Sunday 22nd May

10.00am – Family Communion for Rogation

All three of our church communities gather together for a shared, outdoor service in the beautiful churchyard at Barrow Gurney and we welcome you.

Practical advice and info:

• Please bring your own folding chair or blanket, and dress accordingly for the forecast – coats, hats, sunglasses as required! If the weather is really inclement, we’ll move inside the church. 
• The church is located on Barrow Court Lane (signposted off the B3130 Barrow Street) and the postcode is BS48 3RP. 
• Please consider carefully how you will travel – you might even like to walk or cycle! – and, if possible, share lifts to minimise the amount of cars.
• In consideration for our neighbours, and particularly tractors which need to use the Lane, please follow the directions of stewards when parking.
• If you’re directed to use the drive of Barrow Court itself, please go up to the top of the drive, turn round at the small roundabout and come back down the drive, parking on the left facing the exit and filling up spaces from the bottom. Please stay off the grass verge which still has spring flowers in it. 

Ascension Day service – 26th May at 7.30pm

We celebrate Jesus’ return to his Father in heaven with a service at Keedwell Church, Long Ashton (BS41 9DP), preceded by a community prayer walk starting from Hebron Church (Providence Lane) at 6.45pm. 

If you’re unable to join the walk, the church will be open for quiet prayer and reflection from 6.30pm.

Sunday 15th May

Sharing.

Sunday, 15^th May and Café Church returns to Flax Bourton at 10am.  A much looked-for return to this joyous, “family” event.  Please join us for all-age worship on Sunday.  Coffee (other beverages are available) pastries and chat with song, some reflection and a time of simple fellowship.

If you haven’t tried it before, Café Church is just what it says; a time to be a people together in an informal, sharing environment.

Sunday 8th May

Held at Barrow Gurney at 10am, this will be morning worship which is a change to the advertised schedule!  (If you are looking for a Communion service this weekend, please go to Long Ashton at 8.00 a.m. on Sunday.)

Our readings throughout the benefice this Sunday will be John 10:22-30 and Acts 9:36-43.  I’ve put them in that order because it’s correct in earthly time and because they make a remarkable contrast to each other! They are about “Evidence” and “Belief”.  And that might just be the foundation of our worship on Sunday.

After the service, at 11.15am or a bit before, we are holding our Annual Parish Meetings. These are an opportunity for anyone in our communities to come along to hear about the life and work of our churches over the past year, and play a part in shaping our future activities too. It’s also the occasion when we elect volunteers to serve in certain roles for the coming year. All are welcome to come and join in the conversation (but please note only those on the Electoral Roll are able to vote).

Looking ahead, Sun 15th May – Cafe Church returns to Flax Bourton at 10.00am – an informal time of worship and exploration gathered around tables and suitable for all ages, including discussion and interaction in small groups – with the added bonus of tea, coffee and pastries to begin! Much missed, it is very good to see its return.

Also advance warning that on Thurs 26th May – Ascension -a change from the published venue- we celebrate Jesus’ return to his father in Heaven with a service at Keedwell church, Long Ashton at 7.30pm, preceded by a community prayer walk starting from Hebron Church (Providence Lane) at 6.45pm. If you’re unable to join the walk, Keedwell church will be open for quiet prayer and reflection from 6.30pm. 

And finally, the 80th Bishop of Bath & Wells has been announced as the Rt Revd Michael Beasley, currently Bishop of Hertford in St Alban’s diocese. Bishop Michael will join us here in Somerset in the autumn to work alongside Bishop Ruth in the leadership of our churches in this region.

Sunday 1st May

Rejoice, rejoice! 

So much to be grateful for; twice this week we’ve met Psalm 34 in Daily Prayer:

I will bless the Lord at all times; ♦
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall glory in the Lord; ♦
let the humble hear and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me; ♦
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord and he answered me ♦
and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Look upon him and be radiant ♦
and your faces shall not be ashamed. R
6 This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me ♦
and saved me from all my troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him ♦
and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; ♦
blessed is the one who trusts in him.

The readings for Sunday – 10.00 am at Flax Bourton – are about the conversion of St Paul and the Commissioning of St Peter.  Come and join us as we share our worship together.


At 11.00 it will be time for Elevenses, our time for families, younger children and pre-schoolers.  We begin with drinks and nibbles and some craft activity and then share some songs, a story and prayers.  It’s a lovely time, we look forward to seeing you there

Sunday 24th April

We hope you have had a happy and peaceful Easter.

We are holding a joint benefice service this week at Barrow Gurney at 10am.

It would be great to see you there.

Also our Electoral rolls are being re-written before our annual meetings in May. If you are on one of the rolls, you do not need to do anything but if you are thinking that you might like to take part in decision making in our parishes, please contact Alison Crawford or Pat Leighton to find out more.

Sunday 17th April 2022

Easter Day

After the anguish of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday,  time seems suspended until on Saturday 16^th we greet the new fire that welcomes Easter Day.

At 8pm in Barrow Gurney church please join us for this triumphant first communion of Easter when we catch the fire kindled in a brazier outside church, light the Paschal candle and carry it into church to see the light spread and we remember our Lord’s rising on Easter morning.

On Easter Sunday itself, we meet as the worshipping family in Flax Bourton at 10am to continue our celebrations and who knows, there might be eggs!

If you are unable to be with us, please contact us if you would like Home Communion – we wish you all the blessings of the risen Christ, now and into the year ahead.

Please note that some of us are taking a break in the week to come and so there will be no Morning Prayer in Flax Bourton church on Tuesday morning.

Palm Sunday-10th April- and Holy Week

On Sunday we are at Barrow Gurney at 10am.

Palm Sunday service is perhaps the briefest celebration of the Christian year – at least it always seems to be so.  We shall meet outside the gate of the inner car-park to greet Solomon the pony who, with his companion, will lead our joyful procession up to the church door.

It is this procession that celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the start of what would be his last week on earth before his death on the cross on Good Friday.  The Jews had been expecting their Messiah to come on a war horse, riding to free them from the oppression of tyrannical Roman puppet rule; instead, Jesus came on a donkey; I’m sure Solomon won’t mind playing the role on this occasion.

But once inside church, with a brief chance to sing of this great occasion, the service turns to a dramatized reading of the gospel narrative.  The moment is gone and we look forward in quiet expectation to the rest of the week.

Please come and join us, we have banners and palms, but please listen to Solomon’s companion– last time, he (the pony that is) was a bit spooked by the leaves rustling!

On Monday evening there is a community “Stations of the Cross” service in the Catholic church of St Francis of Assisi in Ash Hayes Road, Nailsea- a moving service of reflection.

Then on Tuesday 12th, a group of us are going down to Wells Cathedral for a special service at 10am where we renew our commitment and where the oils for use throughout the Diocese in the following year are blessed. You are most welcome to join us. If you need a lift, contact Alison Crawford on 01275 463546 or alisoncscrawford@hotmail.com.

Maundy Thursday is the day where we remember the last supper Jesus had on earth with his disciples and where he taught them to serve one another, setting an example by washing their feet.

We are holding our monthly meditation at 2pm in Flax Bourton, where we take a passage from the Bible and use it as a focus for prayer.

Then we have our own “last supper” service at 8pm in Flax Bourton. This is followed by a vigil until 12 midnight, where anyone who would like to can stay for half an hour or whatever time they wish.

Good Friday is marked by a family service at 10am, where we will be involved in some sort of activity – (come along to find out what this will be). Hot cross buns will feature after this service!

For those who wish to share in the solemnity of the day, there will be a one-hour service of prayer by the cross in the afternoon at Barrow Gurney at 2pm.

Saturday 16th April ends with a Service of Light where we look forward to Easter Day with a re-telling of some of the prophecies foretelling the Messiah and with fire and candles to show God’s light and power.

Sunday 3rd April 2022

We meet for family Communion at 10am in Flax Bourton.

This is Passion Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent; the readings will be Isaiah 43 v16-21, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” and John 12 v1-8, the account of Mary’s extravagantly beautiful anointing of Jesus’ feet with nard, the known world’s most luxurious perfume.  Nard comes from the Himalaya, a long and winding journey along the Silk Road to Bethany, and was well known in the Roman world.

Such a profligate action, such a beautiful gift.  Jesus said of it, ‘She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’  And so, with these words, the journey to Calvary truly begins.

Elevenses will follow with drinks and nibbles, some craft work and a short service for our younger members.  It’s Palm Sunday in a week’s time; I wonder what the craft might be?

Next we return to our popular Souperlunch on Tuesday 5th at noon in Flax Bourton church. Come and join us for soup, bread and cheese and fruit, together with good conversation.

27th March 2022

Our worship on Sunday – Mothering Sunday – is again at Flax Bourton church at 10am.

It follows today’s Feast of the Annunciation when Mary’s meeting with the angel would change the future of the world.  At that time, Mary accepted her place as the mother of Christ.  And we remember her great hymn, the Magnificat, an echo of prophecy from hundreds, if not thousands of years before.

My soul doth magnify the Lord.

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden: For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.

Wikipedia has this:

“During the 16th century, Christians continued to return to their local mother churches for a service held on Laetare (Mid-Lent) Sunday. In this context, your mother church was either the church where you were baptized, the local parish church, or the nearest cathedral (the latter being the mother church of all the parish churches in a diocese). Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone ‘mothering’, a term recorded by 1644:

…In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members.”

Please join us in Flax Bourton for Family Communion. We understand that the concept of “Mother” can be difficult, but some traditions don’t change and we shall have posies to offer to mark the day.  It will be lovely to welcome you.

20th March 2022

This weekend, join us on a journey; a journey from the time before time, through the turbulent times that are now, to the time that will be.

This weekend in Flax Bourton church we are transformed.  This age old, sacred space is totally transformed, by the powers of artistic skill and great endeavour, to a spectacularly simple question: what is this Creation that we are of; what is it that we are doing to it in our ignorance and profligacy; and what will become of it?

“Our Creation, its Desecration and Restoration” is a simply spectacular exhibition by Art6explore with members of the Worshipping Community which helps us to consider just those questions.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s James, our Rector, to offer you a personal welcome.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL6jnFhK3Sk

Come to the Exhibition on Friday afternoon (12 noon to 7pm), all day Saturday (10am to 5pm) or Sunday afternoon (12 noon to 5pm).

We would normally be at Barrow Gurney church this week, but join us instead in Flax Bourton for worship at 10am, surrounded by these wonderful pieces.

You will be amazed, I promise.