Benefice Letter
Dear friends,
Because of the early deadline of the Quartet, I am writing this during the week before Christmas and I am surrounded by lists, piles of service sheets and stacks of cards yet to be written (or not, if time runs out!), and a long list of printing jobs to be completed by the end of the week. The parish printer is definitely working overtime and it keeps beeping at me and telling me ‘your printer has run out of paper!
It somehow strikes a chord as many of us feel that we are running out of time and energy as we are trying to get everything done before Christmas.
By the time you read this, we will have had carol services in all our churches as well as Holy Communion on Christmas Eve and two family communion services on Christmas Day. During these busy times I am always hugely grateful for the help and support of other clergy and very able lay leaders who enable us to have services in all our churches on the days that work best for each of the villages.
Looking ahead to January, we will be holding Plough Sunday for the third year running. I still get responses like “We’ve never done this” or “We don’t need this”, but the parishes which have celebrated Plough Sunday have enjoyed it and asked to host it again. Perhaps it’s not a bad thing to try something new for the churches who haven’t done so yet.
This year’s Plough Sunday will be in Holton on the 11th January, beginning at 10am. We have again been promised a tractor to bless which is always a lovely sight outside our rural village churches. We look forward to showing our support for our farming communities and to welcoming the Lay Agricultural Chaplain Graham Miles who will be sharing this service with me. Graham supports our farmers 24/7 and you can find his details on the contacts page in the Quartet.
Café Church will be restarting on the third Sunday, 18th January at 9.30am in the Parish Room in Stratford St Mary. If you like more informal worship, starting with a shared breakfast for all ages, do come along and see what it’s like. We are a mixed group of all ages and have welcomed all ages from babes in arms to some of our regulars who are in their 80s or 90s. It’s a true family-like setting and young families as well as those who live on their own appreciate the fellowship.
I hope and pray that 2026 may bring you happiness and good health, and that there may be an end to wars and violence in the world.
Looking forward to seeing you over Christmas and in the New Year.
With all good wishes,
Yours in Christ,
Rev’d Manette
- The Rectory
- Hadleigh Road
- Raydon
- Suffolk
- IP7 5LH
07947 737789
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