Embedded Files
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 Rock Built on Potential
A Rock Built on Potential
As Revd Nigel was not preaching on Sunday, this is a sermon snippet based on Pat Blyth's sermon she preached at both Hilgay and Denver.
This summer, the heavy weight of leadership has been highly visible across our society. Whether in the national news, major sports transitions, or the appointments within our own church—including our new Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of Ely—holding high office brings immense responsibility. It is a timely reminder that we must hold leaders at all levels in our daily prayers.
However, the model of leadership we see in Sunday’s Gospel reminds us that God does not require flawless resumes. When Jesus chose Simon, a simple fisherman, He did so based on potential rather than perfection. Simon's spontaneous, heartfelt declaration of Jesus as the Messiah showed a profound, mutual recognition between them. Yet, Simon’s actions were filled with failure. He lacked faith when trying to walk on water, rebuked Jesus by misunderstanding His divine plan of suffering, and famously denied even knowing Him three times.
Choosing Simon to hold the keys of heaven was a massive leap of faith. Jesus renamed him Peter, meaning "rock," bringing a new spiritual significance to his life. Despite being left devastated by his own denials, Peter was forgiven by the resurrected Jesus. After receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he stepped up to become the solid foundation Jesus foresaw.
This offers incredible hope to each of us. We all make mistakes, but Peter's transformation proves that our past errors do not disqualify us from our future. God has called us by name, knows our faults, and still sees our potential. Sustained by the Holy Spirit, we can all become the people God wants us to be.
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.
Page updated
Report abuse