Welcome
The Four Church Benefice is a group of village churches in South Cambridgeshire comprising of St Mary’s Fowlmere, St Laurence’s Foxton, All Saints’ Shepreth and St George’s Thriplow.
We aim to reach out to every member of our community offering them occasions to meet with God within our worship and life together, to take opportunities to explore their faith and to receive support and help during the milestones on life’s journey.
Our Rector Revd. Angela Melaniphy is available to all members of the community. Please don’t hesitate to contact Revd Angela either, through the website or, by email – see link below, or telephone 01763 208195 should you need pastoral support or would like her to pray for anything that is concerning you.
Please continue to look after yourselves and STAY SAFE and let us know if you need any spiritual or practical support. Three of our churches are open for individual private prayer during the week (Sadly it isn’t possible for Shepreth Church to be open) and we are now worshipping fortnightly at each church. For fuller details go to the Calendar Events Section. We still have networks of people providing help where needed and we can put you in touch with the right people to support you.
Our Services
In January 2023 our service pattern will be different. There will be one service each week at a different church and you are warmly invited to join with the other congregations to worship together
Sunday 22nd January
11.00 am Four Churches Joint Communion Service at All Saints’, Shepreth
Sunday 29th January
11.00 am Four Churches Joint Communion Service at St Mary’s, Fowlmere
*denotes recorded service
See below to the link for the Holy Communion Servcie at St Mary’s, Fowlmere on 1st January
View from the Rectory
View From The Rectory
April 2022
I love gardening and seeing my garden bloom but I am not what you’d call a good gardener. I don’t have the time to give to caring for it and my health means I find it very difficult to dig. So for years now I do a lot of my gardening in pots and even grow veg and potatoes there.
I have a few precious plants in pots that have been given to me a rose, a bay tree and a glorious Camelia, which I have had for twenty years. Last spring it looked as if the Camelia was going to be the best it had ever been. Its leaves were bright and glossy and it was covered with a mass of plump flower buds.
In April there was a late frost and I had neglected to protect it. It was terrible. The whole tree was blighted. The buds went black and shrivelled and the plant turned from a living vital thing to a dead bush without much hope.
I sought advice. Tried re-potting and feeding it and hoped. The months went past and finally my gardener said, ‘I’ve moved that dead thing to the back garden against the wall’. I was very upset but it was clear that my poor old tree had no future.
Then, this spring, I noticed it had put out shoots from the base, small but sturdy, shiny leaves that grew up alongside the dead stem. It is alive- and more than that it is working to live and already showing signs of being healthy and beautiful again. When all danger of frost is past I will remove the dead stem and repot it for a healthy and happy future where I hope to look after it better.
This experience has reminded me so much of the Easter story. When frost hit I was devastated, I felt guilty and upset and all plans for the future were ended. I guess that was much how the disciples felt that first Easter. Their much loved leader had died a horrible death. Their hopes were ended and it seemed as if everything had ended for them.
Then on Easter Day when Jesus rose from the dead life was transformed for them. There was a new and living hope, a future for them all. At Easter Jesus brought new life for us. He restored hope and life and offers us freedom from sin and failure. This Easter may you experience that new life and new hope for yourselves.
Warm wishes
Revd Angela April 2022
View the previous ‘view from the Rectory’ updates here:
What's Going On?
Getting married in the Four Church Benefice
Some good reasons for getting married in the church:
- A wedding is one of life’s greatest moments
- A time of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy
- A public and life-long covenant, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses
