Church

n Shaftesbury Quakers

(Society of Friends).

Meets for one hour each Sunday from 10.30am at the Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8BB. Everyone welcome. n West Camel

Independent Methodists.

Meets at All Saints Church on the first Sunday of the month at 4pm followed by tea. Other Sundays, evening worship is at 6pm. Phone 01935 850838 or Geoff. mead@yahoo.com. n Blandford Methodist Church. Sunday services start at 10.45am. Over-60s lunch club on Tuesday and Friday priced £4. Reserve by phone. Coffee morning on Thursday, 10am-noon. The church is anxious to offer help to those in need. Leave a message on the phone and it will return the call within 24 hours. n Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles. High Mass is the first Sunday of each month at 10am. BH21 5LZ. n Coffee, Cake and

Company at St Gregory’s

Church, Marnhull. Every Thursday from 10-11am. Everyone welcome. n Sherborne Abbey. Monday to Saturday, 8.30am Morning Prayer; The Sepulchre Chapel. Mondays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Tuesdays, 12 noon CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Wednesdays, 10.30am Holy Communion with Homily; The Lady Chapel (alternates CW and BCP). Thursdays, 12 noon BCP Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Fridays, 9am Ecumenical Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. First Friday of the month, 9am Requiem Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. Third Friday of the month, 11am Remembering the Fallen (excluding Good Friday). Saturdays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. n St Peter’s, Hinton St Mary. First, second and third Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer. Fourth Sunday, 9.30am Holy Communion. n St Thomas’ Lydlinch. Second and fourth Sunday, 11am Holy Communion. 3rd Sunday, 6pm Evensong. n St Mary’s, Sturminster Newton. First and third Sundays, 11am Holy Communion; 6pm BCP Evensong. Second and fourth Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer; 6pm BCP Evensong. Fifth Sunday, 11am Benefice Holy Communion. Wednesdays, 10am BCP Holy Communion. n Kingston Lacy. Second Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. Fourth Sunday of the month, 9.15am Family Service. n Shapwick. Third Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. n Horton Church. First Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion. n Hinton Martell. Second Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion. n Horton and Chalbury Village Hall. Third Sunday of the month, 9am Breakfast Church. n Witchampton Church. Third Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion. n Chalbury Church. Fourth Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion. n Our Lady’s RC Church, Marnhull. Mass Sunday, 9.30am and 6pm. n St Benedict’s RC

Church, Gillingham.

Sunday, 11am. n St Mary’s, Stalbridge. 12 June, Evensong 4pm. 12 June, Evensong, 4pm. 19 June, Morning Worship, 10am; 23 June, Holy Communion, 10am. n Lower Stour Benefice June services. Sunday, 12 June: 9.30am – Communion, St Mary Church, Blandford St Mary; 11am – Communion, All Saints Langton Long. n Church of St Peter &

St Paul Wincanton.

Coffee morning, Saturday, 11 June, 10am-noon. Cakes, books, raffle. Everyone welcome. Phone: 01963 824503. n Fancy a coffee? The churches in The Donheads, Charlton, East Knoyle, Semley and Sedgehill now have a team of friendly, approachable people – with safeguarding clearance – available to offer home visits. If you know someone who would appreciate company and a chance to chat, contact Revd. Kate at rector@ benofbart.org.uk or on 01747 830174. n West Camel

Independent Methodists.

Sunday, June 12, 6pm ‘Sing Wesley’ – a service of Charles Wesley’s hymns. Sundays, June 19, and 26. 6pm. Evening worship. A warm welcome to all. Contact: 01935 850838 or Geoff.mead@ yahoo.com n Lower Stour Benefice. Sunday, 19 June – 9.30am, Communion – St John Baptist, Spetisbury. 11am, Morning Worship, All Saints Langton Long. 11am, Family Service – Tarrant Rushton. 4pm, Family Service – St Mary The Virgin Charlton Marshall. Sunday, 26 June – 9.30am, Communion – St Mary The Virgin Charlton Marshall. 9.30am, Morning Worship – St John Baptist, Spetisbury. 11am, Communion, All Saints Langton Long. 11am, BCP Communion – Tarrant Crawford. n St Andrew’s Church,

Milborne St Andrew.

Canzonetta – Songs for a Summer afternoon is on Sunday, 19 June, at 3pm. Free admission, retiring collection for St Andrew’s Church. Tea and cake afterwards. n St Mary’s Church,

Sturminster Newton.

Concert for Ukraine on Wednesday, 15 June, at noon. A short concert with Janet Coles (cello) and Laura Manning (piano). Free entry. Retiring collection in aid of DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. n Caundle Marsh Church. The walled garden next to Glebe House and the church will be open to help fund the repainting of the church’s interior and to finance the maintenance of the churchyard on Sunday, 19 June, from 10am-5pm. Cream and cake teas will be served. The venue is just off the A3030 at DT9 5LX –signs will be displayed on the roadside. n Cranborne Church fete. Saturday, June 18, from 2-4pm. Traditional village fete in the gardens at Cranborne Manor, by permission of Lord and Lady Cranborne. Entry is £3 adults and £1 children. Entry includes admission to the manor’s gardens originally laid out by John

Tradescant, Robert Cecil’s chief gardener, in the early 17th century. Traditional stalls, local produce and entertainment including maypole dancing, donkey rides, Morris dancers and a display of classic cars. Afternoon tea, Pimm’s tent and games for all ages. The event is in aid of church funds. If takings allow, funds will be used to complete the restoration of the Cranborne Village Church clock and tower. n St Mary Magdalene, Castleton. Sunday, 12 June, BCP Holy Communion, 11am; Sunday, 19 June, Mattins, 11am; Sunday, 26 June, Mattins, 11am. n St Martin of Tours, Lillington. Sunday, 12 June, BCP Holy Communion, 10am; Sunday, 19 June, Morning Service, 10am; Wednesday, 22 June, PCC Meeting, 6.30pm; Sunday, 26 June, Morning Service, 10am. n St James the Great, Longburton. Sunday, 12 June, Family Communion, 10am; Sunday, 19 June; Family Communion, 10am; Sunday, 26 June, Village Communion – 11am (note later start time). n St

Paul’s Church,

Sherborne. Sunday, 12 June, Morning Worship, 10.30am; Sunday, 19 June, Morning Worship, 10.30am; Sunday, 26 June, All Age Worship, 10.30am. n Woodlands Methodist Church. In concert on Saturday, June 25, at 7.30pm, Bourne 2 Sing male voice choir. Tickets priced £7, including refreshments. Tickets from 01202 822066 or 01202 822869.

Thought for the day: Weddings

I am just about to conduct my first wedding since all the lockdown restrictions were lifted.

It made me recall the dark days of the pandemic when numbers who could attend weddings were severely restricted and social distancing was the norm.

The marriage of one couple during that hard time was solemnised in The Abbey and we held the service in the Quire.

Guests were spread out and masks were the order of the day - special white ones bought for the occasion - and a soprano soloist marked the signing of the registers.

But there were some positives – the service was very intimate and, although the couple had to adjust to their disappointments, they recognised the simplicity and beauty of the setting and the blessing of the service taking place at all.

This week’s wedding, by contrast, will enjoy a full choir, a full nave and the joy of being together.

But I do wonder if we give time to praying for those who are about to ‘tie the knot’?

With all the stresses of modern-day living and the pull of so many distractions, keeping a marriage alive is a demanding task.

Perhaps, too, we can give thanks for the Mothers’ Union which strives to keep families intact.

In future, as we hear The Abbey bells ring, let’s commit to praying for the happy couple that their marriage may be life-long and life-strong. The Reverend Jane

Craw, Sherborne Abbey