Welcome
The Shirwell Mission Community comprises eight Churches in seven rural parishes in North Devon:
Bratton Fleming; Challacombe; East Down & Arlington; Kentisbury; Loxhore; Shirwell and Stoke Rivers.
The Mission Community
Services during October 2018
The Mission Community lies within the Shirwell Deanery and covers an area of just under 50 square miles with a population of approximately 2600.
The parishes extend north east of Barnstaple to the Exmoor National Park and the Somerset border.
The Rector is Revd Rosie Austin, who lookes after the seven parishes. She is assisted by a curate Revd Martyn Tyrrell, two retired clergymen, Rev Chris Tull from Challacombe and Rev Mike Miller from South Molton.
Rosie lives in Bratton Fleming, the largest of the parishes and placed centrally within the Mission Community.
Martyn lives in Shirwell, the second largest parish.
All enquiries for weddings, funerals and baptisms should be made to Rev Rosie Austin:
Telephone 01598 711962
Email: rosieaustin@live.co.uk
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October 7
Trinity 19
Green
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Bratton Fleming Shirwell East Down Loxhore Shirwell Kentisbury |
09.30
11.15
15.00 18.00 |
Holy Communion NO SERVICE Holy Communion NO SERVICE Harvest Service Harvest Service |
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October 14
Trinity 20
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Challacombe Stoke Rivers |
09.30 09.30 11.15 11.15 |
Harvest Service Holy Communion Holy Communion Morning Worship
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October 21
Trinity 21
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Kentisbury East Down Loxhore |
09.30 09.30 09.30 11.15 15.00 |
Holy Communion All Praise (Celtic Liturgy) Holy Communion All Praise (Celtic Liturgy) Holy Communion |
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October 28
Last Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Stoke Rivers Bratton Fleming Challacombe
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09.30 09.30 11.15 15.45 18.30 |
Morning Worship Holy Communion Holy Communion Messy Café Evening Prayer BCP |
October letter from Rev Chris Tull
WHAT BECAME OF A BUNDLE OF RAGS
October 28ththis year is Bible Sunday – it’s a book which still change lives today, as this story shows.
One day in 1842 a bundle of rags was left on the steps of St Thomas Hospital in London. When they picked it they found inside an abandoned baby boy. The staff took pity on the poor child and too him in. They named him ‘Thomas Bridges’ both after the name of hospital and the fact that it lay between bridges on the Thames. Far from being bitter about his past, Thomas grew up learning to love his Lord and other people from reading the Bible.
It was about this time that Charles Darwin returned from his first visit to Tierra del Fuego. He reported that the people of that land were the most degraded and hopeless of people in the world. ‘I would rather try to civilise the dogs in the street than those people’, he declared..
Thomas Bridges on hearing this thought to himself: ‘I know what will uplift and civilise those people. I know a book that has transformed my life, and taught me the Saviour Who can save to the uttermost’. By this means God called him to go to Tierra del Fuego.
Twelve years after his first visit, Darwin returned to Tierra del Fuego. As he landed he heard a strange sound – it was the call to worship ringing out through the village. To his amazement he saw little groups of people coming down the valleys to meet in the little church. These folk were all properly clothed, clearly civilized and living in harmony. They were gathering to hear the words of Holy Scripture.
Today some ‘enlightened’ people would like to dismiss the Bible as being rubbish, like that baby in rags. Little do they see what the words in that book can still change lives today. Thomas Bridges is simply one of millions whose lives been transformed for the good by that book. So how much do you let the Bible influence your life? If you are not sure where to begin, ask one of the clergy. How about starting to read it on Bible Sunday? It’s a life changing book!
Christopher Tull.
Parishes within the Shirwell Mission Community