Covid-19 Latest Diocesan Advice A New Mission and Ministry for Medstead and Four Marks Medstead & Four Marks Finances Proposed structure of the single PCC for Medstead & Four Marks
We’d like to welcome you most warmly to this your church website. During this time of pandemic, our usual pattern of Sunday services and other mid-week gatherings have changed. The four churches are not currently open for private prayer. However, this will be reviewed as lockdown arrangements change during the pandemic. On the 12th January 2021, after 41 years of ordained ministry, Canon Ed retired. This means that the benefice is in interregnum. The Churchwardens are now responsible for the day to day care of the churches under the guidance of the Area Dean, the Rev'd Brian Pritchard. For enquiries about Baptisms or Weddings, please contact our Administrator for these - Ingrid Owen-Jones: blmsbenefice@gmail.com.
To find out all the latest news on this website, click on SERVICES and then FORTHCOMING SERVICES. There you will find details concerning when services will be conducted along with all sorts of bits and pieces of news, prayers and video etc.
For the weekly PEWSHEET, please click on SERVICES and find it there. You can also read recent sermons.
If you would like to share in a service of Holy Communion, please click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwsgeTv-CNI
For a link to the Church of England's online services go here: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online?mc_cid=445ee64bca&mc_eid=1da1a008e5
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A Benefice of four Churches: St Mary’s Bentworth, St Mary’s Lasham, St Andrew’s Medstead and St Peter and St Paul in Shalden.
Despite the concern we all have with the pandemic of Coronavirus, on Sundays, we want to offer pastoral and spiritual care and prayer for all ages and backgrounds during this challenging time. Whether you are visiting us from another church, or even coming a church website for the first time, you are very welcome.
All of these churches seek to provide a welcoming space in which we can serve our communities and enable everyone, of all ages, to draw closer to God. Proclaiming and worshipping God lies at the heart of what we do. As a group of parishes, we normally work together on social events, and we normally worship together when there is a fifth Sunday of the month. When we come together as a group, there is usually food and drink involved at some point!
However, our normal way of doing church has had to change for a while. During this time we continue to seek to be an active Christian presence in our communities, our Church schools, community events and anywhere that we are still able to contact by email, video or by telephone.
We welcome you in God’s name to our website and hope that it will both give you an insight into what we do but also inspire you to come and join us in due course. We can guarantee you the warmest of welcomes.
The Benefice has its own monthly community magazine called The Villager, and you can download the latest version below.
A Prayer during an Interregnum
Dear God, your love for us is unchangeable.
You have welcomed each of us into the family of your Church; in Jesus, you call us to be His Body in this place.
Send down your Holy Spirit upon us at this time of uncertainty and change,
to fill us with vision and energy and faithfulness in prayer, that we may be true to our common Baptism,
and bring new life to our Benefice and Parish communities.
Guide with your heavenly wisdom those appointed to discern the way ahead and a new Incumbent for this Parish, that we may receive the priest you have prepared for your people: ready to serve us with joy, to build us up in faith, and lead us by example in loving obedience to your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
AMEN
A PRAYER
I come to you God and I place before you my dreams,
My hurts and fears, my failures and my doubts,
I lay them down at your feet, where I know they are held.
It may look foolish to the world, it may not make much sense,
But I know the bigger story, I know what’s to come.
In this world of fear, I choose hope,
In this world of anger, I choose forgiveness,
In this world of exclusion, I choose love,
In this world of distraction, I choose you.
Remind me of your truth Lord, especially in the waiting,
When times are hard and I’m struggling to hear your voice.
Fill me afresh with your presence, remind me of your great plan,
And let the truth sink in that I need only you.
Amen.
