www.solebayteamministry.co.uk FREE

Blythburgh Reydon South Cove

NOVEMber hear 2020 & Uggeshallsole Walberswick

pages 1 Includes children’s(centre) The ‘music centre’ for the Harvest hymn South Cove Harvest Festival accompaniments in the meadow at South Cove

Harvest displays at St Margaret’s, Reydon

Harvest displays at St Andrew’s, Walberswick

2 Magazine Letter Remember, remember . . . “Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be” I’m ancient enough to remember that slightly cheesy 1960s hit by Max Bygraves which they used to play on Uncle Mac’s Children’s Favourites on the BBC Light Programme. It was a lament about loss: trams, dance halls and melody; and the advance of the new-fangled: drainpipe trousers, frothy coffee and parking meters. As a nation we love nostalgia. Retro is the new thing. On telly, even a series set in the 1950s is seen as a costume drama. Memories, remembering are important to us. In the Church, November is a month for memories. Quite sombre ones. It begins on 1st November with All Souls’ Day, also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and (especially in Mexico) the Day of the Dead. This is a day for prayer and remembrance for those who have died. Then, of course, we have Remembrance Sunday on th8 November and Armistice Day on the 11th. Again, these are moments when we think of those who gave their lives sacrificially to protect us and our freedoms. We look back with sadness, and sometimes regret. Loss is hard to live with. It disrupts us, dislocates us. And that’s why remembering is important. Remembering is the opposite of dismembering. Remembering helps put us back together. It’s worth noting that the Old Testament was largely assembled by the Israelites at a time when the nation was living in exile in Babylon. They used that time of dislocation to remember where they’d come from, to reshape their identity, and to plan for a future return to Jerusalem. I’m fond of the story in the biblical book of Ezekiel, where the prophet has a vision of a valley full of scattered, dry bones Then, these bones reconnect. As the old song goes: “The shin bone connected to the knee bone; Knee bone connected to the thigh bone; Thigh bone connected to the hip bone. . .” It was a powerful metaphor for the exiled community of Israel knitting themselves back together. They did the opposite of dismembering, they re-membered. Remembering is more than nursing a nostalgia for some – probably mythical – golden age, where everything was perfect. Perhaps it’s more about recalling the things that are important, of real value: friendship, selflessness, courage and persistence. We live in dislocated times. So much of what we used to enjoy – maybe took for granted – has been swept away by this impersonal pandemic. Fings definitely Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be. And we mourn the loss. But it’s not about nostalgia, about dwelling in the past. It’s about re-membering –girding ourselves up for a new future. We’ve done it before. We can do it again. Malcolm Doney Malcolm is a writer, broadcaster and Anglican priest who lives in Blythburgh 3 Food Bank Donations Please continue to donate food to the Food Bank. This can be done by leaving food with John & Jan Collins, 19 Lakeside Park Drive, Reydon or phone 01502 725731. If anyone, who is in need, and would benefit from a food parcel please contact the Lowestoft Food Bank (01502 586216) or the Voluntary Health Centre in Southwold (01502 724549). Laughter Lines - Fire in church

The town’s fire prevention officer was conducting a health and safety course at the local church. The officer said to the minister: “Now imagine this: it is a Sunday morning and you have a number of people, spread socially distanced, WILDLIFE PONDS throughout your church building. Water Garden Services Some are in the choir stalls, some • Established in 1985 • Specializing in Wildlife ponds are in the kitchen, and some are • New Ponds built from scratch • Ponds Relined or Repaired in the nave. Suddenly, a big fire • Ponds cleaned out or renovated breaks out. What are the first • Ponds planted out steps you would take?” Covering The Norwich and Areas Tel: 01502 478140 The minister thought carefully Please call Mark, Daytime or Evenings for a moment. “Really big ones,” he The Lilacs, St Michaels Way, Wenhaston, Halesworth IP19 9EH said.

4 Parish Finances Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who supports the life of our churches through generous financial giving. Keeping our churches well maintained, insured, warm and safe is an expensive business. The Sole Bay Team also contributes money to Diocesan funds in order to meet the cost of employing and housing clergy, to support training, pensions, support staff etc. This contribution is known as the parish share and is the source of over 80% of Diocesan income. Other income comes from fees for weddings and funerals, income from investments etc. As a relatively young Diocese, just over 100 years old, we do not have any significant historic reserves to fund Diocesan activities. In 2020 the Sole Bay Team was asked to contribute £138,618 by way of parish share. This is broken down between our 8 parishes as follows; Blythburgh £14,026 Reydon £30,166 South Cove £2,646 Southwold £60,000 Walberswick £17,371 Wangford £8,442 £5,266 Sotherton £700 When you add the other costs of keeping our churches running you can see that we need every penny and more that comes in just to break even. 2020 has been very difficult for everyone, and our churches are sharing the hardship felt across the whole community. In a normal year we are grateful for the income and support from all sorts of fund raising activities, including South Cove flower festival, Uggeshall teas, Walberswick fete, The Grand Henham Steam Rally, concerts, exhibitions, and visitors. The impact of Coronavirus, the lockdown, social distancing, the cancellation of weddings etc has hit our income hard. The same is true across the whole Diocese, with a forecast annual deficit somewhere around £2m. If you are able to help our churches through these difficult times by reviewing your regular giving or by a donation we would be extremely grateful. Simon Harvest Thanksgiving During September and October we have celebrated harvest in our Team churches. St Edmund’s harvest festival was an opportunity to welcome back the church choir, socially distanced, and everyone was delighted to listen to familiar harvest hymns, even f we could not sing them.

5 Sotherton Harvest on 4th October was the first time that the church was opened since March. Despite the pouring rain the church looked welcoming, and thanks to members of the St Edmund’s choir helping out, we were again able to enjoy harvest hymns. The rain defeated our hopes of an outdoor songs of praise for harvest at Walberswick on 4th October. A socially distanced celebration was held inside, again welcoming the choir for the first time since lockdown, beautifully supported by Julia on the organ and the Flack family on brass. It has been a difficult harvest for many of our farmers, and the incessant rain at the end of September and early October was threatening the prospects for the next harvest. It is important therefore to remember the farming community in our prayers and to support local produce. Many people were generous in giving goods to support our local foodbank. The foodbanks are experiencing increased demand in the face of hardship caused by the pandemic, so thank you for your kindness. Decorators Decorators & P l u m b e r s & P l u m b Simoners

(SOUTHWOLD) LTD (SOUTHFWreOeLD) LTD Free BUILDING EBsUtiImLDaItNesG Estimates CONTRACTORS CONNewTR HAoCmTeOsRS 31 Fountain Way, Reydon B31u sFionuesnst aPianr kW, ay, Reydon Business Park, New Homes Reydon, Southwold IP18 6SRZeydon, Southwold IP18 6SZ email:[email protected] Extensions Extensions Decorators email:[email protected] & Plumbers Tel e ph one : Commercial New Homes Tel e ph one : Commercial 0 150 2 723 63 6 118539 Work Free Estimates 0 150 2 723 63 6 118539 Work 31Fountain Way, Reydon Business Park Reydon, Southwold IP18 6SZ email: [email protected] Telephone 01502 723636

Mike

This is an amended advert to replace the existing one, if I haven’t already sent it to you.

Sally

6 TEAM NEWS Church Council Report Having refreshed my memory by reading the report that I wrote in June 2019, I am left wondering where to start. None of us could have predicted the changes we have experienced in our lives since Covid arrived in early 2020. The lives of all of us have changed in so many ways, some being affected more than others. What we all have in common is the effect the virus has had on our Church lives. Not being able to enter our church buildings has been a very difficult exclusion for many of us. What I must say is how lucky we have been to have had the opportunity to receive the Zoom services during the period of lockdown. So many people have worked to make our lives as comfortable and “normal” as possible. We are very fortunate to have had Alan’s internet skills in setting up the services, with support from Simon and all the Sole Bay Team worship leaders. We have had regular updates from Hugh Williamson and Alison Evans, keeping us all informed about the joint services. A positive feature has been the pleasure of worshipping in our own homes with so many friends and fellow Team worshippers on our screens. There has been a concerted effort from all the parishes to keep in touch with the many church friends and others in our community who might be alone and sadly missing the fellowship and support which the Church family offers. Here at St Edmunds we have been delighted to receive regular treats and prayers relating to Saints’ Days and important historical dates throughout this year. Lawrence, Vienne, Mary, Anne and so many others, blessed with artistic, culinary and literary talents, have created a marvelous collection of cards for us to cherish. This work has been supported by Jill T, Sarah and many others, who deliver these so warmly and enthusiastically. This dedication and commitment has been a wonderful example of team spirit and love for each other in this place. Our Monday morning Team coffee morning has continued with six of us - very difficult to have to limit our contacts. We have met in each other’s gardens and are now tentatively renewing our visits to Cafe 51. What a joy it was to be able to get back inside our churches to worship together! Victor at St Edmunds has played us the most beautiful piano pieces and we are most grateful for that in helping to compensate for the lack of singing. The choirs in all our churches must at times have felt quite bereft. The pleasure some of us experienced at St Lawrence’s patronal service and Harvest Festival, when we were able to sing in the lovely open air space next to the church was wonderful.

7 I should like to say thank you to Simon, Alan, Stephen, Margaret, Robert, Malcolm, Judy and everyone who has contributed to our worship, both in the lockdown and when we were able to return to Church. The churchwardens, as always in our Team, have worked tirelessly to create a safe environment for those who feel able to attend church, keeping records of all attending and dealing with all the extra requirements as necessary. No doubt Jenny will have difficult news about our income for the period. I should like to end this by saying that we must try to face the future with optimism and in the faith that God will provide - and continue to do our best to support each other in whatever ways we can. As always we all have our part to play and our individual contributions can never be too small. Marina Turvill-Smith

Rediscovering Prophecy with Bishop Mike and Ceri Harris Saturday 14th November, 10.00am – 12.45pm by Zoom

A taster workshop in developing a healthy prophetic culture in the local church. Jesus said that his followers would “hear his voice.” The apostle Paul tells us to “eagerly desire the gift of prophecy.” So how do we learn to listen, and what does it mean to listen together? Join us in learning to listen and in building a prophetic culture that is healthy and wholesome in our churches. Remember, prophecy is a gift to encourage and we all need that! Ceri Harris leads Accessible Prophecy in the UK. Accessible Prophecy helps local churches grow a healthy and mature prophetic culture. Ceri writes, “Learning to recognise and gain confidence in using this gift has been an important part of my journey. It’s always been there, but identifying it and intentionally leaning in to it has been and an important part of God’s calling. I am delighted to help others discover and gain confidence in the prophetic in the way that I have been helped.” To sign-up to this free workshop please visit: www.rediscoveringprophecy.eventbrite.co.uk

Please send in you Heart & Sole copy to:- [email protected]

8 Parish News Holy Trinity Blythburgh Church Lane, IP19 9PL Happy to be back We’ve been delighted to get back into the swing of things at Holy Trinity, and pleased to note a rise in congregation numbers – double our pre-Covid attendance on some Sundays. We very much missed not being able to host Blythburgh’s annual Flower & Produce Show, but we did manage to have a Harvest Festival service, with splendid seasonal decoration, even if new Covid restrictions meant that we had to abandon our scheduled harvest picnic. We have also (in September and October) hosted our first weddings for a long while. Sing it again We’re also very happy to have had our first Choral Evensong for six months. Covid restrictions meant we could only have half a choir, and the congregation were asked to pre-book. In the event, the marvellous Blythburgh Singers, led by Ellis Bell, raised their voices to the church’s angel roof. Choral Evensong (all things being equal) is now a fixture on the first Sunday of each month. However, since this is a popular service, we’re continuing to be careful about numbers and distancing. To avoid disappointing anyone who might turn up only to find the church is ‘full’, we need to ask you to pre-book. If you’d like to attend, please contact Jenny Allen by email at [email protected], or by text on 07710 254 665. She will need to know, in advance, the name and contact details of all who plan to attend. It would also help to know if those people are in the same household, so we can group those together and save space. The booking deadline is 5.00pm the day before, so for December the deadline is 5th December. Service pattern Gratifyingly, Blythburgh services are now returning to a recognisable pattern across the month. Normally this will be: First Sunday – 11.15am Holy Communion (Common Worship) at St Andrew’s, Walberswick. - 6pm Choral Evensong, Blythburgh Second Sunday – 11.15am Holy Communion (Common Worship) at Holy Trinity, Blythburgh. Third Sunday – 9.30am lay-led Morning Prayer in Blythburgh. Fourth Sunday – 9.30am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) in Blythburgh. Every Thursday – 8.30pm Zoom Compline (please ask Jenny Allen for details).

9 Parish News (...continued) Holy Trinity Blythburgh Just to remind you, the church is open for peace, quiet and prayer every day in daylight hours. Christmas Market goes online Sadly, we’re unable to hold our popular, annual Blythburgh Christmas Market in the church this year, but we don’t want to deny you the chance of finding your perfect Christmas gifts. So, the market has gone online! Go to www.blythburghchristmasmarket.org.uk and you can browse and purchase in the comfort of your own home. Malcolm Doney CHRISTMAS MARKET GOES VIRTUAL Blythburgh’s hugely popular Christmas Market, held in the iconic Holy Trinity Church has become a regular fixture in many people’s diaries, but for understandable reasons it won’t be possible to host the event this year. However, we’re still keen to provide our loyal customers with the opportunity to buy those special, often homemade gifts that have become a feature of the market. So, this year the Blythburgh Christmas Market has gone online! We’ve created a dedicated website that provides access to stallholders who would normally have been at the church. Sadly, even today’s technology won’t allow customers to enjoy the refreshments and the festive atmosphere normally available at the market, but people can still browse the goods on offer and contact the virtual stallholders to make purchases. A visit to www.blythburghchristmasmarket. org.uk will open the door to a Christmas hamper of goodies, including: cakes, decorations, hand-crafted gifts and more. The Blythburgh Christmas site will be open until Christmas Eve. It’s a great opportunity to find that special present that can’t be found in the larger stores.

News and views from around the Community . . . In praise of peanut butter One quirky change of life under Covid-19 is that for some reason, we are eating more peanut butter. According to a recent report in The Grocer, sales of the stuff rose by 35.5 per cent in the Spring. Peanut butter producer Kirstie Hawkins (Whole Earth brand) is delighted. “Peanut butter offers an easy way to add more nutrition to breakfast and snack choices.” Whatever the reason, sales of peanut butter, at £98.9million in the past year, are now £2million more than those for jam.

10 Parish News (...continued) St. Margaret’s Church, Reydon Wangford Road, IP18 6PB Since we reopened our church, numbers have remained consistently high, whilst respecting and following social distancing rules. We have introduced the QR Track and Trace System which works on mobile phones once the code is scanned using the NHS app. On 27th September, we celebrated Harvest and welcomed our families back to church. The sermon raised issues concerning the treatment of some Palestinian Olive Farmers who are only allowed to tend their land for two weeks a year and suffer attacks and arson during the olive harvest. One way of supporting the farmers is to purchase free trade olive oil products called ‘Zaytoun’. These will be on sale soon in church and will be perfect for Christmas presents. On Remembrance Sunday, 8th November, there will be two services - a Holy Communion BCP Service at 8:00am and a 10:50am Remembrance Service at the war memorial in the churchyard. This will include the Last Post and the Reveille, the two minutes’ silence and laying of wreaths. To maintain social distancing the whole service will take place outside. It is hoped that soon we will be able to live stream services from St Margaret’s, and this will replace the weekly Zoom service at 11:15am. If anyone is willing to donate towards the equipment and installation then please contact Rev. Alan who will be able to provide more details. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Rev Alan 100 Club! As promised, we held the 100 Club draw at the end of September, for months April through to October, a total of 21 prizes in all. The winning numbers were drawn by churchwarden John Reaney, in the company of our treasurer Neil Holloway and Sue & Doug Puddifoot, (before the churchyard working party), and were: 1, 2, 3, 14, 25, 26, 29, 30, 35, 38, 45, 50, 58, 61, 63, 70, 72, 80, 83, 100. Only one number was drawn out twice and all the winners have been notified. There were many happy faces! Our next draw will take place in November and we have 5 spare numbers. Please ring me if you would like to be included in the November draw, only £10 per number for the rest of the year to August 2021. Meanwhile thank you to all our 100 Club members for your continued support. Sue Puddifoot 11 THE EYDON RUST RA registered charity No.206873 Tserving Reydon People Do you need financial support or do you know someone who does? We do not pay down personal debt.

Apply in strict confidence: [email protected] By writing to:- The Reydon Trust, C /O post box at entrance to Reydon Village Hall, Lowestoft Road, Reydon IP18 6RF

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12 Parish News (...continued) St. Andrew’s Church, Sotherton, East of the Village off A145, NR34 8ES

Seventeen people heard St Andrews filled with the choir singing for our Harvest Festival held on 4th October. This was the first service since March lockdown due to Covid-19. May I thank the choir for coming and all the people who turned out to clean and put flowers in the church. Our next service is to be held on November 15th (NO SERVICE IN OCTOBER). Masks are to be worn. All are welcome. Karen Flaxman News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) Come Let Us Adore Him – a Daily Advent Devotional By Paul David Tripp, Crossway/10ofThose, £4.99 Every time the Christmas season comes around, we look forward to putting up a tree, giving and receiving gifts, and participating in other traditions that make this wonderful time of year so special. But sometimes the most significant aspect of the season—focusing on the coming of Jesus—grows old and familiar. Here Paul Tripp seeks to reawaken our awe during Christmastime. Each day begins with a compelling, gospel-centred thought followed by an extended meditation for the day. Each of the 31 devotions also includes a Scripture reading and notes for parents and children, equipping us to do the one thing that matters most each December—celebrate Jesus.

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6 7 Parish News (...continued) St. Lawrence’s Church, South Cove On B1127, NR34 7JD The service in September of Harvest Thanksgiving was celebrated outside church in the Meadow. We certainly had ‘all good gifts around us’. The Festival was led by the Team Vicar, the Rev’d. Alan Perry. With keyboard accompaniment by Alison, those present sang joyfully five Harvest hymns. There was a large congregation attending and with much produce having been being donated, the next day, these gifts were all gathered in with the perishable items being delivered to the Fyffe Centre in Lowestoft. They were grateful and most appreciative that we had thought of them and their needs. The Fyffe Centre is a direct-access supported accommodation scheme for twenty seven residents. It provides low to medium support to homeless, vulnerable and socially-excluded adults aged 18+. All the non-perishable produce, such as tinned and dry food, was donated to the Access Food Bank Centre, also in Lowestoft. A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone for all your contributions which are always gratefully received. Money raised from sponsorship on The SHCT Bike and Stride day in September amounted to £300. This is divided between the Churches Trust and South Cove Church. Grateful thanks to all those involved. A fresh innovation this year was for vintage cars to be included on a ‘church crawl’. This was a real incentive for two of our congregation to travel around the Suffolk countryside in their vintage ‘Teal Motor’ that day. What a beautiful motor car it is! The Service on Sunday 15th November will be Holy Communion. All are welcome. Alison Evans News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) Help our wildlife before it is too late A quarter of mammals in the UK are at risk of extinction, and this decline will continue unless their habitats are restored and some species are reintroduced. So warns the chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper, referring to a recent list of endangered animals issued by the Mammal Society, and approved by the United Nations. UK mammals most in danger are the greater mouse- eared bat, the water vole, the hedgehog, hazel dormouse and Scottish wildcat. The European wolf is already extinct. Tony Juniper advises that reintroducing some mammals would help others at greater risk. For example, introducing more pine martens would help control the grey squirrels, which in turn would give our native red squirrels a better chance. As one professor of environmental biology said: “Here in Britain we are managing to send even rodents towards extinction. Things have to change rapidly if we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy the wildlife that we take for granted.” 15 Sung Compline

16 Sole Bay’s Little Lights (pull out pages for children)

Do you like to go to the beach in the summer holiday? Perhaps you enjoy paddling in the sea, collecting shells, crabbing or building sandcastles. It is important to have the right mixture of sand and water so that the sandcastle stays firm. There is a story in the bible about building on sand – you will find it in the middle pages. When I was a child I decided to become a Christian one starry evening on Southwold beach at a children’s beach mission. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and show me how He wanted me to live my life. I still like to go to the beach to be quiet and talk to Jesus. I wonder what you will do at the beach this summer.

17 18 19 20 1721 News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) Artisanal Behaviour This artisan lark is really catching on. It was the bread that started it off with tout le monde clamouring for handcrafted loaves made from sourdough and featuring large holes up the middle. Now I see from local hand-crafted signage that we have “hand-crafted gin”. Can you really craft gin? It conjures the unlikely image of some leather-aproned, ruddy faced yeoman heaving a tastefully woven basket of juniper berries into a brick built vat of vodka and stirring it in skillfully with a ham-like, hairy forearm. If that is what is going on, you can book me in for a tour! I think I will redefine myself as an artisan architect. After all, we produce drawings by hand here and there ain’t much of that going on these days. I could boast that we fashion pens from goose feathers, craft our own ink using a secret recipe concocted from chimney soot and boiled seaweed, and draw on the laboriously stretched skin of a local pig. If they’ll believe hand-crafted gin they’ll believe anything. The important thing is that the techniques are historical and the materials local. I think it is all because we have become pathologically alienated from real work. Work that does not involve tippy-tapping on plastic keys and clicking a little plastic mouse. Like I am doing now. Like nearly everybody does most of the time. We all know deep down that the real hands-on stuff is what it is all about. Forearms in the vat. Look at the success of Repair Shop on TV. If you cannot do your job without electricity then perhaps it is not a proper job. But no matter. Just so long as we have access to a sufficient quantity of gin, hand-crafted or otherwise! There was a cartoon I saw once featuring a group of scrubbed up doctors in the operating theatre, with a trolley load of pincers and hacksaws and announcing to the patient on the table, ‘We are the London Consort of Surgeons and we perform authentic operations using period instruments.’ Now there’s a thought for the NHS! John Bennett

1822 Parish News (...continued) St. Edmund’s Church, Southwold Bartholomew Green, IP18 6JA Children’s Society Box Collection 2020 Tuesday 10th November is the date for opening the boxes. Please bring your box to 41 Hotson Road during the morning of the 10th, or telephone me if you wish to bring it earlier, or request collection. Thank you. Kate Assmann 01502 722600 *** St Edmund’s Messy Church families raised money for mosquito nets for the Kagera Christian Training College. Photos inside back cover show nets being received.

1923 2024 Parish News (...continued) St. Andrew’s Church, Walberswick The Street, IP18 6UZ At harvest we learned how many socially distanced people it takes to fill St Andrew’s - 42, with a few joining in from the porch and some people turned away. After a long time without much music in our churches, it was a joy to have St Andrew’s filled with the sounds of singing and organ, not to mention some very fine brass playing from John and Nigel Flack. Nigel›s trumpet voluntaries before and after the service were rightly applauded. There was a convincing recitation of Amelia Barr’s poem, “The Farmer” which helped to underline the thankfulness of harvest, as did the scriptural readings. The deluge at the weekend thwarted the plan to be outside, but was at least the cause of some wry smiles in Psalm 65 at the line praising God for watering the Earth’s furrows. The choir was particularly valued because the congregation – owing to Covid precautions – were permitted only to hum the tunes in the hymns. So it was a delight to hear the words and harmonies clearly, with a notable descant in “All creatures of our God and King.” It was a much-needed fillip on a grey day and helped us to look past Covid in more optimistic vein. The harvest service was followed by our delayed APCM when, sadly, churchwarden John Simpson did not stand for re-election since he and Cathryn will shortly be moving from the village. We are currently without any churchwarden, but have gained two new PCC members in Inger Edwards and Joanna Saunders. John has been a rather special churchwarden because he was active and aware in all areas of St Andrew’s church life: practical, technical, legal, and spiritual. He demonstrated his love for the church in frequent casual conversations with visitors. He was the face of St Andrew’s in the BBC ‘Villages by the Sea’ Walberswick programme. He assisted the verger at weddings and funerals. Recently, he sorted out our Covid arrangements quickly and effectively. The ‹Churchyard Angels› would not have come together to clear the churchyard without his initiative and work, and if the building itself could quiver then it would have done so when fixed with his eagle eye. Cathryn›s varied involvement over some years has included flower arranging, and running several church rotas. It is due to her that the welcome ‹squash and biscuits› table took its place in the church, to the pleasure of visitors. Cathryn and John were presented with a gift and a bouquet. We hope they will be very happy in their new home, but will miss them. *** By the time you read this, our mediaeval porch will finally be in the process of extensive repair and restoration. We seem to have encountered years of unexpected problems before reaching lift off, and are rather excited to see this day arrive. The

2125 Parish News (...continued) St. Andrew’s Church, Walberswick project is costed at £80,000, using both grant aid and church money, and is due to last some eight weeks. During that time, St Andrew›s will only be open for our Wednesday and Sunday services, using access through the choir vestry. Regrettably, this means that access for those with buggies or in wheelchairs will be problematic. Joanna Saunders As in recent years, St Andrew’s, is going to be involved in the Operation Christmas Child appeal organized by Samaritan’s Purse (an international Christian relief organization), whereby shoe boxes containing small gifts are sent to needy children around the world, regardless of their background or religious belief. If you are interested in taking part in this venture, which has in the past bought great joy to recipients and those creating the gifts, please contact Christine or Brian on (723023). Ready printed boxes and leaflets about the project are available in St Andrew’s, and more information can be read at https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ operation-christmas-child-resources/ Please could the boxes be returned to St Andrew’s by Sunday November 8th. Thankyou.

News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) Live Music at Southwold Primary School Following their popular musical evenings on Southwold’s South Green, Magnus and Marije Johnston (two violinists from the distinguished Navarra Quartet, currently living in Southwold) and local pianist Nathan Williamson gave a concert for the children at Southwold Primary School on 1st October. It was fantastic to see the children having a wonderful time and experiencing live music, and understanding more about how violins work, what they are made of, and the wonderful variety of sounds they can make! This tied in very nicely with the children’s science project for the term which is all about the nature of sound and how it is made. Magnus, Marije and Nathan hope that it will be the first concert of many in local schools, although as the concert had to be held outdoors it might have to evolve into a music and movement class so the children don’t get too chilly come November!

2226 Parish News (...continued) St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church, Wangford Church Street, NR34 8RR We trust that by the time you read this, our church roof works will be completed and our building safe, dry, clean and open for use. We are of course immensely grateful for the provision of the finances to complete all this; funds from a legacy inherited a few years ago, from grant money and of course some fundraising. Our thanks go to Alan Greening, our architect for project managing the operation, Alan Perry for keeping a watching brief and to Sheila Scholes, our treasurer, for her work with Alan on the grant applications. We are also reminded that “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain” (Psalm 127). Our Church is the worshipping community of people who use the building that we know and love. We welcome our church family back into our building and look forward to seeing everyone again. Despite the restrictions and scary statistics, we feel we can continue to serve our community in safety and in love. Deo Gratias. At the time of writing, the plan is to celebrate Holy Communion together for the first time on Sunday 1st November, All Saints Day. The following Sunday, Remembrance Sunday, we will hold a short service in the churchyard, round the war memorial, starting at 10.50am. Jackie Casement News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) A View Beyond the Trees Most of my previous articles have focussed on hearing loss, but this month I want to focus on sight loss. My immediate view from our sitting-room window in the grounds of Oaklands House in Reydon is a wide range of trees: oaks, conifers and evergreen shrubs and often wild birds are resting on the branches. All these can be seen and enjoyed by the house residents and also the thirty other properties in the Oaklands grounds. The fifty or so rooks which we both see and hear roost in some of the bigger trees. In these grounds we are out of sight of those travelling along Covert Road or Lowestoft Road and we are out of sight of the 22,000 other people who live in this beautiful Suffolk Coast and Heath area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I am so grateful for the view that I have each day and I remind myself of the importance of full sight. I recall a wise comment that I once heard admiring those people who in a discussion can see things in a different light. However those with sight loss have to see everything in a different light and those with cataracts see everything in a diminished light. It is perhaps a good time for all of us to appreciate the beauty of nature all around us, to protect it as best we can, and to imagine how poor our lives would be without that precious gift of sight. Tony Smith 2327 Dear Friends in Christ, A CALL TO PRAYER AND GENEROSITY I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. These words of greeting from Paul’s letter to the Philippians express so well the gratitude we have for our partnership in Christ. Since the lockdown began in March, we have watched how our parishes, congregations and ministries have sprung into action with newfound energy, live-streaming services, delivering shopping, medications and food parcels, organising phone trees and connecting by email, phone and Zoom meetings. The labours of all our clergy and lay leaders in these difficult times have been truly inspiring. Thanks be to God for you! Having said this, Covid-19 has exacted a considerable toll on us all - the pandemic has caused great harm, physical, mental, emotional and financial. We have all been profoundly affected by this virus. At the same time, medical staff and key workers have responded with remarkable generosity and courage. We continue to pray for all those in such positions and ask the Lord for an end to the pandemic, the invention of a vaccine and the restoration of ordinary life. One of the consequences of the pandemic has been a financial picture which is hugely challenging. It looks as if the diocese will have a £1.9 million shortfall this year, due in large part to parishes unable to meet Parish Share commitments because of the loss of income from buildings being closed, fund-raising events cancelled and fewer church services. We are doing all we can to mitigate the effects of that shortfall in terms of streamlining central services and rigorously controlling expenditure. We have also been successful in a bid to Church Commissioners who are providing £600k to this diocese, but that still leaves a £1.3 million shortfall. If that shortfall is not addressed, the consequences in terms of the mission and ministry of the diocese, the number of clergy posts and resourcing the local church will be severe, just at a time when we have an opportunity to offer so much to a county facing such challenges. These are extraordinary circumstances, and the need is immediate and pressing. We are all called to take responsibility in our day for the flourishing of the Church’s ministry and mission and the time to take that responsibility is now. If ever there was a rainy day, this is it, and so we appeal to you and to every person who is involved with the church locally to consider whether this year you might increase your giving. We ourselves as bishops have done so, and indeed are holding each other to account for doing so. To those benefices which look set to achieve their Parish Share payments We are hugely grateful to the two-thirds of benefices in the diocese who look set to achieve their Parish Share payments. We are incredibly inspired by the determination and creativity we see throughout the diocese to meet this challenge. However, these are extraordinary circumstances, and the need is immediate and pressing. So, we are writing to ask you as 2428 churches and individuals to consider giving even more generously this year than in previous years, as we are all participating together in the mission of God in the world. We are aware that many have in times past given generously and are already giving sacrificially presently, but these are exceptional times. To those benefices which are struggling to make their Parish Share payments We know the other one-third of benefices are struggling to make their Parish Share this year, and we have been really encouraged to see some of the creative and innovative ways you are seeking to do this. We have been particularly struck by the ways in which parishes are seeking support from their wider communities. We want to encourage you as churches and individuals to do all you possibly can to achieve your Parish Share payment. The consequences of us not doing so we know will be dire. We may feel reluctant to ask people to increase their giving at this time, but unless we ask, we cannot discover the generosity in people’s hearts. There are, of course, different ways of giving, and both of us want to encourage you all to sign up to the Parish Giving Scheme and then secure as many donors as possible on the scheme. This is the most straightforward way to support individual giving. Contactless card readers are important too, as well as the more familiar standing orders and various means of one-off donations. We ask that the clergy and lay leaders keep reiterating the different methods of giving available. We attach here a range of other suggestions for fundraising. And for those of you for whom this feels difficult, you can find here the well-known spirituality writer Henri Nouwen’s powerful little book, “The Spirituality of Fundraising.” It has helped us both, and we hope it will help you. Most importantly, prayer must be at the heart of everything we do. We are calling on every parish to join us using this prayer, for our church, that we grow in trust in God’s providence and deepen our own generosity giving of ourselves and of our gifts. Loving God, you are always with us, and give us all we need to be your Church in Suffolk. Help us, we pray, to give as we have received: abundantly, generously, and joyfully, that our worship and our service may bear witness to your Kingdom of unfailing love. In the name of your Son who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Please use this prayer at home and at every act of worship from today until All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Please share this appeal as widely as possible. We pray that you keep well and safe, and that we all emerge from this pandemic more deeply committed to our Lord and one another. And once again, our thanks for our partnership in the gospel. Grace and peace,

Bishop Martin Bishop Mike 2529 News and views from around the Community . . . (continued)

God of the mountains, God of the valleys Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone ... The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment… Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Job 38:4–7, 14, 16 (NIV) These verses from the biblical book of Job focus on the Earth, from the top of the highest mountains to the deepest valleys of the sea floor. Job used to have a very comfortable life, but lost everything: health, children, and much of his property. He can see no obvious reason for this terrible turn of events, so he demands an answer from God, asking “What have I done to you…? Why have you made me your target?” There is no direct reply to Job’s question, but instead a long conversation with his friends who assume (wrongly) that he must be being punished for doing something very bad. When God finally speaks, He draws Job’s attention to his surroundings. The sun, moon and stars, the immensity of land and sea, the creatures that inhabit them, and the processes that produce weather are a wonderful display of God’s creative power. God is the origin and sustainer of all these things, and they are far beyond anything humankind could produce, fully understand or imagine – even today. The things we do know about the processes described in Job can help us appreciate how marvellous they are. Mountains are produced by the movement of the Earth’s rocky crust over great periods of time. Erosion by weathering or glaciers then grinds down those rocks to produce the mineral component of soil. Considering the wider perspective of creation can help restore our sense of who we are, who God is, and where we fit into His purposes. God speaks to Job in the midst of his suffering, lifting his eyes to the power and creativity of his Maker. Only after this theology lesson are Job’s practical needs addressed. What will life be like for us over the coming months? A constant check on our own thinking – reminding ourselves of the bigger picture of God’s plans and purposes – might be just what we need to help us keep going. by Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, who is Church Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive relationship between Science and Christian faith.

Spare a thought for your furry friend Many dogs have struggled to adjust to the changes that Covid-19 has brought to their owners this year, according to the Dogs Trust. For one thing, coronavirus has meant greatly reduced walkies for many dogs, more people around the house all day, less quiet for rest, and little or no contact with other dogs. No wonder that the Dogs Trust has reported that 82 per cent of owners have reported an increase in barking or whining. 2630 News and views from around the Community . . . (continued) Lord, prop us up! There is a story of an old farmer who always prayed the same prayer at his church meeting. ‘Lord, prop us up on our leanin’ side’. After hearing this many times, his minister asked him one day quite what he meant. The famer replied: “Well, it’s like this... I’ve got an old barn out in one of my fields. It’s been there a long time, and gone through a lot of storms. One day a few years ago I noticed that it was leaning to one side a bit. So, I went and got some poles and propped it up on its leaning side, so it wouldn’t fall. Then I got to thinking about how much I was like that old barn. I’ve been around a long time, and seen plenty of storms in life. I was still standing, but I was also leaning a bit. So, I decided to ask the Lord to prop me up, too, on my leaning side. Our ‘leaning side’ is where we are weakest in ourselves. Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, bitterness, bleakness in life. Then we too need to pray for God to prop us up, especially on that leaning side. He wants us to stand tall and free, in Him. On Sale at Southwold Press

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2731 OTHER SOLE BAY CHURCHES SOUTHWOLD METHODIST CHURCH Minister: Rev. Christine Kennell E-mail: [email protected] Trinity 8 Corton Road, Lowestoft NR32 4PL SOUThwold United Reformed Church Minister: Revd Charles Croll E-mail: [email protected] Sacred heart church, southwold & st. EDMUND’S RC Church Halesworth Contact Details: Fr Richard Ireson - Presbytery 723207

2832 TEAM CHURCHES’ PARISH DIRECTORY Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh - Church Lane IP19 9LP Churchwarden – Meryl Doney (478229); PCC Secretary – Jenny Allen (478314) PCC Treasurer – Jenny Allen (478314); Church Bookings – Jenny Allen (478314); Organist – Patsy Murray (722022); Tower Correspondent – Peggy Meredith (478580) Church of St. Margaret, Reydon – Wangford Road IP18 6PB Churchwardens – John Reaney (726125), Jan Collins (725731) PCC Secretary – Barbara Herman (07791 401163) PCC Treasurer – Neil Holloway (723706); Organist – Jonathan Palman (07790 189263) Tower Correspondent – Peter Doy (723927) Church of St. Andrew, Sotherton – East of village sign on A145 NR34 8ES Churchwardens – Gerard Walker (01986 874248), Stephen Flaxman (01986 873123) PCC Secretary – Karen Flaxman (01986 873123); PCC Treasurer – Jane Walker (01986 874248); Organist – Sue Taylor (578408) Church of St. Lawrence, South Cove – On B1127 NR34 7JD Churchwardens – Alison Evans (675610), Alice Eastaugh (675228) PCC Treasurer – Alison Evans (675610); Organist – Alison Evans (675610) Church of St. Edmund, Southwold – Bartholomew Green IP18 6JA Churchwarden – Marcus Knight (07710 775891); PCC Secretary – Hugh Williamson (722319); PCC Treasurer – Jill Horne (723220); Director of Music – Victor Scott (723775); Tower Captain – Kate Assmann (722600); Verger – Joan Goldsmith (722422/725726) Church of St. Mary, Uggeshall – Wangford Road NR34 8BD Churchwarden – Giles Crisp (578251); PCC Secretary – Clare Palmer (578679); PCC Treasurer – Giles Crisp (578251); Organist - Sue Taylor (578408) Church of St. Andrew, Walberswick – The Street IP18 6UZ Churchwardens – John Simpson (723384), John Anderson; PCC Secretary – Jacki Neeves (722556); PCC Treasurer – Kevin Murphy; Organist – Julia Josephs (722828) Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Wangford – Church Street NR34 8RR Churchwarden – Valerie Beckett (578987), Assistant Churchwarden – Linda Smith (578754); PCC Secretary – Edna Utting; Organist - Sue Taylor (578408)

Parish Correspondents Holy Trinity Blythburgh Malcolm Doney 478229 [email protected] St Margaret’s Reydon Lorraine Stephenson 07867 513078 [email protected] St Andrew’s Sotherton Karen Flaxman 01986 873123 [email protected] St Lawrence’s South Cove alison Evans 675610 [email protected] St Edmund’s Southwold Lin Le Versha 722111 [email protected] St Mary’s Uggeshall Elona Rogers 578256 St Andrew’s Walberswick Joanna Saunders 722413 [email protected] St Peter & St Paul Wangford Jackie Casement 578992 [email protected] Where telephone numbers have no area code, please precede with (01502)

2933 HEART and SOLE GALLERY SOLES BOLEAY TBAYEAM TEAM DSIRECTORYOLE DSIRECTORY BOLEAY TBEAMAY T EAMDIRECTORY DIRECTORY HEARTHEART and and SOLE SOLE GALLERY GALLERYHEART and SOLE GALLERY

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Revd. Simon PitcherRevd. SimonRevd.Revd. PitcherSimon Alan PerryPitcher Revd.Margaret AlanRevd. PerryDinn Alan PerryRobertMargaret AndrewesMargaret dinn dinn Revd. SimonRevd. PitcherSimon Pitcher Revd. AlanRevd. Perry Alan Perry MargaretMargaret dinn dinn Team Rector Team RectorTeamTeam Rector Vicar TeamR eaderVicarTeam Vicar ReaderReader Reader Team Rector Team Vicar ReaderReader Team RectorBlythburgh, Southwold.Blythburgh,TeamBlythburgh, Southwold,Vicar Southwold, [email protected]@[email protected] 72474001502 724740 Blythburgh, Southwold, [email protected] 453624 01502 01502724740 724740 Blythburgh, Southwold, [email protected] and Walberswick and Walberswick 0150201502 453624 724740 Uggeshall Uggeshall,and Walberswick Walberswick [email protected] 01502 453624 Uggeshall and WalberswickRevd. Simon 01502Pitcher 7254244536240150201502 453624725424Revd. Alan Perry Margaret dinn 01502 72542401502 725424 01502 [email protected] [email protected]@gmail.comTeam Vicar Reader [email protected]@gmail.comBlythburgh, Southwold, [email protected] 01502 724740 Uggeshall and Walberswick 01502 453624 01502 725424 [email protected]

Revd. Judy Miller Marina Turvill-Smith Tania Birtwistle Marina MarinaTurvill-Smith Turvill-Smith Tania BirtwistleTania Birtwistle MatthewSally EastMatthew Horwood Horwood Assistant Priest TaniaLay Birtwistle Chair Team Administrator Marina Turvill-Smith Lay ChairLay Chair Team AdministratorMatthewTeam Administrator Horwood Editor,Editor HeartEditor, & SoleHeart & Sole Marina [email protected]@me.com Birtwistle Matthew Horwood Lay Chair [email protected]@me.comTeam Administrator 0150201502Editor, 724115 72411501502 Heart 724115 & [email protected]@[email protected] Lay Chair Team Administrator Heart & Sole [email protected] 01502 724115 (Tues(TuesEditor, &(Tues [email protected] Thurs & 9am-3pm) 9am-3pm)Thurs 9am-3pm) 01502 722704 [email protected] 01502 724115 [email protected] 01502 722704 Marina Turvill-Smith(Tues & Thurs 9am-3pm)Tania [email protected]@[email protected] 722704Matthew Horwood Lay(Tues Chair & [email protected] 9am-3pm)Team Administrator01502 722704 [email protected] If you wish to advertiseEditor, in thisHeart space, & Sole please [email protected] 01502 724115 [email protected] Copy DeadlineHeart is 10thand(TuesHeart Sole & and ofThurs is publishedSole 9am-3pm) is published by the s byolecontact:- the Bay01502 s Teamole Bay722704 Ministry, Team Ministry, Heart and Sole is published Eightby the [email protected] sEightole Bay ofChurch EnglandTeam of Ministry, England parishesTeam A parishes dministratorin NE Suffolk. in NE Suffolk. Heart and SoleEight is published Church of by England the sole parishes Bayeditor: Team in Matthew NE Ministry, Suffolk. horwood [email protected] Eight Churchthe of monthEngland parishes eto:-ditor: Matthewin NE Suffolk. hTel:orwood 01502 724115 [email protected] (Tues & Thurs 9am-3pm) editor: Matthew horwood [email protected] [email protected] editor:[email protected] Matthew hHeartorwood and Sole [email protected] is published by the sole Bay Team Ministry, Eight Church of England parishesor Southwolold in NE Suffolk. Press 01502 723361 editor: Matthew horwood [email protected] Find theFind Heart the and Heart Sole and Magazine Sole Magazine Heart andFind Sole the Heartis published andon Sole the byMagazineSoleon thethe Bay SoleSole Team Bay bay Ministry Team Team Ministry websiteministry, website Eight ChurchFindon theof the England Heart Sole and Bay parishes Sole Team Magazine Ministry inwww.solebayteamministry.co.uk NE Suffolk. www.solebayteamministry.co.ukwebsite on the Solewww.solebayteamministry.co.uk Bay Team Ministry website DeadlineDeadline for all copy, for all photos copy, and photos adverts and adverts www.solebayteamministry.co.ukFind the Heart and Soleis the Magazine 10th day of each month. Deadline foron all the copy, Sole photos Bay isTeamand the adverts 10th Ministry day of eachwebsite month. Deadline for allis the copy, 10th photoswww.solebayteamministry.co.uk day of and each adverts month. is the 10th day of each month. 34 Deadline for all copy, photos and34 adverts is34 the 10th day of each month. 34 3034 34 Live music at Southwold Primary School

Even in lockdown, our churches are beautiful places to marry (photo by Halena Knights)

St Edmund’s Messy Church families raised money for mosquito nets for the Kagera Christian Training College. These pictures show nets being received

The Teal motor joins the Ride and Stride at South Cove (photo courtesy of Chris Ure)

Building Contractors 26 Fountain Way, Reydon Southwold, IP18 6SZ 01502 723366 [email protected]

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35 Heart and Sole is published by the Sole Bay Team Ministry, 8 C of E parishes in NE Suffolk. Printed by Southwold Press Ltd. www.southwoldpress.co.uk Tel: 01502 723361 36