I am writing as Churchwarden, on behalf the Parish church committee. We have good times ahead at St Bartholomew’s. As a team we will be inviting and encouraging people to come together at the six church services we have each year. As before, after each service there will be a gathering for refreshments, which is a great opportunity to meet with friends and neighbours in the village hall. Sue Bennett leads the village choir, the Kneesall Knightingales, and they are a star feature of our services. We will also be having the School choir attending our services. I will keep everyone updated about upcoming services and events along with the format each will take. With best wishes, Ben Yeardley Churchwarden Please join us in December for Christingle at 10.30am on the 10th, and Carols by Candlelight at 6pm on the 22nd
September saw the annual Harvest Festival at St Bartholomews. A vicar wasn’t available, but that didn’t stop us now that we have a church warden. Ben led a cheerful celebration, and talked about the Kneesall of a couple of decades ago when the whole village was more closely connected to food production. It reminded us to be ever mindful of where our food comes from, and the importance of farming, in a time when we’re becoming more and more removed from it. The Kneesall Knightingales were in good voice, leading hymns, singing an anthem and teaching the congregation a new song. This was the closing prayer, which many agreed was particularly beautiful… May the road rise to meet us, may the wind be always at our backs, may the sunshine be warm upon our faces, may the rains fall softly on our fields, and until we meet again, may God hold us in the palm of his hand. That same afternoon the church filled up again when around 100 people gathered for the Baptism of Rufus Ernie Chapman. Another joyous occasion. Please join us in December for Christingle at 10.30am on the 10th, and Carols by Candlelight at 6pm on the 22nd.
The PCC of St Bartholomew’s Church Kneesall are pleased to announce that on the 14th August 2023 Mr Ben Yeardley was appointed as our new Church Warden. Our thanks to Ben for his willingness to serve the Church in this way.This is a new and exciting time for St. Barts, and we hope our community will join the PCC in supporting and encouraging Ben as he steps into this key role. For those of you who may not be aware, the duties of a Church Warden include: “Churchwardens are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish. These responsibilities include various aspects of administration, operations, and personnel. Their work is not just the maintenance of the church building but helping the smooth running of the church. In this capacity, wardens are considered the leading lay member of the congregation, and, during the incumbency of a priest, may have varying duties and responsibilities according to the customs of the parish, the canons of the diocese to which the parish belongs, the desires of the priest, and the direction of the parish board and/or the congregation”
Our village church has had a busy month, with a wide variety of events. The Parish Council and the WI had their regular meetings, and the hall was brought alive with several birthday parties. The school had their annual leavers’ assembly and the church provided both solace for a particularly moving funeral, and a place of celebration for a wedding (the first here in a few years). We are particularly fortunate to still have a thriving village church, and its dual purpose as village hall and place of worship is quite unique. Thanks go to the growing number of people who are getting involved with running it and keeping it “ship shape”. The church looked particularly lovely on 29th July thanks to the efforts of the bride and groom with the help of Lisa from Forgetmenotts.
