Category Archives: St Mark’s Church

Art, St Mark's Church

Reflecting on Art

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 Over the August Bank Holiday weekend Alan and I always attend a Christian Arts and Music Festival called ‘Greenbelt’. The festival attracts people from all over the country to meet in a field in Northamptonshire, I think there were about 18000 of us this year. The festival inspires me and challenges me, it reinvigorates me and is the place where I most experience the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Come with us next year!!

This year I attended a workshop led by St Martin-in-the-fields which was all about reflecting on art. The piece that we looked at was ‘Christ before the High Priest’ by Gerrit van Honthorst.  In the centre is a lighted candle and to the left is a seated Caiaphas pointing his finger accusingly at Jesus, who is standing to the right of the picture, calm and composed. The text that the painting is based upon is found in Matthew 26:57-75.

As we reflected on the painting we were asked a series of questions and I found myself drawn to the image of Jesus, who was bearing so many false accusations and also bearing the anger of the people in the room. I know that I expect God to be able to bear my anger and put up with my false accusations. Particularly when I am tired and hurt I end up accusing God of not being there for me or not caring enough.

We were asked who we identify with in the picture and I found myself identifying with Jesus, as my experience is that people are often angry with me and I too have to bear false accusations. Is I looked at the calmness of Jesus in this situation I wondered whether this is a ministry that we sometimes have to offer to others…. The ability to bear the anger and false accusations of others whilst remaining calm and caring.

I found the experience profound and thought this workshop might be something that we can do in the parish. We might be able to reflect together on art and find that it moves us forward in our spiritual journeys. So I am hoping that I will be able to get a group together to do this in Advent. Perhaps it is something you are interested in? If so contact me – revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org or 01252 820537.

Lesley Crawley

Social Events, St Mark's Church

Apple Day

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Come and celebrate the fruits of our community orchard from 10:00 until 11:00am on 1st October at St Mark’s. We have a juicer so if you would like to turn your apples into juice then bring apples that are in good condition, washed and picked from the tree along with clean two litre plastic milk cartons including the lid to put the juice in. We will be having some entertainment including apple tasting and apple-y music (and possibly dance). If that isn’t enough apply-ness there will be pancakes with apple filling to eat! Afterwards, you are welcome to stay for the 11am service if you wish.

Social Events, St Mark's Church

Informal Festival Service – Sunday 22nd October, 11am

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At St Mark’s Church on 22nd October there will be a special Festival Service at 11am. By this time we should have a highly decorated church as the output of the workshops will be on display! The service will be led by Lesley Shatwell. As she is a lay minister, it won’t be a communion service. However, it will be highly unusual, if not unique, in that it will be almost entirely a sung service, including the Gospel reading and sermon! We will make sure the melodies are accessible to all – no weird phrasing or unusual cadences designed to catch the uninitiated. The Music can be found here.

We will finish with a bring and share lunch. All welcome.

Total A4

Social Events, St Mark's Church

Music and Art Workshops – Saturday 21st October

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At St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale there will be workshops in the morning 10 – 12:30 and the afternoon 2 – 4:30. We’re still finalising the times and contents, but there will be a come-all-ye music workshop where musicians of any standard and any instrument are welcome to come along and join in. There will also be a singing workshop, run by Veronica (Nonny) Tabbush, an experienced choir leader who has organised choirs in Aldershot and Bordon. She presently lives in the Bristol area and runs choirs there.

There will be painting and arts and crafts workshops, possibly with photography and stone masonry. We will also be re-drawing the map of Hale.Workshops A4

Social Events, St Mark's Church

Ceilidh – Saturday 21st October, 7-10

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Saturday night ceilidh 7 – 10pm at St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale, GU9 0LT.

The band will be the one that plays for the annual Candlemas barn dance at St Georges, with Kris Lawrence as caller. There could also be a variable number of additional musicians, as those attending the workshop during the day will be welcome to sit in with us. We will also hopefully have a performance from the choir workshop and displays of art and photography generated during the day.

Ceilidh A4

Art, St Mark's Church

Arts at St Mark’s

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Well, we’ve now got a snazzy logo and a title for the festival!

This is an update on where we are with the Arts and Music festival at St Mark’s. However, as I’m writing this on the last day of August, for the October magazine, it’s likely that by the time you read this we’ll have extra publicity material with more details available.

Dates:            Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd October 2017.

The festival will be free. We will have buckets available for voluntary donations. Any donations on the Friday night will go towards the organ restoration fund. Any subsequent donations, after deduction of expenses, will go the parish general fund and the fabric fund, both of which need all the help they can get!

Friday

We’ll be setting up an art exhibition in the afternoon. In the evening there will be a concert starting at 7pm. We’ve sorted the acts now. We’ll have a couple of pieces on Emily (the pipe organ), songs to piano accompaniment, a rock band, a choral group and a rock-a-billy/country band.  There will be an interval and tea, coffee etc. half way through.

Saturday

Workshops in the morning 10 – 12:30 and the afternoon 2 – 4:30. We’re still finalising the times and contents, but there will be a come-all-ye music workshop where musicians of any standard and any instrument are welcome to come along and join in. There will also be a singing workshop, run by Veronica (Nonny) Tabbush, an experienced choir leader who has organised choirs in Aldershot and Bordon. She presently lives in the Bristol area and runs choirs there.

There will definitely be painting and arts and crafts workshops, possibly with photography and stone masonry, but we’re still finalising the details here.

At the moment the schedule has to be finalised. Details will be available well in advance of the festival.

Saturday night ceilidh 7 – 10pm. This starts and finishes early as we have to get the church ready for services the following day. The band will be the one that plays for the annual Candlemas barn dance at St Georges, with Kris Lawrence as caller. There could also be a variable number of additional musicians, as those attending the workshop during the day will be welcome to sit in with us. We will also hopefully have a performance from the choir workshop and displays of art and photography generated during the day.

Sunday

Service 11am. By this time we should have a highly decorated church as the output of the workshops will be on display! The service will be led by Lesley Shatwell. As she is a lay minister, it won’t be a communion service. However, it will be highly unusual, if not unique, in that it will be almost entirely a sung service, including the Gospel reading and sermon! We will make sure the melodies are accessible to all – no weird phrasing or unusual cadences designed to catch the uninitiated. It’s highly likely we’ll make any unfamiliar hymns etc. available as MP3 files before the event.

We will finish with a bring and share lunch. All welcome.

Bob Shatwell

 

 

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

Safeguarding

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Most people will be aware of the safeguarding problems that the national church has had.  To help address this, and to help ensure that children and vulnerable adults are kept safe the national church has created new safeguarding procedures, which the Diocese and the Parish have adopted.  The Parish is now in the process of implementing these new procedures.

As a result of this we will be:

  • Drawing up a list of all church activities, together with leaders and assistants.
  • Circulating a “know your safeguarding role” to all people working with children or vulnerable adults.
  • Asking all people working with children or vulnerable adults to sign the new confidential declaration form.
  • Implementing the “Safe Recruitment” procedures for people taking on new roles.
  • Creating risk assessments for all church activities.
  • Working with regular hall bookers to ensure that they have adequate safeguarding procedures and public liability insurance.

It will take us some time to do this, but we have no choice, both because this is best practice, and because we wish to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults using our services (in the wider sense) or our buildings.

Alan Crawley

St Mark's Church

Inclusive Church

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The Parish is considering signing up to Inclusive Church, an organisation which encourages churches to look at who might not be coming into church because for some reason they feel it isn’t for them or they cannot do so. The reasons may be many and varied – perhaps it is an economic issue, culture, race, disability, a mental health issue, sexuality. Inclusive Church encourages churches think about these reasons and can help churches be truly welcoming.

Many churches and individuals have joined Inclusive Church and they are united around the following statement of belief:

“We believe in inclusive Church – church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.”

On July 23, the Very Rev’d Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford Cathedral and chair of Inclusive Church, visited St Mark’s and spoke about joining Inclusive Church and it was decided that during August the clergy will preach on different aspects of inclusion and then the PCC will vote on the parish joining.

Stella Wiseman