Category Archives: Events

Coronavirus, Events, News Releases

Join the Quiz Night!

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We’re holding a Zoom Quiz Night on Saturday, May 2, at 7.30pm, and everyone is invited.

The Wiseman-Eggleton household (aka the Wise-Eggs) are organising the quiz and there will be a number of rounds on lots of different topics, with breaks for snacks and drinks, and you’ll need to be able to email your answers in. You can be a team on your own, or in a household, or get together over the phone with some friends. We suggest teams of no more than six.

You’ll need Zoom but it’s easy to download and use and there is information on how to do so here.

The quiz is free to join though there will be an opportunity to make donations to support the church’s work in the community.

Anyone who would like to join in should contact Stella Wiseman on 07842 761919 or news@badshotleaandhale.org and she will send a link to the quiz night nearer the time.

Coronavirus, Events

Celebrations for Hannah have been postponed

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To all of you who had planned to go on Monday evening to St James, Elstead, to celebrate the Institution of our lovely former curate Hannah Moore, please note that the Institution will be a small private one and there will be a celebration at a later date.

Here is a message from Bishop Jo, but before that, here is a message from us all to you Hannah. We wish you every happiness and blessing in your new role and our prayers are with you. Elstead, Thursley, Shackleford and Peper Harow, you have a gem coming to you!

“Bishop Jo is very sorry to announce a change of plans in relation to the Institution of the Rev’d Hannah Moore and the Licensing of the Revd Delia Orme on Monday owing to the corona virus. Although Hannah will still begin her ministry from next week, the celebration of new ministry in Elstead, Thursley, Shackleford and Peper Harow will happen at a later date when circumstances permit. In the meantime, all regular church services continue as normal and clergy seek to be available pastorally to those in need, in person or by phone, adapting as necessary for the sake of protecting those who are vulnerable or anxious at this time.”

Church Buildings, Events, News Releases, St John's Church

Invitation to hear about plans for St John’s – postponed.

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Please note, this has been postponed. Look out for a new date later in the year.

Come and hear about the ambitious plans to create a community hub and café in St John’s Church, at an exhibition on Saturday, March 28, at 3pm and 7pm.

The church is going to be developed so that it is not just a place of worship but a centre designed to meet some of the needs of groups in the community, including people with learning difficulties, those with dementia, young people wanting a place to go outside school hours, and those with issues affecting their mental health. There will also be a soft play area, office space and flexible areas for groups to use.

The church has carried out extensive research into what is needed and is working with groups and individuals, including the county, borough and town councils; the local clinical commissioning group; and charities, particularly Post19 which supports young adults with learning difficulties. Plans will be announced formally at a launch at the church on Saturday, March 28.

Lesley Crawley is leading the development of the new hub and café. She said: “We know that there is a real need for a place where people can meet both formally and informally, in groups and organised sessions, or simply by dropping in at the café. We are holding a public launch for the plans for the new hub on March 28 so that everyone can see what will be happening. Please do come and join us.”

Please note, plans for the launch are going ahead at the moment but obviously we will follow any advice from the Government and Church of England about gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak.

Drop us an email or leave a comment to let us know if you are coming and which session – 3pm or 7pm.

Events, Services, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Prayer… but not what you might expect

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Join us this weekend as we focus on prayer in many, varied and perhaps unexpected ways.

On Saturday, February 29th and Sunday, March 1st, the three churches in the parish of Badshot Lea and Hale will be offering opportunities to join in different sorts of prayer, ranging from eating pastries to going for a walk, from Welsh prayer, music and cakes to creativity in God’s presence.

The focus is on simply being with God and listening to God, trying to discern what God wants for our churches and community and what our part is in this.

There will be a labyrinth at St Mark’s, Alma Lane, GU9 0LT, and prayer stations in all three churches (St Mark’s; St George’s in Badshot Lea, GU9 9LD; and St John’s, Hale Road, GU9 9RP) and you are invited to call in and pray during the weekend*.

Then join in any or all of the following:

Saturday

9.30am: Pastries and Prayer – Join us for a prayer breakfast at St Mark’s and walk the labyrinth.
10.30am: Guided Mindfulness at St Mark’s.
3-5pm: Welsh prayer, Welsh harp music and Welsh cakes and tea at St John’s.
7pm: Candlelit service of prayer and a vigil at St John’s. Stay for as long as you want.

Sunday

2pm: Prayer walk, starting at St George’s. Walk between all three churches or join in at St John’s from around 2.30pm and St Mark’s from about 3pm.
3-4pm: Prayer and Art and Craft at St Mark’s. Create in the presence of God. Art and craft materials will be available but you are welcome to bring your own – eg knitting, crochet, clay etc
4.30pm: Come to St George’s and join a Benedictine Office of Readings with psalms, prayers, readings and meditation.
6pm: The weekend will finish with Taizé at St John’s.

 

*St John’s will be open from 9am on Saturday until the end of the Vigil and from 9.15am until after Taizé on Sunday. St George’s will be open on Saturday 9am-4pm and until after the Office of Readings on Sunday. St Mark’s will be open on Saturday 9.15am until noon and Sunday afternoon until 4pm.

 

labyrinth

Walk a labyrinth at St Mark’s.
Top picture by Chirag k, Unsplash
Children and Youth, Christmas, Events, Schools, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Christmas celebrations!

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Christmas is really getting going here in Badshot Lea and Hale. There were not one, not two but three carol services at the weekend (with help from Badshot Lea Village Infant School and William Cobbett Primary School) as well as our Christmas Carol Extravaganza on Emily the organ plus lunch on Saturday; Post19 holding a Christmas concert at St John’s last week, and Tootsiesthere today.

Tonight there are carols at the Hale Institute at 6.30pm. We will welcome William Cobbett School and Farnham Heath End School to St John’s at the end of the week and of course there is the Worship for All Carol Service this Sunday at 11.30am at St George’s, are our Crib Services on Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass at each of the churches to see in Christmas and Christmas Day all-age services. Don’t forget Journey to Bethlehem on Friday, leaving St Mark’s and St George’s at 7pm and following the star and the donkeys all the way to St John’s. Dressing up as a Nativity character is optional but encouraged!

Tomorrow, if you need a time of quiet, or if celebrations leave you cold at the moment, we have The Longest Night at St John’s at 7.30pm. A service for those for whom Christmas hurts, or who just need a time of reflection.

All the details are here.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Pictured above and below are Christmas celebrations by Post19.

Post19 Christmas 2019 3

Christmas, Events, News Releases, St Mark's Church

Emily’s extravaganza

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Emily the Edwardian organ will take centre stage in a ‘Christmas Carol Extravaganza’ concert at St Mark’s, Hale, on Saturday, December 14 at 11am, thanks to the generosity of many local people.

Carols as you have never heard them before will be played on this much-loved organ, which has been renovated following a fundraising appeal. Anyone who donated at least £10 to restore Emily has been invited to the concert which will be followed by a free lunch. However, some tickets are still available at the door – just come along at 11am on December 14 for a festive concert plus lunch.

Emily the organ is named after local benefactor Emily Mangles who left money for it to be installed in St Mark’s Church in 1912. Over the years the organ had begun to deteriorate and an appeal was launched to restore it. An initial £23,000 was raised for the restoration work but when this took place in the summer, some further problems emerged costing a further £2,000. An appeal was launched and many people responded generously.

Lesley Crawley says: “Thank you everyone who has given money to restore this lovely organ which means so much not just to the church but to local villagers past and present. And do come and join us to celebrate the restoration at our Christmas Carol Extravaganza on December 14. I know you are in for a treat as some very skilled organists show just how versatile and fun organ music can be.”

The Christmas Carol Extravaganza and lunch will take place at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, Hale, GU9 0LT, from 11am. Please bring donations to the church or you can also give online at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/help-emily-the-organ

 

Christmas, Events, News Releases, St George's Church

A Christmas Carillon at St George’s

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Christmas kicks off at St George’s Church, on Friday, December 6, when the Carillon Singers stage a concert there from 7.30pm.

The Carillon Singers are a four-part, 30-strong choir, and on December 6 they will perform a varied programme including traditional favourites such as The First Nowell and O Come, All Ye Faithful, together with new songs, poetry recitals and a guest performance by a young musician.

The Carillon Singers have become known in the area, giving regular concerts in their ‘home church’ of St George’s, other churches, halls and residential homes, raising funds for charities and other organisations – one of which is Children in Distress, a charity helping sick, disabled and terminally ill children in Romania.

For 25 years the Carillon Singers have been under the musical leadership of Ralph Earwicker but now have a new musical director, Sam Rolles. Sam brings a wealth of musical experience in performing, teaching, composing and conducting. He has arranged some of the pieces for the St George’s Christmas concert especially for the Carillon Singers.

Entry to the concert is free but there will be a voluntary collection for charity.

For further information on the Carillon Singers visit www.carillonsingers.co.uk/

Sam Rolles
Sam Rolles, new musical director of the Carillon Singers
Pictured top: The Carillon Singers at a concert in St John’s, Midsommer Norton. 
Events, News Releases, Services, St John's Church

175th birthday service at St John’s

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A bishop, a mayor, an archdeacon and clergy and church members old and new joined the celebratory service for the 175th birthday of St John’s on Sunday, November 24.

St John’s was consecrated in November 1844 and the service on Sunday – which was led by the Bishop of Guildford and attended by the Mayor of Farnham, Cllr Pat Evans – marked the climax of several months of birthday celebrations which have included a flower festival, an arts and crafts festival, talks, concerts, a lot of reminiscing and, of course, cake.

St John’s was also delighted to welcome the Archdeacon of Surrey – the Venerable Paul Davies – as deacon, and former St John’s clergy the Rev’ds Paul Smith and Jennifer Paterson. Paul Smith led the intercessions while Jennifer read the New Testament lesson – Acts 2:37-47 which shows the church in action 2,000 years ago, sharing the same gospel of Jesus Christ that is shared today.

The Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Rev’d Andrew Watson, preached at the service about the many changes that had gone on in the past 175 years, including the fact that traffic on Castle Street could sometimes be slower now than it was when local resident and inventor John Henry Knight was the first man fined for speeding in a car – in 1895, travelling at nine miles per hour. The Bishop also spoke about the future and the sense he had of God’s plans for the church in Hale.

There are plans underway to use St John’s not just for services but as a hub, responding to needs in the community. Rev’d Lesley Crawley is working on a long-term project to develop the church and has been talking to local residents, groups, charities, schools, businesses and other organisations, to discover what is most needed in the area. She said: “Our 175th birthday has been a wonderful reason to celebrate this beautiful church and we have loved welcoming friends old and new to St John’s. It has also been an opportunity to focus our minds on the future and what we believe God is calling us to do here in Hale. I am very excited as I look forward to seeing the church grow and develop. Here’s to the next 175 years!”

Afterwards there were snacks and Prosecco and the Bishop and Lesley Crawley cut the birthday cake made by parishioner and member of the choir June Jasper.

There is a communion service at St John’s every Sunday at 9.30am, and on the first and third Sunday there is also a ‘Taizé service at 6pm, using liturgy featuring prayer chants and silence and based on the Taizé monastic community in France.

This Christmas there will also be a carol service on Sunday, December 15 at 4pm; a ‘Longest Night’ service – for people who find Christmas difficult – on Wednesday, December 18, at 7.30pm; a Crib Service on December 24 at 3pm; Midnight Mass on December 24 at 11pm; and a Christmas Day service at 9.30am. St John’s will also be the meeting point for the Christmas event, ‘a Journey to Bethlehem’, on Friday, December 20, when two groups will walk to the church from Badshot Lea and from Upper Hale and arrive for a short service attended by the Mayor.

Children and Youth, Events, News Releases, Schools, Services, St John's Church

‘When I hear The Last Post I think of him’

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St John’s Church, Hale, was packed on Saturday night when people of all generations gathered for the Farnham Festival of Remembrance, to pay tribute to all who have suffered and died in armed conflict and to pray for peace in a divided, war-torn world.

The Festival featured the Royal British Legion and other representatives of the armed forces in the form of A Company, 4th Battalion, Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment; the Sea Cadets of TS Swiftsure; 1 Battalion Aldershot Army Cadet Force; and 229 (Farnham) Squadron Air Training Corps.

Civilians were represented by the Mayor of Farnham, Cllr Pat Evans; the British Red Cross; St John Ambulance; the Guides; and three local schools – Badshot Lea Infant School, William Cobbett Primary School and Farnham Heath End School.

Music was provided by Farnham Brass Band; TS Swiftsure; the combined Parish choir; Frances Whewell; Wendy Edwards; Liv Jasper;  Sara Burnie; and Dexter and Archie Dedalo-Skilton, Kyle Manson-Hing and Paris McCann, all extraordinarily talented musicians from Farnham Heath End School.

Narration was by Town Crier Jonathan Jones; and a service was led by Rev’ds Hannah Moore and John Morris, with additional reading by Bob Skinner, one of the leaders of Weybourne Community Church. The whole festival had been organised by Simon Alexander, to whom huge thanks and praise must go.

Each brought to the occasion a unique element, from the stirring percussion of the Sea Cadets to the moving tribute of the member of the Army reserve who spoke of his friend ‘Socks’ (so called because one time he forgot his socks when he was deployed) who was killed in Afghanistan. “When I hear The Last Post I think of him” he said.

There was the thoughtful poetry from William Cobbett pupils, the solemnity of the moment when the Guides processed in with the Torch of Remembrance, accompanied by Liv Jasper singing When the Lights Go On Again. There was so much more, including heart-rending poetry from World War One; a simple and beautiful poppy installation by children from Badshot Lea Infant School; memories of World War Two; and the building of a drum altar, draped with the Union Flag and the standard of the Royal British Legion, and topped with a Book of Remembrance of local people who had died in World War Two.

Intertwined with this was the sense that peace is a fragile thing and we must never stop striving and praying for it. In Aftermath, written by Siegfried Sassoon in the year after the end of the ‘war to end all wars’, Bob Skinner read the line: “Do you ever stop and ask, ‘Is it all going to happen again?’”

The young people sharing in the festival and receiving the gift of remembrance from older generations, seemed aware that this gift was a responsibility too and that the hope of peace lay in their hands as much as anyone else’s.

Above all, as prayers were said in front of the drum altar, there was an understanding that , however dark the world is, the suffering God is there in the midst of the darkness.

“Have you forgotten yet?…
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll never forget.”
                                                                                    (Siegfried Sassoon, March 1919).

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Christmas, Events, News Releases, Social Events, St George's Church

Lights, craft, action – Christmas kicks off in Badshot Lea

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The Christmas lights are being  switched on in Badshot Lea on the evening of Monday November 18th, in preparation for celebrating the coming of God to earth in the form of Jesus, born some 2000 years ago but ever relevant and transformative.

Come and join us at St George’s Church, Badshot Lea, from 4.30-7pm. Not only are the lights going on, there will be a craft fair in the church and, outside from 5-6.30pm, community singing and entertainment by the Sea Cadets and the children of Badshot Lea Infant School.

There are still some craft tables left. If anyone would like one, let us know by email. And come along and do some Christmas shopping, have a sing and get into the Christmas spirit.

 

Picture by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.