HHooxxnnee BBeenneeffiiccee NNeewwsslleetttteerr January Sunday 5 Sunday 12 Sunday 19 Sunday 26 Epiphany Baptism of Epiphany 2 Epiphany 3 2020 Christ Sunday in Conversion of * Athelington * Denham * Horham week of Paul prayer for * Hoxne * Redlingfield Christian Unity * Syleham * Wingfield

Athel’ton 9.30am * Holy

Communion JJaannuuaarryy 22002200

Denham 11.15am + Every Christmas , a relative would send me a diary for the coming year. Come the new year I Holy would start to fill in that diary. And every year I would last no more than a week before I Communion stopped writing anything in it.

I expect that this is the fate of the vast majority of new year’s resolutions. Sadly, there is Horham 9.30am * something very human in our fickleness and lack of commitment. Often, we then feel guilty BCP and despondent. I think one of the features of modern life is the burden of unatoned guilt, be Communion it parents about what Brexit will do for their children, or everyone about the environment! Hoxne 8.30am * 9.30am + 11.15am * 11.15am BCP Café Church Holy BCP Matins Fortunately, Christianity has always been realistic about the human condition, and our Communion Communion worship includes a period of reflection and general confession for the things we’ve done wrong. And it is then followed by the assurance, the remembering of God’s forgiveness. Redl’field 9.30am * 10am This is part of our worship because it is what we hope for. Not in the way that we hope for a Holy Morning white Christmas, or a particular present but in the way that our hope is based on a faith, a Communion Prayer confidence in God.

Syleham 4pm 10am 9.30am + It is good to remember that, as the Christmas decorations are tidied away for another year, Benefice Village BCP Holy that to paraphrase the Dog’s Trust slogan, ‘Christ isn’t just for Christmas!’ Rather, God, Messy Praise Communion being equally knowledgeable of the human condition, came as the baby to save us from our Christingle sins, to save us from ourselves and to free us from guilt. Wingfield 11.15am * 6.30pm But I don’t want to discourage new year resolutions, so why not join us at the new Café Holy Evensong. Church in Hoxne when we’ll be thinking about them as well? Sunday 12 Jan, 9.30 for 10am. Communion Benefice Rev Michael Womack Christingle Rev Michael’s holidays/rest days: Weds 1, Thurs 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 January. St Andrew’s House, Vicarage Road, Wingfield, Diss, IP21 5RB. 01379 388889, [email protected]

Church contacts * with Rev Michael Womack Athelington: St Peter. Colin Palmer 01728 628747 + with Rev Eleanor Goodison ~ with Rev John Denham: St John the Baptist. Barbara Irwin 01379 669077, Hilary Castleden 01379 668458 # with Revs Eleanor and Michael Hoxne: St Peter & St Paul. Guy McGregor 01379 668434, Wilf White 01379 668046 Horham: St Mary. David Spall 01379 384239, Daphne Harvey 01379 384216 Redlingfield: St Andrew. Hazel Abbott 01379 678217 Syleham: St Margaret. Mary Lewis 01379 669258, Sarah Buckley 01379 668480 Wingfield: St Andrew. Rev Michael Womack

NEW Benefice Café Church Keep in touch Sunday 29 December Sunday 12 Prayer breakfasts continue Benefice Holy Communion 11.15am at St at 9.30am for 10am in Hoxne church. Starts Monday mornings - breakfast and prayers. facebook pages John the Baptist, Denham. You can stuff with coffee and croissants and moves We meet at 7.45am for breakfast; prayers * of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich the turkey….. this is a Blue Christmas! through discussion to prayer and worship. start at 8.30am. We always aim to finish by * Bishop Martin and Bishop Mike cofe For many, it is never a happy Christmas. Come and try our new informal service! 9am. Contact Rev Michael for venue Suffolk

Historically, the church knows this - the detail s. For Weekly enews from the diocesan Wednesday 15 Meeting with Rural lectionary after Christmas contains St. Prayer breakfasts continue on office, please send your email address to Stephen the first martyr; St John, to whom, Dean, 7pm, Syleham Village Hall. Benefice Mothers’ Union January’s meeting [email protected] PCC members are invited to finalise the Monday mornings - breakfast and prayers. in the words of Amy Carmichael, was will be Monday 20 January, 2.30pm at arrangements for Rev Michael’s successor. We meet at 7.45am for breakfast; prayers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ entrusted the slow martyrdom of exiled startTime at House 8.30am,, Hoxne. using Please a Celtic contact pattern. Cathie We longevity, and Thomas Beckett - killed in McGregor on 01379 668434. Raise funds for churches of the Hoxne Saturday 18 Friends of Hoxne church are always finished by 9am. Contact Rev Benefice with easyfundraising! Canterbury Cathedral - a weighty coffee morning in church, 9.30am to 11am. Michael venue for details, which change. Diocesan News counterpoint to the joy of Christmas. The All welcome. Book stall and raffle. modern church realises the pastoral need of Family@church Tuesday 21 Wingfield winter coffee many for whom it is a Blue Christmas and Volunteers still wanted to join the team for offers a service that is calmer and more morning (instead of the Rural Coffee our family@church 2nd Sunday benefice reflective. This year, our benefice Holy Caravan) - 10am -12 noon at Wingfield services …….. attractive worship for all Communion will be our Blue Christmas, with Barns. Come along for a chat over a drink the family. If you are interested in being some gentler carols to sing, a lovely hymn and cake. Donations welcome. part of this new, monthly project, please let from the Benefice Blasters during Sunday 26 Our benefice Evensong me know. Many thanks, Rev Michael. Communion, and the whole service will have becomes a benefice Christingle for adults a soft tone for it. My text will be 'extra- ……and thousands more. with a focus on the work of The Children’s Let’s raise funds for Churches of the canonical' but for something to anticipate I Bishop Martin with Rev Please register to support us - Society. This follows on from the ’Kagera’ Hoxne Benefice with easyfundraising! will explore what I regard as the most http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ Evensong in November. Supported by most of your favourite spiritual song ever (and it's not a Psalm or retTheailers. Rev JeanettePlease register Gosney to issupport to be the us next- hoxnebenefice £517 raised to date! by George Harrison!!) Prayer for our farming communities httArchdeaconp://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ of Suffolk. She will be collated ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Following the announcement that avian flu hoxnebeneficeas on £424 Saturday raised 18 to Janu date!ary at Sunday 5 January Messy Church has been found on a farm in Athelington, 3pm at St Michael’s Framlingham, and Submissions for this newsletter always for the benefice, Christingle making in Archdeacon and the Rev Canon installed at the Cathedral on Candlemas, welcomed. Please send early notice of Syleham Church, not the hall, 4pm. Lots of Sally Fogden would like to ask everyone to Sunday 2 February at 3.30pm. Jeanette events around the year so we can show oranges, candles and fun, with the usual pray for local poultry farmers. We pray not has been serving as Acting Archdeacon of them in advance and try and avoid scrummy tea afterwards. only to mourn the loss of life at the farm Suffolk since May 2019 during Archdeacon parishes having events on the same day.

where birds have had to be culled but also Ian’s illness, and we feel the joy of her There are paper copies of this newsletter Redlingfield winter Wednesday 8 for the infection to be contained. Please also appointment alongside our grief at Ian’s in each church; for emailed copies, coffee morning (instead of the Rural Coffee please email remember that birds in surrounding farms will death and continue to hold Ian’s family in Caravan) 10am -12 noon at Linda Hudson’s now need to be kept under cover, as we pray our prayers. Jeanette has served as [email protected] ‘Woodvale’ home. Come along for a chat for all those worried about their livelihoods: Bishops’ Ministry Officer since May 2017 with friends over a drink and delicious cake. Father God, Jesus reminded us that not even and prior to that was Parish Development Donations welcome. Wishing you a very a single sparrow falls without your knowledge Officer in the Diocese of , after and care. We pray for all those affected by periods as parish priest, theological college Wednesdays 8, 15, 22, 29 happy, healthy Coffee and internet café in the Old School the threat of avian flu, especially the birds tutor and university chaplain. She was Hall in Horham, 10.30am -12 noon for and poultry farmers of this region. Bring to ordained in this diocese in 1995 and was and peaceful 2020! coffee, cake, good company, computer them your protection, your blessing and your at St Margaret’s Ipswich. peace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. support.