News
Dear All,
Most of the churches in the team are now open for public worship. The pattern is not quite as it was before, so please keep watching for these bulletins. I keep coming across people who think we are still closed, so please spread the word: forward this email or better encourage them to receive it weekly.
Details of the services are published in Grapevine and repeated in this bulletin: see below.
New developments
Over the last few months we have learned a lot. I for one regarded religion on the internet as something that wasn’t for me: a very poor substitute for the real thing. I still think it is better by far to gather for worship but I can now see it was foolish to ignore this open door into peoples’ homes. Research shows that the more avenues you use the better so I am pleased to tell you about two brand new things: podcasts and zoom fellowship.
Podcasts
A podcast is an audio programme that you can listen to with a click or you can download and listen wherever and whenever you like. They are hugely popular and once you have discovered them you never look back: there is a whole world of wisdom and entertainment to be discovered. There are various platforms that host them: Spotify, Breaker, Radiopublic, or the one I use: Pocketcasts, as well as many others.
Last week I began “Moorthoughts”. The first episode was just an experiment, and consisted mainly of the soundtrack of the weekly video. This week I have begun “Night Prayers”, which are daily 7-10 minute reflections for use at the end of the day. There is a reading, a thought and a series of prayers in the Celtic tradition. Lots of people are reporting disturbed or difficult sleep patterns and I am hoping you may find this soothing and settling as you prepare for sleep. Detail of how to access them are at the end of this bulletin. Please give it a try and pass on to anyone you think may appreciate them.
Zoom Fellowship
I am not a fan of zoom but it is better than nothing. It is frustrating that we can’t drink coffee and chat after services and so that vital aspect of our life together is missing. This Tuesday I will be hosting a zoom fellowship from 7:30-8:30 pm. After a short time of “How are you?” and “You need to unmute” we will look at a Bible passage and pray together. If that last part worries you please don’t; you can be a silent witness if you want, but zoom gets a little boring without a focus and this will give us the chance to share thoughts and prayers. We will see how popular this is, if we think it should continue and if so how often. Details for access are at the end of this bulletin.
Youtube
There is a lot of rubbish on youtube but there is a whole world to discover as well. Young people often use it as their main source of information and entertainment. The weekly videos are continuing in a simpler form. It has been noticeable that the change of format and the reopening of churches have coincided with a marked drop off in numbers watching but there are still enough to make the effort worthwhile. Members from the Okehampton end of the team who are able to come to church may notice that the sermon is the same! The video should not be used as a substitute for coming to church: it is much better to come if you can but if you miss a week you can still catch up. The videos are now available from 7:00 am on Sunday mornings.
Love it or loath it, Facebook is powerful. You can access all Leigh has been doing via the Hatherleigh Facebook page. If you use Facebook please consider sharing these videos and similarly share links to the youtube videos and the podcasts. It is such an easy way to get the message out there and at the same time demonstrate that the local church is active and wanting to communicate.
Service details and other information
The services for this week are:
Sourton – Holy Communion
Bridestowe – Joint Service in Church
Inwardleigh – Holy Communion
Belstone – Morning Prayer
Northlew – Holy Communion
Exbourne – Morning Prayer
Meeth – All Age Worship
Okehampton– Morning Prayer
Hatherleigh – Holy Communion
Lydford – Morning Prayer
Bridestowe – Joint Service in Chapel
Germansweek – Holy Communion
To find the podcasts try one of these links
https://anchor.fm/stephen-cook
https://www.breaker.audio/moorthoughts
https://radiopublic.com/moorthoughts-8jDJw0
https://open.spotify.com/show/2pfRbd9hlf7Ux4LbToLNCV
or go to a podcast platform like Pocketcasts and search “Moorthoughts”
If you have trouble accessing these please let me know.
The link for the zoom fellowship is here
Stephen Cook is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Northmoor zoom fellowship
Time: Aug 4, 2020 07:30 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82738650393
The youtube video can be reached via the website
or directly here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV7v-jMo5jU
Have a good week.
Every blessing,
Stephen
Who are we?
We belong to the Church of England and are part of the Diocese of Exeter. There are currently fourteen active churches, including a ‘Chapel of Ease’ within the Okehampton and Northmoor Churches Team Ministry. There is also ‘St Mary’s’ of Ashbury which does not have services on a regular basis.
What we stand for
We are proud to be part of the Christian Church around the world and to affirm our unity with other Churches in the town. We understand the purpose of the Church to be:
TELLING
Telling the good news of God’s love for the world as shown to us in Jesus Christ.
NURTURING
Enabling Christians to grow in their understanding of God and of their faith
SERVING
Playing our full part in the life of the town, helping it to be a safe and healthy community, seeking ways to put our faith into practice.
TRANSFORMING
Recognizing injustice in all its forms, speaking out against it and seeking to overcome it.
TENDING
Acknowledging our responsibility for the created world and trying to live in a sustainable way.
We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful churches.
If you would like to speak with or contact anyone about our churches or our ministry then please contact a member of our team. We look forward to hearing from you
Meet the Team
Rev Stephen Cook
Team Rector
Rev Leigh Winsbury
Team Vicar
Rev Adrian Brook
Team Vicar
Rev Richard Bache
Team Curate
Ruth Cartlidge
Team Administrator
