Update on Sunday Worship

Sunday 17th May

The Sunday After Ascension Day

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Sunday
9:15am Family Communion at St Lawrence, Towcester
10:15am Benefice Sunday Worship via Zoom
11:15 Holy Communion with APCM at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton

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Our weekly news contains details of services for this and next weekend, as well as daily bible readings, prayer requests and notices for forthcoming events. 

Looking ahead to events and services that are happening please do look at the monthly calendar for May

Copies are available in churches for collecting especially for those who do not have emails. 


Dear friends,

Please do not immediately roll your eyes at the mention of safeguarding. Over recent weeks there have been a number of conversations bubbling away across the benefice and, following a recent diocesan email, it felt important to reflect a little on why safeguarding matters so deeply within the life of the Church.
 
For many people, safeguarding can easily become associated with policies, online training modules, DBS checks, unfamiliar terminology, and processes that sometimes feel overwhelming or disconnected from the realities of parish life. Some have spoken honestly about frustrations with aspects of the training or the language used, and those concerns are understood. Feedback has recently been shared with the diocesan safeguarding team so that experiences from local churches such as ours can continue to shape wider conversations.
 
At the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the heart of safeguarding itself. Safeguarding is not simply something the Church does because it is required to. It grows out of the value we place upon every person God entrusts to our care and the desire for our churches to be places where people are safe, listened to, respected, and supported well.
 
One helpful comparison shared recently likened safeguarding training to the fire extinguishers we keep in our buildings. We service them regularly, not because we expect a fire, but because if the moment ever comes when they are needed, we want them ready and fit for purpose. In much the same way, we hope we never need to draw upon many of the situations safeguarding training prepares us for. Yet by undertaking training, reflecting carefully, and putting good processes in place, we are better equipped to recognise concerns, respond wisely, and support one another well when difficult situations arise.
 
The Church has, at times, failed people profoundly in its calling to care well for one another. Safeguarding is therefore not simply about administration or compliance. As recent Church of England safeguarding materials remind us, “it’s not just policy, it’s personal.” Within our congregations and communities, there are those carrying the lasting effects of abuse and trauma, alongside families living with painful and complicated situations involving vulnerability, risk, and safeguarding concerns. These realities are not abstract issues somewhere else; they are part of the pastoral life of the Church itself.
 
In Proverbs 31:8–9 we read: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Safeguarding, at its heart, is about exactly that: ensuring that the Church remains a place where people are treated with dignity, compassion, care, and grace.
 
Much safeguarding work happens quietly behind the scenes and often without recognition. In recent months, Bev, our new Safeguarding Officer, supported by Louise and others across the benefice, has undertaken a great deal of careful work helping to ensure that training and DBS processes are up to date and properly in place. We are deeply grateful for the patience, persistence, and care this involves, alongside the faithful work of those who have previously carried safeguarding responsibilities over many years.
 
Alongside this, safeguarding training and renewal continues for clergy and church officers across the benefice. While it can at times feel time consuming, the hope is always that it helps us grow not simply in knowledge of procedures, but in awareness, wisdom, confidence, and pastoral care.
 
All of this connects deeply with the season of the Church year in which we now find ourselves as we journey between Ascension and Pentecost. The disciples were no longer simply followers gathered around Jesus, physically present before them. They were waiting to become a Spirit filled community shaped by his presence within them.

Pentecost is not only about dramatic moments or powerful experiences. It is about the forming of communities marked by truthfulness, compassion, gentleness, accountability, courage, and love. During our recent Holy Spirit course, we reflected on how the Holy Spirit is not simply an abstract idea or distant doctrine, but God present with us now: guiding, encouraging, equipping, and transforming us.
 
Perhaps safeguarding, in its quieter and less visible way, is part of that same calling. It is one of the ways we seek to become a safe and Spirit filled community: a church where people encounter grace and truth together, where care is taken seriously, and where the vulnerable are protected and valued.
 
At our Pentecost services, we will also reflect on the sacramental life of the Church. Sacraments are often described as “outward and visible signs of an inward and invisible grace.” In the lighting of candles, the movement of the Paschal Candle, the breaking of bread, and the sending out of God’s people, we are reminded that God continues to work through ordinary people, ordinary acts, and ordinary communities filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
 
This coming Sunday also brings a significant occasion for the Diocese as Sarah Mullally visits the Diocese of Peterborough for her first diocesan visit since becoming Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Sarah will be preaching at Evensong at Peterborough Cathedral on Sunday afternoon, and all are warmly invited to attend. Further details can be found on the Diocese of Peterborough website where you can also find a link to the live stream. If anyone would like a lift to the Cathedral, please email or speak with myself or Revd Nigel, as there are a few spaces available for those wishing to attend.
 
Looking a little further ahead, a reminder that our Benefice Service takes place at St Lawrence Church on Saturday, 31st May. If anyone is able to provide a cake or help with refreshments, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Like the fire extinguishers quietly hanging on our walls, much safeguarding work is rarely noticed unless it is needed. Yet its quiet presence helps make it possible for our churches to become what we pray they will be: safe and Spirit-filled communities where all people are welcomed, valued, protected, and encouraged to grow in the love of Christ.
 
Thank you, as always, for the many quiet ways in which people continue to support the life and ministry of our churches week by week.

With my prayers 

Revd Paula Challen
Rector 
 

St Lawrence Church Fete and Craft Fair

Raffle Tickets are now available inside St Lawrence Church or The Chantry House. Please place your completed ticket stubs in the envelope and post through the Vicarage postbox, Chantry House postbox or bring to the Fete.

Let's Shine Festival

Running from 30th May to 7th June, in the Astwell Benefice holds over 30 free events (ranging from music, theatre, art, steam railway, cricket and more) to raise money for the local community through the Churches. Head to www.letsshinetogether.co.uk for the full list of upcoming events  booking is also now open for our 10 ticketed events on Eventbrite: tickets here
 
We are also holding a Grand Draw raffle! With 25 amazing prizes to be won, including holidays in the Austrian Alps and Dorset, a magnum of Berry Bros. & Rudd Champagne and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage driving experience... and so many more!
Head to this link to get tickets now!
 
Keep an eye on our social media for more information about the events! (Instagram: letsshinefestival - Facebook: Letsshinetogether).
 
We look forward to celebrating kind communities with you at the Let's shine Festival 2026! 

Worship for this coming week