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Welcome to the Ouse Valley Benefice
Welcome to the Ouse Valley Benefice
Welcome to the Ouse Valley Benefice - a group of Churches in West Norfolk that are part of the Diocese of Ely. The Benefice comprises seven rural villages and their churches in or close to the Norfolk fens: Bexwell, Crimplesham, Denver, Hilgay, Ryston, Southery, and Ten Mile Bank. The Benefice came into existence in January 2022 succeeding several earlier groupings to make more coherent geographical sense.
Revd Nigel's Sermon Blog
Revd Nigel's Sermon Blog
Joy to the World
Joy to the World
When we hear Psalm 98, our minds are often drawn immediately to the Christmas hymn it inspired: 'Joy to the World.' While the Psalm appears in the Christmas Day readings, its message is far greater than a single season. The hymn's author, Isaac Watts, took the liberty of rewriting the Psalm to include the revelation of Christ, cementing its place in our annual celebrations.
But the Psalm is, fundamentally, a call to joy - Joy to the World. The central question it poses to us is: If we cannot show joy in all that we do because of the faith and hope we have, do we have something missing?
I recently heard a fascinating story about someone returning to church after a long absence. They didn’t initially attend services. Instead, they would wait outside to watch people leave. Their rationale was simple: if people weren't coming out glowing with joy after spending time in the presence of God, then it wasn't a church God would draw them to. This leads to a provocative thought: can you judge a church by the cover - the look on our faces as we depart?
The reason for our universal joy is found in the Psalm's opening command: ‘Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.’ This new song celebrates God's victorious love and faithfulness. In a Christological light, it foreshadows the ultimate salvation from sin and death brought through Jesus. It is a victory achieved not by human strength, but by ‘God’s own right hand, and His holy arm.’
This victory calls for a passionate response from us and from all creation. The sea, the rivers, the mountains - all are called to join the praise. Our worship should be a sound that is noticed, a shout of triumph that reflects the King of Kings who won the ultimate victory.
This Psalm is not just a song for the Christmas season and the birth of Christ; it is a song about the reason for Christ - the victory he achieved on the cross for each of us. That is why we are called to sing a new song, shouting for joy and proclaiming all that God has done. Let us remember that today, and let our joy be evident in all we do.
Diocese of Ely Safeguarding Audit
Diocese of Ely Safeguarding Audit
During November each year we have Safeguarding Sunday. This is a time to reflect on our commitment to making our church communities safe, welcoming, and respected spaces for everyone - especially children and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is not an optional extra; it is a core expression of our faith and a vital part of loving our neighbour. Maintaining a culture of vigilance, openness, and care is the responsibility of every one of us.
To ensure we are doing the very best we can, Ely Diocese is preparing for a full independent safeguarding audit in February 2026. This process offers a crucial opportunity for you to have your voice heard. To help with the audit, we are all invited to complete a survey to share our experiences and insights.
We have been assured that our feedback will be handled with the utmost care: the survey is entirely confidential and anonymous. Neither our churches nor the diocesan safeguarding team will have access to individual responses. Your contribution will only be used to inform the final report.
Whilst as your incumbent I am ultimately accountable, safeguarding is the responsibility of all of our PCC members as trustees of a charity. We need to ensure that we have a safeguarding culture that leads to everyone in our church communities seeing safeguarding as a core expression of our faith.
I strongly urge you to spend some time completing the survey. Click the bvutton below to complete the survey. Surveys need to be completed by Tuesday 2nd December.
Thank you in advance for prioritizing this vital work. If you have any questions about the audit, please email ineqe.audit@elydiocese.org.
Lay Ministry
Lay Ministry
Are you feeling a call to serve God and your community in a deeper way? Perhaps you have a passion for teaching, leading worship, pastoral care, or social justice. Lay ministry, whether licensed or authorised, offers a variety of rewarding opportunities to use your gifts and skills within the church and wider world. If you're sensing a prompting to explore how you might contribute to God's mission, we encourage you to prayerfully consider the exciting possibilities of lay ministry. Revd Nigel would be more than happy to chat to you about the options that might be available to you so please do get in touch.
‘For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.’ - Romans 12.4-6a
Anna Chaplaincy
Anna Chaplaincy
The Ouse Valley Benefice now has two Anna Chaplains - Pat Blyth and Jonathan Webster.
Anna Chaplains offer spiritual care in later life in a wide range of contexts. They accompany older people in reflecting on their life and their relationship with God, breaking down generational barriers and offering friendship and community.
The Anna Chaplaincy is a truly integral part of our ministry team. Our Anna Chaplains, Jonathan and Pat, serve alongside our clergy, our Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs), and our Authorised Lay Ministers (ALMs), enriching our outreach and pastoral care. Their specific focus on the spiritual needs of older people, and indeed all who are facing the later stages of life, ensures that everyone in our community feels valued, heard, and connected.
Anna Friends
Anna Friends
Alongside the development of Anna Chaplains, another role has emerged organically: that of an Anna Friend. Such volunteers are proving invaluable as they work alongside the Anna Chaplains, often giving a few hours a week to suit their own circumstances and play to their strengths and gifts. In this way, whether as Anna Chaplains or Anna Friends, the Anna Chaplaincy movement is empowering more lay people to be part of supporting older people and meeting their spiritual needs.
If you feel a calling to serve our community as an Anna Friend, we would love to hear from you. Please speak to Revd Nigel, Jonathan, or Pat to learn more about how you can get involved. There is also an opportunity to attend an Anna Friend training day on Saturday 27th September at St Mary's Church Ely, from 10am to 2pm (including lunch). If you would like to attend, please contact the Ely Diocese Anna Chaplaincy coordinator via anna.chaplaincy@elydiocese.org.
News and Events
News and Events
For all our latest news and events, please see our News and Events page which is regularly updated.
You can also catch up on all the latest information in our monthly newsletter. Click the button below to see the latest edition.
Parish Giving
Parish Giving
We are in the process of setting up Parish Giving for each of our churches. This scheme enables people to set up regular giving or make a one-off donation. The advantage of using this scheme is that gift-aid is automatically claimed on our behalf and all of the money that you donate (including the gift-aid) is passed directly onto the church. There are no administration costs involved.
Baptisms, Wedding and Funerals.
Baptisms, Wedding and Funerals.
If you would like to arrange a baptism, wedding or funeral in any of our churches, please see out Life Events pages. There you will find more information about how these can be arranged. For baptisms we would like to point you in the direction of our baptism coordinator who will guide you through the process. For weddings, your first point of call would be our Vicar, the Revd Nigel Moat. Funerals would normally be arranged via your chosen funeral director - but equally, you can contact Revd Nigel directly if you would like more information.
Deepening Your Relationship with Jesus
Deepening Your Relationship with Jesus
You will find some links below to various resources that you might use to deepen your relationship with Jesus. If you would like to suggest some other resources please let us know!
A free bible app that is available online and on your smart phone.
Pray consistently for the people and causes you care about.
The daily prayer app from the Church of England.
Connect with God with the new Everyday Faith app. Journey daily with reflections to inspire, equip and encourage you in your everyday faith.
A free daily devotional with Bible teachings.
If you would like a copy of the Our Daily Bread bible notes, please complete this form.
Weekly Church of England Online Service
Weekly Church of England Online Service
Do you know someone who is unable to get to church?
If so, why not point them in the direction of the weekly online service from the Church of England. They can sign up to a weekly mailing with details of the service and watch each of the services online. Click the button below for more details and to sign up.
Daily Prayer from the Church of England
Daily Prayer from the Church of England
You can catch up with the Church of England daily prayer here.
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