Nestling in the north of Staffordshire along its border with Derbyshire, the villages of the Longnor Benefice encompass the Peak District and the Moorlands, with rolling hills and acres of heather. We have three churches and two daughter-churches in the Longnor family, along with three Church of England Primary Schools.
Churches in our benefice are committed to Safeguarding and have adopted the National and Diocesan Safeguarding Policies.
Sheen Parish Safeguarding Ofiicer is Malcolm Hawton and can be contacted on 01298 402129
Other churches in our Benefice the Safeguarding Officer is Janet McNicol, who can be contacted on 01298 812053
We believe that the door to salvation is always open and so are the doors to our churches. We strive to show God’s love and concern for his creation at every opportunity. Through works of charity and opening our doors to listen and love, we feel that we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
Sunday 8th March
9.30 am Newtown : Holy Communion
Sunday 15th March
10 am Sheen : Mothering Sunday Service
11 am Longnor : Mothering Sunday Service
2.30 pm Quarnford : Mothering Sunday Service
Sunday 22nd March
2.30 pm Quarnford : Holy Communion
Sunday 29th March
11 am Longnor : Palm Sunday Holy Communion
Lent Reflections: Morning Prayer at Newtown Church: 12th, 19th & 26th March at 10am
The view today is actually clear, although the brief appearance of the sun this morning has gone. What a dreadful wet grey dreary month February has been!! I lost my mojo a fair bit as it rained and rained and rained. It is astonishing how the weather can so easily affect one’s mood (and energy levels). But the snowdrops are totally amazing, and the crocuses are showing now (a bit rain bashed) and those tete-a-tete daffodils are looking like they might break into flower soon. I am hopeful spring will be here soon!
The garden now resembles a huge tip, an enormous warren, as those pesky rabbits have bred and bred over the last three months and extended their estate further and further. It’s lethal to walk on with zillions of rabbit holes to trip one up. At least Robert and Jacquey helped sort the moles. Am at sea as to what to do to recover it! Any advice out there????
The view also feels rather precious too just now, as I move into my last month with you all. Most of the time I am too busy to really think about it, but when I do my heart does a bit of a flip flop. Yes, I am eagerly anticipating retirement, and moving properly to our home in Ardnamurchan, but I am also incredibly sad at the thought of leaving all you wonderful communities and people. The best way to describe it is that I have a tummy full of ambivalence and a brain stuffed to the brim with lists and lists of things “I must do before I go”.
And Lent adds to my mixed feelings. Lent (over the whole of March this year) is an important time for reflection, of the year past, and of how we live our lives. This year I have neither given anything up or (as is more usual with me) given daily to a specific charity or activity. I have chosen to, instead, pray harder and longer every day, for the Ipstones family group of churches, the communities it covers, the wider Deanery it is part of and for all I know. I have set aside 3 books to read. Serious “God books” as Emma calls them, rather than the nonsense historical novels and crime series I usually read, and I am forcing myself to respect my quiet time. And I am reflecting daily on hope.
Ruth F tells me that the word hope is used 187 times in the bible, and alongside it the variants of hope add on another 25. And one of the “God books” I am reading is a fabulous book by Teresa White. She writes “If in God’s presence you take a few moments to reflect on the journey of Lent as you experienced it this year…perhaps you will find that, in all the ups and downs of those 6 weeks, one or two sparkles of hope remain in your memory” well for me, right now at the beginning of Lent those sparkles are shining bright. I have hope in spades for the future life of faith in all the villages I am part of here, hope for love and joy, wisdom and grace to grow day by day as you face your future together, and I step out into mine. Mind you, I’ve not gone yet – so let’s focus together on hope for Lent and make sparkles shine for each of us.
Have a good March all, every blessing
Revd Jane
