St Mary and St Melor Abbey Church

Baptisms (Christenings)

Confirmation

Amesbury Church of England Primary School

Church Services

Tuesday
9 a.m.	Holy Communion
Wednesday
11 a.m.	Holy Communion

Morning & evening prayer daily at 8.30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Baptisms and marriages are arranged by appointment with one of the Clergy

Services for children
At the heart of our pattern of worship Sunday by Sunday is the celebration of the Eucharist, which aims to reflect God’s invitation to people of every age to join with Him in worship of God the Father through His Spirit. Regular Services are shown opposite, and additional Services are always well publicized.

Sundays: 10 a.m. – Parish Communion
The Parish Communion Service is the heart-beat of our worship. Everyone is welcome. We are pleased and delighted if you wish to keep your child with you in the church, or to make use of the childrens corner in your own way. There are refreshments following the Service in the Melor Hall.

Sundays: 10 a.m. – Creche
A creche is available in the childrens corner for pre-school children and babies in the north aisle of the Church. You will find a comfortable area where babies can be fed, and little ones can play on the carpet with the soft toys provided, or you can read to them from the books that are there. You cannot be heard by others, but you can see the priest, and therefore know exactly where we have got to in the Service. You are strongly encouraged to bring your baby up to the altar rail at Communion, so that the child can receive a blessing from God.

Sundays: 10 a.m. – Sunday School
Any child of Primary School age is invited to join us for Sunday School. The children leave the church from the north aisle in the hymn before the Gospel and sermon, and return at Communion to receive a blessing, and rejoin their parents. We have a team of helpers at Sunday School, but of course, if you wish to remain with your child for the first few occasions, then please do.

First Sunday of the month: 10 a.m. – Family Service
On the first Sunday of each month we hold a Family Service which lasts for about 40 minutes. It is a mixture of formality and informality, is interactive, is not a Communion Service, and is intended to introduce families to worship of God in church. If you are new to church-going, you may well find that this is the best way in for you, although we would hope that you will begin to find the regular Sunday by Sunday worship of God becomes part of your Christian life.

Child protection policy
St Mary and St Melor’s Church has a child protection policy, reviewed annually, which you can see in the Book of the Church on request. All those working with children, however obliquely, will have clearance from the criminal records bureau.

Church choir
Ours is a Church which values the place of music in worship. We have a flourishing choir of adults, and also a Junior choir. We want a strong, vibrant choir to lead our worship, and if you or your child would like to sing in the choir, please approach whoever is playing the organ when you visit the church. The organist will provide you with all the necessary information. Choir practice for junior choristers is every Thursday from 6.15 pm, being joined by the adults at 7.00 pm, and finishing for children at 7.15 pm. Junior choristers can work for singing awards from the Royal School of Church Music.

I was invited on a course last month for parishes with the most wedding Services held in churches in this Diocese. Amazingly, with 22 weddings last year, we were the fourth most popular venue in the Diocese, only beaten by Westbury and Talbot Village with 28, and then Canford Magna with 27. Can you believe it, that 75 parishes had no weddings at all, and a further 84 parishes only had 1 during 2010! What are your reactions to that?

These notes have been prepared to help people who are considering getting married in Church. It contains all the information which you need to know about Church weddings with a special emphasis on the legal and practical side. We very much hope that it will help people to see what is involved in a Church wedding and that it will clarify some of the rather complicated legal areas.

At the heart of every wedding service stands a couple who love each other and who wish to make a loving commitment in the presence of God. Every couple should remember that weddings do not need to be big, elaborate or expensive occasions. The Church does not have a dress code for Brides or Grooms and there is no obligation to have a lavish reception or to make a photographic record. The love and sincerity of the couple and the support of family and friends are the crucial ingredients in a wedding service.

May we take this opportunity to wish all who read this booklet the very best for their loving relationship and their commitments of marriage.

Who can get married at St Mary & St Melor?

The couple are not directly related to each other.

Both partners are above sixteen years of age.

The partners are of different sexes

Under the recent Marriage Measure, which came into force on October 1st 2008, an engaged couple are welcome to be married in church in a parish, not only if one of them lives or worships there, but also if just one of these applies:

• one of them was baptised or prepared for confirmation in the parish;
• one of them has ever lived in the parish for six months or more;
• one of them has at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more;
• one of their parents has lived in the parish for six months or more in their child’s lifetime;
• one of their parents has regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in their child’s lifetime;
• their parents or grandparents were married in the parish.

‘Our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction’. So said St Paul as he wrote to the Church in Thessalonica, where many miracles had been done by the hands of Paul, Silas and Timothy. In fact so successful had they been in the few weeks which was all they were there for, that, as Paul writes in 1:9 many "turned to God from idols." Of course, St Paul would be the very first to attribute those miracles to God Himself; they simply acted on his behalf, and the power and miracle all came from above.

So what about our miracle of Wyndham Hall? Let’s just go back and think through some of the many ways in which God has shown himself to us over these past couple of years. First of all, we spent some 3 or 4 years praying, thinking, musing, planning and producing reports about what to do about our lack of facilities. Do you remember way back in 2005 at the AGM when I proposed some kind of extension to this building, and Betty Bartley stood up and said that it was something she had been wanting for 30 years. Then we commissioned the three wise men to produce viable options – that was Neil Darg-Forsyth, Colin Heggie, and Andrew Poppe. We discussed those reports through 2006 and 2007, and took a magical mystery tour of the PCC to visit other churches which had done some kind of re-building programme. We realized that to build on to this building would cost upwards of 2 million pounds, and just as despair set in, God put the RBL building on the market. He knew best, and when we were a bit lost, he put us back on the right track.

But how to afford the £95,000 cost of purchase? Our finances couldn’t begin to approach such a sum, so I went to explore the possibility of a loan from the Diocese. To our astonishment, they offered us the full amount repayable over 2 years; and moreover, it was the very last loan the Diocese could afford to make. The limit is now somewhere around £10,000. Another miracle. But how do you run a project such as this? Who has the time, let alone the vision, the energy and the gifts to take it on? It took Mark just one lunch in the Antrobus to say yes – Ok, there was a bit more arm twisting as well! But I think everyone here would agree that God’s choice of Mark was simply a miracle. We could not have done it without him, and the annals of our history will record that truth for posterity.

Speaking of annals and records, if you look back through the PCC Minutes over the past 5 or 6 years, you will find that on every single occasion that they took a decision – indeed on every occasion an AGM or Extraordinary AGM took a vote, the result was without exception unanimous. That is amazing, given that we are the Church of England, and we do love to argue amongst one another! In fact, wouldn’t it be nice if our General Synod could be as united as those who have taken brave and historic votes on our behalf here. But you have to admit, when you look at us, that it is a miracle that with all the difficulties facing us, yet we could remain totally and utterly united – and clearly that unity comes from the Holy Spirit who is in each one of us, and who draws us together in unity.

OK, so we have the money to buy, we are united in our desire to buy, and we have the Project officer to lead us forward. But how can we possibly afford to pay for the work which needed to be done? Some of you will remember the dreadful state the hall was in when we took it over – with rotting food in the kitchens, bits falling from the ceiling, a dark and dismal appearance. Let me remind you of two more miracles, by which God provided the money. You will know that we got a grant of £97,000 from Plain Action, an EU sponsored body. What you may not know is that due to the machinations and politics of funding, our application fell within a 24 hour window in which the money was available. Before or after that 24 hours, and the money would not have been forthcoming. 24 hours out of a 9 month application process. Good timing! And the £43,000 we got from the Wiltshire Area Board was another miracle of timing in like manner. And there was your miracle too. How did you produce £94,000 in gifts for this work? How did you produce on top of that a further £20,000 from Sue Bingham’s fund-raising team? It’s completely impossible; it is clearly the work of God, working in each one of you to ensure that His will is done. And as this miracle edged towards completion, and the finances were on a knife edge, someone gave us a loan of just under £100,000, with no interest to pay, and to be repaid when we are ready. Another miracle. I remember Mark saying that he was worried that if everyone began to realize that God answers prayer, then God would pretty soon run out of money!

A few months ago, one afternoon, I was worrying about who to get to be the Hall Manager. God told me to go to the church, so I wandered over, and Anne Lewendon was stewarding. I told her that I just couldn’t think who to get, and how I was a bit low about it, and she immediately said that she was thinking of volunteering! What a miracle she has turned out to be! And so it goes on, miracle upon miracle, wonder upon wonder. Just last Monday we had 20 RMP’s helping with the move from Melor to Wyndham. That came about because the new RMP officer at Larkhill felt they should do more for the community, and somehow was put in touch with me, and bingo! The job is done so much more easily and quickly than if we ourselves had to do it.

‘Our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction’. Yes, God means what He says. Jesus told us to ask in faith believing that we would receive, and so we have. Please, take this as encouragement to you, that you now know without any scrap of doubt that it is true. If you take anything to God in prayer, then He will hear and answer. We shall build on this wonderful story of God’s power at work amongst us as we now go forward with our mission to further increase our congregation by reaching out to so many more people through love and service. God is at work amongst us. Alleluia. Amen.

LUNCH CLUB, November 6th
The Lunch club next meets on Sunday 6th November in the Wyndham Hall – for the first time! Names of anyone who wishes to join us should be given to Clare Marshall as soon as possible.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY, November 13th
Services on Remembrance Sunday, 13th November, are different this year, as the parish council and British Legion want to join with the rest of the nation in remembering the dead at 11 a.m. The parade will form up in the town square at 10 a.m., ready to move off at 10.30, and be ready for the Service which will take place outside the church in front of the war memorial. The 2 minutes’ silence will be kept at 11 a.m. The names of the fallen will be read out. The parade will fall out at 11.15 a.m., and there will be a said Service of Holy Communion immediately following in the church at 11.30 a.m. For ticket holders, there is a curry lunch in the Wyndham Hall; tickets are available from Jane Durcan. Please note that there will be a rehearsal on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for all those carrying Colours or flags.

ADVENT CAROL SERVICE, 27th November
Each year, the four Churches of Amesbury seek to show something of their individual worship style to their brothers and sisters in Christ. The Advent Carol Service has historically been our opportunity to share worship with everyone, and this year the Service will take place in St Mary and St Melor at 6 p.m. on Advent Sunday, 27th November. Advent is, of course, the start of a new Church year, and the Service allows us to begin our preparation spiritually for Christmas by hearing again the promises of God to save His people. The Service is followed by tea in the Wyndham Hall, courtesy of Jane Durcan and her team.

PARISH PARTY, 10th December
The parish party will, of course, take place this year in the Wyndham hall (hurrah!) The date is Saturday 10th December, at 6.30 p.m. There will be a different format this year. It will be a sit down meal followed by the parish revue, so unlike previous years, you don’t need to bring any food with you to share. What you do need to do is to get your ticket (£2.50), and to think about what act you might offer to the Revue – humour is the theme, as always! If you can take part, please contact Ian Bingham.

TOY SERVICE, 4th December
As in past years, we shall be supporting the Belarusian Victims of Chernobyl charity at our Family Service on December 4th. Peter Pratt, director of the charity, will be with us to tell us a bit more about his work with the children and their families in Belarus and about the desperate financial and health situation that continues to affect their lives more so than ever. Please could you bring a gift, marked ‘boy’ or ‘girl’, with an approximate age of the recipient, and wrap them up in bright and Christmassy paper. It isn’t just toys that are needed now, so here is a list of the kinds of things you might like to consider:

Toys, Small Cars, Footballs, Tennis Balls etc, Dolls, Soft Toys, Wooden & Plastic Toys, Harmonicas, Yo-Yos, Skipping Ropes, Slinky’s, Packs of Cards, Face Painting Kits.

Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Soap, Brush, Comb, Face Cloth or Sponge, School Biro & Pens, Pencils and Sharpener, Crayons and Marker Pens, Stamps and Ink Pad Sets, Writing Pads and Paper, Solar Calculators, Colouring and Picture Books

Other Gift Ideas: Hats, Base Ball Caps, Socks, Scarfs, Tee Shirts, Under Clothes, Flashlights with extra batteries, Watches, Toy Jewellery, Hair Clips, Bead Make up Kits, Sunglasses, Baby Clothes, Puzzles.

CONFIRMATION
The Confirmation Service took place on October 29th in Salisbury Cathedral, when Maddy and Megan Harris, Emily Milner, and Barry and Deborah Tandy were all Confirmed by the Bishops. They received Communion for the first time on the following day, at our Parish Communion. A great welcome to them all as full members of the Church

THE KINGDOM SEASON
Sunday 30th October marks the beginning of the Kingdom Season, the four Sundays at the end of the Trinity Season (Ordinary time as it is sometimes called) beginning nearest to All Saints Day. It lasts for four Sundays, up to the Feast of Christ the King, which is on the Sunday next before Advent. It is there for us to ponder on the majesty of Christ in glory, our God and our King, and is in wonderful juxtaposition to the succeeding season of Advent, when we see who our God is in human flesh - such a contrast to Him in heaven. You will notice that the liturgical colour is red.

POSTCARDS AND STAMPS
The news from the collection of postcards and stamps is that postcards raise more money than stamps – indeed, the sale of postcards last year ending 30th June raised £12,180. Please note that you should not cut or soak a stamp off a postcard, as this reduces the value to a buyer. Stamps, on the other hand, are less valuable, and ordinary 1st or 2nd class stamps bearing only the Queen’s head, are no longer needed, as there is no market for them currently.

CLEANING ROTA
May I once more, on behalf of everyone, thank those who are our ‘holy dusters’! These are the team who are on the rota for cleaning in the church, and I am so grateful to them for doing all that they do to keep our church looking so beautiful. It is particularly difficult for much of the time up at the High Altar, where we are assaulted by waves of flies and bees at various times of the year! The team do need two more helpers; it is simply to look after an allocated part of the church on a rota basis. If you can help, then please contact one of the churchwardens.

LPA ADMISSION SERVICE
I am delighted to be able to announce that Janet Darg-Forsyth is joining the ranks of the Lay Pastoral Assistants. She will be admitted by the Bishop at a Service at 6 p.m. on Sunday 20th November. Details of the location will be announced through the pew leaflet, but everyone will be most welcome to join us on that occasion.

THANK YOU FROM ANDREW POPPE
I am writing this inadequate note to say so many thanks for so much! It could be just for the stunningly beautiful Stole in which I felt entirely correctly dressed before God in the Cathedral. It could also be for all your generous prayers, cards and thoughts as we took our giant step for man into God’s presence. Or it could be, and is, for the love, the fellowship, the family, the support and the generous gift of your faith in Sarah and me over the last 5 years and on after we have moved to our new part in the Clarendon Benefice. Again, so very many thanks. God bless St Mary & St Melor and all of you. Andrew and Sarah Poppe.