Welcome to the website of the Parish Link magazine

Serving the villages of Kensworth, Studham and Whipsnade for 38 years

THE PARISH LINK MAGAZINE

To see the May edition of the Parish Link please click on the image above. The online magazine and previous magazines can be downloaded to your device to read offline. Please consider printing it for a neighbour who enjoys reading the Link but does not have access to the internet. Previous editions can be read on this website on the Back Issues page. The June edition will again be online but it is hoped that the July/August double edition will be printed and delivered as normal subject to regulations.

A MESSAGE FROM THE REVEREND NICOLA LENTHALL

As last Sunday, this Sunday we will be worshipping both at a 9.00am online service (which also can be accessed any time after the service has finished), and in a service in a church building, this week St. Mary’s Studham, at 10.30am.  

On Thursday evening (May 13th) there will be a benefice celebration of Holy Communion for Ascension Day at St. Mary’s Kensworth at 7.30pm, to which all are welcome.

There will be a retiring collection at church for the people of St Vincent following the volcanic eruption there, which we will carry on for the next few weeks.  St Vincent is part of the Windward Islands, a companion diocese of St Albans for over twenty years, and the Bishop of St Albans is liaising directly with the Bishop and church there to find out how best to direct aid – please give generously.

Thy Kingdom Come, the global wave of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost, begins on Thursday.  Prayer sheets are attached – and you may like to visit Studham Church to tie a prayer ribbon on the porch door...

The pattern for the coming weeks of the services at 10.30am in our buildings is as follows:

May 16th 10.30am at Whipsnade (note the time of 10.30am!)

May 23rd 10.30am at Kensworth

May 30th at 10.30am at Studham

For those coming to the church buildings please remember:

• we will be following government guidelines on social distancing and all hygiene measures (two metres distance where possible, one metre plus where not, and hand sanitising at the entrance to the building);
• please wear a face covering if possible;
• to fill in the pews from the front (this may mean that you can’t sit in your ‘usual pew’! Please follow directions from a benefice churchwarden);
•  to leave from the door nearest to you (which may be the priest door in the chancel);
• conversation after (or before) the service must take place outside the building

I attach both our KSW WorshipLink which you can use for Home Church by yourself, and also, for those who can access YouTube, orders of service for use with the online provision.  This week we are inviting you to worship again using the service for Rogationtide at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRC7QJFVV2Q .

On Ascension Day (Thursday May 13th) the Eucharist is at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnkGIGfVUiA 

Sixth Sunday of Easter / Rogation – May 9th

9.00am Rogation Service (order of service attached)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRC7QJFVV2Q

Ascension Day – May 13th

Holy Communion for Ascension Day (order of service attached)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnkGIGfVUiA

All our previous recorded and live-streamed services are still available on Nicola Lenthall’s YouTube channel.  The orders of service and hymns were sent out at the time.

2021 EVENTS

It is back (subject to the government timetable). The Kensworth Flower and Vegetable Show. Please see the Events page for details and keep watching as other events return.

HELP STOP DIGITAL POVERTY IN BEDFORDSHIRE

The High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, Bedfordshire Learning Link and Luton Learning Link are working together to bridge the digital divide in Bedfordshire by collecting your unused digital devices.

We need your help by donating digital devices

• Laptops less than 5 years old, that still switch on and with charger if possible
• iPads of any age, undamaged and reset to factory setting and disconnected from the iCloud
• Chromebooks of any age
• Old smartphones (reset to factory setting and disconnected from the iCloud) can also be recycled and funds raised from these can be used towards refurbishing devices

Please reset to factory settings to erase all your personal data.  All devices will be refurbished by a professional company to keep you and the school children safe.

Such devices can be passed to Nicola at the Vicarage, Clayhall Road, Kensworth, from where they will be collected by the scheme.

Alternatively financial donations are warmly received. 

A brand new Chromebook costs between £200 and £220, Grade A refurbished Laptops £220 and Grade A refurbished iPads £250. Different schools require different devices depending on the learning platforms they use. Younger children and Special Needs Schools often find iPads easier to use.

Should you feel that you are able to make a donation to this appeal, please kindly donate via the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire’s Just Giving Page:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/susanlousada-highsheriffofbeds

or by cheque payable to Bedfordshire Crimebeat Ltd, referenced BLL and posted to:

Colin Davies, The Old Rectory, Church Road, Westoning, Bedford, MK45 5JW

DUNSTABLE FOODBANK

We want to make sure that no one in our local community has to go hungry, but we need your help to make this happen. Your gift of financial support, time, business partnership and food can make a real difference. If you can help and would like further information please see our website.