KEEPING IN TOUCH April 2020 HOME DELIVERY FREE 50p “Keeping in Touch” for the current month can also be found on our website www.scarrowbeckbenefice.org.uk St Ethelbert, Alby St Mary, Erpingham Our Lady & St Margaret St Lawrence, Ingworth All Saints, Thwaite Calthorpe Following Government and Diocesan advice ALL CHURCH SERVICES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE All our churches remain open during daylight hours for individual worship or visits. Scarrowbeck Parish Priest: Father Brian Faulkner, Oak Tree Cottage, Cherry Tree Road, Plumstead, Norwich NR11 7LQ 01263 577868 [email protected] Rest days are Monday and Tuesday Keeping In Touch April 2020 Aldborough and Thurgarton Parish Churches. www.aldboroughparishchurch.org.uk Facebook: Aldborough Parish Church Norfolk Due to the COVID 19 virus, all services at Aldborough Parish Church and the The story of Holy Week and Easter – which includes so much of what we know about the Chapel have been cancelled. life, death and resurrection of Jesus – would Message from the Aylsham Ministry Team: suggest that true happiness does not come Aylsham Church will be broadcasting a from achieving goals, whether passing exams service live from Aylsham on Facebook and on or getting a pay rise, but by living for the sake our Team website of others. The philosopher Thomas Aquinas (www.aylshamteamministry.org.uk) said that happiness lies in collectively every Sunday at 10.15am which you can join in practising the sorts of virtues that Jesus did, with in your own home. such as performing acts of charity, courage and wisdom. If someone focuses their attention on rd 23 April is St Georges Day. St George was a others, then all pressure is off. Roman soldier who protested against the That is surely a good starting point for feeling a Romans torture of Christians and died for his beliefs in 303AD. The best-known story of St. lot more contented. Rev Jack George is his fight with a dragon. It is highly unlikely that he ever fought a Special Days in April. dragon and even more unlikely that he came to England, but St. 5th April Psalm Sunday. George is known throughout the Celebrating Jesus arriving at Jerusalem for world as the dragon-slaying the Passover feast. People cheered and patron saint of England. waved palm branches as flags as Jesus went along the road to Jerusalem. Did you know… 1st April was known as daffodil day. 10th April Good Friday In Victorian times, families picked The saddest day in the daffodils and took them to the local Christian year, when Jesus hospitals to give to the patients. was put to death. th If you would like to find out 12 April Easter Sunday information about christenings, The happiest day in the Christian Year, weddings or funerals, then when Jesus rose from the dead. Chocolate please contact the clergy team eggs are given as part of these on 01263 704457 or celebrations as the hard shell of Revd Jack Branford on the egg represents the empty 07855 759 024 tomb and the emerging chick [email protected] represents Jesus, whose resurrection Churchwarden: conquered death. Bunnies, lambs and Jill King. 01263 768077 flowers are also used to represent New Life. If anyone is in need of help, (or would even just like a chat), particularly if you are self isolating, Village Care will do what it can to support you. Please contact Jane Maguire on 01263 761578 if you need assistance, would like to volunteer to help or if you know of anyone who may need support. Dear Friends What began as event in a market in Northern China has, in the course of a few weeks, become a global pandemic affecting the health of all of us. For as social beings who meet and travel, no where is hidden, no where is unaffected. This fact, of course, on one level is frightening, especially for those in parts of our world where medical provision is of the most basic. Yet it is also of concern for all of us here, who have least to fear, but much to be aware of. We are daily asked to accept limitations on our freedom, out of concern for our neighbours and the greater good. This reality of our belonging to a world intimately connected is not a truth in any way new, where our response to that truth needs to be affirmed and embraced in a positive way. Of such is the faith born of the life, death and the resurrection of Jesus. An Easter faith rooted in a life that is truly giving. In the months ahead there will be many challenges, some of which may be hard to face and difficult to come to terms with, but challenges are to be lived and life is to be shared. With my prayers and blessing Father Brian, Scarrowbeck parish priest FROM THE REGISTERS Holy Matrimony St Ethelbert Church on Saturday 29th February of Eleanor Nash and Nicholas Sanders ________________________________________________________________________________ PRAYERS FOR THE PARISHES Week beginning Sunday April 5th Alby: The Common, Blacksmith’s Lane and Church Lane 12th Ingworth: The Street 19th Thurgarton: Ringbank Lane and School Road 26th Aldborough: Pipits Meadow, Thwaite Road and Thwaite Hill Road Dear Friends Coronovan Crisis and the church These few words are meant to highlight and inform you concerning the parish churches of this benefice, but more than that to show that buildings though much loved have only limited significance. As a national church, the Church of England in solidarity with many other religious bodies has made the decision that in order to limit the risk of infection, all public acts of worship are to be suspended. On a local level this means that for a time all parish churches in this benefice will not be holding public acts of worship. So, for example in this month’s edition of In Touch there are no dates and venues of services for the month ahead. Holy Week this year, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are all likely to be celebrated in a different way On a very practical level my desire is that all five of our buildings will during daylight hours be left open for personal prayer and reflection. There will be samples of prayer material in each of these churches for us to use if we find it helpful. Of course, in a very real way prayer is not suspended, nor is the church closed. Many of us will continue in a heightened and focused way to say prayers daily, for that is an aspect of true discipleship. The church as people is not closed, rather in the care we express towards neighbours, family and friends, in practical ways, the gospel is lived and known Do please feel free to phone at any time. Fr Brian Annual Parochial Church Meetings for Scarrowbeck benefice St Ethelbert’s, Alby 4pm 22nd April Mecki Green’s house St Mary’s, Erpingham 7pm 23rd April in Erpingham church All are invited to attend their own parish church annual meeting Datefor your diary for 2020 Saturday 4th April. We’re packing bags for Tesco’s customers in Aylsham. Please come and support us between 10.00-15.00 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Church Summer Fete And Fun Dog Show This year at ERPINGHAM VILLAGE HALL AND ITS SURROUNDS On Saturday June 27th 11am to 4pm We will have all our usual stalls – cakes, produce, bric a brac, raffle, and refreshments to include light lunches and afternoon teas and an ice cream van available. We hope to have games/races and have lots of ideas for other activities. Watch this space! Would you like a stall where you can advertise or sell your produce? Charities free – others for a donation. We would also welcome ideas and participation from other local community organisations If you can help in any capacity then we would love to hear from you Please phone 01263 761702 Let’s cheer ourselves up and have a really fun day ALDBOROUGH WILDLIFE th WEDNESDAY 15 April Trevor Williams A Year at Sustead Common 7.30 pm in Aldborough church room Aldborough Surgery Coronavirus We want to ensure the Aldborough Surgery services are available to all of our patients. We remain the only surgery in North Norfolk that has an Open Surgery facility. I am sure you will understand that this could be threatened by any patient that attends with symptoms so please heed current governmental advice to stay at home (self-isolate) regardless of travel history or contact with confirmed cases if patients experience: - A new continuous cough AND / OR - High temperature (of 37.8 degrees centigrade or higher) If you have symptoms that cannot be managed at home you use NHS 111 Online. Please only call NHS 111 if you cannot get online. Reluctantly, the Open Surgery will need to cease temporarily if we have confirmed cases in Norfolk. If you wish to speak with a doctor then please contact the surgery on telephone number 01263 768602. _________________________________________________________ CORONA VIRUS If anyone is in need of help (or would even just like a chat), particularly if you are self- isolating, Village Care will do what it can to support you. At present our activities are all under review; everything is still going ahead, but this may, of course, change. N.B. Many of our amazing volunteers are themselves getting on a bit, so it would be very welcome indeed if some younger people could come forward to join our ranks, even if just for the period of the virus. Please contact Jane Maguire (761578) if you can volunteer, if you need any assistance or if you know of anyone else who may be in difficulties.