The Flying Scotsman steams through the Wiske Benefice
Benefice of the Wiske
Safeguarding
Diocese of Leeds
Picture shows gateway into St Eloy's church
Bread Making Morning
24th September. 9.30-11.30.
Great Smeaton Village Hall
A morning to learn or fine tune your bread making skill, we will be learning to make ‘Harvest rolls’ from scratch using our hands. This will be for all ages, though children will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. We will start off by looking at the ingredients and then mixing and kneading, whilst we wait for our bread to rise there will be chance to chat, have a cuppa and perhaps think about some of the issues around the Harvest and perhaps think about bread and its spiritual significance. No previous experience is needed, just the ability to knead and patience to wait for dough to rise. Once the dough is ready, we will shape the rolls and whilst they have their second rise, you will be able to take them home, cooking them in time to have lovely fresh rolls for lunch.
We will provide all the ingredients, we simply ask you to bring your own mixing bowls, baking trays, and enthusiasm. There is no charge for the morning, but we do need you to register so that we can make sure we have enough ingredients. Please book for each person coming and how many will be baking in your group.
The instructor is David, who has been baking bread on and off since he was a child and over the past 4 years has been developing his baking skills.
Places can be booked here.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bread-making-morning-tickets-403364954437
For more information contact David David.bartlett@leeds.anglican.org 01609 765323
News and Updates
Praying for our communities this year
You are invited to pray on a regular basis for the life of our villages and their churches. The following prayer is available on a card at the back of each Church, and I will use it daily as part of my own rhythm of prayer.
Loving Lord
Bless this place (name your village/community in this prayer)
Let your love be here
Fill it with your peace
Let your joy be here
Fill it with your grace
Let your light be here
Fill it with your power
Let your hope be here
Fill it with your living water
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying for each of the villages in turn around the benefice
This week
Monday Appleton Wiske
Tuesday Birkby
Wednesday Danby Wiske & Hutton Bonville
Thursday East Cowton
Friday Great Smeaton & Hornby
Saturday North Cowton
Sunday for the whole benefice.
Letter from our Clergy
September 2022
Breaking Bread
I’ve always enjoyed breadmaking and a few years ago, even before the first lockdown, I decided I would start developing my skills and make bread regularly and explore making different things as well.
The first thing I discovered was the delight of kneading, it is very therapeutic and meditative, and I have pondered many things and developed my arms. I have also had to learn to be patient, bread can’t be rushed, and in the waiting, it also can be relaxing. It also has that sense of being something very ancient.
When I was a young lad, bread was the main thing we ate (perhaps potatoes as well) Across Europe and the near east it has formed not just the been a staple of life, but also ritual and hospitality. To break bread with someone was a sign of welcome and hospitality, it was an sign of friendship as well as a generous act. In middle eastern cultures bread is seen as being sacred. Jesus even describes himself as being the Bread of Life
This harvest time we are perhaps more aware of the value of grains and bread, with the issues of Ukraine and a grain harvest at home hit by the challenges of global warming. We are reminded of the vulnerabilities of life and challenged about how we use the precious resources around us.
We break bread weekly across the benefice in the Communion Service, Jesus
invites to remember Him, but it is also an invitation to receive God’s welcome and
generosity and to share a common life with all God’s people.
As we come to celebrate Harvest you are invited to join me in making bread and perhaps find some space to think on these and other things, and if you would like to explore more of the spiritual side of life then perhaps our confirmation group would be a good place to start. You would be very welcome! Fresh bread is one of the best things to eat, but it is even better shared with others!
Blessings
David
St Peter - Birkby
Priest in Charge: Revd. David Bartlett
Church warden: Jonathan McCloy
Secretary: Margaret Owens
Treasurer:
The Church is open several times a week.
Services are usually held twice a month,
on 2nd and 4th Sundays in the month.
2nd Sunday - Holy Communion -9.00am
4th Sunday - Morning Prayer - 9.00am
We usually follow the Book of Common Prayer
Church Information
The 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.
