www.stevemaraboli.com

Deadline for June to August 2021 edition Tuesday 27 April 2021

Please send all articles for inclusion in the next edition to the Circuit Administrator at:

Yeovil and Blackmore Vale Circuit Office Vicarage Street Methodist Church Middle Street, Yeovil BA20 1JZ 01935 432173 / 07423 837504 Grounds

Our Mission Statement

[email protected] To Know God’s Love, To Show God’s Love,

www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk To Share God’s Love

24

From the Circuit Office For the time being I am continuing to All Stars Youth Club work from home. Messages left on the 6-10 year olds office answerphone are being retrieved Come and join us on the 4th Friday of regulary and post is being forwarded. I every month have full email access at — at St Mark’s Methodist Church, Yeovil [email protected] and can also be 6.30-8pm contacted on 07423 837504 (9am-3pm Monday to Thursday). Usually 4th Friday of the month, please contact Normal Office Hours are Monday - Thursday 9:00am-3.00pm Lynn Heaton to confirm if going ahead

50p per child + tuck shop

CIRCUIT MEETING DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: For more details please Tuesday 23 February — God in Love Unites Us contact Lynn Heaton: 07421 824 840 / [email protected] Tuesday 23 March — General Business

Would all contributors and churches please send items for the next edition of the Bridge to me well before Tuesday 27th April 2021 Many thanks. If you are contributing by email could you please identify each contribution (image or article) with the name of your church or group. It helps identify them much more easily. I do get a lot of email attachments and it can be difficult knowing which piece goes with each church! A youth group meeting at St Mark’s Methodist Church Helen. on the second Friday of the month 7.30-9pm

School Years 6 – 10

Usually 2nd Friday of the month If you are submitting photographs for publication in the Please contact Lynn Heaton to confirm if going ahead Bridge Magazine please ensure that anyone portrayed in £1 per person including hot food and drinks. picture is aware that it is being taken and may be published. It For more information contact : Lynn Heaton is particularly important that written parental consent is 07421 824 840/ [email protected] obtained to publish pictures of children.

2 23

From The Revd Paul Arnold

February 2021

Dear Friends,

Come and enjoy a morning of madness and sticky crafts! Sticking, making, cooking, singing, I am going to begin with (what some of you will think is) a very odd stories, colouring, eating and MUCH MORE!! question! It is this, ‘Why does Psalm 119 have 176 verses…?’ Many of you All Families, Grandparents, Carers welcome! will be familiar with the Psalm - there are some memorable verses in it… ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path’ (v. 105) or, ‘How Usually 1st Saturday of the month, please contact sweet are your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!’ (v. 103) to name but two. It is the longest of all Psalms, but I Lynn to confirm if going ahead repeat, ‘Why does the Psalm have 176 verses?’ Those of you who know some Old Testament Hebrew will be itching to tell us all the answer, which

is of course that… Psalm 119 is an acrostic! You see, the Hebrew alphabet Cheap Street Church, Sherborne has 22 letters, and the Psalmist takes each letter in turn and writes 8 lines, 10.30 - 12.00pm each one beginning with that letter. Therefore, 22 x 8 = 176! Simples! Let’s see what sticks… Now, I’m sure you find that all very interesting (!) however, I share this to For more details please contact Lynn 01963 251747 make a point… namely, in the Hebrew, the ‘pattern’ in the Psalm is obvious - it is a beautiful piece of writing that plays imaginatively with each letter of the alphabet (it is no surprise that the major theme of the Psalm is the writer’s joy in the ‘word’ of God) - the whole Psalm is an anthem to words! However, the shape, pattern and poetry are lost when we read the Psalm in an English translation - the design and form become obscured. It is not that the words don’t communicate, but we lose that sense of arrangement and organisation. We continue to live through times that are demanding and as families, churches and nations we continue to struggle with the demands of these Come and enjoy a morning of madness and messy crafts! days. It is during the difficult and dark times that we are often unable to Painting, sticking, making, cooking, singing, see any shape, form or beauty in life. It can be a battle to remain open to stories, printing, building, eating and MUCH MORE!! God’s Spirit as we see so many closed paths or dead ends. My understanding of God’s grace leads me to believe there is an underlying All Families, Grandparents, Carers welcome! pattern and wonder in life. This is not the same as saying that God wills, Usually 3rd Saturday of the month, please or has decreed the illness, sadness and isolation caused by the Pandemic, contact Amanda to confirm if going ahead but that God’s re-creative purposes can be discovered through these St Marks Methodist Church, Yeovil tragedies. To use a musical metaphor, some Christians believe that everything is planned by God and our lives are lived out according to a 10.30 - 12.00pm predetermined plan - like an LP record. You place the stylus on the For more details please contact Amanda : disc and the music plays just as it has been recorded. However, this 07506 090302/ [email protected] strikes me as restrictive, leaving God as one who lords it over

22 3 passive creation. Whereas, Grace is more akin to a piece of music that is improvised by a group of musicians. It has about it something that is fresh each time the piece is played. The music is dynamic because the players are in relation to one another. I have no idea what lies ahead in the coming months as we see how quickly conditions change. In the life of our Circuit, this dynamic spiritual improvisation has to be discovered in the many and You will usually find us in Preston Road Methodist Church Hall, difficult choices that lie ahead… What is our ministry now? What Friday Mornings - term time - from 10 – 11:30am ‘shape’ will our Circuit need to adopt? What role do our buildings have to play? Will some of our Societies ‘Cease to Meet’? What Please contact Lynn Heaton: 07421 824 840 Staffing levels can we sustain? I hope and pray that as we approach for current information whilst Covid restrictions remain Easter, we have the opportunity to see afresh how God is able to bring about renewal (Resurrection) in the face of heartbreak (Crucifixion) - and even though so much seems to argue against it, we are assured there is a pattern and beauty woven into the fabric of all life - even when (like the pattern in Psalm 119) it is not easy to see the wonder of 176 verses…! I finish with a reminder that Deacon Rebekah-Joy Spinks should have been Ordained at Conference last Summer. However, this was not possible (because of ‘Covid’ restrictions) and her Ordination will now take place on Sunday 18th April, 3.00pm at Wesley’s Chapel in London (we hope to be able to ‘attend’ the service via a live-link You will usually find us in Wincanton Methodist Church Hall, broadcast). In advance of every Ordination, a minister on Probation Monday Mornings - term time - from 10:30-12noon. shares in a Service of Public Testimony. It is unlikely that we will Please contact Lynn Heaton: 07421 824 840 be able to hold this ‘physically’ in church. So, we will have a ‘virtual’ service (using the ‘Zoom’ platform) on the Weds of Holy for current information whilst Covid restrictions remain Week - Wednesday31st March, 7.00pm. Please ‘come’ to that service (those who are able) to hear R-J’s Testimony and support her in prayer. For more details see the details elsewhere in this edition of ‘The Bridge’…. You will usually find us in Vicarage Peace, Street Methodist Church Hall, Thursday Mornings - term time from 10am – 11:30am. Please Contact Jane on 01935 479 906 Rev Paul Arnold for current information whilst Covid restrictions remain

4 21

Bell Street United Church, Shaftesbury Contact: [email protected] http://www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our- churches/bell-street-shaftesbury/ Our Children & Families Worker, Natalie, organised a Family Nativity Trail through our church (all Covid-safe). Families could pre-book and watch 3 short videos (using QR Scanner codes – all very high- tech) and spend time looking for clues hidden around the church to piece together the nativity story (many thanks also to Lynn Heaton for her creative artwork). We also had an outside part to the event on the driveway where people could collect craft packs, take-away mince pies, hang a prayer angel on the tree and hear carols being played on the keyboard. Some Christmas clothing was also taken from the clothing exchange table. It was so good to see everyone face-to-face after such a long time of not being able to welcome them into the Church. Despite the rainy drizzle it was a lovely at- mosphere and about £130 was raised for Action for Children. A huge thank you to all those who helped on the day, made mince pies, played music, or prayed for the event. Mention was made in the last issue of The Bridge Magazine about the Advent boxes. These were a fantastic resource which were deliv- ered to families in Shaftesbury and Motcombe. There has been very positive feedback from the families about the boxes. Thanks to Na- talie for drawing our attention to this resource and delivering many of the boxes too. We were opening for Worship fortnightly before the January lock- down and it was a real blessing to be able to worship together (socially-distanced), particularly for those of our congregation who do not have access to online technology. Since Christmas, however, we have made the decision to close. Our minister Denise has been writing a weekly letter to all to keep everyone connected in these strange and isolating times. She has also held Bible Study Groups and Services via Zoom throughout the lockdowns. Let us pray that it won’t be too long before we can worship together again. God bless. Jo Bathurst - [email protected]

20 5

Ashmore Methodist Chapel For the chilDREN http://www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our- (and the young at heart) churches/ashmore/

Broad Oak Methodist Chapel

http://www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our- churches/broad-oak/

Cheap Street Church

http://www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ cheap-street http://cheapstreetchurch.co.uk/index.php Since last time we have been busy behind the scenes with a project that Martin Heal has written about. In 2021, as a Church we are embarking on a new outreach project involving the shop we own at the Cheap Street entrance to our premises, currently vacant. We believe there are opportunities here to reach a wider community in practical ways and we hope other Churches in the town will come on board. The shop will be called ‘The Pod’, which is a vessel containing seeds. In it there is hope for growth, health and nourishment. We pray that Church and community will work together. There is great potential here for planted seeds bringing a fresh expression of Church. Our Christian calling is to increase awareness of God’s presence and celebrate God’s love. To this end, our vision is to use seasonal window displays and promote our activities which will make a more accessible way into faith for some, providing an easier threshold to cross than the church and open more hours. Our calling is also to help people grow in faith and learn as Christians through mutual support and care. For this, we will help and encourage faith exploration through a Christian book library for all ages and provide leaflets on faith and information from local Churches. There will be opportunity for discussion and prayer in the

6 19

FASS Club shop and also for interaction with all Sherborne Churches. We are called to be a good neighbour to those in need and to The FASS Club is a Circuit club for the over fifties. challenge injustice. With this in mind, we will be a link with Its based at St Mark’s as currently only members organisations which meet local needs and other agencies like from Yeovil attend, but if we had more members Community Aid Network, Christians Against Poverty, Sherborne from the circuit we could meet anywhere and we could meet at different venues. Food Bank, The Rendezvous, Choose Love (items for refugees) and Acts 435. FASS Club are not currently meeting in person, due to God wants us to make more followers of Jesus Christ and through the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Pod we want to connect with people in the street, a very visible Christian presence in our main shopping area. We want to build However a small group are meeting on Zoom once a relationships with people and work alongside them. week in the afternoon. They share memories, photos, By welcoming other Churches on board we would create a central games etc & would be delighted if anyone else from focus for God’s work in the heart of our town. It will be a new way the circuit would like to join them. of seeing the Church in action. One enthusiastic supporter has given £5,000 anonymously to meet initial costs. Exciting times! Anyone wishing to be involved should email Richard England at [email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~ Although at present we are not able to give an opening date, due to the pandemic, much has been organised. There is a management committee and a group of people ready to offer weekly sessions in The Pod. Our thanks go to Lynn Heaton for her vision which has enabled the Church to take this on board. We hope to give you more news next time. Yeovil & Blackmore Janet Le Moignan Vale Circuit Gillingham Methodist Church

http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ For the second year running we have decided that Easter Offerings gillingham/ will not be happening this year 2021. We do not know when all our circuit churches will be open or what restrictions we will be under at Music at Gillingham Methodist Church: Easter or after. If anyone has any comment on this decision or needs www.musicatgmc.org.uk any info. please contact me. The District Partnership for the boats for Fiji is still being continued for this year, 20/21. Gillingham Community Cinema: Chris Lydford (Circuit President) www.filmatgmc.org.uk

18 7

Revd Roy Catchpole 2020 at Christian Aid in Some of you will remember Roy as he was Associate Minster and Visiting Preacher in the Sherborne and Yeovil Circuit immediately prior Somerset & to the uniting of the two Circuits into the Yeovil and Blackmore Vale Circuit. He was the founder of the Sherborne Food Bank and a talented praise group drummer. Sadly he passed away on 6 November at Your achievements this year have been so inspiring. It’s been a Dorchester Hospital from the cancer that afflicted his last four years. tough year, but your creativity, resilience and energy have shone His Thanksgiving Service took place on Monday 30 November at Vicarage Street in Yeovil. We want to thank all those in the Circuit through and amazed. Thank you for everything you’re doing to Churches who have offered love and support to my family and me support our families, churches, local communities and global especially Revd Kate and people in the Yeovil Churches. Roy was totally neighbours through this terrible pandemic. We’re keenly aware of unique. He was loved for the way he thought, pushed boundaries and Coronavirus’s impact locally and understand that for some dealing challenged authority. He was passionate about the poor and needy, with this is challenge enough. Our prayers go out to you all, forced people to think outside the box and their comfort zones, and he especially to any who are going through the deep pain of losing was bouncy and enthusiastic and full of life! The responses on his loved ones. passing have been overwhelming and comforting. Thank you. CA’s work has never been more urgent, resourcing communities Linda Catchpole and family navigating poverty, pandemic and climate crisis. We are currently working in 29 countries, and responding to the pandemic by adapting existing projects, focusing on distributing hygiene, Hazelbury Bryan Methodist Chapel healthcare and food products, advocacy, and combatting www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ misinformation. Thank you to everyone who has been able to hazelbury-bryan support this vital work, our Coronavirus Appeal alone raised over £1.3 million by October 2020. Thank you for your patience where the pandemic impacted our Ibberton Methodist Chapel services in the UK, while we also complete our restructure. Regional staff now focus on Groups and churches taking on bigger projects, www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ so most support is coordinated by a central team, contactable on ibberton [email protected] or 01925 573 769. Many of you got involved in our Autumn and Christmas Appeals, and thanks to your ingenuity and passion, CA Week raised over double Kings Stag Methodist Chapel our revised target, an amazing £4 million! In 2021, our supporter www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/kings-stag conference was held in February, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating our 75th anniversary, and for a CA Week re-focusing on climate change in Kenya (so keep any leftover resources if you can!) We want to use the digital skills we’ve all gained beyond the pandemic, and support churches to use these to extend their reach. Longburton Methodist Chapel We’ll be campaigning on the climate crisis building to COP26 in www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our- Glasgow this November. Locally we’ve an urgent need for Group churches/longburton/ Organisers and Church Reps, so please pass this on and get in touch if this sounds like you!

8 17

Vicarage Street Methodist Church

http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/vicarage- street/ Greetings from Vicarage Street. The warmth and glow that is usually found inside our Church at Christmas time was transported outside to share the Christmas Story with those passing our doors. To the full-size nativity, was added Angel wings, giving children who would be angels in their nativity plays at school an opportunity to stand behind and have their photo taken! There were also Memory Christmas trees adorned with wooden baubles – these were blank so messages could be left on them – names of loved ones no longer with them, or those who would not be able to come and share Christmas together. They were very much used and appreciated. A beautiful backdrop on the hall wall could be seen – a festive snowy scene where families were encouraged to have their photo taken to send on to members far away. We say ‘thank you’ to Nichola and Steve Watson for their hard work in putting on this seasonal showcase to remind the community we are part of the importance of the Christmas Story in these difficult times. A big thank you must also be given to all those who worked together and distributed the Advent Boxes – no mean feat – they were much appreciated, followed by the ‘Christingle’ bags – The Yeovil Methodist Church working together! On Wednesday December 23rd we shared in a Christmas Communion Celebration together. We read together familiar carols with Jan English giving the organ a good work out, with all those special tunes we associate with the festive season – thank you Jan for your part in the service, it made such a difference. Lastly, I’d like to say ‘Thank you’ – and I’m sure I’m not alone - to our ministers Kate and Ruth, for their encouraging ministerial letters – there is much food for thought, also to those who take time and energy in the distribution of these and the services, which help us in some small way to connect with each other. Thelma Stevens

16 9

Marnhull Methodist Chapel Yeovil Methodist Church http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ marnhull/ Based at Preston Road Methodist Church

Sunday Worship St Mark’s Methodist Church Once again we have found it advisable to close our church for Vicarage Street Methodist Church services until such time as the situation with the pandemic makes it safe to do so. Sadly, it does not seem likely that this will be for some Preston Road Methodist Church time but we invite you to keep an eye on the notice board by the Methodist Church where any changes will be announced. Our http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our- Superintendent Minister, Rev. Paul Arnold, returned from his churches/preston-road sabbatical at the end of November and once again will provide service notes each Sunday by email so that we are able to follow the readings, prayers and his reflections in our homes and know that we St Marks Methodist Church were all sharing it at ten o’clock. Rev. Paul also suggests hymns and http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/st- usually provides a link to a performance on YouTube which is marks particularly welcome to Methodists deprived of communal hymn singing! Hard copies will be printed and distributed to people not on email. Zoom Worship continues every Sunday morning at 10:30am & Church Anniversary. 6th December Wednesday evening at 8pm led by Rev Kate Konrad. For more details Methodist congregations have a tradition of celebrating the or for help setting up Zoom please contact Daniel 01935 587589 or anniversary of the founding of their church building and, for [email protected] Everyone is very welcome & it would be lovely to Marnhull Methodist Church, that is 6th December. The easing of see you. Covid-19 restrictions coincided with the return of Rev. Paul Arnold and we were delighted to be able to welcome him back to lead this Men’s breakfast will resume as soon as Government guidelines al- service for us. We again remembered with love and thanks all those low. For more info please contact Trevor.07758 727629. who have served our church in past years and committed ourselves to continue to serve God in worship and service whatever the future holds. We were particularly pleased to be able to include our planned collection of “treats” which the local Food Bank could include in their Christmas parcels to help some of the many people in our country who are finding it difficult to celebrate Christmas. Christmas Services On 20th December, Deacon Rebekah-Joy Spinks led us in a carol service. Of course, we were not able to sing the lovely and familiar hymns but Rebekah-Joy cleverly blended recording, reading and music from our organist Hayden Williams with, of course, bible

10 15

Sturminster Newton Methodist Church readings to produce a delightful beginning to Christmas week. We even finished up by gathering in a socially-distanced line outside the church to sing Oh Come All Ye Faithful. I hope our neighbours http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ enjoyed it as much as we did! sturminster-newton

On Christmas Day, Rebekah-Joy was good enough to again lead us in a service. We lit the final candle on the Advent Wreath and shared in For a number of months, since the weather would not let us meet in the memory of the beautiful story of our Saviour’s birth. Ron person outside and stricter Lockdown rules we have been meeting Williams sang a solo carol accompanied by Sally Williams and, again, as a Cell Group on Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Friday afternoon of each we gathered outside in our permitted line to sing a final carol. month. We all contribute and Rev Margaret Oxenham oversees the afternoon and Rev Denise Binks provides the technology. Denise During the present difficult times our prayers are for everyone facing keeps in contact with all our church members by a weekly letter on sadness, financial difficulties and education and work problems, email or paper and delivered. especially for medical workers in our over-stretched hospitals.

Tisbury Methodist Church

http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ tisbury/

Wincanton Methodist Church

http//www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ wincanton

Yetminster Methodist Church www.yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churhes/yetminster

Easy Sudoku Solution—left

Medium Sudoku Solution - right 14 11

Motcombe Methodist Church

http://yeovilblackmorevalemc.org.uk/our-churches/ motcombe/

Following Government guidelines we were able to host a coffee morning outside the church before Christmas in aid of the Salvation Army. Together with the collection on Christmas morning £435.55 was raised. Natalie also provided Christmas craft packs for the children to take home. Motcombe church looked bright and cheerful and the lights in the church were visible from the open porch. (see photo) A small tree stood outside, decorated by the Upshall family. A Christmas goody bag was given to each of the residents in the Grange. Some of us were able to join the Motcombe carol singers, safe distancing, as we sang outside at various locations around Motcombe.

We were pleased to have Rev. Paul Arnold leading our service on Sudoku Puzzles provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com/ Christmas Day. Despite what the papers reported Christmas was “The aim of Sudoku is to complete the entire grid using the numbers—Solutions on page 23. NOT cancelled! 1-9. Each number can only be used once in each row, once in each column, and once in each of the Margaret has worked tirelessly to provide and distribute notice 3×3 boxes. Visit: www.sudokuoftheday.com for further tips and help about how to play.” sheets and services prepared by Rev. Margaret Oxenham or Rev. Paul Arnold to all churchgoers during our short return to church and now again in lockdown. In 2021 we go forward in faith knowing that our God will be with us. Stella Taylor

John 14:6

Easy Sudoku Solutions on page 14 Medium Sudoku

12 13