The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, preached at St Bartholomew’s, West Witton on Sunday 27th July on his final visit to a parish in the Leeds Diocese before he retires.
At the united service for the churches in Penhill Benefice he analysed more deeply the Lord’s Prayer after telling the large congregation: ‘In my life prayer has too often been what I have to say to God rather than listening to what God has to say to me. Because prayer is, in the end, the reshaping of our minds by exposure to God, so that we begin to see God, the world and us through His eyes.’
Revd Tom Ringland, vicar of Penhill Benefice, said: ‘He encouraged us to stress the word “your” wherever it occurs in the Lord’s Prayer.’
Bishop Nick and his wife, Linda, spent time with members of the congregation after the service while enjoying the refreshments provided in the village hall. He became the first Bishop of Leeds in 2014 and retired on November 30 2025.
Above: L-R Revd Tom Ringland, Rt Revd Nick Baines, and Revd Scott Lunn
Curate's Letter: Revd Scott Lunn
Dear Friends,
We’re still in the season when we are even more mindful of the weather than we normally are. We don’t want disruption, and we certainly don’t want any injuries caused by falls. Ahead of us will then lie weeks and months of changeable weather – what will the weather be today? Sometimes we will no doubt experience ‘all four seasons in one day’!
Alongside the job of trying to identify the weather for each day is a general theme of identity as we move through from the season of Christmas to the season of Easter, as we also make our way through 2026; a year that marks 20 years since the formation of the Penhill Benefice.
Take, as an important example, the identity of Jesus. At what point did he fully realise that he was the Christ? The truth is we do not know and are not to know. Perhaps he knew from the moment he had his first thought as a toddler – something I personally find implausible. Perhaps he had understood his own significance by the time he was found debating precociously in The Temple as a teenager. I’m attracted to the idea of Jesus entering the Lenten wilderness determined to resolve his calling and coming out of this period of deprivation with the full understanding, through his baptism, that he was the Messiah; called to lead, to serve, to die, and to live.
In wrestling with his humanity and calling, Jesus invites us to consider our own identity; both as individuals and as a church. What better time to review our calling as a church as we celebrate our 20-year anniversary, but also acknowledge our place in the wider Anglican family that continues to face an uncertain future? We simply don’t know what our identity will be, both as a benefice and a national church, in 20 years’ time.
We rightly ‘hold on to that which is good’ (I Thess.5:21) and we are called to point forward to the certain hope of the Easter morn. Yet, in following our common calling to follow Christ in his journey, there will also be darkness and uncertainty on the way.
This is something I encounter in my continued work within the national church’s Safeguarding Structures Group which is charged to increase the independence of our church’s safeguarding work, not least with respect to the complaints process. I continue to push for changes that I have campaigned for over decades on matters such as mandatory reporting but, paradoxically, have to sometimes explain that this will not be simple because it touches on the identity of our Church; its bishops, priests, deacons, and members. There is no shortage of people who have and will deeply resist change of identity and change of culture.
All of which puts a timely spotlight on an opportunity later this year, at Ripon Cathedral, on 27th June. Whether our Church, and Bishop Anna, judge that I am (or am not) to be ‘priested’ there will be an ordination service on that day; there are others who are following this same journey of discernment. This service, involving liturgy, music, prayer, and gathering, is open to all and is an intense opportunity to consider together our identity, our calling to mutual service, and how we may individually follow this calling.
Perhaps the sun will shine on a warm June in Ripon, and the skies will be less uncertain than they are just now. The uncertainties of our journeys of discernment will continue, whoever, with whatever lows and highs that we are to face. The one certainty, however, remains in the constancy of the God who was fully human and is fully divine. As Paul famously stated, despite his many personal trials, “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Rev Scott Lunn is now curate in Penhill Benefice. For his own introduction and photos click here
Facebook: We now have a Benefice Facebook page up and running. This will be useful for sharing services and events with the wider community. Please search for ‘The Penhill Benefice’ and ‘follow, like and invite’! Thank you.
Churches Open:
Preston under Scar and Wensley - Daily
Aysgarth - daily
Castle Bolton - daily
Redmire - Daily
West Witton - daily
We ask that you are mindful of the environment and kindly remove cellophane and ribbon when placing fresh flowers at the graveside of loved ones in our churchyards.
Church Coffee Morning: 10.30am–noon, Wednesday 4th February in Redmire Village Hall.
Work at St Andrew's Church : a new kitchen is being installed at the church commencing 16th February. This means there will be very limited access on the south side of the church with a skip parked near the entrance.
Church Afternoon Tea - 2-4pm Redmire Village Hall, on Wednesday 18th February and Wednesday 18th March
Deanery Prayer Meetings - 11am - 12noon, East Witton Parish Room. Mondays 2nd February & 2nd March
Wensleydale Filling Station - 7pm at Thornborough Hall, Moor Road, Leyburn DL8 5AB
Friday 13th February with Simon and Grace Stretton-Downs
Friday 2nd March with Allen Langham
Contact: 07714 204024
Prayer and Praise Live! 7pm at Chantry Hall, Bedale, DL8 1AF
Friday 27th February – Revd Simon Moor
Friday 27th March – Revd Stewart Shaw All Welcome!
For more information email
Prayer Fellowship
The Prayer Fellowship usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7.30 pm at Aysgarth Institute to pray together for the benefice, the wider church, local, national and international issues, and for personal concerns and each other. We begin with a Bible Reflection and short discussion. The next meetings are on 24th February and 24th March
Begin Lent with us:
Ash Wednesday at St. Margaret’s, Preston Under Scar, at 7.00 pm Wednesday 18th February at a service of Holy
Communion, with the invitation to receive the imposition of ashes as a sign of both our frailty and penitence.
Lent Lunches for Christian Aid
Soup & Cheese Lunch with Coffee and Tea. No fixed charge, donations to Christian Aid, on Fridays at 12 noon until 1.30pm
20th February - Redmire Village Hall
27th Feb – Carperby Institute
6th March - West Witton Village Hall
13th March - Thornton Rust Village Institute
20th March - Preston under Scar Village Hall
27th March - Thoralby Village Hall
Lent Group
Every Tuesday in Lent from 24th February to 24th March. Further details will be posted on this webpage and also on the benefice Facebook page. For further details see our website and Facebook page
Holy Week Lent Reflections - at 7.00 pm
Monday 30th March, St Margaret’s, Preston under Scar
Tuesday 31st March, St Bartholomew’s, West Witton
Wednesday 1st April, St Mary’s, Redmire
Easter Lilies: A symbol of purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life— the spiritual essence of Easter. If you wish to buy a lily for £5 in memory of a loved one, please give your details to: Dayle Williams (01969 625094 West Witton) or Liz Piper (01969 663747 Aysgarth) by Thursday 26th March.
The lilies will be used in Easter floral displays in the churches.
Aysgarth Church Gift Day
The total donated for St. Andrew’s Gift Weekend is £3,403.20 before gift aid. The PCC thank all who contributed.
Money raised for Charities over Christmas
The Christmas Coffee Morning raised £270 for The Children’s Society.
A total amount of £580.10 was collected from Thoralby and Aysgarth services and £41 from Thornton Rust for The Salvation Army.
Bolton cum Redmire raised £500 for St George’s Crypt.
West Witton Crib service raised £306.92 and the Carol service raised £140.50 for The Children’s Society.
Thank you to everyone who donated to the charities.
Mary's Meals - Any left over foreign currency or obsolete UK currency can be left in marked boxes in the churches to help raise money for Mary’s Meals. . The money raised from this initiative will help Mary’s Meals bring hope to more desperately hungry children across the globe. Every 10p is enough to provide a hungry child with a nutritious meal in school. See .Mary's Meals.
Harvest Charity Collections: Thank you to everyone who donated at the recent Harvest Services in the Benefice. The following totals sent to date are Aysgarth: £292.60 to Caring for Life. Preston under Scar: £60 to Mary’s Meals. Redmire: £170 to MAF. Thornton Rust: £87.10 to RABI the Farmers Charity. West Witton: £153 to The Addington Fund.
The Very Narrow Bridge of Life: Stories Through the Church Year by Revd Peter Jenner
This is a book about finding joy in a world that sometimes seems difficult to navigate. Through a collection of engaging stories, which were originally delivered as sermons, Peter invites us to reflect on our own faith journey and encourages us to be ‘fully part of the adventure of life…appreciative of God’s creation, of human interaction and delighting in what is and ought to be.’ Peter died shortly after retiring, and during his final months the book was edited by Louise Redshaw who lives in Carperby. Profits from the sale of the book will be shared between St Andrew’s Church, Aysgarth, and the Stuart Warren Foundation which supports a PhD student from the South African Region to study Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. Copies are available for £10 from:
Aysgarth church -
The following are now available online -
War Memorials and Graves at Aysgarth church
The printed illustrated guide to War Memorials and Graves in the churchyard is available in Aysgarth church.
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line.
The line is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044. Callers will hear a special greeting from the Archbishop before being able to choose from a range of options, including hymns, prayers, reflections and advice on COVID-19. Please let your family and friends, who are not on internet, know about this. More information click here
Hear To Help
Just 'B' is offering emotional wellbeing support to people in the Harrogate District, Hambleton and Richmondshire, with its Hear to Help phoneline, available to anyone who may need help with such issues as grief, low mood, isolation, anxiety or isolation. The line is manned by trained staff and volunteers and is available seven days a week, 8am-8pm. For more information see Hear to Help.