It costs £7,000 a year to keep our small village church open — not only as a place of worship, but as a living part of our shared history. This church has stood for generations as a symbol of community, hope, and belonging. Whether or not you attend services, its presence enriches our village, offering space for reflection, celebration, and coming together.With a small community it is harder and harder to raise this amount each year. We all try so hard with our fundraising, but any small donation from you would be tremendously helpful and appreciated.By contributing, you’re not just helping pay a bill — you’re helping preserve something timeless. Let’s stand together to keep this cornerstone of our village life open for everyone, now and for generations to come.
We were thrilled with a fabulous turnout of 47 people at our Mothering Sunday benefice service. Our service welcomed the family of Olive Yeo who passed away after serving faithfully in our parish throughout her life. The hymns for Mothering Sunday were some of her favourites and were sung in her memory. Also, the start of the service we had the dedication and blessing of our new Rector boards that were beautifully constructed by Philip and the wording inscribed with delightful calligraphy by Gillian. It was a joy to have all of these people together to celebrate . The Rector Boards were made from a bequest of Olive. During our service we were fortunate to have members of each parish contribute beautiful posies of flowers that were blessed and distributed at the end of our service. Many posies were taken away to be given to those that couldn’t be with us. Following the service we spent time in fellowship together catching up over a glass of sherry and some nibbles.
This week we pray and give thanks for our Monksilver villagers who look after the churchyard throughout the year. Sometimes helped by a gin and tonic or a flask of coffee depending on the time of year! We are so appreciative of their time and interest. We are looking forward to seeing how our wildflower area will look in 2025 after careful preparation last year.May god bless you as you tend his creation for us and future generations in Monksilver. Also I have been asked to pass on the thanks from families that come to visit graves. It makes a huge difference and solace for them.
