This evening’s BCP Evening Prayer
Sunday Services – 22nd November
Today we are celebrating Christ the King. Below are the services and the bishop’s sermon. First here are the notices:
Notices
Giving
Please Give to our Ministry This church relies on donations to provide care and support to everyone in this community. Now more than ever, please consider giving generously to support our mission and ministry by clicking the button above. Thank you for your support.Wrap Up Farnham
Do you have a warm coat you can donate or do you know someone who needs a warm coat? Find out about Wrap Up Farnham here.Christmas Tree Festival
This year we can’t hold or take part in standard Christmas Tree Festivals so we’ve decided to go online. We are inviting local individuals, families, groups, schools, charities, churches and businesses to take part by creating a Christmas tree and displaying it in our online Christmas Tree Festival. Find out more here.Praying throughout Lockdown
If you have heard the bells ringing every evening since the start of lockdown Mark Two, at St John’s, Hale, and St George’s, Badshot Lea, and have wondered what is going on, the answer is that this is part of a call to prayer. The archbishops and bishops are calling on everyone to pray at 6pm every day throughout lockdown and churches each to ring a single bell at the same time. Find out more here.Churches open for prayer
During this second lockdown the churches are closed for services, however two of our churches are open for private prayer: St George’s, Badshot Lea, is open on a Tuesday and a Saturday, and St John’s is open on a Thursday and a Sunday. Both will be open 9am-4pm.Services
All-Age:
More Traditional:
Sermons
Bishop Jo’s Sermon
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day when we remember those transgender or gender diverse people who have died because of who they are, whether through violence, suicide or medical inequality
It is estimated that at least 409 people across the world are known to have died because they were transgender or gender diverse. The youngest was just 15, the oldest 79. That is just those who are known. Countless others have been on the receiving end of violence and abuse, have been made to feel worthless and afraid.
The church is not blameless; the church has added to the transphobia which causes this violence and abuse, these murders, these suicides, these medical inequalities. I am not saying that this parish has done so, I am not accusing any one individual church, and there are hugely welcoming and affirming churches across the world. But the church as a whole has not been like this, the church continues to discriminate and preach against those who do not fit gender ‘norms’.
There are two videos here. The first is a video here is a quiet and sad reflection about these terrible facts and a call for us to see where we can bring about a change.
The second is a deeply moving and sombre service, produced by Open Table Network
For a list of those lost this year, together with some of their stories, visit https://tdor.translivesmatter.info/re… To respond to the latest consultation about the rights of trans and non-binary people in the UK, visit https://committees.parliament.uk/work…
Here in the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale we stand with our transgender and gender non-conforming siblings, all of us beloved by God. And we are sorry for when we have failed you.
Picture by Ted Eytan.
Art at St Mark’s, Unlimited
Art doesn’t just stop because our world is locked down.
Artists create art and art breaks free from boundaries. Art is unlimited.
And right now, art is more important than ever. Sadly we are unable to meet regularly at the moment, but that doesn’t stop us from making art.
As soon as our churches re-open, I will be accepting your artwork for our display in St Mark’s, but in the meantime, we are going online – “unlimited”!
Unlimited – open to all (and all means all, not just St Mark’s folk). Mixed ability, mixed ages, mixed backgrounds …. Paintings, drawings, photos, collages, sculpture, mixed media – visual art …
you’re an artist if you are an artist
So what are you waiting for?
Our current theme is Christmas Carols
Simply illustrate your favourite carol and in a couple of lines tell us why you have chosen this and what it means to you. Perhaps you have happy memories of singing the carol, perhaps it almost paints itself just through the words.
Photograph your work and send it to me: LLM Lesley: My email is llmlesley@badshotleaandhale.org
Include a few lines about why you have chosen this carol and we will have an online gallery.
There will be a display of the artwork in St Mark’s as soon as our churches re-open – and all being well, our first service is on 6 December, so why not bring your art along.
Closing date for email receipt of photographs is
Sunday, 13 December, so get creating!
Wednesday Service – 18th November
Wrap up Farnham
Have you got an unwanted coat? It’s now easy to pass it on to someone in need, thanks to the ‘Wrap Up Farnham’ initiative just launched by Farnham Maltings.
The idea is to gather unwanted or unused coats and distribute them to those most in need.
There will be a drop-off point for donated coats at the Maltings from Wednesday, November 25 to Friday, November 27, 10am-4pm, after which volunteers will check the quality before placing them in quarantine.
Coats must:
- be warm and good quality (no light summer jackets)
- be fully cleaned
- have all their buttons or a working zipper
- be something that someone would want to wear
The Maltings has linked up with a number of charities who will collect the coats and distribute them among those in need, including families, older people, those sheltering from domestic abuse and those who are homeless.
If you are a charity who would like to receive coats to pass onto someone in need then please get in touch with Erin Beesley: erin.beesley@farnhammaltings.com at the Maltings.
Further details are available here.
Join our online Christmas tree festival
The Christmas lights are on in Farnham, two houses across the road from my house have their decorations up; it must be time for a Christmas Tree Festival.
This year we can’t hold or take part in standard Christmas Tree Festivals so we’ve decided to go online. We are inviting local individuals, families, groups, schools, charities, churches and businesses to take part by creating a Christmas tree and displaying it in our online Christmas Tree Festival which will be here on the website from December 1st-14th.
All you have to do is send us a picture of a Christmas tree, decorated as you wish, and include something about yourself, your school, business, organisation, charity, church – whatever or whoever your tree is representing and we will display these on our website during the first two weeks of December.
It’s free for charities, churches and schools, and there is a minimal charge for commercial businesses as we are raising funds for the church’s work in north Farnham.
It’s a perfect opportunity for you to tell people about what you do and get your message out there. Our website visitors come from both the local area and as far away as the USA and China and so far this month the website has had more than 9,000 views.
We will also promote our festival on social media through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Not sure what Christmas tree to display? We have a few you can use.
To find out more and take part, contact Stella Wiseman, news@badshotleaandhale.org
Happy Christmas Trees!
Taizé – 15th November
Tonight’s Taizé service:
Sunday Services – 15th November
Today we are celebrating the 2nd Sunday before Advent. Below are the services and the bishop’s sermon. First here are the notices:
Notices
Good News
At a recent consultation Alfie Davies who we have been praying for (Peter Davies’ grandson) was told he is fully in remission – cancer free! They will keep an eye on him over the next five years. Alfie can look forward to leading a normal life. The family would like to thank us for our prayers.Giving
Please Give to our Ministry This church relies on donations to provide care and support to everyone in this community. Now more than ever, please consider giving generously to support our mission and ministry by clicking the button above. Thank you for your support.Magazine
The November issue of our parish magazine is now online with lots inside. Download it by clicking on the green button here:Services
All-Age:
More Traditional:
Sermons
Bishop Andrew’s Sermon
Light, rain and beacons of hope across town
Eight beacons shone out through the rainy skies across Farnham tonight.
The beacons, provided by Farnham Town Council, shone from Badshot Lea, Rowledge, Wrecclesham, The Bourne, Farnham Castle, Central Farnham and Lower and Upper Hale where they were placed in the grounds of St John’s and St Mark’s.
Their lighting marked the beginning of the Christmas season in Farnham and the switching on of the Christmas lights across the town.
The beacons were warmly received across town with typical comments on social media being ‘heart-warming’, ‘beautiful’, ‘fabulous’, ‘amazing’. One man who turned up at St Mark’s took a selfie with the light and explained that he was doing so at all eight.
Towards the end the skies cleared and stars appeared and the evening felt just a little hopeful in this difficult year.
