FIPPENNYFIPPENNY NEWSNEWS The Community Magazine f o r The Parish of Okeford Fitzpain e March 2017 50p THE OKEFORD BENEFICE serving the parishes of:- St. Nicholas, Child Okeford St Paul, Hammoon St. Nicholas, Manston St Andrew, Okeford Fitzpaine Church of the Holy Rood , Shillingstone in the Blackmore Vale Deanery of Salisbury Diocese. Benefice website: www.okefordbenefice.org Facebook: @okefordbenefice The Ministry Team Rector: The Rev’d Lydia Cook email: [email protected] 01258 863774 Please direct enquiries regarding Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals to Lydia Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Sue Le Riche 01258 861830 Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Sue Rawlinson 01258 863733 Lay Pastoral Assistant: Ms Carolyn Angelucci 01258 860049 Lay Pastoral Assistant: Mrs Abi Rudd 01258 861367 Lay Pastoral Assistant: Mrs Ruth Allen 01258 860068 The Eucharist (Order 2) is celebrated in Millbrook House, Child Okeford at 10.30am on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. St Andrew’s Okeford Fitzpaine Churchwarden: Mrs Sue le Riche 01258 861830 Churchwarden: Vacant Secretary: Mrs Elizabeth Colls 01258 860743 Treasurer: Mrs Carol Landricombe 01258 860858 Editor: Derek Day eMail: [email protected] Address: 3 Castle Lane, Okeford Fitzpaine, DT11 0RL Tel.: 01258 861979 Twitter: @FippennyNews The deadline for copy is 17:00 on the 20th of each month. Copy can be accepted in any format but is preferred as a Microsoft Word compatible or text file. Images can be accepted in any digital format, or on paper up to A3 size (297mm x 420mm). Rector’s Ramblings What a beautiful part of the world we live in, rolling hills, winding rivers, lovely woodland and picturesque villages. All is well, but is it? As we read our newspapers, sit down and listen to the news we realise that we are just kidding ourselves, whilst all around is beautiful, society is falling apart. We live in a world full of lies, deceit, double standards and injustices. Many have turned their back on their Christian faith, blaming God for all the woes of the world. They point to the turbulence in America, the devastation in parts of the Middle East, the pure Evil coming out of North Korea, and rather than look into themselves they blame others for all the injustices and failures they see around them. But the God I know and love is a God of Justice, mercy and love. You see we cannot be in a right relationship with the God of justice whilst being indifferent to all the injustices of our world. We cannot have it all ways, we cannot say that we love the God of justice and at the same time turn a blind eye to all the injustices that are an offence to His character and teaching. To be fed by God’s justice is to listen to the God that says ‘I will seek the lost, I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy.’ The justice that God offers us is a commitment to righting wrongs and bringing the human family back into a right relationship with himself and a right relationship with each other. Society today has become a society of ME, I, WE want. A society that has lost its way, a society that puts self before the lonely, the poor, the refugee and the lost. So who are those at fault for the world’s troubles, God or US? To plagiarise a verse from the letter of John, who was not averse to telling things as they were. ‘Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars’ (1 John 4.20). Maybe instead of blaming others, being jealous of others, we should start loving each other, not on the surface, but with a deep love, the kind of love our God of justice loves us with. An unconditional love, a redeeming love, a perfect love for ever. Sue Le Riche 3 Lent 2017 1st March Ash Wednesday service of Holy Communion 12 noon at Shillingstone Church Lent is not only the time to give up chocolate/alcohol/pancakes but is also traditionally the time of year to undertake a course of study. While the former may leave you slimmer or possibly grumpier, the latter will have much longer lasting effect as it grows your mind. This year I thought we would look at some big ethical questions and how Christianity relates to them. The General Synod of the Church of England has recently been debating Issues in Human Sexuality so it seems an appropriate time to bring them to the local level too. This is a 5-week course is happening in two venues: 1. Highlands, High Street, Child Okeford on Wednesdays 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th March and 5th April. 7.30pm – 8.30pm 2. Shillingstone Church Centre on Thursdays 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th March and 6th April. 2.30pm – 3.30pm All Welcome! 1st Friday Lunch Friday March 3rd 12.30pm – 3pm at the Village Hall. All Welcome! £5 for 2 course meal and tea/coffee. This month: Lasagne, garlic bread and peas followed by trifle. To book please call Sue on 01258 861830 Mothering Sunday On March 26th the Mothering Sunday services will be in the local schools. Okeford Fitzpaine: 10am Child Okeford: 10:30am Save the Date Church and Community Fun Day July 8th 2017 Okeford Fitzpaine Village Hall 9.30am Potato weighing 10.30am – 12 noon Mudpie Café pm – 5pm Produce show 5pm BBQ 7pm Barn Dance. More info coming soon. Facebook Page The Benefice now has a Facebook page – please follow it @okefordbenefice. The website www.okefordbenefice.org remains the place to get the full picture of church life in our villages. 4 An Appeal Do You Remember the Two Ronnies? I am working on a small project about the time the Two Ronnies came to Okeford Fitzpaine in the 1970’s. Were you there? Did you meet them? Can you remember where filming took place and what was filmed? If you have any information at all please contact me on 01258 861979 or rrowe@okefordfitzpaine- pc.gov.uk Rachael Rowe CHILD OKEFORD FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB ‘Reflections’ Date: 21 March 2.15pm Child Okeford Village Hall For more information contact Sue on 01258 863775 or [email protected] Sewing & Craft Group Our March meeting will be on 20th March, 2.30pm at No 6, Netherway Cottages. All very welcome ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION STURMINSTER NEWTON & GILLINGHAM BRANCH To join contact Tony Edmunds 01258 473823 5 An Apology and Clarification In the February edition we published an article relating to a damaged car outside the church. There was no intention to suggest a connection either with attendees at St Andrew's Church or the Village Hall auction, which events were taking place at the time of the incident and were mentioned only to jog the memory of witnesses. Blackmore Vale Lions Father Christmas Float 2016. On a dry but cold night the BMV Lions and members of Okeford Fitzpaine Short Mat Bowls Club went round the village with Father Christmas. The children really enjoyed talking to him and getting some sweets. We collected over £200 that night for the BMV charities. They have very kindly donated £200 to our village school to help them build their “Spiritual Garden.” Thank your to all who donated that night and we will look forward to seeing you all again this December. Barbara Fry It has been a very busy beginning to the term at Okeford Fitzpaine Primary School with the children enjoying their new class topics. Maple Class are working on a ‘Frozen World’ theme, Beech class have been learning about Europe and Oak class are studying ‘Being Human’ The term started with a whole school focus on British Values, with learning focused around The Royal Family, debate, democracy and British Law. This work is being followed up with Oak class visiting the Houses of Parliament. We have also been involved in work around road safety for children and for parents which will be followed up by a survey. The year 2 and year 5 children have visited ‘Streetwise’ earlier this term to secure their learning about keeping themselves safe both at home and in the environment. We are in continuous support of keeping our children safe and their education around safety. We were sad to see Mrs Cook-Paine leave the school after 15 years of service. The children, staff, parents and governors gave her a nice send off with gifts to remember the school by. We wish her all the best and every success for the future. We have welcomed new teaching staff Miss Foxall in Beech class and Mrs De Silva in Maple class this term. R Tidby 6 Simply FABULOUS cycle rides say it all! As we wouldn’t have enjoyed riding with Doris at 45mph, on Thu 23rd Feb, I postponed our Buds ride to Ibberton until Thu 2 Mar start time 0930 from Okeford Stores. PLEASE tell anyone you see. Valentines Challenge Ride Report Twelve cyclists, spanning an age gap of 70yrs but undeterred by the damp of low cloud, took to our lanes for the Valentines Day Challenge — a 15mile circular ride to Milton Abbey Tea Rooms. Organised by Dorset Cy- clists Network area coordinator, this was a 'Blossom' category Simply FABULOUS ride. Our youngest rider (11) showed how Dorset hills are no barrier to get- ting about once you are fit and have learnt the necessary skills. Forthcoming Rides Contact me in advance if you plan to join us as rides may change.