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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.
Sermon Blog
Sermon Blog
A Renewed Call to Discipleship
A Renewed Call to Discipleship
Our recent Benefice Service was a day packed with joy, marking not one, but three incredible celebrations, all beautifully connected by the Great Commission from Matthew 28.16-20.
Firstly, we celebrated the formal birth of a new, self-governing parish at St Mark’s, Ten Mile Bank. We’ve seen this worshipping community grow and mature, actively answering Christ’s call to 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. This step forward is a testament to the community's readiness for its own destiny.
Secondly, we celebrated Heidi’s authorization as an Authorised Lay Minister (ALM). This reminds us how crucial lay ministry is to the future of the rural church. A single priest cannot be expected to carry the entire load; we need a wider ministry team to grow the church and make disciples. If you’ve felt a call to lay ministry, please come and chat with me—we are working with the Diocese to make training more accessible locally.
The third celebration was Alfie’s Baptism. Baptism should be one of the most joyful events in a church’s life, particularly when an older child or adult makes that decision themselves. The core truth is that Baptism is an external sign of an internal transformation. It is a public declaration that God has already transformed your heart, that you have repented, and that you are ready for a new life in Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit.
The act of immersion powerfully symbolises washing clean from sin, burial from the old life, and resurrection to a brand-new life in Christ. Baptism is available to everyone; you don’t have to wait until you are perfect—it is simply the start of a new journey.
Whether you are considering baptism, looking to confirm the baptism vows made for you in childhood, or wondering about becoming part of our lay ministry team, you can know that God’s call is open. Let us continue to celebrate these new steps of faith in our community throughout the Ouse Valley Benefice.
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
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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