Church services at St Mabyn for this month

 Just to let you know that as we are now in Tier 3 of Covid regulations, our church can remain open for services as previously but, in line with hospitality covid guidelines, our church cafe must remain firmly closed, so no hot coffee afterwards I'm afraid.

The church services at St Mabyn for this month are as follows:

Sunday 3rd - Morning Prayer with Robin

Sunday 17th - Holy Communion with Steve.

I hope you have all heard the good news today that the Oxford vaccine will be rolled out very soon, so there is light on the horizon. My sleeve is already rolled up!

Very Best Wishes all for a very Happy and Healthy Christmas,

Jan

Secretary for St Mabyn church

Carol singing

There was a great village turnout to enjoy the St Mabyn Church Carol singing on Saturday 19th December. The sun shone for us as we all enjoyed the outdoor singing accompanied by Sandra Williams on the accordion. 

There were many positive comments from the community as adults and children alike enjoyed singing some of our favourite carols. We all enjoyed coffee and mince pie's at half time and then did it all again to an even bigger crowd outside of the pub!!  Thank you to everyone who took part and made it such a joyous occasion! 

Events for December

 Wednesday 16th December - Sausage roll and mince pie coffee morning in church. Join us for hot refreshments, company and a natter 10.30 - 12noon! 

Saturday 19th December - Outdoor carol singing in the village, starting at 11am at the village shop and at 12 noon at St Mabyn Inn. Please wrap up warm, red Santa hats welcome and do bring a jolly brolly just in case!

Saturday 19th Decemeber - St Mabyn Inn, 12.45pm, hot soup, sandwiches, chips and fellowship! Not forgetting the mulled wine or cider! Join us for a get together and a Chrismas catch up

It is helpful if you can let us know if you intend to join us for these events so that we can manage numbers accordingly.

 If you wish to join us at the pub - we definitely need to know so that I can advise Richard regarding seating. 

Thank you - Jan Tel - 852182

Armistice Day

We are very sorry and regret to announce that after careful reading of the new Government Guidelines and the Church of England Guidelines we are having to cancel the outdoor ceremony on Armistice Day.

This is of course not what we want but we have to abide by the law.

There will be a short act of remembrance on Sunday but again (in accordance with the guidelines) we are advising the general public not to attend.

While we cannot meet together in person, we can join together in prayer and remembrance for those who fell, and those whose lives have been forever changed.

JF

Private prayer on Wednesday and Sunday mornings from 10-12noon.

Due to the new Covid guidelines and Lockdown, unfortunately services in church will now cease until further notice. Following our recent PCC meeting however, it was decided that the church will open for private prayer on Wednesday and Sunday mornings from 10-12noon. On Sundays, I will be in church to play gentle, reflective music from the great CD collection that I have been loaned by folks.  I hope we can have some candles lit and that the prayer tree can come back into it's own and will be laden with prayers over the next few weeks. Prayer can be so sustaining for us and even better in our beautiful church surroundings.

As always, please follow Covid guidelines when entering the church - there will be one new one, (a small TICKET for you to lay down on the chair where you have sat to avoid cross contamination for future users in the session) and as always, please do not come if you are feeling unwell.

Remembrance

 This year at St Mabyn we will be observing Remembrance with a short outdoor ceremony at the War Memorial on Wednesday 11th November (Armistice Day itself) at 10.45am.

The group taking part will be strictly limited to 6 but others may attend, though we are advised to keep numbers small. All must observe distancing of 1-2 metres. It is suggested that people who attend might stand in the Cemetery behind the Memorial.

Parish Harvest Giving

Thank you all so much for the donations to the Parish Harvest Giving last Saturday. Cherry at Wadebridge food bank was overwhelmed by amount of tins and supplies that I was able to wheel through their door, and really grateful. 

Thank you again to everyone who braved the miserable weather to drop by!  Amazing effort!  

Thanks to Jenny, Rex and Liz for helping me on the day also to make it happen. One of the special outcomes was that we got to chat to everyone that dropped in, including a couple of lovely young families. Very special. 

Robin Thwaites ordained deacon

 Robin Thwaites, our curate, was ordained deacon on Friday 25th September in St Petroc's, Bodmin. We wish him many congratulations and look forward to him being with us, in the Benefice.

Parish Harvest Giving.

Due to Covid 19 current guidelines, our usual Harvest services cannot happen this year. Harvest Festival is often a service which brings together all ages to celebrate God's goodness in creation and to remember our responsibility to care for those who do not have as much as us.

St Mabyn and St Tudy church are rallying to this situation however and are organising a Parish Harvest Giving on Saturday 3rd October between 10am - 12 noon.  We are kindly asking everyone to donate food items. Donations can be brought to St Mabyn or St Tudy village hall on this day. We will be following strict Covid guidelines. In particular, we are looking for non perishable foods such as packets of pasta, rice, biscuits, tins and jars; all will be very welcome.

Your donations, however small or large, will be given to the Food bank and St Petrocs homeless charity as the need for food parcels has massively increased. This isn't a short term problem, exacerbated by the Covid 19 pandemic.

Food banks can help to restore dignity and revive hope by offering support within our communities. None of us ever know when we might experience hard times and this need is very real. So if you know of anyone who might need that help now, please let our Rector David Seymour know, tel 01208 850088. This information is in strictest confidence of course. With Grateful thanks in anticipation of your generosity ~ Jan Fisher, Lay Pastoral Minister for Camel Side Benefice.

Covid-19 Safety in church - August 2020

We are delighted that St Mabyn church will open again for services from Sunday 23rd August.

Please note that you must wear a face mask or covering while attending church services, unless you find this uncomfortable due to respiratory illness . We ask you to follow all of the safety advice you are given when you attend, and do not come if you are ill. Although we will be doing all that we can to make things safe, please be aware that there is still a risk, especially for those in vulnerable groups.

When you come to church, we will ask for your name and contact phone number, for track and trace purposes which will be held in confidence for 21 days.

You will be asked to sanitise your hands and sit 2 metres from other people not in your household, keeping a distance at all times.

We hope to see you there, but will remember you in our prayers if you are not attending for any reason.

Friends of St Mabyn Church

FoSMC AGM distanced meeting on St Mabyn green at 3pm on Tuesday 25 August. I invite anyone to consider whether they would like to join the committee, or even chair it. I am happy to give over to someone else. 

JF

Agape outdoor service on the 2nd August.

St Mabyn church was pleased to offer an Agape outdoor service last Sunday on the 2nd August.

An Agape Feast has a long history in our Christian faith. They are mentioned both in Paul’s letters and in the Letter of Jude in the New Testament. Many churches have been using this style of service (particularly over Zoom during Lockdown) as it's an informal meal of love during which bread and wine are shared as symbols of fellowship with God and with one another.

Comments were very positive by those who attended. What a beautiful service!! It was so thoughtfully and professionally taken by Jenny Coltart and the rain held off for us! It was lovely to have Robin Thwaites, our new curate to the Benefice, there to read the Gospel, and to add his cheerful, sincere and very approachable presence. We are so fortunate.

The reflection on the feeding of the five thousand was one we had never heard before - and was fascinating: the generosity of the young boy with his 'lunchbox' being an example to so many others who had also got their lunch, but were keeping it hidden, was such an interesting thought.

Jan Fisher led the Intercessions, very lovely prayers, so apt and inclusive, and thoughtful. Lay Reader, Peter Coster reminded us in his Thought for the Day - last Sunday was Lammas Day - how appropriate was that service in every way!

Thank you very much to Jenny, for also creating a sacred atmosphere with the little table set with pretty flowers on a white cloth, and the praying hands. Thank you David Coltart, Tower Captain for the ringing of the bell to concentrate the mind - a welcome sound after months of silence.

OUTDOOR AGAPE CHURCH SERVICE

OUTDOOR AGAPE CHURCH SERVICE - Sunday 2nd August, 2020 - 10am

We are holding a short 30 minute Agape service outside of the church at St Mabyn this Sunday at 10am.

Please bring your own hand sanitiser, a blanket to sit on and umbrella if the weather looks dodgy! You will need to bring a cube of bread and your own drinking vessel. (The wall also makes an ideal place to sit on and there will be a couple of spare chairs if you want one or the grass bank for the more agile!)

When you come to the churchyard, we will be noting your name and contact phone number as per government recommendations for track and trace.

Do not come if you are ill. Although we will be doing all that we can to make things safe, please be aware that there is still a low risk of Covid-19 in the outdoors, especially for those in vulnerable groups and you should continue to follow government guidelines. If you wish, you can of course wear a face mask. Regrettably their will be no hymns, and must be no handshakes or hugs!

We would be delighted if you would like to come and it would help us to plan, if you can please let us know if you would like to attend, by telephoning Jan 01208 852182 and we will send you a copy of the service before hand.

Renovated gates!

You may have noticed the church porch gates have been renovated. We would like to thank Nick Henderson for his sterling work on the gates which now look brand new, and make the church look even more welcoming.

We are looking forward to opening the gates for services very soon.

JF

Sad news from Rev'd David Pollard.

I expect David Seymour has passed on the news that my time at St.Mabyn has drawn to a close. My decision was based on the Lord's leading to spend more time with Barbara and the family and lockdown confirmed that my season of public ministry had naturally ended. David now has Steve's help in addition to a new curate and with a supportive congregation St. Mabyn will go forward in good heart.

Barbara and I can reflect on many happy times spent with you all and are so grateful for all your support and the opportunities you gave us to share the Gospel. When the time is right we will come over for a service and stay for a coffee and a chat afterwards.

Please pass on our thanks, love and prayers to everyone,

God is good!

David and Barbara

Church services

As St Mabyn church remains closed, the following services are taking place within our Benefice

Sunday 26th July

9.30am Matins at Michaelstow

10.00am Morning Prayer at Blisland

11.05am Holy Communion at St Tudy

News from our new Curate

Hello everyone,
Family Thwaites have finally moved in, everything is unboxed and apart from rearranging the furniture several times I think we can say we are settled. Having spent the whole of lockdown and its glorious weather in a third floor flat at Ripon College we have been very much looking forward to enjoying the garden here and the beautiful Cornish landscapes. Of course, as soon as we arrived we have been gifted with rain everyday! At least it is good for the fields and crops though. We have managed to go for some lovely walks and been to a few beaches in the snippets of sun that we have had.
Other than the couple of years at Oxford where I was studying, we originally come from Sussex with the south downs behind us and the sea in front, so the rural and coastal life is one where we feel very much at home. As a family we love nothing more than long walks and days on the water. Emmy and I are keen kayakers and have really missed the sea while in Oxford. Our eldest son Vaughn also loves the sea and is desperate to start surfing (having done it once on a school residential and caught the bug). Eastern our second son is very much at home in a cave or rock pool, or just looking at anything he can find in the mud and fields (walking takes a very long time as he is constantly looking down for interesting rocks etc.). Finally our youngest Meadow, in keeping with her name, loves all things nature, flowers and animals of any description although not particularly keen on the eight legged kind that can be found on bedroom walls!
Originally the plan was that I would have been ordained by now at Truro Cathedral, but unfortunately Covid put a halt to that. At present the plan is that this will now take place towards the end of September and possibly not at the Cathedral. Whilst disappointing, it is a necessary and understandable precaution and because of this I attended a Zoom service a couple of weeks ago with the other Truro Ordinands and Bishop Phillip where we were all commissioned with the ‘Cure of Souls’ which allows us to start our work as Curates in the parishes we have been placed.
As the churches across the Benefice slowly start to open and prepare you will see me more and more. I have already been able to assist David with a couple of services in the Benefice and look forward to meeting everyone as and when the Lockdown lessens. This has been and continues to be a very difficult time for many people and you are all very much in my prayers.

Church Opening Update

You may have read that current guidelines have suggested that churches may now reopen for worship. The risk of coronavirus has as we know, however, not gone away. 

The doors of some of our churches in the Camelside Benefice have reopened. Since many people in our St Mabyn congregation, however remain vulnerable to Covid-19, we have taken the careful decision to remain closed for the time being.

If you wish to find out more about the churches that are open for prayer and worship, please contact our Rector, David Seymour: 01208 850088, likewise if you wish to receive his weekly service to read, private prayer or pastoral support.

Church services are on the horizon here but we will be waiting a bit longer before we reopen.

Any change is unsettling especially when it is not of our own choosing, but it brings opportunities as well as threats. If you wish to join us for our online Bible study and prayer meeting, we 'meet' every Tuesday at 7.30pm via Zoom! Please contact David for information and he will send you the necessary link. In the meantime, please stay safe!

JT

This Sunday is Palm Sunday!

This Sunday is Palm Sunday! If anyone would like a palm cross to take away (as usually available in church in a normal year) please help yourself from the church porch. (Have been there long enough to be virus free!).

Palm Crosses

Rector David Seymour blesses the Palm Crosses. Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic our church continues to function and prepare for Easter. These would normally have been given out this Sunday in our morning service and kept in our homes as a daily reminder of the Victory of Christ. We await information as to how this will happen, but rest assured, it will!
JF

Public worship will cease until further notice

FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS!

Many thanks to all who helped with and  supported the Coffee Morning last Saturday. Thanks to your generosity, we have raised £171.50 for the toilet twinning which will provide two latrines in Africa - one in Katete, Zambia and one in Chilumba, Malawi - plus nearly enough money  for a third.

The Fair Trade stall took £147. 85 (bless you chocoholics!) - another amazing result for a worthwhile cause.

Jan and Jenny

Lent Challenge Coffee Morning!

SATURDAY 7th MARCH 10am - 12 noon at St Mabyn church.

We are raising funds to Twin our church toilet for a family in Zambia who has no access to such facilities. We will have fair trade tea, coffee, cakes and goods on sale. Spring plants also with a a couple of fun activities to amuse you over coffee!
EVERYONE WELCOME - we do hope that you will support this worthy charity.

Lent Challenge

During Lent Christians prepare to celebrate God's redemption of the world in Jesus at Easter. Traditionally as Christians we are encouraged to 'give up' some luxury for lent but this year we are preparing to follow the Church of Englands programme called Live Lent

Live Lent is a 40 day challenge which encourages us to to Care for God's Creation by exploring the urgent need for humans to value and protect the abundance God has created. We are also called to care for our brothers and sisters all over the world who face having their families uprooted and their livelihoods destroyed by the effects of climate change.

We have compiled a 40 day calendar which will give you some ideas and thoughts for this important time. There are ideas for us to help our wildlife and environment. Perhaps you could consider giving something up as well to help the environment: maybe you could forgo single use plastics, use less water or save electricity by turning off lights. If many of us do little things, they can add up to make a big difference. No doubt you have heard it all before but are you taking action?

Will you join us in Shrinking the Footprint? Wednesday 26th February - April 9th 2020!

Download Lent calendar