Update on Sunday Worship

Sunday 7th June

The First Sunday After Trinity

Thank you for visiting the Tove Benefice website.

We are currently reviewing our approach to communications and would appreciate your feedback.  We would particularly like to know if this is your first visit or you are a regular visitor to the website.  It would also be helpful to understand what it was you were looking to find out.

Please contact us using the Your Comments page, by email to 360musafa@gmail.com, or by contacting the Tove Benefice Office.

Saturday
  2:00 pm  Wedding at St Lawrence
  6:00 pm  Holy Communion at St Mary's Easton Neston

Sunday
  9:15 am  Family Worship &b Pet Service at St Lawrence, Towcester
10:15 am  Benefice Sunday Worship via Zoom at St Lawrence, Towcester
11:15 am  Holy Communion at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton
  2:30 pm  Baptism at St Lawrence, Towcester


Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter here.

Our weekly news contains details of services for this and next weekend, as well as daily bible readings, prayer requests and notices for forthcoming events. 

Looking ahead to events and services that are happening please do look at the monthly calendar for June

Copies are available in churches for collecting especially for those who do not have emails. 



Dear friends,

This week I would encourage you to take a few minutes to watch a short reflection from Bishop Debbie on stewardship and generosity.

Stewardship is often thought of simply in terms of money, but in reality it is much broader than that. It is about how we use the gifts God has entrusted to us: our time, our talents, our buildings, our presence in the community and, yes, our financial resources. It is about ensuring that the Church remains able to worship, serve and share the good news of Jesus Christ for generations to come.

At our recent APCMs we reflected on both the opportunities and challenges facing our churches. Across the benefice, three of our parishes have budgeted shortfalls for the coming year, amounting to around £20,000. Whilst finances are only one measure of a church's health, they do affect our ability to sustain ministry and mission locally.

At one APCM, a question was asked about what happens if a parish is unable to pay its Parish Share in full. The answer was that any significant shortfall can lead to conversations with the Diocese about the long term sustainability of ministry provision when clergy posts become vacant. One congregation member responded by saying, "We value our clergy, and we should show that value by paying our Parish Share in full." It was a simple comment, but one that captures something important.

Parish Share is not simply a bill to be paid. It is how we collectively fund and sustain ministry across the Church. Locally, the resources we contribute help support not only our clergy but also our work with children and families, the benefice office, training, safeguarding and the wider structures that enable ministry to flourish.

Many people already give faithfully and sacrificially, and we are enormously grateful. If you are reviewing your giving, or would like to begin giving regularly, I would particularly commend the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS), which is available for those who wish to give regularly to St Lawrence's Towcester, St Bartholomew's Greens Norton and St Mary's Easton Neston.

The Parish Giving Scheme is a simple and secure Direct Debit system designed specifically for Church of England churches. It reduces administration for local volunteers, ensures Gift Aid is claimed efficiently and provides churches with a more reliable income stream for mission and ministry.

One feature many people choose is the optional inflation linked increase. Whilst entirely voluntary, it helps maintain the value of a gift over time. It means that a gift which supports ministry today will continue to have a similar impact in future years, without donors needing to remember to review their giving each year. Many people find it an easy way of continuing their support in a manner that keeps pace with rising costs.

Stewardship is also about participation, presence and community. Two important opportunities are coming up this month:

• Greens Norton Fete (supporting the church and the school) – Saturday 14 June at Bengal Manor
• St Lawrence Church Fete and Craft Fayre, Towcester – Saturday 28 June

These events help raise much needed funds, but they are about far more than fundraising. They are opportunities to welcome people, strengthen relationships, build community connections and demonstrate that our churches continue to play a vital role at the heart of village and town life. Whether you can help, attend, volunteer or simply come along and enjoy the day, your support matters. For the Greens Norton Fete please speak to Roberta, and for the Towcester Fete please speak to Steve.

A practical note from St Lawrence Church. The church will be closed on Monday and Tuesday next week whilst our new projector and screen are installed. We are very much looking forward to using this new equipment in Family Worship, school services, community events and across the life of the church.  This project forms part of a wider vision: honouring our heritage whilst investing for the future. As we continue to improve our buildings and facilities, our aim is not change for its own sake, but to create spaces that are welcoming, flexible and fit for mission in the twenty first century.

At the heart of stewardship is the recognition that we are not owners but custodians. The Psalmist writes, "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4). We have inherited these churches, this faith and these resources from those who have gone before us. Our calling is to use them wisely, nurture them faithfully and pass them on well to those who will come after us.

With my prayers 

Revd Paula Challen 
Rector 

St Lawrence Church Fete and Craft Fair

Raffle Tickets are now available inside St Lawrence Church or The Chantry House. Please place your completed ticket stubs in the envelope and post through the Vicarage postbox, Chantry House postbox or bring to the Fete.
 

Let's Shine Festival

Running from 30th May to 7th June, in the Astwell Benefice holds over 30 free events (ranging from music, theatre, art, steam railway, cricket and more) to raise money for the local community through the Churches. Head to www.letsshinetogether.co.uk for the full list of upcoming events  booking is also now open for our 10 ticketed events on Eventbrite: tickets here
 
We are also holding a Grand Draw raffle! With 25 amazing prizes to be won, including holidays in the Austrian Alps and Dorset, a magnum of Berry Bros. & Rudd Champagne and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage driving experience... and so many more!
Head to this link to get tickets now!
 
Keep an eye on our social media for more information about the events! (Instagram: letsshinefestival - Facebook: Letsshinetogether).
 
We look forward to celebrating kind communities with you at the Let's shine Festival 2026!