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
Setember & October 2017
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, together with a Reader, Gail Ward.
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
|
Date |
Place |
Time |
Service type |
|
September 3
Creationtide
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell East Down Loxhore |
09.30 09.30 11.15 11.15
|
Holy Communion Morning Worship Holy Communion Holy Communion BCP
|
|
September 10
13th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Challacombe |
11.00 |
Team Holy Communion Service for those unable to travel to Exeter |
|
September 17
14th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Kentisbury East Down/Arlington Loxhore Bratton Fleming
|
09.30 09.30 09.30
15.00 18.30 15.45 |
Holy Communion All Praise (Celtic Liturgy) Holy Communion
Harvest Service Harvest Service Messy Church
|
|
September 24
15th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Stoke Rivers Challacombe |
09.30 09.30
18.30 |
Morning Worship Holy Communion NO SERVICE Harvest Service
|
|
September 25
Monday |
Stoke Rivers |
18.30 |
Harvest Service |
|
September 26
Tuesday
|
Chalacombe |
19.00 |
Harvest Supper at Methodist Church |
|
October 1
16th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell East Down Loxhore Shirwell Kentisbury
|
09.30 09.30 11.15 11.15 15.00 18.00 |
Holy Communion NO SERVICE Holy Commun Holy Communion BCP Harvest Service + supper Harvest Service + supper |
|
October 8
17th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Stoke Rivers Challacombe |
09.30 09.30 11.15 11.15 |
Harvest Service + Baptism Holy Communion Morning Worship Holy Communion |
|
October 15
18th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Kentisbury East Down Loxhore Bratton Fleming Lee Abbey
|
09.30 09.30 09.30 11.15 15.00 15.45 18.30 |
Holy Communion All Praise (Celtic Liturgy) Holy Communion All Praise (Celtic Liturgy) Evening Prayer Messy Café Local Churches Evening |
|
October 22
19th Sunday after Trinity
Green |
Bratton Fleming Shirwell Stoke Rivers Challacombe |
09.30 09.30 11.15 18.30 |
Morning Worship Holy Communion Holy Communion Evening Prayer BCP |
|
October 29
Bible Sunday
Green |
Shirwell |
11.00 |
Team Service Followed by Carvery Lunch |
News
Area and parishes of the Mission Community
The Curate’s Ramblings - October 2017
Hope.
Being new to your communities, I have had much to learn in these first few months and have realised how much more I have to learn in the years ahead! I look forward to the next few years with great hope because of the many new friends that I have met here. I have been so impressed by the acts of kindness shown in our communities spread out amongst these beautiful hills and valleys.
The landscape here also fills me with a sense of hope. “ I lift up my eyes to the hills” is the first line of Psalm 121. I grew up in the countryside in southern Ireland where the green hilltops were always like a signpost. They showed which valley I was in and they gave a sense of direction when it was not at all clear where the small narrow winding road was going!
Hope can be fickle. Hope that is to last has to be built on something. The next line of Psalm 121 says “My help comes from the Lord”. The sense of direction and purpose that hilltops remind me of, is that my hope is built on God’s love for us that has been made known to us in Jesus. One of God’s promises is that he will lead us to green fields. Jesus explained that it is in walking with him that we would find those green fields in life.
The promise of finding green fields in life gives me hope, but it is also a reminder of a difficult journey to be made. As I have recently learned the hard way, walking in the right footwear is important. My soaked and muddy trainers will not be my choice for future walks on the hills of Shirwell! I have found that how I journey is important, whether it is waterproof footwear or taking the stones out of my boots, I have choices to make.
I believe that the path of God’s love is one that starts with receiving forgiveness and continues with choosing forgiveness. Forgiveness is a choice that we can all make wherever we are on the path of our lives. These beautiful green hilltops around us are signposts to me of the path of forgiveness. It is not an easy choice, but I have found it to be like a narrow gateway that leads towards life and hope.
Martyn