ton - Bickington - Buckland ur b h s A - e b m o c e d i May 2017 W - e g d i r Church and Community Magazine of The Moorland Team Church and Community H b t o s l o n - e c u H b a c - y u e L n o d s - Moorland Parish Link P The Ministry Team Team Rector At present Revd David Sherwood is on long-term sick leave. Revd David Sherwood Please contact Revd Geoffrey Fenton or Marion Kaye for assistance. Team Vicar The Vicarage 01364 621334 Revd Geoffrey Fenton Widecombe-in-the-Moor, TQ13 7TF [email protected] Assistant Priest Revd Simon Croft usually spends Wednesdays and one other weekday, as Revd Simon Croft well as Sundays in our Mission Community His email address is : [email protected] Readers to the Team 4 Buckfast Close, Buckfast, TQ11 0EW Marion Kaye 01364 643330 [email protected] Methodist Ministers Revd Kevin Hooke 01626 832369 Table of Contents The Ministry Team 2 The Parish Letter 3 Churchwardens 4 Moorland Team Officers 4 Holy Communion Midweek & At Home 5 Church Services for May 2017 6 Church Events 7 General Team News 8 Dates for the Diary 8 Rainfall in March 2017 17 St Mary the Virgin, Holne 19 St Raphael, Huccaby 23 St John the Baptist, Leusdon 25 St Gabriel, Postbridge 27 St Pancras, Widecombe-in-the-Moor 33 Dunstone & Poundsgate Chapels 38 2 The Parish Letter We are delighted that the Revd Simon Croft has been appointed to serve over the next six months in a specially created post in the Ashburton & Moorland Team, covering the Team Rector’s absence due to ongoing illness. Simon was ordained in 1978 and has served his entire ordained ministry in the Diocese of Exeter, latterly as Rector of St Mark, St Sidwell and St Matthew in Exeter and then in Dawlish, Cofton and Starcross before retiring from full-time ministry in 2015. He will continue to live in his home in Exeter and will be on duty in the Team parishes on Sundays and for two further days each week on average. Simon will work alongside the Revd Geoffrey Fenton, Team Vicar, and Mrs Marion Kaye, Reader, together with two neighbouring ministers who will also be helping with services and pastoral care during this period: Prebendary Alan White, Rural Dean of Newton Abbot & Ipplepen, and Mr Jeremy Howell, Reader in the Newton Abbot Team Ministry. A very warm welcome to all of those coming to help us but especially Simon, and his wife Shirley, who will occasionally be with him in the Team, but will normally continue to worship in Exeter. We appreciate their willingness to give up retirement and being together in the congregation for worship, to enable Simon to come and be with us for the next six months. From the Reverend Simon Croft, Assistant Priest. Dear Friends, In May, on Thursday 25th, we have the great feast of Our Lord’s Ascension – “the Glorious Ascension”. It is always on a Thursday, because it is forty days after Easter Day. In our Common Lectionary these days there is always provision to celebrate the Ascension on one of the neighbouring Sundays. One aspect of The Ascension that is not usually acknowledged is that it must have been so traumatic for the disciples – a time of intense emotions. In this way, we could say that the Ascension was a kind of surrender, of being left behind and of letting Our Lord go where they could not. In ourselves, when we are mourning someone, we want to hold on and not let go – we want to cling on tight to our loved ones. And so, for the disciples, how it must have taken great courage to live through the Ascension – they were experiencing contd on Page 5 3 Churchwardens St Mary the Virgin, Holne Any queries either to Gillian Parker (see below) or Marion Kaye (see Page 2 for details) St Raphael, Huccaby Gillian Parker Thimble Hall, Hexworthy, PL20 6SD 01364 631507 [email protected] St John the Baptist, Leusdon Geoff Bamsey 26 Old Manor Close, Holne Cross, TQ13 7JF 01364 652820 [email protected] Shan Palmes 3 Dunstone Cottages, Widecombe, TQ13 7TH 01364 621573 [email protected] St Gabriel, Postbridge Annie Smerdon The Stores, Postbridge, PL20 6TH 01822 880201 [email protected] Wendy Watson Middle Merripit Farm, Postbridge, PL20 6TJ 01822 880215 [email protected] St Pancras, Widecombe Michael Pascoe Wooder Bungalow, Widecombe, TQ13 7TR 01364 621333 [email protected] Penny Whale Wayside, Widecombe in the Moor, TQ13 7TA 01364 621411 [email protected] St Andrews, Ashburton William West Tawstock, Knowle Close, Ashburton TQ13 7RA 01364 652666 [email protected] Bill Shapley 18 Beverley Gardens, Ashburton, TQ13 7BL 01364 652263 [email protected] St Mary the Virgin, Bickington Peter Warren Rentor, Bickington 01626 821213 [email protected] St Peter, Buckland in the Moor Stephanie Palk Halsanger Manor 01364 652430 [email protected] Vida Pascoe 14 Balland Park, Ashburton 01364 653312 For all editorial information - copy date, my contact details etc. please see inside back cover. Moorland Team Officers Treasurer Francis Parffrey Hillcrest, Bowden Hill, Ashburton TQ13 7EA 01364 654067 [email protected] Secretary Gillian Parker Thimble Hall, Hexworthy, PL20 6SD 01364 631507 [email protected] Protection Officer Judy Southcombe [email protected] 4 a kind of new dimension of living and loving. Our Lord had told and taught them that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, but how could they at that time understand what this would mean? How alone, lonely, they must have felt on the first Ascension Day, as the clouds parted. Loneliness is one of the great sadnesses that we experience in life. All of us have experienced loneliness, and social commentators rightly point out that it is growing through the trends of western culture, with its weakening of community and family life. There is something barren and raw with gnawing loneliness. But at our Lord’s Ascension – there is a promise ! Right at the end of St Matthew’s Gospel we read : “and remember, I am with you always”. I hope and pray that each of us will hold onto this wonderful promise of our Loving Lord. We believe Our Lord is with each of us, all the time. He has taken our humanity, - our foibles, our weaknesses and failures, and also our little bits of glory, - and carried them into the heart of God, for Our Lord ‘sits at God’s right hand’. For me that is why the Ascension is the “Glorious Ascension”. May our Loving Lord bless and keep each of us, always, Simon. PARISH OFFICE in Ashburton is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 - 11 am 01364 654280 email: [email protected] Holy Communion Midweek & At Home There is a service of Communion at home Holy Communion every Wednesday If you are unable to get to church because at 1030 of ill health or loss of mobility and would at St. Andrew’s Church like to receive communion at home please in Ashburton contact a member of the Ministry Team. You will be most welcome! (see p.2 for contact details) 5 Church Services for May 2017 May 7th Easter 4 White Acts 2: 42- end; Pslam 23; ! Peter 2: 19- end; John 10: 1-10 Widecombe 08.00 Holy Communion Bickington 09.00 Holy Communion Holne 10.30 Holy Communion Ashburton 10.30 Family Worship Widecombe 10.30 Family Worship Buckland 15.00 Evening Prayer Leusdon 16.00 Evening Prayer May 14th Easter 5 White Acts 7; 55- end; Psalm 31: 1-5; 1 Peter 2: 2-10; John 14: 1-14 Postbridge 09.00 Holy Communion Bickington 09.00 Holy Communion by Ext Widecombe 10.30 Holy Communion Ashburton 10.30 Parish Communion Leusdon 12.00 Holy Communion Buckland 15.00 Evening Prayer Holne 18.00 Evening Worship May 21st Easter 6 White Acts 17: 22-31; Psalm 66: 7 - end; 1 Peter 3: 13 - end; John 14: 15 - 21 Huccaby 09.00 Holy Communion Bickington 10.30 Morning Worship Widecombe 10.30 Rogation Service Ashburton 10.30 Holy Communion Holne 10.30 Family Worship Buckland 15.00 Holy Communion Leusdon 12.00 Rogation Service Postbridge 15.00 Rogation Service Thursday May 25th Ascension Day White Acts 1: 1-11 or Daniel 7: 9-14; Ephesians 1: 1-15 or Acts 1: 1-11; Luke 24: 44 - end; Confirm readings with Minister Ashburton 19.00 Holy Communion for Ascension May 28th Easter 7 White Ezekiel 36: 24-28 or Acts 1: 6-14; 1 Peter 4: 12-14 and 5: 6-11 or Acts 1: 6-14; John 17: 1-11 (see Minister) Buckland 10.30 Benefice Holy Communion Windy Three elderly ministers, all hard of hearing, were playing golf one sunny spring morning. The Methodist minister observed, ‘Windy, isn’t it?’ ‘No’, the Baptist pastor said, ‘It’s Thursday.’ The Anglican vicar agreed: ‘So am I! Let’s go and get a pint.’ 6 Church Events Looking at the Bible We are continuing our Lent Course, looking at an overview of the Bible First Monday of the month at 1030 in Ashburton Church Hall Coffee and biscuits served Do come and join our happy group! Further details from Marion Kaye 643330 or [email protected] MONTHLY CHARITY LUNCH Held at Dunstone chapel on the second Wednesday of every month in aid of a different charity each month, from 12 noon - 3pm. The next lunch will be on ‘An independent voice for those who find Wednesday 10th May Dartmoor a source of livelihood or inspiration’ There is no set www.dartmoorsociety.com Reg Charity No: 1111066 price just give what you feel is right.