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
Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Heidi and I recently saw the musical version of Back to the Future for my 60th Birthday. As with many musicals, it got me thinking about how the story connects to scripture. The film’s famous parting line, ‘Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one,’ sounds wonderfully liberating. However, our future is not a blank page.
In the film, time is fragile, and Marty’s choices in 1955 nearly erase his existence. The whole premise is that the future is dependent on human choice. But the scriptures offer a different perspective. Isaiah 46 tells us that God is unique - He stands outside of time, declaring ‘the end from the beginning’. While we are trapped in the here and now, God knows our whole story. Psalm 139 reinforces this truth: ‘Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be’.
This is in stark contrast to Doc Brown's assertion that the future is unwritten. While making plans is fine and right, Proverbs 19:21 reminds us that ‘Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails’. We may try to be the captain of our own destiny, but our human plans are fragile. Our choices should be aligned with God’s prevailing will.
God does promise us a future and a hope in Jeremiah 29:11, but we often miss the context. The Israelites had to wait 70 years in exile for this promise to be fulfilled, enduring suffering and waiting. The future God promises is what He is making of you, which involves patience and trust. That word often translated as ‘prosper’ is actually Shalom, meaning peace, wellbeing, and contentment - not material success.
Back to the Future is a fantasy about controlling our destiny. I prefer the Biblical reality: God creates, God knows, God governs, and God restores. Our future is not whatever we make it. For us, it is not "back to the future" - it is back to the Father.
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