Sunday 2nd August 2026 – Services at Shaugh Prior, Bickleigh, and Glenholt – All are welcome

St Edward’s, St Mary’s & St Anne’s welcomes you.<!–

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Life in our churches and communities

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Notices

Baptisms:

2nd August 2026, Mark Ashton at St Mary The Virgin, Bickleigh

Marriages:

21st August 2026, Tamara & Ben at St Mary The Virgin, Bickleigh
28th August 2026, Luke & Alisha at St Mary The Virgin, Bickleigh

Funerals:

8th August 2026, Mrs Christiane Griffiths, 11am at St Mary The Virgin, Bickleigh

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QUIET SPACES

Thanks to Janet D and Linda O for leading Quiet Spaces this morning at Roborough Methodist Church – on the theme of ‘Hope.’ Beautiful sunshine and not too hot – it was so lovely sitting on the bench in the memorial garden outside in the shade, and surrounded by nature. Thanks to everyone who came – it was so lovely to see you all!
Reflection
What are you hoping for today? Is it something material, maybe emotional, personal, maybe spiritual? Having hope is important to the very act of being a human being. As Dr. Judith Rich writes, “Hope is a match in a dark tunnel, a moment of light, just enough to reveal the path ahead and ultimately the way out.”

We had a really good sharing discussion afterwards as a group. Janet saw hope in the pets she was looking after at the moment, including a hamster who she could tell was hoping to be let out to run around! I related hope to love – the idea that perhaps the whole living world’s biggest hope is to be loved.
I particularly liked quotes from Henri Nouwen and Rumi. The former wrote “Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered, and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.”
Hope, for Rumi, is not naive optimism—’it is the soul’s quiet flame. It flickers even when all seems lost, reminding us that the night sky reveals its stars only when the sun departs’
What are you hoping for?
KarenG (based on Pastor Janet’s presentation)
More info www.Quiet-Spaces.co.uk

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St Mary’s Church Christian Library

We successfully applied for a grant from Speaking Volumes Book Grant Scheme last year and received a generous grant of £250.

This is available to community organisations to buy Christian books that can inspire, uplift, and transform lives, and to enhance their community spaces.

Rev. Jo, Jo Carpenter and Grace chose 22 books from the Eden online christian bookshop and now they have been stamped and installed in a donated bookcase in St Mary’s, next to the Choir stall.

The books vary in topics from grief, suffering, prayer to faith, for new or lifelong Christians, for toddlers, teen and adults. Please take a look and book out your chosen book on the form for up to one month.

If you have christian books you would like to donate to the library, please contact Grace.

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Weekly Activities

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Online Prayer Group

Each Wednesday Rev Jo and Frank will be holding a weekly prayer meeting via Google Meet (video call via your computer’s browser, a bit like Zoom), at 9:30 to 10:00am to pray for one another, our churches, ministers and volunteers. If you are interested in joining the meeting, please get in touch for the link details.

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Bible Study Group

The Bible Study group will be taking a break for the summer and will return on 9th September.

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Artful Crafters

The last craft club before the summer break will be held on Thursday 30th July. It will return on 3rd September.

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FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST 2026

There will be no Community Talk in August, so there will be an extra Games Club on the first Friday of the month, on 7th August 2026.

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Regular giving

Thank you to all of you who are donating to our churches! Have you considered setting up a regular donation to support the life and maintenance of our church communities? Please consider a single or monthly donation.

Donate now for Bickleigh Parish / Donate now for Shaugh Prior Parish.

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Prayer lists

Those in need of our prayers
Julie, Sophie, Karen, Richard, Judy, Mo, Valerie, Steve, Jill, Dawn, Ray, Diana, Maureen, Mike, Mel, Don, Doreen, Dawn.

Pray for the Souls of the Recently Departed
Anne-Marie Robin

Those whose year’s mind occur around this time
John German, Phyllis Tozer, Alfred Herod, David Coleman

Those whom we love and see no longer and those who have no-one else to pray for them

+Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord
and let light perpetual shine upon them

May they rest in peace
and rise in glory

(please email admin@bspchurches.co.uk with updates to the prayer list)

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Sunday, 2nd August 2026

9th Sunday after Trinity

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Collect

Gracious Father,
revive your Church in our day,
and make her holy, strong and faithful,
for your glory’s sake
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Readings

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Isaiah 55. 1-5

55 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
²Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
³Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
⁴See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.

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Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

All: Glory to you, O Lord.

Matthew 14. 13-21

¹³Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

¹⁵When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ ¹⁶Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ ¹⁷They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ ¹⁸And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ ¹⁹Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. ²¹And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, O Christ.

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Post Communion

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Holy Father,
who gathered us here around the table of your Son
to share this meal with the whole household of God:
in that new world where you reveal the fullness of your peace,
gather people of every race and language
to share in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Sunday 2nd August 2026 – Services at Shaugh Prior, Bickleigh, and Glenholt – All are welcome

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