Thank you to those who attended our annual parochial church council meeting on Sunday 18 May. Ruth Hann was re-elected churchwarden for the 6th year. Our PCC members are: Ruth Hann, Judith Newton, Jenny Wray-Bliss, Brian Osborne, Lily Munday, Deanery Synod Members - Beth Thomas & Simon Thorne and LPA Ashley Jones.Debbie McEntee has stood down and finishing her time on the PCC. We are very sorry to hear this, as Debbie has done a fine job as our PCC Secretary over several years and we shall miss her.We are therefore looking to appoint a new PCC Secretary as soon as possible. We are looking for someone with good IT skills, who is efficient and organised and would be available to attend our meetings six times a year in the evening. We could co-opt a new person onto the PCC at any time. They don’t have to be a regular church member, but at least in sympathy with the church. If you know anyone suitable or would like to know more about this role yourself, please be in touch with either myself or churchwarden Ruth Hann. Thank you. Rebecca
Holly will be leaving her curacy at the White Horse Team at the end of July. She has been offered a place on an MA course on Disability and Theology which will start in September. She will, however, be leaving the curacy house at the end of this month, as they family have a secured a suitable property in Staverton. Holly will therefore be commuting between Staverton and Westbury during June and July. Holly’s last Sunday will be 27th July when we hope to arrange a suitable leaving event for her, to show her our thanks and appreciation for her four years with us, and to wish her well for the future. Details to be announced. Please include Holly in your prayers as she prepares to move house and go on to pastures new.Please note that Revd Holly's telephone number from 30 May will be 07835 915580.
You are are invited to pray during Ascensiontide starting on Ascension Day which is on 29 May through to Pentecost on 8th June. We are invited to pray specifically for any friends, family members, people in our communities etc to come to know the Lord. There are booklets to go with this: a Prayer Journal and also a booklet with reflections every day on the Lord’s Prayer which have been written by the Archbishop of York.I have sent away for a few copies of each which are free but I’ve paid for the postage which works out at £2 each. I have these available and can show people and can order some more if any people would like them. They are also available to download from the website. https://www.thykingdomcome.global/new-2025Since we are looking to grow our churches and want to invite new people along, this seems like a good idea to use these resources and invite people to pray during this time and see what happens. I will have the booklets available to view in our churches over the next couple of weeks. They came quite quickly, so happy to take orders in advance. Please contact me.We will hold a special service of Holy Communion for Ascension Day on 29 May at 11.00 am at Holy Trinity, DM. All welcome.We pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit on all our hearts and lives: that we may recognise the Spirit in our midst, inspiring us and enabling us to be witnesses in the places in which we are set.Rebecca
St Philip and St James Church ChapmansladeBishop Andrew is our local area Bishop. He is a poet and musician with a keen love for our natural environment and posts regularly on YouTube talking about Place, Faith, Identity and Landscape from different local landmarks. The event is by donation. Funds will go towards the planned new kitchenette for St Philip and St James' Church in Chapmanslade.Drinks available before concert and intervalTo help the organisers plan, please contact candcchurches@gmail.com or 07455 349 161 to let them know you wish to attend.
Our Annual Parish meeting will be taking place after the morning service at All Saints on this Sunday. There will be no service at Holy Saviour that morning, as we would like to encourage everyone to come together at All Saints and to stay on for the annual meeting afterwards. We shall be electing churchwarden(s) and members of the PCC at this meeting. There are vacancies for the PCC at the moment, and if you’d like to be elected, please see our PCC Secretary Debbie McEntee, who will be happy to supply you with a nomination form. We shall also be receiving the annual church reports and accounts and hearing about what has been going on over the last year, and our plans for the future. This is your opportunity to show your support for your church and to have your say in the plans for the future. Nomination forms for the PCC and Churchwarden can be found below.
We shall be holding another Gift Day in Westbury on Sunday 11 May. We have written to all our church members (those on the electoral roll and those who regularly attend our services) to invite you to make a one-off donation to your church and/or to review your regular giving. If you are not a regular giver to your church, then please consider joining our Parish Giving Scheme. Details enclosed in the letter. If you haven’t received a letter, please ask, and we can let you have one. We are still not paying our full parish share, despite our best efforts at fundraising, and it makes much sense for all our church members to give directly to the church through the Parish Giving Scheme or a regular standing order from your bank or building society each week or month. That way, we can budget for the future, and we can continue to pay the parish share and all our other costs, such as insurance for our buildings, heating, lighting, and costs of worship. We also have much work to do on our buildings, not least at All Saints where, at the last Quinquennial (five yearly) inspection by our architect, repairs are needed to be done on the church roof at All Saints above the Lady Chapel and the chapel of the Holy Name, as well as repairs to the stone-work.We receive no funding from the Government, the Church Commissioners or the Diocese. Income from fees for weddings and funerals has gone down because we don’t have so many weddings or funerals. We rely heavily on the voluntary giving of our church members and supporters, like you! It is the responsibility of all church members to give generously to support your church.Please consider carefully and prayerfully what your response will be. We invite you to bring your response in an envelope, with the response form included in your letter, to one of our church services on 11 May: at All Saints at 9.30 am, at Café Church at Westbury Junior School at 9.45 am or at Holy Saviour Westbury Leigh at 11.00 am.We look forward to seeing you that day. If you can’t make it then, please return your response to church on the nearest convenient Sunday, or put it through the letter box outside the Parish Hall/Team office.Thank you in advance for your response. Whatever you give will be appreciated.Rebecca
