Holy Innocents’ Church in Kidderminster has a tradition of a pre-Christmas festival
with the church open to the community. This year however, they’ve decided to ‘ring the
changes’ by opening the church next weekend with a bells theme to ‘ring out the old,
ring in the new’ for New Year.
Heather Prangley explains:
“The sound of bells has defined our lives with influences that can be traced back to the
earliest years of Christendom. We have planned a number of events around this theme:
• Our schools and congregation are working on decorating bells with references
to favourite hymns mentioning bells.
• Among others we have invited the Fire Service (alarmbells) Police (littlebells
to attach to purses/notices about answering the doorbell), WFDC Love Food/
Hate Waste (listening to warning bells about recycling) and the Alzheimers’
Society to have a display at the church.
• Areley Kings Hand Bell Ringers will play and local Morris Men will dance in
recognition of the joy bells bring us.
• There will be quizzes around famous bells.
• The Lady Chapel will be set aside for prayer with people writing names/
prayers on paper cut out in bell shapes to hang on branches.
We hope that people will come and visit the church while we’re open and next Sunday
we will dedicate a new kneeler in honour of our bellfest!”
Please pray for all involved in
Bellfest at Holy Innocents, for all
those who will visit and for all our
churches planning community
events in the New Year.
Stourport Deanery – Rural Dean:
Mark Turner; Lay Chair: Andrew Quinn
Diocese of Kolhapur (India):
Bishop Bathuel Tiwade
