Category Archives: St John’s Church

All Souls’ services

A space to remember loved ones who have died

We will be holding All Souls’ services at all three churches over the weekend of November 4-5th as a way of remembering those we love who have died, whether that loss is recent or long ago. The services are for anyone who wants to come, whether or not your loved one had a Church of England-led funeral.

The services are at St John’s on Saturday, November 4th at 4.30pm; at St Mark’s on Sunday, November 5th at 11am and at St George’s on Sunday, November 5th at 6pm. There will be refreshments served after each service.

All Souls’ Day is on Thursday, November 2nd, so the churches are holding their services on the nearest weekend to enable more people to attend. 

All Souls’ Day, also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and the Day of the Dead, is a day of remembrance of people who have died, and the services are designed to honour them and bring comfort to the bereaved.

Rev’d Stella Wiseman, a minister in the parish, said: “Having a space to remember and honour those who have died is so important in the process that we all go through when we are bereaved. The services are there to bring comfort to those who are grieving and honour the memory of those who have died, and we welcome anyone who wishes to attend, regardless of what individual beliefs they hold.”

Anyone who would like to attend is welcome to do so and anyone who would like support following the death of a loved one is invited to contact Rev’d Lesley Crawley on 01252 820537 or revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org

If you would like the name of your loved one read out at a service please let Lesley know and say which church you would like this to be read out at.

Embodied Worship – free Tai Chi and a labyrinth

We are continuing our Embodied Worship series over the next few weeks and this week are offering the chance try some Tai Chi, free of charge, at St Mark’s Church, on Wednesday, October 5, at 3pm. Tai Chi is a practice which involves a lot of focusing on the body and is calming and mindful.

The following day, Thursday, October 6, we will be in St George’s Church from 7pm, exploring prayer through a labyrinth. On October 13, we will bake bread together in St George’s (again 7pm) and on October 20 at 7pm, Michelle Chapman will lead us in some journaling.

Embodied worship reminds us that we are physical creatures and that everything we experience is through our bodies. Even our thoughts come through our bodies – our brains are physical parts of us. The rituals we use, our movements, the processes by which we respond to God, are all embodied and we worship an incarnate God, for God took flesh in an entirely radical way and was born in a human body.

For details, contact Stella Wiseman, revd.stella@badshotleaandhale.org, 07842 761919.

Picture by Monica Leonardi on Unsplash.

Harvest Festival postponed

Because of The Queen’s death we have postponed our Harvest Festival services from Sunday, September 18th to Sunday, October 9th.

On October 9th there will be services at all three churches – 9.30am at St John’s, 10am at St George’s and 10am at St Mark’s where the celebrations will start with Apple Day (apple-pressing, apple snacks, apple juice and apple-y music) followed by the Harvest Service at around 11am.

There will be collections of non-perishable food for the local Foodbank so please think of this when you are shopping.

Celebrate Harvest with us

We will be celebrating Harvest this Sunday (October 9th) at all three churches (9.30am St John’s, 10am St George’s and 10am St Mark’s, please note the earlier start to include Apple Day) with collections of non-perishable food for Farnham Foodbank and a special Apple Day at St Mark’s too!

At St Mark’s, where there is a community orchard, there will be apple-pressing, apple pie, apple juice and apple-y music.

Harvest is a reminder of all the good things that the earth provides but it also highlights the inequality in the world and this year in particular we know many, many people are facing a financial crisis greater than we have seen for decades.

Rev’d Lesley Crawley says: “Harvest is a time when we not only celebrate the gifts of God’s earth, but think of others who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. This is a growing reality in Britain today, even though we are one of the most economically developed countries in the world. Obviously we want to give to help alleviate this need, but the church is also there to challenge and ask questions about why this should be the case and what we can do about it.”

The Foodbank is currently in need of tinned ham or minced beef; tinned carrots or peas; tinned or packet custard; UHT milk and UHT fruit juice.

Come to our Autumn Fayre!

Saturday, September 3rd, 12-4pm

Join us at our Autumn Fayre at St John’s Church, Hale, on Saturday, September 3rd, from 12-4pm.

There will be stalls, games, food and drink – a barbecue, bar, tea and cakes – a grand raffle with loads of prizes, and music. The fayre will be opened by Cllr Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham, at 12pm.

Come and browse the stalls – everything from crafts to a bottle tombola – play games, eat, drink and be merry while listening to music by local musicians.

Buy a lucky programme and be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher for Heaven’s Kitchen restaurant; buy a raffle ticket and you could win £100, or a host of other prizes; browse gifts on the stalls; eat delicious cake or a burger; have a drink, and know that you are helping to raise money to support the church’s work in the community, including the setting up of a new youth hub at St John’s.

Join us from 12pm, Saturday, September 3rd.

And if any community group, local business or craftsperson would like a stall, please message us here or admin@badshotleaandhale.org

Join us for Father’s Day

Sunday, June 19th

Join us for Father’s Day this Sunday and celebrate the men who have been important in your life. It may be a dad, it may be a granddad, it may be a teacher, an uncle, a family friend. Whoever it is, come and celebrate with us.

There are services at all three churches this Sunday, and brunch at St John’s.

The services are:
St John’s, Hale, 9.30am, followed by brunch at 10.30am.
St George’s, Badshot Lea, 10am.
St Mark’s, Upper Hale, 11am.

All welcome!

A weekend of Jubilee celebration

There were celebrations throughout the parish over the Jubilee weekend, as communities gathered together to mark 70 years of service by Queen Elizabeth II.

The long weekend started with a Jubilee tea party at St George’s on Thursday with entertainment by the Paris School of Dancing and the Parish Choir, along with memories from the past 70 years, poetry by Debbie Nobbs, and a huge Jubilee tea.

On Friday, Cajun Boogaloo and caller Kris Lawrence led around 50 of us in a barn dance at St Mark’s, and on Saturday, after a Family Fun Morning on Sandy Hill, with traditional games, including a tug of war, St Mark’s was filled with people tucking in to a free lunch provided by Hale Community Centre, with 80 per cent of the food coming from the Community Fridge. Once again there was music, with Roger Sanders on the saxophone and In Accord singing acapella; memorabilia; poetry and a message from the Queen (possibly), brought to us by Rosemary Wisbey; and a slide show with music of Hale in the past created by Elaine Fell. Then it was off to the Hale Rec for a Picnic in the Park with entertainment and teas and ice creams.

On Sunday, which was also the day of Pentecost, the Bishop of Dorking – the Rt Revd Jo Bailey Wells – led an outdoor Songs of Praise at St George’s, and then hurried on to St John’s for an indoor Service of Thanksgiving at St John’s, with the 2nd Farnham (Hale) Scouts, Air Cadets, members of Farnham Heath End School, local councillors and singer and healer Heather Golding. This was followed by a Big Jubilee Lunch with barbecue and a lot of cake, with more music from Roger Sanders and his saxophone quartet.

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined in for a celebration of the reign of a monarch who has served faithfully through good times and bad, and who has always emphasised how her Christian faith has been her constant guide.