Ab Kettleby and Holwell with Asfordby
St. James, Ab Kettleby; St. Leonard, Holwell; All Saints, Asfordby
Parish Priest: Rev Sue Paterson,
2 Church Lane,
Asfordby,
Melton Mowbray,
LE14 3RU.
Tel: 01664 813184
Reader: Roy Holland,
15 Belvoir Avenue,
Ab Kettleby,
Melton Mowbray,
LE14 3HP.
Tel: 01664 822180
Ab Kettleby and Holwell with Asfordby
Asfordby
Every Sunday at 10.30am:
1st Sunday - Family Service, lasting around 45 minutes. Holy chaos!
2nd Sunday - Holy Communion. Lots for the congregation to sing, lasting an hour.
3rd Sunday - Family Communion: the children are invited to leave the church for Sunday Club during the first half of the service and return for a blessing at the communion rail. Our church encourages children to learn about this, and we are looking forward to them reaching an age when they can be prepared to receive communion themselves, at around 5-6 years of age. Sunday Club involves hearing stories, making things - and (most importantly) learning to pray! The whole service lasts around 1 hour or less...
We also do baptisms by arrangement 3.00pm on this Sunday: contact Mrs Viv James (01664 812636) to make a provisional booking. See below for more details.
4th Sunday - Methodist service. Please contact Rev Andrew Barker for further details: telephone 0115 981 9619.
4th Sunday NEW SERVICE: 8.30am Celtic Morning Prayer
In addition to the above Methodist service, we now have an earlier service lasting approximately 40 minutes. Come to a peaceful reflective time, with candles, gentle hymns and no sermon (!) - followed by coffee
5th Sunday - United Benefice Service. See church porch for details of venue and time.
Midweek services
Every Thursday - BCP Communion 9.30am
1st Thursday - Contemplative Prayer Group 8.00pm
Baptisms and Weddings
Baptisms take place on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 3.00pm. While you can make a provisional booking by phoning our Warden, Viv James (01664 812636), the baptism is only confirmed when you attend a baptism preparation session. You will be offered a range of possible dates: as well as helping you to understand what you are committing yourself to, you may well meet other parents who will be sharing the day with you. NB The maximum number of baptism families per service is 2. You are welcome to bring godparents to the baptism preparation session, but this is optional. You may have up to 3 godparents, who must be aged over 16 and have been baptised themselves.
Weddings can take place on almost any Friday or Saturday of the year, or other days by arrangement. We prefer to avoid Sundays due to staffing difficulties when there are also regular services happening. For information about whether you can have a church wedding at Asfordby (or Holwell), have a look at the website:
www.yourchurchwedding.org which also contains details of how to plan your service, suitable music and readings. Enquiries about remarriage following divorce are welcome: contact the Vicar to book an appointment for a chat.
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MEN'S BREAKFAST AT ASFORDBY CHURCH
We have a monthly Men's Breakfast the first Saturday of the month from 9.00-10.30am. Come along and sample a good old fry-up. There is an upper-age limit on this group of around 50 years old, so this is designed for you younger folk! Though of course, if you can kid us you are less old than you look come along and try us out! Admission is free, though we will ask for donations at the end.
There will often be a visiting speaker and we guarantee a topic of interest as well as great company!
Next Meeting: Saturday 4th February
Discussion topic to be arranged
Recent events
Ab Kettleby meets the BBC!
We had an exciting (and freezing!) time recording our carol service for The One Show in December, with the help of the choir and director of music from St Mary's Melton Mowbray. A whole day of suffering produced 4.5 minutes of television, featuring (as you can see) hard hats and winter coats. The hats were essential as the church plaster tends to fall off around the cracked areas of the building - adding an interesting element of danger to the proceedings. We were beguiled by the friendliness of the production team, especially the presenter, Carrie Grant, and therefore were somewhat disappointed when powers on high (no, not God!!) decreed that the focus would be the closure of our lovely church. WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT ABOUT TO CLOSE!!! On the contrary, we have now reopened the church for a monthly service on the first Sunday of the month at 8.30am in the chancel. Our first service of 2012 took place with a bumper number of attendees and a new member - Freddy the border collie pup. We look forward to much more worship and to the repairwork starting in the spring. However, we still need to raise around £60,000, so please keep supporting us, by your prayers, your participation in our events and (where possible!) your money! Any new ideas for fundraising are very welcome - just contact Rev Sue on 01664 813184.
24-7 prayer week
27th November - 4th December
Close on 50 people took part in the 24-7 prayer week marking the beginning of Advent, which was held in Asfordby's prayer room in the chancel. Once again, the atmosphere was amazing, especially at night. We had several newcomers to 24-7, who were enthusiastic and have immediately asked when it will be happening again! The closing service was well-attended, and we were grateful to Bishop Tim for coming to preach.
NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS *** NEWS
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SUPPER WITH GOD (SWIG!)
A new SWIG group has been launched! Come along and enjoy puddings and wine, followed by some talk about life, the universe and everything, with a look at where/how God fits into all this.
This is a group designed especially for agnostics and/or atheists, or simply those who have faith but no wish to attend church regularly. Where else are you going to be able to ask all those questions and discuss all those serious issues among friends? The venue is 9 Whitlock Way, the next date is soon to be announced. Phone Rev Sue (813184) if you intend to come - it helps with the catering to know approximate numbers!
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Outreach activities in Asfordby:
1st Saturday - Men's Breakfast 9.00-10.30am at the back of All Saints' Church. Admission free, donations welcome
Mondays - bellringing practice 7.30 - 9.00pm. We are a relatively new group and new learners are always welcome. Our youngest ringer is 12, and our oldest - well, that would be the Vicar at 53!
Mondays and Wednesdays - Parent and Toddler groups 10.00 - 11.30am. Come and see - all sorts of toys and activities, a welcoming place for both toddlers and their carers.
Tuesdays - Coffee Club 9.15-10.15am. This group now meets regularly in Bradgate Flats, opposite the Co-op at the bottom of Bradgate Lane. For a mere £1 you can enjoy a tea, coffee, biscuits and fellowship. And if you bring an item of grocery - anything from a tin of peas to a bottle of sherry (we wish!!) - you can take part in the grocery raffle!
Ab Kettleby
Regular services currently take place in the Methodist Chapel as follows:
1st Sunday Holy Communion 8.30am
4th Sunday (alternating with Methodists) 10.30am Morning Prayer
An ongoing mission of St James' Church is the restoration of the building. For current details visit their website:
Holwell
Regular services:
All services take place at 6.00pm
1st Sunday Family Service - an informal service with favourite songs and a child-friendly story and a messy activity! In summer months we will have tea outside on the green beforehand!
2nd Sunday Book of Common Prayer Evensong. Everyone welcome - some people even bring their dogs....
3rd Sunday Holy Communion - a modern service of communion with hymns
4th Sunday As 2nd Sunday above, BCP evensong. That dog will probably be in the congregation again...
HOLWELL NEWS
Looking back....
Pet Service ~ Sunday 5th December at 6.00pm.
Although the difficult weather conditions meant that attendance was less than expected, we had a lot of fun with an assortment of dogs and a rather anxious-looking rabbit! We are hoping to run a similar event in the summer, when the whole service can be concluded with a picnic on the village green. Many thanks to all who braved the snow and ice to bring their pets along!
Ongoing....
Hedge Project
We launched our hedge project back in December, when the entire village was invited to hear about our plans to tame the churchyard and open it up more to the wider community by cutting back the hedges, removing the brambles and seeding the whole area with grass to provide a pleasant vista. We are also preparing to put a new bench in, and you can see the result so far, with the gravelled steps and pathway leading to where it will be.
We look forward to having a proper celebration event when the grass has had time to grow and the bench is actually in situ!
Up and Coming Mission Events:
Men's Breakfast See details above, 1st Saturday of the month, 9.00-10.30am at Asfordby.
Bible Study sessions continue on the 1st Thursday of the month at Asfordby.
ARCHIVE NEWS:
WINTER WONDERLAND
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th November
Festive displays, collages, trees, pictures....You name it, someone will have made it a part of their take on Winter and what it means to them. Plus tempting food, music and good company in a cosy setting at Asfordby Church.
Concluding with our....
CHRISTINGLE SERVICE
at 5.30pm on Sunday 27th
(You know - the orange with the candle and the sweets... Come and find out what it is really all about!)
NB Normal services are not happening over this weekend but will be resumed the following week.
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GIFT DAY AT ASFORDBY
SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER
Thank you to all who so generously donated to our roof appeal on Gift Day!
We raised just over £1,200 (including Gift Aid)!!!
Only £18,800 to go....
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Sunday 30th October (All Souls Day) ~ 6.00pm
"In God's Hands" - a service of remembrance for our loved ones.
Come and light a candle to remember someone dear to you. An uplifting service both for the newly bereaved and those whose loss is less recent. All candles provided, and the service lasts approx 45 minutes.
This service went really well, and there were many positive comments from those who attended. Special thanks to Edward for stepping in and playing the organ!
Tuesday 1st November - All Saints' Day - at 7.30pm
Choral Evensong with the choir of St Mary's, Melton Mowbray. Guest preacher: Rt Revd Christopher Boyle, Assistant Bishop of Leicester.
Do come and share our patronal celebrations!...
....And you did! It was great to have so many there, and Bishop Christopher spoke encouragingly to us all. The refreshments afetrwards were also a good social event. We are now looking forward to having +Christopher as our guest celebrant at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve! (He seems to like us....)
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Special welcome to the Asfordby Rainbows, who visited church for the first time for Harvest Festival!
NB If you have a daughter who would like to join Rainbows, contact Revd Sue (01664 813184) for further details of meetings and group leaders.
THIS IS A BRAND NEW GROUP, AND ALL ARE WELCOME
Treasure Hunt
We are grateful to Simon Wright for devising the treasure hunt that took place on Sunday 14th September. 8 carloads of people undertook the trail, which began at Asfordby and took us all over the countryside as far as Launde before meandering gently back to the Horseshoes pub for a refreshing drink. An additional challenge was to bring back 3 items: something gold, something with writing on, and something connected with pirates! It was all great fun and raised £90 for church roof funds. Special thanks are due to Paul Hack for opening up the pub for us, and to the assorted prize donors. Prizes ranged from a meal for two at the Empress of India to an Ordinance Survey map. The proud winners were Charles and Susan Paterson, and anyone shouting "Fix!" should be ashamed of themselves...!
A further treasure hunt, this time on foot round the village, is planned for the autumn.
Asfordby Art Exhibition
This took place on the weekend of Friday 5th - Saturday 6th August, thanks to the hard work of Gill Stubbs and many of her friends who provided the artwork. Asfordby kept up its proud and noble tradition of serving excellent lunches and teas throughout the event, which, along with a raffle, raised approximately £600 for church funds. The variety of top class artwork was astonishing: perhaps we should market the event in future as "Asfordby's Got Talent"!!
GREAT NEWS!!
Following our recent day of prayer to discern God's will for the mission of our church, we have been offered a generous loan (anonymously) which will enable us to replace our old wooden chairs with more suitable chairs. The loan will be repaid as and when individuals purchase chairs in memory of loved ones. Look out for more details as we decide on colours, styles and manufacturers! The likely cost per chair is around £30: do you know anyone who would be interested in having a loved one commemorated in this way? Contact Rev Sue for further details.
We are extremely grateful to our anonymous lender!!!
NEWS WE COULD DO WITHOUT
Sadly, we have to report that lead thieves have struck twice in our benefice, once at Ab Kettleby shortly before Easter, and once at Asfordby within the last few days. In each case a substantial amount of lead was taken, even though it was marked with Smartwater. The thieves at Ab Kettleby drove across a field and carried the lead over a stile, thus proving that lack of vehicular access is no deterrent, while at Asfordby they operated with impunity amidst houses, without anyone seeing a thing. This means, of course, that the insurance premiums will go up, and that if further events occur we won't be covered by the same level of insurance. It may also mean that we have to allocate money we don't really have to acquiring some sort of roof alarm. In the case of Ab Kettleby, the Restoration Committee who work so hard have had a real body blow, just as we were looking forward to the progress of the rebuilding project.
Despite all this, there is a real sense of congregations being strengthened and commitment intensifying. The work of the Kingdom will go ahead. God is good.
Rev Sue
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Music for a Summer's Evening
at 7.30pm on Friday 10th June
featuring the 8-voice choir
Mosaic
who brought you "Over the Rainbow" on Valentine's Day earlier this year
Light summery music, a glass of wine and the idyllic surroundings of All Saints by the river......Who could want more? All for £5.00 including wine and strawberries. Proceeds in aid of All Saints' Church. Further details from Rev Sue (813184) or Viv James (812636)
NB THIS WAS GREAT! WE ALL HOPE THEY COME AGAIN!
Over the Rainbow
A sizeable crowd gathered for our Valentine's Day concert "Over the Rainbow" to find the church decked out with rainbow coloured ribbons and be given a rainbow coloured programme for the evening. The performers were Mosaic, a new choir of only 8 voices - but what fine voices they were! Led by Jeremy Leaman from the Cecilian Singers, most of them already sing in leading chamber choirs in the Midlands, but as a small ensemble their voices blended perfectly as they entertained us to a whole medley of familiar songs, from A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square to Rutter's jaunty It was a Lover and his Lass. We were by turns nostalgic (Blue Skies, Somewhere over the Rainbow, Miss Otis Regrets) and made to smile (The Goslings - a song of love cut short by the farmer's wife!), while numbers such as Stanford's Blue Bird were simply exquisite. The songs were interspersed with readings, some humorous, others simply thought-provoking. A glass or two of wine, with some tasty nibbles, during the interval completed our enjoyment of the evening, leaving us with only one question: how soon can Mosaic come again?
Winter Wonderland
We had a fantastic time organising our Winter Wonderland exhibition on 20th -21st November. The church was packed with fascinating displays as different community groups gave their interpretation of what winter meant to them. We had wonderful penguins from Ab Kettleby School, knitted carol singers (complete with trays of mince pies) from Bradgate Flats, crib scenes carved inside a fruit, frozen ponds, gorgeous floral displays, themed Christmas trees.....There were many more items - these are just the ones that specially grabbed me! Plus we did a roaring trade in soup and cakes. Father Christmas sneaked in on both days, to the delight of the children. The Prayer Square was transferred to the chancel, where it made for a splendid quiet place for prayer and contemplation, and we rounded the whole event off with a Songs of Praise service on Sunday evening.
To our delight, many people asked if they could contribute next year to a repeat of the event, so it looks as though this may well become an annual event. It certainly brought the local community together, as well as raising some money for the church. This latter was a bonus: we were not aiming to make any profit, but just to show Asfordby and surrounding places having fun - hence we did not charge any admission.
Thanks go to all who supported the weekend, both by preparing, stewarding, cooking, exhibiting, and simply by coming along on the day. If you would like to be involved next year, contact the organisers Kate Doughty (01664 812744) or Alma Osbourne (01664 812131) - or email via this website!
Organ Recital
Folllowing the recent repair work on our organ, we celebrated by inviting Ron Berry, a local organist, to come and give a recital and show off the new action of the instrument. As ever, we got the catering squad to rustle up a substantial buffet and then sat down to enjoy a splendid and varied recital. Bach, Guilmant, Thalben Ball and Nigel Ogden were among the contrasting composers featured, and we finished with a rousing encore of the Dambusters' March.
Since this was a celebration rather than a fundraising event, we had not charged for tickets. It was therefore all the more splendid that the retiring collection raised in excess of £113, with a further £60 being donated anonymously the following Sunday by someone who could not attend on the night. God is good!
Open Church
All Saints Asfordby is now open every afternoon from 2.00pm - 4.00pm for private prayer and use of our new Prayer Square. Come on in and relax - make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, play some music, light a candle, pray through drawing, meditating, writing...chill out with God. Life is too busy, so equip yourself spiritually by tuning in to what God is trying to tell you. You might be surprised at the result.
Confirmation Service
The Confirmation service was conducted by Bishop Christopher on Thursday 22nd April at 7.30pm. What a brilliant occasion! We baptised Calum Brown and then confirmed him along with Alison Halliday and Ben Fotheringham (Asfordby), Diana Steele and Juliet Boardman (Ab Kettleby) and Maria Penfold (Wymondham). I say "we", but actually I mean Bishop Christopher, the Assistant Bishop of Leicester, who officiated in style. This was also the anniversary of Bishop Christopher's consecration, and we were privileged to share it with him. Everyone agreed he was charming and took him to their hearts. By the end of the evening he had spoken to everyone in church, remembering most of their names from his last visit. Pretty impressive when you realise how many parishes he visits on his duties! He preached about the four things we should remember: to look to Jesus, to listen to Jesus, to learn from Jesus and to become like Jesus. This is clearly something that he does in his own ministry, and I was left dreaming of what a wonderful world we would inhabit if Christians followed these simple rules.
As ever, our busy squad of hospitality ministers produced an impressive array of refreshments and since the atmosphere was one of happiness and and sparkle, nobody wanted to go home. But what a shame that I forgot to bring a camera. Watch this space, in case someone else has some good pictures of the event to share online!
New 100-500 Club launch!
We have now launched the Asfordby 100-500 Club prize draw, with monthly prizes of £50, £25 and £10. It's not too late to sign up - contact Derick Doughty at 21 Townsend Close for an application form. At only £1.00 per month it's an easy way to support your local church. Draws will take place at The Crown Inn on the last Sunday of the month, or, if at other social events, at venues that will be publicised on the village notice boards.
Farewell service for John Perrin
Our Reader, John Perrin, will sadly be leaving us to move to Sark and new ministry there. He has been a faithful servant of the church here for the last 5-6 years and will be greatly missed. His farewell service will be at Asfordby on Sunday 24th January at 6.00pm, followed by a presentation and party. Do come and join us as we send him on his way!
Visit of Bishop Christopher to Asfordby
Bishop Christopher Boyle, the Assistant Bishop of Leicester, will be joining us for our Christingle service on Sunday 31st January at 10.30am. We expect a lot of fun as we try to juggle mitres and Christingles all at the same time...As ever, there will be a party afterwards.
Baptism Reunion Celebration
The families who have had baptisms over the last year have been invited to return to celebrate their children's baptism at a special baptism reunion service. There will be balloons, a baptism cake, presents for the children...all happening on 31st January at Asfordby, starting at 10.30am. For those who don't know, 31st January is the day when we also celebrate Candlemas, the presentation of our Lord in the Temple. It seems fitting to present these little ones who have so recently begun their faith journeys. And of course, it's a good excuse for yet another party!
Saints Be Praised!
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend 2009, Asfordby Church opened its doors to visitors for a Flower Festival on the theme of "Saints Be Praised!". Thanks to the efforts of Viv James, who co-ordinated the event, and numerous flower arrangers, including the Melton Mowbray Flower Guild, there were displays of flowers depicting a whole host of saints, both famous and lesser known. In addition, the ladies of the parish provided a constant stream of cakes and drinks and lunchtime sandwiches, all of which were eagerly consumed in the dining area at the rear of the church. An amazingly well-stocked plant stall was situated in the Rectory garden, and thanks are due to the many people and garden centres who supplied a wide variety of plants. As a fund raising venture it raised over £1,600 (plus Gift Aid) - largely due to the generosity of sponsors who paid for the flowers, giving us a level playing field when the festival opened. A cheese and wine preview evening with organ recital by Ron Berry launched us on our way, and the worship at Sunday's Songs of Praise raised the roof.
The slide show below shows some of the gorgeous displays and some of the many visitors.