June 2020 A community magazine sponsored by the Anglican Church Germander speedwell and daisy by Hans Braxmeier The ongoing social distancing measures mean we are still unable to distribute a printed magazine, so this issue of The Bridge is being published online only. Some articles contain clickable links that will take you straight to a relevant website for more information. We’d love to receive your comments: please email [email protected] Points of contact Team website: www.bridport-team-ministry.org All phone numbers are Bridport (01308) unless otherwise stated Team Rector Team Administrator The Revd Deb Smith 301457 Dianne Sinclair 424747 [email protected] Day off Friday [email protected] The office is currently closed but Di is available by email Team Vicar / Community Mission Partner Post: The Administrator, c/o The Rectory, 84 South Street, The Revd Pete Stone 426459 Bridport DT6 3NW [email protected] Day off Monday Secretary to the PCC Team Deacon Rosemary Russell 423013 The Revd Lorna Johnson [email protected] Team licensed worship leader Martin Whiting Permission to officiate Licensed lay ministers The Revd Janis Moore 425644 Phil Doughty 422096 [email protected] Day off Wednesday Graham Purse 423220 Peter Wright 456967 The Revd Ann Ayling 424896 Coral Hatton [email protected] Day off Wednesday Lay pastoral assistants The Revd Dan Shackell 426514 Caroline Cook 07859 803734 [email protected] Anne Stone 426459 Diana Wright 456967 The Revd Kay Watters 427290 kay@bridport-team-ministry If you cannot get to church and would like home communion or a visit, please contact one of the lay pastoral assistants. Hospital Chaplain The Revd Philip Ringer 425774 Cupboard Love food bank [email protected] Carrie Gamble 07443 596096 Other church leaders in the area [email protected] Beacon Church Bridport, Priory Lane Hall bookings Halls are currently closed, but to discuss their Geoff Vaine 456031 future use you can contact: St Swithun’s church hall The Christian Fellowship Yvonne Welch 459587 David Collins 458227 Bothenhampton village hall Ray Gibbs 423071 St Mary & St Catherine (Roman Catholic) Bradpole village hall Monsignor Keith Mitchell Office 422594 please email [email protected] [email protected] Presbytery 424754 Church House, South St, Bridport Tony Nott 425897 Bridport Quaker Meeting Walditch village hall [email protected] Peter & Jill Tobutt 458999 Christian Fellowship, King Street United Church (Methodist & United Reformed Church) Jacquie Webb 425738 The Revd Peter Clark 425978 United Church Sue Herman 01297 489658 The Bridge Editor & production: Olivia Daly 07710 805029 [email protected] Advertising manager: Laura Taylor 420732 [email protected] Please contact Laura Taylor for all advertising including clubs, charity events, concerts, etc. If you have an idea for an article, please contact the editor. Otherwise copy must be sent to village correspondents (details on parish pages inside) no less than three days before the deadline above, or a week in the case of handwritten or typed copy. We will try to include late copy in the following issue as appropriate. Opinions expressed in The Bridge are not necessarily those of either the clergy or the editorial team. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents, we cannot accept responsibility for information given or claims made by our contributors or advertisers. Deadlines for the July issue: Copy Friday 5 June ∙ Advertising Monday 1 June 2 We can learn to live in a new way Our lives have been turned upside down. holding communities together, now From the moment the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic we really see how we all need other started to hit – whenever that was for you – almost every part of people, and how help can be given… our lives has been up-ended. and received. Mundane tasks like nipping out to the shop, calling in on a Now the skies are clearing of friend or member of the family, taking the dog for a walk or pollution, now we’re all listening getting your hair cut are now a big deal. to the birdsong, now wildlife is There’s the wider-world stuff we contend with, too. The daily returning to newly clear waters, and updates on the rising death toll, the images of hard-pressed changes are being seen that a few NHS staff fearful because they don’t have the right protective months ago environmentalists could gear. The statistics about how lockdown is making life even only dream of. harder for those whose lives are already hard. Predictions on the So when the crisis subsides, when The Revd Deb Smith scale of the economic crisis we’re sinking into and the impact it lockdown is eased, do we want to go Team Rector will have on us for years to come. back to what it was before? And if these things are not happening to us personally, we The pandemic has shown us we can know they are happening to people like us, to people in our change the way we live. It has shown us we will change for the town, our street. health of the ones we love. In this new upside-down reality the people who are important Can we emerge from this with a healthier respect for the earth to us are not celebrities, not the rich and powerful, but the ones and our common humanity? who look after us, the carers, those who work in supermarkets The virus that is turning the world upside down is destroying and shops, delivery people, the ones who keep us going. the world as we know it; in the process can we learn to hold it Now those who are used to taking care of themselves are together in a new way? relying on help from others in this time of furlough. Now homeless people are being housed in hotels, now volunteers are The Revd Deb Smith A strong online presence during lockdown While ‘live’ services are cancelled and churches community in prayers to remember those who took part remain closed, the dedicated people at the in World War II. The video, which is available on the Bridport Team Ministry (BTM) have been usual BTM channels, also included film of British busy keeping in touch with parishioners Legion members taking part at home, plus the Last using a number of online channels. Post and the two minutes’ silence. More videos, Sunday services, lasting about 40 minutes, are including the mayor’s speech and the town crier’s taking place every week at 11am and are available ‘cry for peace’, are available on the Bridport Town live on the BTM Facebook page. Each service is led Council website. by either the Revd Deb Smith or the Revd Pete Stone – broadcasting from their gardens if weather permits – And a bit further afield... and includes readings, prayers and music. The videos remain on Our friends in neighbouring ministries have also been working Facebook for those who want to watch later, and many are also on some online activities. The Golden Cap Team website available on Pete’s YouTube channel. (www.goldencapteamofchurches.org.uk) for instance, has The services are often themed and leaders ask worshippers Sunday and midweek messages from its new Team Rector, the (via Facebook) to get involved by sending in photos in advance Revd Chris Martin, plus poetry and Bible readings by the silken- to [email protected]. For example, a service voiced Revd John Eade and Sunday services led by the Revd that included the 23rd Psalm used contributors’ images of green Ginny Luckett. pastures, still waters – and sheep. The Eggardon and Colmer’s Benefice is also live-streaming Live, interactive Compline (night prayer) services are services via its Facebook page, and service sheets are available taking place every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 9pm. to download. Each service lasts about 15 minutes and anyone can join in Each of these church groups has a magazine, too, and like online using Zoom, a video conferencing website, by emailing The Bridge these are being produced solely online during the [email protected] in advance for a link. lockdown period. The Golden Cap magazine and the Eggardon Some Compline prayers and other meditations are available and Colmer’s View are available from the churches’ respective on Pete’s YouTube channel, while the BTM Facebook page also websites here and here. offers a wealth of information, messages, prayers and links to other items of interest. There are links to the services on the Click here for the Bridport Team Ministry Facebook page BTM website. Click here for Pete Stone’s YouTube channel On Friday 8 May there was a ‘virtual’ Act of Remembrance to Click here for the BTM website mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and Pete led the online Click here for Pete’s Twitter page 3 Digital solutions for Christian Aid Week Think of Christian Aid Week and you might picture red envelopes through doors, plant Eddy Pearce sales, Big Brekkies, banners in front of churches, special New photo project services and much more. Since 1957 the week has brought communities together in action and prayer, and while the coronavirus pandemic meant documents lockdown that Christian Aid Week 2020 (10–16 May) was rather different, churches across the country stood in solidarity with The Bridport Lockdown Project aims to create a the world’s most vulnerable people in new and innovative ways. shared visual archive of life in the area during the With daily quizzes and live-streamed worship, supporters coronavirus pandemic. were involved from their own homes.