We are starting a Questioning Faith course for anyone interested in discussing the Christian faith, God, life, the universe, everything!
This will take place on Monday evenings in the Rectory for six weeks from 7.30pm, starting on February 13. If you are interested, please let Stella Wiseman know on 07842761919 or revd.stella@badshotleaandhale.org. This is particularly applicable to anyone interested in confirmation but is open to everyone.
Join us for the Seekers Light Party Service on Sunday, November 6th, at 4pm, at St John’s.
This family service is suitable for all ages and will include stories, songs and crafts, and be followed by sandwiches and cake.
Please join us. More information from Michelle Chapman.
Apple Day returns to St Mark’s, Upper Hale, this Sunday (October 9) starting at 10am.
After a lull courtesy of Covid, the annual celebration of all things apple-y is returning and everyone is encouraged to bring their apples and put them in the apple press for freshly pressed apple juice. There will be apple songs and apple pie, all followed by a celebratory harvest festival service in the church with a collection for the Foodbank.
Lesley Crawley explains how the day came about: “In December 2014 we planted 11 fruit trees to create a community orchard at St Mark’s. Each tree was adopted by a different community group and all except one have thrived since they were planted.
“Our first Apple Day was in 2015 because we were so delighted that our trees were bearing fruit and so we decided to celebrate! Since then, we have celebrated every year apart from during the Covid pandemic by having apple snacks – pie this year – apple-y music and apple pressing. It is a great atmosphere with children and adults pressing the apples, drinking the juice, eating, listening to the music and chatting. Then we move on to harvest festival in the church and a collection of food for Farnham Foodbank.
“And while you are in the church, have a look at the apple trees in Kitty Milroy’s murals near the altar.”
Anyone who wants their apples turned into juice is asked to bring apples that are in good condition, picked from the tree and washed, along with clean two-litre plastic milk cartons, including the lid, to put the juice in.
The Foodbank is currently in need of tinned ham or minced beef; tinned carrots or peas; tinned or packet custard; UHT milk and UHT fruit juice.
Adventurers, the club for ages 7-11, is back again.
The popular club, led by Anne Boyman, is on Tuesdays at St Mark’s from 5.30-7pm, in term time.
There are games, craft, art, stories, prayers, refreshments and a lot of fun and friendship. So, if you, or someone you know, are age 7 to 11, why not give it a try? Just turn up, or give Anne Boyman a call on 01252 724429.
We will be celebrating Harvest this Sunday (October 9th) at all three churches (9.30am St John’s, 10am St George’s and 10am St Mark’s, please note the earlier start to include Apple Day) with collections of non-perishable food for Farnham Foodbank and a special Apple Day at St Mark’s too!
At St Mark’s, where there is a community orchard, there will be apple-pressing, apple pie, apple juice and apple-y music.
Harvest is a reminder of all the good things that the earth provides but it also highlights the inequality in the world and this year in particular we know many, many people are facing a financial crisis greater than we have seen for decades.
Rev’d Lesley Crawley says: “Harvest is a time when we not only celebrate the gifts of God’s earth, but think of others who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. This is a growing reality in Britain today, even though we are one of the most economically developed countries in the world. Obviously we want to give to help alleviate this need, but the church is also there to challenge and ask questions about why this should be the case and what we can do about it.”
The Foodbank is currently in need of tinned ham or minced beef; tinned carrots or peas; tinned or packet custard; UHT milk and UHT fruit juice.
Questioning Faith is back, every Tuesday evening between now and November 30 from 7.30-9pm on Zoom. Come and discuss anything you like related to faith and the questions you may have. No question is too outrageous or simple to ask. To get the Zoom code email admin@badshotleaandhale.org
See you there !
Situations Vacant
There are lots of roles that you can help with at church – please do get involved. Email revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org to find out more:
Role description: Open the Book is part of the Bible Society and is groups of people from local churches visiting local schools and reading Bible stories – but it is so much more than that! We have had a team in this parish for the past seven years and we would like more people to join our team. There is a rolling programme of stories with comments and prayers all approved by the schools and Ofsted. This is a wonderful experience – for us as a team and the children we meet. They look forward to our visits, often take part in the stories and always enter into the spirit of the story. It is an honour to introduce the next generation to the wonderful stories of God and his love for us.
Person description: Enjoy being with children and telling them stories, and have about two hours during the school day, alternate weeks in term time.
Hours: We practise and prepare on alternate Monday mornings at 9:15.
Visit Folly Hill school on alternate Tuesday mornings 10:15 – 10:45.
Visit Badshot Lea school and Tootsies nursery on alternate Wednesday mornings 10:15 – 11:15.
Reports to: Margaret
Role description: We have recently taken on the running of a mentoring scheme for young people in Heath End School. We listen and talk to a young person for an hour a week during term time and there is a termly meeting of mentors. Commitment is for a term at a time, initial training involves safeguarding and training of mentoring – three courses of 4 hours.
Person description: A non-judgmental attitude and love for teenagers
Hours: 3 hours per week term time
Reports to: Simon
Role description:
To circulate the agenda and relevant information before each meeting of the PCC in consultation with the incumbents. To take minutes and circulate them to members after the meetings
To liaise with members by email in between meetings such as taking votes on items which cannot wait. Keep a record of the results and post them on Office 365.
To prepare the Annual Report in consultation with the incumbent
To organise and minute the Annual Meetings
To handle correspondence on behalf of the Parish
To correspond with the Diocese informing them of names and contact details of officers in the Parish
To update the Charities Commission website with details of Officers and members of the PCC
To upload the Annual Report and Finance Report to the Charities Commission website in consultation with the incumbents
To correspond with the Charities Commission when necessary
Person description: Good organisational skills, ability to precis and pick out the essentials at meetings, patience, basic knowledge of Word/Excel
Hours: 1-2 hours per week
Role description: The parish currently runs on a variety of Google sheets, with associated Javascript macros. There is an opportunity to support these, or to help move them to Office 365 Power Automate
Person description: Good Computer skills with some experience of programming
Number of hours: Work expands to fill the time available! If it is ongoing support there is perhaps an hour a week, but this can come in lumps as Google have a habit of changing things without telling us and they then need to be made to work in the new regime.
Reports to: Alan
Role description: Running our Instagram account and Twitter account
Person description: Understands social media and contemporary online culture.
Hours: 30 mins per day
Reports to: Stella
Role description: Sharing, liking and commenting on our social media posts
Person description: Just needs to be on a social media platform
Hours: virtually nil
Reports to: Stella
Role description: Putting together the parish magazine each month, asking for contributions, laying out the pages.
Person description: Computer literate with an eye for laying out the magazine and an understanding of what the readers will want in their magazine
Hours: 16 per month
Reports to: Stella
Role description: Coordinating a team of people to deliver the magazines. Posting some of the magazines to those who live outside the parish
Person description: Good at organisation and spreadsheets, good at leading a team
Hours: 4 per month
Reports to: Stella
Role description: Collect items to put on the boards and pin them up once a week
Person description: Able to collect the posters etc and get round the three churches, a good eye to ensure the boards look attractive
Hours: 2 hours per week
Reports to: Stella
Role description: Calling people to check they are ok, visiting when that is allowed
Person description: Empathetic, non-judgemental, good at listening, loves people
Hours: Depends on agreement
Reports to: Lesley
Role description: Available occasionally during the day and on Saturdays to help at Funerals and Weddings – able to work the CD player and put out the microphones and welcome people
Person description: Good with technology and welcoming
Hours: Ad hoc – you will be part of a team of people called upon occasionally
Reports to: Lesley
Role description: Attending choir practice and singing in the choir at St John’s and St George’s
Person description: A love of singing, and the ability to sing in tune. It is not necessary to be able to read music.
Hours: Choir practice is at St George’s Church, Badshot Lea, every Monday during term time, from 6pm ’till 7 or 7.15pm. Services last one hour every Sunday morning at each of the churches.
Role Description: Musician to play occasionally at services at either St. George’s or St. John’s
Person description: A competent and confident keyboard player, preferably, but could be a guitar player, accordion player, or fiddle player! With imagination and enthusiasm for playing, and leading the choir and congregation in the singing.
Hours: – playing for a service one Sunday morning a month, practise in the hymns on the rota to be played. Prepare suitable music to play at the beginning and end of each service, and during the service, as required.
Reports to: Margaret
Role description: Clean the church and other rooms
Person description: Good at cleaning
Hours: 1.5 hours per week for St John’s and St Mark’s.
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Holds keys to the church and is able to open up the church at short notice
Person description: Able to be contacted at short notice during the day or evening
Hours: very infrequent occurrence
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Four churches are Eco-churches, a national initiative that uses an online questionnaire to assess churches. This person needs to fill in the online data, recommend policies to the PCC and promote eco work in congregation
Person description: Knowledgeable and passionate about environmental issues and computer literate
Hours: Depends on agreement
Reports to: Lesley
Role description: Prepare prayers for the Sunday Service and pray them during the service
Person description: Able to lead prayers
Hours: 1 per month
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Prepare everything for communion and assist the priest during the service
Person description: Willing to help during the service
Hours: 1 per month
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Opens and closes the church on a rota
Person description: Able to get to the church and open or close it
Hours: depends on how often they are on the rota
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Make sure there are people to serve coffee each week and that we have the right supplies
Person description: Friendly and welcoming and able to fill in an online spreadsheet
Hours: Very few – the rota should run without too much intervention
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Able to organise teams to help occasionally. At each of the churches we do have great people who are already doing gardening, but there are sometimes additional maintenance works that needs a team
Person description: Enjoys gardening and grounds maintenance
Hours: Depends on agreement
Reports to: Warden
Role description: The parish have a small group who create Generic Risk Assessments and assist in the creation of non Generic Risk Assessments. The aim is to have one from each Church so that local knowledge is represented on the group.
Person description: Prior experience of creating Risk Assessments would be ideal.
Hours: The time is difficult to specify as it will depend on the need for new Risk Assessments. However, there is an initial period of catch up reviewing the risks that we currently have and rationalising them into Generic Risk Assessments which can be used by multiple Activities. During this initial stage about 6 hours/month should be required.
Reports to: Alan
Role description: Put out chairs and welcome people as they arrive.
Person description: Fit and able to move chairs, friendly and welcoming
Hours: 2 per month
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Mow the lawn at St George’s from the spring
Person description: Able to use the electric mower
Hours: 3 per month
Reports to: Bill
Role description: Prepare everything for communion and assist the priest during the service
Person description: Willing to help during the service
Hours: 1 per month
Reports to: Warden
Role description: Repair things that can be repaired and call in contractors when necessary. Check fabric monthly.
Person description: Good at DIY. Ideally it would be good to have electrician, construction or plumbing experience
Hours: 2 hours per week
Reports to: Warden
Role description:
We need a person prepared to tend the hedges either side of the main driveway down the side of St Marks. The object is to ensure they remain neat and to prevent significant incursion onto the driveway itself. We have people for grass mowing and major hedge trimming at the moment, so this should not be necessary.
Hours:
It is estimated this may take up to 2 hours per month.
Reports to:
Warden
With foreign travel trickier this year, why not stay local and join us for a day trip to ‘France’ in our Holiday at Home?
On Saturday, August 7, St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, will be filled with French food and music for our first Holiday at Home. There will be croissants and coffee to start with from 10.30am, followed by a two-course lunch, music, the parish choir and soloists, a slideshow of French holiday memories and a raffle.
Join us for a relaxing day with good company, good food and entertainment.
Booking is essential. Contact Wendy Edwards 01252 406772/ 07740 082460 or email llm.wendy@badshotleaandhale.org by Saturday, July 31 to reserve your place.
Pictured above: Paris by Alexander Kagan on Unsplash.
Our May magazine is out now, a bumper edition this month with information about the elections for Surrey County Council members and the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner. Please read their statements and please vote; if we don’t bother to have a say we can hardly complain about the people who are elected.
There is information too about events going on this month including our Farnham Flower Festival (online again, of course) which is being sponsored by our favourite florist Florescence, and plans for the fete in July. Please get involved in both. There is news about new rooms to hire, an article on grief, information about taking part in Christian Aid Week and much more, plus, of course, lots of great adverts with services, offers and classes.
Download it here:
Restrictions permitting, St. George’s Church will be hosting this year’s Badshot Lea and Hale Community Fete.
We’d love to make this a real community event, so if your group is based in the Parish or the surrounding area and you would like to come along just to publicise or to run a stall for your organisation, or have any brilliant ideas, please contact Maxine Everitt – Maxine.everitt@badshotleaandhale.org
We’d also like to offer small businesses a chance to hire a space at just £15 – we appreciate this has been a hard time for you and we expect a good footfall, so why not give it a go? Again, drop Maxine an email.
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 