News & Features

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

Dear Friends

I think there’s a song called “is there a right time” and this is a question I have been asking myself off and on for quite a number of months. When is the right time for me to retire? Earlier this year, in March, I had an anniversary. I have been 40 years in licensed ministry. Now as I write, and hard as it has been for me to come to this decision, and to speak about it, I am going to retire from my present position as priest in charge of the Shellrock benefice on 31^st December, two months before my 80^th birthday.  I have retired from a number of positions in my working life. Today feels different and it is with sadness as well as trepidation that I begin to move forward and away from my leadership role in the benefice.

It has always been central to my understanding that ministry is NOT just limited to people in the public eye and with an official label. Ministry is about the care which each member of a church gives, and the compassion translated into action to help others, irrespective of who they are or their status in the world. I have encountered extraordinary examples of loving and committed care by people in each of the five parishes which comprise Shellrock. I thank them for all that they give to others, and the learning that I have received from them.

In the last thirteen years being associated with the Shellrock Benefice I have met some very special people and I hope that I shall be allowed to keep in some form of contact with them. There also have been some who have challenged me, and from them I have learned a number of useful lessons which I shall take forward into the future. Above all I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the love I have received.

Thank you. All of you.

Christina 

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.