Stanwick Group of Churches

Stanwick Group of Churches Benefice Website

Aldbrough St John, Forcett and Melsonby

Please note that the Diocese has decided that our benefice only warrants a half-time clergy post, consequently our vicar needs 3 days off each week. She has asked that these be Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday to fit in with her family and other commitments. Occasionally there are urgent calls that require her attention on her days off, but she asks that contact on non-urgent matters is confined to her working days of Monday, Thursday and Friday.

She has the full support of the PCCs in making this request. Please contact a Churchwarden or other church offficer to help, if necessary.

This site is primarily an additional information source for the people of the three parishes of Aldbrough St John, Forcett and Melsonby, but we hope that if you are from outside the area you will get a flavour of an area that is pleasant to live in.

You'll find out why it's called the Stanwick Group of Churches on our Welcome page.

We hope you'll find the information you are looking for on who we are and what we do as a benefice. If you feel that anything is missing, please contact the webmaster

If you want to ask about a wedding, please do not use the 'webmaster' link. Go to Contact Information where there is a specific email link direct to the vicar.

If you are a member of one of our parishes and want to be involved in our activities at any level, under GDPR we now need your signed consent to be allowed to contact you specifically. To give this please see the appropriate parish section in the Benefice Administration menu above and download the form.

Safeguarding

If you have any Safeguarding concerns involving anyone in the Benefice, please click on the poster to see details of who to contact in a larger version.

The parishes in the Benefice have also adopted this document from the House of Bishops regarding Safeguarding.

Further information about poliies and practice at Diocesan level can be found here.

Stanwick Group of Churches Elsewhere on the web

You can also follow us on Facebook

and Twitter

Our Polls

The poll in the column below right is for fun rather than a serious enquiry so please feel free to take part. It only records the number of people who have voted. There will be no catastrophic events as a result of it. We know of one former benefice resident who regularly participates, not necessarily with his actual opinions but does like to stir a bit!

Events outside our Benefice

The Diocesan Office and our Cathedral at Ripon plus other parishes and benefices in the area often send us details of events of interest. We now have a section specifically for Lay Training sessions, usually organised by the Diocese but occasionally by other bodies. For those events which are for interest or enjoyment, please look in the section From the Diocese and Wider Church where we have another folder with details of events.

In most cases the information we publish is a copy of their poster which is linked to the appropriate website with fuller information.

News and Information

Safeguarding - please see scroll down panel to the right.

Coronavirus - click on the panel below

Also, Revd Camilla's Short Morning Prayer in the Rectory garden, and

5min Night Prayer service recorded in The Rectory.

Prayer Circle

If you have anything at all that you would appreciate prayer for in the strictest confidence,
our Prayer Circle would be delighted to support you in this way.

All requests are in the strictest confidence and will remain within the small group of people who make up the Prayer Circle.

No prayer request is too small (or large!)

If you would like to request prayer support or to join the circle, please contact us by email at

stanwickprayers@gmail.com

or speak to Rev’d Camilla Campling-Denton

Work at Melsonby

During the exciting work at Melsonby to install the loo, kitchenette and meeting room, the area under the tower where the work is taking place will be sealed off but the rest of the church will be available for use for services. If there is any change we will put it here and on our Facebook and Twitter pages as soon as possible.

Lay Training

There are lots of opportunities for church members to find out more about how to do various tasks that are part of the Church's mission but need, indeed, should, not be confined to the clergy. Whenever we can we put details of short courses that are available and relevant to people in our benefice on our website on our Lay Training Opportunities page.

During the coming months it is anticipated that many of the courses that would have been held in locations around the Diocese will be made available online.

Incidentally, Julia Robertson, the Lay Training Officer for our Episcopal Area (Ripon) is one of our own parishioners.

Teddy Church

Teddy Church is cancelled until further notice.

Prayer Circle

The churches of Stanwick Benefice have set up a prayer circle. If you have anything at all that you would appreciate prayer for, the group would be delighted to support you in this way. All requests are in the strictest confidence and will remain within the group. No prayer request is too small (or large!). If you would like to request prayer support or join the circle, please contact us by email at stanwickprayers@gmail.com.

Foodbank Donations

We support the Richmond Storehouse Foodbank with donations. See this page about the foodbank. When you come to church, please consider bringing a tin, jar or packet of something suitable for the foodbank collection. There are boxes for your food bank donations in Aldbrough, Forcett, Melsonby and East Layton churches and donations are taken regularly to the food banks in Richmond and Darlington.

Bell-ringing in the benefice

There is now a band in Melsonby. If you have rung or are interested in learning, see here

A group has now started ringing under the tutelage of Rob Kirby. They meet on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 to 8.30pm. New ringers, either experienced or learners, are welcome.

BELL RINGING IN THE BENEFICE IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD UNTIL THE END OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK AND WORK AT MELSONBY.

Thanks, Celebration, Commemoration

Take a look at our Thanks, Celebration and Commemoration pages. If you would like to give thanks, or celebrate or commemorate a person or event, we can add a short message there.

Diocesan Newsletter

The digital copy of each month's Diocesan Newsletter is here March 2020 April 2020

Back copies can be found on the Diocesan site here.

If you are self-isolating (or should be) what do you miss most?
	Votes
Going to the pub	0
Meeting people in shops, cafes etc	0
Going to church	0
Visits from family and friends	2