A Benefice Profile , and Knotting with , North

Diocese of St Albans

23 September 2015

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The map shows the parish boundaries of the three parishes within the Benefice

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St. Peter’s, Sharnbrook St. Mary’s, Felmersham All Saints’, Knotting with Souldrop

To: The future Rector of our Benefice

Dear Future Rector,

We do hope you will enjoy reading this Profile about our Benefice, discovering in its pages something about who we are, the things we do and the challenges we face. We thought it might be helpful to let you know the person we’re looking for, the incumbent who will lead us joyfully, thoughtfully - and with tolerance of our little foibles - into our future of worship and community life.

We are looking for someone who can identify and work within a mission-based framework, using a variety of worship styles, taking us ever deeper into God’s love. We are hoping that our future incumbent will have a sound theological background, taking full account of the liturgical year, and that he/she will be capable of inspirational teaching which is relevant to life today.

We have a developing focus upon children’s ministry and are seeking someone who will continue to encourage these initiatives within, and in parallel with, our worship. In addition, he / she will be willing to expand ‘outreach’ opportunities to families and young people in the community and in our schools.

We hope that our new incumbent will adopt a considered and patient approach to problems which arise, can manage people with sensitivity, gentleness and a sense of humour, and can support those needing pastoral care.

Ours is a rural Benefice with a pleasing level of lay support. We are looking for someone who will be adaptable to the needs of country people and of rural ministry in general. We hope that our new incumbent will be a discerning enabler, someone who can draw out, guide and encourage the gifts of others, in the service of God and with love for one another.

Lastly, our new incumbent will be dynamic and enthusiastic, with a clear focus on extending and deepening worship, and in ‘growing’ our faith community. He or she will be a strong team-player, someone who is prepared to lead, enable and support a committed Benefice.

We, in our turn, will welcome you and embrace your qualities and experience, looking to you for leadership in developing our worship and our community.

We look forward very much to meeting you.

With best wishes from all in our Benefice : St. Peter’s in Sharnbrook, St. Mary’s in Felmersham All Saints’ in Souldrop.

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The Joint Benefice of Sharnbrook, Felmersham and Knotting with Souldrop

Introduction

The joint Benefice of St. Peter’s in Sharnbrook, St Mary’s in Felmersham and All Saints’ in Knotting with Souldrop is situated in North Bedfordshire approximately 8 miles north of and is in the Diocese of St. Albans, the Archdeaconry of Bedford and the Deanery of Sharnbrook. It was formally created in September 2005 and each of the three parishes has its own church. There is a fourth church in Knotting which is redundant and is in the care of The Historic Churches Trust.

Although the joint Benefice is relatively new, there has been a unifying presence for much longer whereby patronal festivals were and are jointly celebrated in each church. The creation of the new Benefice has drawn the three parishes even closer together. All three churches have active church communities which are very much the centre of village life. The Rectory is in Sharnbrook which is central to the Benefice.

The three parishes are only a total of 3.2 miles apart but they each reflect the different communities in which they are located. We have therefore produced a profile of the Benefice together with a separate profile of each parish to give a prospective incumbent a flavour of the special personality of each.

We are in the process of creating the role of a part time Benefice Administrator to support some of the workload of the incumbent.

The internet address of the Benefice web site is www.sharnbrookcofechurches.org

About our Benefice

Our Benefice has developed positively since its inception with increasingly porous borders between parishes. In practice this means that congregations are more comfortable and willing to travel to each other’s churches for services; it also means that the bonds of co-operation between ministry teams, lay participants and choirs have become much stronger as we endeavour to support each other.

The visions of each parish are very similar overall: • We all want our churches to be welcoming places where Christians can learn and develop their faith and where non church goers can feel at ease and connected to this part of their community. • We all want to open doors to faith in Christ and reach out to the wider population, to ‘be there’ for everyone, regardless of denomination, age or faith. • Each parish is working on its own mission development, often with the help and support of others in the Benefice –drawing on expertise where we find it.

We would all welcome a new incumbent who would take a proactive lead in these areas and is willing to be at the forefront of our endeavour to meet the challenges of “growing” our faith communities.

Sharnbrook has a thirteen year link with the church at Calpino in Italy and this has recently been widened to a Benefice link. Regular visits from members of our congregations to Calpino and similar return visits have enhanced our spiritual development and ecumenism. Each week a candle is lit and prayers are said, both here and in Calpino, as we remember each other.

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With visitors from Calpino, Italy at Walsingham

About our communities

We are blessed in this Benefice in that we have a number of people who are ably leading us through the interregnum and will be there to support the new incumbent as needed. There are two retired clergymen living in Sharnbrook who are always willing to contribute by taking services and assisting in pastoral work. In addition, in Felmersham, there is an ordained lecturer at Westcott House who helps, if available, when needed.

There are currently three people in the Benefice training under the St. Albans scheme for Lay Led Worship, all of whom take Services of the Word across the benefice. One of these three is a Lay Pastoral Assistant who visits those in need. Each parish has its own PCC and church wardens who meet regularly. The church wardens also meet monthly across the Benefice to discuss services and other issues.

Each parish has regular social groups and activities which are open to all in the Benefice. Inevitably, as the largest village, Sharnbrook hosts the greatest number.

Messy Church at St Peter’s

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St. Peter’s in Sharnbrook hosts Messy church every Monday morning during term time, aimed at pre- school children and their parents/carers. A light lunch is provided with play and craft linked with the Bible story for the day and finishing with prayer. This is very well attended.

School children enacting the Last Supper School Children in the Garden of Gethsemane

Benefice wide, we have run several successful holiday clubs for children based around a central seasonal topic. For example we have had “Jump into Jerusalem” and “Search for the Kingdom”. This is extended to all children in the Benefice. All children from Pinchmill Lower School in Felmersham and John Gibbard Lower School in Sharnbrook attended the “Easter Experience” workshop based on an initiative by the Diocese of Gloucester. There was an encouraging response from the teachers and children. We are looking to do something similar at Advent. There are occasional days out for children in the Benefice. We have visited Ely, St. Albans and St. Paul’s in Bedford.

There is a good relationship between the lower schools and the churches through assemblies taken previously by clergy and, during the interregnum, by lay workers and by visits to the church by pupils. Both Pinchmill and John Gibbard schools use the churches for their Christmas concerts and Harvest Festivals and they are involved in the Christmas Crib and Christingle services. The schools also visit the churches at other times.

A youth group has been started, meeting monthly. This is something that needs to be given more energy and time, as it is bringing in the middle school children. A children’s Christingle Service choir is a proposed initiative which should start later this year.

John Gibbard School visits the Palm Sunday Christmas Tree Festival

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Both the St. Peter’s Church choir and the Gospel Community choir meet regularly to practice in Sharnbrook and all in the community are welcome to join in. St. Mary’s church choir in Felmersham meets for practice every week before the service.

There is an active band of Bell ringers who serve Sharnbrook, Felmersham and Souldrop.

A Christian meditation group meets at St. Peter’s on Monday evenings, led by a lay member and following the Benedictine style of meditation and prayer. The Guild, who make various items to be sold to raise funds, meets each Monday too. Mothers Union has monthly meetings and hosts a variety of speakers while supporting MU national initiatives.

St. Peter’s, Sharnbrook has strong links with Churches Together in Sharnbrook and various collaborative events take place each year, such as the Harvest Supper. There is also a carers group linked with Churches Together which provides support in the community.

Both churches host monthly coffee mornings and St. Mary’s hosts ‘Tea and Cake’ afternoons at which local produce is on sale. In Felmersham, during the winter, some of these events continue in people’s homes. Other events organised by church members in Felmersham: Thursday Club - afternoon tea and a speaker, held monthly to provide a social opportunity for (mainly) retired folk; Sunday Sisters - a monthly evening for women and especially young mums, to meet at The Sun Pub for chat and to get to know new people.

There is a W.I. in each parish and many other secular events and groups not listed here.

In all parishes, these social groups and events provide a stepping stone for non-church goers to come into the church buildings for a chat with neighbours, friends and to meet new people. This approach is proving successful.

The churches are a spring board for community and church volunteers who may take on simple things such as church yard and village clean ups, or more demanding tasks, such as running regular organised events to address social needs, for example the Lunch club in Sharnbrook for older people or Messy church for small children and their mums. Even though the Church is not directly involved in every village club, you will find that most are supported with the help of regular church members.

The PCCs are very keen to identify and welcome newcomers to the parish. Each village has welcome committees containing Church members allowing us to extend that welcome to our Churches. Letters of Welcome are sent to all in the Benefice, with a pack of information in Sharnbrook and a follow up visit in this and other parishes. We are thus able to make early contact with any who might be unsure about settling in and making friends. The organisers note any follow up work needed.

Due to the nature of its size, there are fewer formal organisations operating in Knotting with Souldrop. However, this does not detract from the sense of community that exists, particularly within Souldrop. Indeed Souldrop churchgoers regularly meet after their 3pm service in The Bedford Arms for a less formal catch up.

The Village Hall is also central to life in Souldrop. There are coffee mornings every Thursday and monthly events such as supper parties, race nights and quiz nights which tend to be very well attended and help to bring the community together.

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About Our Worship

Come to Church Sunday

Our aim is to provide a diverse and inclusive range of services, with suitable provision for children and families at some, and quiet reflective services for those who need them. We are aware that the joy of worship is an individual and variable aspect of faith. Some comments from congregations have focused upon many small ‘joys’ which may have brought them closer to God.

“….Christ is there with me in the prayerful stillness of a mid-week Holy Communion” “….the comforting joy of friendship at coffee after a busy communion service” “….the joy of singing praises to God” “….lighting a candle for a loved one” “….the breath-taking light of God’s creation streaming through a stained glass window, touching everything with colour” “….the pleasure of BCP services with words which connect us to those who have gone before” “….children, intent and prayerful, grouped around the altar during the prayer of consecration” “….Harvest is my favourite service – so good to worship God in our rural setting surrounded by farmland” “….Morning Prayer – I can arrive wound up like a coiled spring, and Christ calms me and I leave Settled” “….Music and choir a joy to hear – Nine Lessons and Carols a favourite of mine” “….the peace of solitude in church for prayer and meditation” “….the candles and darkness of Compline, God’s hand in mine”

There are apparently times in our churches when the ‘gap’ between earth and Heaven does indeed seem to be very thin.

All of our churches aim to be welcoming and inclusive and to promote the Christian message and values. We endeavour to support and encourage those who are leading outreach work and some of our initiatives are working well. In particular, Messy Church in Sharnbrook, whose leader is supporting Felmersham in the development of their own Rise and Shine Group and Messy church.

The previous Rector introduced common service books throughout the Benefice, enabling parishioners from one parish to encounter familiar liturgy in another. There are differences in the styles of worship in the three churches, giving scope for current and future breadth of provision and flexibility of approach when planning services.

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Holy Week: In recent years we have encouraged parishioners to engage with the ‘whole story’ of Holy Week, rather than just the two Sundays in the octave. Many of these are Benefice services (e.g. Maundy Thursday, The Cross of Christ) with improving attendances. There is also a full day ‘Holy Week workshop’ early in Holy week for all children in the Benefice, which is well attended.

Palm Sunday Rise and Shine is the Sunday children’s group which meets during the morning Communion service in St. Peter’s, joining in at the beginning and end of the service. The children follow the Gospel of the day in the side room with varied activities and come in for a Blessing or Communion towards the end. There is an All Age Communion monthly where children are fully involved. Many in the congregation have commented that they are aware of the real joy and presence of Christ at these services.

Each parish hosts its own Benefice Patronal Service, to which other parishes are invited. There is Evensong in the Benefice each Sunday, usually in St Peter’s Sharnbrook and Benefice Compline each weekday in Advent and Lent, shared between St Peter’s and St Mary’s. The Daily Office is said at least once a day in the Benefice.

Combined choir of St Peter’s and St Mary’s at Candlemass in St. Mary’s Church

Lay participation in all services is high. Regular members are happy to support the role of the incumbent in aspects of the service as required. We have three lay trainees who have taken up the challenge of helping us through the interregnum and will be here to support the new incumbent.

Rogation Sunday Preaching the Gospel

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Coffee and cake is served after every Sunday service as an opportunity for the incumbent to catch up with parishioners and for friends and neighbours to get to know new people and visitors. There may seem to be a heavy dependence on cake in this Benefice, but nobody has complained!

The general style of worship in All Saints, Souldrop is traditional. Communion liturgy is mainly the Traditional Language version of Common Worship. The congregation consists primarily of Souldrop residents, with some visitors from Sharnbrook. There is music at Souldrop’s afternoon services, but there is no regular choir.

For the last three years, Souldrop have hosted a candlelit Nativity play which starts at the Church, moving to the village green where some shepherds are found tending their flock, onto the inn, where sadly there is no room, then finishing up at a stable! This event has grown year on year with an estimated 100 people attending the last performance. The adults of the village have taken their roles within the play very seriously in the past, with the costumes and standard of acting improving year on year! The event is rounded off with mulled wine and mince pies served outside the ‘stable’.

Our challenges

To grow our congregations and spread God’s word.

To extend a welcome to young people and families.

To support ‘Rise and Shine’ in its continuing growth and to find ways to encourage middle school children into the church. In addition, to support and plan for the growth of Messy Church in the Benefice.

To expand our small, monthly youth group which focuses on discussion of Christian and moral issues.

To be sensitive to the needs of our existing congregation and to find ways of welcoming new members more effectively.

To encourage and promote lay ministry.

To promote greater Church awareness in our communities by establishing links with local organisations.

To reach out to wider communities; to engage with those of different denominations and faiths and to those with no faith.

To further develop the pastoral care already in place in the Benefice.

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The Parish of Sharnbrook

St Peter’s Church, Sharnbook

About the Parish

Sharnbrook has its own elected Parish Council, with a thriving community of some 2,500 inhabitants. A higher than average proportion of people are in managerial and professional jobs. Unilever Research Laboratory and Science Park , at Colworth House in Sharnbrook, provides employment. There is also light industry and a number of small businesses. The village is towards the northern edge of the London commuter belt and as such Sharnbrook has a number of people who travel a considerable distance each day to work.

Sharnbrook is well serviced with two general shops, a Post Office, baker’s, hairdresser’s, mobile library, a part time veterinary practice, farm shop, doctor’s surgery and pharmacy. There is also a village hall and playing field, with tennis courts and bowling green. We have two hotels, with restaurants, two pubs and two excellent schools. Besides St. Peter’s Church there is a Methodist Chapel and an Evangelical Group in the village.

Sharnbrook House provides residential and dementia care for older people.

All the parishes are close to the A6 and Sharnbrook is 8 miles north of Bedford. Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Northampton are within easy access being about 40 minutes away. A regular bus service runs between Bedford and and a community bus provides a service to other places e.g. Olney, Peterborough, Milton Keynes. The M1 motorway is about 30 minutes west of Sharnbrook and the A1 a similar distance to the east, both readily accessible. There are several trains an hour, from Bedford to London St. Pancras, which take about 45 minutes, very convenient for both Luton Airport and Eurostar. The line then continues to Gatwick and Brighton.

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Education

All schools in the benefice are state schools and are currently organised on a three tier system. Sharnbrook John Gibbard Lower School provides both a pre-school and education for 4 to 9 year olds. (140 on roll) The church has a good relationship with the school through assemblies and the children visiting the church. They always decorate a tree for our Christmas Tree Festival. Children are bussed into Margaret Beaufort Middle School, in Riseley, (a neighbouring village) for education from 9 to 13 years old. They then return to Sharnbrook Upper School education and Sixth Form College. Both of our village schools have excellent OFSTED reports John Gibbard Lower School and are very highly sought after.

There are four independent schools in Bedford under the Harpur Trust as well as Bedford College and the Bedford campus of De Montfort University.

Leisure and Recreation

Although all the villages have some leisure facilities, Sharnbrook has the biggest range of possibilities including: large sports field, tennis and bowls clubs, a fitness centre, Army cadet troop, Scout group, Brownie pack, Rainbows, Women’s Institute, Ladies Group, Good Companions, Tiny Tots, Community choirs, Gardening club, Learning for Pleasure, Amateur dramatic Society, allotments and a nine hole golf course.

St Peter’s Church

St Peter’s is an attractive Church which is not large but has a welcoming and comfortable feel. It is situated in the centre of the village and is therefore ideally placed as a focus for village life and is noted for its magnificent spire. The commercial, direct gas-heated blown air system effectively warms the Church during services.

The Church is a thirteenth century structure on the site of an earlier Norman church. Major changes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries included completion of the tower and spire, the addition of the Toft Chapel (originally a Lady Chapel), the addition of the South Porch and remodelling of the nave windows. The Organ: By J. Corps (1889) originally in a Hertfordshire Church was refurbished and installed in 2000.

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St. Peter’s Room

A connected Church room was added on the north side of the Toft Chapel in 2006 with the capacity to seat up to 50 in theatre mode, a small kitchen and toilets. This facility has made a considerable improvement to the mission of our church. We can now offer after service refreshments and a social environment to our congregations. It also means we can have the ‘Rise and Shine’ children’s group in parallel with our main morning service

The Rectory

The rectory is conveniently placed in the High Street near the centre of Sharnbrook and in the middle of the benefice. It is a 1960’s detached family house, only a 5 minute walk to St. Peter’s Church. There are small gardens front and rear planted with flowering shrubs. An attractive patio at the rear overlooks a large area of private land, with trees and lawn, running down to the Sharn Brook and including two small lakes.. This private area is well maintained, at a reasonable cost, between the houses along that portion of the High street with access to the area.

Accommodation includes a large lounge, dining room, kitchen, study/rector’s office and a toilet on the ground floor. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, bathroom and separate toilet. The house has gas central heating and a double garage with an ample drive.

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Communication

The Parish Magazine (The Review), which normally consists of about 60 pages and a distribution of 600 copies, is edited and distributed by St Peter’s Church. As well as full details of all the services in the Benefice Churches it also gives details of other services in the village. Interesting articles are contributed by local organisations together with advertisements for forthcoming events and local businesses.

Financial

The accounts for St Peter’s, Sharnbrook to 31 December 2015 show Total Funds of £42,975, of which £15,710 are unrestricted. Unrestricted Income for the year was £58,864, of which £30,000 related to regular giving and associated tax recovered. An appeal by the Rector in late 2012 had a significant degree of support from the village as a whole. Income from events held contributed another £5,000. Expenses amounted to £59,500, leaving a deficit of £4,630 for the year. The main item of expenditure was the Diocesan Common Fund, which was £43,000, or 72% of expenditure. The Parish Share has always been paid in full.

A budget has been drawn up for 2015, showing a deficit for the year of £1,600. This was approved by the PCC and presented to the APCM.

Significant repairs to the fabric are mainly funded through a contribution from The Friends of St Peter’s Church which currently has reserves in excess of £20,000. The last Quinquennial Inspection made a number of recommendations and all urgent matters have been addressed. The only outstanding issue is the rectification of dampness in the South wall, which is in hand .

Electoral Roll The current number on the Electoral Roll is 79

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The Parish of Felmersham and Radwell

St. Marys Church, Felmersham. Viewed from the south Built 1220 – 1240

Important Note: Ecclesiastically the parish is known as the Parish of Felmersham. However the parish consists of two communities, the village of Felmersham and the hamlet of Radwell. Whenever the term “parish” is used in this document it should be noted that this includes both communities. The civic parish is always referred to as the Parish of Felmersham and Radwell.

About the Parish

The parish of Felmersham and Radwell is situated in north Bedfordshire approximately 60 miles north of London and 7 miles north west of Bedford. The parish is almost entirely encircled by the River Ouse with access to the north by an early 19C bridge and to the south by a mid-18C bridge. The Midland main line runs nearby and the parish is bordered on the east side by the A6.

An aerial view of Felmersham

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The parish has a total population of approximately 850 with approximately 600 living in Felmersham and 250 in Radwell. Whilst there is a wide range of ages within the parish, it does have a peak at the top end. The turnover in the population is approximately 25% in 10 years which, compared with other communities, is quite low. Most people work outside the parish with a few commuting to London. Quite a few leave their homes as early as 6.30 am and do not return until 7 pm or later.

There is a range of housing within the parish but house prices tend to be high, due to the desirable nature of the area and to the good schools, both private and state. Currently, there are no plans to increase the number of dwellings within the parish beyond in-filling, which is carefully planned and monitored. The Parish Council has six members plus a chairman and clerk. It meets every other month.

Other than farming there are no large businesses. There are a good number of small, self-employed, businesses and small businesses run from home. Felmersham has a church, pre-school, lower school, village hall and public house.

Education

Bedfordshire currently has a three tier education system (Lower, Middle and Upper Schools). However, there are plans to convert this to the more popular two tier system. Felmersham has a lower school, known as Pinchmill Lower School, which takes children from 5 to 9 years and at the age of 10 they are bussed to Oakley Middle School. Finally the children over 13 attend Sharnbrook Upper School. The Upper School also has a Sixth Form College. Felmersham has a Pre-School for children between the ages of 2 and 5. (The name Pinchmill is taken from the archipelago of islands on the River Ouse.)

Pinchmill Lower School and Village Hall

Felmersham and Radwell Play Park

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Care in the Parish

Felmersham & Radwell Community Care is a local scheme to give short-term help, it uses the services of local volunteers who live in the parish. Felmersham and Radwell Community Trust is a trust fund set up to give grants within the parish. The Trust also owns a small piece of land by the river for use by the community. Town Lot Charitable Trust owns land in Town Lot Lane which is rented out as allotments for the benefit of the community.

Leisure and Recreation

There are several clubs run within the parish. Those currently active are the WI, Art Club, Parent and Toddler Group, Youth Club, Thursday Club (for the elderly) and the Table Tennis Club. The Ouse Valley Quil ters and a Bridge Club also meet in the parish.

There are no shops in the parish. The nearest shopping is at Sharnbrook. People either shop at Bedford (7 miles), where there are several supermarkets, or Rushden (10 miles) with a Lidl, Waitrose, Asda an d a Sainsbury’s Local. Milton Keynes (20 miles) has excellent The Sun Public House, Felmersham shopping facilities.

There is an hourly bus service in the parish between Bedford and Kettering (in both directions) and a two hourly service on Sunday. There is an excellent train service from Bedford to London (St Pancras International) with 6 to 8 trains an hour and journey times from 35 minutes to one hour.

Communication

The PCC publishes a small monthly magazine called Ouse News which normally publishes a letter from the Rector, church news and other parish news. It is delivered free to every household in the parish. Benefice Pew Notes are also delivered by email to every subscribing member. Pew Notes are published weekly and include details of the following Sunday services and any church notices.

The parish has a web site, www.felmersham.net, which publishes comprehensive details about the parish and is regularly updated with parish news. It is privately run for the benefit of the whole parish. There is an online Parish Forum Group which has 111 members comprising over 100 households. It is a quick way of spreading news throughout the community and provides a platform for parishioners to have their say. It also provides the means of organising the purchase of domestic heating oil at a discounted price: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/felmersham

St Mary’s Church

The present-day church was built by the monks of Lenton Priory between 1220 and 1240. There is no definitive answer to why the monks built the church in Felmersham but, whatever the reason, they built what is today regarded as one of the finest Early English (EE) Gothic buildings in the region. Many of the original features are retained. The magnificent West Front is considered to be a fine example of EE architecture. The finely moulded and shafted door and the arcade of seven arches with detached shafts above are classic EE features. The tower is EE with a Perpendicular top stage.

On entering the church the first impression is of space and light and it is an impressive sight, with the nave lined with EE pillars and arches and the central tower supported on four, finely moulded, cathedral-like columns also EE. The Victorians restored the chancel but it still retains the original priest’s door and a double piscina. A striking feature of the present-day interior is the amount of

17 natural light in the building. This is because the windows were entirely re-glazed in 1951 with antique glass in very light tints, the only exception being the east window. To celebrate the millennium a modern window was installed in the Memorial Chapel.

The West Front The Interior

An original medieval rood screen separates the chancel from the nave. The architectural style (perpendicular gothic) and documentary evidence suggests an early 15th century date. We are fortunate to have this fine example of a medieval oak screen, since relatively few survived 17 th century Puritan zeal.

The organ was built and installed by W Nicholson of Worcester in 1873 and was recently restored. In 2009 a toilet and kitchenette were installed and in 2015 a vestry was built in the north aisle.

Finance

In 2014, the general fund total income was £25,469, of which £21,109 was voluntary giving, including substantial planned giving by more than 30 contributors, almost all supported by gift aid. Parochial fees were unusually high at £3,275 owing to a busy summer of weddings. Expenditure totalled £23,454 of which the largest item was the parish share of £16,182 paid in full by mid- October. The other items over £1,000 were insurance (£1,992) and electricity (£1,673). Also, external donations were made of £1,017, mostly representing the earmarking of collections, including notably £400 at a first world war centenary commemoration. The surplus of income for the year was £2,015 and the balance in hand at year end £9,117.

There is no typical year for the restoration fund as money is raised and spent according to the repair and enhancement projects that are undertaken. In 2014 income was £2,928, expenditure was £2,546 and the balance in hand at year end £11,869. A much more helpful picture is painted by looking at the 10 years from 2005 to 2014, during which total income was £147,000, including £75,000 from grants, £30,000 from a legacy and £20,000 from coffee mornings. The coffee mornings are the one steady aspect of the restoration fund combining a monthly social gathering with the generation of a predictable income of around £2,000 per year.

Income and expenditure on the bell ringers account is trivial (in 2014 income of £233, expenditure of £302 and a year-end balance in hand of £348).

Electoral Roll The current number on the Electoral Roll is 79

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The Parish of Knotting with Souldrop

All Saints Church, Souldrop

About the Parish

Knotting with Souldrop is, by some way, the smallest Parish in the Benefice by population, but the largest by geographical area. This therefore makes it the most sparsely populated Parish in the benefice, with a population density of 0.2 people/hectare.

A total of approximately 240 people live in the villages of Knotting with Souldrop, the majority of whom live in Souldrop. There are some 120 dwellings spread across the two Parishes.

Both villages are situated within very close proximity to the A6 which provides access to the wider road network. There is a Shell Petrol Station situated on the A6 at Souldrop Turn, which also has a small shop.

There is a vibrant sense of community within Souldrop with the Village Hall, Pub and Church being the focus of village events.

There is an annual hog roast on the village green, which the Parish Council fund for the benefit of parishioners, which is very well attended, even in inclement weather!

The Souldrop Charity Horse Show at Colworth Estate in Sharnbrook, this year raised over £2,000. Over the course of it’s 24 years over £25,000 has been raised for charity. The event attracts entrants from the wider area and includes show jumping, a dog show and various stalls.

Souldrop benefits from an excellent pub, The Bedford Arms, which is operated by two of the Parishioners. They are relatively new to the village but have already become a welcome addition to the village. It is a thriving local, serving a range of beers as well as good food. It is the social hub of the Village.

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The Bedford Arms, Souldrop

Village Hall, Souldrop The Village Hall also serves as a hub for the village, with a weekly Thursday coffee morning and monthly evening events such as supper nights, quiz nights, race nights etc. There are plans to upgrade the facilities in the Village Hall as well as to utilize it more regularly.

All Saints’ Church

The church already existed in 1270 when Roger le May was killed in an affray at the church over the rights to the advowson. The tower dates from 1275 and is widely believed to be the oldest surviving in Bedfordshire. By the late eighteenth century the body of the church was so dilapidated that the roof collapsed in 1795. Subsequently in 1800 the Church was rebuilt as a “preaching box”.

However, this was unfortunately later destroyed by fire, so The Duke of Bedford agreed to rebuild the church. As such, the present nave and chancel were built in 1860 under the Revd. George Digby Newbolt. The Bedford Estate surveyor, Henry Clutton, designed and oversaw the rebuild and the French Gothic style of design has given us one of the most beautiful churches in the area.

The recent Quinquennial Report shows the building to be in good order, with only minor maintenance work needed. A new electric under-pew heating system was installed recently.

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The church of St Margaret of Antioch, Knotting is now in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust and services are therefore rarely held.

The Parish has two Churchwardens who live within close proximity to the Church. There are a further seven members of the PCC who agree the management of projects and events within the church.

Souldrop PCC has active links with the Parish Council and Village Hall Committee.

Finances

All Saints’ has been fortunate to receive two generous bequests over the past five years and as a result has some £48,000 in liquid resources. However, excluding such exceptional items, the annual income is not generally sufficient to cover the typical expenditure of between £8,000 and £9,000 per annum and a small deficit is normal. A quota of c£3,900 accounts for nearly half of expenditure.

An appeal is held each year towards the cost of upkeep of the churchyard and this has covered the costs.

Electoral Roll The current number on the Electoral Roll is 14

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Sharnbrook Services Felmersham Services

Regular Services Regular Services 9.30am Sunday Choral Parish Communion 11am Sunday Choral Parish Communion with Rise and Shine children’s group. 2nd Sunday Family Service 2nd . Sunday All Age Worship with Rise and Shine children’s group (a shorter Non communion or communion service) (shorter communion service) 4th . Sunday Choral Matins 6pm Benefice Evensong (BCP) except 5 th . Sunday when a Taize Service is held. Benefice Evensong occasionally here or Souldrop as an alternative. 9.30am Midweek Communion on Wednesday 9.30am Midweek Communion on Thursday 8am Morning Prayer Monday to Friday 5pm Evening Prayer Tuesday or Wednesday Advent and Lent (occasional) 8pm Compline Monday, Wednesday, Friday Advent and Lent Holy Week 8pm Compline Tuesday and Thursday Palm Sunday with procession 8pm Compline daily Holy Week Maundy Thursday Evening Communion Palm Sunday with procession Good Friday: Churches Together Walk of Witness 8pm Compline daily : Stations of the Cross : Evening Benefice Choral Devotion Good Friday: Walk with the Cross, service here or Felmersham 6pm Felmersham to Radwell. 6pm. Good Friday evening Benefice Choral Other Benefice Services Devotion Felmersham or Sharnbrook Patronal, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday Other Benefice Services Other Services Alternating with Sharnbrook or Souldrop Harvest Festival Remembrance day Other Services Christingle St. James day service (open air) Radwell. Crib Service Harvest Festival Nine Lessons and Carols Remembrance day Midnight Eucharist Christingle Christmas morning communion Crib Service Candlemass Nine Lessons and Carols Mothering Sunday Midnight Eucharist Christmas morning communion Candlemass Mothering Sunday

Souldrop Services

3pm Sunday Parish Communion (BCP) 8.30am Alternating with service at Sharnbrook (CW) Other Services: Benefice Services as mentioned above Harvest Festival Service Benefice Patronal Service (Sunday closest to 1 st November) Remembrance Sunday Service (Lay led) Service of 9 lessons & carols Nativity play

23 September 2015

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