Notes from around the Parishes, February 2017

For Great Massingham, Harpley & Little Massingham

The Hope of Spring and the Generosity at the Heart of Community.

What a joy it is to see snowdrops, fair maids of February, pushing up
through the dark earth, heralding the hope of Spring. I love
snowdrops; when my son Luke was born a friend gave me a little
bunch of snowdrops, the first flowers of the New Year.
As I write, we are still in the Church Season of Epiphany, when we
celebrate Baby Jesus, the Christ-child, being revealed to all nations, as
symbolised by the Three Wise Men paying homage, having journeyed from distant
lands. Does this evoke in us any thoughts of todays world? Many people are still
undertaking long, perilous journeys to find hope for their future. At the end of January
we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day genocide is still present in our broken
world.
We really need the light and hope of the Christ-child in our hearts at the moment. Many
of you will have already heard about the theft of lead from the roof of St. Andrews
Church, Little Massingham the third time it has happened there. Several of the
churches in our Benefice, especially in isolated locations, have been targeted. Some
people think that this is a victimless crime. They couldnt be more wrong. The whole
community is affected, churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike.
It is a time to come together in mutual support and fellowship. We have a duty of care
as custodians of our magnificent medieval churches in Norfolk there is a higher density
of such churches, per head of the population, than anywhere else in the world; about 670
churches in total. Wherever you look youll see a church tower beckoning you across
the countryside.
What do our churches mean to us? Many people value their architecture, their
beauty and heritage. Others appreciate their special atmosphere, their stillness and
tranquility where, over the centuries, Christians have joined together to worship
God: thin places where heaven and earth meet.
However, the church building is only part of it - its the people who complete and
make the church, both in the wider community and the worshipping congregation,
who offer hospitality and gifts in kind, who provide sanctuary, who look after both
one another and the fabric of the building.
We have been given a huge task to nurture and maintain our churches buildings
and people to form a Church fit for the 21st century whatever that looks like! If
our communities come together in this we will win. There will always be setbacks,
great and small. Our Medieval churches will be standing long after we are not.
Huge thanks to all who have helped magnificently in our latest crisis you all
know who you are. The prompt and invaluable support the church received from the
wider community prevented rainwater from getting in and the sun shone at the
crucial point! It could have been so much worse. So all weve got to do now is to
find the money to replace the roof. Hallelujah anyway!
With every blessing - and deep gratitude, Reverend Judith
 SERVICES Across the Group for FEBRUARY 2017
Weds, Feb 1st ~ 9am
Holy Communion for Candlemas at St Lawrences, Harpley

Sunday, February 5th ~ The Fourth Sunday before Lent

0930 Family Service St Lawrences, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion All Saints, Ashwicken
1030 Holy Communion St Botolphs, Grimston
1030 Morning Praise St Nicholas, Gayton
3pm Prayer Meeting St Marys, Great Mass

Sunday, February 12th ~ The Third Sunday before Lent

1030 Group Holy Communion, St Nicholas, Gayton
4pm The Gap The Methodist Chapel, Pott Row

Weds, Feb 15th ~ 9am Holy Communion at St Botolphs, Grimston

Sunday, Feb 19th ~ The Second Sunday before Lent

0930 Holy Communion St Andrews, Lt Massingham
1100 Family Service St Marys, Gt Massingham
1115 Sung Holy Communion St Lawrences, Harpley
0830 Holy Communion All Saints, Roydon
1030 Holy Communion St Nicholas, Gayton
1030 Morning Praise St Botolphs, Grimston
Sunday, Feb 26th ~ The Sunday next before Lent
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion St Andrews, Congham
0930 Family Service St Nicholas, Gayton

Weds, March 1st ~ Saint Davids Day and Ash Wednesday

9am tbc Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes at Harpley
7pm A service of Meditations & Ashing at Grimston
Friday, March 3rd ~ Womens World Day of Prayer
2pm Pott Row Methodist Chapel
Everyone is welcome at this service which has been written by the Christian
women of the Philippines with the title Am I being unfair to you?

Sunday, March 5th ~ The First Sunday of Lent

0930 Family Service St Lawrences, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion St Marys, East Walton
1030 Holy Communion St Botolphs, Grimston
1030 Morning Praise St Nicholas, Gayton
3pm Prayer Meeting All Saints, Roydon

Our Ministry Team:

Revd Jane Holmes, Revd Judith Pollard,
The Rectory, Gayton The Rectory, Grimston
01553 636227 01485 601251
To arrange Baptisms, Marriages, or Funerals please contact the Revd Judith in the first
instance (her day off is Friday). If she is unavailable, the Revd Jane is happy to help
with urgent matters.

From the Registers ~

Funerals at St Marys Massingham:
Basil James Fryett 9th Jan
Esther May Fanneran 31st Jan
At St Lawrences, Harpley:
Annette Hunter Saint, aged 79, was laid to rest with her husband John on
28th January. He died in 1992 while they were living in Harpley, later she
moved away, most recently living in Norwich.
Coming soon:
It is hoped to have a Lent Course at this end of the Benefice more details from
Rev Judith (01485 601251.)
Saturday 15th April ~ Messy Church Craft Morning 10am noon
at St Nicholas Church Gayton

Bank Holiday Monday 1st May: The 8th Archdeacons Charge will take place
at Wolterton Hall. Run or walk up to 10 miles then relax and picnic. Last year this
event raised 16,657.87 and half ie 8,411.01 was presented to the East Anglian Air
Ambulance in November! Watch out for posters.
Saturday, 6th May ~ 7:30pm A concert to raise funds to repair the organ at
St Botolphs, Grimston will be held in the church. Kings Lynn Male Voice
Choir and Kings Lynn Brass Band will perform. Tickets 10 & 8
concession, are available at the door or in advance from members of Grimston
PCC or by phoning 07837 331023. 30,000 is needed to refurbish the organ
which is 200 years old; this is the first of a series of fund-raising events.

The One to One Project, a long-established and respected West Norfolk mental
health charity, is seeking volunteer Mentors; they need people who are empathic
and reliable and will provide free training and support - the next course is at the
end of February. If you want to help people in our local community this is very
rewarding and also an ideal opportunity to enhance your skills; please get in
touch with Jackie Wrout (Assistant Project Manager) Tel 01553 770770, or
email jackie121project@aol.com. More info at www.onetooneproject.com

Great Massingham: Afternoon Teas

Every Wednesday from 2pm (to whenever)
You are welcome to join us in 34, John Morton Crescent;
for a cuppa, a chat and, of course, cake.
Donations as usual to the toilet fund.

Fund raising:
Many people in the area keep a Childrens Society collecting box throughout
the year, the contents are sent off with donations from the Christingle service at
St Marys GM. This year boxes totalled 300 and the collection at the service
was 299.55; a further 20.75 will come from Gift Aided donations giving a
total of 620.30.
If interested in a collecting box contact Dorothy Shalom (01485 520496)
In Harpley, so far only 6 envelopes have been returned in response to the appeal
from QEH League of Friends. It is not too late to donate, hand in to Hectors
Barn, the Rose & Crown or tel Lesley Farnsworth 01485 529260

STOP PRESS!!! A representative of the War Memorials Trust inspected

Harpleys memorial on 31st January and confirmed that our grant application
was successful and details would be in the post by the end of the week. About
500 will still need to be raised in order to complete the work.

Please send items for inclusion in the March issue of the Parish Notes to the editor by
17th February~ Rosemary Mehers rosemarymehers@hotmail.com
2 Old Post Office Court, Harpley. PE31 6GW; or Tel: 01485 521866