Category Archives: Prayer

Belief, Bible, Christmas, Prayer

Questioning Faith – ask whatever you want

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Who exactly is Jesus? The Christmas season celebrates his birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but who was that Jesus and why is he so important that we remember him 2,000 years after his birth? This is the sort of question which will be raised in ‘Questioning Faith’, a series of five Wednesday evening discussions which will take place in Hale, starting on January 3rd.

Questioning Faith is being run by Lesley Crawley, and anyone who is interested is invited to come to The Rectory, 25 Upper Hale Road, each Wednesday at 7.30pm from January 3-31.

Anyone who has questions about God, the Christian faith, church, or anything about the meaning of life, is invited to join in for 90 minutes of discussion every Wednesday evening. The sort of questions raised on Questioning Faith courses include What about the problem of evil?  How should we read the Bible; what kind of literature is it?  What is faith?  Why go to church?  What is the nature of God?  Who is Jesus?  What is prayer?

No question is too small, too daft, or too controversial to ask, and everyone is welcome whatever their beliefs. After the course there will be the opportunity to be confirmed into the Anglican Church at Easter in Guildford Cathedral, though this is, of course, optional.

For further information about Questioning Faith contact Rev’d Lesley Crawley on 01252 820537.

Christmas, music, Prayer, Services, St Mark's Church

The Longest Night

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When Christmas hurts
Thursday, December 21st, 6pm, St Mark’s Church.

The season of goodwill isn’t good for everyone. Sometimes it is a struggle, particularly perhaps if we have lost someone, or if it brings back bad memories. Sometimes we are lonely or living in circumstances that mean that it feels hard to celebrate. Sometimes we just want a break from the relentless commercialisation and pressure of Christmas.

Every year we hold a quiet, reflective service for anyone who finds Christmas hard, or just wants to stop for a moment and rest. This year it is on Thursday, December 21st, at 6pm, at St Mark’s Church. All welcome.

Kitty Milroy, Prayer, Social Events, taize

Your October magazine is here

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Autumn is upon us so it is time for the October magazine.

Inside this month you will find articles on generosity, prayer, Kitty Milroy, our Taize services, verbal self-defence, even a carpet! There are notices about upcoming events, and lovely report on our farewell to Maxine, plus a few words from Maxine herself.

As ever we are supported not just by subscriptions but by our advertisers so please do use their services and encourage your friends and family to do so too.

If you have some news or an opinion, please get in touch with us here.

Enjoy!

October 2023Download
music, Prayer, St Mark's Church

Exploring Prayer

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Join us for a series on different types of prayer on Wednesday evenings at St Mark’s, Upper Hale, at 7.30pm.

Over the next five weeks we will be exploring prayer in the following ways:

September 27th – The Power of Music – led by Lesley Shatwell (see picture below)

October 4th – Centering Prayer – led by Margaret Bowers

October 11th – Labyrinth – led by Michelle Chapman

October 18th – Mindfulness – led by Suzette Jones

October 25th – Daily Prayer – led by Lesley Crawley

All welcome. Contact Rev’d Stella Wiseman for further details.

Apple Day, Craft, Harvest, Inclusion, Prayer, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Your September Magazine is here

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The September issue of the parish magazine is out now and you can download it below.

It’s a bumper issue which looks forward to what is going on this autumn. We start with a quiet morning for Creationtide at St John’s on September 2nd when Craig Nobbs will be leading us in reflecting about our care for God’s earth (see page 13). We will look at generosity and gratitude on two Sundays – September 10th and 17th (page 22) – and this month we start a series on exploring prayer, beginning on 20th when we go into Farnham Park to encounter God in nature (also page 22). Then there is our September craft market at St Mark’s on September 16th (page 48); Apple Day and Harvest Festival on 24th (page 12); and the Harvest Supper at St George’s on 29th (page 16).

It’s not all just about what’s on – among the articles you will find ones on home groups, autism, diversity, ordinations, why we hire out our halls, dog training and more, plus we are delighted to have the Badshot Leader right at the heart of the magazine, with information on The Kiln, the Community Garden and Aldershot Model Car Club.

All this plus local businesses who do so much to support our magazine by placing advertisements in it. Please do use their services.

Happy reading!

September 2023Download
Prayer

A Week of Accompanied Prayer

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There will be a Week of Accompanied Prayer at Guildford Cathedral from October 8-13, hosted by the Spiritual Directors Network.

This week is for anyone in whatever place they may be on the spiritual journey. If you sense a longing to deepen your life in God, a desire to make sense of your faith journey or wishing to find different ways to pray then this week may be for you.

Not many of us have the time nor the resources to stay at a retreat house, but this week brings the retreat to you in your everyday life. It starts with a gathering at the cathedral on Sunday, October 8 at 4pm for an initial introduction and then everyone will meet a prayer companion. Everyone will then commit to pray for half an hour a day for the week and to meet daily, at a mutually agreed time and in absolute confidence, with their companion to talk about their experience in the prayer and suggested scriptures.

On Friday, October 13, there is an informal service and refreshments at 7.30pm at a venue to be announced, with the opportunity to hear and share if you wish what the week has been like. If several people in our part of the diocese want to apply, then we can arrange for prayer companions to meet here rather than having to travel to Guildford.

Margaret Bowers, a member of St George’s Church, writes: “I’m very excited to introduce this to you since it was one such accompanied week that opened for me prayer and closeness with God in ways I hadn’t previously experienced nor been taught before. It also led to my training as a Spiritual Director or Companion as someone who journeys alongside others as they too discover a lived experience of God more and more in their everyday lives.

“Certainly, after such a week I felt affirmed in the unconditional love of God, encouraged, supported, surprised, and energised in my spiritual journey and learned a truth that still holds today, which is that when we intentionally set time aside to be with God then God delights in drawing close to us in unexpected and wonderful ways.”

Below you can download an application form to be sent to woapguildford@hotmail.com but if you wish to ask Margaret Bowers anything please contact her at margbowers@aol.com.

guildford-wac-application-form-a5-doubleDownload
Events, Giving and Fundraising, magazine, Prayer, Services, St Mark's Church

Your June magazine is here

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Your June magazine is out, packed full of news of our fete, craft market, ordinations, a talk on supporting people with autism, a barn dance to celebrate St Mark’s 140th birthday and much more.

You can pick up a paper copy in the churches or download it here to find out the latest news about upcoming events in the parish, along with reflections on what has already happened, prayer, poetry, situations vacant and adverts from tradespeople in the parish.

june-2023Download

You can also have the magazine sent straight to your inbox. Email editor@badshotleaandhale.org to find out more.

We don’t put up a paywall but if you are reading online we would be grateful for payment. You can pay yearly (£10) or whenever you download the magazine (£1). To pay either click here or make a payment to: Badshot Lea & Hale PCC, Sort Code 40-52-40, Account No. 00025717.

Thank you.

Children and Youth, Prayer, Services

Coronation services

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On the Sunday of the Coronation weekend, we will be celebrating at all the churches on May 7th.

The service at St John’s will be at 9.30am, followed by cake and Prosecco; the service at St George’s will be at 10am, followed by a cream tea; and the service at St Mark’s will be at 11am, followed by a bring-and-share lunch.

At 4pm on Sunday 7th, our regular, monthly Family Service will take place at St John’s with more Coronation celebrations, along with sandwiches and cake!

All are welcome at all or any of our services.

You can now sign up to receive daily Coronation reflections via email here.

Prayers will be available across the Diocese social media channels – feel free to share your prayers and thoughts using the hashtag #CoronationPrayers until Coronation Day on May 6th.

Easter, magazine, Prayer, Services

Your April magazine is here!

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Your April magazine is out now, full of information, news and views, including what is happening this Holy Week as we approach Easter. There are details about Holy Week meditations, Good Friday and Easter services and a Good Friday Walk of Witness, as well as events after Easter. Did you know we are organising a Gin Evening with local distiller Nibbs Gin? And we have a quiz evening coming up too, plus a plant sale, a Christian Aid concert and much more!

You can also read the winning poems in the Farnham Poetry Competition, hear about Open the Book, and find out what groups like the WI are doing. There is prayer and some thoughts from the Ministry Team and the Church Cat!

You can find the magazine here:

April 2023Download
Children and Youth, Craft, Easter, Prayer, Services, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Holy Week

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Join us as we travel through Holy Week, which runs from Palm Sunday, April 2, to Easter Eve, April 8, with a series of services and meditations across all three churches.

Palm Sunday recalls the story of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem, welcomed as a king but riding on a humble donkey, and there will be services at all three churches – St John’s at 9.30am, St George’s at 10am and St Mark’s at 11am – with palm crosses given out.

Services and meditations in Holy Week

From Monday to Wednesday, April 3-5, there will be a series of short meditations for Holy Week each evening at St John’s at 7.30pm. These will be around 30 minutes long and will give time to reflect and pray.

On Wednesday, April 5 at noon, there will be a communion service at St Mark’s, and on Maundy Thursday, April 6 there will be communion services at St George’s and St John’s at 7.30pm, when the altar will be stripped and a vigil will be held. At St John’s there will also be foot-washing, recalling the act of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper before his death.

Maundy Thursday is so called because the name derives from the Latin world ‘mandatum’ which means ‘commandment’, and it recalls Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  So this is New Commandment Thursday.

Stripping the altar is an ancient custom whereby everything is removed from the altar and it reflects the way everything was stripped from Jesus on Good Friday – his clothes, his dignity, his life – and leaves the altar bare for the Good Friday liturgy the next day.

On Good Friday , April 7, there will be Good Friday Liturgy at St John’s at 9.30am. At the same time at St Mark’s there will be a craft session for children aged five to 11, from 9.30-11am, This will be followed by a service at 11am to which parents and carers are also invited, after which there will be hot cross buns for everyone.

You can also join in a Walk of Witness in central Farnham on Good Friday, by gathering in the Hart car park at 11.45am for a silent walk through central Farnham starting at noon, and ending up at St Andrew’s Church for a short service.

At 2pm there will be a ‘Good Friday Hour at the Cross‘ at St George’s, a time for prayer and reflection as we approach the time traditionally held to be the hour that Jesus died – 3pm.

On Saturday, April 8, several people from the parish are being confirmed at an Easter Eve service at Guildford Cathedral at 7.45pm. This is a special service with communion as well as baptism and confirmation, and is a lovely way to celebrate the coming of Easter. Please do join us.

Easter Day services can be found here.


Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash