The Benefice of
Stanton, Hopton, Market Weston, Barningham and Coney Weston, Hepworth, Hinderclay and Thelnetham
2016
Dear Friends
In June 2016 I will be using part of my Retreat to cycle 1100km to be in the presence of God and Creation riding the ancient pilgrimage route through France to Santiago De Compostela . As part of that cycle ride I am going to offer it up as a way of supporting the work of;
1- 8 church communities within our Benefice
2-to support the work of Combat Stress
3- Helping Families Suffering with PTSD who provide support for families
4- and Us formerly USPG who provide mission support throughout the world.
I would like to raise a minimum of £1000 per group, more would be better, but to be split across these groups.
Why are these important?;
Our churches and our communitiesare places and people that I love. Also if the churches are to remain as places where prayer can happen and be centres of our communities alive and breathing I want to help in a way I can. The responsibility of maintaining these churches has laid with the communities since the beginning of the church in this country, and certainly in the current structure since the 15th century and if you want a priest and a church I can only do it this way and ask for your support.
Combat Stress and Families suffering with PTSD are areas that are close to me. My grandma suffered from PTSD, she saw her father die under the wheels of his cart and horses, was abused by her family and saw the Woolwich munitions factory blown up in WW1 and suffered delayed Postnatal depression when my mum was 11.Today she would have received treatment, then she was placed in an asylum. My grandfather saw this and took her home and cared for her till the day he died in 1992 for over 60 years she did not know who he was.
We also have a large number of current serving forces personnel and ex members living in our villages who need our help.
Finally Us formerly USPG. I was born in India , my parents worked for USPG and we left India in 1966. They ran and cared for a school and orphanage for the blind. I shall be going back there in May for 5 weeks to be part of the community. It’s not a holiday it is work, but also a homecoming, I am not asking for help for me but for the organisation who have helped millions since 1700. They have sent out Mission Partners and missionaries since that date and you can include John Wesley and David Livingstone ( amongst some of the historical figures who went out into the world with USPG.
I have created a justgiving page January 2016 and also created a GoFundMe account open closing at the end of July to raise funds, if you would like more information or to start giving sponsorship directly please contact me tel 01359 250239 or via our websiteunitedbenefice.com . Any cheques payable to P.C.C. of Stanton, Benefice A/c. or if you want to pay via paypal please use my e-mail address and pay families and friends and mark cycle ride, if you would like to pay direct to the bank account do make contact with me.
Many thanks for your help in this and Happy New Year
Revd David Messer
Rector and Priest In Charge of The Benefice of Stanton, Hopton, Market Weston, Barningham and Coney Weston, Hepworth, Hinderclay and Thelnetham
Rural Dean Ixworth Deanery
Revd. David Messer (Rector and Priest in Charge)
Rural Dean Ixworth Deanery
The Rectory, 1 Old Rectory Gardens, Bury Road, Stanton, BSE, Suffolk. IP31 2JH
01359 250239
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