Category Archives: St George’s Church

Coronavirus, St George's Church

Donate to Share Farnham at St George’s

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St George’s Church Hall will be open from Monday to Thursday this week, from 10am-noon, to receive donations for Share Farnham.

Share Farnham is a community store of free activities and equipment to help keep you busy and active and it will open this month, but first donations are needed.

The store needs clean, quality objects in good condition and working order and suggested items to donate include puzzles and board games (complete sets), books (less than three years old), musical instruments (playable condition), garden games, sheet music, craft items (eg knitting patterns, cross stitch), DVDs, toys (no soft toys), exercise equipment and cookery equipment (eg pasta makers). No electrical or petrol-powered equipment please.

Please bring your donations and place them on the table provided. Please observe all social distancing requirements.

Once there are enough donations the store will be open in two places – Farnham Maltings and Hale Community Centre. It will be open to all, and you will be able to borrow items, free of charge, for a period of three weeks.

As well as St George’s, items can be dropped this Monday to Thursday at Farnham Maltings and Hale Community Centre between 10am and noon, and at The Bear and Ragged Staff pub (48 The Street, Wrecclesham) between 2pm and 4pm.

 

 

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood, Canva

 

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

Sunday Worship – 3rd May

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Below are the services for this week. In addition there are two sermons at the bottom – one from Craig and one from the bishop.

We are learning all the time – one of the challenges has been technology – we have needed to buy software licenses to create the videos, an upgrade to our copyright license to enable us to play hymns and an upgrade to our website to allow us to put videos on it. At the same time we have lost all the income from our hall hire and the plate giving. If you find you are better off due to the lockdown (perhaps less expenditure on going out) then please can you help? The details for the Treasurer are on the Who’s Who page. We are looking at how to get online giving working.

We have also been learning about copyright – we wanted to re-start our Open the Book ministry. However, both the Bible that we use and the prayers would breach copyright if we streamed them on video. Fortunately, the Open the Book team are streaming them and so I have added that to the children’s page, along with the largest school assembly including a message from Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

If you missed any of the plethora of sermons last week you can find them on this page. Next week Wendy Edwards is creating a special service for us – one for the VE Day celebrations, including music from the Sea Cadets and a reading from the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. This will replace the St John’s service, but there will be regular St Mark’s and St George’s Services.

Services

St Marks:

St George’s:

St John’s:

Sermons

A sermon from Craig

A sermon from the Bishop for Vocations Sunday

Services, St George's Church, St Mark's Church

Worship for 3rd Sunday of Easter, St George’s Day and St Mark’s Day

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Hello, today we have a veritable smorgasbord of services for you, a completely different one for each of our churches including different sermons. Perhaps you can enjoy them all through the week.

At St John’s we have an Easter 3 service looking at the story of Cleopas on the road to Emmaus, St George’s are celebrating St George’s Day with an All Age service and St Mark’s are celebrating St Mark’s Day.

In the bonus pieces below is video showing a way of reflecting on the Emmaus Road – especially good for younger people, with lots of wondering questions. There is also a piece asking the question “Isn’t the Bible sexist” with a lovely quote from Dorothy Sayers – this relates to Lesley’s St John’s sermon. Also, a play and Allelu, Allelu – a couple of highlights from the St George’s service! St Mark’s discussed what they miss about going to church, you can see the answers here. Also I have added the sermons (6 of them!) at the bottom, including one from Bishop Jo.

St John’s

St George’s – St George’s Day

St Mark’s – St Mark’s Day

Happy Birthday

to Tricia & Christine C.

Bonus Pieces

The Gospel Reading, Godly Play version – The Emmaus Road.

Relating to Lesley’s Easter 3 sermon:

Feel free to do the actions:

Sermons

Christingle, News Releases, St George's Church

Celebrate Christingle

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There will be a Christingle service at St George’s Church on Sunday, February 2, at 11.30am and everyone is welcome.

Christingle services take place any time between the beginning of Advent and the festival of  Candlemas on February 2.  The idea of the Christingle – where the story of God’s love and care for the world is told through the symbols of an orange, red ribbon, fruit and sweets and a candle – goes back almost 275 years to a church in Germany. These days it is usually associated with The Children’s Society which exists to help children suffering from poverty, neglect and danger in the UK.

The St George’s Christingle will take place at Worship for All, a weekly Sunday service at 11.30am which is particularly suitable for families with children.

 

Picture by Richard Gillin on Flickr.
Children and Youth, Christmas, Inclusion, News Releases, Social Events, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Special atmosphere and Santa at SHIP party

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Families from Sandy Hill met Santa Claus and showed off their dance moves at a party at St Mark’s on the Monday before Christmas (December 23).

The families, from the Sandy Hill Inclusive Partnership (SHIP), enjoyed a party which included table tennis, pool, art and craft, music and dance provided by the performing arts school Boogie Pumps, and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus who brought gifts for all the children and their parents too.

“It was a really special atmosphere,” said Francis from Boogie Pumps, who led the children in a dance session involving hoops, pom poms, baby sharks and a lot of energy and enthusiasm, while the general consensus among the families was that it was “awesome” and “we’ve been spoiled!”.

More than 100 presents were provided for the children following the annual Farnborough Business Park Christmas Gift Drive, collecting brand new toys, clothes, vouchers, make-up and jewellery for some young people. Members of St Mark’s, St John’s and St George’s churches had also donated enough presents for the SHIP adults to take home a bag of gifts each too.

A big thank-you to everyone who gave so generously, and to everyone who helped put on the party, including Waitrose who provided some of the food. It was great fun and a lovely start to Christmas. We are looking forward to other events with SHIP in the new year.

Christmas, News Releases, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Celebrating on the way to Bethlehem

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The villages of Badshot Lea, Hale and Weybourne were visited last Friday evening (December 20) by a host of angels, as well as a crowd of shepherds, sheep, kings, musicians, donkeys and a young couple in search of a place to rest and give birth to a baby.

They were all taking part in A Journey to Bethlehem, a re-enactment of the Christmas story in which two groups walked from St George’s and St Mark’s to St John’s, playing music and singing carols on the way. Along the two routes they met angels, shepherds, inn keepers and kings and followed a star – and two donkeys, kindly lent for the occasion by Folly Oak Donkeys – until they reached a stable constructed outside St John’s where baby Jesus was lying in a manger.

This was followed by a celebration in the church in which children recounted what they had seen on the journey and Cllr Alan Earwaker, Farnham’s Deputy Mayor, joined everyone in singing carols and playing the kazoo, before the evening ended with prayers, hot chocolate, mulled wine and mince pies.

“This was the first time we had tried A Journey to Bethlehem and what a wonderful celebration it was!” said Lesley Crawley. “It was lovely to see children and adults alike dressed up as some of the characters we read about in the Bible at Christmas, and to see everyone having such a joyful time. We are living in an age of division and anxiety and the story of God coming to earth in the form of a child, born into poverty in an occupied country, is one that can bring us hope and light. We wish everyone that hope and light this Christmas.”

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

It’s Christmas!

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This Christmas the three churches – St George’s, Badshot Lea; St John’s, Hale; and St Mark’s, Upper Hale – have a range of services and we sincerely hope that there will be something that will suit everyone:

St George’s

Sunday, December 15, 6pm.
Carols by Candlelight.

Friday, December 20, 7pm.
A Journey to Bethlehem.

Sunday, December 22, 11.30am.
Worship for All Carol Service.

Tuesday, December 24, 3pm.
Crib Service for Toddlers.

Tuesday, December 24, 5.30pm.
Crib Service for all ages.

Tuesday, December 24, 11pm.
Midnight Mass.

Wednesday, December 25, 10am.
All-age Christmas service.

St John’s

Sunday, December 15, 4pm.
Nine lessons and carols by Candlelight.

Wednesday, December 18, 7.30pm.
The Longest Night – when Christmas hurts.

Friday, December 20, 8pm.
A Journey to Bethlehem Service.

Tuesday, December 24, 3pm.
Crib Service (especially for children – come dressed as your favourite Nativity character).

Tuesday, December 24, 11pm.
Midnight Mass.

Wednesday, December 25, 9.30am.
All-age Christmas service.

St Mark’s

Friday, December 13, 7pm.
Informal carols by Candlelight.

Friday, December 20, 7pm.
A Journey to Bethlehem.
.
Tuesday, December 24, 5.30pm.
Crib Service (especially for children – come dressed as your favourite Nativity character).

Tuesday, December 24, 11.30pm.
Midnight Mass.

Wednesday, December 25, 11am.
All-age Christmas service.

 

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. 
Advent, Christmas, News Releases, St George's Church

Top 10 Carols!

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It’s that time of year again – time to vote for your favourite carols and hear them sung at St George’s Church on Sunday, December 1, in the annual Top 10 Carols.

This year there are two chances to take part in Top 10 Carols – at Worship for All at 11.30am, and at a Top 10 Carols service at 4pm.

All you have to do is write the name of a favourite carol on a voting slip (to be found in each church), pay £1 per vote, and put the money and voting slip in an envelope and place them in the box provided. You can vote as many times as you like as long as you pay £1 per vote. If you are casting votes for carols to be sung at Worship for All, write Worship for All on your voting slip.

The 10 carols with the highest number of votes will form the running order for a Top 10 Carols Service at Worship for All and at 4pm.

So come along, pay your pound or two or ten, vote for your favourites and enjoy a rousing Christmas sing at St George’s.