A message from our new curate!
Our new Curate the Reverend Coelette Parkes has asked me to publish this thank you letter:
Dear friends, I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone across the seven villages within this Benefice. You have given my family and me such a warm welcome! I am deeply touched by your kindness and your love as you welcomed us on my first Sunday and will truly treasure that for the rest of my life. The welcome service was beautifully put together and I would like to thank the Churchwardens at St Mary’s for ensuring the smooth running of things before and after the service. Thank you to the Choir and those who led our worship in music and song. Thank you to the Ministry Team & Churchwardens who welcomed me and blessed me with two generous presents. The church looked so beautiful with the flowers & I want to thank the flower arrangers as well as the bell ringers who contributed to bringing glory to our Father in Heaven. Your hospitality after the church service was remarkable and I want to thank everyone who helped with the catering, decorating and organising of the lunch afterwards in the hall. It was delicious and my family and I felt so loved and welcomed. I also want to take the opportunity to thank Revd Nick and his wife Kath for their love and kindness. It is very much appreciated! I am truly blessed to serve alongside Revd Nick within this Benefice. I am excited to be part of this Church family of believers and I thank those who have prayed for me and my family. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as we also pray for you. I am very aware of the fact that I do not know everyone yet, so if I have missed thanking you, please forgive me! I pray for God’s richest blessing on you all. Coelette.
Refreshing our diocesan vision together.
How are you living and telling the story of Jesus where you are? Between now and the end of April we want to hear from people across Bath and Wells as we seek refresh and develop our vision to help us look towards the future with confidence and joy. Follow the link below to find out more about how people across the diocese are living and telling the story of Jesus.
https://www.bathandwells.org.uk/vision
Everyday Faith Event 2023
“Everyone, Everywhere Growing in Faith” takes place from 29th January until 4th February 2023. You can sign up to join the online launch service. receive the daily videos and resources, as well as let us know which in-person Archdeaconry gathering you will be attending on February 4th. The 6 week small group and youth material is now available to download here:
https://www.bathandwells.org.uk/faith/everyday-faith/everyday-faith-event/
Please do share widely and encourage others to sign up as we seek to encourage “Everyone , Everywhere to Grow in Faith”
You can read all about this years event in the January edition of Manna
A New Bishop
The new Bishop of Bath and Wells will be installed on November 12th 2022 at 3.00pm.
The installation of the Rt Revd Michael Beasley, 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells will be live streamed to the Bath and Wells Facebook Page.
Local News
On Sunday 31st July, the Ham Hill Villages Benefice enjoyed its usual 5th Sunday service, this time in the beautiful St Peter & St Paul’s church, Odcombe, but this service was especially special, a really joyous celebration of our wonderful Readers’ Ministry in the Benefice as we welcomed Dr Ruth Briggs to our community, from Birmingham Diocese, and presented her with her licence to minister within the Benefice and across the Bath & Wells Diocese.
It was so uplifting to see 80 plus members of all seven congregations coming together in united worship and impressive singing! Readers were very much to the fore throughout the service with Chris Stock leading, Colleen Jerrold and David Mangles reading, Susan Laycock intercessing and Ruth, herself, preaching. We did allow our Rector, Revd Nick Clarke, to process in with the Readers and then celebrate the Eucharist, but that was his sole participation – so almost giving him a well-earned ‘Sunday off’ – and the only part of the service not conducted by a Reader!
Just as encouraging was having time to socialise and catch up with friends from across the Benefice and further afield, after over two years of Covid isolation.
Thanks be to God for a very special occasion.
See more photographs in the Gallery
For all enquiries about Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals please contact revnickclarke@gmail.com – 07485789968
This benefice is a group of seven parishes, located around the famous Ham Hill, just south-west of Yeovil in South Somerset.
The churches include some 160 regular worshippers who are committed to serve God and their communities.
We are part of The Church of England
within the Diocese of Bath and Wells
‘I have come that they may have life in all its fullness’ (John 10 )
SERVICES
When and where, learn more about us and the types of services we offer across the benefice
EVENTS
Meetings, Groups and activities, find out what’s going on across the Benefice on our Events Page
GET IN TOUCH
We would love to hear from you. Please contact us via the details on the Who’s Who page