Welcome to your June magazine and a host of events, articles, news reports, thoughts and comments. Plus the Church Cat’s annual report and the approach of a Church Dog. Click on the link below to download it.
Category Archives: St John’s Church
Your April Magazine is here
Spring is here and so is the April parish magazine.
Check inside for information about Holy Week and Easter, plus the results of the Farnham Poetry Competition, news from Badshot Lea, the Church Cat and much more.
Picture by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.
The St John’s tower: another fundraising push
Like a beloved grandmother St John’s Church in Hale is beautiful, much-loved but showing her age. In fact, she’s just turned 180 so it isn’t surprising.
It’s her tower which is suffering the most and is in greatest need of repair and we are determined to do this, so ensuring that this historic centre of worship can stay open for many more years to come, and that the bell can once more ring to call people in Hale to services. (At the moment the bell is silent as vibrations from ringing it risk more damage to the tower).
Unfortunately, but inevitably, this will cost money – at least £50,000. We are applying for grants for this but also need to raise part of the money ourselves. We’ve already had some generous donations and thank you to everyone who has given money.
Visit our GoFundMe page
We’ve now opened a new fundraising page, this time with GoFundMe and invite everyone to give something – even a few pounds will make a difference. To do so click here.
Thank you again for your support.
Christmas in the parish
As we move towards Christmas we celebrate with carols sung both in church and outside, and on Christmas Eve we hold crib services at all three churches (two crib services at St George’s!) and then Midnight Mass beginning at 11.30pm in St George’s and St John’s.
We then celebrate the wonderful news of the incarnation of God on Christmas morning in all three churches.
Here are the special services in December:
Carols
Sunday, December 8th, 6pm at St John’s.
Sunday, December 15th, 6pm at St George’s.
Friday, December 20th, 6pm at Hale Chapels (cemetery, Alma Lane), followed by refreshments at St Mark’s.
Monday, December 23rd, 6pm around the tree at St George’s.
Crib Services
All Tuesday, December 24th. Come dressed as your favourite Nativity character.
3pm: St John’s.
3pm: St George’s especially for toddlers.
5pm: St Mark’s.
5.30pm: St George’s.
Midnight Mass
Tuesday, December 24th, 11.30pm, at St John’s and St George’s.
Christmas morning
9.30am, St John’s.
10am, St George’s.
11am, St Mark’s.
Your February Magazine is here
Christmas is probably a distant memory for most of us, but Christmastide actually ends on February 2, which is known as Candlemas and is 40 days after Christmas Day. It’s also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, when the baby Jesus was presented in the Temple. Traditionally that is the last date for having Christingle services which is why you will find the two parish ones advertised in this month’s magazine.
Alongside this in the magazine is an update on the vacancy, details on fundraising for the tower at St John’s,information on our poetry competition (part of the Farnham Literary Festival), news, events, prayer and, of course, our dedicated advertisers who keep us going. Please do consider using their services.
To download your magazine, click on the button above.
All Souls’ services – to remember those we have lost
If you have lost a close friend or family member and would like an opportunity to remember them and light a candle for them, we are holding ‘All Souls’ services’ this weekend. These simple services of music, prayer and reflection will take place as follows:
St John’s, Hale (near the Six Bells roundabout) on Saturday, November 2 at 4pm; St Mark’s, Upper Hale (next to Tesco Express) on Sunday, November 3 at 11am; and St George’s, Badshot Lea (opposite the school) on Sunday, November 3 at 5.30pm.
During the services you will have the opportunity to light a candle in memory of the person or people you have lost.
If you would like any support following the death of a loved one, please contact Rev’d Stella Wiseman, 07842761919.
Pet Service
All God’s creatures got a place in the choir
It’s time to bring your dogs, cats (maybe not), guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, geckos, pet spiders, snakes, stick insects and any other animals you have living at home to church for our annual pet services.
Pets are a wonderful blessing to many of us and can help our mental and
physical health. So let’s give thanks for them in all their shapes and sizes and bring them for a blessing at St John’s and St Mark’s on October 6th at 9.30am and 11am respectively. If your pet is too large or too nervous to come to church, you can bring a picture of them instead. And if you don’t have a pet, why not bring a favourite soft toy instead? Or dress up as an animal? After all, all God’s creatures got a place in the choir!
Harvest Festival
Celebrate harvest with us in all three churches on September 22nd. At St John’s the service is at 9.30am, St George’s 10am and St Mark’s 11am.
St Mark’s we will include our normal Apple Day celebrations in the service and eat apple pie and other apple snacks after the service.
We are collecting tins and packets for Farnham Foodbank. The Foodbank especially wants tinned soup, instant mash, tinned rice pudding and custard, tinned potatoes, UHT juice.
Vacancy update
For those of you keeping track of our recruitment activities, you will know that the closing date for second round of advertising for the post of Rector of Badshot Lea and Hale was in early August. I am disappointed to report that we had no applications, although I have to admit that I am not totally surprised as most parishes take a year to 18 months to fill a vacancy because of the shortage of available clergy.
We will embark on the third round of advertising soon with a view to interviewing in early January and having someone in post just after Easter 2025. Especially with this type of role, it is about finding the right person at the right time in their ministry and we continue to pray that God will send us the right person at the right time.
I am pleased to report that the team managing the parish during the vacancy has settled into a sound routine and are ready for a long vacancy should that be the case.
That is not to say that we have not had our challenges, including Rev’d John Evans being unwell for so long. He is now on the road to recovery and leading our services again. We have also realised that Rev’d David Camp needs the support of an incumbent to complete the remaining two years of his training. While we will be sad that we will not see as much of him from September, we are fully supportive of his move to Frensham as the right decision to help him along his ministry journey.
The news that the tower at St John’s is in a worse state than we thought adds another challenge to just doing the normal. Click here for details of fundraising.
My thanks to those across the parish who are pulling together to help us deliver business as usual to the best of our ability. If anyone feels that they can help contribute please contact either Stella or me.
Dave Walter
PCC lay vice-chair
A Fantasia for Frances
We are holding a concert and cream tea in memory of our beloved organist Frances Whewell who died last year.
The event will be on Saturday, September 7th, at 2.30pm at St John’s, starting with the concert which will be performed by a mix of soloists—singers and instrumentalists—and the church choir.
After the concert, a cream tea will be served. There will also be a raffle.
Admission is free but there will be a retiring collection for parish funds.
Please book your seats by contacting June Jasper on 07807 881311 or email junemargaretjasper@gmail.com.
Frances Whewell
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 