Upcoming Events and News
Welcome to The Benefice of The Huntspills and Mark.
In addition to the schedule of events shown on the right, you can find further details about upcoming events below and a monthly calendar at the bottom of this page.
If you are looking for social events planned for the year ahead visit our Social Calendar
For a snap shot of village life, check out Gallery: East Huntspill Gallery: West Huntspill Gallery: Mark
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Social Events and Special Services Coffee Morning News Foodbank Bishop Michael Revd Chris’ Blog Huntspill News Heritage Project West Huntspill Church Hall
Social Events and Special Services
If you are looking for social events planned for the year ahead visit our Social Calendar
To find out more about upcoming events in East Huntspill visit Huntspill.org or email allsaintscommunitygroup@outlook.com to receive monthly flyers.
Friday 22nd November Fun Skittles at Bason Bridge Inn, East Huntspill
All Saints Community Group’s Annual Fun Skittles
A chance to have a laugh and catch up with old friends as well as making some new ones!
Come along and enjoy an evening of light-hearted skittles
Fun starts at 7pm only £5 per person Families welcome.
For more information email allsaintscommunitygroup@outlook.com
Saturday 23rd November Christmas Bazaar, Mark
Mark Church 11-2pm
Stalls include cards, Preserves, Cakes, Crafts, Sewing, Christmas Gifts
Games, Bottles Stall, Raffle etc
Non-alcoholic mulled wine,mince pies and sausage rolls
Plus Live Music and Father Christmas will be attending
Saturday 30th November Prize Bingo, West Huntspill
Balliol Hall West Huntspill
2.30pm
Prize Bingo
Bring your own drink
Children Welcome
Saturday 7th December Christmas Bazaar, East Huntspill
A festive event filled with stalls, games, gifts, arts and crafts, refreshments and much much more.
All Saints Church and Church Hall, East Huntspill, doors open 11am.
Fun for all the Family so why not come along and get those Christmas presents early!
For more information please email us at allsaintscommunitygroup@outlook.com
Advent Service
Sunday 1st December 6.pm Holy Cross Church, Mark
Advent Peace
30 minutes of quiet,
in a candle lit church
No service, no hymns,
no sermon,
just peace
A time to be….
Tuesday 3rd December 6.30-7pm Holy Cross Church, Mark
Tuesday 10th December 6.30-7pm St Peter and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill
Christmas Services and Carols by Candlelight
Sunday 15th December 9.30am Holy Cross Church, Mark. Christingle Service and Blessing of the Crib
Sunday 15th December 3pm All Saints Church, East Huntspill. Carols by Candlelight followed by refreshments
Friday 20th December 7pm Holy Cross Church, Mark. Carols by Candlelight followed by refreshments
Sunday 22nd December 6pm St Peter and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill. Carols by Candlelight
Christmas Eve 2pm St Peter and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill. Crib and Christingle Service
Christmas Eve 4pm All Saints Church, East Huntspill. Crib and Christingle Service
Christmas Eve 11.15pm Holy Cross Church, Mark. Midnight Mass
Christmas Day 10am St Peter and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill. Friends and Family Communion Service
Coffee Mornings
Come along to one of our coffee mornings for a coffee, cake and chat. For further information Coffee Mornings and Huntspill Hub
Daily 10am- 4pm, Huntspill Hub Honesty Café
Monday 10.30 -12noon, West Huntspill
Tuesday 10.00-12noon, Mark
Wednesday 1030-12noon, Mark
Saturday 10.30-12noon, East Huntspill
3rd Saturday Monthly cake sale 10.30-12noon, East Huntspill
News
For a snap shot of village life, check out Gallery: East Huntspill Gallery: West Huntspill Gallery: Mark
Ashley Fox MP
Ashley Fox MP for Burnham & Bridgwater visits the Huntspill Hub at St Peter & All Hallows Church, West Huntspill
Burnham RNLI’s helm Matt Edwards tied the knot with fiancé Abbey,
After their traditional service and the signing of the register, they left the church to see a group of lifeboat crew and well-wishers were formed in two lines outside the church door with an archway of oars.
The happy couple walked to the end of the lines accompanied by congratulatory applause from lifeboat volunteers and wedding guests.
Thank you burnham-on-sea.com’ for the lovely photos! Burnham on Sea .com
Ecclesiastical Insurance
The next time that you renew your home insurance why not get a quote from ecclesiastical
Call 0345 777 3322 or www.ecclesiastical.com/home-insurance/
Each time one of our community takes out a home insurance policy with ecclesiastical, they will donate a £130 to our church, just by referencing TRUST 130 on the telephone or using promotion code TRUST 130 online
One of the UK’s most trusted home insurance providers and a ’Which?’ Best Buy
Enjoying the countryside
Our local Police Officer, PC Tracey Jones, has asked that we share the following information concerning livestock as they have been responding to problems recently along these lines.
We have also found these guidelines to help make our area safe for all.
Bishop Michael gifts a thousand tree saplings
A thousand Hazel tree saplings were given as gifts at Bishop Michael’s installation in 2022.
In his sermon, Bishop Michael shared how this gift was an example of just one of the things we can do to bring about the harvest of God’s life into God’s world and asked all those present “will you plant a sapling as a sign that under God each of us, in every place, can play our part in working for change, for transformation, for life. Small actions that when we undertake them together make a big difference.”
The hazel saplings are a symbol of a commitment to everyone to turn words into action.
East Huntspill has nurtured their sapling, which has grown strong and was today planted within the church grounds and we all look forward to watching its growth and changes throughout the seasons. Visit Gallery: East Huntspill to see more photos
Foodbank
Donations can be left in All Saints Church, East Huntspill
We welcome donations of in-date non-perishable, food and toiletries.
We also welcome clean & unbroken ‘bags for life’
Please note we cannot accept alcohol or baby formula
Thank you for your support
Highbridge Area Foodbank
Bishop of Bath and Wells: Refreshing our diocesan vision
Our Diocesan Vision: In response to God’s immense love for us we seek to be God’s people living and telling the story of Jesus.
We seek to live this story as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world and to tell it, both in sharing the good news and by the way in which our lives speak about Him.
This has been our vision for a few years. With our new bishop in place, now seems like a good time to ask ourselves how we are doing that, and how we want to do that in the next season of our diocesan life together.
As he travelled around our diocese in his first months, Bishop Michael identified four areas that might help us focus our activity in the future:
• Valuing and cherishing the people and resources we already have
• Developing new Christian worshipping communities
• Sharing in ministry and leadership
• Deepening and growing faith
You can hear Bishop Michael sharing his thoughts on refreshing our vision:
Visit Bath and Wells website to find out more
Rev Chris’ Blog,
November 2024 ‘The Common Fund’
I can hardly believe that Paul McCartney’s Frog Song, otherwise known as ‘We all stand together’, will be 40 years old this year! If you don’t know it, you’ve definitely missed out – a lack that I encourage you to remedy at your first opportunity. If you do know it, then I probably need to apologise, as the tune is likely to stay with you for quite a while – it is one of those tunes.
‘Win or lose, sink or swim
One thing is certain, we’ll never give in
Side by side, hand in hand
We all stand together.’
This basic premise is true on so many different levels. From the enormity of the climate change challenges (where we all need to work together to halt the damage and avoid irreversible changes), to our local clubs and societies, be they The Womens’ Institute, the gardening club or the choir, where we all have to bend our own will and seek the common good if they are to function well. For our villages to flourish, the same is true across the board, and we are grateful to all who serve the common good in our local communities, who help knit our society together.
Churchwise, Bath & Wells seeks to work in this same way to place Vicars throughout the Diocese. Rather than simply putting Vicars where communities are rich enough to be able to afford them, they seek to help everyone to work together, to support the poorer parishes by means of a ‘common fund’ – formed by every parish being asked to contribute what is called a ‘parish share’. We are currently undergoing some changes in the way that this ‘parish share’ is calculated, to make the system more understandable, transparent and equitable (for more info: www.bathandwells.org.uk/common-fund OR contact me). The basic principle, however, has not changed i.e. seeking to work together to serve the common good. Of course, in addition to covering the costs of having a Vicar, and helping other parishes do this too, our local church also faces all the usual running costs (insurance, electricity, heating etc.), which we are very aware have increased considerably of late. Many of you already support your local church in all manner of ways, for which I am immensely grateful, but if you don’t yet but might be able to, or if you do but might be able to increase your giving, it would be greatly appreciated.
Together we stand, side by side……seeking to serve the common good!
God bless you
Rev Chris
The Huntspill News
The Huntspill News is now available in printed form or an electronic version View this month’s publication (PDF)
St Peter and All Hallows Church Heritage Project
Find out more under our Heritage Section Heritage Project and Huntspill Hub
The Benefice Church Halls
All Saints Church Hall, East Huntspill
Did you know that you can hire East Huntspill Church Hall for £25 per session? This includes heating and use of the kitchen. Ideal for children’s parties, family gatherings and other social events. Regular users £17.50 per session.
To book or for further details please contact Booking Clerk Ruth Edwards 01278 784329 easthuntspillchurchhall@hotmail.com
Holy Cross Church Hall, Mark
Mark Church Hall is a small hall with a kitchen, toilets and a stage. Perfect for meetings or a party.
To book, or for further details please ring Peter Higman on 01278 641479