father flew off on to the rotary washing line.

The mother stayed on the lawnmower handle, looking a little anxiously towards the ground, twisting her pretty head this way and that, trying to see where her little one had fallen.  It was very tempting to go out and interfere, but I knew if I did that the chances were the mother would fly away. She didn’t leave her post and soon I spotted the young one on the ground, walking out of the hedge into which it had fallen.  The father continued to fly between the washing line and the nearest tree, watching over the whole proceedings.

Then, horror, the mother flew away!  What happens now?  Not to worry, she came back after a few minutes, flew to the ground beside her baby with more food.  This perked it up no end and it followed the mother as she walked it to the side of the garden into deeper shrubbery, then she flew up into the tree above.  Father was still coming and going, but not abandoning. 

Having lost sight of the young one, and having other things to do, I deserted my post but assumed all was well.  I was a little concerned about our cat finding the baby but I guess she was away hunting mice somewhere else.

All this took about a quarter of an hour, and while I was standing there it occurred to me that nature replicates God.  Jesus teaches us that God, the Father, looks over us the whole time, he will not abandon us although sometimes he seems far away.  God, the Son, nourishes us and stays by our side so long as we need him.   God, the Holy Spirit, encompasses all with her love……….there is so much GOD in the world, in the smallest things, we need have no fear of coming to harm….…..we will always be saved…….be joyful.

My love to you all,  Sue

How important is it that we know from whence we came?  Does it really matter?  Jesus tells us it doesn’t matter who our blood relations are but becoming part of the family of God is all we need (Matthew 12:46-50). Once we step into that family everyone is our mother, father, brother, sister.  This week, however, the Ramblings should be called ‘Pride comes before a Fall’. At my age I should have learnt that proudly thinking we know one thing doesn’t mean it is true until we have proof.

For years my husband’s family have thought they were related to nobility going back to the early nineteenth century.  We have even imagined similarities with today’s family photographs against portraits of supposed ancestors and have boasted about it to many people.  There was meant to have been a big row in the family with one member being disinherited and this explained our lack of status and funds.  Our children love the story.

Today, David and I went to The Suffolk Record Office to test the truth of some information we had seen, written by his Grandfather.  We managed to search back to 1812, all illiterate labourers, and discovered that his 3x great grandfather was a William Strutt born to Maria Strutt, no father’s name but the words under the entry in the Baptism Register were ‘Base born’! Haha!

Now, we can begin surmising all sorts of things.  It would seem Maria was not married but that does not mean she was not from the noble side of the Strutts (I am trying to salvage something).  The thing that really catches my imagination, though, is that if she had married we would not be Strutts at all – how about that? I would be Mrs…….. something else.

Which brings me back to the fact we are all God’s children, all one family, all equal in the sight of God.  It is how we love that matters, that makes us true children of God.  Status, funds, and name, mean nothing once we slip off this earth into his very arms, generation after generation, for time eternal.

My love to you all,   Sue

Dear Friends,

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer (as in the song by Nat King Cole) seem very real for me right now.  Starting backwards, crazy because life is never the same two days running….is anybody’s?

Well, yes, there are folk for whom life seems never-changing and probably boring, especially those who are not mobile, have no means of getting out, or are suffering from a condition that restricts them in some way. 

I know that in the Shellrock communities care for those who are in need is in plentiful supply, and that all good neighbours are on the lookout for someone who is coping alone, but often there are hidden difficulties which is why, as a Church, we need to think about our pastoral care and how effective we are. 

Hazy days come about when we are not sure of the direction in which we are heading.  We are all concerned about the future of these parishes.  Christian ministry is wide ranging.  Everyone works extremely hard to keep our parishes buoyant and, while there are developments, they seem to be a little haphazard.  We shared ideas on our Ministry Days, but we have not always followed up in a constructive way, hence we continue to talk about this idea, or that, but still trying to find our way.  Nothing happens quickly, however, so we are still a work in progress.  The Ministry Team discuss ideas regularly.

As I mentioned in last week’s Ramblings, your ideas and thoughts will be very welcome to the Ministry Team.

Lazy days are mine for the coming two weeks as I am taking leave until 20^th August, although not too lazy because I am attempting to sort out our garage so my son can build an office inside.  A trip away is not on the cards at the moment but I will be happy to have more space for the paperwork generated by being associated with the Shellrock Benefice – happy days as well as lazy, hazy and crazy……….

My love to all,  Sue

My dear Friends,

Firstly, I would like to comment on how caring the people of the Shellrock Benefice community are.  I have observed the love and respect you show towards each other, especially when people are really suffering.  During my husband, David’s, illness that care has been brought into focus on a personal level.  Thank you all very much for the good wishes and prayers, they have been a blessing.

Secondly, I have been thinking about the Ministry days we held, three of them in the last eighteen months.  The Ministry Team have brought thoughts and ideas about ministry before you, mainly that we could all share the responsibility of ministry in the Benefice.  You have two appointed Priests and two licensed Readers working together as a Ministry Team, organising services and overseeing the different types of ministry there are.  As Christians, however, we believe that Jesus is the great High Priest and through him we all have access to God, in our baptism. We are, therefore, all spiritual in the sight of God and are priests all together.  Let us remember this as we move forward in the Benefice, trying to find ways of growing and developing in our faith as well as the practical side of being a Church of the people.  If you have any ideas or thoughts on the future please do not hesitate to contact one of the Ministry Team.

My love and thanks to all, Sue

The schools are now closed for the summer and for many the holidays begin in earnest.  One hopes that the lovely sunny weather we have had this past week isn’t the last we shall see of the sunshine, though not quite so hot please.  East Anglia is well-known for being a dry part of Britain and we could well do with a greater share of the rain that the rest of the country has been getting; but not during my holiday please.

One unfortunate aspect of the long school summer holiday is that those families who rely on free school dinners have to make other arrangements.  Consequently, the foodbank becomes busier at this time of year and demand for donated food and other items increases.  It may also be a time when, due to holidays and other commitments, donations may temporary decrease.  So, we are asked to keep those donations coming in please and maybe put a little extra in if you can.

A reminder that this coming week we have our new, monthly service of Compline in St Peter, Little Ellingham.  This is held on the first Thursday of each month; so, this week it will be on Thursday 1^st August starting at 1900 (7pm).

Also don’t forget we have the Holst Singers concert in St James, Great Ellingham 1300 (1pm) Saturday 3^rd August.  This free concert is open to all-comers so bring your friends along with you.

Three weeks ago a questionnaire went out requesting your views on how the benefice news is communicated.  The response has been poor which can mean a lot of things!  Without anything to suggest otherwise, it shall be taken that all are satisfied with the current system and we shall carry on as we are.

Happy Holiday

This week has a touch of the journey into the unknown.

Firstly, today is the 50^th anniversary of the first human to set foot on the moon.  After blasting off from earth, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Apollo 11 Lunar Module at 20:17 GMT on 20 July 1969.  This was followed 6 hours later on 21 July by both astronauts stepping on to the lunar surface.  This was an amazing feat on so many levels.  There were so many things that could have gone wrong which would have ended the mission in total disaster.  It is reminiscent of those early explorers who sailed the uncharted seas in search of undiscovered lands.  Nobody knew what they were going to find or whether they would return.

We now await our own mission into the unknown.  By Tuesday of this week we should know who is going to be our next Prime Minister.  Whoever of the two candidates the Conservative party members choose, the implications are that a relatively small number of people will have decided the directions this country will now take, in particular Brexit.  Whatever your political leaning, prepare for blast off!

Another on a mission of discovery is Jeremy Warren.  As most of you know, Jeremy has been accepted for ordination training.  He has been placed on what is called the Two Year Pathway which means that, all being well, by June 2021 Jeremy will be ordained Deacon.  Jeremy’s training starts officially next month, in August, with the Revd Tim Weatherstone and within the Barnham Group of parishes.  However, Jeremy has had permission to continue presiding at his regular service of Morning Prayer BCP at Shropham.  So we shall not be saying goodbye to Jeremy just yet.  What we will be doing is wishing him all the best in this new and exciting stage of his journey.  May God continue to keep him company all the way.

We send our condolences to John Abel and his family at the sad and sudden death of Delphine Abel.  The funeral service and burial is scheduled for Tuesday 30^th July at 1300 in the church Rockland St Peter.

It has been a busy week for many of us.

Rockland All Saints completed a very successful Flower Festival, which was excellent as usual.  If you think that flower arranging is all about shoving a few flowers into a vase then think again.  There is a lot more to it than that as anyone who has tried it will vouch.  There is also a lot of preparation involved; like putting up the ‘tent’ and providing refreshments.  So well done everyone and thank you to all of you who supported this wonderful annual event.

In Great Ellingham the Teddy Festival comes to a close today with the Teddy Thanksgiving service.  The committee and all the helpers will probably be glad that these two weeks festival of Teddies and fun is over for another year.  There is no indication as to how successful it has been this year though the weather has been very kind with more sun and hardly any rain.  The street party will have been held yesterday, which is a new event this year.  Hopefully all will have gone well.

As we are on the subject of events, in just under three week’s time, on Saturday 3^rd August at 1.00pm, the Holst Singers conducted by Stephen Layton will be giving a concert in Great Ellingham church.  This internationally renowned choir will be delighting us with their high quality singing.  There is no entry fee to this concert to which everyone is invited.  So please mark it down on your diary/calendar and encourage your friends to come too.  It promises to be a ‘must hear’ event.

If you wish to know about them, then visit their website: https://holstsingers.com/

St Peter, Little Ellingham has started holding a short Compline service on the first Thursday of each month.  If you want to come along to a quiet, end of the day service, then the next one will be on Thursday 1 August at 7pm.  It only lasts about 20 mins but its effect can last until the next day!  If unsure what a Compline service is, please ask one of our ministry team.

Thank you to Sue and Christina for their Ramblings during May and June respectively; it is always good to include a bit of variety in our reading.  Be assured, they will be back.

This year has seen a change in the way the Shellrock News is produced.  The dissemination of information around the benefice has been a constant requirement whenever we have asked the question ‘what do you want?’.  It started with the monthly Shellrock News newsletter which appeared to be well received.  This has now been included into the Parish Magazines as part of our outreach to people who do not attend church.  The Shellrock Ramblings came from a need to provide more up-to-date information as a lot can change in a month. These two sources of information are also available on the Shellrock website.

So how are we doing?  Here is your chance to comment by filling in the short questionnaire available from the main page on this website.  If you know of someone not in church today, please take a copy to them as well.  Your views do matter so please fill it in then send it in.  If you prefer, once filled in you can email it to me at colin.thomas196@btinternet.com

There are several people within our Christian community who are battling illness of one sort or another.  It is good to hear that David Strutt continues to make good progress after his operation, whilst Alice is still recovering from her operation.  Please keep them all in your prayers.

Rockland All Saints have their Flower Festival this week-end so, if you haven’t yet paid them a visit, go along and enjoy the fruits of their labour.  The festival continues into Monday if you can’t get to them today.

The Great Ellingham Teddy Festival enters its second week.  There is a fantastic array of ‘Teddies’ to see with various events being held.  This culminates with the Street Party on Saturday followed by the Teddy Thanksgiving Service (cafe style) on Sunday.  This annual event is well worth a visit.  Check what is still on offer.

Looking back
May has been a very busy month for our Benefice. There have been training events for the clergy, Open Gardens at Little Ellingham, Christian Aid week with a ‘Big Brekkie’ at Great Ellingham, a Benefice Team meeting, the very interesting Shellrock Talk on the working of prisons and the Chaplaincy at Rockland St Peter, a wonderfully lively Pet Service at Rockland All Saints, the annual Barbara’s Day and, sadly, a village funeral to say goodbye to a much loved Gina Ayres.

Phew! Everyone has worked so hard. If we are in need of a sign that God is at work in the world, just look at the Shellrock Benefice. Think how many people have been touched by these events, how many opportunities there have been to express the love of God to all those who have ventured into the welcoming fellowship that you, our regular, worshipping congregations, can provide by going about God’s work in these parishes. Thank you, all.

Looking ahead
On Thursday this week we celebrate Ascension Day. It is 40 days since Easter during which, through the Sunday readings, we have lived with the disciples as they recognised our Lord walking among them after being raised from the dead. He could not stay forever and is taken from their sight to be with God. But the love Jesus had for the people is still present and he bequeathed the message that proclaims it to his followers – that means us, you and me, generations later.

Jesus, being ascended to the Father, means that God’s love can reach every person in the world if they are willing to receive it. He is no longer tied to a small geographical part of the world. His message is for everyone – God is LOVE.

What a gift! Help us celebrate at St Mary’s Church, Attleborough, on 30 th May at 7.30pm Then…..

- 10am Holy Communion

- 12 noon Midday Prayer

- 2.30p.m. Prayers for the Holy Spirit

- 5.00p.m. Evening Prayer

- 7.30p.m. Sung Eucharist - The Shellrock Choir will be joining choirs from the Deanery at that service and The Rev’d Preb. Sue Strutt will be preaching

Bishops
I am sure you have seen in local news that we will be welcoming a new Diocesan Bishop to Norwich in the Autumn. The Rt Rev’d Graham Usher is presently the Suffragan Bishop of Dudley. Before that he was the Rector of Hexham in Northumberland and has also worked in Ghana, Africa. He will be visiting the Deanery on 14 th January, 2020 so perhaps we will be able to meet him then.

There is an earlier opportunity to meet a bishop next week. Jonathan, Bishop of Lynn, is making a Pilgrimage to this Deanery (Thetford and Rocklands) on Tuesday 21 st May. He will arrive by train at Attleborough Station at 10.06 am then walk into Queen’s Square for prayers at 10.15a.m. (let’s hope the train is on time and it is not raining!). He is then expected to arrive at St George’s Distillery for coffee and more prayers around 10.45a.m. then, after lunch at Attleborough Day Centre at 12 noon, he will visit Banham Zoo until leaving by train for Thetford at 2.00p.m.

You are very welcome to join in the Pilgrimage at any point. The Bishop will be in Thetford Priory and Town Centre at 3.00pm if you are that way.

Ascension Day, Thy Kingdom Come
There has been a request from our two Archbishops to join with them in prayer between Ascension Day (30 th May) and Pentecost (9 th June). The prayers are for the renewing and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, specifically for people we know, that they may hear Jesus’s call for themselves, coming to know his love and joy.

To help with this St Mary’s, Attleborough is holding a Day of Prayer on Ascension Day, Thursday 30 th May, beginning at 10a.m with Holy Communion. Then:

- 12 noon Midday Prayer; 2.30p.m. Prayers for the Holy Spirit

- 5.00p.m. Evening Prayer; 7.30p.m. Sung Eucharist - The Shellrock Choir will be joining choirs from the Deanery at that service and The Rev’d Preb. Sue Strutt will be preaching.

Last week I mentioned that we, as inheritors of the worship which has been experienced and seen in our churches in past generations, are given the task of proclaiming the message of the Good news of Christ to the world. The question is how do we do this? Are not the times in which we live very different to the time in which the Church was key to the state let alone in the time of Jesus? Will we not be mocked and ridiculed? What words do we use when much church language is no longer understood by the majority, even down to using ‘forename’ instead of ‘Christian Name’?

There are many questions we can ask. Another one might be, where are the gaps in the ministry of this Benefice? What can we do to help people come to know Jesus, because that is our main task. Your Shellrock Ministry Team discuss these issues nearly every week. We listen to what you say in meetings and after services, but the members of the Team do not have all the answers.

We feel that the recent Lent Course, Re-imagining Church, which was attended by an average of 18 people, began thought processes which led to an uncomfortable sense of changing times. Our challenge is whether we grasp the opportunities change can bring and which will hopefully help us to reach out to those who are seeking God, or whether we stay as we are, secure in the services and worship we provide, hoping others might find us and join in.

The Ministry Team can make suggestions and plan for change, but the final outcome is with the present membership of the Church, you. It is your Church. We would love to hear your ideas for your future:

Dates to particularly note for next week:

Shellrock Talk, Wednesday 15 th, 7.00pm, Rockland St Peter. Jeremy Warren talking about ‘Chaplaincy in Prison’. Jeremy is a volunteer and valuable member of a Chaplaincy Team.

Big Brekkie, Saturday 18 th , 9.30am, St James, GE, in aid of Christian Aid, an organisation which does sterling work throughout the world for those whose lives are so much harder than ours in ways we cannot imagine.

On Sunday I attended the St George’s Day Parade at Dickleburgh.  It was lovely to see members of the Scout Movement of all ages parading with their flags, a brass band in the lead playing ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’.

St George’s Day, as you know, is on 23^rd April, but because this fell in the octave (8 days) of Easter, it was transferred to 29^th April.  Similarly, the feast of St Mark (25^th April) was moved to 30^th.  It means that every day of the last week was dedicated to a saint or celebration within the Church – Philip and James, Apostles; Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 373 AD; Invention of the Cross; English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era - from 1^st to 4^th May respectively.

All those years of prayer, devotion, and sacrifice by these individuals, and others, to our Lord Jesus Christ have brought us the Church as we are now.  Generations of worshippers in our parishes have led the way in showing that the love of God exists in these places.  Our churches stand as a sign of that very love we have so recently experienced this Easter.

It is now our task to take up the challenge that has faced all Christians throughout the ages and continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in our neighbourhood, and wider.  We pray that God will give us the strength and boldness to do this, also help us grow individually and as a Benefice.

One more date I, personally, would like to commemorate is May 7^th, the Eve of the day of Julian of Norwich.  25 years ago on that day that I was ordained priest, along with 15 other women in our Diocese, after decades of struggle, discussion and argument within our Church of England that women could become priests.  Sadly, there are some who still cannot accept it. It seems to be the way of the world, and apparently some of the Christian family, that we must live with dissension, so please make special prayers on that day for everyone in ministry, men and women, lay and ordained, paid and unpaid.

Whatever our theology or beliefs, faith in the God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is key.  The Community of the Trinity is our model, we are all in it together.  We look forward to the work ahead and opportunities to meet together in the coming month of May – see the notices!

I hope the Easter weekend has been an enjoyable time for you. The three services across the Benefice on Sunday were reflective and joyous. Thank you to all involved in organising them. The arrangements of flowers and crosses were glorious, the churches bright and welcoming.

In contrast to our experience of the joy of Easter and the Resurrection, however, there was news of people being plunged into grief by tragic events internationally and, sadly, locally. These events remind us media vita in morte sumus, in the midst of life we are in death, a phrase first used in the Church of the 14 th century, and very much the theme of Easter. As we enter into the grief of bereavement our hope must be in the living, risen Christ who is, for us, the true life. His love encompasses all and we surely become a part of his love as we move from this world to the next.

As we pray for those in distress let us open our hearts and minds to them, and to each other, that we may show compassion and love to those whom we meet day by day. Life often takes an unexpected turn, we must live for the moment.

Looking ahead, we have several opportunities to meet together during May, ending with Ascension Day when we will be joining with the choir and congregation of St Mary’s in Attleborough. It is important for us to remember we have a wider Church family to whom we can turn for advice and support if necessary. A look at the Diocesan website can be quite informative in all sorts of ways.

Happy Easter to all our congregations
Through the discipline of Lent, the highs and lows of Passion Week, we can now celebrate arguably the most joyous time of the Christian calendar; the resurrection of Jesus Christ. With it comes the hope that death is not the end, but merely the next stage in our existence. Sadly for many, this hope is of no consequence and ignored. As Christmas is simply a time for presents and merrymaking, so Easter is simply a time to gorge on chocolate.

Over the next few weeks we shall read and listen to the birth of our Christian church. It has existed for nearly two thousand years and shows no sign of disappearing. In fact, in many parts of the world, Christianity is a growing faith, often experiencing the type of persecution the early Christians experienced; whilst in the so-called Western World the Christian faith appears to be in decline. There is a song by David Ruis called ‘There’s a wind a-blowing’ (Source 501). The words of this song sum up much of the experiences of the early Christians as the Gospel was spread far and wide and their faith grew. With the APCM’s over, two of our churches find themselves without a churchwarden and all of our churches face difficult times ahead. But that wind is still blowing so maybe now is not the time to take shelter but do as the song says, ‘let it blow over me’.

Thank you to everyone who supported the visit of the pilgrims to Little Ellingham last week on their way to Walsingham. The food supplied was very much appreciated as too were the congregation that came to their simple evening service. It means a great deal to them that we take an interest in their Walk of Witness; the children in particular who are at the core of this particular group.

Passion Week
..or Holy week or last week of Lent. Whichever one you use to describe one of the Holiest weeks of the Christian calendar, this is the final week before we celebrate the risen Christ. This coming week we have a series of services and events to commemorate those final days of Jesus:

Monday we welcome the pilgrims on their walk to Walsingham. They will be staying over in Little Ellingham village hall and holding a service at 8pm in the church. They will join the other ‘Legs’ on Good Friday at Walsingham for a combined Walk of Witness.

Thursday we shall be holding our regular Maundy Thursday Agape service at Rockland St Peter.

Friday we start our own Walk of Witness from St James Great Ellingham to Rockland All Saints for our Good Friday service. We hope for good weather to encourage as many people as possible to join us. Numbers have varied over the years but a good crowd is always welcome; don’t worry, you will not be pressured into carrying the cross. So please join us if you can.

Finally on Sunday we shall celebrate the risen Christ at one of the services being held in our benefice.

Lent Course
Our Lent course concluded last Wednesday with a lively debate that overran the allotted time! The Ministry Team would like to thank everyone for attending any of the five sessions, for their fellowship and for their valued contributions. Admittedly it can feel like a marathon at times, but there was much to consider and many good ideas have sprung from our discussions. Now all we have to do is put that into practice!

If anyone is interested in attending the workshop on ‘Transforming your church for mission’, being held at St Mary, Watton, on Thursday 16 May between 1000 and 1300, please let one of the Ministry Team or Margaret Moore-Vale know.

Lent Course
The final session of our Lent course takes place this week. It has been an interesting and stimulating series of sessions on how we can ‘Re-imagine our Church’. Upwards of 20 people have come together to listen, reflect and discuss how we are as a church and potentially what we can be as a church.

This course is happening in churches and benefices across the diocese. In fact the diocese itself has already been through the process under the banner ‘Mission Strategy 2021’. Its conclusions so far have been published in the latest PCC News. It makes interesting reading, not least that it gives us an example of what we in this benefice should be aiming for. If you are interested in its progress then you can read the PCC news, Spring 2019, Page 8 on-line. Go to https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/churches/comms/publications/pcc-news If anyone is interested and cannot access the website then please contact our administrator, Margaret Moore-Vale or one of the Ministry Team. In time we shall publish the results of our deliberations.

The reading for this week’s final session is Luke 10 v 1-9.

The end of Lent
Yes, Lent is coming to end which signals the start of our Easter celebrations. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday when we shall remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. How quickly things change. A bit like what is happening in Parliament at the moment!

Brexit
This is an anxious time for this country with its future hanging in the balance. Whatever side of the fence you are in this debate over Brexit, please spare time in your prayers to pray for our government, our Parliament, and for the many people whose business is in limbo because of the failure of our politicians to agree a deal. Maybe we do need to put our trust in God rather than our politicians.

Lent Course
Session four continues our Lent course this coming Wednesday. In preparation, you may wish to read the bible text for this session, Luke 6 v 36-38. Next week will be our final session.

Student Cross
Student Cross is a Christian pilgrimage to Walsingham during Holy Week. It started in 1948 with a male only Catholic Pilgrimage starting from London; women were officially included in 1966! There are now eleven ‘Legs’ starting from different parts of the country, each carrying a wooden cross as witness to the people they see along the way. Although predominantly a Catholic pilgrimage, Christians from other denominations join in. When required, they are provided with accommodation and food by parishioners along the way.

We have been supporting the Wensum Leg since it started in 2012. This Leg is for families with older children of secondary school age. The Leg starts at Wymondham walking no more than 10 miles each day over five days to arrive at Walsingham on Good Friday.

They arrive at Little Ellingham on the Monday of Holy Week, staying overnight in the village hall and each of our parishes contribute to the provision of a cooked dinner. We shall be supporting this Leg again this year. We are expecting around 30 people to arrive on Monday afternoon, 15 April. If anyone wishes to help with the catering, then Margaret Thomas, on telephone 01953 453455, would be pleased to hear from you. To finish the day, the pilgrims hold a service in Little Ellingham church in the evening. They all make some contribution to this very special service, especially the music. We are all invited to attend which this year will be starting at 8pm.

If you wish to know more about Student Cross, you can visit their website: www.studentcross.org.uk

Spring Fling
Congratulations to everyone at St James, Great Ellingham, on a thoroughly good Spring Fair, sorry Fling. The stalls, the children singing, the Shellrock Hand-bell ringers, the refreshments, the friendly faces all made for a lovely Saturday morning.

Lent Course
It was gratifying to have so many turn up for the second session of our Lent course, ‘Re-imagining Church’. Thank you to everyone for their contributions in helping us to have a much deeper understanding of where we are and where we need to be.
The more we delve into our life as a Christian community, the more we identify our strengths, our weaknesses, our failings and potential. It is not all bad news either. In fact we are discovering that there is much to celebrate and that our churches do much to enhance the life of our communities.
In preparation for session three this week you may wish to read the bible text for this session, Matthew 28 v 16-20.

Mothering Sunday
There are two services being held to celebrate this special day next Sunday, 31 st March; in St James Great Ellingham and in Rockland St Peter. Why not invite someone to one of these services? It is an ideal time to give someone outside the church an opportunity to experience a relaxed and joyous church service!

British Summer Time is here!
Yes, it is that time again. The clocks go forward on Sunday 31 st March. So make sure you wind your clock forward one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night. You don’t want to miss your Mothering Sunday service now do you!?

Annual Parochial Church Meetings
Did you know that every parishioner in your parish has the right to elect a Churchwarden? A meeting to do so will be held in your Parish within the next few weeks. The dates and venues are printed on the other side of this Weekly News. In addition, have you ever considered how our Church is organised and where the money goes? If you would like to know, why not attend your parish’s Annual Parochial Church Meeting which will be held
after the Churchwardens election. Everyone on the Church Electoral Roll is welcome to attend these meetings and elect members for the Parochial Church Council (PCC) who will run the Church for the next year.

Please come to find out more about your Church and have your say.

Lent Course
A very big thank you to everyone who came to the first session of our Lent course, ‘Re-imagining Church’. Despite lasting 5 hours, it was a very
enjoyable and productive session. There was much meaningful discussion on various aspects of our church which will help form our future planning
for this benefice. The next session is to be held next Wednesday 20 March starting at 1900 in the Benefice office. Do not feel you have to attend every session or even the whole of the session. As happened last Saturday, please feel free to drop in and drop out as you wish.

In preparation for this session you may wish to read the following Bible passage; 1 Peter 2. 4-10; then reflect on these questions:
- What is our church?
- What are we like?
- What could we be?
- How do we become?

We need to identify what role our church, our faith, has in this ever changing world and in our community. How do you think Christianity is
perceived by the communities in which we live? Do we, as a Christian community, truly fulfil the role of followers of Christ? These are just some
of the many questions we need to ask of ourselves before we can get a true picture of what needs to be done for the future.

George Lynne
With immediate effect George Lynne, one of our Readers, is now working with the Oxborough Group of parishes. We wish George well with his new parishes and thank him for all the support he has given to this Benefice.

Lent
A fitting service on Ash Wednesday in St Peter, Little Ellingham, heralded the start of Lent. Good luck to anyone who has decided on a discipline for Lent this year. Easter is not too far away! If you feel that it is going to be a tough 40 days, read one of the lessons for the Ash Wednesday service, 2 Corinthians 5.20b – 6.10.

Lent Course
Our Ministry Day yesterday was the first of our five session Lent course. The next four sessions will be on consecutive Wednesdays starting on 20 th March. Do not worry if you cannot attend all the sessions. Each session is of equal importance and any input is of value. So please attend as many as you can or wish to.

Electoral Roll reminder
Remember that this year your church Electoral Roll is discontinued and a new one is being compiled. It is necessary for each of us to re-apply for membership to your church Electoral Roll. If you have not yet done so, then please talk to your Electoral Roll officer or a member of your PCC. If you are not on the Electoral Roll, then you are not entitled to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, except of course for the Church Wardens.

Yes we are coming up to Lent, that period which precedes Easter. We are once again
having a Lent course to which everyone is invited. This year we are following a
suggested theme from the Bishop of Lynne entitled Re-imagining Church. There are
five reflections on church, posing the question ‘Can you imagine what your church
will be like in 2031?’,. The Ministry Team has decided to cover each reflection in a
series of five sessions. The first session will be part of our next Ministry Day. All the
sessions will take place in the benefice office. A timetable of sessions can be found in
the ‘Diary’ section.
The Ministry Day is scheduled for Saturday 9 March. It would be helpful if you could
inform a member of the Ministry Team or Margaret Moore-Vale of your intention to
attend.

Although 2031 sounds a long way off, it is only 12 years from now. In fact, come
2031, our benefice may look very different from the one we recognise today.
Considering the overall age of our regular worshippers, we may not have the
necessary resources to turn around our dwindling congregations in such a short time.

In January we had a very interesting talk as part of the Shellrock Talks from Hannah of the Norwich Foodbank.  She explained the history behind The Trussell Trust and how the foodbank started.  It was interesting to understand the process behind the food parcels, how they are put together and distributed, as well as some of the other projects they organise and support throughout the city.  Norwich is the eighth largest foodbank in the country - during 2018 they gave out almost 9,500 parcels.

We have recently started to take the majority of the donations from this benefice to the food bank in Thetford.  Since April 2018, they have fed 2,130 people – providing parcels for singles, couples and families.  Since donating to Thetford, we have given 173.8 kg.

At the talk there was an interest from some of the attendees for more information about volunteering.  Thetford Foodbank welcomes volunteers – either at the warehouse session on a Monday 12pm -2 pm where food is sorted or at a session open to clients (held at Attleborough, Brandon, Thetford and Watton).  Alternatively, names can be added to the contact list for local supermarket collections which happen across the year.

To volunteer, please contact info@thetford.foodbank.org.uk, message them via facebook or call 0844 288 9618.  All volunteers need to have training, complete an application form and read a few documents.

Do you have used stamps lying around at home?  Do you throw them away with the envelope?  We now have collecting boxes for these stamps in four of our churches, Great Ellingham, Little Ellingham, Rockland All Saints and Rockland St Peter, and these will be donated to The Leprosy Mission.

Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease, usually associated with poverty, which is easily cured. Leprosy starts by damaging the small nerves on the skin’s surface resulting in a loss of sensation.  Without the gift of pain, everyday activities are fraught with danger.  Unnoticed burns and ulcers can lead to permanent disability.  Due to the inability to detect grit in the eye, blindness is a common consequence of leprosy.  The charity works in ten countries across Asia and Africa supporting training, education, healthcare and research.

So please support this extremely important charity by recycling your used stamps.  Cut them out from the envelope leaving a small amount of envelope around them and place them in one of the collecting boxes provided.  Three of the churches are open during the day.  Alternatively give them to a member of the church who can do it for you.  Thank You.

Our February café church service was the first with the revised format.  Many of our congregation made the most of the new toaster and enjoyed breakfast, coffee and conversation before the service.  This month our reading was taken from Luke 5: Jesus calls his first disciples.  After speaking to the crowds, Jesus asked the fishermen to go back out and fish, despite having been unsuccessful overnight.  The catch they brought in was so heavy that the boats started to sink.  The fishermen then left their boats and followed Jesus.  Our service included the song James and Andrew, Peter and John to the tune of Scarborough Fair.

This year we have a new service pattern for St James’.  There is an evening service on the first Sunday in the month which will have a few hymns and be a time for reflection.  The second Sunday in the month is café church with breakfast starting at 9.45am (cereals/toast/croissants) and the service at 10.30am.  The third Sunday will be a 9am Holy Communion.  On the fourth Sunday we have a benefice service where our congregations join together and this rotates around the churches.

In St James’ church we now have a box to collect used stamps and these will be donated to The Leprosy Mission.  See the article on The Leprosy Mission below.

Christian Aid has produced a prayer guide for Lent, both for adults and children.  There are a small number of these in church – please help yourself to a copy.  It covers some of the work the charity does as well as raise awareness of a number of worldwide issues.  We will also be hosting a Big Breakfast for Christian Aid week in May – watch this space for more details….

Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner on 5^th March.  We will be holding our annual pancake party with toppings available to suit all tastes.  If you wish to join the races, bring along a frying pan and pancake (if you can), starting from the Methodist church at 3.30pm.

Don’t forget our annual spring fair on Saturday 23^rd March, 10-12.30.  The Great Ellingham school singers will be coming along and there will be plenty of craft stalls, refreshments, cakes and jams, plus the tombola, an Easter egg raffle and bacon rolls!

All our operating churches are managed by their respective Parochial Church Council (PCC). Each PCC is chaired by the incumbent, Revd Christina Mason, with a lay member acting as vice- chair.  The PCC can comprise the ministers for that parish, the church wardens, secretary, treasurer and other lay members. Each year the PCC is disbanded at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and reformed by the votes of members on the church Electoral Roll.

Each church has an Electoral Roll comprising mostly members of the congregation and this is renewed every six years. The sixth year finishes this year so a new electoral roll will be created prior to the next APCM.

The exception to the voting procedure is the election of the Church Wardens. Probably the oldest appointment in the church, the role of the Church Warden is broadly to ensure the well being of the church, its fabric, the churchyard, the congregation and the worship. As well as members of the church electoral roll anyone who is on the local government electoral roll for that parish is also entitled to vote in the election of the church wardens.

All church APCMs must be held by 30^th April.  A list of all the forthcoming APCMs is set below.

Benefice Annual Parochial Church Meetings:

Great Ellingham                     Monday 8^th April, 19.30 in the church

Little Ellingham                      Sunday 24^th March, 12.30 in the church

Rockland All Saints                 Monday 8^th April, 10.30 in the Benefice Office

Rockland St Peter                   Sunday 14^th April, 12.30 in the church

Shropham                               Tuesday 26^th March, 19.00 in the Vicarage

Are you looking for a new resolution or something to consider for Lent?  Fairtrade fortnight is 25^th February to 10^th March.

Fairtrade works with businesses, consumers and campaigners so that farmers and workers have an equal say.  It promotes fairer trading conditions and empowers farmers and workers to combat poverty and take more control over their lives.  It sets standards and enables people to invest in business or community projects.  A small change to your shopping habits could make a big difference to someone’s living standards.

This could be a chance to enjoy chocolate in lent – but of the fairtrade variety instead!

Our Benefice is ministered to by a team of ordained and lay ministers.  Our incumbent is priest-in-charge Revd Christina Mason with Revd Sue Strutt acting as Priest Associate.  This is an unusual situation in that, although the former is legally in charge, it is considered to be more of a job-share.  Both are ordained ministers, both live outside the benefice (the Rectory is currently rented out by the diocese), both work part-time, both are of retirement age.

The other members of the team are known as Readers, or Lay Ministers as they are often now called.  Carol Bennett, George Lynne and Colin Thomas support the two priests by presiding at services and in other aspects of ministry apart from Holy Communion, Baptisms and Weddings.  Colin and Carol are also authorised to conduct funerals.  They operate on a voluntary basis.

There is one other member attached to the team, Jeremy Warren.  Jeremy is exploring his vocation to become an ordained minister and whilst he is with us has the title of Assistant Lay Minster.

Cafe Church

In February we see the return of café church after a winter break!  This will be in our new format with breakfast available before the service from 9.45am.  Anyone is welcome to join us for breakfast – a choice of cereals and toast - you don’t have to stay for the service.   The café church service will begin at 10.30am.  Please come along and enjoy the worship, led by Colin and the music group.  Sunday 10^th February.  All welcome.

Food bank

Food bank donations continue to be dropped off at church – Thank you to everyone who donated over the festive period.  Two ‘boot loads’ were taken to Thetford Food bank!  The current most needed items are rice pudding, long life juice and squash, tinned/long life sponge puddings (and custard).

Pancake Party!

Looking ahead to March, it will be Shrove Tuesday and the annual pancake party!  Last year it was well supported (despite a cold, damp and windy day) - we hope people will come along to enjoy a pancake with toppings available to suit all tastes.  Bring along a frying pan and pancake (if you can) and join the fun for races starting from the Methodist church at 3.30pm.  Pancake day is 5^th March.

Spring Fair

Our annual spring fair is back on Saturday 23^rd March.  Planning for this is in the early stages but if you are a local crafter and would like a stall, please contact Kathryn – 456525 or sunflowerjones@hotmail.com.

Please try and help support your foodbank this Christmas:

The Ministry Team have devised an Advent Course which focuses on some of the central aspects of our Christian faith:

Wednesday 21st Nov 7-9pm - Sin

Wednesday 28th Nov 7-9pm - Forgiveness

Wednesday 5th Dec 7-9pm Heaven and Hell

Wednesday 12th Dec 7-9pm Love and Hope

These will be held in the Benefice office with coffee to start.  Everyone is invited to come along, to whichever evenings they wish, to discover, discuss and reflect.

Monday, 11 November 1918, 11am. ‘END OF HOSTILITIES’. ‘ARMISTICE’. ‘PEACE’. ‘GREAT WAR OVER’. These were some of the headlines. Bells which had been silent for over four years rang out throughout the whole country.  As the news spread, jubilant people lined the streets of towns and cities.

The Editorial in the Breckles and District Deanery Magazine of December 1918, penned just days after the Armistice, was full of religious and patriotic fervour; ‘The glorious end (as it must surely be) of the war was celebrated in all our Churches with devout and heartfelt gratitude to Almighty God. The bearing of the nation in this supreme hour has been worthy of the great occasion … The complete submission of the enemy adds another, and the greatest proof of all, to the many proofs written on the pages of history that it is the will of God that brutality and knavery defeat themselves, for they find themselves ultimately arrayed against the God – supported forces of humaneness and righteousness …’

 In contrast, many readers of this Magazine, along with families throughout the land, were still anxiously waiting for news of missing or wounded loved ones or prisoners of war. Ven. G. M. MacDermott reporting on the situation in Great and Little Ellingham said; ‘Our deepest sympathy flows out to Mr. & Mrs. Saunders, of Bow Street, who have lost their son, Ernest Edward, killed in action, in France, May 28th last. Also, to Mr. & Mrs. Taylor for the loss of their son, Walter, killed Oct 24th last, in France. Walter was very well known and much liked by all in LE. Mr Taylor is Parish Clerk and everyone feels for him and his wife'.  ‘Mr. and Mrs. Wright have heard that their son, Arthur James, has been “killed or died of wounds”; our heart-felt condolence for them in this, the loss of their second son in the war. There is a slight hope that Arthur will prove to have been a prisoner – but it is only a slender chance, we fear’. Charles Fincham has been a prisoner in Saxony, but, we hope will be home soon’.

Another great worry was the Influenza pandemic which was claiming the lives of countless people worldwide. On 31 October 1918, a Larling man, Driver Frederick Percy Burlingham, serving in France, succumbed. His family was notified on the very day the Great War ended.

We now know that the War may have been over, but the end was to be months away for most. Service personnel continued to lose their lives - Stoker Frederick Reeve R.N. who is buried at St James’ (G.E.), died of heatstroke aboard ship whilst on duty in July 1919. The long wait for demobilization caused a great deal of resentment. When the time came, men would often sign to say they had not suffered any impairment during their military service in order to be sent home more quickly. Thousands of prisoners needed to be repatriated, a task not completed until March 1919. As one newspaper said; ‘many died at the very threshold of a new life’. Wounded men, especially those requiring plastic surgery, spent many months in hospital. Pension claims were protracted.

The question of War Memorials was already being discussed within days of the Armistice – this from the December 1918 Deanery Magazine again; ‘Now is the time to set about the important question of deciding what form the memorial of the great war shall take in each parish. There should be no delay in taking sweet councel together. There are a few obvious considerations. First and foremost, the heroic dead must be immortalized as far as is humanly possible. The monument should therefore be solid, conspicuous and durable. The most natural place for it seems to us to be the parish churchyard. ….. Our next care should be the preservation of the names of those who have served with the armed forces of the Empire. ….

Thirdly there will be a great desire to establish a memorial which will be of beneficial utility to those returning gallant soldiers and sailors. Watton has made an admirable start in this way by the proposal of the erection of a public hall and club-house, primarily for their benefit. But whatever is done, this ought not to be left undone, namely the pious record for future generations, in a place consecrated to God, of the names of those who have died, and of those who have struggled and suffered for their country in the cause of patriotism, justice and humaneness’.

Thankfully, this ethos has survived the test of time, particularly during the last four years and looks set to continue. It has been a great privilige for me to have been able to play my part. Many of you have asked what I will do now that the task is complete. Well, I will continue to keep checking any further records which may come to light. Rockland All Saints is the only church in our Benefice to have a surviving record of all who served from the parish. Perhaps that should be my next task! For our other parishes it should be possible to identify many of the servicemen (and women) from the Naval and Military Absent Voter lists and from references in the Deanery Magazines. I have already done such an exercise in Shropham and have so far compiled and researched a Roll of 65.

With best wishes to you all.

During the past four years, we in this benefice have paid tribute to all the men named on our War memorials who died in World War 1, and as close as was possible to the one hundredth anniversary of their death. This has only been possible by the hard work of Cynthia Budd who has researched and compiled the life and death of each man.

This month we commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Armistice that brought to an end the bloodshed; well almost. So our Remembrance Day services this year will have a special significance falling as they do on Sunday 11th September 2018. We shall also be holding a special Remembrance Benefice Eucharist on our 4th Sunday. Cynthia has kindly written another tribute to mark this momentous time in the lives of the men and women who
survived the war and to the families left behind.

We shall soon be starting a new church year which means Advent and year C lectionary. The Ministry Team have devised an Advent course as part of our preparations for celebrating the birth of Christ; details in this issue.

Toilets

1 in 3 people across the world do not have a safe and hygienic toilet. Every two minutes a child under five dies because of dirty water or poor sanitation. It’s quite staggering to think that going to the toilet can be dangerous or that the lack of one can affect an individual’s education. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to being bitten by snakes or being attacked when they go to the toilet in the bush; many teenage girls drop out of school
because of a lack of proper toilets. In our homes, toilets are taken for granted with many of us having two or even three. How many can remember an outside loo when you were younger? Possibly even the only one available. At St James’ church, we made a decision to do something, so our toilet is ‘twinned’ with one in the Democratic Republic of Congo, through the charity toilettwinning.org. This action raises funds to enable people living in poor
communities to have clean water, basic sanitation and to learn about hygiene. Next time you come into the church, take a look at our certificate!

Harvest

It was lovely to see a range of people and new faces at both our harvest supper service and café church this month. Our café church collection was £105 and this has been sent to Christian Aid. Their harvest appeal focuses on women overcoming the challenges of climate change and drought by providing tools and training so they can start businesses and develop skills in order to provide for their families. We also collected tins and dried goods to the Food bank – this was split to send two boxes to Thetford and one to Norwich.

Autumn fair

Thank you to everyone who supported this event. We raised over £570 for church funds. A special thanks to all those who donated prizes, especially for the raffle – The Crown, Norfolk Veg Box, the Courtyard Tearoom and Rosedales.

Small change, big difference

The world seems like it can be a hostile place; nothing an individual can do to make a difference. Yet it doesn’t have to be that way. A small change can make a big difference. Just one item a week donated to the food bank, some loose change to a charity tin or a regular monthly donation, turning the lights off to conserve electricity, refusing a plastic bag and choosing unwrapped vegetables instead, buying local goods instead of online, toilet twinning. As we head towards Christmas, what gift could you give to make a difference?

This, the second of our Ministry Days, was attended by a core of 19 people.  The aim of the meeting was to identify where we are as a benefice and how we can work together more closely.  Sue Strutt gave a brief history of way the Celtic Church operated and how this changed with the coming of the Roman Church.  The coffee break was followed by a discussion around areas of ministry redefined as in the last Ministry Day held in November 2017:­-

Worship, Church, Pastoral, Education, Community, Evangelism and Communication.

These were set alongside the themes of Celtic Christianity which fall into similar groupings.  The meeting divided into small groups and five of these areas of ministry were discussed.  Sadly, there was not enough time to talk about each one in depth:

Worship – the main topic emerged as participation in different kinds of worship; across the Benefice there are 17 variants of service.  It is the case that whenever something new is tried people attend once or twice and are made very welcome, but do not come again.  What more can be done? 

Church – Our buildings are in a good state, clean, mostly warm, records kept well, welcoming.  More can be done to reach out to the community, especially young people. Publicity is needed and maybe a questionnaire to discover what the residents in our parishes would like to see happening in our churches.

Pastoral – There is a great deal of unofficial neighbourly visiting and caring already taking place in our parishes.  There are forums where people can meet, listen to each other and talk, e.g. the Fellowship group, also the shop.  Welcome bags could be made for new comers to the villages.  A telephone number as a first contact should be publicly available, and prayer sessions outside of mainstream services should be advertised.  A Bereavement group is in the process of being set up.

Education – The churches could be available generally for the schools and other groups to use as a resource and a facility.  Prayer/play spaces arranged for comfortable and quiet(ish) activities for children.  Courses and Bible study groups set up, and especially nurturing newcomers.

Community – more use could be made of social media.  We need to look especially towards supporting young people in the community.

Above all, everything we do should be done with PRAYER and with love, for GOD.”

Yum, Yum!

With the meeting concluded everyone went outside to join others in partaking of a Barbeque lovingly prepared by Charles Mason, with salads donated from several people.

Thank you Charles it was scrumptious!

Donations amounted to over £300 which will be put into the Benefice Office fund.  Thank you.

The latest of the Shellrock Talks, held on 19^th September in Rockland St Peter, was entitled ‘Why is religious education in schools so important’.  Our speaker for the evening, Christine Counsell, gave us a wonderfully interesting, informative and thought provoking insight into how religious education is taught in our schools, or not as is apparently too often the case.  The relevance of religions to other subjects in the school curriculum, what subject matter was included, how the subject was taught, what steps were being taken to improve the subject matter and its teaching were just some of the topics covered.  Although focussed on religious education, it also gave us a window into education in general.

We are grateful to Christine for presenting this Talk with energy and clarity which left us all much the wiser and happy that we had made the effort attend.  Thank you Christine.

Thanks must also go to Rockland St Peter for allowing us to use their church as a venue for these Talks and to the refreshments ‘ladies’ who provided the much appreciated tea, coffee and biscuits.

Our next Talk will be on Wednesday 23 January 2019.  The subject will be the ‘Norwich Foodbank’.  So if you have any interest in the work of the foodbank and why it is necessary for it to exist, then book this in your diary or calendar now.  As usual, this Talk is open to everyone, so please encourage your friends to come along to join us in what should be another entertaining and informative evening.

Our cafe church service in September was on the theme of ‘The miracles of Jesus’ with our readings from Mark 7: the stories of driving out a demon and healing a deaf and mute man.  We prayed for light to the darkness of those with mental illness and the well being of all those with a disability.  We welcomed a few new faces, celebrated Samuel’s 5^th birthday and congratulated Sue and Ian Bisley on their 25^th wedding anniversary!

Our next café church will be on Sunday 14^th October on a harvest theme.  Any tinned and packaged food will be collected for the food bank; fresh produce will be auctioned off after the service.  The collection and auction proceeds will go to Christian Aid.

Our August café service was down a few regulars but numbers were made up by others from across the benefice (we like being the only service!).  Led as usual by our music group, albeit with three members away, Cath and Kathryn were ably assisted by Peter and Angela.  Thanks to them for standing in!  Rev Sue guided us in our worship, talking about us ‘being prepared’, about us being ready to receive and welcome God and about us living our lives as Christians throughout the week, not just on a Sunday.

At café church, we like to celebrate special occasions and this month was Joan Woodruffe’s 70^th birthday.  Many congratulations!

Cath read the following poem as part of our service.  (An epicure is a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink!)

Live while you live, the Epicure would say,

And seize the pleasures of the present day.

Live while you live, the sacred Preacher cries,

And give to God each moment as it flies.

Lord, in my view, let both united be;

I live in pleasure if I live to thee.

- Philip Dodderidge (1702 – 1751)