From The Church Wardens
From the Churchwarden - December 2021 Norton Community News
Norton Fitzwarren – The Village Remembers 2021
It was a wonderful time of commemoration in Norton Fitzwarren during the lead up to Remembrance Sunday. Once again, it was a time when the Village Hall Committee, the Church of All Saints, the Norton Fitzwarren Church Primary School, and many residents came together to provide a very moving commemoration that affected young and old.
The first of the events within the village was a moving Service of Remembrance, on Wednesday 10 November, with some 31 Year 6 children from the Norton Fitzwarren Church Primary School, and accompanying staff. The Royal British Legion Standards were in attendance, and a bugler called The Last Post and Reveillé. The service, among the graves in the churchyard, was led by Rev Paul Irving; and crosses and poppies were laid by the children at the foot of each of the five Commonwealth War Grave headstones. The children were very respectful; and the weather was kind throughout.
On Remembrance Sunday, for the Service of Remembrance, young and old alike assembled respectfully at the Village Hall; and a collection was taken in aid of SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. An altar had been set up in the Marshall Hall, and the Memorial Well was festooned with a cascade of hand-knitted poppies. Wreaths were laid at the War Memorial. During the service that followed, led by Rev Paul Irving, the names of the fallen from Norton Fitzwarren in the Great War of 1914-18 were read out by Edward Firmin; the names of the fallen from Norton Fitzwarren in the Second World War of 1939-45 and the Korean War 1950-53 were read out by Daniel Trussler; and Major Dan Bedford, representing 40 Commando Royal Marines read the names of the fallen from Norton Fitzwarren during the operations Herrick 7, 12 and 17 in Afghanistan in 2008-12 . Bells were rung by the Norton Tower Captain, Val Contreras, and her team followed by the Silence at 11am and the recital of the Kohima Epitaph, after which a group processed up to the church, where the service continued.
Soul-stirring hymns were sung, and prayers were said, and two wreaths were mounted on the memorial wall on behalf of the Norton Fitzwarren Parochial Church Council, and 40 Commando Royal Marines. We were delighted to Major Dan Bedford, from 40 Commando Royal Marines, and his family. A net of hand-knitted poppies cascaded from the pulpit, and a net of poppies draped the cross in the churchyard. The presence of 8 silhouettes, sitting in the pews as a part of the national ‘There but Not There’ project, provided once again a poignant reminder of those who had fallen, and had given their lives for their country. These silhouettes had been given to the Norton Fitzwarren PCC through the Armed Forces Military Covenant and will remain with the church for the foreseeable future. The collection was in aid of The Royal British Legion.
All those who participated in these events, and who helped prepare and decorate the Village Hall and the church, are warmly thanked for their contributions, which made for such a moving tribute to those men and their families, who had given their lives and who lived and worked in Norton Fitzwarren.
Andrew Ritchie
15 November
From the Churchwarden - November 2021 Norton Community News
Warm thanks are extended to the St John's team for hosting a sustaining and enjoyable Harvest Lunch at St John’s two weeks ago, and for being so welcoming to all those of us who attended from Norton. And many thanks also to the team from Norton who provided the puddings.
We are currently planning to observe an Act of Remembrance in the Village Hall on Remembrance Sunday, 14 November, followed shortly after by a service at All Saints. The arrangements and timings will largely follow those from years past until Covid intervened last year; and folk are encouraged to start gathering at the Village Hall at 10.40am. Please do keep an eye on the notice boards in the Village Hall, and at All Saints, for any change to those normal arrangements. I would like to thank Don Wyatt and the Village Hall Committee for agreeing to allow the Marshall Hall to be available for this purpose on the day.
I am pleased announce in these pages, as some will have already heard, that Paul’s licensing as Rector of the United Benefice of Staplegrove with Norton Fitzwarren will take place on Thursday 27 January 2022 at 7.00pm at St John’s Church, Staplegrove. More details will be published in due course.
Andrew Ritchie
17 October 2021
From the Churchwarden - October Norton Community News
It won’t have escaped many people’s attention that the flagpole has at last been restored to the roof of the tower at All Saints, allowing once again the hoisting of flags at times of celebration and commemoration after a lapse of over a year. Specialist contractors carried out a full repair and refurbishment last month, and reinstalled the flagpole on 31 August. Our thanks are extended both to the team at Dawson Steeplejacks of Weston-Super-Mare, who did a terrific job, and to the Parish Council for its most generous donation to cover the cost of the works.The Benefice Cricket Match last Sunday ended in a close win for our neighbours in Staplegrove, to whom the Rev Stephen Kivett Challenge Cup has now been passed, to be returned in a year’s time I hope. Congratulations to the Staplegrove team!
Celebrating Harvest
This year there will be a departure from the usual arrangements for celebrating Harvest. There will be a Benefice Harvest Lunch after the 10:30 service at St John’s on Sunday 3 October. A Ploughman’s Lunch will be provided, followed by a pudding and tea or coffee. There will be cider or apple juice with the meal, but you are asked to please bring your own glass.
Tickets won’t be issued, but those attending the Lunch will be asked for a donation on the day to help cover costs – as a guide £5 would be fine.
Numbers will be limited, which means that you must book a place. This can be done by contacting
Sue Derham at: [email protected] .com; or 01823 334866 and letting her know if you will be attending the service, the Lunch, or both.
Andrew Ritchie
17 September 2021
From the Churchwarden September Norton Community News
It is with great regret that I report that Pam Wreford decided to step down as Churchwarden in July. Pam has been an invaluable support to me, as Churchwarden since October last year, and for many months before then with managing the impact of Covid-19 during the vacancy and the gradual re-opening of All Saints for worship, and a myriad of consequential administrative tasks. On behalf of the whole PCC I thank Pam for her work as Churchwarden, for her help and support, her kindness and consideration for others, and for the contribution she has made to the life of All Saints church. Pam wishes to devote more time to her pastoral work as Lay Pastoral Assistant, a role to which she was commissioned in 2017.
As many of you will be aware, in addition to countless other tasks Tony Contreras has been mowing the grass in the churchyard at All Saints for many years, and for far more than I can possibly remember. The PCC has decided from August to engage and pay for the services of a local contractor to carry out all of the grass mowing. On behalf of the PCC I thank Tony for his loyal service and tireless work; and John Pearce, too, in equal measure. Together they have managed the entire upkeep of the churchyard. Thank you to you both! I am also very grateful for the valuable contribution in time volunteered by Tim Dunn, who has looked after the grass at the ‘top’ end of the churchyard for the recent few years.
A relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions has allowed us to dispense with the need to book places for services at All Saints, and we are thankfully at last permitted to sing at our services. In addition to the resumption of a full programmes of services on the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 4th Sunday of each month as listed elsewhere in these pages, we are pleased to have been able to gather for outdoor worship, too, during the unpredictable July and August weather.
The rental of The Reading Room at the Village Hall, for use as the Benefice Office, has been extended until January 2023. Thanks go to Don Wyatt and his Committee at the Village Hall, for having agreed to this extension; and also importantly to the Parish Council for its continued and generous financial support of our church, and the award of a Community Grant to cover Norton’s share of the rent up to July 2022, without which this would not have been possible.
The flagpole is notably absent from the church tower, having been removed for repair by specialist contractors. I hope to be able to report positively on this next month.
The Benefice Cricket Match will be held on Sunday 12 September starting at 2.30pm. Teams loosely based on supporting either Norton or Staplegrove will battle for the Rev Steven Kivett Challenge Cup. The match will take place on the Recreation Ground, opposite the church in Staplegrove, and all are welcome to come along. Age, cricketing ability and lack of proper cricket clothing will be no barrier to playing. I would like to hear from you if you are keen to take part so that you can join the Norton Team.
The Benefice Vision Day will be held on Saturday 18 September. Details are published elsewhere.
Andrew Ritchie
16 August 2021
From the Churchwardens July -August Norton Community News
We are hopeful that a relaxation of Covid restrictions will be permitted from 19 July, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for a slight improvement in the weather forecast for our first service of outdoor worship tomorrow, 20 June. As you will see from the Lists of Services in these pages, further such services are planned in the schedule during July and August, to which everyone is welcome.
Sunday 12 September is an important date for your diaries. The St Johns’ churchwardens have once again thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Norton for The Reverend Steven Kivett Challenge Cup at the seasonal cricket match, to be played in Staplegrove. Further details will be published closer to the date and in September’s Issue.
The Benefice Vision Day will be held on Saturday 12 September. Again, further details will be published in the coming weeks.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
19 June 2021
From the Churchwardens - June Norton Community News
The torrential rainfall during May will have been welcome to some of us after a very dry April, but it has led to an explosion in the growth of the grass in our churchyard that we haven’t seen for a few years. Tony Contreras and John Pearce, and the other loyal volunteers, deserve a huge thank you from all of us for keeping on top of this new growth.
We are now considering experimenting with setting aside a small section of our churchyard, and stopping all mowing and grass management in this area for a period of time during the summer. We would like you to observe the sprouting of wild flowers (and other perhaps unwelcome plants), providing nectar for bees and other insects and encouraging biodiversity. Though this is no doubt good for nature, some of you may see it as not a good ‘look’ for the churchyard, which you expect to be kept ‘tidy’ by others for the benefit of all; so for this reason the area being ‘re-wilded’ in this experiment is most likely to be set back away from the footpath through the churchyard. We encourage you to keep a look out for this, but to be wary and respectful of the graves and gravestones if you want to wander to get a closer peek.
Finally, with the prospect of warmer drier weather in June and beyond, and further relaxations of the current Covid restrictions, we and the churchwardens at St John’s Staplegrove have been working with Paul on plans for outdoor services of worship in the churchyard, at All Saints’ and St John’s. As you will see from the Service List in these pages, the first outdoor service is planned for All Saints’ on Sunday 20 June, at 4.00pm. This will be weather permitting, informal, and open to all, though subject to whatever restrictions may still be in place at the time. Whilst dispensing with the formal advance booking process (though you can still contact us if you would prefer), we will on the day ask for names and contact details of those attending, to support the NHS Test and Trace programme. We very much hope that singing will at last be permitted, though we’ll have to cancel if the rain returns. We won’t be singing in the rain!
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
20 May 2021
From the Churchwardens May Norton Community News 2021
We are delighted to report that many of our services at All Saints, at the end of March and again so far this month, have been so well attended we have had to place some people on a waiting list in case places become available. For this reason, to give everyone a fair chance of securing places, we are having to introduce a system under which bookings can be made no earlier than 2 weeks before the date of the service. We hope that you will all understand. In case you are unable to secure places, we direct you to the options available online: weekly 10.30am Sunday Worship, and 9.00am Morning Prayer from Monday to Thursday, detailed in the List of Services in these pages. We are very grateful to Paul, once again, for making this possible.You will have noticed that we have been unable for a while to fly any flags from our flagpole on the tower of All Saints, and that we were unable to do so to mark the sad period of national mourning following the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh earlier this month. We apologise for this. The pulley atop our flagpole is broken, and the whole pole has to be disassembled and then secured on a new base on top of the tower. This is no easy task at that height, but we are working on a plan for its repair.Finally, as we head towards summer with the prospect of warmer weather and, perhaps, a relaxation of the current Covid restrictions, we are working with Paul on plans for some outdoor services of worship, at All Saints and also at St John’s Staplegrove, starting in early June. Details of these will be published widely in due course, so keep a lookout!
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
20 April 2021
From the Churchwardens April Norton Community News 2021
We are so pleased to be able to welcome Rev Paul Irving and his family back to Taunton, and to our benefice. Paul’s licensing service, conducted online on the evening of 17 March, was a wonderful occasion, in which so many of us were able to share.A full schedule of services, at both All Saints and St John’s Staplegrove, has now been put in place for Holy Week, and for Easter and the remainder of April, which you will see elsewhere in these pages. We do recommend that you book early for places at the services, as current Covid restrictions limit our capacity at All Saints, and at St John’s, to well below our normal seating capacity. We are pleased to be able to offer online worship, via Facebook Live and via YouTube, for those unable to attend services in person. Full details of these are set out in the List of Services elsewhere in these pages. We are very grateful to Paul for making this possible.
We are pleased to report that the church clock has been repaired so as to restore the full sequence of chimes, which all nearby residents have been accustomed to hear. Thanks for this are due to Val Contreras and her brother.
We also thank the churchyard team for their hard efforts last Saturday 20 March, generally tidying up the churchyard. Special thanks are due from us all to Tony Contreras and John Pearce, for their work on that day, and over recent months.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
24 March 2021
From the Churchwardens March Norton Community News
There is also planned to be an open air service in the churchyard at St John’s Staplegrove on Mothering Sunday, 14th March, at 10.30am. Advance booking arrangements are in place or this service, too.
We are pleased to be able to report that Paul and his family have arrived safely in Taunton, and are reported to be settling into The Rectory. We offer our warm welcome to Paul, Ami, Harriet and Joseph. A selection of food and beverage items, and other treats, kindly donated by residents of both parishes, was gathered together by Chris Young and delivered to The Rectory in a fine hamper to welcome their arrival last week. It is not long now until the date, Wednesday 17th March, when Paul will be licensed as the Priest in Charge of the joint benefice of Norton Fitzwarren and Staplegrove. The licensing of Paul as Rector will follow later when a full service can be arranged to be conducted in church.
As for the services normally held in church during Holy Week after Palm Sunday, and on Easter Day and during the remainder of April, details of these have yet to be published as they will need to be discussed with Paul following his licensing. We ask you to look out for updates on our website, and on social media and our noticeboard.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
From the Churchwardens for February Norton Community News
In having welcomed in the New Year, let us say farewell to the year that was 2020 - a year that we sincerely hope will not be repeated to the same degree with lockdowns and church closures, and 11 months of vacancy. The indomitable spirit of the community shone through, nevertheless, during these dark times, and everyone pulled together. . Though we have started this year in yet another national lockdown, and with services suspended at our church, sunny uplands beckon as we approach, in six weeks’ time, the date on which The Reverend Paul Irving will be licensed as the new rector of the joint benefice of Norton Fitzwarren and Staplegrove. Paul will be licensed at a service, to be held via Zoom on Wednesday 17<sup>th</sup> March. We welcome Paul and Ami, and Harriet and Joseph, who are moving to Staplegrove in early February.Though churches are currently permitted to remain open for public worship and private prayer, the PCC decided in early January to close the church, and to suspend services, until further notice. We believe this to be the right response to the ever-worsening spread of the pandemic. We will keep this under close review in the coming weeks and months, and will update details of when our normal programme of services will resume.
A huge thank you to the team who contributed time and energy preparing and decorating our church for Christmas, and to Gillian and Stuart Goble who kindly donated the huge tree. Our Christmas services were limited to our traditional Carols by Candlelight on Sunday 20<sup>th</sup> December, at which only restricted numbers were permitted. We also sadly had to cancel the Christmas morning service at very short notice, but we believe it right to have erred on the side of caution during this horrible pandemic, for the safety and welfare of our congregation.
We are delighted to be able to report that our rental of The Reading Room at the Village Hall has been extended, at least until 19 July. Our thanks go to Don Wyatt and his Committee at the Village Hall, for having granted us this extension; and also importantly to the Parish Council for their continued and generous financial support of our church, without which this would not have been possible. Our plan in Norton is for the office in The Reading Room to be a permanent long-term arrangement beyond July 2021, and we will be working closely with Paul, once he has settled in, to achieve this end.
Finally, we are pleased to report that, shortly before Christmas, we were presented with “The Rev Stephen Kivett Cricket Challenge Cup”, a fine trophy kindly established and donated by Alec James, churchwarden at St John’s, and captain of the Staplegrove cricket team. Norton’s team will naturally be training hard come the summer in the hope of achieving a hat-trick of wins, and retaining the trophy.
Wishing you all a happy and safe 2021.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
Churchwardens
16 January 2021
We are delighted to announce the appointment of The Reverend Paul Irving to the post of Rector of the Benefice of Staplegrove with Norton Fitzwarren.
Paul is currently Team Vicar in the Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity and says: “I am thrilled at the appointment and looking forward very much to this exciting new chapter in life”.
A licensing date towards the end of February/beginning of March will be arranged in due course.
We hold Paul and Ami, their children, Harriet and Joseph, the parish of Redditch Holy Trinity and our parishes in our prayers at this time of transition.
We are relieved that the search for a new rector has been successful after the interview of candidates in early November; and we look forward to welcoming Paul and his family, most likely in early March. We thank the interviewing panel for their wise and calm deliberations; and also Chris Young and Felicity McGill, without whose tireless efforts, writing, editing and designing the Benefice Profile, we would not be in this happy position so soon after the advertisement went ‘live’ in mid-September.
In publishing the List of Benefice Services in these pages we make a bold assumption that the current ‘lockdown’ may, after Wednesday 2nd December, be relaxed to a degree that will allow services of public worship to resume in our Church. Whilst hoping that this will happen, we are prepared to be disappointed, in which event we will do our utmost to ensure that details of any changes are published and circulated as widely as possible. Rest assured that, when services do resume, we will continue to adhere to our strict Covid-19 hygiene and safety protocols to give you confidence that it is safe to come to our Church.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
15 November 2020
From the Churchwardens for November Norton Community News
We hope you will join the chorus of thanks and gratitude for Val Contreras, who has this month stepped down after countless years of service as Churchwarden. Val has been a rock, ensuring that everything at All Saints’, right down to the very smallest of details, runs smoothly at all times. Thank you for everything that you have done, and for your support, Val!
The impact of this changing of the guard has been softened by the election of Pam Wreford, our Lay Pastoral Assistant, as Churchwarden. Pam brings to the role her many organisational skills, and her kindness and consideration for others, which have been invaluable during the vacancy, and during the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
We are encouraged by the attendances at our Sunday services after their resumption at the end of September, and we are extremely grateful for the guidance and support that we have received from Rev Christopher Rowley, who has been leading our services at this time.
Our service on Remembrance Sunday, 8 November, will be held only in church this year as we are sadly not permitted to gather either in the Village Hall, or in any numbers at the Memorial Gates to the Village Hall, as we have done in recent years.
In the List of Benefice Services, published elsewhere in these pages, we include services only up to Sunday 13 December for the reason that we are still working on plans for our services in the run up to Christmas and beyond. We will publish details as soon as these are agreed and finalised.
We will soon hear from the Diocese how many responses there have been to our advertisement for a new rector, and we hope to be able to provide a positive update in next month’s Issue.
The last seven months since March have continued to test us, and nobody could have predicted that we would have to experience a pandemic during the vacancy after Stephen’s retirement in February, which has made it all the more trying for us all. We ask you to pray for a successful outcome to our search for a new rector.
Andrew Ritchie and Pam Wreford
October 2020
From the Churchwardens for September Norton Community News
Sunday Services are resuming
Welcome back! We are very pleased to announce that we have been able to plan for the resumption of regular Sunday services of worship from Sunday 27 September. The plan is for these to continue on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of each month; and the List of Benefice Services, including those at St John’s Staplegrove is set out in these pages. Please do, however, check our Church website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11356/and the Village Hall Noticeboard for further updates.
Importantly, as you will see from the List of services, spaces are limited so a Booking System is in place; so please do not turn up at church without having received confirmation of a place. For each service at All Saints’ please contact Andrew Ritchie by email (preferred): [email protected]; or by phone: 07808 611273.
Once again our huge thanks go to Pam Wreford for making this happen, and for putting all of the arrangements in place. Thank you, Pam!
Turning to practical matters, for those of you whom we look forward to welcoming into our Church:
• The Government and the Church of England require you to wear a mask or face covering while you are in Church with others, unless you have a medical reason not to do so. This must be in place before you enter the Church porch. We do have masks available for your use.
• We are adhering to strict social distancing within our Church, which means our capacity is somewhat restricted. We can comfortably and safely seat 22 people at the moment.
• To support the Government’s Test and Trace programme, which is in place to help keep us all safe, you will be asked to provide your name and phone number the first time you attend our Church after it opens. You will also be asked to complete, sign and hand over on that first occasion a short GDPR disclosure form giving your consent for us to collect your personal data for this purpose and to retain it for no more than 21 days, after which the data will be securely destroyed. Copies of the form will be at Church, to be completed upon your arrival, but you can download the form from our Church’s website, print and complete it to have ready to hand over on your first visit. On your first and subsequent visits your details will be added to an attendance sheet. It is these sheets that will be securely retained by us and then destroyed after 21 days.
• Upon your arrival we will greet you in the Church porch and ask you if you are well and, if so, to sanitise your hands upon entering the main church building. Hand-sanitising gel will be available for your use at the entrance, and throughout our Church. You will be asked to wait at the entrance until a member of our Church team can direct you to your seat(s) in the pews, where additional hand-sanitising gel dispensers are available for your use.
• Upon your leaving, we ask that you sanitise your hands again, and be mindful of others who may be leaving at the same time, maintaining a social distancing at all times.
• Sadly we are not able to offer refreshments for the time being.
We look forward to welcoming you back!
Vacancy
I am pleased to report the Benefice profile was unanimously approved at a joint meeting of the PCCs of Norton and Staplegrove via Zoom at the end of last month. The advertisement has gone live on the website of the Diocese of Bath and Wells; and the date for interviews of any shortlisted applicants has initially been set for early November.
The six months since March have continued to test us, and nobody could have predicted that we would have to experience a pandemic during the vacancy after Stephen’s retirement in February, which has made it all the more trying for us all. We ask you to pray for a successful outcome to our search for a new rector.
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
23 September 2020
From the Churchwardens for August Norton Community News
All Saints’ Opening
Welcome back! We are very pleased to announce that at all risk assessments and practical
arrangements have now been completed to enable us to safely open our Church to visitors from
Sunday 23 August. This is initially only for private prayer and contemplation, but we are confident
that we will be resuming services of public worship from the end of September. Our current plan is
to open every Sunday, for private prayer and contemplation, for an hour from 10:30-11:30am.
Please do, however, check our Church website
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11356/and the Village Hall Noticeboard for further
updates.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) joins us in expressing huge gratitude for the generosity of the
Norton Fitzwarren Parish Council in having awarded a grant to our Church to cover the cost of the
PPE, sanitising products and other materials that have now been purchased to enable us to prepare
the church for opening, and to keep visitors safe in the uncertain months ahead. We could not have
done this without this support, for which we are extremely grateful. Special thanks, too, to Graham
Withnell for having carried out the risk assessments on behalf of the PCC.
Turning to practical matters, for those of you whom we look forward to welcoming into our Church:
The Government and the Church of England require you to wear a mask or face covering
while you are in Church with others, unless you have a medical reason not to do so. This
must be in place before you enter the Church porch. We do have masks available for your
use.
We are adhering to strict 2 metre social distancing within our Church, which means our
capacity is somewhat restricted. We can comfortably and safely seat 22 people at the
moment.
To support the Government’s Test and Trace programme, which is in place to help keep us
all safe, you will be asked to provide your name and phone number the first time you attend
our Church after it opens. You will also be asked to complete, sign and hand over on arrival a
short GDPR disclosure form giving your consent for us to collect your personal data for this
purpose and to retain it for no more than 21 days, after which the data will be securely
destroyed. Copies of the form will be at Church, to be completed upon your arrival, but you
can download the form from our Church’s website, print and complete it to have ready to
hand over on your first visit. On your first and subsequent visits your details will be added to
an attendance sheet. It is these sheets that will be securely retained by us and then
destroyed after 21 days.
Upon your arrival we will greet you in the Church porch and ask you if you are well and, if so,
to sanitise your hands upon entering the main church building. Hand-sanitising gel will be
available for your use at the entrance, and throughout our Church. You will be asked to wait
at the entrance until a member of our Church team can direct you to your seat(s) in the
pews, where additional hand-sanitising gel dispensers are available for your use.
Appropriate music will be played in the Church while it is open.
Upon your leaving, we ask that you sanitise your hands again, and be mindful of others who
may be leaving at the same time, maintaining a 2 metre social distance at all times.
Sadly we are not able to offer refreshments for the time being.
We would be very grateful if you would take home any single use printed Intercession prayer
sheets that you may be given, and any used tissues and other items etc. as otherwise these
would have to be removed by a volunteer cleaner.
We look forward to welcoming you back!
Vacancy
Work on the Benefice Profile has accelerated through the past month, and I am pleased to report
that it is now in its final form to be put to a joint meeting of the PCCs of Norton and Staplegrove for
formal approval, planned for the last week of August. As this is to occur after these pages go to print
I am unable to report on the outcome, but I am confident that we will be pushing the button on the
advertising campaign in early September, when you will all be able to view the Profile online.
My thanks go to Pam Wreford for having stepped up to provide huge help and guidance, on the
Profile and generally managing things, during and after my brief stay in hospital last month. All of us
in Norton also owe a huge debt of gratitude for the skill and efforts of Chris Young and Felicity
McGill, from Staplegrove, tirelessly working the Profile into its present shape.
The months of lockdown since March have been testing us all, and none of us could have predicted
that we would have to experience this during the vacancy after Stephen’s retirement in February,
which has made it all the more trying for us all.
Churchyard Maintenance
Once again a big ‘Thank You’ to the churchyard maintenance team, whose tireless efforts attending
to the grass, and more, have kept the churchyard looking tidy. Special thanks once again to John
Pearce and Tony Contreras; and a special mention and ‘Thank You’ to the kind lady who spends time
pottering in the churchyard, tidying, and pulling ivy off the wall.
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
21 August 2020
From the Churchwardens for August Norton Community News
All Saints’ Opening
We are completing our review of all the necessary precautions and practical arrangements that need to be put in place to give people confidence that it is safe to come to our church. We hope to be able to open All Saints Church, for private prayer, for an hour every Sunday, 10:30-11:00am, by the end of August. We look forward to welcoming you back! Please check our Church website and the Village Hall Noticeboard for further updates.
Vacancy
Work also continues to take place within both our All Saints’ Church and St John’s Church in Staplegrove on the Recruitment Profile for the recruitment of a new Rector. This is an online document/ brochure which forms part of the advertisement for our vacancy and it is important as it’s an overview of our villages, the surrounding countryside, our congregations, our church councils and the services and work we undertake within the community.
Sunday 2 August
A Lammas Service will be held, outdoors (weather-permitting), in the churchyard of St John’s Staplegrove at 3:30pm on Sunday 2 August. Please bring a chair and your own Lammas-type picnic (bread, cheese, apple juice). Locally produced cider will be provided, too.
Annual Cricket Match
For all cricket-lovers among you I am sorry to report that the annual Norton –v- Staplegrove cricket match, due to be contested on Sunday 30 August, has been cancelled. Another casualty of the Coronavirus pandemic, I am afraid. After a tightly fought contest last year, and a victory for Norton by just one run, we had hoped to raise our arms this year in celebration of a hat-trick of victories. We will now have to wait another 12 months for this chance.
Churchyard Maintenance
Once again a big ‘Thank You’ to the churchyard maintenance team, whose tireless efforts attending to the grass have kept the churchyard looking tidy.
Funerals
6th July 2020 John Paull
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
21 July 2020
From the Churchwardens for July Norton Community News
We are pleased to be able to report that permission has been given by the Government for churches to open for private prayer. A team has begun preparing for the opening of All Saints; but we are not rushing, as we have to be confident that all necessary precautions and practical arrangements are in place to give people confidence that it is safe to come to our church.
Our current aim, but only when everything is in place, and the church is ready, is to announce that All Saints will be open every Sunday for private prayer, for an hour, from 10:30am to 11:30am. As it is likely to happen before publication of the next Issue of these pages, we will ensure that word is circulated and that notices are prominently displayed in the usual places. We thank you all for your patience and understanding in the meantime.
Churchyard Maintenance
Once again a big ‘Thank You’ to the churchyard maintenance team, whose tireless efforts attending to the hedges and grass have kept the churchyard looking tidy. Though this month’s prolonged rainfall has been most welcome to some, its impact will create extra work for the team. Special thanks to John Pearce and Tony Contreras; and to Tim, Rachael and Jasmine Dunn; and a special mention and ‘Thank You’ to the kind lady who spends time pottering in the churchyard, tidying, and pulling ivy off the wall.
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
19 June 2020
From the Churchwardens for June Norton Community News
Though a phased lifting of the lockdown restrictions relating to church buildings was reported to have been approved by the House of Bishops, subject of course to the current law, our church sadly remains closed, with all public worship suspended. Accordingly, no services will be held at All Saints, or at St John’s Staplegrove, until further notice. We are not permitted even to open the church for private prayer, so you may wish to access the Church of England website for prayers and liturgy, via the following links:
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer/todays-prayer
If you need help or someone to talk to, please telephone the Benefice Office in our Village Hall on 01823 270211, where there is an answerphone; and if you leave a message with your phone number, someone will respond to you. Alternatively you can email us at [email protected] or telephone us on the numbers set out on the back of these pages.
The Benefice Survey – Your Church, Your Say!
Our Profile Team are pleased to report the return of completed responses to the Survey, and thanks are extended to all of you who have taken time and effort to complete and return those responses. We would like to receive more, though, and so the deadline for submitting responses is extended to 21 June.
We have again included the Survey within these pages, for you to print and complete. A reminder is also being posted on Facebook. However, if you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the Survey, please do not hesitate telephoning the Office on 01823 270211 and leaving a message with your name and address, and a copy will be delivered to you.
We are keen to hear from everyone, particularly those who visit our church only occasionally, if at all. All replies will be anonymous, but results will be made public. They will help to inform our vision for the future of your church. In due course, and when circumstances permit, a public “Your Church, Your Say – The Next Step” Vision Event will be held to enable you to hear and discuss the wide range of views that we have seen, and hope to see, in the responses to the Survey.
Churchyard Maintenance
Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ to the churchyard maintenance team, whose tireless efforts have at last tamed the rapidly growing grass in the churchyard. The Diocese had suggested that churches should engage the services of grazing animals in churchyards as a green and economical maintenance option, but for a number of reasons we felt that this was not a realistic or practical option at All Saints. Though a little noisier than gently bleating sheep, many thanks to Tony Contreras and John Pearce for their hard work with a mower and strimmer last weekend and earlier this week.
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
22 May 2020
From the Churchwardens for May Norton Community News
Many of us sadly were unable to celebrate Easter with all family members present and together, and some of us will have felt isolated and alone. These are testing times for us all; and the lockdown was yesterday announced to remain in place for a further 3 weeks until Thursday 7 May. During this time our church sadly remains closed, with all public worship suspended. Accordingly, no services will be held at All Saints, or at St John’s Staplegrove, until further notice. We are not permitted even to open the church for private prayer, so you may wish to access the Church of England website for prayers and liturgy, via the following links:
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer/todays-prayer
This is a very worrying and stressful time for all of us, but it is at times like this that we are reminded of the importance of a strong community spirit, and of friendship and kindness, with many experiencing heightened anxiety and loneliness. If you need help or someone to talk to, please telephone the Benefice Office on 01823 270211, where there is an answerphone; and if you leave a message, someone will respond to you. Alternatively you can email us at [email protected] or telephone us on the numbers set out on the back of these pages.
The Benefice Survey – Your Church, Your Say!
As we trailed in the April Issue our Profile Team are seeking to enlist the support and involvement of the whole community of Norton and Staplegrove by conducting a Survey as part of the preparatory work towards seeking the appointment of a new rector. Rather than attempting to distribute paper copies, we have decided to include the Survey within these pages, which are planned to be placed on the website of our Parish Council, and on Facebook. You can also download a .pdf version of the survey form from the link below. We may also make a limited number of paper copies available for collection at the Co-Op. We invite you all to take a few minutes to print the Survey pages and respond to the questions, then scan and email the responses to us, or post the completed form through the letterbox at our Village Hall. We have initially asked for the forms to be completed and returned by Sunday 17 May, but this is likely to be extended in the present circumstances. We are keen to hear from everyone, not just regular churchgoers. All replies will be anonymous, but results will be made public. They will help to inform our vision for the future of your church. In due course, and when circumstances permit, a public “Your Church, Your Say – The Next Step” Vision Event will be held to enable you to hear and discuss the wide range of views that we expect to see in the responses to the Survey.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength . . . Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
17 April 2020
From the Churchwardens April 2020
After the Church of England announced that all public worship was to be suspended with effect from 16 March until further notice, the Government instructed that all churches had to close with effect from the evening of 23 March, until further notice. Accordingly, no services, baptisms, weddings or any other gatherings can now take place at All Saints, or at St John’s Staplegrove, until further notice, which sadly includes the services during Holy Week and Easter.
We refer you to our church website https://www.achurchnearyou/church/11356/ for the prayer resources that we continue to upload to it. There are prayers and liturgy on the Church of England website, which you may wish to access via the following link: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
This is a very worrying and stressful time for all of us, but it is at times like this that we are reminded of the importance of a strong community spirit, and of friendship and kindness, with many experiencing anxiety and loneliness. If you need help or someone to talk to, please telephone the Benefice Office in the Village Hall on 01823 270211, where there is an answerphone; and if you leave a message, someone will respond to you. Alternatively you can email us at [email protected] or telephone us on the numbers set out on the back cover of these pages.
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
We have been obliged to cancel the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) on 28 April, and new guidance issued by the Diocese extends the deadline by which the APCM must be held to 31 October 2020. We will keep you informed of the date on which the APCM is to be rescheduled later in the year.
The Benefice Survey – Your Church, Your Say!
The Vacancy Benefice Team from Norton and Staplegrove continue to devote time and effort managing the vacancy. The recent creation of a new Benefice Profile Team signals the start of the next phase of the vacancy and the work that needs to be put in to preparing the written Profile document that will be instrumental in the process of the appointment of our new rector. We do anticipate, though, that the escalation of the Coronavirus crisis will hamper and delay this process
Whilst this task falls mainly on the shoulders of the volunteers in this Team, we are seeking to enlist the support and involvement of the whole community of Norton and Staplegrove by conducting a Survey. We are working out a practical way for the Survey forms to be distributed, but this is unlikely to be possible for the time being. You will all be invited to take a few minutes to respond in writing to the Survey, telling us what you think is important about your Church and what you would like to see happening over the next 5 years or so. We are keen to hear from everyone, not just regular churchgoers. All replies will be anonymous, but results will be made public. They will help to inform our vision for the future of your church. In due course, and when circumstances permit, a public “Your Church, Your Say – The Next Step” Vision Event will be held to enable you to hear and discuss the wide range of views that we expect to see in the responses to the Survey.
Prayers from our Bishops
Bishop Peter and Bishop Ruth are asking for prayers to be said during the outbreak of the new coronavirus, for those affected by it in any way. Bishop Peter said:
“This is a time of great anxiety for many. We hope and pray that people’s fears won’t be realised. In prayer, we give our anxieties and our hopes to God, as we think of those affected by the virus and those treating them.”
Lord God, carer of all people, creator, sustainer and healer;
We pray for all who have contracted Covid-19. Be with them and their loved ones and bring healing to their bodies.
We pray for all medical staff and emergency services as they look after the physical health, worries and concerns of their patients, especially the vulnerable and particularly those who have reduced contact with the outside world. Let us be good neighbours, looking out and after each other.
We remember the work of scientists, discovering and testing vaccines for this disease, and we pray for all of us, caught up in our everyday lives with the effects of these outbreaks.
Bless your world Lord, and help us to be blessings to one another, in Jesus name. Amen
Andrew Ritchie and Val Contreras
24 March 2020