Rockland St Peter

We shall be holding a ‘Vision Day’ in Little Ellingham village hall on Saturday 1st February for all the churches associated with Tori’s Role as Priest-in-charge. This event is primarily to identify how we are doing now and what the future is to be as we move towards becoming one benefice. This will be an opportunity for individual members of our churches to have their voice. To put forward ideas, concerns, hopes and expectations.

Although maybe not the most important consideration, one question that needs to be answered is ‘What do we call our combined benefice?’ Currently it is ‘Gt and Lt Ellingham, Hingham, High Oak, Rockland All Saints, Rockland St Peter and Scoulton with Wood Rising’. Quite a mouthful, so if you have a better suggestion, please bring it with you.

Coffee and Tea will be available on arrival and throughout the session. There will be a break for lunch of soup, rolls, cheese and cake around half way.

If you cannot make this session but feel you have something to contribute, please inform Tori or Sue. Their contact details are at the end of these Ramblings as usual. Alternatively they both will be at the Benefice service on Sunday.

Happy New Year! It feels a little strange saying this in February because January has come and gone so quickly. In the Church calendar we are in what is called Ordinary Time; we are not in the major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter (but we are sure they will all come around again soon enough).

Santa’s tour this year was wonderful. We paid a visit to 8 acres this year as an extra venue. With the help of carols outside the shop, we raised £426.00 for E.A.C.H. Santa must say a huge thank you to Richard Baker. Without him Santa’s tour would not be possible; he supplies the tractor and trailer as well as giving his time and a very generous donation. Thank you again, Richard.

We have ‘An evening with Graham Cole O.B.E’, aka Tony Stamp from the much loved ‘The Bill’, on Saturday the 22nd February at 7pm at Rocklands Village Hall. There will be a licensed bar and snacks. Only £5 a ticket! Please phone: 07802 433 611

Just like that, another year has drawn to a close and we are at the December Rocklander entry already. We have also had a flurry of snow as I write this. Where does the time go? After the Christmas period we have a chance to recollect ourselves before all the events start again in the new year. Before then, though, we hope to see you at our upcoming events.

Pudsey Lunch

We would like to thank all involved at the Pudsey Lunch. Without people volunteering we could not host such events jointly with Little Rockies. We pride ourselves, as a Church, for having opportunities throughout the year that raise money for other charities. Children in Need is widely fundraised for in the village, by various groups, so it is great to see that so many of you turned up and donated towards this cause.

Remembrance

It was heartwarming to see that so many of you turned up at Wayland Road’s Remembrance Flowerbed on the 10th of November to remember those lost. We are aware we usually host this event in the church but felt a great connection to the village as a whole by hosting it around the flowerbed. Thank you, also, to those who joined us at the Church afterwards for tea, coffee and nibbles.

Winter Market

We are hosting a Winter Market at Rocklands Village Hall on Saturday the 7th of December. It will run from 10am to 2pm and we hope it will serve you as a fine opportunity to get some Christmas presents. We have a wide variety of traders offering you their goods. FREE ENTRY so come and shop with us!

Santa’s Grotto

See Santa for just £5 a child – includes gift! When we host the Winter Market, Santa is resting in Rocklands Village Hall at the same time too! Children will have the opportunity to meet Santa for a gift and a great photo opportunity for you to cherish.

Festive Café Church

Join us at Rockland St. Peter’s Church at 10:30am on the 8th of December for a crafting event suitable for adults and children alike! There will be nibbles following the crafting fun! Grab a friend and bring them too, there will be lots of crafting fun to do!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Rockland St. Peter’s Church!

Advent Carol Service
This service is held on the first Sunday of Advent; this year it will be Sunday 1st December. Normally it is a benefice service held in Rockland All Saints. However this year it will also be the day of the Archdeacon’s Visitation and combined with our partner benefice, the Hingham group of churches. So it has been decided that for logistical reasons the service will be held in the church of Rockland St Peter with refreshments provided after the service in Rocklands Village Hall.

Further details may be given later but it is expected that the service will be as normal.

Welcome to November!

Where has the year gone? The clocks have changed and the nights are going to feel longer. For some of us, getting up in the dark is also going to be a tough one. On the upside, it is the time to wear puffy ski jackets that hide how many mince pies we have had or how many Christmas puds we have snuck into the weekly shop.

Harvest

Thank you to those who attended our Harvest Service. We hope you enjoy a selection of pictures from the day.

Remembrance

We are hosting a Remembrance Sunday Service at the memorial flowerbed on the 10th of November at 10:45am.

Pudsey Lunch

Saturday 16th of November at 12pm to 2pm, we are hosting a Pudsey Fundraising Lunch. We will be serving an array of wonderful food delights from bacon rolls and soup to cake delights. There will also be a raffle. Pudsey, himself, will also grace us with his presence! No need to book in advance; just pop in and visit us on the day.

If you wished to get involved and help out with baking or serving a table on the day, please contact Mr Brown on 07802 433 611.

November

Welcome to November

A month where we remember,

And a month to recall,

Those who wished parliament To take a large fall.

 

The five-fingered ivy,

Hath graced us with bright red

And many trees have started

To look quite, quite dead.

 

A month where winter whispers,

That it is ever near;

The last month of autumn

Before it disappears.

KYT Poetry

Welcome to our October entry!

Cycle Ride

Thank you to Dawn Thacker and Nick Cardy who rode for us in the annual Churches Trust Cycle Ride and Walk. They travelled 47.1 miles and visited 24 churches. What a brilliant effort! Dawn said, “We met some lovely people along the way. It was a lovely day, the sun shone although it was a bit breezy at times.” We would like to thank everyone who was involved in the event, from the welcomers across the churches, those who cycled, rode or walked and those who sponsored. So, thank you!

Welcoming Our New Reverend

The Licensing of Reverend Victoria Venmore-Rowland BA will be held at St. Andrew’s Church, Hingham on the 24th of September. I am sure everyone will join us in making our new reverend most welcome to our communities.

Dates For Your Diary

Join us on Sunday the 16th of November for Pudsey Lunch where we aim to raise money for Children in Need.

Exciting times as we issue a very warm welcome to our new incumbent, Tori. 

I am writing this just before her Licensing service.  You will be aware of the huge task in front of her – not only taking up the reigns of ordained ministry amongst us after a long interregnum but drawing our two Benefices together.   

The High Oak and Hingham Benefice has traditionally worked in a very different way to the Shellrock Benefice.  We, the ministers, have been meeting and sharing some services, therefore coming to know different congregations across the boundaries.  This has necessarily been limited and there is a long way to go.  At least we have shown that we can work in harmony.  This will be important in the future. 

The virtue we will need most is patience – everything takes time.  Managing our expectations will also be necessary.  It will take a while for Tori to learn who we all are, also how we work.  And, we have to learn what she would like from us in order to help her form a plan for our future.  I know she likes to work with others so we will all have our part to play. 

Above all, we must remember that God has sent her to us.  He will have a plan for the new, enlarged Benefice, mainly that we find ways to proclaim his Word of Love among ourselves and to the wider communities.  Our churches are all working hard in their outreach and, while Tori might have ideas of how we can develop our activities, we cannot leave it all to her.  We must continue as we are and grow with her leadership. 

Tori, our new Rector, is here among us.  I know we will all welcome her.  Alleluia!