0:00:02 > 0:00:04More tea, Vicar? Yeah, go on, then.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Vicars - pillars of the community.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Is it high enough yet?
0:00:07 > 0:00:11As English as tea and cake and cricket on the village green.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Nice to see you, to see you...
0:00:13 > 0:00:16- Nice!- But times are changing.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Would you like to pray now? Would you find that helpful?
0:00:19 > 0:00:24- No.- Congregations are ageing, and faith is fading.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26People in this country do not go to church.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30So, today's vicars are working hard to stay relevant.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35The safeguards that are in place are not catching people who are in desperate need.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38In this series, vicars from Hereford,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40the Church of England's most rural diocese,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43let us into their life and work...
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- Good.- ..digging deep to help those most in need...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Oh, ye of little faith who thought we weren't going to load this!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..and pulling communities closer together.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Small acts of good change the world.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59It's all part of a vicar's life.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08On the outskirts of Hereford,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11set amid orchards and rolling fields,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13is the village parish of Breinton.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22It's autumn. Across the diocese, an army of workers gather the harvest.
0:01:26 > 0:01:32In the village church, an army of the faithful are also busy.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I'm hiding the mechanics.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It appears to be a mortal sin if you show your mechanics!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44This is the nitty-gritty, not the glory part, doing the nice arrangements.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49I'm just going to make sure they won't fall on the vicar.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I would hate to knock him out with an apple!
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Apples and cider are big business in this rural parish,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and giving thanks at harvest time is a village tradition.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Today, Breinton's curate, Father Matthew,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08is taking his first harvest service.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- What do you think of the church? - It's beautiful!
0:02:11 > 0:02:13The apples are stunning. Are they eaters, or...
0:02:13 > 0:02:15No!
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Some of them are. And the ones on the chancel wall are edible.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- Oh, they..?- Yeah.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- They're always here.- To stop you sitting on them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Oi, now, I've broken this church once!
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Once I've broken a bit of the church, and you're never going to let me forget it!
0:02:31 > 0:02:37Matthew's introduction to village worship three months ago was less dignified than he'd hoped.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43We were doing the wedding rehearsal and I was just, you know, in my cassock,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46wandering around trying to help, trying to be deacon, trying to serve.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I leant on the wall, and the whole thing collapsed behind me
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and I ended up on my back on top of the wall, legs in the air!
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I've never been so embarrassed in my life.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And this congregation never let me forget it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- It just went!- It just went. It was something waiting to happen.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I'm worried about those apples on there...
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- I think...- No...- I'm concerned they're too heavy for that wall!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- Look, we've just... - No, they're fine, thank you!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I have to say, breaking the wall has been a really good icebreaker,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12because everybody winds me up about it,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and that's the beginning of a rural community, saying,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18"You're one of us now because you're an utter fool like we are!"
0:03:21 > 0:03:24To mark his first harvest service as curate,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Matthew's trying something a little different.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I'm not entirely certain what the aliens represent.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Other than a clean floor!
0:03:38 > 0:03:40But we've got aliens.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41It's my son's painting mat.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46We're expecting families this morning because harvest is a family time.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Then I'm doing something a little bit different.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51I mean, who knows? It's the first time I've done it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55It may completely fall on its face, but it makes sense to me.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59We'll see how much soil I leave on the floor
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and how much I get told off by Sheila afterwards.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12At the western edge of the diocese, beneath the Black Mountains...
0:04:16 > 0:04:23..Reverend Nicholas Lowton is preparing for a wedding with an invigorating walk.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Come on, you little horror!
0:04:30 > 0:04:33After seven years in charge of six churches,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38it seems the secret to a good service comes down to one thing.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You've got to be in a good mood.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Are you in a good mood? - I'm in a very good mood.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I mean, it's a lovely, lovely, lovely day.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50And it's a huge privilege to take weddings as well,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55which is again something one needs to bear in mind.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And, no, you owe it to everybody to get it right.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Dogs!
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Have you ever been married?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06No, but I've never died either but I still take funerals!
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Local weddings are few and far between in this rural parish,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17so Nicholas has thrown his doors open to those further afield.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Tomorrow's couple are from Hereford and Poland.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26If I was completely blind to the realities of life,
0:05:26 > 0:05:32I'd think to myself, "I hope they're spending a quiet time on their own,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34"preparing themselves."
0:05:34 > 0:05:37But I'm not sure the circumstances always allow the bride and groom
0:05:37 > 0:05:40to give themselves a quiet moment for reflection beforehand.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But you never know, they may have done so.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51The sparks need to come out of the sparkler box and into the sparkler tin.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Oh, no, no, no, not those.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58In Clodock's village pub, quiet contemplation is on the back burner.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Numbers two to eight need to go in the big jars,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and number one is going to go in the Emily and Lukasz box.
0:06:08 > 0:06:14For bride-to-be Emily, getting married at Clodock held a particular appeal.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17We used to come here a lot as children.
0:06:17 > 0:06:23I wanted something that was quite quintessentially kind of British, I guess,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and try and kind of marry in some Polish elements.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29By...vodka, I guess!
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Emily met fellow schoolteacher Lukasz seven years ago.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38He hasn't quite got that...um...
0:06:38 > 0:06:39The...
0:06:41 > 0:06:42The British politeness.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I remember we hadn't been together that long,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and he told me that he thought I looked like a squirrel!
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And I thought maybe he meant a red squirrel,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57maybe it was like the red tail or something, and he just said,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00"No, no, no, it's because your teeth are quite big!"
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Hopefully the vicar has a better way with words!
0:07:06 > 0:07:12We first met Nicholas about ten months ago now, and I think he's fabulous.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17I think he's funny. I enjoy listening to him speak.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21And I think that that is key, really, isn't it, to getting an audience?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I'm bigging him up quite a lot. He'd better be good tomorrow now!
0:07:27 > 0:07:34Engaging new audiences is as much a vicar's job as pulling communities together.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38In Breinton, villagers are arriving for Matthew's harvest service.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Getting everyone in the harvest mood, organist Andrew.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I love harvest festival.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53It's always a good chance to pull out a few extra stops.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01I'm deaf as a post, and I don't always hear what's going on.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It gets me into quite a lot of trouble sometimes.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08- A yellow squash.- That's a good idea.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13Today, Matthew's got team support from wife Catherine and son Edmund.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Behind the scenes in the vestry...
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I didn't know what colour, so I brought all three.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- You're going to have white.- Yeah.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Churchwarden Sheila's checking he has everything he needs.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Right, I will leave you to it, I can't do anything else.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Thank you, Sheila.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34What he doesn't have are the families he was hoping for.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40The average Church of England congregation has nine children,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43but many smaller churches have none at all.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- Good morning, everybody. - Good morning.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49On this wonderful day, harvest festival.
0:08:49 > 0:08:56I think harvest festival is comfortably one of my favourite festivals of the year.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Mainly because I'm generally surrounded by food!
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I'm going to ask the children to come up...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08because I have an activity.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12It's only you, little man.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Jesus is the seed in the Eucharist, the soil is the word of God,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and the water is the church.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Stop, that's enough!
0:09:23 > 0:09:24Too much church!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28The water at...
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I put the mat down... Sheila, the mat's down, it's fine!
0:09:31 > 0:09:32The mat's down!
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Do you know what, mate? You were really good today.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45We grow and we flower and we don't keep it to ourselves, we share it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47We take it out into the world.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50That's what harvest means for me.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Thank you. Amen.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Matthew's son is lovely, and he's so like his dad.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06And it was the true story of harvest as well, and what it all means.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11In today's tough times,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15the harvest message of giving and sharing is as relevant as ever.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20The gifts in church are for local food banks.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23But Matthew has bigger ambitions.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28I am on my way to Margaret's house, who, this morning,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31has offered us a load of fruit and veg to take to Calais.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35There are currently hundreds of people trapped at the French port
0:10:35 > 0:10:39of Calais as they attempt to seek asylum in the UK.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Most are without food and shelter.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48Moved by their plight, Matthew has persuaded the community to give generously from their gardens.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53I don't know if you'll manage this with one hand, it's very heavy!
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Got it! There we go.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03When I talked about Calais, and I invited people to help,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06the response was immediate and huge.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11And that says everything you need to know about rural communities.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Right, that's amazing.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Keen to witness aid efforts first-hand,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Matthew is taking the produce to Calais,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24with charity volunteer David.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25So, what have we got?
0:11:25 > 0:11:28So, we've got a lot, a huge amount.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35This is my eighth trip out to northern France in support of refugees.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40Normally what I do is I will take a van-load of donations with me
0:11:40 > 0:11:42and then stay one, two, or three days
0:11:42 > 0:11:47volunteering to help the teams that are out there long-term.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48As a deacon in the Church of England,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50this is exactly what I'm called to do,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54working with those who are at the edges of society.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59And that doesn't just mean here in the parish, here in the team,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02although of course that's predominantly where it plays out.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07But the refugees in Calais are on the edges of society.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Oh, ye of little faith who thought we weren't going to load this!
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Let's do this, then.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27In Clodock, Emily and Lukasz are also starting out on a new journey.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The hats are on,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33the hairspray's out, and the vicar's sporting his lucky socks.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Oh, well, I always wear these socks on a wedding day.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41They were sold to me by a wonderful guy called Jason,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44who has the sock stall at Hay on Wye.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48And whenever I see him I say, "Jason, have you got anything really tasteless?"
0:12:48 > 0:12:53And he said to me one day, "I've got some Hindu wedding socks."
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I thought, "Great!"
0:12:56 > 0:13:00In the village pub, the wedding party are getting ready.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03In the church next door, so is Nicholas.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Do you feel any different when you have your dog collar on to when you don't?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Yes, it feels jolly uncomfortable!
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Contrary to appearances, Nicholas is not a veteran vicar.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25For 30 years, he was a boarding school housemaster.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And on occasions like this, it shows.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I will ask you if you will support them in their marriage,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and you will all say, "We will."
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Because you will, won't you?
0:13:42 > 0:13:43ALL: Yes!
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Now, look, those were the right words!
0:13:46 > 0:13:50If I was going to be picky,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I might say that it sounded just a teensy-weensy bit pathetic!
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So, shall we try that again?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And this time, try and do structural damage.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Will you, the families and friends of Lukasz and Emily,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?
0:14:07 > 0:14:08We will!
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Smashing!
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Outside, there's an anxious groom.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Are you getting twitchy?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23- Maybe, yeah.- Do you think Emily might suddenly have changed
0:14:23 > 0:14:24- her mind?!- I don't think it's that, no.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Good, because that would go down only moderately well with the congregation.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29And you, probably.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32You're happy that you see her at this stage?
0:14:32 > 0:14:34- I don't know!- Go up the church.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36You don't want to get that wrong.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Should I be...- You go and wait up at the church.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- I'll wait outside.- OK, wait outside the church, but wait up there.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55The harvest celebrations continue in the village of Breinton.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I think we've got enough there.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Vicar Ruth Hulse works alongside curate Matthew as part of the West Hereford ministry team.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Tonight, it's Breinton's harvest supper.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10We've got about 50 coming tonight,
0:15:10 > 0:15:15and that's people from the church and the community, and people from all ages, which is great.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20As part of a continued effort to pull in more people, young and old,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the church has thrown open its doors to the whole community.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Yes!
0:15:27 > 0:15:32- Two more.- Fresh from church decorating and feeding the 50 tonight,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34the Breinton church ladies.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Oh, don't put so many on the tray!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It's OK, put it on the chair.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43In every church, there is a backbone of women.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It's a really lively group of ladies.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48They're wonderful, they really are.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49And they know exactly how the church runs.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51They know everything about the church.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54They know exactly what works and where it works,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56and they're really efficient.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58This parish would not survive without the people, a lot of people
0:15:58 > 0:16:02who do a lot of things that nobody knows about.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Honestly, our congregations are dwindling.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09And they're getting older.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14But at the moment, well, how many more we can do remains to be seen.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16We've got a lot of people this year,
0:16:16 > 0:16:17more than we've had for a long time,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19so that's encouraging.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25I brought my tarts warm today, so hopefully they'll stay warm now.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26I'll put the oven on.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33For some, a harvest meal is a chance to give thanks.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37For others, it's a lifeline.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45With a van full of Breinton's harvest,
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Matthew is en route to Calais with charity volunteers David and Philip.
0:16:51 > 0:16:57Several years ago when those images first appeared of refugees arriving in Calais, of the camps,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00the fact that people were living in the conditions they were living in
0:17:00 > 0:17:05in Calais and were grateful for it just floored me.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10In 2016, the camps were disbanded.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15So, people are worse because the camps have closed?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Oh, massively worse.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19When the Jungle was there, people had communities,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22they had places to cook, they had cafes, they had shops.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- It was a town of 10,000 people.- Cor.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Now you've got people just sleeping rough in the hedgerows and ditches.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31So it is massively worse.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35The numbers are lower, but the conditions are so, so much worse.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Many of those here are from Eritrea,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44having paid thousands to traffickers to escape one of Africa's most oppressive regimes.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Matthew is joining volunteers in Calais who have organised to help feed them.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57There's about sort of close to 700 refugees in Calais at the moment.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00At the moment, about 2,500, 2,700 meals per day.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03And it's the only source of food for most people here.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05So, keep dropping carrots, it's seriously important.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13This warehouse is a hub for several grassroots charities who have combined forces.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Volunteers come from around the world.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19This is good teamwork.
0:18:20 > 0:18:27I was once told how my cassock could get in the way of me being able to practically help people.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30As you can see, it's a real hindrance!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I have no experience of refugee camps.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41And I find it very easy to dismiss political conversations,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44the difficult conversations about what we should and shouldn't do.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Well, they shouldn't be here,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50or we should do more work to make sure people don't travel and all that kind of stuff.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54They are beautiful words wrapped in silk that sound entirely reasonable.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00But they're still in Calais now, and they are still in trouble now.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02And we can do something to alleviate that.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Even if it's only one tiny thing,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07then it is worth doing.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Well, I'm just pleased that we're cutting the symbol of my home nation,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16the leek of Wales.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Oh, these leeks are bloody lovely, man.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27To protect the anonymity of the warehouse,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30it discourages people from begging at the gates.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34But that doesn't stop some of the desperate from trying their luck.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Being in here and doing this is really good, but I can't
0:19:38 > 0:19:44ignore the fact that outside the gates there are people sitting,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46congregating, so I'm going to...
0:19:46 > 0:19:51I'm going to go out and say hello and see if they speak and see if they want to pray.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Hello, how are you?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I'm good, I'm good. I'm Father Matthew.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Walk this way.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I have no money, but I will pray with you if you want to pray.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10blasted art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18They were clearly Christian,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21they knew the responses to what I was praying.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23I gave him my rosary, and we prayed, and...
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Um...
0:20:24 > 0:20:29and that was beautiful.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33And I think it felt like they took some solace from that, some comfort.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38The motto of the operation here is to choose love.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Don't get cross with people, don't try and get angry,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44don't get necessarily always involved in the politics,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46but just show simple love for your fellow human being.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55The trip to Calais has been a chance for Matthew to see charity at work outside of the church.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I mean, it's like the best hippie commune I've ever been to!
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It's brilliant! The people who were chopping vegetables here and making
0:21:04 > 0:21:10stuff go out the door may not be overt Christians in that way,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but, for me, they're small acts of good,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16everybody's small act of good,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and that's ultimately what shifts the world - everybody's individual,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22small acts of good.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28So, the impact that a small van of food has had in this place to
0:21:28 > 0:21:32the people of Calais, that's what I'm going to take back.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Back in the diocese,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43small acts of good by volunteers in Breinton have helped pull off
0:21:43 > 0:21:48the biggest community supper the village has seen in years.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Do you want the quiches now in to warm as well?
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Was it too soon?
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Just one?- Just about there in the servings.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59So, everyone's here, there's a nice buzz.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02We've got the food out. Hopefully we're going to sit down and eat,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I'm hungry!
0:22:04 > 0:22:07And there's quiche, there's always quiche.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Events like these bring together an often isolated older generation.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18But once again, the only young family here belong to the vicar.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21You know, there's a lot of older people here.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25And so for the kids, it's perhaps not what they would choose to do.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27But they're really good about it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35It might be an older crowd, but it's a lively one.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39The cider's flowing, and the raffle's hotting up.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Is it going to be ours?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Six. Oh, no!
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Oh, they're very nice though, aren't they?
0:22:49 > 0:22:50It's all a bit of fun, isn't it?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Best raffle prize I've had in many a long day.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57The evening has been a success.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01But inviting the wider village has still not brought in the young families
0:23:01 > 0:23:06the church needs to survive... and grow.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12I think Breinton has changed a huge amount over the years,
0:23:12 > 0:23:18and so whereas people like Lindsey and Sheila and Ann and Vivian,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21whilst they would naturally have always just come to the church,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23it's a different way of life these days.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I think people are less likely,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31and perhaps even slightly scared of signing up to something for fear of
0:23:31 > 0:23:35the commitment that it would take and that it would take them away from their families.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43We have to start looking at different ways that we can connect with families,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46how do we take faith out to people?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Because I'm not sure they're going to come in.
0:23:55 > 0:24:01One sure-fire way of connecting with families is, of course, a wedding.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06In Clodock, Lukasz's prayers have been answered.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14As a bachelor,
0:24:14 > 0:24:21I'm never terribly sure when asked to speak at a couple's wedding
0:24:21 > 0:24:25whether to be flattered at the thought that because I'm a priest,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29anything I say is worth sitting up and taking note of,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33or it could just be of course that I happen to be the parish priest
0:24:33 > 0:24:38of the church next to the pub and therefore the options were just a teensy-weensy bit limited.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Anyhow,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44will you, the families and friends of Emily and Lukasz
0:24:44 > 0:24:49support and uphold them in their marriage, now and in the years to come?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51We will!
0:24:56 > 0:25:00The Church of England has around 1,000 weddings per week,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03most with healthy congregations.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06That's potentially two million people per year.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Rich pickings for resourceful vicars.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I've never, ever met a vicar like him before.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15He kept it fresh, he kept it sort of enjoyable,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17especially for us younger people.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Just innovative, if anything.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It was very energetic.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26He wasn't going on and on, he was quick, to the point.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28He's obviously made an impression.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Yes, definitely.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Are you getting all growly now?
0:25:36 > 0:25:41In all that you do, you've got to feel that you're scattering seeds.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46That's what God does, and that's what I think we as clergy do as well.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49You hope that some seeds will take root.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55It will take time before they do, so you mustn't hope for instant results.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02For seeds to take root,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05the church must plant itself firmly in the community.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11In Breinton, the harvest celebrations may not have drawn in the young families,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15but there's one village event guaranteed to pull them in.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Bonfire Night.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21And the church is out in force.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Ruth, what's the collective? Are we a surplus of clergy?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Well, there's a gaggle, there's a surplus...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Sheila, you would know, you would know!
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I can think of plenty of other terms!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35I was going to say gaggle.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36An encumbrance.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Events like this are just great, because we get to meet the families,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46we can make the contacts, build the relationships,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50so it's just another time where we can come in and just to say, "Actually,
0:26:50 > 0:26:55"we're part of this community and we want to be part of what you're doing and we want to help you do that."
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I love a bonfire, yeah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I love the smell of it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03We're more childlike than the children, I think!
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Yeah, second childhood.
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Yes.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Remember, remember, the 5th of November.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Gunpowder, treason and plot.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19It's been a month since Matthew was in Calais.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21But it's still fresh in his mind.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Calais, I am...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30..still dealing with.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35And I'm coming to realise that all we can do is the good that's in front of us.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The small good that's in front of us.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I want my small bit to be an enormous bit.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I want to be able to go over and fix it.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46But having an impatience for not being able to fix the big stuff
0:27:46 > 0:27:49is what drives you to do really big, great stuff,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53so I'm going to carry on driving to fix the big stuff that I can't
0:27:53 > 0:27:55really fix, and I'm going to try and keep doing that,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and I'm going to keep failing and I'm going to keep falling on my face, but in the process of it,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I will get further than if I just shrug my shoulders and go,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04"Oh, well, it's too big a thing to deal with."
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Oh, I think there's another rocket.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11I can see... Ooh! Ready, steady, go!
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Do you know what? Coming to this tonight doesn't feel like a professional thing at all,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19it just feels like any good parish does, really, any good village does.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21It feels like a bunch of friends coming together.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23And I feel like the new friend.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- Next time...- Hello, Dolly.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32..Matthew Stafford has a date with someone special.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34How old are you, Sarah?
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- 21!- 21, yeah!
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Community spirit is on the menu for Nicholas.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41That was delicious.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44And Matthew Cashmore is saving souls.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Stylish flip-flops, this year's must-have.