News

Dear friends,

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…..”

The opening words of that most amazing reading taken from Ecclesiastes.. and speaks into the changes that occur within all of our lives. Well it is very much ‘all change’ for the churches of the Mundford Oxborough and Hilborough Groups of churches as my colleague The Revd. Charles Sherlock prepares for the transition into retirement at the end of August, and where we will celebrate his ministry among us and say our sad farewells at a special service at 11am in Goodertsone on 3rd September.  All change for me too as I will now take on sole responsibility for the 12 churches and parishes of the Mundford, Hilborough and Oxborough Groups of churches, with support from colleagues from across the deanery.

But with change comes with it amazing opportunities for new adventures…. And to prayerfully consider where we are to offer a more focused ministry to the many people we are privileged to serve from within each community.

To offer a wider breadth of ministry to all there will be a change to 2 services within the Mundford Group of churches. On the 2nd Sunday of each month there will no longer be Morning Worship at 9.30am in Mundford or a 3pm Holy Communion service in Cranwich because…..

Starting from 10th September at 3pm, each 2nd Sunday of the month, we would warmly like to invite our local families and young people to a new ‘Stepping Stones’ all age service at St Leonards Church, Mundford, where for an hour together we will have a Bible themed story, an opportunity to get messy with a creative craft activity, write our own prayers praying with bubbles, and sing a song together before a special blessing for all. This service is for all…the young and the young at heart. All are very welcome! And….

Rev Zoe is doing a sponsored Skydive in Norwich on Saturday 30th September 2017 to raise money for improved facilities at St Leonards Church Mundford, to enable in the future a small meeting space adjacent to the main church building with kitchen and toilet facilities. To create an even more welcoming space of loving hospitality to the communities we serve and beyond. I am scared of heights so this is going to be a momentous personal challenge! If you would like to sponsor me, any sponsorship monies can be directly posted through the Rectory door clearly marked parachute jump on the envelope or cheques made payable please to Mundford PCC. Thank you for your generosity in advance….. pray for me… and wish me luck!! A huge thank you to all those who have already generously donated.

With every love and blessing,
Your parish priest, Zoe

Revd. Zoe Ferguson (Priest in Charge Mundford Group Benefice & Assistant Priest to Hilborough & Oxborough groups) Day off Monday.

(For Wedding, Baptism & Church enquires 01842 879375 or email)

Dear friends,

It is with great joy that we have reached the summer months and are enjoying a bit of sunshine!

Summer as we know is a mixture of both busyness and a time for relaxation where for some of us we will be enjoying some extended time with family and friends. The children are soon to break up for their long summer holiday and the busyness of juggling home life and work begins along with all of the fun things going on across our beautiful county.

In the church season we are in the season of Ordinary time, or the many Sundays following Trinity Sunday, where the colour of the season is green all the way accept for Holy days, weddings and baptisms where the seasonal colour changes. We are also in the season of many church fetes and fun days and it is to this I would like to invite you all to come and join us….

We are hosting in the grounds of St Mary’s Cranwich a

‘Family Community Fun Day’ on Saturday 19^th August from 11am – 4pm.

There will be a variety of stalls hosted by the churches of Mundford, Ickburgh and Cranwich along activities for children, refreshments and lots of cake….!

We are also delighted to have stalls hosted by the Mundford Circle of Friends, WI, and The Desert Rats Memorial Association who will have information about the work of the Army and are bringing with them Military vehicles and a (safe) shooting range! Along with much much more….do come and join us for what will prove to be a really fun day for everyone!

Another event to draw to your attention and sponsorship would be gratefully received….

Rev Zoe is doing a sponsored Skydive in Norwich on Saturday 30^th September 2017 to raise money for improved facilities in St Leonards Church Mundford, to enable in the future a small meeting space adjacent to the main church building with kitchen and toilet facilities. To create an even more welcoming space of loving hospitality to the communities we serve and beyond. Zoe is scared of heights so this is going to be a momentous courageous event. Any sponsorship monies can be directly posted through the Rectory door clearly marked parachute jump on the envelope or cheques made payable please to Mundford PCC. Thank you for your generosity in advance!

With every love and blessing,
Your parish priest, Zoe

Revd. Zoe Ferguson (Priest in Charge Mundford Group Benefice & Assistant Priest to Hilborough & Oxborough groups) Day off Monday.

(For Wedding, Baptism & Church enquires 01842 879375 or email)

Dear friends,

Normally I would write to you with a reflection for the church season, but today my writing to you has a different focus with special attention being given to our families who have loved one’s mortal remains interred in the parish church of St Leonards, Mundford.

As you will know that in past years Mundford’s churchyard has been kept beautifully with the grass cutting having been contracted out from a generous grant from our local parish council. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the contract came to a sudden end just before the Easter weekend, and since then generous volunteers have given much time and devotion to trying to keep on top of the grass in the churchyard, but it is an enormous task to which we have been struggling.

I am aware of the distress the state of the churchyard has caused for our families who visit loved one’s graves on a regular or irregular basis, to which as your parish priest and on behalf of St Leonards PCC, we offer our heartfelt and sincere apologies for any distress that has been felt.

I wanted to assure you that the situation is not one of neglect or disrespect to our families and those whom they have loved who have passed, or to the memories of those who are laid to rest within the churchyard. But we are struggling and doing our very best during this temporary period.

We want to assure our families of our love for you and your loved ones and are working to a solution that will see St Leonards churchyard to its former condition as soon as we can. As for now if any of our families who can offer some time and support to help us in the meantime in keeping the churchyard cut regularly with a focus around personal family graves, we would be truly grateful to you, as the parish church and churchyard belongs to the community in which it is set, which is good and right and is our shared responsibility.

Grief I know from my own experience of grieving the loss of loved ones is something that never truly leaves us, and is something that over time we learn to try and live with each day, knowing that we are changed by it.

Our loved ones remain for-ever dear in our hearts and memories, and each person we have loved and lost has been instrumental in shaping the people that we are today, and we know that the places where our loved ones are laid to rest also has great significance in enabling us to grieve and feel close to them.

Please forgive us if we have caused any distress to you in recent weeks due to our current situation, and please do support us as we get back on our feet again and attempt to restore St Leonards churchyard to its former beautiful condition.

 

With every love and blessing,
Your parish priest, Zoe

Revd. Zoe Ferguson (Priest in Charge Mundford Group Benefice & Assistant Priest to Hilborough & Oxborough groups) Day off Monday.

(For Wedding, Baptism & Church enquires 01842 879375 or email)

Dear friends,

It is a joy to write to you on this rather sunny morning where we continue to be immersed in the glorious Easter season. Where in the church’s cycle of readings set for this season we enjoy hearing again the many resurrection visions of Jesus Christ to the thousands of people who experienced these many powerful moments. So much so, that lives were changed instantly and many people came to faith through these experiences.

On Thursday 25^th May we celebrate that Jesus went back to his Father in heaven, known as Ascension Day. The disciples were instructed at this time to stay in Jerusalem and wait together for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Our lives so often are filled with endings and beginnings. Whether this is an ending of a lovely holiday and returning to work, or for our young people at this time who for some will be preparing to leave primary education and move on to a new beginning at high school.

The Ascension however although marked an ending in many ways, also spoke of promise in the future, where the Day of Pentecost was literally the birth of the Christian church…and so for Christians throughout the world we can well and truly shout with joy ‘Happy Birthday!’

In the Church of England during the Ascension-tide season we have by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York been encouraged to be immersed in a time of prayer known as ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, where each parish church has received its own candle to light every time the people meet in a time of prayer, to focus our prayers on more people coming to faith in Jesus Christ in the communities we live and serve. This has been very exciting, and even more exciting in that the first time we lit our Ascension candle in Mundford was at a special school Ascension service with our wonderful young people, teachers and families from Mundford Primary Academy. This experience itself fills me as a parish priest with great joy!

We wait now…in a time of hope and anticipation for the gift of the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us this Pentecost.

Our Pentecostal reading from Acts says “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came the sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire appeared among them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability”

Wow, what an amazing start to the early Christian church!

In the Hilborough, Oxborough and Mundford groups of churches this Pentecost (4^th June), we will be like those early disciples….this year we wait together in St George’s Gooderstone from 11am…..and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit….Come and share in this wonderful celebration…and together let’s see what a ‘new beginning’ may mean for us in this place….

With every love and blessing,
Your parish priest, Zoe

Revd. Zoe Ferguson (Priest in Charge Mundford Group Benefice & Assistant Priest to Hilborough & Oxborough groups) Day off Monday.

(For Wedding, Baptism & Church enquires 01842 879375 or email)