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.
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 is the time that beetles start to flourish so St George’s Church is holding a Beetle Drive social evening on Friday, March 6th, from 6pm.
A Beetle Drive involves tables with players, each of whom takes turns to roll a die to try to collect parts of a beetle, which are either pre-drawn or which players draw themselves. To start collecting each player must roll a six which represents the beetle’s body. After that they may start adding parts with each number on the die representing a part of the body. Once a player has a complete beetle they shout ‘beetle’ and the game stops. The person on each table with the most nearly complete beetle moves to a table clockwise round the room while the player who has collected the fewest parts moves anti-clockwise and the game begins again. It is suitable for all ages and is a good way to meet new people.
The Beetle Drive will be followed by supper which can be ordered ahead of time from a selection served by a fish and chip shop or you can bring their own.
Tickets (without food) are £5 or £2.50 for children. Orders and payment will be needed by March 1. Details are available from Kris Lawrence.
St Valentine’s Day is not just for romantic evenings out. Families with small children can celebrate too at a party at St George’s on February 14th between 1pm and 3pm.
The Little Bees Valentine’s Party will involve a disco, face-painting, crafts, a raffle and lots of cake and juice as well as tea or coffee for adults. Tickets cost £5 for adults, £3 for children, or £15 for a family of two adults and two children. All the money raised will go towards buying new equipment for the Little Bees toddler group which runs at St George’s every Friday morning during term time.
Volunteers are needed to help out at the party, including cake-bakers and people to serve in the café. The organisers also need disco lights to borrow or keep, red table cloths, raffle prizes and Valentine’s and bee-themed decorations.
To help, to book tickets or find out more, email Lexi or call her on 07792233477.
The Sunday morning service at St George’s, Badshot Lea, is now at 10.30am.
Because we are now running Bubble Church on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 9.30am, we are moving the main Sunday service from 10am to 10.30am. Don’t worry if you turn up early though; you will always find a warm welcome.
Bubble Church is aimed at families with young children (though is engaging for all) and the 10.30am is for all ages. It is usually a communion service though occasionally may not offer communion.
Everyone is welcome at all our services.
Do you love Christmas? We do. Do you love chocolate? We do. And we love combining the two on Christmas morning in church with the story of Christmas told through chocolate!
So tomorrow – Christmas Day – come to St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am where Rev’d Lexi will be telling the story of God’s love for everyone and giving out chocolate as she does so, or to St Mark’s in Upper Hale, at 11am where Rev’d Stella will be doing the same. Maybe she can even hit the treasurer on the head with a chocolate bar again…
What’s going on at St Mark’s Church today that has caused the curate to grow an extra set of ears? Come along and find out at 5pm today (Christmas Eve) when we hold a Crib Service for all ages. This year it’s the story of Jesus’ first best friend…. We have more traditional Nativity costumes available for children.
There’s also Toddler Crib Service at St George’s at 3pm today which is ideal for little ones and an all-age Crib Service at 5.30pm, also at St George’s. Then join us for Midnight Mass at St John’s at 11.30pm.
On Christmas Day there will be an all-age Communion Service at St George’s at 10am and one at St Mark’s at 11am. All welcome.
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 