News
19 September 2025
Fair Trade Fortnight
This year Fair Trade Fortnight will be from September 22nd to October 5th.
Read more on Free Trade Fortnight
19 September 2025
Fr Ben's October Message
"In a world that often celebrates conviction and certainty, I've been pondering a rather provocative thought from the theologian and writer Peter Rollins: "To believe is human, to doubt is divine." At first glance, it might sound a bit counterintuitive. Don't we build our lives, our communities, and our understanding of the world on things we believe to be true?
Read more on Fr Ben's October Message
28 June 2025
All Are Welcome:
Vicar Fr Ben Edwards on Family Life at St Peter's Church, Thurston"
Tell us a bit about being the Vicar of St Peter’s and Holy Innocents Churches and what excites you most about your ministry here?
I’m approaching four years as Vicar here in Thurston and Great Barton, and it’s been such a privilege. I see my role as being a friendly guide for spiritual exploration, helping people discover more about God and the Christian faith in a way that feels relevant to their lives. That includes everything from understanding who Jesus was and what he taught about life, to simply being there for the community during joyful celebrations like Harvest, Christmas, and Easter, and equally during more reflective or challenging times.
Read more on All Are Welcome
12 May 2025
ENJOY SINGING?
JOIN OUR CHURCH CHOIR!
For over 500 years, there has been a robed Church choir singing at the Parish Church in Great Barton. This very friendly group meets every Friday evening at 7.30pm at the Church, and newcomers are made most welcome. We sing a wide range of music.
Read more on Enjoy Singing?
6 March 2025
ST. PETER’S CHURCH & HOLY INNOCENTS CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL RENEWAL
The Church Electoral Roll is due for renewal this year. To be a member of the electoral roll a person has to be a member of the Church of England or a member of a church in communion with the Church of England. You must be over 16 years of age, resident in the parish or regularly attend services at St. Peter’s.
Finally, you must have completed an electoral roll application form. Please note that existing members of the roll cannot be automatically added to the new roll but must reapply.
Those who are on the electoral roll elect the Parochial Church Council (annually) and elect members of the Deanery Synod (every 3 years).
The new electoral roll must be completed by 8th April (28 days before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting).
An application form will be given to all current members of the electoral roll for completion if they wish to remain a member. There is a supply of forms at the back of each church and anyone else wishing to become a member can complete a form and return it to the Electoral Roll Officer,
Ann Reeve for St Peter’s
Peter Robinson for Holy Innocents.
Or leave it in the box at the back of the church.
Read more on Holy Innocents Church Electoral Roll
12 January 2025
"In the hustle and bustle of life—our jobs, families, responsibilities—many of us have asked ourselves, "What is the point of all this?" It’s easy to get caught in the routine of modern life, where everything feels like a treadmill: you run, you work, you struggle, but you’re not really moving forward. The answer to that question, I believe, is hidden in the life and teachings of Christ. But here's the thing: understanding the Way of Christ isn’t just about what we do or believe—it’s about who we are becoming.
This isn’t about rigid rules or outdated traditions. It’s not about conforming to someone else’s idea of what Christianity should be. No, the Way of Christ is a radical invitation to transformation, to a life infused with mystery, love, and deep inner change.
The Way of Christ is not about seeking certainty. It's about embracing mystery. It's about living with the tension of not having all the answers and yet, still being in relationship with a God who is bigger than any one box we can put God in.
Think about this: Christ’s life, his death, his resurrection—they weren’t simply about right belief. They were about surrender. They were about letting go. In fact, the Way of Christ challenges us to be open to the world and its messiness, rather than retreating into safe, controlled spaces. It’s about allowing ourselves to experience the pain and joy of life fully, knowing that God is with us in it all.
The Bible itself isn’t a rulebook—it’s a story. And this story invites us into a journey. A journey not of perfection, but of progress. Not of certainty, but of discovery. And it’s a story we are invited to participate in, not just as passive listeners, but as active players who bring our own stories, struggles, and triumphs into the mix.
You see, this is where the Way of Christ intersects with our daily lives. It speaks to our desire to live with meaning in a world that often feels fragmented and lost. It challenges us to move beyond superficiality, to see the divine spark in one another. To love not just with words, but with actions that bring justice, compassion, and peace into our communities.
And here’s where we turn to the voices of those who have walked the mystical path before us—women like Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila. These women knew that the Way of Christ was more than just doctrine; it was an experience. Teresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” In that simple statement, she captured the essence of the Way: we are the hands and feet of Christ. We are called to be Christ to one another, especially in a world that seems to desperately need the kind of love and mercy that Jesus embodied.
And let’s not forget the profound insights of modern mystics like Cynthia Bourgeault, who has written about the deeper meanings of Christ's presence in the world. She teaches us that to walk the Way of Christ is to engage in a deep, contemplative silence, where God is present not just in the words we speak, but in the spaces between those words. It’s in the pauses, in the stillness, that we find the living God who holds the universe and our hearts in balance.
We’re often balancing so many different aspects of life—work, family, responsibilities, and personal growth. But the Way of Christ invites us into a deeper rhythm. It’s not about adding more to our already full plates, but about shifting the way we engage with the world. It’s about seeking presence over productivity. It’s about practicing gratitude over grasping. It’s about embracing the mystery over demanding the answers.
Let me leave you with this: The Way of Christ is not about getting everything right. It’s about being open to transformation, even in the midst of uncertainty. It’s about learning to love when it’s hard, to forgive when it seems impossible, to act justly when the world feels unjust.
The true meaning of Christ’s way is a deep call to live with eyes wide open—seeing the beauty, the pain, and the possibility in every moment. And in doing so, we become the reflection of Christ’s love in the world. Because the way of Christ is always about love—love for others, love for ourselves, and a radical love for the world as it is, messy and beautiful all at once.
So, this year ahead, 2025, I challenge you to ask yourself: How can I live more fully in the Way of Christ? How can I step into that mystery and love, and be a living example of that love to the world around me? The invitation is here, right now, for all of us. Happy New Year."
Fr Ben Edwards
Vicar of Holy Innocents Great Barton & St Peter's Thurston
Read more on The Hustle & Bustle of Life
12 January 2025
Did you or a member of your family get engaged this festive season? We'd love to host your wedding ceremony at either of our parish churches, St Peter's Thurston or Holy Innocents Great Barton
Why not email us at admichurch64@gmail.com and get the ball rolling?
Fr Ben will be happy to speak with you about your wedding ceremony requirements.
Congratulations!!!
Read more on Engaged?
30 November 2024
Hope
This time of the year is often ‘fuzzed’ by the festivities of Christmas and New Year – we can feel a bit numb to daily life as it enters into a whirl of activity. For some of us, it highlights our losses, our failures, adds pressure, the prospect of dealing with troublesome family members looms large and it can be a bit much.
It is often a time when we take stock of what has occurred in our lives in the past year. We usually assess our joys and sorrows, the good and the less good, in a variety of different ways.
For some, the landscape we find ourselves in can be comfortable, full of reassuring people and surroundings, the current social climate agrees with us and we feel confident in the future. For others, it can seem like the beginning of a nightmare, with times of trial ahead and dealing with things that can stretch our patience, our happiness and wellbeing.
Read more on Hope
30 November 2024
St Peter’s Church Thurston is in URGENT need of an honorary treasurer. Is this a role you could fill? We believe there is someone out there who could help us.
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Are you numerate and experienced in using accounting software?
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Could you manage the financial performance of our church?
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Do you have good communication skills?
If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact the following people.
Fr Ben at revdbenjaminedwards@gmail.com
Pat Sadler at patsadler@hotmail.com
Read more on We Need Your Help
30 November 2024
NEW MEMBERS WANTED
ST. PETER’S CHURCH DRAW CLUB
What is it?
Read more on St Peter's Church Draw Club
