Upcoming Events and News
Welcome to The Benefice of The Huntspills and Mark.
In addition to the schedule of events shown on the right, you can find further details about upcoming events below and a monthly calendar at the bottom of this page.
If you are looking for social events planned for the year ahead visit our Social Calendar
Why not check out our Gallery page for a snap shot of village life
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Social Events and Special Services Huntspill Hub News Heritage Project Foodbank Bishop Michael Rev Chris’ Blog Huntspill News
Social Events and Special Services
Lent 2024
Lent began on Valentine’s Day this year – but if you have yet to ‘do something for Lent’ the good news is that it is NOT too late….as Easter Day is not until 31st March!
Some people like to ‘give things up’, to reduce the control of some things in their life – like chocolate, swearing or drinking alcohol. Others like to make room in their lives to learn, grow and share – like reading, meeting with others, exercising, helping others. The possibilities are endless, but here are some ideas that might be helpful.
Join a Lent Group Meetings to explore some of the issues around Climate Change from a Christian perspective will be taking place at All Saints Church, East Huntspill – 7.30pm on Mondays from 26th Feb to 18th March. We will be using materials from ‘Tenants of the King’, produced by Operation Noah, to stimulate discussion and lead us to take action – in our own lives, the life of our church and the lives of our villages. Come for all four sessions, or just one…… All Welcome!
Read, Watch, Pray and Do Things The Church of England has produced activity booklets for adults and children to lead us to Watch and Pray through Lent 2024. Never too late to start! I’m happy to get copies for you if you don’t have them already.
Read a Book ‘Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black spirituality for people of faith’ by Selina Stone is The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2024. Again – I’m happy to get copies if that’s helpful. This book makes the wisdom of Black spiritualities and faith available for all people. It focuses on seven themes: darkness as a place of encounter with the divine; the unity of all things; movement, belonging and migration; the Spirit as one who moves in unexpected ways; quiet contemplation as essential to spiritual growth; healing in community; and weeping that turns to joy. Tarry Awhile centres the stories of often overlooked people and communities, offering wisdom for all people who hope to encounter God in the midst of wearying times. It provides fresh reflections on familiar biblical passages, and draws on personal stories, theology and the spiritual wisdom of ancestors who have gone before us.
Whatever you are doing this Lent – DO SOMETHING! Let Lent 2024 make a difference……..
Blessings, Rev Chris
Tuesday 23rd April St George Supper, East Huntspill
Join as we celebrate St George’s Day with an evening of great friends and good food.
Local meat and Cheese Ploughman plus pudding.
6.30 for 7pm start.
£7.50 please bring your own drink.
Please email to reserve your ticket allsaintscommunitygroup@outlook.com
Friday 26th April Monthly Film Club, Mark Church
Come along and watch this months classic
Please bring your own drink
Portion of chips £1
For more details contact 641225 or 641308
Huntspill Hub
Visit the Huntspill Hub section for full details and Monthly Reports
West Huntspill’s Monday Coffee Morning
Why not come along Monday between 10.30-12 noon and enjoy a cuppa and homemade cake at the Huntspill Hub in St Peter & All Hallows Church, West Huntspill and meet a friend or two.
Volunteers and offers of cakes very welcome
Let’s bring the community together!
Please note the Village Agent will be at the Café on the first Monday of each month Village Agent website
Honesty Cafe, St Peter & All Hallows Church West Huntspill Open Daily
Open daily 10am – 4pm in St Peter & All Hallows Church, West Huntspill.
If you are on a walk to/from the coastal path or just wondering through our beautiful Churchyard, why not pop in to the Huntspill Hub Honesty Café and make yourself a coffee or tea.
All that we ask is that you wash-up your cup and leave it clean and tidy.
Any donation would be welcome.
News
Taking the next step……
On 4th November Bronwyn, Louise & Lynne (from The Huntspills & Mark Benefice) took the next step on their faith journey. They were amongst the 86 people confirmed by Bishops Michael, Ruth & Christopher at a joyful confirmation service in Wells Cathedral. They each affirmed for themselves the faith in which they had previously been baptised, and this was confirmed through prayer and the laying on of hands by the bishops, with us all praying that the Holy Spirit will give them the power they need to live life as a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. Many friends, family and parish members attended the amazing service in support of them all.
Reflecting on the service, Bronwyn said: ‘I’m not sure what I expected, but I thought it was a beautiful service. Everyone was so kind, helpful and welcoming that it felt almost like a family occasion. I was honoured to be confirmed in such a beautiful Cathedral. It has taken me a long time to get there (I think I must have been the oldest candidate). Everyone enjoyed it immensely and it was lovely to have physical support from our churches and friends.’
Lynne and Louise expressed also felt the event was important for them – Louise said: ‘I found it to be an extremely moving and uplifting experience participating in the service on Saturday. It was a very special day.’ and Lynne: ‘What a very special day at Wells Cathedral, surrounded by the people who love and care for me. A day that will never be forgotten on the journey that I have just begun.’
It has been a joy to accompany these three as they have prepared for this important step. Our faith journey is always an onward going one. If you would like to explore confirmation, or any other aspect of your faith, please do get in touch with Rev Chris.
St Peter and All Hallows Church Heritage Project
Find out more under our Heritage Section Project Overview and Timeline
February 2024 Progress Update
The Practical Completion certificate for all the building work was signed on the 24th of March 2023, almost a year after work had started on the internal reordering and tower repairs.
Still to be completed was the decorating of the inside of the main part of the Church, an addition to the main contract, this took approximately three weeks with the decorating of the inside of the base of the tower not being finished until Christmas.
While the building works were finished, the Interpretation (that some may think the most interesting) had only just started. We intend to create a Heritage Hub showing information, photos and illustration about the Church, the village and the surrounding area. The Touchscreen TV was the first instalment of this, which has now been updated with a section showing a tremendous amount of material collected since the mid 70’s by John Lamb. Another section showing panoramic views of the inside of the Church, Tower, Ringing Room, Bell Room and views from the top of the Tower.
The children of West Huntspill Primary School were invited to help produce a map of the village by drawing some of the houses in the village. Imogen Davis, a graphic artist visited the school twice and worked with the children to produce the finished map. The design was then produced as a large floor covering for the children’s corner in the Hub, with all the names of the children who had contributed to the map.
As part of creating a Heritage Hub seven wall hangings were to be produced describing the history of the Church, the fire, flooding of the area, and the village. These hangings have been researched, using some of the information provided by John Lamb, designed by Freeline Graphics, and we hope will be in place by early March.
We have also been busy writing a booklet on the history of the Church and village, which we hope will be available from March 2024.
The painting of the Charles II Coat of Armes and The painting of St Peter healing the Cripple were returned and rehung in there new places in the Church. Now fully repaired, cleaned and conserved, looking so much better, They arrived on the 12th February 2024, over two years after they were removed.
Much thanks goes to our generous funders including everyone who plays the Lottery, without who this project would not have been possible.
Close up inspection
West Huntspill Primary Academy children visit The Heritage Project at St Peter & All Hallows Church
Foodbank
Donations can be left in St Peter and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill
We welcome donations of in-date non-perishable, food and toiletries.
We also welcome clean & unbroken ‘bags for life’
Please note we cannot accept alcohol or baby formula
Thank you for your support
Highbridge Area Foodbank
Bishop of Bath and Wells: Refreshing our diocesan vision
Our Diocesan Vision: In response to God’s immense love for us we seek to be God’s people living and telling the story of Jesus.
We seek to live this story as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world and to tell it, both in sharing the good news and by the way in which our lives speak about Him.
This has been our vision for a few years. With our new bishop in place, now seems like a good time to ask ourselves how we are doing that, and how we want to do that in the next season of our diocesan life together.
As he travelled around our diocese in his first months, Bishop Michael identified four areas that might help us focus our activity in the future:
• Valuing and cherishing the people and resources we already have
• Developing new Christian worshipping communities
• Sharing in ministry and leadership
• Deepening and growing faith
You can hear Bishop Michael sharing his thoughts on refreshing our vision:
Visit Bath and Wells website to find out more
Rev Chris’ Blog April 2024 “Hope”
What do you do when you hit rock bottom? When everything is so bleak that you can’t see the way forward? When it feels as if you are totally powerless and lost? ‘Rock bottom’ is that point where things just cannot go lower than they already are, ‘Rock bottom’ will look very different for each of us – as we look across The World we can see it taking many different forms. For some it will be about poverty, hunger and insecurity – as homes are destroyed and refugees are birthed through acts of aggression and retaliation. For others it will remain more hidden, involving entrapment of the mind and spirit, with a variety of battles and challenges. In one sense, talk of ‘rock bottom’ may not always be helpful, as it may leave some of us waiting until things cannot possibly get any worse before we seek help to change direction. But for many, that ‘rock bottom’ place is familiar – either for ourselves or others.
A wounded man, nailed to a cross is surely the ultimate symbol of complete failure and deep suffering – how could anything get any worse? ….nowhere lower to go…rock bottom for all involved? And yet this is not where the story ends. On Good Friday, along with Jesus and his disciples, we engage with losing everything, letting go of all that we hold onto and becoming completely empty. On Holy Saturday we stay with that emptiness and space, uncomfortable though it is, so that on Easter day we can emerge into the light of his glorious resurrection, and be ready for God alone to fill our emptiness with his love, joy and peace. This is what gives us HOPE – enables us to face even the darkest of times, and yet still Hold Only Positive Expectations. Jesus has faced the worst and shown us a way through – even through death to future life.
The UK’s Eurovision Song Contest entry in 1977 was Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran singing ‘Rock Bottom’. Their solution seemed to be to ‘rub it out and start it again’ – for which they received 121 points, and ended up in 2nd place! Jesus’ death and resurrection enables his followers through every generation to do that – to ‘rub it out and start it again’. There are no depths to which we can fall that he does not understand, nothing that we can ever do that will make God turn away from us and love us less – for he loves us completely, forever, come what may. No matter how low we go, Jesus offers us hope – for today, and for all the times that lie ahead. In his struggle against apartheid, Nelson Mandela knew all about hitting rock bottom – physically, mentally and emotionally. He came to realise that “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” So whenever we fall, let’s trust God, do all that we can to put things right, and step forward – albeit with little steps to start with.
May God bless you this Easter with his love, joy and peace, and fill your heart with his hope!
Rev Chris
The Huntspill News
The Huntspill News is now available in printed form or an electronic version View this month’s publication (PDF)