PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – Thursday 21st SeptemberThe latest meeting of the Parish Council was held on Thursday 21 September 2017 at 7.30pm in the village hall. We were pleased that our Braintree District Councillor, Richard van Dulken was able to attend.

Pavilion – The Parish Council has received 2 quotes to wash down and repaint the exterior of the pavilion. One of the quotes has been accepted and it is hoped to have the work completed before winter sets in.

Highways – There are 2 potholes in Chapel End Way which have been reported in to ECC Highways. The water leak on Church Road has also been reported in.

Councillor’s Community Grant - We are pleased to announce that we have been successful with an application to this fund and have been awarded the sum of £500 towards the cost of refurbishing the toilets in the pavilion. We have also made an application to the Community Initiatives Fund for a grant towards this project and will let you know progress.

Planning – Two planning applications have been received recently and these were discussed at the meeting. They are Application nos: 17/01609/VAR and 17/01640/FUL.

Audit – The annual audit has been finalised and agreed by our external auditors. This will be displayed on the website shortly.

Full minutes and agendas are available on the village website www.stambourne.com



Debbie Hilliard
Parish Clerk
Tel: 01440 785629
Email:
debbiehilliard614@gmail.com

BONFIRE NIGHT!!

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY.

BONFIRE NIGHT WILL TAKE PLACE
ON
SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER
FROM 6.30PM

MOBILE LIBRARY CONSULTATIONPublic consultation on proposed changes to the Mobile Library Service 19 September - 6 November

Essex County Council would like to invite you to help us make decisions on the future of the mobile library service. Usage has reduced over recent years and they are considering how the service should change.
You can respond here : www.essex.gov.uk

VILLAGE HALL

If anybody has changed or going to change kitchen units and they are in a good condition, the village hall would be interested, as we are looking to update those in the village hall. Please contact Kath on 01440 785678.

ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCHJust recently our lovely Church clock decided it wasn’t going to chime correctly, but I can report that this has now been rectified & all is back to normal.
Thank you to those in the Village who reported this. Also a thank you to all those who keep our Church looking nice inside & outside & those on the flower rota.
We do have many comments from visitors on how nice the Church looks & it is down to you all.

The services for the next two months are as follows: OCTOBER 1ST    9.30AM   MORNING PRAYER WITH DAVE BROWN
8TH   9.30AM   HARVEST FESTIVAL WITH REV. LIZ PAXTON
15TH  NO SERVICE AT STAMBOURNE  -  OTHER SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE
22ND 9.30AM   HOLY COMMUNION WITH REV. LIZ PAXTON
29TH  11.00AM  BENEFICE SERVICE @ SIBLE HEDINGHAM WITH REV. LIZ PAXTON NOVEMBER 5TH   9.30AM  MORNING PRAYER WITH VAL KERRISON
12TH  10.45AM  
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY SERVICE  WITH CAROLINE BROWN (GATHER AT THE WAR MEMORIAL TO START SERVICE)
19TH   NO SERVICE AT STAMBOURNE  -  OTHER SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE
26TH  9.30AM  HOLY COMMUNION & BAPTISM WITH REV. LIZ PAXTON DECEMBER
10TH  CAROL SERVICE  4PM WITH REV. LIZ PAXTON
DECEMBER 25TH  CHRISTMAS DAY HOLY COMMUNION  9.30AM  WITH REV LIZ PAXTON Please contact me on the following numbers if any further details are required on the above or any other Church matters:
01440 785752 or 07879816362
Val Kerrison – Churchwarden

Priestly Ponderings 

This month, October,  we celebrate our Harvest Festival and give thanks equally to the hard work of the farmers and all who work on the land, and the bounty of nature generated by the soil, the seeds, the sun and rain. Those of us who are Christians also praise a bountiful God who works through nature and the efforts of men and women to produce an abundant harvest.

I was even more appreciative than usual this year as I got "up close and personal" as I was treated to a ride on a Combine Harvester as it gathered in the sheaves on a glorious day in September.

Other counties have not been so lucky this year with the weather and we have been praying for those areas affected by the waves of hurricanes crossing the Caribbean, the earthquakes in Mexico and wars and conflict across the world.  I know we are not without our local troubles, neighbourhood squabbles and family concerns, but we can give thanks for our blessings, our safety and our beautiful environment and appreciate what we have.

Late September was also been a time for new beginnings.  The children are back at school (phew) and this month the older ones may go off to college or University. This can bring a little peace to the home, but also can be a difficult time as the home can feel empty without the mayhem  and chaos of children off for the summer.  There may to more time for personal space, a little rest, an exploration of what life is all about  and to ask yourself "is there more to life than this?"  My answer to that would be "Yes, there is, come and find out about it” - think about coming along to church and joining us as we celebrate all that is good about our world and learn to find our place in it. 
John 10:10 Jesus Said “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  May you be richly blessed in this autumn season.  

Rev Liz Paxton

NEWS FROM THE CHAPEL

October and November are months of in-between. in between Summer and winter, Harvest and Christmas, warm  and cold .... 
Some say that about their age: they are in-betweeners, not yet in their teens and yet above the Junior school age, and some of us older one think of ourselves as in-betweeners too.  There are many things in life that we can think of ourselves as in-between: School and college, college and work, our current occupation and our chosen career, in between houses, in between partners, in-between ......  I could go on!! 

So much of our life is spent "in between" as if we are always waiting for the next stage, and yet the stage we are at is the one to be enjoyed.  Whatever we are in-between, we should be enjoying where we are at and what we are doing. 

Sometimes our in-between status becomes the excuse for not doing something.  "I'll do that when..", becomes our mantra.  And yet Jesus said "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10b). Who are "they" in this passage? Those who believe in Jesus.  Now we can remain in-betweeners - people who might say "I don't NOT believe, but neither am I quite sure .....".  And being in-between as with all things in life, means not being on either side, as ones who don't believe, or ones who do.  We hedge our bets and wonder. A bit like an electrician who goes to do a job, but decides at the end not to turn on the power.  All the wiring is in place and all the things that use electricity are there ready to make life easier, but if the power is not turned on then the user is left " in-between" - having all those things available but not being able to use them.
Through the years I have been through several building projects at our home and these projects always go through that state.  It starts the day we have decided to make a change - we then become in-betweeners - we have decided where we want to get to but can't get there yet until the project is finished.  Our Christian life is like that.  We are in-betweeners while we have heard but don't yet want to walk that way.  We are in-betweeners, when we have read Best Instructions Before Leaving Earth, but have not committed to living that way... 

We can live our life as in-betweeners, but somehow I think coming out of that state into a place we can have life abundantly is a better place to be.  And if we haven't started that journey, then maybe is the time to start.  We will be running an Alpha course in the Spring of next year when any and all questions can be asked. No question is too dumb, too far out, too difficult. But it is a step to moving from being an in-betweener and making the decision to be on one side or the other.... Contact us if you would like to come along for a meal, a presentation, and a chat ... In the meantime - "in between", have a lovely Autumn!
Adrian What has happened in August and September

Saturday 11th November only £20 a seat. Leaves Toppesfield Pump 8am, returns around 4pm. 50/50 raffle held on trip with any profit going to Little Hedgehogs Toddlers Group

£5 deposit when booking plus full payment by 1st Nov.
Please contact Zoe on 01440 785778

STAMBOURNE LADIES GROUP
October’s meeting of ladies group is an open meeting and there is to be no Jumble Sale in November. 

CHRISTMAS RACE NIGHT

INCLUDING THE DRAW FOR THE GRAND CHRISTMAS RAFFLE


Being held on 9th December, 2017 in the Village Hall.

First Race 7.30pm

£7 per person includes jacket potato plus toppings.

Please bring your own drinks and glasses.

For more information and to book early phone Cathy 01440 785678

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY IN STAMBOURNE!!

DIARY DATES
OCTOBER 11th Ladies’ Group Meeting
NOVEMBER 4th Bonfire Night on the playing fields, 6.30pm 11th Trip to Norwich 12th Remembrance Service, Chapel and Church
DECEMBER 2nd Christmas Fayre in the chapel 9th Christmas Race Night 10th Christmas Carol Service at the Church
Items for the next newsletter by 17th November Steve Platt Email : me@stephenplatt.com or phone 07767 357016