Parish Link The Parish Magazine for the Benefice of Bagendon, Baunton, Coberley and Cowley, Colesbourne, Elkstone, North Cerney, Rendcomb and Stratton August-September 2019 http://www.churnvalley.org.uk Facebook site: ‘Churn Valley Benefice’ £1 Please let our advertisers know that you found them in the Parish Link. Thank you! DO YOU HAVE A HUGO WHITE MOLE PROBLEM? F E N C I N G C O N T R A C T S With over 30 years’ experience in traditional mole control I can effectively, discreetly and humanely remove the culprit(s)! No gas, STOCK FENCING chemicals or poisons used and completely POST & RAIL safe to children and pets. ESTATE FENCING NO MOLE – NO FEE Fully insured and references available GARDEN PANELS / CLOSE BOARD RABBIT CONTROL ALSO GATE BUILDING / UNDERTAKEN INSTALLATION Telephone JUMP BUILDING 07766 132934 ESTATE MAINTENANCE Member of the REPAIRS British Mole Catchers Register BPCA/RSPH level 2 certificate MOBILE: 07790 054147 in pest control Call now for a free, no obligation EMAIL: [email protected] site survey and quote MUSIC LESSONS AT YOUR HOME Piano, Oboe, Recorder, Theory & History of Music Beginners (including adults) especially welcome [email protected] [email protected] Margaret Duncumb [PhD (Cantab), MPhil (Cantab), BMus (Hons), LRAM, ARCM] Please forward any items for the October 2019 edition of Parish Link to Corinna Bramley by 15th September: [email protected] Thank you. Parish Link August/September 2019….2 Index Pastoral Letter - from the Revd Arthur Champion ................................... 5 Reviews and thanks… ............................................................................. 7 To everyone who supported Stratton Rectory Fete… .......................... 7 To all who supported the Motor Neurone Disease fundraiser.............. 7 To supporters of the Sue Ryder Coffee morning…. ............................. 8 Wintershall outing ................................................................................. 8 Spotlight on Cowley ................................................................................. 8 Getting out and about in the Benefice in 2019 ........................................ 9 Forthcoming events around the Benefice .............................................. 13 Visit to the Cotswold Lion brewery ..................................................... 13 Coberley’s August Summer Fete ....................................................... 14 Bible studies on Isaiah........................................................................ 14 Picnic Lunch planned in Bagendon for Ride & Stride ........................ 15 A Celebration of Times and Seasons in Music and Words ................ 15 News from around the Parishes ............................................................ 15 Rendcomb round-up - Ruth Edy ......................................................... 15 Latest from Stratton ............................................................................ 16 Schools’ News ....................................................................................... 20 North Cerney C of E Primary Academy ............................................. 20 Stratton C of E Primary School .......................................................... 20 Community news and events ................................................................ 22 Foodbank Summer Holiday appeal .................................................... 22 Tuesday Group ................................................................................... 22 Orchestra entertains…in Cirencester and Winchcombe .................... 22 Heritage Open Days in Rendcomb..................................................... 23 Invitation to a special evening in aid of Scrubditch Farm ................... 24 News from our NHS Trust - Anne Davies .............................................. 25 Scrubditch Care Farm - Emma Costley White ...................................... 26 An illustrated talk by Hugo Vickers.................................................. 26 From the Benefice Registers ................................................................. 28 Crossword .............................................................................................. 28 Caring for our Environment.................................................................... 30 Recipe .................................................................................................... 30 Services - August and September 2019 ................................................ 31 Directory ................................................................................................. 36 Parish Link August/September 2019….3 RAISE MONEY FOR ST PETER’S STRATTON WHEN YOU SHOP ONLINE Why not join TheGivingMachine and help raise funds for the upkeep of our beautiful church when you shop online? It’s simple and free. Retailers including Amazon, M&S, John Lewis and ebay are all part of the scheme. The following address gives you access to the sign-up page for St Peter’s Stratton on TheGivingMachine website. https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/causes/st-peters-church-stratton- cirencester/support With our thanks in anticipation - Stratton PCC Any questions, please contact Peter Moore on: 01285 640077 07796 543959 or e: [email protected] Norman, Trotman & S E Johnson Heating & Plumbing Hughes All domestic plumbing Funeral Directors Oil boiler servicing & repair Northleach Bathroom installation Albert Collins Water softener installation All work insured and Funeral Director guaranteed Independent Family Business Friendly and reliable service Private Chapel of rest Local - no call out charges 24 hour Personal Service Free quotations & advice Golden Charter Funeral Plans CIPHE & OFTEC member Walton House Barn, Northleach, Cheltenham, Glos. GL54 3EY Tel: 01451 860288 Email: Call Simon on 07821 903758 [email protected] [email protected] Parish Link August/September 2019….4 Pastoral Letter - from the Revd Arthur Champion We are living through what feels like an unprecedented period of upheaval: nations are openly competing to become the greatest; internal politics has become polarised; mass consumerism is dominated by a handful of multinational businesses; millions have surrendered their minds to TV news and social media; traditional family life seems to increasingly be under attack… Inevitably our parish churches are affected by all of this and more besides. The CofE currently has over 16,000 parish churches and more than 20 buildings each year are being closed down. People are becoming less committed to joining us for worship on Sunday but this doesn’t mean they have given up on God! The wider community still has a lot of goodwill towards their parish churches when marking rites of passage with weddings, baptisms and funerals, participating in major festivals like Christmas, Easter, Harvest and Remembrance Sunday as well as generously giving time and money to support village fetes, concerts and fund-raising events. Parish Link August/September 2019….5 We can also take encouragement by realising that every day dozens of people are slipping into our nine parish churches for a few moments of peace and quiet; some are tourists and others are coming to pay their respects at the gravestone of a loved one. Formal worship can be a struggle for some people but they still appreciate being able to sit alone soaking up the peaceful atmosphere; perhaps thinking about our stained- glass windows or reflecting on beautiful flower arrangements. Just to sit quietly in a place where Christians have worshipped for hundreds of years can bring an awareness of God’s presence. These ancient walls and columns have been around for centuries and will outlast all the modern structures that are hastily erected as shopping malls and places of entertainment. However, if we are to do more than manage a steady decline then fresh vision is needed. It’s here that we may draw inspiration from the words of King Solomon: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18). Fairly soon after Bishop Rachel was appointed as the Bishop of Gloucester she launched a Vision Consultation. You may remember three years ago when each of our parish churches spent a few minutes during Sunday worship considering these questions: Church Community Wider Community What is the Holy Spirit What is your impression saying to us in this of the CofE in your local Diocese? community? What is your dream or What is your hope or vision for the Church in vision for the local our Diocese in five years’ community in the next five time? years? What could we do to How might the Church be realise this vision? part of this? The 380 parish churches in Gloucester Diocese were asked to provide feedback which resulted in a new Vision Statement based on the wonderful promise of Jesus Christ: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”(John 10: 10). Every so often I ponder over what Jesus means by “having life more abundantly”. Perhaps to those whose mindset is about consumerism the promise of Jesus is all about getting richer? But surely what Jesus is really offering is love, forgiveness and guidance. It’s a quality of life lived Parish Link August/September 2019….6 at a higher plane. It’s a relationship that can begin straight away, yet continues beyond death and for all eternity. This promise of Jesus is even more meaningful when set in the context of his earlier words: