Epiphany – Thursday, 6th January

Wednesday 5th is the day to take down and remove your Christmas decorations – the Twelfth Night. According to the first tradition, those who fail to remember to remove their Christmas decorations on Epiphany Eve must leave them untouched until Candlemas (2nd February), the second opportunity to remove them; failure to observe this custom is considered inauspicious. Other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas, the conclusion of Epiphanytide.

Other popular Epiphany customs include:

Chalking the Door: either on Twelfth Night (5th January), the twelfth day of Christmastide and eve of the feast of the Epiphany, or on Epiphany Day (6th January) itself, many Christians (including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, among others) write on their doors with chalk in a pattern such as 20 ✝ C ✝ M ✝ B ✝ 22, with the numbers referring “to the calendar year (20 and 22, for instance, for this year, 2022); the crosses stand for Christ; and the letters have a two-fold significance: C, M and B are the initials for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar), but they are also an abbreviation of the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, May Christ bless this house.“
Having one’s house blessed – contact Rev. Jo 🙂
Epiphany singing: Star singers also known as Epiphany singers, or Star boys’ singing procession (England), are children and young people walking from house to house with a star on a rod and often wearing crowns and dressed in clothes to resemble the Three Magi. Nowadays, it is not only boys who sing and they no longer go from house to house.
Consuming Three Kings Cake: now replaced with Christmas cake, it was frequently baked witho a bean hidden in one side and a pea hidden in the other; the man/lord finding the bean became King for the night, while the woman/lady finding the pea became the Queen – also known as the Lord or Lady of Misrule. Earlier, in the time of Shakespeare, there was only a Lord of Misrule, chosen by the hidden bean, reflected in Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night‘.
Winter swimming: Typically outdoors or in an unheated pool.
Attending Church services – please visit HERE for more information.

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Broadwindsor Church Services & Carol Singing

Broadwindsor’s St. John the Baptist church will be holding the Church services as shown.

You are invited to attend and join in with a short outdoor service with carol singing this Sunday, 19th December at 4pm in Bernards’ Place by the Square. The weather is forecast dry but please wrap up warm.
Please also bring a torch 🙂

Six carols are proposed to be sung and you can download/view/print out the lyrics by clicking HERE if you are unfamiliar with them.

The carols are :

O Come All Ye Faithful
Once In Royal David’s City
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Away In A Manger
While Shepherds Watched
Hark The Herald Angels Sing

If you have any queries, please contact:

Rev. Jo Neary on 01308 867816
or Philip Coltart on 01308 867646

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#Village,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#ChristmasEve,#Christmas,#Communion,#CarolSinging,#SocialDistancing.#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Pentecost 2021

Sunday, 23rd May marks the Christian holiday of Pentecost. It is the Spring Bank Holiday Monday the day after. The Monday was a bank holiday in the United Kingdom until 1967. It was formally replaced by the fixed Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May in 1971.
Countries that celebrate the Pentecost include: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, The British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montserrat, The Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Togo and Ukraine.

Another moveable feast, Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day from Easter Sunday. Also called Whitsunday, which was White Sunday. White Sunday made reference to the special white garments worn by the newly baptized. Baptism was administered both at the beginning (Easter) and end (the day of Pentecost) of the Paschal season. Eventually, Pentecost became a more popular time for baptism than Easter in northern Europe.
In The First Prayer Book of Edward VI (1549), the feast was officially called Whitsunday, and this name has continued in Anglican churches since.

As recorded in the Bible, it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2), and this marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world. The Pentecostal Fire is the ancient fire that indicated the Presence of God or the Holy Spirit appearing to bless or to judge humans.

Priests often wear red vestments during Pentecost to symbolize the “tongues of fire” that descended on the disciples from the Holy Spirit; members of the congregation also wear red in some traditions, and the altar is commonly dressed in a red frontal cloth. Red banners are often hung from walls or ceilings to symbolize the blowing of the “mighty wind” and the free movement of the Spirit.

Red flowers at the altar/preaching area, and red flowering plants such as Geraniums around the church are also typical decorations for Pentecost services. These symbolize the renewal of life, the coming of the warmth of summer, and the growth of the church at and from the first Pentecost.

In the southern hemisphere, for example, in Australia, Pentecost comes at the start of a mild autumn, often after the great heat of summer, and the red leaves of the Poinsettia are often used to decorate churches there.

For Jews, it is called Shavuot, or the Festival of Weeks. It marks their all-important wheat harvest in the Land of Israel and commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire nation of Israel assembled under the leadership of Moses at Mount Sinai. This harvest festival is seven weeks and one day after the first fruits offerings of Passover. On Passover, the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement in Egypt; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

Holy Ghost Holes.

In the Middle Ages, cathedrals and great churches throughout Western Europe were fitted with a peculiar architectural feature known as a Holy Ghost hole: a small circular opening in the roof that symbolized the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the midst of the congregation. At Pentecost, these Holy Ghost holes would be decorated with flowers, and sometimes a dove figure lowered through into the church while the narrative of Pentecost was read. Holy Ghost holes can still be seen today in European churches including Canterbury Cathedral.

If that’s a bit too tricky for some – try this simpler version, particularly with young ones. 🙂

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#DorsetCouncil,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#Pentecost,#HolyGhostHole,#Origami,#Dove,#Shavuot,#Passover,#Easter,#Peace,#SocialDistancing,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Ascension Day 2021

Today, Thursday 13th May, is Ascension Day. It is not a Public Holiday in the UK, Canada, the USA or Australia – but it is a Public Holiday in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Indonesia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Vanuatu* (in the South Pacific Ocean). In general, Ascension Day services are positive and uplifting.

*Although 90% of the Indonesian population is Muslim, Ascension Day is a major holiday, and Indonesians who are not Christian often use the holiday to relax. Ascension Day’s traditions are participated in by both Protestants and Catholics in Indonesia. The major Christian event is the 40th day of Easter.

As recorded in the Bible, this is a day when Christians celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven. The celebration of the Ascension Day of Jesus Christ always falls on a Thursday as it is celebrated exactly 39 days after Easter Sunday.
The next three Ascension Days shall occur on:

26th May, 2022
18th May, 2023
9th May, 2024

Beaminster Team Churches:

The Beaminster Area team Ministry covers 50 square miles of West Dorset and shares borders with Devon in the Diocese of Exeter and Somerset in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The Beaminster Team is made up of 14 individual parishes plus the chapel in the grounds of Mapperton House. Their worship demonstrates a wonderful variety of styles ranging from services from the Book of Common Prayer to the child-centred Messy Church, with music a vital part of their activities.
At the helm of this team is The Reverend Canon David Baldwin. With Pioneer Priest Revd Jo Neary, partner priests, licensed lay ministers, and our team administrator, they are supported by their lay pastoral assistants and lay officers. They would be delighted to welcome you to any of their churches.

To read more on Broadwindsor’s St. John the Baptist Church – Click HERE.

Very recently, Rev. Jo led the collective worship in Broadwindsor School’s new outdoor classroom. Rev. Jo posted on social media:

“It was a joy to see staff and pupils again, to meet the reception class for the first time and to be connected with nature as we worshipped. And even better – we can potentially use the facility for Forest Church. My heart sings. Alleluia.

Lord God, you are awesome and we love you. Amen.”

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#DorsetCouncil,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#AscensionDay,#Jesus,#Heaven,#BroadwindsorSchool,#ForestChurch,#Alleluia,#Celebrate,#Relax,#SocialDistancing,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Maundy Thursday

The Thursday before Easter is known as ‘Maundy Thursday’. It is remembered by Christians as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist. Jesus is believed to have washed the disciples’ feet before the meal in order to demonstrate the importance of serving others.

The word “Maundy” itself comes to us as an Anglo-French word derived from the Latin “mandatum,” which means “commandment.”

The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Enjoy the Easter weekend and please stay safe.

Here is an Easter message from our Rev. Jo:

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#MaundyThursday,#TheLastSupper,#LeonardoDaVinci,#GoodFriday,#Easter,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Christian,#Worship,#SocialDistancing,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Church Christmas Services in Broadwindsor

Broadwindsor, St John the Baptist Church

Sunday 20th December – 3.30pm Bernards’ Place
A short service of carols and the Christmas story outside. Please dress warmly and keep socially distanced.
Thursday 24th December Christmas Eve:
Midnight Communion 11.30pm in church
Friday 25th December Christmas Day:
Family Communion 10.30am in church

Seats for both services inside church must be pre booked by contacting Philip Coltart on 01308 867646
or via email philipcoltart@btinternet.com.

The photograph is from mid May 2020 when our church was lit up in blue.

Click HERE to view all the Christmas services across the Beaminster Area Team.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#ChristmasEve,#Christmas,#Communion,#SocialDistancing.#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Summer Family Fun from Beaminster Team Churches

As an alternative to their usual summer activities which cannot proceed due to social distancing, Beaminster Team churches are putting together activity packs for families to help ease some of the summer holiday boredom. Each pack contains suggestions and resources for crafts, science experiments, art projects and activities themed around four bible stories. There will be accompanying videos on their website.

Most activities are achievable by children on their own if they can read the instructions. Younger children might require more support and some activities are for the whole family to enjoy. There is a weekly challenge to complete and send in a photo to win a prize.

Free resource packs will be available from 27^th July. You need to register to receive one of these. Please complete the form HERE.

They are also putting some suggestions in the pack for the family to pray together and talk about God together. If you are interested in growing faith at home do look at the links below which they believe might give you some suggestions. They are also happy to help support you.

#Broadwindsor #BeaminsterTeamChurches #Summer #StaySafe #HolidayTime #Children #MessyChurch #Fun #Family #Worship

Churches Open With Services This Weekend

Having been forced to close in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown back in March, The Government’s Guidance now says gatherings of more than 30 people will be allowed for acts of communal worship in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and meeting rooms in England. However, no more than 30 people will be allowed to attend weddings, funerals and other “life cycle events” such as bar mitzvahs or baptisms.
In his Rector’s update, Rev David stated: “I am very much using this Sunday as a test to look at how we can maintain the safety of those returning to worship, which is a central feature of the guidelines by maintaining a strict two metre spacing between seating. As you can imagine, in some of our smaller churches this reduces the capacity significantly and may make worship non-viable for the time being. I have asked four churches to work with Jo and me – a mix of large, medium, and smaller buildings – to see how this works out. There will be services this Sunday as follows:

Beaminster
08:00 BCP Eucharist
09:30 CW Eucharist
11:00 – 12:00 Open for private prayer

Broadwindsor
11:00 BCP Eucharist

Stoke Abbott
09:30 BCP Eucharist

Mosterton
11:00 Morning Worship

There will be limited numbers of seats available, especially in the smaller churches, but I would think there will be seats available at 8:00am in Beaminster.

I will be continuing to work with church wardens and key people over the next few days to assess which churches may be able to hold services next week and beyond. This will also be based on what staffing I have available to me, which in reality for July and August, will be three or four at very best.
I am now receiving requests for booked weddings to begin taking place and I again will be working closely with you all to see how this can be facilitated. I have also been asked to hold a funeral service in Beaminster in two weeks’ time and I am grateful to Simon Wakely for his full cooperation at this early stage in looking at how he and his team can support the required stewarding and clean down guidelines that will have to be followed.
I know that this is a testing and nervy time for us all but again, I thank you all for your help and support in what are challenges for us all.

David“

Please click HERE where it explains the various safety rules which are in place for those visiting the churches.

#Broadwindsor #Beaminster #Mosterton #StokeAbbott #Dorset #Community #Church #Prayer #Worship

Tag: #Worship

Epiphany – Thursday, 6th January

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#Village,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#Epiphany,#BlessThisHouse,#3KingsCake,#ChalkingTheDoor,#SocialDistancing.#2022,#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Church Services & Carol Singing

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#Village,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#ChristmasEve,#Christmas,#Communion,#CarolSinging,#SocialDistancing.#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe