Our Annual Meeting of Parishioners, for anyone living in the parish, takes place on Sunday, May 21st, at 3pm at St Mark’s. This is the meeting at which churchwardens are elected. This will be followed immediately by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) which is for those on the parish electoral roll.
The documents for both meetings are below and can be downloaded.
A new notice outside St John’s Church, Hale, reveals that there are Commonwealth War Graves in the churchyard.
There are six of these graves in the churchyard and information about most of them can be found on the Find A Grave website
Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Cunliff Owen is buried with his wife Eglantyne Mary Owen, under the large magnolia tree near the path. He was born in India in 1887 and died in 1941. You can see more here.
Private JE Hammond is buried here following his death in 1919. He came from London and was married to Alice Mary Hammond, of ‘Bideford’, Bullers Road, Weybourne. His grave can be found six down from the back fence and three to the right of the bench. You can find out more here.
One row back and slightly to the left of Private Hammond is Rifleman Sydney Harry Collyer. He died in 1919 and was the son of Harry and Alice Gray Collyer, of Myrtle Villa, Junction Road, Farnham. You can find more here.
Driver William Fenwick Moore is buried eight graves closer to the church than Private Hammond. He died in 1942 at the age of 19, but we do not currently have any more information on him, apart from a picture of his grave here.
Warrant Officer Class II (C.S.M.) William Leslie Webb, is one row up and to the right of Moore. There is no information on Find A Grave but a photo of his grave is posted below.
There is also a grave to Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Duncan Caddell who died in 1942 at the age of 60. He was born in Dundalk and served in World War One and returned to service in World War Two, when he was Commanding Officer at the Military Hospital, Chatham, until he had to retire on the grounds of ill health. He played Rugby for Ireland and was awarded the Military Cross. There is further information here.
St George’s Day is on Sunday, April 23, and you are invited to celebrate England’s patron saint at services at St John’s, Hale, at 9.30am, and St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am. TS Swiftsure, Farnham Sea Cadets, will take part in the service at St George’s.
St George has been venerated as a saint in England since the 9th century CE though he was actually born in the 3rd century CE in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey), and was probably an officer in the Roman army. He was a Christian and it seems he was killed in the early 4th century, maybe on April 23, because he wouldn’t worship pagan gods.
St George is meant to have killed an evil dragon but the story about this actually originates several centuries after his death. Nevertheless the story stuck and the image of St George defeating the dragon appears on the George Cross, an award created in 1940 by King George VI to reward acts of great courage in times of danger.
This doesn’t stop the friendly St George’s dragon coming to church however.
Come to our all-age family service on Sunday, May 7th, at St John’s Church at 4pm.
There will be a party to celebrate the new king – Charles III – with craft, songs, stories, cake and sandwiches.
Everyone is welcome! Further details from Michelle Chapman.
Every month on the first Sunday we hold a special all-age service followed by afternoon tea at 4pm at St John’s Church, Hale.
There are craft activities, stories, songs and prayers, followed by drinks, sandwiches and cakes, and on April 2 you can learn about the Easter story. All welcome.
Join us to celebrate the risen Christ on Easter Sunday, April 9, at our Easter Day services and Easter egg hunts at our three churches.
The services will be at 9.30am at St John’s, 10am at St George’s and 11am at St Mark’s. After the services there will be Easter egg hunts for all.
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.
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
It’s Mothering Sunday – aka Mother’s Day – this weekend (Sunday 19th) and we will be celebrating at all three churches: St John’s, Hale (near the Six Bells roundabout) at 9.30am; St George’s, Badshot Lea (opposite the school) at 10am and St Mark’s, Alma Lane (next to Tesco) at 11am.
Come and join us as we give thanks for all those who care and protect us. Posies for all.
Are you a seeker? Do you enjoy informal, creative services for all ages?
Come to our next Seekers service on Sunday, February 5 at 4pm at St John’s. There will be music, craft, a story, prayers, and sandwiches and cakes to follow. What’s not to like?!
More information from Michelle Chapman: youth@badshotleaandhale.org
Here are all our Christmas services over the next few weeks. Please do join us whenever you can.
If you are not familiar with church services, don’t worry. There are easy-to-follow service booklets or the words are all on a screen (at St Mark’s), and please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Please do make yourself known to the vicar and other members of the congregation and please be assured, you are most welcome, whatever your beliefs.
Come and join us at any of our Christmas services.
Friday 9th Dec at 6pm – Carols by Candlelight
Sunday 11th Dec at 11am – Christingle Service
Wednesday 21st Dec at 6pm – Longest night (when Christmas hurts)
Saturday 24th Dec at 5.30pm – Crib Service (especially for youngsters, come dressed as your favourite nativity character)
Sunday 25th Dec at 11am – Christmas Communion Service for all ages
Sunday 4th Dec at 4pm – Seekers Carol Service (Family-friendly carol service)
Sunday 11th Dec at 6pm – Candlelight Carol Service
Saturday 24th Dec at 3pm – Crib Service (especially for youngsters, come dressed as your favourite nativity character)
Saturday 24th Dec at 11.30pm – Midnight Mass
Sunday 25th Dec at 9.30am – Christmas Communion Service for all ages
Sunday 18th Dec at 6pm – Candlelit Carol Service
Tuesday 20th Dec at 6pm – Carol Singing under the lit tree at St George’s (inside if wet)
Saturday 24th Dec at 3pm – Crib Service for Toddlers
Saturday 24th Dec at 5.30pm – Crib and Christingle Service for all ages
Saturday 24th Dec at 11.30pm – Midnight Mass
Sunday 25th Dec at 10am – Christmas Communion Service for all ages
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 