Every year we produce a report on the parish and the many activities that go on here. This is available for the APCM and is also available below. Please click on the button below to download it.
Category Archives: St John’s Church
Good Friday Services and Craft
Each Good Friday, we hold two services in the parish. The first service is a solemn one at 9.30am at St John’s which gives us a chance to reflect on the death of Jesus on the Cross and the significance of that terrifying day when all hope seemed lost.
We also have a service at 11am at St Mark’s, but before that we hold a craft session for anyone of primary school age who would like to come. This begins at 9.30am. Through crafts the children will learn the story of Easter and then come into the church for a short service to which their families and any other adults and older children would like to come. This will be followed by tea/coffee/squash and hot cross buns.
If anyone would like their child to join in, or if you want to know more, please email anneboyman@hotmail.com
This is Holy Week
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.
The death of Bishop Andrew
It is with both shock and sadness that we announce the death of the Rt Rev’d Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, who died peacefully at home on Tuesday, March 3rd, surrounded by his family, less than one month after he received a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
You can view here the official announcement made by the Rt Rev’d Paul Davies, Bishop Andrew’s friend and colleague and Bishop of Dorking.
Bishop Paul recalled that in his last email to the diocesan leadershiop team, Bishop Andrew had quoted from St Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth:
‘So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, for we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.’’ (2 Corinthians 4:16).
The text of a letter written by Bishop Paul to the whole diocese may be read here.
St John’s is open today (Wednesday) for anyone who wishes to go in, light a candle and pray, and Guildford Cathedral is open today and tomorrow for the same purpose.
Bishop Paul has written a special prayer for anyone to use:
Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for Andrew, our brother and bishop: for his faith and faithfulness to you in life and in leadership. As we mourn his death and commend him to your everlasting arms, give us the same faith, hope and love rooted in the death and resurrection of your son, Jesus.
We pray especially for Beverly, Hannah, Sam, Joe, Lydia and the whole family. Comfort them with your Holy Spirit and protect them in their grief. And bring us, at the last, with Andrew and all your children, to that eternal joy where you live and reign in glory forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Details of the funeral will be announced shortly. In the meantime there is an online book of condolence here and a physical book of condolences in the Cathedral.
If anyone would like to speak to a member of the clergy about Bishop Andrew’s death or anything related, details may be found by clicking here. If specific support is required, these links may be helpful: Mind  wellbeing resources; Macmillan  for information and support.
Thank you for the tower!
Join us on Saturday, March 14th, at 4pm at St John’s to say thank-you for the restoration of St John’s tower and the generosity from the community which meant we raised the £32,000 needed for the repairs.
Thank you to everyone who donated, and to those who worked hard to apply for grants, those who put on fundraisers, baked cakes, took part in events and generally helped to ensure that the church could have a safe tower and continue to stand in Hale as a place of worship and welcome for everyone.
Please do join us on 14th at 4pm for the service and for tea afterwards. And once again, THANK YOU!
Tea and Twelfth Night
Christmas isn’t over yet! Twelfth Night is coming up and we are celebrating with afternoon tea and entertainment on Saturday, January 3rd, 2-4pm at St John’s Church, Hale. It may be a day or two early but that won’t change the deliciousness of the homemade cake!
We invite anyone to recite poetry, sing, play a musical piece or do whatever you like to entertain us.
There will be a collection to help raise funds for the parish.
Parking is available in the layby just before St John’s when coming from the Six Bells roundabout.
For further information contact pcc.secretary@badshotleaandhale.org.
Midnight Mass
Welcome in Christmas with Midnight Mass in the beautiful St John’s Church, starting at 11.30pm tonight (Christmas Eve).
This is a magical way to see in Christmas, welcoming the Christ Child, God with us in everything – joy and sorrow, pain and comfort.
All welcome.
Celebrate Christmas with a Crib Service
Three to choose from
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.
Celebrate with us this Christmas
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with lots going on in the parish, starting with our fabulous Christmas Tree Festival over the weekend of December 5-7 at St George’s Church, Badshot Lea; carols in the Hale Chapel Gardens (Hale cemetery) on December 5, followed by hot chocolate and mulled wine in St Mark’s Church; and a carol service at St George’s on Sunday, December 7 at 6pm.
The carol service will mark the end of the Christmas Tree Festival and the public’s favourite tree will be announced at the end of the service.
There will be a carol service at St John’s Church, Hale, on Sunday, December 14 at 6pm, and more outdoor carol singing on Monday, December 22, also at 6pm, at St George’s Church (inside if wet).
Crib services
On Christmas Eve there will be crib services at both St George’s and St Mark’s, starting at 3pm with a crib service especially for toddlers at St George’s. This will be followed by an interactive crib service at 5.30pm. At St Mark’s there will be an all-age interactive crib service at 5pm on Christmas Eve.
Midnight Mass and Christmas Day
There will be one Midnight Mass in the parish: at St John’s, starting at 11.30pm and on Christmas morning there will be a family communion at St George’s at 10am and St Mark’s at 11am. Both of these will tell the Christmas story using chocolates and sweets!
Please join us at any or all of these. Everyone is welcome.
Pride services
Come to our Pride Services this Sunday – 7th – at all three churches. Celebrate the wonderful diversity of humans, loved by God just as we are.
Services times are St John’s: 9.30am; St George’s: 10am; and St Mark’s: 11am.
All are welcome.
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 