The 2026 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will take place on Sunday, May 17, after the united parish service at St George’s. The service will be at 10.30am and will be followed first by the Annual Meeting of Parishioners and then by the APCM. We shall finish with a bring-and-share parish lunch.
The agendas for the meetings, minutes of last years’s meetings, and annual accounts are below. Please click on the buttons to download them.
Ascension Day falls on Thursday, May 14th this year and, as is our custom, we will be celebrating with a barbecue at St George’s Church, followed by a communion service.
Ascension Day takes place 40 days after Easter and tells the story of Jesus ascending to heaven following his resurrection and appearances to his disciples. It is a linking moment between Easter and Pentecost because, just before he ascended, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them (see Luke 24 v: 49-51 and Acts 1 v: 8-9).
Join us at St George’s at 6pm for the barbecue, followed by a short communion service at 7.30pm. Bring your own meat/vegetarian alternative and drinks. Some salad and bread will be provided. All ages welcome.
We are holding a bunting-making workshop on Saturday, May 9th at 7pm at St George’s.
Come and join a sociable evening making bunting for the use at parish events such as the fete. Bring scissors, fabric – eg old, colourful duvet colours – snacks and drinks and learn how to make bunting.
All welcome. Contact Kris Lawrence to find out more.
There will be a forest of plants for sale at our annual Plant Sale in the car park at St George’s Church on Saturday, May 9th, 10am to noon.
As usual we will have a good selection of indoor and outdoor plants for sale, with Keith – our resident gardening expert – on hand to give advice about how to look after whatever you buy.
Children can have a go at potting plants and there will be refreshments for sale too.
Come along to join us at St George’s, and if you have any plants you can donate, please bring them too, or let Kris Lawrence know.
Each Good Friday, we hold two services in the parish. The first service is a solemn one at 9.30am at St John’s which gives us a chance to reflect on the death of Jesus on the Cross and the significance of that terrifying day when all hope seemed lost.
We also have a service at 11am at St Mark’s, but before that we hold a craft session for anyone of primary school age who would like to come. This begins at 9.30am. Through crafts the children will learn the story of Easter and then come into the church for a short service to which their families and any other adults and older children would like to come. This will be followed by tea/coffee/squash and hot cross buns.
If anyone would like their child to join in, or if you want to know more, please email anneboyman@hotmail.com
The week leading up to Easter Day began on Sunday with Palm Sunday and the celebration of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, signifying that he came not as a conquering warrior but as a servant who offered a new way of changing the world – that of love, compassion and care for all.
This week we have meditations on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at St John’s at 7.30pm, a time to reflect and pray and remember the way the crowds turned against Jesus, the same crowds who welcomed him into Jerusalem.
On Maundy Thursday at 7.30pm there will be a Holy Eucharist, stripping of the altar and vigil at both St John’s and St George’s, with foot-washing at St John’s, recalling Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.
On Good Friday there will be a somber service at St John’s at 9.30am and at St Mark’s at 9.30am there will be craft for primary-age children to explore the Easter story, followed by a service for all ages at 11am when we look at what the children have done and reflect on the message of Easter. This will be followed by hot cross buns for all.
On Sunday there will be Easter services in all three churches in the morning:
9.30am St John’s
10.30am St George’s
11am St Mark’s
There will be Easter egg hunts at each church.
On Sunday afternoon there will be a Trinity Easter service at 3pm at St George’s, also with an Easter egg hunt.
Please join us where and when you can.
Main picture by Hannah Fleming-Hill on Unsplash.
Spring has sprung and our latest magazine is here too with news and events from across the parish. There are reports on what has happened and news of what is to come, along with prayer and reflection.
Click here to find out more.
Picture by Alena Koval.
The funeral of the late Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, who died on March 3 after a short illness, will take place on Monday, March 23, in Guildford Cathedral at midday, and will be live-streamed to churches across the diocese to those who are unable to be at the cathedral.
It has become clear that the cathedral is not big enough to accommodate all those who have said they would like to attend the funeral. Priority will be given to the family and friends of Bishop Andrew; bishops with whom he served in the Church of England and further afield; clergy of the diocese; representatives of different ministries within the diocese and the UK; and representatives of the geographical area covered by the diocese.
A number of seats will be allocated to each deanery so that representatives from each parish may attend. Everyone else is invited to attend on of the live-streamings which, in this area, will be at St. Andrew’s Church in central Farnham. The live stream will be available afterwards on the diocesan website and the cathedral’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Rt Revd Paul Davies, Bishop of Dorking, who will preside at the funeral, said: “I apologise that it will be impossible for us to all gather in the cathedral, but I hope that the gift of technology will enable the next best thing as we gather for fellowship in deaneries, as satellites of the cathedral service”.
Bishop Andrew requested that donations should be made to the cathedral in lieu of flowers, and people are also welcome to sign the physical Book of Condolence at the cathedral or the online book, as well as donate to the Cathedral mission and ministry. You may also send cheques, made payable to Guildford Cathedral, to Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill, Guildford, GU2 7UP.
Please continue to pray for Beverly, Hannah, Sam, Joe, Lydia and the whole family and Bishop Andrew’s close friends and colleagues.
If you have been affected by this and would like to speak to someone, please contact the clergy.
It is with both shock and sadness that we announce the death of the Rt Rev’d Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, who died peacefully at home on Tuesday, March 3rd, surrounded by his family, less than one month after he received a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
You can view here the official announcement made by the Rt Rev’d Paul Davies, Bishop Andrew’s friend and colleague and Bishop of Dorking.
Bishop Paul recalled that in his last email to the diocesan leadershiop team, Bishop Andrew had quoted from St Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth:
‘So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, for we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.’’ (2 Corinthians 4:16).
The text of a letter written by Bishop Paul to the whole diocese may be read here.
St John’s is open today (Wednesday) for anyone who wishes to go in, light a candle and pray, and Guildford Cathedral is open today and tomorrow for the same purpose.
Bishop Paul has written a special prayer for anyone to use:
Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for Andrew, our brother and bishop: for his faith and faithfulness to you in life and in leadership. As we mourn his death and commend him to your everlasting arms, give us the same faith, hope and love rooted in the death and resurrection of your son, Jesus.
We pray especially for Beverly, Hannah, Sam, Joe, Lydia and the whole family. Comfort them with your Holy Spirit and protect them in their grief. And bring us, at the last, with Andrew and all your children, to that eternal joy where you live and reign in glory forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Details of the funeral will be announced shortly. In the meantime there is an online book of condolence here and a physical book of condolences in the Cathedral.
If anyone would like to speak to a member of the clergy about Bishop Andrew’s death or anything related, details may be found by clicking here. If specific support is required, these links may be helpful: Mind  wellbeing resources; Macmillan  for information and support.
Join us on Saturday, March 14th, at 4pm at St John’s to say thank-you for the restoration of St John’s tower and the generosity from the community which meant we raised the £32,000 needed for the repairs.
Thank you to everyone who donated, and to those who worked hard to apply for grants, those who put on fundraisers, baked cakes, took part in events and generally helped to ensure that the church could have a safe tower and continue to stand in Hale as a place of worship and welcome for everyone.
Please do join us on 14th at 4pm for the service and for tea afterwards. And once again, THANK YOU!
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 