Diary Dates for St Mabyn church

As we all settle down to the new year and start a new diary for 2019, we thought we would give you some advance notice of events planned at St Mabyn church! Two events are being kindly organised by the Friends of St Mabyn.  We are still fundraising for our kitchen / toilet building project and we hope to announce further information about this soon!

Pancake Party – Tuesday 5^th March, 7pm. All welcome! There will be light entertainment following the pancake feast. For more information – please contact Carol Grigg: 841276

Johnny Cowling at the church 6.30 pm on 28^th  April, 2019 with a Rock Gospel concert. Tickets £10.00, (include light refreshments )available from Esther Dudley. Tel: 841534

 Exultate Concert  - Saturday 11^th  May, 2019 –  Ticket prices / time to be confirmed

Exultate Singers is an accomplished chamber choir of 45 singers based in Bristol. It has gone on to perform in more than 150 concerts, broadcasts on BBC Radios 2, 3, 4, the World Service and Classic FM and has appeared on BBC's Songs of Praise and The One Show. See their website exulate.org.uk for more information on this delightful choir – a date not to be missed!

We hope to see you there!

St Mabyn Church Remembers....

We are preparing for our Remembrance Day service this year, somewhat special as most of you will know that this year it is 100 years since the guns fell silent on the world's first truly global war. To commemorate this day, we are organising a special display in church with 100 hand made poppies and a display about the 11 fallen men whose names appear on the village war memorial. Those men were so young.....If there are any individuals or organisations in the village who would like to add to our poppy collection please ring Jan Fisher on 01208 852182. They can be knitted, crocheted, paper, card, painted pebbles or so on! The display will be open from 6th November until 24th (BUT poppies can be added to this display anytime up until the 24th!). We do hope you will pay a visit to the church to say Thank You to those men and all, who lost their lives during this war in particular.'To the Glory of God and in grateful memory of the men of St Mabyn who fell in the great war'
AKH

Prayer Group

The Revd David Seymour and The Revd Steve Williams will soon be starting a Cluster prayer group. It will probably meet fortnightly, with dates and venue to be confirmed. 

The sessions will particularly explore the riches of silent and contemplative prayer but will also include periods of Bible study and shared prayer. If you would be at all interested in knowing more, please contact David on 01208 850088 or at drrseymour@hotmail.co.uk.

Church Summer Fête

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us at the St Mabyn Church Summer Fête on Saturday 16th June. Despite threatening weather, the new fete committee held their nerve and carried on!
The fete was opened by the Reverend David Seymour, followed by the joyful sounds of Les Accordionaires. The St Mabyn School children delighted the crowds with their maypole dancing, and even mums and dads had a go without getting too tangled! Children were in turn entertained by Jules, a local ventriloquist. All the usual stalls proved as popular as ever, and we were also joined by the St Mabyn Scout Group, Pengelly Ice Creams, and local artist Jill Gompertz. Master of Ceremonies Tony Dickinson did a sterling job as always, keeping the fete flowing with precision and injecting a lot of fun!
The fete would never be the same without the concluding children’s races and the Tug-o-War, won by the girls, I believe!
We realise that the fete is always such a success thanks to the tremendous help and donations of goods, freely given, by both individuals and groups from the village and elsewhere. We really hope that everyone had a great afternoon and thank you all again for attending. The date for next year is Saturday, June 15th, 2019

Steve Williams ordained

On Friday 29th June Steve Williams -- leader of the worship group at St Mabyn was ordained as a priest in a packed Truro Cathedral. Steve says : Last weekend was a wondeful time of blessing. The ordination service in a packed Truro cathedral was a very powerful and wonderful occasion and I felt so privileged to be there. I was also really thrilled to be able to share such a wonderful occasion with so many members of my family and good friends both from church and from work. I feel immensely humbled by the whole experience and wish to thank everyone for their good wishes, cards, and presents. I look forward now to starting a new phase in my ministry. God bless

St Mabyn Church Summer Fete

Ignore all rumours to the contrary – the St Mabyn Church Summer Fete is definitely on! It will be held on the village green on the afternoon of Saturday 16^th June, and there will be the usual stalls, activities and entertainments, plus a few new ones. Save the date in your diaries!

We will be contacting all the people we have details for who have helped in previous years, but if you don’t hear from us in the next week or two, or if you have not been involved previously and would like to join in, please contact:

Jan Fisher: jan-fisher@uk2.net

Jill Campbell: jill@campbell.it

As ever, there will be lots of work to do on Friday evening and Saturday morning to set up on the green, and after the fete to clear it all away again, as well as manning the various stalls and activities. All volunteers will be very welcome.

We are really looking forward to this much-loved event, and hope you will support us as novice organisers!

Best wishes to all,

Jill Campbell

Bible Study

In the past two years the St Mabyn Bible Study group has completed a number of courses including:

1. The Bible
2. Church and Kingdom
3. The Eucharist
4. The Creeds

These are part of a series of Pilgrim courses ‘for the Christian journey’, (from Church Publishing House) 

As we get older we do know that there is probably more road behind us than is ahead of us. 

So what difference does being a Christian make? Well, the journey that ends in death becomes a holy pilgrimage that ends in life. We set our sights on understanding more of God’s kingdom of justice and peace and the way before us. 

The courses are designed to help discover this Christian way of life. It unpacks the basic message and teaching of the Christian faith

We have also completed a number of York courses including:

1. The Psalms, prayers for today’s church
2. So what are you waiting for? Eternity to time
3. Build on the Rock; faith, doubt – and Jesus

And two Truro Diocesan Lent courses; the Bishop’s Lent challenge (2017) and Responding to God’s Grace (2018). These courses have enabled us to better understand how God reaches out to every one of us with love

We are due to start another York course ‘Tough talk” on Tuesday 24^th April, gathering at Trelowarth, Watergate Lane St Mabyn from 10.15 am and starting around 10.30; with lunch at the pub for those in need. 

 AKH

St Mabyn Church Children’s Corner

Warmest thanks to Jan Fisher and Jenny Coltart for re-establishing, and refurbishing the Children’s Corner in Church. It is now a delightful and inviting space and has already met with great approval from visiting children as well as those who attended the special Mothering Sunday Service. Why not pop into church and have a look?

St Mabyn School PTA Spring Fayre, and B-B-Q

Do come along to St Mabyn Village Hall on Sunday 29th April from 11am til 4pm, enjoy a barbecue and ice cream and enter your own homemade goods – or admire those of others! Classes include Children’s

Growing a bulb in an unusual receptacle, Portrait of your favourite person/pet (A4 size) Lego model, Decorated wooden spoon, A poem and a photo of Easter/Spring....... Or Snow! For adults there is 

Photo of the Cornish countryside, a handicraft item, Jam/chutney/homemade produce and also showstopper bakes for both adults and children too! Ready..... Steady........ Make (or bake!!!)

Church Services

Holy Week started with an inspiring service of Holy Communion for Palm Sunday conducted by the Reverend David Seymour and continues tomorrow, Thursday 29 March, with the Maundy Thursday Agape service and meal in the church at 7.30pm, led by Steve Williams, and Steve will also lead the Good Friday Meditation at 2pm in the church. We look forward to welcoming back the Reverend David Pollard who will conduct our service of Holy Communion for Easter Day at 10am. A very warm welcome to all at any or all of these services.

Spring comes to St Mabyn Church

After last week's snow, it was a relief to see St Mabyn Church bathed in sunshine, as the new vicar for our cluster, the Rev David Seymour with his wife Wendy, came here for the first time on a Sunday.

The service, which was attended by 30 villagers, got off to a great start with the music group leading a joyful rendition of 

' Vagabonds'

 Come all you Vagabonds

 come all you don't belongs

 Winners and losers

 Come people like me'

 It is fantastic --- after many months of waiting --that we now have a permanent priest in our cluster and we are thankful that David and Wendy chose to come to N.Cornwall.

David, who immediately comes across as a very genuine and friendly person, used his strong voice to make his words both easy to understand and interesting.

His challenging sermon which was engaging,  inclusive and filled with hope, gave us a timely reminder to consider what are the most important values in our lives.

We are looking forward to his next visit and getting to know Wendy and David better.

The Installation of a New Rector

When a new rector is appointed, and subsequently installed in a new parish or cluster of parishes as it is now, there are thoughts of new beginnings amongst the parishioners.  On 17th February such feelings were evident in St Mabyn church as Bishop Chris Goldsmith and Archdeacon Audrey Elkington conducted the service which saw David Seymour installed in the newly appointed Camelside Cluster. There are five parishes and seven churches that David now has to minister to and all were well represented as David was first legally appointed and then welcomed by members representing the parishes. A full team of the bell ringers had played to welcome everyone to the service beforehand and then after his installation David Seymour, assisted by bell ringer David Coltart, tolled a bell as the sign of his new ministry.

There were representatives from the Deanery and the Cathedral, local clergy and including those who have helped by taking services at the various churches over the eight months of the transition since Sherry Bryan said her final farewells. There were Church Patrons and members of the respective congregations with hearty singing of five hymns from all and an anthem from the Cluster choir, conducted by Jenny Trethewey. The St Mabyn Music Group, led by Steve Williams, played for the two more “modern” hymns and organist Les Field for the more traditional ones. St Mabyn Church is a very large building and it was a joy to have it filled to capacity, and the various clergy robes made for an unusually colourful sight – especially those of Bishop Chris!

As the clergy processed out led by the churchwardens everybody seemed to feel great anticipation for the way ahead. We welcome David and Wendy and the family to the cluster and hope their stay will be a long and happy one.  The service over we all left for the Village Hall where a superb spread was laid out that had been donated by all parishes and beautifully prepared by the St Mabyn team. The evening was an undoubted success and went extremely smoothly thanks to Rob Turner, Churchwarden, of St Mabyn. 

St Mabyn Annual Church Meeting

 

We will hold our Annual Church meeting after the Palm Sunday service on 25 March – do come along and hear what we have been up to and what are our future plans – including the installing of a kitchen and full toilet facilities!

David Seymour, and his wife Wendy

I was born in Reading in Berkshire, in Battle Hospital. The hospital no longer exists. It’s a branch of Tesco now. Both my parents were from the Reading area and I lived at our family home in South Oxfordshire until I went off to university. Nowadays, my only real reason for going back to the town of my birth is to watch football at the Madejski-not always a stress-free experience. I regard myself as so very fortunate to have been given a place at Oxford to read Theology. The late 70’s was a tremendous time to be studying in the Theology faculty, so many great minds feeding us. I have had only one career. I was ordained at the age of 24 and since then have served in four places before moving here. My curacy was in Tilehurst in the west of Reading, a large suburban parish where I had the benefit of an excellent training incumbent until his untimely death at the age of 52. From there I moved to the Diocese of Salisbury, where I was to serve for the next 31 years. First, I was Team Vicar in Parkstone, Poole, for 5 years, then vicar of Christ Church, Bradford-on-Avon, near Bath, for ten and a half years, before moving to Sturminster Newton in North Dorset in 2001.

Wendy and I have many interests outside church life. Music is very important to us, principally classical and jazz. We make occasional visits to English National Opera, and during our time in Dorset, were supporters of the excellent Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. We are passionate about birds and have been recorders for the British Trust for Ornithology for over 20 years. We also enjoy travel, and given our commitments at weekends, have found that midweek city breaks suit us very well. Highlights have included Paris, Pisa and Riga.

Three of our children live in the UK but two of our boys live in Australia, one in Brisbane and one in Sydney. A highlight of 2017 was our trip to witness Cane’s wedding to Megan in November. We have individual interests too. David would not dare venture too close to Wendy’s upholstery workshop and Wendy is not seen on a bicycle quite as often as David! Our unwritten motto is ‘work hard, and play hard.’

DS

St Mabyn Church Service

Warm thanks to the Reverend David Pollard – good to welcome him back! for his excellent service last Sunday. This coming Sunday, 21 January, at 10am, Steve Williams will lead our Praise Service, assisted by members of the Music Group who give such a great lead to our singing! Refreshments are always offered after the service and provide an opportunity for social time and chat with friends. Bell ringers, experienced or novice are wanted! Come to the bell tower at 7pm on Wednesday evenings, you will be very welcome!

St Mabyn Church Rotas

New rotas are being made up for sidesmen, and also readers so if you would like to volunteer to join the team – or perhaps no longer wish to perform these duties – please contact Carol Grigg on 841276. Carol is also organising help in cleaning the church – we have a very special occasion coming up! – so please let her know if you are willing to help.

 

St Mabyn Bible Study Group

This year’s Lent Discussion Group will be based on the 

Diocesan 2018 Lent course booklets “Responding to God’s grace” written by the Archdeacon, Audrey Elkington, and the first meeting will be on Tuesday 13 February, held at Trelowarth, Watergate Lane, home of David and Mary Bishop. Meet for coffee from 10.00am onwards and starting at 10.30am, and the group often then adjourns to the pub for lunch – but this is not compulsory! Course booklets are available from David Bishop, tel 01208-840010 and a warm welcome is offered to all, especially those who have not been previously. On Tuesday 6th February, there will be a supplementary meeting with Felicity Henchley telling us about the teaching of Christianity in Schools, with the title  “Schools and understanding Christianity” In church there is a charming “tree” made by Mary Bishop, with texts and many Thoughts attached, next to the Prayer Corner and this will be added to as the weeks go by – providing  a starting point for prayerful contemplation.

 

Licensing service for new priest for the Camelside Cluster

This very special service will be held in St Mabyn Church on Saturday 17 February at 7pm, and conducted by the Bishop of St Germans, the Right Reverend Chris Goldsmith. David Seymour, and his wife Wendy, will live in the Rectory in St Tudy and he will be the priest for the new Camelside Cluster comprising the Benefices of St Mabyn, St Tudy with Michaelstow and St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple. During his first three weeks he will conduct a service in each of these seven churches  and a very warm welcome is extended to all the parishioners to come and share in the service of his installation. The service will be followed by moving to St Mabyn Village Hall and an opportunity to meet David and Wendy over a buffet of finger food and drinks, we look forward to seeing you there.

St Mabyn Christmas Tree Festival success.

We would like to thank everyone who took part in our Christmas Tree Festival this year . The exhibits were simply stunning and it was apparent to everyone who visited the church over the 3 days, how much work and effort had taken part. The church looked glorious with lots of colour and light – it felt warmer too!
The post office opened the festival for us with their beautiful door wreath made of postal sacks on the church door – a great idea. Each entrant had very cleverly depicted their group or had a story to tell. The 'Light up a Life' tree proved popular giving us a chance to reflect in the prayer corner of the church, on the lives of our loved ones who would not be with us at Christmas time.
Special mention for the School, Scout Group and the Bible study group for the thought behind their entries Well done to you and everyone, we were grateful for all your efforts and enthusiasm.
We were delighted to be able to send £70 in donations from the festival, to Cornwall Hospice Care, our chosen charity for this event. We will look forward to a similar event next year!
Jill Campbell and Jan Fisher.