Bowland Benefice Pews News for 4 January 2026 Ring out wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells and let him die. Collect for Epiphany Creator of the heavens, who led the Magi by a star to worship the Christ-child: guide and sustain us, that we may find our journey’s end in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. This week in the Benefice Sunday 4 January 10.30am Family Service in Upton Snodsbury 11.00am Holy Communion in Peopleton 6.00pm Evensong in White Ladies Aston Thursday 8 January 2.00pm to 4.00pm Meet and Make in The Pantry, Peopleton Saturday 10 January 2.00pm to 4.00pm Christingle Making in The Parish Room, White Ladies Aston Sunday 11 January Baptism of Christ 10.30am Holy Communion in Upton Snodsbury 10.30am Christingle Service in White Ladies Aston On Thursday 8 th in the afternoon the Meet and Makers will get together over tea/coffee and biscuits for a time of fellowship, knitting, crochet etc. For more information contact Revd Claire (07921 101320) or Julia Dale (01905 840400). Calling all children to The Parish Room in White Ladies Aston on Saturday 10 th , in the afternoon, to make the Christingles ready for the service on Sunday morning. The afternoon will be organised by Claire Marshall – she looks forward to welcoming young and old to help. If a Christingle is new to you, do go along and get involved. An afternoon of fun, fruit and fellowship for everyone! After the service on Sunday 11 th please do stay on for refreshments and chat with friends and neighbours. May God the Father, who led the wise men by the shining of a star to find the Christ, the Light from light, lead us also in our pilgrimage to find the Lord. Amen. Our new Bishop of Worcester Service of Welcome and Installation for Bishop Hugh The Right Reverend Hugh Nelson will be installed and welcomed as the 114 th Bishop of Worcester on Saturday 17 January 2026 at 2.00pm in the Cathedral. Bishop Hugh will continue as Bishop to the Armed Forces alongside his duties in the Diocese. Everyone is welcome to attend his installation service. The Benefice Council meets on 13 January and it welcomes questions and suggestions from across the Bowland Benefice. If you have something you would like to contribute please phone me (01386 860389) or email [email protected] The Council meets about once a quarter and is made up of representatives from all four of our parishes – Broughton Hackett, Peopleton, Upton Snodsbury and White Ladies Aston – which also has responsibility towards Churchill and Spetchley redundant churches. The Council has a Secretary and a Treasurer and exists to help Revd Claire in her work in the Benefice. The work of the Council is funded by contributions from each church and it pays for the Administrator (me) and certain expenses for the whole Benefice. Council members are very grateful for the loyal support, hard work and wise counsel it has received from Eric Wiles, who has been the Council’s Treasurer for a very long time. Eric has now retired and we thank him for his many years of service and wish him well in his retirement. We welcome Sue Tarran to the Council to take up the Treasurership reins and we look forward to working with her as we all continue to serve the Bowland Benefice and support Claire in her ministry. Our hopes and aspirations for 2026 The first Pews News of 2026 begins with a verse from Tennyson. It seems to put succinctly into words what most of us probably yearn for this New Year – ring out the false, ring in the true…….ring out the feud of rich and poor, ring in redress to all mankind……. Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) is often decried as being too Victorian, overly traditional, too English, too masculine and a supporter of British Imperialism – a Poet Laureate, who through his works like The Charge of the Light Brigade, became the voice of ruling class, Victorian Britain. But his poetry contains hints of his complex faith marked by doubt and a constant spiritual struggle. His poem from In Memoriam Ring out wild bells is worth a read as we enter a New Year. The final verse says it all: Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.