I am writing to say Thank You to you for all your support in enabling the work of our five churches across the Benefice to flourish. As a grassroots organisation, our churches are entirely dependent upon local people to give of their time, energy and money to be able to function effectively. Without your support, very little ministry would take place within our communities. Whatever contribution you make be it volunteering to help keep the church clean, making cups of tea, reading at services, serving on a committee, making a regular financial contribution or helping with fund-raising, be assured that whatever you offer of yourself is not taken for granted. God calls us to live as disciples, helping out when and where we can. Thank You for your generosity in all that You share within the life of our churches as part of your own walk with God. Together we make a difference!One of the projects that we have managed to complete in the past six months is the introduction of strategy documents for all of our churches. These are known as Mission Action Plans. Each of our Church Councils has set itself three targets to aim for over the next year including the introduction of a Coffee Morning (Ardeley), continuing to revise Service Booklets (Benington), review Welcome Material at the church door (Cottered) and promote Churchyard Working Parties (Walkern). Importantly the documents reflect the values of our shared congregational life and affirm that we are “careful to support a culture within our churches that is appropriately boundaried and respectful of everyone.” These documents have been published on the St Albans diocesan website and can be viewed at https://resource.stalbansdiocese.org/maps/At the time of writing, the restoration works at St Lawrence’s, Ardeley are almost complete. This has been a significant project during which much stonework has been replaced particularly around some of our stained-glass windows. The stained-glass windows have themselves been cleaned allowing for more light to enter into the building - the more vibrant colours enhancing our worship. A huge Thank You to the team at Herringbone Ltd and AuraVisions Stained Glass Windows Restorations whose master craftsmanship will be admired by generations to come. This work has been funded by a legacy very kindly left to the church by the late Janet Naylor. Janet’s gift is an example of how a legacy left to the local church in a will can make for a lasting impact on the life of a community, ensuring that the heritage of the parish church can continue to be there for future generations, to be used and to be enjoyed by everyone. If you would like to leave a legacy to your church but are not sure how to go about it, please do get in touch.It is always a privilege to be asked to officiate at a wedding and we are blessed to be able to offer some very beautiful venues in which to conduct such a sacred ceremony. (The above photograph is of our Sister Church of Holy Trinity, Throcking.) It is difficult to find the words with which to truly express the love that two people share as they reach that point in their journey together when they have decided to declare a lifelong commitment to each other. Standing together before God gives a profound sense of meaning that serves as a rock to hold onto in future years. Behind the scenes, weddings involve a whole myriad of people from organist, verger, flower arrangers and bell ringers. A very special Thank You however must go to Shirley Fowler who tirelessly cares for Holy Trinity Church at Throcking. Our resident bat population in the church requires a very special devotion to duty! Thank You too to James Smyth who spends many hours voluntarily tending the churchyard.Work with our two church schools at Ardeley and Benington continues. We now have an established pattern of each year group visiting their local church for teaching sessions be it RE, art or history-related. These workshops are well received by both children and staff. It has been good to be able to extend this work in the past six months to Walkern Primary School. Walkern Primary is not a church school however the relationship between the School and St Mary’s Church is a close one and it is hoped that offering the same teaching sessions to those who attend Walkern Primary will become an established part of our shared life together.Congratulations to Mrs Tyler and the team at Benington Church of England Primary School on continuing to be graded ‘Good’ by OFSTED. “The school’s leaders, governors and staff are determined to ‘inspire care, respect and trust for all’. They are relentless in their ambition to provide an exceptional quality of education and experiences for all pupils.”June saw the national commemorations for D-Day. In Cottered Church an outstanding exhibition was put together exploring the impact of the war on Cottered Village and on the lives of residents and their families. Thank You to Jenny Thomson and Janis Hall who spent many hours researching and to Simon Cassia and others who helped mount the displays. Subsequent to the exhibition several folks have begun to share further stories of how the war impacted them and their families not least on those who were evacuated as children. The exhibition proved to be a powerful and profound experience for all. The Friends of Cottered Church D-Day cream teas were more than a treat too!Sunday, the 30th of June saw the coming together of members of all of the churches to worship in St Peter’s, Benington. It was a joyful celebration for the patronal festival with music groups from St Lawrence’s, Ardeley St Mary’s, Walkern, the Benefice Choir and, Year 5-6 children from Benington School all taking an active part. The church was beautifully decorated with fabulous floral displays for the festival weekend. A huge Thank You to Beverley Harlow for co-ordinating the music and, to Dorothy Tulloch and the flower arrangers for a magnificent extravaganza of flowers.God Bless, MarkFollow our Churches on Facebook for the latest news and details of events!
The Revd Writes… Not everyone enjoys the right to vote in a general election. Those who live in totalitarian states, ruled by autocratic leaders, often dream of the privilege of being able to be involved in a democratic process. For such a cause thousands of people protest the world over and more than a few end up sacrificing their lives. It reminds us who live in the United Kingdom that the freedom to vote is a freedom not to be taken for granted. No political process is perfect and our own is found wanting at times. Cynicism that whatever the outcome of an election will result in little or no change, can be dispiriting. This is not helped by candidates who resort to bad-mouthing their opponents in an attempt to catch a cheap headline, often in the hopes of holding on to a closely contested seat. Such poor behaviour only confuses and mystifies an electorate who must then work doubly hard to disentangle claims denigrating an individual’s character from party policy. Good debate puts before the people clear options about what different political parties stand for and articulates a strategy for the future. It is on this basis that people express their voting preference. To serve as a Member of Parliament is always an honour and brings with it significant responsibilities. Those who vote place into the hands of those duly elected the task of forming a government and running the country. We entrust the future of our jobs, our homes, and our families into their care. We equally entrust to them our hopes and fears, anxieties and dreams on the understanding that they will do their best to serve the common good. To want to be an MP is to know from the outset that this is a vocation. A vocation to serve. MPs of course are human beings and being human means that they sometimes fail. There may be cause for concern in personal relationships and the ability to work successfully with colleagues. As in all areas of life, relationships can and do break down resulting in serious consequences. At other times poor judgement in a policy area may result in failure. MPs are not superhuman. It is a tough and stressful job as recent studies of MPs’ well-being and work-life balance have brought to light. Yet it is a worthwhile profession, and our country cannot function without them. This month a new parliament will be convened. There will be many new MPs taking their seats for the very first time. It is our privilege to have elected them to be there. We pray they will serve with humility and safeguard the trust we have placed in them. ‘Lord God of truth, grant to our King and his government, and all members of parliament the guidance of your Spirit and the comfort of your grace.’ God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… Early in the morning of June 6th, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed thousands of troops gathered at Cheesefoot Head, a natural amphitheatre just outside Winchester in Hampshire. He told them that the eyes of the world were upon them and that the hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere would be marching with them. He was brutally honest with those standing silently in front of him. “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.” Months of meticulous planning had gone into this day. Eisenhower affirmed those who within hours would be at the forefront of defeating the evil of Nazism. He told them that he had every confidence in their courage and their devotion to duty. He wished them, “Good luck. And let us all beseech the blessing of almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.” Eisenhower had ensured that 175 000 copies of his speech were printed in pamphlet form and distributed to every member of the Allied Forces. It became one of the notable speeches of the War. Thus began D-Day (Day-Day), a term we still use to emphasise a final deadline. Closer to home, across the Beane Valley, some will have heard the broadcast on BBC radio that morning that the Allies were landing on the beaches of Northern France. By lunchtime, every heart in every home would be filled with hope and fear in equal measure. For those who had already lost a loved one, the dread that yet more young men would not be returning home. At the end of WWII, across the Valley, twenty families were left grieving the loss of a husband, father, or boyfriend. Benington lost ten men, Walkern five, Cottered three and, Ardeley two. Those who grieved their dead withstood the worst of the cost of war. Yet no home was left untouched by the sacrifice that the war demanded. Courage, camaraderie, community, and sheer dogged determination meant that each day was a victory in terms of survival, both physically and mentally. This year is the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and is being widely commemorated, including across our own village communities. It is important to remember that this is a commemoration and not a celebration. VE Day celebrations will take place next year! For now, D-Day focuses on those brave men and women, who responded to the call of Eisenhower, Montgomery, and others for one last great push against the evils of the Nazi regime. In every house, in every village and hamlet across the Valley, people held their breath, hugged each other, said their prayers, and asked God’s blessing on those whom they knew they may never see again. Faith in God and faith in each other sustained and triumphed. D-Day proved to be the turning point that the military campaign needed. Amidst the ensuing commemorations, as we reflect on all that D-Day meant and continues to mean for us as a nation, we pray for more D-Days, in the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza, and in all parts of our world that presently rages at war. God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… As a child, in summer months, I remember going on long drives with my father and him occasionally having to pull over into a layby because visibility had become so poor as a result of insects being squashed against the windscreen. He would grumble about the plague of creepy crawlies and flying things that had meant us having to stop to wash the window because it was too unsafe to drive. I can still hear him telling me that of all the creatures on the planet the insects would outlive everything else. He believed they were indestructible. How wrong he was. Over the last twenty years, flying insects have declined by 60% in the UK. As an adult, I have never had to stop my car to clear the windscreen of dead flies. Overuse of pesticides and the loss of habitat has impacted heavily on the decline of insect life. We have yet to fully understand the consequences of climate change, but what we do know is that biodiversity is under threat and that what threatens biodiversity threatens all of us. Bugs matter. They matter because they are a primary link in helping everything else that grows to flourish. Put very simply, without bees and other insect pollinators our capacity to grow the variety of food that we do would seriously diminish. Christian teaching has always emphasised the importance of good stewardship. Almighty God has given the human race the capacity to take responsibility for good husbandry, ensuring that the planet is cared for in such a way as to be a blessing to everyone and all living things. The need to care for creation is now more than ever at the forefront of our thinking as we have come to appreciate the importance of each one of us striving to do our best to care for our planet home. Since the 1930s Britain has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows. In 2014 a UK charity that promotes wildflowers, plants and fungi, Plantlife came up with the idea of encouraging people to stop mowing their lawns throughout the month of May by way of helping to redress the balance. ‘No Mow May’ has now become a national movement with more than a million participants helping to give bees and butterflies some much-needed habitat space in backyards and front gardens. It’s a good cause that anyone with a garden can share in. Even leaving a small corner or the edges of a lawn uncut for four weeks can make a significant difference, providing a rich food source for insects. And what’s good for insects is good for us. You can find out more online at https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/ Bugs matter. Let’s do our best to look after them! God Bless Mark
