Rector’s Annual Report 2013-2014

2013-2014 has without doubt been the busiest year in the Benefice to date. The arrival of a new clergy team member, Fr Berkeley Zych has not meant an easier time for Ken and I but has provided a wonderful opportunity to expand our ministry and mission across the benefice. It is a great joy to have a daily prayer companion and to have youthful enthusiasm and fresh vision on the team.

Diocese:

In 2014 the Bishop has inhibited the Archdeacons’ visitations so there will be only one opportunity for Churchwardens to be sworn in. This will be on Wednesday 7th May at Ely Cathedral.

We have a new Diocesan Secretary, Paul Evans. He seems keen to meet clergy and will no doubt meet with Deanery Synod reps in due course. Our Deanery Chapter is due to meet with him informally at Wimbotsham on Friday 11th April.

Deanery:

Canon Brian Atling was given the unenviable task of addressing Deanery Synods about proposed changes in fee structure for parish/benefice shares which will be rolled out in 2015. This new structure will be on a costs basis which means that the Deanery will be expected to support the cost of four stipendiary priests. This will impact on our parish shares and as a Benefice we need to give consideration to this. The provisional date for implementation is January 2015. There has been general concern across the Diocese that the introduction of this new scheme might be too fast. We await further developments.

Conversation for further Deanery restructuring is continuing to accommodate the loss of another stipendiary priest when Fr James Nolan retires in August this year. There will be changes in the course of 2014.

Deanery Confirmation was held once more amid brilliant sunshine at Stow Hall with Bishop Stephen presiding.

Benefice

St Mary’s Feltwell

The ‘undeveloped’ Aisle is increasingly well used for Quiz nights, concerts, craft fairs, bazaars, Harvest, a 90th birthday afternoon tea, a mothers and toddlers group and as a rehearsal space. Faculty was granted by the DAC in mid 2013 and Sue Garland and Chris Parker put in hours of work to pull together an excellent application for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Unfortunately the HLF application was refused as the committee raised concerns about sustainability and community use. Though this is an immensely disappointing outcome, the Aisle committee will continue to seek alternative sources of funding and may need to modify the scope of the project. Fr Berkeley and Stephen Parker have reorientated the altar in the ‘north-east’ chapel, making it a viable worship space.

St James’ Hockwold

The St James Coffee mornings continue to be a very successful outreach in the village as well as raising funds for the church. The Petertide Eucharist held this year on the 23rd June was well attended and followed by a beautiful lunch at the Hall.

St Andrews Northwold

Treasurer Tim Elliott continues to work tirelessly to ensure that St Andrew’s can find the funding to go ahead with the much needed repairs to the roof – he has managed to convince English Heritage to offer an extra £11,000 to fund the work. It will be tight financially but the work will be able to proceed. Work at St Andrew’s will begin after Easter and be completed sometime in September if all goes to plan. Many thanks to Tim for all his hard work and dogged determination to move this necessary work forward. With the vision and leadership of Carol Sharp we now have a robed choir at Northwold consisting of adults and children. Carol has worked incredibly hard making all the robes – they all look very elegant in navy blue - and they are singing regularly at services and enhance the worship beautifully. They are even singing in Latin! The link between the Norman School and the parish continues to prosperand the Parker-Wilson family continue to be faithful altar servers, recently even asked to serve at the Eucharist at the National Children’s Pilgrimage at Walsingham. In January and March St Andrews has sadly lost two wonderful Christians and longstanding parishioners in Drs Jim Norris and Peter Hutchby. We continue to hold Jo and Veronica in our prayers. I am also very sad to lose Andy Hull as a churchwarden. Andy has worked tirelessly for St Andrew’s over the past year as well as making an excellent contribution to the children’s ministry here in the Benefice, through his untiring support of the Walsingham Pilgrimages and Messy Church. Andy’s resignation is very much St Andrew’s loss. Thank you Andy for all your hard work and dedication.

St Mary’s Weeting

St Mary’s finances remain fragile and fundraising is essential simply to cover basic expenses. However there are signs of hope in the link with the school which is steadily strengthening since Fr Berkeley has become a foundation governor and chaplain. Bothe the Posada service and the recent Education Sunday service have been positively received and four children and one parent made the recent Children’s Pilgrimage to Walsingham. Thanks to the Monk family who organized it, the churchyard was transformed last November. The PCC will liaise with the Parish Council to apply for funding to repair the fence around the churchyard which will complete the project.

St George Methwold

Ken has a significant project on the boil at Methwold for the rebuilding of the Scout Hall as a Youth Centre which will enable intentional outreach to children and youth at that end of the Benefice.We've had our initial meetings and are exploring 3 buildingtypes; traditional brick & block; wood-frame and straw bales and render.

We are looking at areas of grants and funding. We are also going to talk

to the planning officer at King's Lynn to get a feel for what they will

allow on the site. The down side is that there is a lot of asbestos in the

current building (which is quite safe at the moment), however, it will be

expensive to demolish. We're talking with the Scout Association and Ely

Diocese and will shortly be talking with the neighbours on either side of

the property to explain what we hope to achieve.

Highlights of 2013-14

  • On June 30th Dr Berkeley Zych was ordained Deacon at the Cathedral. This was a wonderful, joyful occasion not only for Berkeley, his family and friends but for us as a Benefice family. It was excellent to see so many people from the Benefice attending. Berkeley’s first Eucharist as Deacon too place the following Sunday at St Mary’s Feltwell and again was an uplifting occasion for the Benefice family as we welcomed Berkeley to serve among us in the Benefice. There was an excellent lunch in the Aisle following and Fr Berkeley was presented with a green stole as a gift from the Benefice community.
  • On Sunday 20th October 2013 Rev’d Ken Waters was licensed as Associate Priest for the Benefice by the Ven Hugh McCurdy at Evensong at St George Methwold. This was another joyful occasion and very well attended from across the Benefice.
  • On Sunday September 22nd September Sue Harrison-Stone and Peter Saward were commissioned as ALMs for the Benefice, Sue as a worship leader and Peter as an administrator. The service at the Cathedral was uplifting as so many lay people from across the Diocese were commissioned to serve as ALMs in their parishes. At Evensong on 17th November at St Mary’s Weeting, churchwarden Julianne Young was commissioned by the Rev’d Barbara Burton, Rural Dean as an ALM in music ministry. Our existing ALMs also renewed their commitment at that service.
  • On Sunday 29th September on the Feast of St Michael and All Angels we welcomed Bishop Lindsay Urwin, Administrator at the Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham to preside and preach at High Mass for the Benefice. This was a wonderful Mass at which +Lindsay wove his usual magic in the sermon, captivating and holding the entire congregation spellbound. Afterwards he mingled with the congregation over morning tea before being whisked away to lunch at the Crown.
  • A Benefice Eucharist for Pentecost held once more in the Norman School Hall was again very well attended by both regular parishioners from the five parishes and with many children from the school taking active roles in the liturgy. Children and adults alike are still pondering the Rector’s ‘fire miracle’ which formed a dramatic climax to the Penitential Rite. This was the Northwold choir’s first service and they made a brilliant beginning. Afterwards a large birthday cake to celebrate the Church’s birthday was enjoyed by all.
  • Songs of Praise: on July 9th at St Mary’s Feltwell, the church was full with locals and visitors to celebrate Daphne Attridge’s ‘Coming of Age’ [90th Birthday] with a special Songs of Praise and service of Thanksgiving. All hymns were chosen by Daphne who essentially took the service and introduced each hymn and the reasons for inclusion. Daphne’s humour and reminiscences had the congregation in tears of both nostalgia and laughter. This service was followed by afternoon tea in the Aisle.
  • Healing Pilgrimage to Walsingham: On the August bank holiday Monday, a sizeable group – around 14-15 pilgrims - from across the Benefice attended the annual national healing pilgrimage at Walsingham. It was a lovely summer day and we enjoyed and informal Eucharist in the Shrine grounds before sharing a lavish picnic spread. Our pilgrim group spent time in prayer in the Holy House before the service of Laying on of Hands and Anointing followed by Benediction. It was the first time our benefice has been involved in this pilgrimage and those who attended were profoundly moved by the experience.
  • Soul Food Sunday: Fr Berkeley coined this as an alternative title for Back to Church Sunday. On Sunday September 15th at St Mary’s Feltwell a simple breakfast – bacon rolls, croissants, hot and cold drinks was served before the service and this led into a simple service of the word based around Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples on the beach. Baptism and other families received personal invitations and posters and leaflets were displayed in the shops and pubs. It is an excellent idea which we will replicate across the Benefice in 2014.
  • All Souls Service: This has really taken off with a full to overflowing church at St Georges Methwold on Sunday afternoon 3rd November. Ken led this service which was a moving and special occasion for the large number of newly bereaved families and regular parishioners who attended.
  • Plough Monday: This year’s Plough Monday celebrations at Northwold were the best and most colourful ever. Andy Hull and Ann Howarth worked with children from the Norman School teaching them Molly dances for the school’s ‘Plough Friday’ event and some of the children along with their teacher Miss Large came and performed on the Monday. The mummers were hilarious as usual and the plough was blessed and sent on its way as the new season of ploughing and planting began. It is wonderful to see these old country traditions being maintained.
  • Education Sunday Service at Weeting: On the 2nd March, Fr Berkeley took a simple service at St Mary’s to celebrate Education Sunday and the achievement of children at Weeting School. It was an opportunity for the school and parish communities to celebrate together and to display the children’s work. This service was very well received and appreciated by parents.
  • Children’s Pilgrimage to Walsingham: This year we had 6 overnight pilgrims with 2 children and their mum joining us for the day on Saturday. We were blessed with amazing weather. As usual our children participated enthusiastically in the liturgies, carried our Lady’s litter on the Holy Mile and our altar servers – Nelson, Danny and Vicky served at the Pilgrimage Eucharist on Sunday morning. When asking one of our new pilgrims what he enjoyed most about the weekend he simply replied ‘Everything’ adding ‘How soon can I come back?’ We are now looking forward to taking some of our older children to the Youth Pilgrimage in August.

Spirituality and Worship

  • Advent and Christmas: For the second year we had two midnight Masses in the Benefice and this seemed to work reasonably well. Carol services were less well attended than the Christingles and Posada services at Weeting and Northwold. The Hockwold Christingle was well supported in its second year and will continue.

The Advent study course was very well attended. The group read and discussed Paula Gooder’s The Meaning is in the Waiting – an excellent Advent course based around the Advent theme of the challenge of waiting using the traditional themes of Patriarchs, Prophets, John the Baptist and our Lady Mary.

  • Holy Week and Easter: The pattern of services during the Easter Triduum is now well established. Attendances were down slightly on previous years especially at the evening services but I suspect this had much to do with the extreme cold. Cerrtainly the Watch of the Passion was every bit the endurance that it is meant to be…everyone who stayed and watched to the end was stiff with cold.
  • Lent groups: This Lent the group is reflecting on Lenten Discipline – almsgiving, fasting, prayer and reconciliation using Carol Carretto’s classic “Letters from the Desert”.
  • Harvest: Harvest services and suppers were again well attended across the Benefice.
  • Benefice services: The pattern of Sunday morning services established in 2013 continues in 2014. Benefice Eucharists are planned around major feasts with a number of mid-week Eucharists planned to mark the major feasts not falling on a Sunday at St Mary’s Feltwell. In addition, Fr Berkeley’s first Mass following his ordination will take place on the feast of St Peter and St Paul at St Mary’s Feltwell. In 2013 we celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi on the traditional date – the first Thursday after Trinity with Eucharist followed by Benediction. This was the first time we have offered Benediction in the Benefice. Corpus Christi will continue to be celebrated in this way in 2014.
  • ‘New’ services: With Fr Berkeley ‘on board’ we felt it was time to introduce Sunday evening services. To date, there has been a service of Benediction at either Feltwell or Northwold on the first Sunday of the month and a service of Evensong on the third Sunday of the month. Evensong has been welcomed though there is still that ‘old chestnut’ of people being less willing to travel to another church. Benediction has taken off in a way that I didn’t quite expect. The young altar servers are involved and the congregation varied between 10 and 16 people. After Easter we are considering introducing weekly evening services – 2 Evensongs, 1 Benediction and 1 Taize style service per month.
  • Ordinary time books: The contemporary language versions have been rolled out across the Benefice. I shall be preaching a couple of sermons, explaining how they work and how they enhance our understanding of and celebration of the Eucharist after Trinity Sunday when we revert to ‘Ordinary Time’ once more. Northwold have ‘trialed’ the contemporary language books and will decide if they want to retain traditional language or move in line with the rest of the Benefice at their next PCC meeting.
  • Bible Study: Two regular fortnightly bible study groups have been established in Feltwell and Northwold. The group is currently reading the Acts of the Apostles. The material that Berkeley has prepared is excellent and discussion is thoughtful and lively and is offering excellent teaching for those who attend.

New Initiatives…Mission and vision

New blood brings new initiatives and there have been a number of pleasing developments across the Benefice in the last six months.

  • Mens Breakfast: Fr Berkeley and Ken have initiated a monthly men’s breakfast on Saturday morning which is gradually out-growing people’s kitchens. This is a low key outreach – with breakfast and a talk – not necessarily on a Christian theme. If the group continues to grow an option is to move it to the Wellington in Feltwell as the regular venue.
  • Food Bank: New parishioner at Feltwell, Vanessa Fry initiated and coordinates the Foodbank collection points across the Benefice and ensures that the food reaches the Foodbank in Thetford. With so many people living below the poverty line – often the ‘invisible’ poverty in rural areas this is a very necessary outreach where we can offer some simple provision to those most in need in our communities. Believe me, people in our villages DO genuinely need to access foodbanks. If you know of anyone in that kind of desperate need please refer them to Ken, Berkeley or myself so we can ensure they get the help they need.
  • Weekly Pew sheet:Fr Berkeley has taken on the task of producing a weekly pew sheet. This is an attractive way of communicating what is happening across the Benefice. It is available by email and quite a few elderly housebound parishioners receive it by email and there are also quite a few people in the wider village community signed up. It is an excellent way of advertising services, giving some theological snippets on the lives of the saints and feast days and advertising what is on socially around the traps. It is updated weekly on the website.
  • Curate’s coffee morning: Isn’t everyone curious to check out the new curate’s house? On the last Saturday inOctober Fr Berkeley hosted a curate’s coffee morning for the Benefice in order to raise money for the Children’s Pilgrimage. This was a most enjoyable morning – the star attraction being puppy Ambrose who had plenty of cuddles.

Mission and Vision…ongoing