The Ouse Valley Benefice

At our Prayer and Praise services at Denver over the summer months, we have been focussing on Spiritual Disciplines using Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, as our basis. Foster reminds us that spiritual disciplines aren't burdens to be endured, but rather "the means by which we place ourselves where God can work within us." They are not about earning God’s love, but about creating space in our busy lives to receive the grace He so freely offers. They are practices that lead us to freedom and joy.

Each of the disciplines can lead to a deeper connection with God. Some are inward, like the discipline of meditation, where we quieten our minds to listen for God’s gentle voice, or prayer, where we have an open and honest conversation with God. Others are outward, like service, showing love to our neighbours in tangible ways, or simplicity, which helps us free ourselves from the clutter of our lives to focus on what truly matters. The third group are corporate, like worship, where we join our voices with the community to honour God.

As I write this letter, I have been reflecting on all the disciplines Foster covers in his book. Could we all consider a new spiritual practice that we could adopt to help us draw closer to the heart of God? For example, perhaps setting aside time each morning for silent prayer, or finding a small way to serve someone in need. 

If you would like to find out more, I can let you have a copy of my notes - or better still read the book or study guide yourself.

You are welcome to join us for the last in our series on Spiritual Disciplines on Sunday, September 7th at 6.30pm at Denver, where we will be looking at the spiritual discipline of Confession.

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 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.

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.