Introducing Hephzibah:

Hello! My name is Hephzibah, and I live in the Stour Vale Benefice, which is a friendliness of villages between Shaftesbury and Gillingham in Dorset. Alright, I know that it’s not called a ‘friendliness’ of villages, but I think it should be. It’s a lovely place to live. All the neighbourhood children are really kind to me. Even the adults smile when they see me and are always welcoming!

My name mean’s ‘Loved by God,’ which makes me feel very special. Of course, everyone is loved by God, so we could all be called ‘Hephzibah’, but that would be very confusing!

I have lots of adventures at the events organised by the churches in the Benefice, so I’ll share those with you. Watch this space! #adventuresofhephzibah

Love Hephzibah x

Hephzibah at Service in the Pub 18th October 2024

(Hephzibah) enjoyed Service in the Pub in The Ship in West Stour yesterday!

We talked about Halloween, which was a bit scary, but we also remembered that Jesus has triumphed over evil, so we don't have to be afraid, we just have to trust in him.

We drank excellent coffee (some people had sherry as well!), sang 'To Be A Pilgrim' and 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and chatted in the bar afterwards. Liz let me try her tomato juice, but I preferred the beer.... #adventuresofhephzibah

(see photos below on the attachement Hephzibah at the Service in a Pub Oct 2024)

Hephzibah at East Stour Harvest Festival 20th October 2024

I (Hephzibah) went to the East Stour Harvest Festival on Sunday. My good friend, Richard, was there to welcome everyone, as usual! (See photo Hephzibah at ES Harvest Festival below.) The church had been decorated by some very creative people, and looked amazing. The service was fun, with all the traditional Harvest Hymns and afterwards we had a delicious Soup and Pudding lunch. Parsnip and Apple soup is my new favourite! #adventuresofhephzibah

Hephzibah at the Light Party 30th October 2024

I (Hephzibah) had SO MUCH FUN at the Light Party for Halloween on Wednesday. There were games, competitions, crafts and hot chocolate with all the extras you could want! The church looked amazing and I made some lovely new friends. I enjoyed icing my fairy cake, making a teacake spider and writing a prayer on a leaf. I wasn’t very good at Spider Splat or Pumpkin Toss. Lots of people scored much higher than me, and I decided not to get my face painted. It takes ages to get out of my fur! But my favourite thing was making and decorating a tea light holder from air drying clay. There were lots of other things to do as well! A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who worked hard to create the crafts and games, decorate the church and prepare the refreshments. I can’t wait for next year! #adventuresofhephzibah

(You can see photos of our fun evening by looking at the attachements Hep Light Party Group 1 & 2 below.)