Category Archives: St Mark’s Church

Inclusion, LGBTI+, Services, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Pride services at all our Churches

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This Sunday (August 8) we are celebrating Pride at all of our three churches and online, here on the website.

Like Pride Month, which takes place in June, it is an opportunity to celebrate LGBTQI+ people in their fullness, to look back on strides toward equality, and to imagine a world where celebration and full inclusion is the norm, not an exception. 

Lesley Crawley explains some of the thinking behind this: “Christians have historically punished and ostracized LGBTQI+ people, scripture has been weaponized and the church has contributed to the political, relational and spiritual dehumanizing of LGBTQI+ people. This has resulted in deep pain, bullying and death and rightfully many people have been put off the church forever because of the cruel behaviour of Christians. 

“As Christians, we give up a piece of our full humanity when we forgo compassion and treat people as objects worthy of scorn or violence. Pride gives us an opportunity to end oppressive practices and ideology while also becoming more fully human ourselves. 

“In these services we repent of the past and we look with optimism to the future. We stand with people who identify as LGBTQI+ and proclaim loudly that all people are loved by God and all people are welcome here.

“We thank God for the immense diversity of human beings and the love God has for us all. We recognise the way stereotypes have limited us all in terms of being able to be truly ourselves. We celebrate love in all its forms and we thank the God of Love that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Please join us this Sunday. There is a service at St John’s Church, Lower Hale, at 9.30am, one at St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am, and one at St Mark’s, Upper Hale, at 11am. And, of course, we are online too: https://badshotleaandhale.org/online-services/

* LGBTQI+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex and the ‘+’ is for others who don’t fit one of these labels

Art, Craft, Events, Kitty Milroy, Social Events, St Mark's Church

Another creative triumph at St Mark’s

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St Mark’s Church was once again buzzing with creativity with Artz @ St Mark’s over the weekend July 30-August 1. 

Walls, tables and easels were covered with paintings and quilts, there were cushions, violins, knitting, tapestry, a prom dress, as well as music and dancing, all of it displaying the talents of local people who joined in for the first, but not the last, Artz @ St Mark’s, organized jointly by the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale and a group called North Farnham Voice which exists to enable local residents to have a say in the present and future of North Farnham. 

North Farnham Voice was founded by Catherine Powell, the newly elected Surrey County Councillor for North Farnham. Catherine said: “l just knew there were a lot of artistic and creative people in North Farnham because so many volunteered to make the PPE scrubs for the NHS during Lockdown. They carried on making them into the spring of this year to provide a supply to the COVID vaccination clinics too, so we asked them to come and display their own work. 

“A large number got involved again this weekend and helped make it a real success.  About 220 people dropped by over the weekend and there was never a dull moment with all the live music too. What’s more there wasn’t an inch of wall or table space left for the want of an exhibit.  The church came to life with the colour, variety and the sound of people and really played it’s part as a great place for the community of North Farnham.” 

Refreshments were served and many people took advantage of the occasion to view the newly restored Kitty Milroy murals in the church. 

St Mark’s also holds craft markets on the third Saturday of the month and the next one will be on August 21 from 10am to 2pm, at St Mark’s, Alma Lane, Farnham, GU9 0LT. 

Art, Events, Kitty Milroy, music, St Mark's Church

Artz @ St Mark’s – This Weekend!

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There will be a celebration of art, craft, music and dance this weekend when the first Artz @ St Mark’s takes place from Friday, July 30 to Sunday, August 1 at St Mark’s Church, Hale.

Cllr Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham, will open Artz @ St Mark’s at 6pm on Friday, July 30 and over the course of the weekend there will be an exhibition of painting, quilting, needlework, knitting, even a prom dress, along with music and dancing which includes the band Cajun Boogaloo, Northumbrian pipes, saxophone, the organ and Appalachian dancing. 

Refreshments will be served and there will be the opportunity to see the newly restored Kitty Milroy murals.  The opening times will be Friday 6-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 2-4pm.

Rev’d Lesley Crawley, Rector of the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale, of which St Mark’s is a part, said: “I am awed by the creativity of the people around us here in Farnham and grateful to them for sharing their work and talent with us. We saw a lot of it during lockdown when we held our online Lockdown Art Club and we are so looking forward to being able to show the work in person now. 

“We hope lots of people will come to see the work on display and enjoy the music and dance, and also take the opportunity to see the beautiful murals painted by Kitty Milroy 100 years ago and now restored. Please do come and join us over the weekend.” 

St Mark’s is on Alma Lane, Hale, Farnham, GU9 0LT. There is a small amount of parking at the church. 

music, outreach, St Mark's Church

Take a trip to ‘France’ with our Holiday at Home

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With foreign travel trickier this year, why not stay local and join us for a day trip to ‘France’ in our Holiday at Home?

On Saturday, August 7, St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, will be filled with French food and music for our first Holiday at Home. There will be croissants and coffee to start with from 10.30am, followed by a two-course lunch, music, the parish choir and soloists, a slideshow of French holiday memories and a raffle.

Join us for a relaxing day with good company, good food and entertainment.

Booking is essential. Contact Wendy Edwards 01252 406772/ 07740 082460 or email llm.wendy@badshotleaandhale.org by Saturday, July 31 to reserve your place.

Pictured above: Paris by Alexander Kagan on Unsplash.

Art, Craft, Events, News Releases, Social Events, St Mark's Church

New Craft Market is a resounding success

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Farnham’s newest craft market, which opened in St Mark’s Church, Hale, on Saturday, July 17, has been declared a resounding success.

The market was opened at 10am on Saturday by Cllr Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham, and a steady stream of visitors browsed the stalls for jewellery, textiles, glass, handmade soaps, hats, home décor, cards, pictures and much more, as well as sitting down for tea and home-made cake and listening to live music played on the fiddle, saxophone and double bass. People also took the opportunity to get a closer look at the newly restored murals in the chancel which were painted a century ago by a local artist, Kitty Milroy, and are now recognised as being of national importance.

Everyone – visitors, stallholders and the amazing team who put this on – had a good time and emails and social media messages have been coming in saying how much people enjoyed it. A lot of the stallholders have asked to book again and in August we will be able to have more stalls in the church. This month we limited the number because of Covid restrictions but we will be able to expand though we intend to remain cautious in the light of the rising number of Covid cases.

This was the first of a series of regular monthly markets which will take placed on the third Saturday of each month and the next one will be on Saturday, August 21, from 10am-2pm.

Anyone who is interested in a stall at the August or subsequent markets should contact Stella Wiseman on 07842 761919 or admin@badshotleaandhale.org

Art, Craft, Events, St Mark's Church

A New Art and Craft Market for Farnham – at St Mark’s!

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Farnham has a new market on the third Saturday of the month, starting on July 17 and it’s at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, GU9 0LT. It will run from 10am-2pm.

The market will be selling all sorts of creative products – jewellery, glass, ceramics, textiles, hats, face creams, bath products, art, home décor, cards – as well as homemade cakes and other refreshments. There are only a couple of tables left at the first market but it will be running every month and bookings are being taken for August onwards. If you want to book a stall, contact Stella Wiseman.

There is so much creative skill in and around Farnham and we are delighted to offer artists and crafters the chance to share this with others, and also to encourage people to buy from local producers who have been hit by the pandemic. Among the first stalls will be hats from award-winning milliner Mind Your Bonce, contemporary glass jewellery from Pure Glass, handmade face creams from Gloimoi, upcycled home and gardens items from Val Lee, fused glass, soaps and bath bombs, beautiful greetings cards. Come and browse.

The market will also give visitors the chance to see the newly restored Kitty Milroy murals in the chancel. They really are works of extraordinary skill and beauty and are recognised as being of national significance and the work of a previously unrecognised major talent.

The market will be open from 10am for visitors. Covid restrictions will remain in place for the July one.

Pictured: Bath products by Abi’s Bath Bombs.

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

Say Thank you this Sunday

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We’re joining in national Thank You Day this Sunday, July 4. People around the country are gathering to show their gratitude to those who have helped us so much over the pandemic and we are holding Thank You services in each of the churches with special visitors from across Farnham.

Join us at St John’s at 9.30am, St George’s at 10am and St Mark’s at 11am.

Among those also joining us will be Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham, and Catherine Powell, Surrey Councillor for North Farnham, who will all be at St John’s; Gemma Ball, head of Badshot Lea Village Infant School, Alex Hayhoe from the Hygiene Bank and Iain McCready from Farnham Town Council who will be at St George’s; and Cathy Burroughs, manager of Hale Community Centre, Daniel Gee, head of content for the Farnham Herald, Alastair Shanks from Right at Home care agency, and Pat Evans, former Mayor of Farnham, who will be at St Mark’s. They will be talking about the community in the past 18 months, the future as they see it and what they are thankful for.

There will be opportunities to express your own thanks and make thank-you cards.

Please join us and say thank you too.

For further information, call 07842761919 or email admin@badshotleaandhale.org

Art, Giving and Fundraising, News Releases, St Mark's Church

The Murals have been restored!

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Restoration of the Kitty Milroy murals is complete!

Thanks to the amazing skill of Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede, wall-painting conservationists, the murals in St Mark’s Church have been stabilised and can be seen as they once were when first painted by Kitty Milroy between 1911 and 1920.

The murals were revealed on Friday to a small gathering of people, many of whom had donated to the restoration, and Nick Seversway, a picture restorer whose passion for the murals has driven forward the work, and Rev’d Lesley Crawley gave a joint talk on Kitty and on the content of the murals.

The murals themselves depict Biblical imagery, in particular the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, and the Benedicite, a song which appears in some versions of the Bible and in which all parts of creation are called upon to praise God, from the heavens to the waters, the sun, moon, stars and elements, the mountains and hills, the cattle, the people, ‘all that are holy and humble in heart’.

We need to look after the murals for the future and are still fundraising to help do so, and to improve the lighting so that they can be better seen. We have set up a crowdfunding page to do so – please do support us. Click here to find out more.

On the evening when the murals were revealed there was also a presentation of a book by the Church Recorders, a group which has been recording everything in St Mark’s along with its provenance and history.

Because of Covid restrictions there are limits on the numbers who can see the murals at any one time but visits can be arranged. Please contact the administrator, Stella Wiseman, for details.

Children and Youth, Services, St George's Church, St John's Church, St Mark's Church

Join us for Father’s Day!

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It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, June 20, and we invite you to join us at any of our three churches for a celebration and focus on dads, grandads and other special men who have been important to us in our lives.

Join us at St John’s, Hale, at 9.30am, for a service followed by free brunch, or St Mark’s, Upper Hale, at 11am where brunch will be served during the service, or St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am where dads can have a beer after church! Cheers to Dads!

Want to know more? Call us on 07842761919 or email admin@badshotleaandhale.org

Picture by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Art, Events, St Mark's Church

New Art and Craft Fair for Farnham

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Calling all crafters, artists and other creatives!

There is a new monthly market starting at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, Upper Hale, on the third Saturday of each month, starting July 17. 10am-2pm.

We are inviting all sorts of creative people to come and share and sell their work – jewellers, painters, wood carvers, milliners, knitters, artisan food producers, potters, glassmakers, textile artists….

It’s just £10 for a table, so book now as we will have limited space because of the need for social distancing.

If you would like to take part, please get in touch with admin@badshotleaandhale.org or call 07842761919.

Picture by Soraya Irving on Unsplash