The Flying Scotsman steams through the Wiske Benefice
Benefice of the Wiske
Safeguarding
Diocese of Leeds
News and Updates
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Youth Group raises £200 with Advent Sleepout Challenge
This Advent the Youth Group raised £200 in aid of the homeless. 10 youngsters and 3 youth group leaders slept all night in the Church. The money raised directly goes to the Church Urban fund .
Bible Study a route to Get Closer to the Lord
God knows our desire to be known and to be loved! He made us for companionship. Join the Bible Study Group 10:30 on Thursday morning fortnightly at All Saints Annexe. Read Bible passages with friends about friendship and how if chosen right, our friends can be the greatest source of love, healing, joy, and encouragement. We study different themes within the bible and enjoy each others fellowship.
"On Tuesday this week the Prime Minister announced that places of worship can open for worship from 4 July provided serious attention is paid to hygiene and protecting people from the transmission of infection. The announcement was made without the guidance or detail having been addressed or prepared. So, what I write here is provisional, dependent on guidance that will (hopefully) follow in the next few days. In order to keep sources of guidance within the diocese as simple and clear as possible, further guidance will come from the Diocesan Secretary, having worked with the Emergence Group.
Three cautions before we proceed: (a) protection of others must continue to have priority (so, it isn’t simply about the exercise of ‘my’ rights); (b) the government is moving from legislation to guidance, leaving much to ‘local’ discretion; (c) permission is not the same as obligation (i.e. ‘can’ does not mean ‘must’)."
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So writes Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds.
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What does that all mean in the Wiske Benefice?
We are slowly trying to make each of our churches 'Covid Safe', so the church is probably going to look different inside. At the moment we are concentrating on opening for PRIVATE PRAYER. This means that although the church door may be open, we must not immediately go back to regular services with hymns and communion.
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All Saints' at East Cowton
Will open the church doors for Private Prayer on Sundays only.
Starting from Sunday 5th July. 10am until 4pm.
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Notices will be displayed instructing visitors what to do.
1. Use the hand sanitiser on entry and again on exit.
2. Remember to keep social - distancing, using only the open pews.
3. Maximum of 10 people in church at any time.
4. Please do not enter if you have symptoms.
5. If symptoms develop after a visit, please contact the churchwarden.
6. Annexe and its facilities will remain locked and car park closed.
7. Those shielding are requested not to enter until their advice changes.
St Mary's Appleton Wiske
Open daily between 8am to 4pm.
Please use hand sanitiser provided, and follow instructions displayed.
St Eloy's, Great Smeaton
Working towards achieving Covid-safety.
St Peter's, Birkby
Working towards achieving Covid-safety.
Danby Wiske Parish Church
Working towards achieving Covid-safety.
Whilst there are no public services in the benefice, There are still several options to join in worship.
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Revd Lynn Thorius runs a short Zoom 'service' each Sunday at 10am. and which is becoming more and more popular.
To join in use the link below or email Lynn for an invitation, which includes an Order of Service.
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Link to join Revd Lynn's Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4969969066?pwd=a2JmeEV1NVJRcWJTbCtEemJrQ0VSZz09
Meeting ID: 496 996 9066
Password: 4bZ90p
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Leeds diocese and the C of E nationally, have many on-line services for us to join in with.
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https://www.leeds.anglican.org/covid-19/live-streaming
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https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online
The BBC is also broadcasting various church services on television.
Do not underestimate the power of prayer and remember that our clergy will continue their regular daily prayers for us all. So that we can join them – in spirit only – I have listed the Sunday readings in the Services section
Do keep safe
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You can read the Archbishops' letters and Bishop Nick's letters on the Coronavirus page of this website
LETTER FROM OUR CLERGY
July 2020
'They return ‘home’, but discover that ‘home’ is no longer what they remembered.’
‘These have been strange and unsettling times, where much of what brought us comfort and security has been disturbed and disrupted. But whilst this is new for many of us, it is not new for the people of God. The creation narratives in Genesis speak of order being brought out of chaos. The Exodus has a people’s settled world being ruptured and them being driven out of the familiar into the strangeness of a desert where they had to lose before they could gain – to lament the loss of a world before being in a position to re-orientate towards a different future in a different place. Later the people are exiled not once but twice from the land of promise take time to live with their loss, learning to settle in a strange land and then, generations later, having to leave again. They return ‘home’, but discover that home is no longer what they remembered.’ Rt Rev Bishop Nick Baines.
I am writing this on the 15 June 2020 on the day when churches may open if they are ready and safe. There are many precautions to be put in place before they can open and indeed some churches may not open because they are unable to meet the safety regulations. So, as the country begins to emerge from lockdown we need to remember that many of the measures brought in could be with us for some time. It would be unrealistic and dangerous to expect an overnight return to normal.
I have seen many a positive outcome of the lockdown. The ingenuity and continuing effort of people in our communities. People have been diligent about contacting neighbours to check on their health and how are they coping. Helping with shopping, collecting prescriptions and so much more.
Where do we go from here? How can we build on this increased sense of connection and how can we maintain it? That is the challenge ahead.
Revd. Lynn Thorius
OPEN the BOOK
This project offers primary school children an opportunity to hear the major stories of the Bible, presented chronologically or thematically, during the school year.
It is given by a team of Christians from the benefice, who present the stories during assembly or collective worship. We have a team of 10 volunteers for our first project which will began in September 2019 at Great Smeaton Primary School.
Benefice of the Wiske is a group of 5 churches, located in the NE corner of the Diocese of Leeds. Our Benefice comprises several small villages and hamlets near the River Wiske which are largely rural in character, but are also commuter villages, as agriculture, though still important, no longer employs many people and most work in Northallerton, Darlington or Teesside. The population has a high percentage of retired people. There is a Church of England (VC) Primary School in East Cowton and primary schools in Great Smeaton, North Cowton and Appleton Wiske. A Youth Group meets every other Friday during term time at All Saints. The Benefice has a Priest in Charge, supported by retired priests and lay readers.
Church Information
Services Schedule
Revd. Lynn will be zooming a Communion service every Sunday at 10.00am. Please contact her if you would like to join (details at bottom of page)
5th July
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All services in Churches are
cancelled
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Readings for 4th Sunday after Trinity
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Psalm:
45 v 10 - end
Old testament:
Genesis 24 v 34 - 38, 42 - 49, 58 - end
Epistle:
Romans 7 v 15 - 25a
Gospel:
Matthew 11 v 16 -19, 25 - end
12th July
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All services in Churches are
cancelled
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Readings for 5th
Sunday after Trinity
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Psalm:
119 v 105 - 112
Old testament:
Genesis 25 v 19 - end
Epistle:
Romans 8 v 1 - 11
Gospel:
Matthew 13 v 1 - 9, 18 - 23
19th July
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All services in Churches are
cancelled
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Readings for
6th after Trinity
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Psalm:
139 v 1 - 11, 23 - 24
Old testament:
Genesis 28 v 10 - 19a
Epistle:
Romans 8 v 12 - 25
Gospel:
Matthew 13 v 24 - 30, 36 - 43
26th July
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All services in Churches are
cancelled
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Readings for 7th after Trinity
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Psalm:
105 v 1 - 11. 45b
Old testament:
Genesis 29 v 15 - 28
Epistle:
Romans 8 v
26 - end
Gospel:
Matthew 13 v 31 - 33, 44 - 52
"And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time"
Jesus Christ
Contact Us
Revd. Lynn Thorius
Benefice of the Wiske
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01609 881451