January 2021 News & Notes

Welcome James Menzies

Bishop Karen and the benefice representatives, are pleased to announce the appointment of the Revd James Menzies as the new Team Vicar in the Weymouth Ridgeway Team. James will have particular responsibility for the life and worship of St Francis Littlemoor and the pastoral care of that community. In due course the plan will be that James is appointed Team Rector following the retirement of the Revd Canon Tim West, in this he has the support of many including both Tim and Philip.

James as volunteer fireman [c/o Echo]

James is currently Team Vicar on Portland, he was ordained in 2010 and served his curacy in the Diocese of Durham. James is already Assistant Rural Dean of the Weymouth and Portland Deanery and will continue in that role, particularly working with the Rural Dean to reshape ministry in the deanery as a response to local need, forming new partnerships to fit a changing population. We are delighted that James, in seeking a new challenge, wanted to remain in the deanery and feel that he has the right gifts and experience to lead the benefice into the next phase of its life. James, his wife Georgie and their family will be moving to Weymouth sometime in the New Year, and he will be licensed on 21 February. 

Welcome PCSO Kirsty Gatehouse
She covers Preston as part of her team's area, and it was great to see her checking the local community after an incident at the Co-op. Kirsty is always welcome [post-Covid] to pop in for a chat.

An extra zag to St Osmund's path
At long last it is possible to take an electric scooter from Church Lane up into Osmington village church. Construction of good foundations is shown below, and stone capping will be added to blend in with the surroundings. Thanks to all involved in this important project.

December 2020 News & Notes

The interview for Team Rector designate took place by Zoom but the outcome can't be published until the next edition of The Register, so watch this space!

Remembrance was held early on 1 November during worship. Churches were also open for private prayer Sundays and Wednesdays throughout the month. Many paid their respects in a very different way this year. May we relish the gift of peace even more wholeheartedly by living life to the very full.

 
Christmas will also be different this year and here is how it will be celebrated in St Andrew, Preston; and St Osmund, Osmington. Of course, we can only assume we come out of 'lockdown 2' as planned. All December services will include listening/humming to 2 well known carols, candlelight if possible/desired, and crib scene as the central decoration for the whole month.

Sunday 6

  8.30am St Osmund's with 2 Advent carols

  9.30am St Andrew's

Wednesday 9

  7.30pm St Andrew's with 2 Advent carols

Sunday 13

  8.30am St Osmund's with 2 Christmas carols

  9.30am St Andrew's

Wednesday 16

  7.30pm St Andrew's with 2 Christmas carols

Sunday 20

  4.30pm St Osmund's 6 carols & 5 readings

  6.30pm St Andrew's 6 carols & 5 readings

Thursday 24 Christmas Eve

  9.30pm St Osmund's said Communion, 4 carols, & incense

11.30pm St Andrew's said Communion, 4 carols & incense

Sunday 27

  8.30am St Osmund's with 2 Christmas carols

  9.30am St Andrew's

Wednesday 30

  7.30pm St Andrew's with 2 Christmas carols

St Andrew is looking smart now that the scaffolding has been removed to reveal repointed south and east elevations. Already the interior is beginning to dry out. Thanks to Harry Barnes for carrying out this complex project.

November 2020 News & Note

Harvest October, and Remembrance November are how we are celebrating important moments under Covid. Decorations are different and quirky. St Andrew, Preston and St Osmund, Osmington are open during Sundays and Wednesdays, so do pop in for some quiet. Giving thanks for peace, at such huge cost to life, is always a privilege. This picture shows harvest and remembrance around the font, a symbol of new life. Thanks decorators!

Team Rector designate interview takes place this month. The panel includes three churchwardens representing western, central, and eastern Churches. Do pray for all involved.

Worship by candlelight has restarted 7.30pm every Wednesday evening at St Andrew. It's available to all in the Ridgeway Team, and has a gentle healing nature. In order to make this possible Canon Tim's normal day of rest is now Friday. 

Covid etiquette has tightened, and that might be a healthy challenge to complacency. Rightly we want the new norm to become a background routine, so we can live lives as full as possible. However guidance is constantly evolving, and we are grateful to all who revise risk assessments, share clear guidance, and do it all with a smile!

Access points are restricted to a maximum of 6 wearing masks, and they should not interact with any other six. Scanning the QR code is strongly encouraged. That way we maximise safety for everyone.

October 2020 News & Notes

Harvest is an essential thanksgiving particularly this year with weather and Covid 19 making life very difficult for growers, distributors, and retailers. We are amazingly spoilt to have such a robust household supplies with only a few significant short-term shortages: flour, toilet rolls, and eggs.

We can, and we can't do certain things, and the new normal includes abnormality + change. We can take baptisms, weddings, and funerals in church to a maximum of 30. All have to wear masks, use sanitiser, can't sing but can listen to music, and keep distances. We can't take Holy Communion to those who are vulnerable, but they can with appropriate technology and 'bubble' companions watch facebook.com/canon.tim.west for regular acts of worship. Worship has to be short, and we are all getting used to things.

Candlelight worship restarts on Wednesdays in St Andrew, Preston at 7.30pm. These special occasions are being run by Lay Worship Leaders [commissioned or in training], and provide space for reflection using both contemporary and traditional material.

A fantastic wedding took place at St Osmund, Osmington when Simon Jerrard and Kerry-Anne Burt joined hands. The rings were carried in by Lola [pictured below], the bride arrived in an open-topped coach pulled by a pair of shires, and we swayed to 'Hold my hand' by Jess Glynne.

September 2020 News & Notes

Community Angels play a vital part in our neighbourhood, and are headed up by Brian Sadler [sometimes referred to as the Archangel Gabriel]. During lockdown keeping in touch was important, and the Angels are constantly responding to guidance. Our thanks to all involved.

Prestons across the world are being invited to keep in touch via Facebook. The initiative comes from Lancashire, and a growing number can now exchange ideas and news. There is a great contrast between our happy situation, with no known local Covid 19 cases, and Lancashire having additional lockdown.

Canon Tim will retire in April and made the announcement the Sunday before lockdown. This month Bishop Karen will be in Zoom conversation with Ridgeway churchwardens about a successor team rector.

A vegetable tribute formed part of the thanksgiving for a remarkable character, Tony Patterson. His family are delighted to share this picture. He was a drug addict for many years, but was saved by the sponsorship and support of others. Several spoke movingly about his faith, how he in turn got clean, and became a counsellor for others. He would get away from it all on his allotment, and his friends there organised this vegetable display.

Archdeacon Antony's haircut is a bit of fun but draws attention to trauma in Sudan which faces famine and Covid 19 simultaneously. He was once team vicar at St Francis. If you would like to support this cause please use this link https://bit.ly/sudansemergency

August 2020 News & Notes

Learning to crawl before we walk would be a good description of bringing church buildings into use for private prayer, said worship, small weddings, and small funerals. Each place is different, and the people involved are finding the right pace to work through risk assessments, sorting out Covid 19 etiquette, and publicity. Some have misunderstood national media and assume that all church buildings are open and we can carry on as if there was no pandemic ~ that is definitely not the case.

To find out the latest position click on https://www.facebook.com/canon.tim.west and also check local publicity

Our Funeral Directors do a grand job helping families with small scale thanksgiving services. At the moment 10 is still the maximum attendance, although any number can watch online. It's great to see that Sam Wilding has been included in the Thank You painted on the side of a Portland van.

The Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course has started online with nearly 20 taking part. There are two [Gloucester and Cheshire] who have local connections but are having to live away.

Getting Church Rooms, and Community Rooms open is a different challenge to hosting private prayer or said worship. The principle is taking a slow steady space so people feel welcome and safe. Mid July flags up Covid 19 infections as 6 in a 1,000; we cannot be complacent. Signage and risk assessments are coming on nicely.

July 2020 News & Notes

Churches are open Sundays & Wednesdays for private prayer from 10.00am until 5.00pm, with everyone responsible for Covid 19 etiquette. You are asked to wear a mask, sanitise hands on entry and exit, place a pebble where you have sat down, and to avoid touching things. We begin gradually and cautiously. Other days the buildings will be looked so that any virus dies away.

Meanwhile many are involved with Church life through Facebook posts as canon.tim.west, Youtube by Philip Elliott, and any number of contributors with comments, recommendations, or generating their own posts. After all worship is with body, mind, spirit, and strength 24/7, not just on Sundays in Church buildings.

The Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course for the borough begin this month with a taster session on Zoom. Successful candidates will be commissioned by Bishop Karen in March.

Baptisms and weddings have all been postponed, most into next year. Everyone has been very understanding in spite of so many arrangements having to be changed.

Most children are connected via the internet to schools, grandparents, friends, and neighbours. Canon Tim has converted the traditional battleships game into a railway theme, as below. A jpg file can be downloaded from his Facebook page.

June 2020 Worship, news, & notes

Much has changed in a short time from a delightful wedding blessing for Stephen and Claire Dorsey, where everyone was beginning the social distancing dance, to all public buildings including Churches being locked shut.

Worship has not been stopped by the Coronavirus Challenge; in fact there may be more involved with Church life through Facebook posts as canon.tim.west, Youtube by Philip Elliott, and any number of contributors with comments, recommendations, or generating their own posts. After all worship is with body, mind, spirit, and strength 24/7, not just on Sundays. Many found the meditations on the Easter Cross unusually powerful.

Baptisms and weddings are postponed, most into next year. Everyone has been very understanding in spite of so many arrangements having to be changed. Our safety comes first.

How do we evolve? We will start on a small scale, perhaps watching an Alpha Course session. As we work out practicalities we can make more events available. What is certain is that it will be different, but relishing the unchanging truths of God's Good News story.

The Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course for the borough will begin with a taster session on Zoom. If you're interested have a chat with one of the clergy. Successful candidates will be commissioned in January by Bishop Karen.

Sadly there have been many funerals and the crematorium has moved from 45 to 30 minute services in order to cope. Canon Tim has kept in touch with funeral directors for mutual support, in this case enjoying delicious home-made flapjacks at Cottons.

April 2020 News & Notes

Alpha course is back and all are welcome. It's a great opportunity to asked questions about God, faith and doubts. The setting is relaxed coffee bar.

Does your Church have a Parish Eco-Warrior [PEW] who will make sure that our responsibilities towards nature feature highly? This is just one of the recommendations made by the teamwide Lent course, which concludes 7.30pm on 1 and 8 April at St Francis. Even if you've not been yet there's much to inspire, so just turn up.

Congratulations to St Andrew's School for good+ Ofsted result, which was well warranted. The inspectors were thorough, courteous, and enjoyed themselves. They recognised that the school is improving and heading towards being outstanding. Our thanks to chair of governors Marcia Headon, and headteacher Sarah Patterson for such clear leadership.

Coronavirus means Church greetings should be as safe as possible, so here are some suggestions to replace handshakes: foot or elbow touch, nod, bow, or invent non-contact exchanges.

Bishop Karen launched a vision for Weymouth & Portland deanery at the last synod. It included imagination, training, giving, serving and engaging with communities served by the Church. The synod also talked about how to become carbon-neutral by 2030.

A Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course for the borough begins with a taster session on 6 May. If you're interested have a chat with one of the clergy. Successful candidates will be commissioned in January by Bishop Karen.

Canon Tim retired as ATC padre after 22 years visiting 1606 Air Training Corps Squadron on The Nothe. He was presented with an engraved mounted glass memorial, soon nick-named the Tim-stone! Fortunately he is still alive and kicking.

March 2020 News & Note

No Alpha course this month because St Andrew have Annual Parish Meetings. Normal service resumes in Church Rooms on 10.00am 19 April, and then every third Sunday in the month. Each session stands alone, so don't worry if you've missed one.

A Teamwide Lent course on green issues runs 7.30pm every Wednesday in March at St Francis. Sessions fit together, with each evening focusing on one area.

Anthea Jayne O'Beirne was baptised at St Andrew's, with her older brother Arlo looking on. She was as good as gold and took everything in her stride.

Shortlisting of St Francis Team Vicar candidates takes place on 11 March with interviewing and visits on 30/31 March. We hope to appoint first time around, but the most important thing is to find the right person. Do continue to remember all involved in your prayers.

Messy Church made Christingles to help remember that Jesus is the Light of the World. Each workstation had a theme, and family groups moved around getting involved in different craft work. The session ended with a meal together. All welcome to join at 3.30pm in Church Rooms on third Sundays in the month.

A Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course for the borough is going to run on first and third Wednesdays in the month, from May until December. If you're interested have a chat with one of the clergy.

St Andrew's School uses imagination and invited reception children back one evening to gaze up at the stars. Some dynamic software flagged up what to look for, and even imposed classical images of artwork depicting various constellations.