The Ouse Valley Benefice
Bexwell + Crimplesham + Denver + Hilgay
Ryston + Southery + Ten Mile Bank
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.
Spring is Here!
Spring is finally here. Along with the daffodils and warmer days, comes Lent. Historically, this has been a season of self-sacrifice. While self-discipline is valuable, we don’t have to give things up to deepen our relationship with God. I’d like to encourage you this year to focus not on what you need to leave behind, but on what you could begin.
James 4:7 promises: ‘Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you’. One way to do this is to commit to a more focused daily prayer time. Even just a few minutes spent each day in quiet contemplation, listening and chatting to God, can transform your life. At the monthly Prayer & Praise Service in Denver we are looking at ways to do this as we explore the Prayer Course. You are welcome to join us!
Another way to ‘draw close’ is to read our Bibles which is one way in which God speaks to us today. Various resources to help you do this can be found on the home page of our website. You might also be interested in this year's weekly Lent course focusing on Women in the Bible. You can also subscribe to the Living Hope - Lent reflections.
We can also draw close to God when we show his love to others. A creative approach is to commit to 40 acts of random kindness in the coming weeks. A smile, a helping hand, some words of encouragement - these small things can have a huge impact on those around us and are a wonderful way to express God’s love in our communities.
Lent is a GIFT - an opportunity for spiritual growth and renewal. Whether you choose to focus on prayer, Bible study, kindness (or all three) I pray that this season will be a time of blessing and transformation for each and every one of us - Revd Nigel Moat
Rev Nigel's Sermon Snippet
In Luke 13, Jesus addresses a timeless question: why does suffering exist? Some connect tragedy with judgment, assuming those who suffer are somehow more sinful. Yet, Jesus challenges this notion. He reminds us that we all sin and that suffering isn't necessarily divine punishment. Instead, he points to a different judgment, a final judgment, and a call to repentance.
But what does repentance truly mean? Often, we focus on what we’re turning away from – our sins, our mistakes. This Lent, let’s flip repentance on its head. Instead of solely focusing on what we’re leaving behind, let’s concentrate on who we’re running towards: Jesus.
The parable of the fig tree illustrates this beautifully. The owner wants to cut down the unproductive tree, but the gardener asks for more time, offering nurture and care. This reflects God’s grace. He doesn't rush to judgment but patiently seeks our return. He gives us every opportunity to turn back to Him, to bear fruit.
Repentance isn’t just saying sorry; it’s a change of heart, a redirection of our path. It's about acknowledging our need for God and actively choosing to move closer to Him. As we approach the cross this season, let's see repentance not as a burden, but as an invitation. An invitation to run towards Jesus, to find forgiveness, and to experience true communion with Him. So, instead of asking, “Why did this happen?”, let's ask, “What does this mean for me? How can I turn back to Jesus today?”
Lent Resources
This Lent we are encouraged to put down deep roots of hope by connecting with God who is with us at all times.
Living Hope offers us the opportunity to deepen our hope in God and be part of what God is doing to bring hope in the world
The Church of England's campaign app for both IOS and Android - including daily audio - is now available to download. Click the buttons below to download the app to your phone.
Electoral Roll 2025
For Christians modelling our life on Jesus, we called in love to serve one another, support one another, and participate fully in the life of Christ’s church. This participation extends to the governance of our church, and that begins with the electoral roll.
The electoral roll is the foundation of how our church is run and being on the roll is the nearest we have in the Church of England to church membership. Being on the roll allows you to:
Vote at the APCM: This is where key decisions are made about the direction and administration of our church.
Stand for election: You could be elected to represent our church on the Parochial Church Council (PCC), the Deanery Synod, and potentially the Diocesan and General Synods!
Influence our representation: The number of people on our electoral roll directly impacts how many lay representatives we have at these different levels.
This year, our electoral rolls have to be reset, so even if you are already a member of the roll, you will need to apply again. More details of how this will be carried out, and the timetables for the creation of the new roll, will be shared with each of the churches in due course. In the meantime, if you want to know more about the electoral roll, please speak to your churchwardens or Revd Nigel.
Let us embrace this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our church community and actively participate in its growth and development.
Intergenerational Worship
This Pastoral Letter was first published in the June 2024 newsletter. We have shared it again here as it fits with the Sermon that Revd Nigel will be preaching on Sunday 2nd February at the Bexwell and Denver morning service.
What does it mean to be a Church that is both open and welcome to all ages?
Intergenerational Worship is about how generations interact and learn together and the value we place on this as we seek to grow as individual and collective members of the Church of God. A helpful definition might be: ‘Being an intergenerational church is a spiritual discipline that requires a person to look beyond their own needs and towards another person’s. Children are encouraged to be the spiritual beings God has created them to be. We must learn from them as much as they learn from anyone else, along with adults building and deepening relationships together’.
Some questions we might want to think about:
How welcoming are we to all - children, young people and adults alike?
How do we pray, learn and grow as a Church together?
How can we actively engage everyone in the prayer life of the Church?
How can we encourage spiritual curiosity to help us grow as a Christian Community both inside and outside our Church buildings?
What’s the culture of our Church? Do we nurture, grow and welcome, or see anything different as a threat to what feels safe?
Does ritual take precedence over worship? This in turn can inhibit spiritual growth and discernment.
So what next? We need to come together as a Christian Community that embraces worship for all. Intergenerational Worship matters because it is a cornerstone to how we can grow in faith and love for God across our Benefice. ‘If our congregations are to thrive, they need to recover their confidence in the transformative power of the Gospel to change hearts and lives’. (Robert Atwell, 2022)
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
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.
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
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.
Sign up to our free daily Lent reflection emails (except Sundays) straight to your inbox from Ash Wednesday (5 March) to Easter Day (20 April).
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.
Bexwell Online Services
Some of our services from Bexwell can be found online. Everyone is more than welcome to join us. Please see the calendar for the online services - the zoom link and Meeting ID's can be found in the calendar entries for each. If you have any problems accessing the zoom service please drop as a line by contacting is using this online form.
Daily Prayer from the Church of England
You can catch up with the Church of England daily prayer here.