News:

We praise God for the glorious sunshine and give thanks that the farmers and growers have had good weather to be able to get grass cut, dried and stored in readiness for the winter months ahead.

On 16 May a Quiet Day was held at the village hall and in the Church by the Archdeacon of Exeter, for Diocesan Readers.  A lovely email was received afterwards by an attendee commenting on the peaceful setting and surroundings of both buildings.

The Annual Duck Race was held on Saturday 25 May and the weather was good.  Our race starter this year was Kathy Welden who sported a fetching hand-made hat for the occasion.  A great many supporters followed their ducks downstream and once the race was over made their way to the village hall for a delicious selection of refreshments where they awaited the announcement of the winners. Over £1,000 was raised of which £450 was donated to FORCE and their work at Tiverton Hospital, with the remaining going towards the church window restoration fund.  Our thanks go to the organisers Lorna and Geoffrey, landowners, race judges, sponsors, the ladies serving the refreshments and all who purchased ducks and teas.

On 29 May Aubrey and Julie Goldsworthy had the great honour of attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.  A nomination had been put forward by someone who remains anonymous at this time in recognition of their hard work and dedication over the years for both the church and the community, and a formal invitation was later received.  They work tirelessly to help our little church the way it is, much of which is behind the scenes. They had a lovely time although the weather was not as good as it had been, but it did not spoil the wonderful occasion. They enjoyed the splendour of the surroundings, the music provided by Armed Forces bands and the food. Being so close to the Queen and many other members of the Royal Family will leave them with many memories that will never be forgotten. No one deserves it more, so thank you both and congratulations!

The Praise Party at the beginning of June, in the village hall, was a fun and family friendly service and despite a slight technical hitch at the start of the service it continued well with lots of interactive songs and a story told by Steph.  Nikki, Dave, Tasha and Marc also took part during the service which was followed by activities for the children to do and tea and cake for all. The next one will take place on 1 Sept, do come along if you can.

With the weather continuing to be set fair, the Open-air service on 30 June was indeed in the open with no worry as to whether we would have to be inside this year. The concern was more so that we would all suffer from sunstroke!! Thankfully there was a slight dip in the temperature and a bit of cloud. The lovely service was led by Nikki and the very entertaining talk given by Rev’d Steph Gordon-Jeffs. Who knew that bananas had so many uses? Rev’d Robert Gordon provided the musical accompaniment with his guitar and played a touching song during the service. It also was good to hear the choir who sang three hymns and Nikki found an appropriate and thought-provoking poem, fit for the surroundings. The service was then followed by home-made fruit punch, tea/coffee and light refreshments. Thank you to all who took part in any way.

On 3 July, Aubrey, Julie and Jackie attended the farewell service of Archdeacon Christopher Futcher who will be taking up a new post in Cyprus. The Evensong service at Exeter Cathedral was attended by people from all corners of the Exeter Diocese. Our thanks and very best wishes were given to him from Calverleigh, as we left.

We give our thanks also to Alison Webber who has very kindly updated the Baptismal Roll. We have seen many Baptisms in the last 12 months for which we praise God and look forward to welcoming more families in the future.

Congratulations go to anyone who has celebrated a milestone birthday, birth of a new family member or any other celebration. We pray that the young people who are awaiting exam results receive the good news that they are hoping for in readiness for the next stage of their lives.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are awaiting or undergoing treatment at this time and also those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. If you would like to be mentioned personally in our prayers please get in touch so that we can support you prayerfully. If you are new to the village please make yourselves known to us. We look forward to meeting you in person and welcoming you to the area and it’s activities.

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