Belonging and belief, community and time to take stock: readings, music and prayers to celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter in the peaceful beauty of Barrow Gurney parish church. Refreshments are served after the service.
If you’re not able to get to church this weekend, you can join the 10.00am service from Long Ashton live via YouTube. A recording will also be available ‘on demand’ afterwards so you can catch up whenever is convenient.
For your diary:
Our Big Day Out Sunday 12th May
Some of us may take up the challenge to ‘beat the bounds’ of our entire parish boundaries (approx. 8 miles in total); others will join in where and when they can. There will be picnic, prayers, music, activities outdoors and in: something for everyone as we celebrate our shared life in community.
This weekend we are marking Earth Day and as already advertised, there will be a day of festivities in Flax Bourton church on Saturday 20th.
Do come along and take part as we celebrate the good things earth has to offer and try to find ways of nurturing our planet. It is also a chance to see our lovely newly-installed stained glass window showing a 21st century view of St Michael and Flax Bourton.
The theme continues in Flax Bourton on Sunday with cafe church at 10am, where we will be thinking about the wonder of God’s Creation and our place within it – with a special focus on trees and what they tell can tell us about God and ourselves. Our time together will begin with coffee and croissants and a chance to catch up with one another – followed by time for music, reflection, creativity and prayers.
If you’re not able to get to church this weekend, you can join the 10.30am service from Long Ashton live via YouTube. A recording will also be available ‘on demand’ afterwards so you can catch up whenever is convenient.
And don’t forget our joint Annual Parish meeting for both Long Ashton and Barrow Gurney & Flax Bourton – on Sunday afternoon at 3.00pm at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton. This is a chance to see what we have been doing for the past year and how we will be continuing to reach out to those around us in this area in the months to come. The meeting will close with Evening Prayer followed by refreshments.
Here are some dates for your diary:
Sun 12th May – Big Church Day Out – a day-long programme of walking, worship, food and friendship out and about across our three villages. Picnic, prayers, outdoors and in – something for everyone as we celebrate our shared life together in community. Sun 19th May – Pentecost – a joint benefice service at All Saints, Long Ashton at 10.30am as we bid farewell to Charlotte Stansfield, give thanks for her ministry among us these last two years and pray for her as she moves on to Ordination and a curacy in Swindon.
Sat 29th Jun – Ordination of Jo Moule as Priest at Wells Cathedral at 2.00pm
Sun 30th June – Ordination of Charlotte Stansfield as Deacon at Bristol Cathedral at 10.30am
Finally, come to our cream tea at 2pm in Flax Bourton church on Thursday next week (25th April) where the menu is scones, jam and cream, a cup or two of tea, good conversation and a time to meet friends old and new. Everyone is welcome.
We gather as a community of all ages and stages of faith, to meet with God in scripture, song and the sharing of bread and wine at Communion. The service last approx. one hour and refreshments are served afterwards.
Also this week:
Tuesdays – 9.15am Morning Prayer at Flax Bourton Church and via Zoom. We use an order of service which is available from the Church of England website here.
Thursdays – 6.00pm informal evening prayers via Zoom. No set order of service but a time of open sharing and praying together.
Fridays – 10.30am Holy Communion at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton followed by coffee, cake and chat.
Annual parish reports
The 2023 Annual Report and Accounts for both parishes have now been prepared in advance of the Annual Meetings. They are available online for both Long Ashton and Barrow Gurney & Flax Bourton. A small number of printed copies will be available in church this weekend.
The Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM) for both Long Ashton and Barrow Gurney & Flax Bourton parishes will take place jointly on Sunday 21st April at 3.00pm at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton.
We have no service in Barrow Gurney or Flax Bourton this weekend. Instead we are meeting all together at All Saints, Long Ashton for a joint service at 10am.
If you’re not able to get to church this weekend, you can join the 10.00am service from Long Ashton live via YouTube. A recording will also be available ‘on demand’ afterwards so you can catch up whenever is convenient. The Bible readings are Acts 4: 32-35 and John 20: 19-31
Also this week we have our monthly meditation in Flax Bourton church on Thursday at 2pm. Come and spend an hour or so in quiet reflection in a small group. There will be a passage of the Bible to think about.
The weekly cafe has finished for now to give our volunteers a rest, but this reminds you that we will be having monthly cream teas in Flax Bourton church during the early summer and the first one is on April 25th at 2pm.
Earth Day @ Flax
Come along to Flax Bourton church on Saturday 20th April between 10am – 4pm to mark Earth Day with an Eco-Fair featuring cafe, local produce for sale, eco activities and art exhibition. As part of the celebrations, there’s a chance for you to enter a 2 or 3D representation of a favourite tree in our community art exhibition. It could be a painting, photograph, model or poem 0 the choice is yours! – and there will be a small prize for everyone who takes part. Please submit entries to Adrienne Hughes by Sun 14th April.
The Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM) for both Long Ashton and Barrow Gurney & Flax Bourton parishes will take place jointly on Sunday 21st April at 3.00pm at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton. All are welcome.
This is the church’s busiest, but most spirit-filled time of the calendar. Come and join us as we follow Jesus from the garden to the cross and then on to the morning when we discover he has risen again.
Good Friday. We have two different types of worship today. For young people, BarrowGurney Church will be open for craft activities, hot cross bunss and an Easter sgg hunt from 2pm to 4pm, to explore what Easter means.
For a quieter, more reflective hour, we meet in Flax Bourton at 2pm for readings and silence, remembering the events of that first Good Friday.
Then on Saturday night from 7.15pm, join us for hot chocolate at All Saints Church, Long Ashton, followed by a dramatic service of light at 8pm, where we celebrate outdoors and then inside, as the Good News of Easter becomes a reality.
On Sunday morning at 10am, we have a family service of holy communion in Flax Bourton church to tell everyone that Alleluia, Christ is risen! Come and join the Celebration.
Visit our website for all the info you need about the life of our churches, including links to our online worship for Easter Day via YouTube.
Just a notice that there will be no souperlunch on Tuesday next week (2nd April). We have also now finished our winter season of Warm Welcome cafe, but you are welcome to our monthly cream teas over the summer. The dates are Thursdays at 2pm on 25th April, 23rd May, 27th June and 25th July. We look forward to seeing you there.
Our 10am service this week for Palm Sunday is cafe church at Barrow Gurney. Cafe Church is an interactive and informal service of music, prayers and creativity for all ages, lasting approx. 45 minutes. We begin with refreshments in the Court Chapel (inside the church) before we set out on a journey to Jerusalem with Jesus the King, meeting some of his friends along the way, including Solomon the pony (playing the part of a donkey!). This weekend’s Bible readings are: Mark 11 vv1-10 and Mark 14 v12 to 15 v39.
If you’re not able to get to church this weekend, you can join the 10.00am service from Long Ashton live via YouTube. A recording will also be available ‘on demand’ afterwards so you can catch up whenever is convenient.
This weekend begins the most important week of the Church’s year as we recall and enter into the last days of Jesus’ earthly life, his death and resurrection. There are many and varied ways to worship through this week, many of them suitable for children: please do read through the flyer below and join in our pilgrimage towards the dawning light of Easter Day.
New window for Flax Bourton Church
If you’re passing through Flax Bourton, do pop into St Michael’s and have a look at the brand new stained glass window which has just been installed: a celebration of life, faith and community, welcoming all visitors and worshippers from its position opposite the main door, above the font. Thank you to all those whose vision and generosity gave birth to this new addition to our church.
Also, Earth Day @ Flax Bourton
Come along to Flax Bourton church on Saturday 20th April between 10am – 4pm to mark Earth Day with an Eco-Fair featuring cafe, local produce for sale, eco activities and art exhibition. As part of the celebrations, there’s a chance for you to enter a 2 or 3D representation of a favourite tree in our community art exhibition. It could be a painting, photograph, model or poem 0 the choice is yours! – and there will be a small prize for everyone who takes part. Please submit entries to Adrienne Hughes by Sun 14th April.
All are welcome at any of the above celebrations. You don’t need to be an expert pray-er or pillar of faith to join in; maybe you just want to be present and soak up the atmosphere while others do the talking. Wherever you’re coming from, and whatever you bring, you’ll be welcome.
We gather in Flax Bourton as a community of all ages and stages of faith, to meet with God in scripture, song and the sharing of bread and wine at Communion. There are normally activities for children to enjoy during the service. The service last approx. one hour and refreshments are served afterwards.
Continuing our series of Lenten habits, we look at giving.
On this Mothering Sunday, all are especially welcome as we celebrate and give thanks for Mums, for the support of families and communities, and for the everlasting care of God for us his children.
At 10am in Barrow Gurney, we will be celebrating with hymns, readings and the sharing of bread and wine at Communion.
Our “holy habit” this week is:
Annual Church meetings
The Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM) for both Long Ashton and Barrow Gurney & Flax Bourton parishes will take place jointly on Sunday 21st April at 3.00pm at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton.
Annual meetings have an unfortunate reputation for being rather dull and bureaucratic. Whilst there is undoubtedly some ‘official’ business to do, they are also an opportunity to recall and celebrate all that took place to advance the mission of our churches during 2022, as well as electing, thanking and praying for those who will serve on the Parochial Church Councils in the year to come.
We’ll begin with worship and end with refreshments and a chance to meet friends from across our three villages. Do come along and join in.
If you’d like to add your name to the Electoral Roll for either parish, enabling you to vote, please pick up a form from church or contact Carolyn in the Church Office (Long Ashton) or Pat Leighton (Flax & Barrow)
This week, we will be praying for Barrow Gurney in the church at 9.30am on Weds 13th March.
And don’t forget we meet every Tuesday at 9.15am at Flax Bourton – or by Zoom.
And finally, the April edition of the magazine is now available. If you’d like to subscribe to the new-look Quarterly magazine for Flax Bourton and Barrow Gurney, please contact Adrienne.
This week we meet at 10.00am for Family Communion in Flax Bourton. Everyone’s welcome and there are usually activities for young children to enjoy during the service if they want to. The service lasts just over an hour and refreshments are served afterwards.
Online [find us here for Long Ashton and here for Barrow & Flax]
If you’re not able to get to church this weekend, there are two opportunities to worship online this Sunday.
Click here to join the 10.00am service from Long Ashton.
Click here to join the 10.00am service from Flax Bourton.
A recording of both services will also be available ‘on demand’ afterwards so you can catch up whenever is convenient.
Continuing our series of “holy habits” for Lent, this week we look at fasting.
On this second Sunday of Lent we meet in Flax Bourton church at 10am for “cafe church”, where we begin with refreshments and a catch-up, seated in small groups around tables. Music and prayers are informal, with the opportunity to talk about life and faith round our tables, and often a creative activity or interactive element – brilliant for those who prefer making or doing to listening. Cafe Church is informal, engaging and inclusive for all ages and stages of faith. Readings are Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 and Mark 8: 31-38.
Each week during Lent, we’ll be exploring some simple ways in which we can put our faith into practice by cultivating some ‘Holy Habits’ which can help make space for God. This week we look at Scripture: how do you engage meaningfully with the texts of the Bible day by day? How does it shape your agenda? We’ll be sharing more in church on Sunday.
Memorial services This week we remember with thanks the lives of Janet Turp and Sue Topalian. This is a reminder that services of thanksgiving for their lives will take place at All Saints, Long Ashton next week as follows:
Janet – Monday 26th Feb at 1.00pm (followed by refreshments at Long Ashton Village Hall)
Sue – Friday 1st March at 2.00pm (followed by refreshments in church)
Radiance 