Church

As anyone who knows me will testify, computers, technology and I do not work well together. Yet it is now twelve months since I broadcast my first Facebook service at the start of Holy Week 2020 and despite many technical problems, all overcome by my wife with very little help from me, I continue to do so. We are back in church for Easter but still broadcasting most of the Holy Week services. Is this the new normal? The vast majority of people have had at least one vaccination to overcome covid, we are well on the Road Map to ending the lockdown restrictions, but will we ever go back to what was normal? Shops are about to open, but will we ever go back in the numbers seen before lockdown? We are all wandering around with hair two to three inches longer that in the past. I quite fancy a pony tail but have been warned that if I do it will be cropped while I am asleep. As a lover of good food and usually paying a visit to my local on special occasions, we are reduced to a take away or fish and chips to mark that special event. However I am told that some food outlets have done more trade during lockdown than they ever did before and may delay opening their doors for casual drinkers until later in the year. What is the normal we are returning to? The only thing that is constant is the love of God. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to become part of the human race. To die upon the cross and after three days to rise again. This is what we are celebrating at Easter. As Christians we treat this as normal and yet this is the only time in history that this event occurred. So what is normal?

Church services

Gillingham Social distancing restricts the number who can join church services, and so we must take bookings for the Easter Triduum service. Please contact us advising which services you wish to attend and the total number of people in your group. carrivick79@gmail.com, 07887 988123.

Maundy Thursday – 1st April –6pm, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, at St Benedict’s, Gillingham; Good Friday – 2nd April – 11am, Stations of the Cross, at Our Lady’s Marnhull; 3pm, The Passion of the Lord, at St Benedict’s, Gillingham; Easter Vigil – 3rd April – 8pm, The Easter Vigil Mass, at St Benedict’s, Gillingham; Easter Sunday – 4th April –9.30am, Easter Sunday Mass of the Resurrection, at Our Lady’s, Marnhull; 11am, Easter Sunday Mass of the Resurrection, at St Benedict’s, Gillingham. 66

God’s love is the only constant as we face a new normal

Shaftesbury office@ShaftesburyCofE.org.uk / 01747 853060 facebook.com/ShaftesburyCofE Mon 29th March: 5.30pm, Motcombe Evening Prayer 6.30pm St Peter’s Sacred Space: Evening Worship 7.30pm Enmore Green Reflections on the women of Holy Week 8pm St James’ Compline Tue 30th March 5.30pm Motcombe Evening Prayer 6.30pm St Peter’s Sacred Space: Evening Communion 8pm St James’ Compline Wed 31st March 5.30pm Motcombe Evening Prayer 6.30pm St Peter’s Sacred Space: Stations of the Cross 8pm St James’ Compline Thu 1st April 7pm St James’ Maundy Thursday Eucharist 7pm Motcombe Maundy Thursday Eucharist Fri 2nd April 9.45am Enmore Green Meditation at the Foot of the Cross 10am Compton Abbas Meditation & Quiet Prayer Noon Melbury Abbas Meditation 1.30pm St James’ Good Friday Liturgy 2pm Motcombe Meditation at the Foot of the Cross 6.30pm St Peter’s At the Foot of the Cross 6.30pm Margaret Marsh At the Foot of the Cross Easter Day, Sunday 4th April: 9.30am St Peter’s Easter Communion 9.30am St James’ Easter Communion 9.30am Motcombe Easter Communion 11.15am Melbury Abbas Easter Communion 11.15am Compton Abbas Easter Morning Worship 11.15am Margaret Marsh Easter Communion Sunday 11th April: 9.30am St Peter’s Parish Communion 9.30am Motcombe Parish Communion 11.15am West Orchard Parish Communion 11.15am Melbury Abbas Matins 6pm St James’ Pilgrim Service

Blandford Methodist Church Good News. We will be open for Easter Sunday service on the 4th April starting at 10.45am with ocovid-19 practices in place, eg. seat-bookings, face masks, 2metres apart and no singing for the time being. And then remain open for Sunday services from then on. To book your seat please ring our answerphone 01258 577 030. We will get back to you to confirm whether or not your seat has been reserved.

with the Rev Richard Priest, of Stour Vale Benefice Vicar in the Vale

Many things have changed in the last twelve months and may never be the same again. I wish we did not have to live-broadcast and yet, now it is here, have realised that it is a way of reaching out to people who could not go to church and maybe never even wanted to cross that doorway. I suspect that we may never return to what was normal and indeed may not want to, but be assured that the love of God is endless and is open to each and every one of us. That is the true normal.

newsdesk@blackmorevale.net

St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Blandford Forum has scooped £10,000 from the Dorset Historic Churches Trust (DHCT) towards its £1.1m roof repairs. The trust has announced grants to help repair eight of the county’s beautiful church buildings totalling over £40,000, in the first of three batches of grants to be made this year – all made possible by the great success of the annual sponsored Ride and Stride for Churches last September. St Peter and St Paul’s, a major landmark in the middle of the town, is five years into a major restoration project. Applications are in to 14 different funders, with more yet to be approached, but the DHCT’s contribution of £10,000 has been agreed quickly and can be used as leverage with larger national funds and trusts. Anne Shire and Sara Loch,

who are leading the planning of the work, said: “We are very grateful for the generosity of DHCT in providing a grant towards the latest phase of our church restoration, namely the repair of the roof and restoration of the original Georgian internal plasterwork. We have an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund pending for which we will hear the result in June, but meanwhile we will need additional funds and the grant from DHCT is a great contribution towards our goal.” The Archdeacon of Sherborne, the Venerable Penny Sayer, said: “Those responsible for maintaining Dorset’s historically important church buildings need to know that there are sources of financial help when they have to carry out repairs. We know that working on listed buildings is expensive, and the support of the DHCT in helping to cover these costs can be vital.” DHCT chairman John Stokoe said: “All the churches we support have great need and they all play a vital role in Dorset towns and villages, not just as places of worship, but also as community hubs. We are very grateful to all who took part in last year’s Ride and Stride, and those who sponsored them. “They made this possible.” DHCT has grant-aided maintenance work for churches and chapels of all Christian denominations in Dorset for the past 60 years. Total grants awarded over the last 5 years have averaged over £110,000 per annum. The priority has always been to assist with weatherproofing (roofs and stonework). In recent years significant funds have been granted to assist communities to adapt their cherished church buildings for wider use. Further details of the work of the trust can be found on its website: dhct.org.uk.

What is under the lead on the roof. Picture: Blandford Church

DHCT Blandford by Mark Jacques, taken by drone in February 2021

Landmark church scoops £10k from the Ride+Stride

The damp inside the church. Picture: Tim Connor