This page shows first a chronology of some notable events in the life of the church family in 2011.
Chronology
Notable 2011 Events
20 Oct Funeral of Warner
Wright
3 July Dr Kuhan Satkunanayagam
ordained Deacon in Guildford Cathedral by Bishop Christopher and takes
up his Title Post as Curate of Leatherhead and Mickleham
13 May Funeral of Beryl Armitage, who died on 23
April.
1 May Welcome to Graham
Davies, who takes up his post as organist and
choirmaster at the Parish Church.
1 May See the Services link for the new Sunday
morning services timings, part of our continued experimenting
with our service pattern - the Parish Communion is now at 0930 and the
Contemporary all-age service at 1115 (also updated 4 May).
16-29 Mar The updated Parish Electoral Roll was available for inspection in the church and the Parish Office from 16th March until 29th March 2011, the day before the APCM. Following the APCM, applications to join the Roll are again open. See also 20 Jan
20 Feb Alec Henniker died this morning, twelve days after the funeral of Molly. His funeral was held at the Parish Church on Wednesday 9th March at 2pm.
The funeral of Molly Henniker took place at the Parish Church on Tuesday, 8th February, at 2pm.
Sun 23 Jan 11: Rev Mary Cruddas takes her last services here and there is a farewell lunch and presentations in the Parish Hall
20 Jan 11: Parish Electoral Roll update: Please contact Frank Haslam, our Electoral Roll Officer, L379341, if you wish to remain on our Roll but have changed address/email address/tel no in the last 12 months. If you think you are not on the Roll but wish to be added so that you can vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, please complete an Electoral Roll form. This can be had from me or the Parish Office/Church or [via the website]. The Electoral Roll Officer needs to have received all new applications/revisions no later than 15th March.
Jan: The Parish advertises on the RSCM website a vacancy for Organist and Choir Director, with a strong emphasis on traditional church music http://www.rscm.com/publications/cmq_ads.php (click on Vacancies when the page comes up)
January's magazine announces that Dr Kuhan Satkunanayagam will be ordained Deacon to serve as Assistant Curate in the United Benefice of Leatherhead and Mickleham at Petertide (3 July) in Guildford Cathedral - see below.
Review of Experimental Worship Pattern - from Dec 2011's magazine
Detailed planning of the survey of those attending our services at the parish church is well under way. The purpose is to learn more about what people think about service times and the kinds of service. We would like as many people as possible to take part.
The survey is being handled for us by Frank Haslam, who is an Associate Member of the Market Research Society and one of the very experienced and highly trained people who check market research agencies to assess their compliance with international standards.
There will be absolute confidentiality for those taking
part. Only Frank will know who has completed any given form, and
no one will be identifiable in the results. This will be achieved
by giving each questionnaire a unique number that is made known to Frank
– this is a vital step in the process because it may be necessary to
clarify an answer, or check that the handwriting has been read
correctly. If Frank does not know who has submitted a particular form,
the answers on that form will not be included in the responses to be
analysed. More information soon on the parish website and in church and
in the notices.
Worship Key Area Working Group
[and from the News Sheet for 27 November 2011:
We are now ready to begin the review of our experimental
worship pattern. The timetable for the survey questionnaire is as
follows:
9 Dec - final version and all operational details agreed;
Sun 1 Jan onwards - questionnaires available;
Sun 12 Feb - official closing date;
Wed 29 Feb - completion of data inputting, coding of open ended comments
(including back-checking of replies as required), dummy runs on early
data to check analysis;
8 March - final results released to PCC.]
I would like to share my Faith with you, by Edith Wright - from Dec 2011's magazine
I would like to share my Faith with you, how it became even stronger in the last four and a half years while caring for dear Warner. I wanted to care for Warner in our own home until the Lord called Warner Home. Without my Faith in the dear Lord and all your Prayers I could never have achieved this.
As you know, Warner did not always know me - I had many hats. With time and God's help I was able to accept this, sometimes we even had a little laugh over this. I always felt a wonderful sense that the Lord was with me day and night, he helped me to get through difficult periods, the Lord gave me such patience and a wonderful sense of humour. The odd time I did feel sad, I could open my heart to the Lord how I felt. Somehow he brought me back to remember all my blessings. The great thing Warner was happy. Warner used to say to me "I do hope that you are as happy as I am" I thanked the Lord for this.
The day before the Lord called Warner home I was holding Warner's hand and he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it three times. I really felt that he knew I was his wife. I did get on my knees and thanked the Lord. I had prayed to the Lord that I could accept Warner not knowing me but before the Lord took him please may Warner know that I am his wife and he did.
I would not have missed these last years caring for Warner. I could not have done this but for the Lord giving me Strength a supportive Family, your Prayers, the way you kindly spoke to him when Warner came to Church. When he was unable to come to Church you would enquire of him. When I went home and told him his face would light up. Warner loved his Church. The Lord also gave me a very special friend that was always there and a Friend’s flat where the odd time I could catch up with my sleep.
If anybody is climbing on the Faith Ladder go on climbing,
Faith is a wonderful you are never alone, the Lord is always by you
side. The Lord has also given me a very supportive loving Family.
Edith Wright
[Edith and her family have contributed items towards a page in memory of Warner which can be seen on this website (go History > Remembrance)]
LeatherHEAD START - from Dec 2011's magazine
The former Leatherhead Night Hostel has taken a new life as LeatherHead Start, intended not only to give shelter to homeless people, but to give them a NEW START IN LIFE. Years of planning and months of work have completely transformed the shabby old building. Although the front shows no structural change, the interior has been completely refurbished, and a very remarkable extension has made it possible to develop the way this “Night and Day” Hostel works.
Instead of a bunk bed in a room shared by three other people residents are housed each in a small but well designed single bedroom, en suite, with a big window (fitted with a venetian blind), and television.
They are able to stay up to 6 months while being helped to find a decent place to live, work if possible, and to learn some of the skills they need, which they may have lost, or others may never have acquired, like budgeting, paying bills, simple cooking and housework.
Not surprisingly a new arrival, after being homeless, perhaps sleeping rough, and having many disasters in his or her life, is likely to dig in to the comfort and privacy of that single room, and may be reluctant to share more than meal times with other residents. So it is that the communal room and amenities are still looking a bit empty, but there are plans being developed to help individuals open up their lives to new interests and opportunities.
These plans are dependent on volunteers who may be ready to come and give some time, from as little to 2 or 3 hours a week, to help one or two residents mostly in simple things like reading, some craft, music, and much else.
In the New Year we intend to give more information about
the possibilities and needs for such volunteering, and hope that some
readers will find that they can spare a few hours, for a few weeks or
more, for such a worthwhile occupation.
Christine Bryant
see also http://www.leatherheadstart.org/
Mission Focus on … Pastoral Care - from the Nov 2011 magazine
CCT – Congregation Care Team What is it? This is US as a church family caring about each other, becoming a real family united in love for each other.
The members of the CCT (wearing badges) will be aware of others in the congregation and will be concerned if anyone is missing for a while (this does NOT mean holidays, visiting etc), concerned that something may be wrong and will make contact (phone, text, email) just to check everything is OK, or if not, if we as a family can do anything.
This needs to be a two way thing, everyone needs to tell CCT members if they are going to be away/not attending church for a few weeks (visiting relations, extended holidays etc).
This is NOT meant to be intrusive in any way but a loving,
caring relationship. Who is it?
8 am Val Jones
9 am (All Saints) Rosalind Corteen, Jane Summerfield, Sheila Sutherland
9.30 am Hazel Brown, Mollie Canning, Rita and Ron Grassley, Roger Lynch,
Sue Roberts, Edith Wright
11.15 am Sheila Cole, Vicki Dixon, Dee Lawrence, Angela Rive
6.30 pm Gail Partridge, Jan and Steve Whiting
If this is something you feel you would like to be part
of, please contact me – S Cole on L373330 or sheilacoleAThotmail.com
Sheila Cole
Link Church - from the Nov 2011 magazine
As I think you are all aware, we have now become a 'Link Church' and started a three year association, through the Church Mission Society (CMS), with Chris and Veronica.
They will be going out to Spain in the New Year to support and further develop a Christian Charity focused on sharing the gospel with 'unreached' people.
Chris and Veronica are coming to both services on Sunday 20th November to tell us about the role they will be adopting in Spain, and that will be your chance to ask them questions about what they will be doing and why. We are also going to have a board in the Church that will give you updates on their progress and lives out there.
Once they are established we would hope that this will become a two-way exchange. Please come to one of the services on the 20th and I am sure that you will be able to find the answers to the various queries that I know many of you have.
Also, this week we have sent off to The Leprosy Mission a
cheque for £497.55 which was collected at the Harvest Service. Thank you
very much to all those who generously gave for this.
Outward Giving
September 2011 - Choral Evensong
Whether swelled by the promise of after-service “Banrock Station and Nibbles” – courtesy of our departing Curate, Mike Stewart - the congregation for September’s Choral Evensong was significantly larger than usual. Equally, the increase in numbers may well have been due to “word of mouth” from previous services that this format of Evensong was certainly worth attending.
Whatever the reason, the 40-strong congregation was given yet another memorable musical treat from start to finish. Prefaced with an Organ Prelude by J S Bach and closing with an Organ Voluntary by the same composer the service even included an original melody for Nunc Dimittis, written nearly forty years ago while at Westminster College Oxford, by our own Peter Steadman.
The crushing disappointment of the news that Mike Stewart would not be preaching was largely offset by a lively address from visiting speaker, Lisa Lewis from The Leprosy Mission, who made an impassioned plea for generosity of donation in the forthcoming Harvest Thanksgiving collection.
Mike Stewart’s choice of hymns, which included Runyan’s melodiously uplifting Great is thy faithfulness and Stainer’s inspiring All for Jesus, added a further dimension and could not be faulted.
This was an hour of bliss (an hour and a half if you
include the “Banrock Station and Nibbles”!) for which the choir,
organist Peter Holt, and not least Mike Stewart himself should be warmly
congratulated.
Steve Whiting
Church Library - from the Nov 2011 magazine
I offered to undertake the task of tidying up the
bookshelves at the back of the church, to make it more ‘user friendly’.
This I have now completed – labelling the various different sections and
producing a folder listing the books. There have been a few added since
the original was finished. I really want to encourage everyone to make
use of this fantastic resource. There is a wide selection of excellent
and varied ones. So why not take time to browse whilst enjoying a
delicious, frothy coffee or a thirst quenching cup of tea. Refreshing
all parts of the body, mind and spirit!
Juliet Campbell
Growing as Disciples Key Area Working Group (KAWG) – Progress update - from the Nov 2011 magazine
As a group we based our objectives on some of the Marks of Christian Discipleship namely
1. Becoming lifelong learners , e.g. through Bible Study and other teaching
One of our aims was to have Bibles available in church so that congregation members could look up the readings for themselves rather than reading from the notice sheet. This helps with the lifelong learning process of becoming more familiar with the Bible. A small group was formed to compare the various versions of the Bible and to come to a decision. After several study meetings and using different versions for personal reading and study, we made a decision to purchase the New International Version 2011 (which is being funded by a donation). Hopefully, we shall have Bibles in church by Bible Sunday 23rd October. These will be kept on the book shelves by the north door and will be available for anyone who would like to use them.
Another aim was for the continuing growth of small groups and this is happening with group members sharing their journey of faith, learning together and enjoying friendship and fellowship. Please contact Linda Hauxwell if you would like to join a small group. Alongside small groups there have been two seminar series one on Biblical Prophets and one on Other Faiths which have given people another learning opportunity.
2. Exercising faithful stewardship (using our time, talents and treasure for the building up of God's Kingdom)
We wanted to make serving the Lord more simple and to
encourage church members to use their gifts to do this. So we developed
a poster (with the help of Jay) entitled ‘Growing Disciples – groups to
join and teams to serve on…..’ This lists groups and teams and asks us
where we fit? It is
displayed in the north aisle where there is room to study it and to
contemplate.
Other marks of Christian Discipleship are:-
3. Developing a fervent prayer life
4. Being committed members of our Church Family, through faithful and
mutual fellowship
5. Being passionate worshippers
6. Evangelism: spreading the good news of the Gospel to others people ,
in Leatherhead and at work
KAWG members Linda Hauxwell, Carol Bristow, Andrew Chastney, Chris
Stagg
Heritage Weekend and Harvest Flowers - from the Nov 2011 magazine
The Church Flower Arrangers’ interpretation of the Heritage Weekend theme of Work, Rest and Prayer was greatly admired.
Prayer was interpreted by Jill Goodchild with an arrangement behind the high altar of flowers and prayers written in her beautiful calligraphy. Valerie Jones showed the work of the Carpenter with glowing orange and apricot colours echoing the lovely old tools and timber panelling by the Lady Chapel. Beverly Mehta evoked the Painter’s work with several single coloured arrangements balanced on a step ladder with pots of paint and brushes.
Rest was created by Alison Draper with a beach scene of shells, seaweed, deckchair, and buckets of dune flora and grasses. And on the Remembrance Chapel windowsill Molly Lewis portrayed Rest with a relaxed flowing line of deep purple perfumed lilies, ferns, and somnolent poppy seed heads.
The Stonemason was celebrated on the stone font by Gillian Manners with acanthus and a soaring column of rolled yucca leaves echoing the church pillars and a piece of stone demonstrating the mason’s work in progress. Also on display were seven beautiful wedding pedestals arranged by other members of the flower team, creating a church full of flowers.
Three weeks later the group was in action again decorating the church for Harvest Festival with every pedestal, ledge and windowsill laden with God’s gifts of beautiful fruit and flowers.
Harvest Supper and Barn Dance - Saturday 1 October 2011
Dance then wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the dance said He
And I will lead you all wherever you may be
And I’ll lead you all in the dance said He’
Sydney Carter
Wow! What an evening to be remembered! Full of F’s – fun, family and fellowship! Who needs the gym when you can have such a fantastic way of working out!
Dennis Wickham and his very talented band of musicians delivered a delicious delectation of styles and moods from square, line, barn dancing to the twist, conga, hokey cokey and the more gentler and stylish waltzes and Quickstep with real zest and flair.
To sustain the energy required to dance an excellent repast of chilli con carne, jacket spuds, salad with a bean stew alternative for those of vegetarian persuasion and then a traditional old fashioned dessert of apple crumble and custard or cream. A very capable and versatile team prepared this scrumptious feast excellently.
There was a wonderful mix of all ages seated along long tables and a well organised dance area the hay bales lending the ambience of rurality!
It took me back to the days of my youth when I attended the local Methodist church and circuit youth walks ending in a barn dance were the order of the day and what fun we had! At those there were a good mix of families of all ages. That evening I felt the same joie de vivre!
A great big thank you to all involved and to all who
attended and made it such a wonderfully memorable evening. May there
continue to be many more such events that enable us to grow as God’s
family in Leatherhead.
Juliet Campbell
Women’s World Day Of Prayer Area Preparation Day - A Success! - from the Nov 2011 magazine
In the October magazine I wrote about the WWDP – its history and its aims. In brief, every year on the first Friday in March women worldwide pray together throughout the day on a set theme: the theme for next year is “Let Justice Prevail”, and the service has been prepared by the women of Malaysia. St Mary and St Nicholas will hold the service in the afternoon of Friday 2nd March – with an excellent spread of light refreshments in the Church Hall afterwards. Please put the date in your diary now!
On Thursday 13th October the Leatherhead Branch of WWDP hosted an Area Preparation Day at which the National Committee Chairwoman, Mrs Kathleen Skinner, and the Vice Chairwoman, Mrs Nola McCormick, were the chief guests. They led us all by bible study, information about Malaysia, and a run through of the service including all the hymns. We had invited delegates from the whole of Surrey and the surrounding counties to attend – and the numbers were not far short of 100 in the Parish Church Hall for the full day conference. (I am told these events often have only half this number.)
We had a display of artefacts and a magnificent flower arrangement to match the colours of the meditation image. As well as being a valuable fund of practical information and guidance on the service and the country it also provided a remarkable showcase for our own Parish Church and the Church Hall. Visitors were encouraged to cross the road to view the Church during the lunch break and were impressed by the rare and unusual features – including the double squint and the funeral helmet.
And the Church Hall was highly praised, with its light and airy spaciousness and its parking availability. Also the ease of access from both the railway and the M25, and the beauty of the surrounding countryside, made it a real day out. The delegates were delighted that we offered them such delicious home-made soup to accompany their picnic lunch, together with copious refreshments of all kinds.
We sold a great quantity of WWDP resources, and the Fairtrade Stall was a huge success!
But chiefly it was the warm welcome and happy atmosphere throughout the day that promoted the biggest response – nearly all the visitors gave a personal thank you as they left, and wanted us to know how very much they had enjoyed the experience. I am indebted to all nine of the other ladies on the local committee, from URC, Catholic, Methodist, and Pioneer Engage, who worked so hard to make the day a success. And it is appropriate to thank our own committee members from the Parish Church and All Saints, and others within the parish, including husbands, who with tireless enthusiasm gave up their time to put the event together and make it such a wonderful day.
There is a great strength in the bond between sisters of
prayer united by a common cause. We shall be lifting our voices and our
prayers with them next March, and with all other women all over the
world. May God bless our plans and guide us in our work. Amen.
Caroline Dodds
Footnote: Having donated the magnificent flower arrangement to the
Autumn Market, as agreed beforehand, I won it as first prize. What can I
say?
Volunteers: Intercessors, Readers, Elements - from the October 2011 magazine
A little while ago I made a plea for more people to offer to give the Intercessions, give the Reading or take up the Elements.
However, the splitting of the Services, the length of time that some people have been volunteering for this, the indisposition of some, and the moving away of others have all resulted in my lists being somewhat depleted. There have been a few new recruits who, after some fear and trepidation, are now happy to have “jumped in at the deep end”, and the more names that I have mean that there are fewer times I need to ask.
I have the fewest names with Intercessors which means that I need to ask the names that I have more frequently than the others. Intercessions are not the dreaded panic/horror that most people fear, and this becomes apparent once the newcomers have “had a go”. Giving the reading needs very little preparation and it does not have to given from the lectern but can given from your seat, and taking up the Elements is shared so there is friendly and moral support.
Please give this some thought, and if you feel that you would like to have a try at any of the disciplines please contact me. It is not as terrifying as you might think and your listening audience will always be more than sympathetic.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank very much
all those, past and present, who have been carrying the load over the
years.
F Presley
Mission: Rescue Holiday Club - from the October 2011 magazine
It will seem a long time ago, by the time this is published – but that is the nature of print deadlines! Last August some 85 children and young people joined us for the Mission:Rescue Holiday Club. As “secret agents” for the week, we cracked codes, wore silly disguises, made gadgets, tried out weird communication devices, and generally had a load of undercover fun. And, at Bfree, the gunge-ing of leaders was a special moment for everyone!!
A highlight for me was the deepening relationship that we have with the children who come. Many of them are now involved in other activities – especially Messy Church and Triumph AM – and it’s great to see them enjoying exploring their faith. The story of Moses was the Biblical thread running through the week, and we heard how he was “sent undercover” into Pharaoh’s palace and given the mission to rescue God’s people. And of course we celebrated that Jesus extended that “rescue plan” to every man, woman and child.
Many thanks to the small army of people who got involved
in Mission:Rescue and made it all happen. It is a testament to the
increasingly close relations between our churches that the team blends
so well together and gets on with the business of caring for the
children and celebrating God’s love.
Jane Smith
The Sisters of Bethany - from the October 2011 magazine
I recently stayed with these sisters for my annual retreat and had a most refreshing and inspiring time. The society of the Sisters of Bethany was founded in 1866, a group of women called to live as a family in Christ under the traditional vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for a life of prayer and service. The framework of their day lies around the recitation of the Divine Office and daily Eucharist.
Their main active work is to offer hospitality to those who want to “come apart” for a while or have a time of quiet. Their house is now in Southsea where they offer very generous and comfortable hospitality at an affordable price.
The atmosphere of quiet prayer is so powerful that I slipped easily into retreat. I just relaxed into the sisters’ prayer. They have a small but well kept garden and the house is about 20 minutes walk from the sea. My favourite spot was by a simple water feature. Soothed by the sound of running water I noticed a fig tree which took me right into the gospel story from John chapter 1: Nathanael meeting Jesus discovered that Jesus knew all about his reflections under the fig tree. I was immediately taken into an imaginative meditation of being with Jesus, knowing that he knew all my thoughts and concerns and I could just relax and be at peace in God’s presence.
Bethany was Jesus’ “bolthole”. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were his special friends; they are often mentioned in the gospels. During Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, as the encounters with the religious leaders grew ever more hostile Jesus returned to Bethany each night to be with his friends.
I pondered a lot on the sisters’ dedication to the House of Bethany which is summed up in a prayer they say each day after Vespers: “Almighty God, whose son Jesus Christ when living among us honoured with his presence the house of Bethany, give us grace like Lazarus to walk in newness of life, like Martha to feed Christ in serving our brothers and sisters, and like Mary attentive to your Word, to be fed by him who is the bread of life, our Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and for ever. Amen.
There is room for each one of us in that dedication. To
which of those three friends of Jesus do we relate? How can we offer the
hospitality of Bethany to those we meet in our lives?
Maureen Henderson
Temporary Re-Ordering/Mike Stewart/Malcolm Clark - from the September 2011 magazine
In response to the resolution passed at the 6 July PCC Meeting, we have received the Archdeacon's Permission for Temporary Re-Ordering. The Coffee in Church team has created a space in the South Aisle, putting two pews against the South wall so that people can sit with their coffee, and moving three pews up into to the Upper Chancel. This will allow us to use the High Altar and Upper Chancel as a chapel. It also gives us the opportunity to put some prayer resources into the Lady Chapel so that it can be used as the place for quiet prayer.
Sheila Sutherland has handed on the baton of organising the coffee rota to Nicky Osborne, and I would like to record our appreciation for all Sheila has done in this aspect of our Pastoral Care. This is another key step in pursuit of our vision to be "growing disciples of Jesus Christ", as it gives us an opportunity every week to be together as a family between the services. Please continue to pray for our growth as the family of God in this place.
Please ensure that lunchtime on Sunday 25 September is
firmly in your diaries. This is Mike Stewart's last Sunday with us here
in Leatherhead and Mickleham as he moves on to pastures new. There will
be a Bring & Share lunch in the Church Hall following the
11.15am service. Linda Hauxwell is co-ordinating the food, so please
contact her on 370308 to discover what she would like you to bring (and
share!).
I look forward to seeing you all there.
... and it's "Goodbye from him" I would like to record my
gratitude to Malcolm Clark who has been editing this magazine for the
past ten years. The August edition was intended to be the last under
Malcolm's editorship but he has very generously agreed to edit this
issue as well. This is positively his last appearance. Malcolm has been
ably assisted by Margaret Jones and Keith Evans in proof-reading and
typesetting the magazine, to whom many thanks as well, but it has been
Malcolm at the helm. Editing a magazine is most definitely a labour of
love, and Malcolm has used his considerable gifts to bring us an
entertaining and informative publication month by month. I know that you
will join me in expressing our collective thanks to Malcolm and in
wishing him well for the future.
Graham Osborne
Music Notes from the September 2011 magazine
The holiday month of August has marked the end of a chapter in the musical life of St. Mary and St. Nicholas. We have taken this opportunity to develop a new tradition, which will bring changes to the way music is offered during the Parish Communion. This will commence on the first Sunday in September.
In the June Magazine I mentioned how keen I was to encourage congregation singing. It is good to report, from feedback received, the popularity of the changes to the music at our Parish Communion Service. The reintroduction of the gradual psalm has been welcomed, as has the use of the Cantor to support the singing of the Gloria, Psalm and Gospel Alleluias.
Members of the congregation have asked for details of the organ music played before and after services. Such interest is very pleasing and you will soon be able to take a full Music List for September from the back of the church. In many churches and cathedrals members of the congregation remain in their seats until the music has finished - rather than engage in conversation or rush off to be first in the queue for coffee. Dare I suggest we start another new tradition?
It was very pleasing to meet a few folk from Leatherhead
after my recent recital at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Thank you to
them. In August I played at St. Michael and All Angels, Lyme Regis,
where there is a magnificent new organ by the Czech organ builder
Skrabl, and in September I fly to Chicago, USA to give two recitals. In
October I'll be playing at St. Stephen's Walbrook, in the City of
London, in Sheffield Cathedral, and Kingston Parish Church. I'll make
sure details are available in the church in case you would like to come
to one of the nearer concerts.
Graham Davies
and ... Organ Recital from the September 2011 magazine
On Sunday 24 July, our Organist, Graham Davies gave a
recital at St Paul's Cathedral and three of us, Peter Steadman, Richard
Price and myself, decided to go up to London to give him some support.
The programme consisted of four works, of which the J S Bach cantata
"Wachet auf' was probably the best known. The other pieces were by
Buxtehude, Mendelssohn and Denis Bedard. The recital was well attended,
and it was good to hear Graham perform on an instrument, which did
justice to his brilliant musicianship, although the acoustics of the
building must have created difficulties with the lower parts of chords
being lost in the dome. We felt very proud of Graham and grateful to him
for putting Leatherhead Parish Church on the map!
Anne Thomson
PARISH FUNDING from the September 2011 magazine
"Each should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"
2 Corinthians 9:7 Over the coming weeks we will be concentrating on our Parish Funding Programme or, putting it another way, balancing our Income and Expenditure account. For a decade and more we have increasingly relied on our investment income and reserves to cover our costs. In recent years, as members have moved away or died, income received from freewill giving has fallen and this we have to address. God is generous to us. Let us all be generous in furthering His work in our Parish by searching our hearts and providing the funds necessary to cover our costs with courage and commitment.
As the Parish Stewardship Promoter, assisted by fellow
Wardens Linda Hauxwell, John Hampton, Sheila Sutherland and Donald
Yeates, we will be keeping you regularly updated with our progress and
invite you to feel free to talk with me or any Warden on this important
matter.
Martin Cole Parish Stewardship Promoter
and .. Parish Funding Programme 2011 - from the February 2012 magazine
The Parish Funding Presentations took place on three consecutive days last November. With the use of latest technology (thanks to Graham's expertise in this field) I was able to give an illustrated account of the present state of our finances. Having relied a lot over many years on income derived from past benefactors gifts, the reality now is, that income has dropped and we, the living church, must give more.
I said that the current giving by us (the congregation) provided only 30% of our annual running costs. The average for every parish in the Diocese is 75%...... what a shocking difference.....
I am pleased to say that in response to the presentations Planned Giving income will increase by 21% or £10500 plus tax benefit in 2012. That is a good initial response for which we say 'Thankyou' and I remain hopeful that sum will increase more, helping us to maintain all of our extensive mission we currently provide. The result increases our giving to 42% of annual running costs. Still a long way to go. It would be good if everyone on our electoral roll gave regularly by bankers order, which would help us enormously towards achieving the Diocesan average of 75%. If anyone did not receive an invitation to the presentations or wishes to set up a bankers order, please contact me.
I would like to thank very much Linda Hauxwell and Donald
Yeates who so ably assisted in the presentations and the great team of
volunteers who served such delicious food to those attending.
Martin Cole
Parish Funding Promoter
The End of an Era from the September 2011 magazine
Janine and Jackie would like to say a big Thank You to the members of the Toddler Group and the Church for giving them a memorable send-off on 20 July. The flower arrangements we received were stunning - containing lilies, roses, gladioli, agapanthus, and gerberas - in a dramatic combination of blue and orange. We will also look forward to spending the gift vouchers.
The new team of Katie Rickard, Sarah-Jane Cobbett, Heather Blackburn, Anne Vince, and Helen Hill already have their new duties in hand, though we will be in the background until Christmas to ensure a smooth hand-over.
The Parent & Toddler Group will restart on Wednesday14
September. If you would like to join us in September as a member with a
child or a helper there is still time to let us know on L374914.
Janine Stagg and Jackie Burgess
Outward Giving and World Mission from the September 2011 magazine
Our Outward Giving donations for 2011 of £1,000 each have now been sent to Tyrwhitt House for Combat Stress, and to Cherry Trees the respite care home for children and young people in Surrey with severe learning and physical disabilities.
Now to look forwards. Sunday 2nd October is our Harvest Festival, and as in the past few years we have decided to donate money to a specific cause and to receive harvest gifts only from the children. (Remember Water Aid?) This year we are going to give to The Leprosy Mission, and on Sunday 11th September, at the 6.30pm Choral Evensong Lisa Lewis, who is the Area Coordinator for the South East of the Leprosy Mission, is coming to tell us about her Charity. We have found previously that it was good to let you know about the Charity before Harvest itself, and the 11th in the evening is the only day and time that is free for everyone concerned. Having said that, sadly, Graham Osborne will not be with us as he will be on holiday, but I am sure that we shall all make Lisa most welcome and be very generous three weeks later.
We have now made a definite commitment to become a Link Church through the CMS, and for the next three years we shall support Veronica and Chris as they prepare to go to Spain in the New Year to start their Mission. Our commitment for 2011/12 is £2000 and some of this will go towards their training programme this autumn. On Sunday 20th November they are coming to both the Morning Services, not only to tell us their plans but also to allow opportunity for everyone to meet them and to ask the questions, which I am sure you will have. As this is still a little in the future we shall give further details in October and, hopefully, set up a special notice board which will be one of our means of communication with them.
Veronica gave birth to Gabrio in the summer, a brother for
Samara Joy, so their family of four will be traveling to Spain early in
2012.
Frances Presley, Anne Warren, Alison Draper
The Parish Magazine - from the September 2011 magazine
As a regular contributor and reader of the parish magazine, I would like to add my thanks to Malcolm Clark for all his work as an excellent editor. I believe that Graham will act as editor for the time being, but who will volunteer to be a permanent editor?
As Steve Whiting said in the August issue, Malcolm's retirement will make us take stock and try to work out how we should proceed. The vital question is why do we have a magazine - what is it for? How many of us really read all of it? I do, but I suspect that a lot of people don't. As Steve said, should we continue to have a magazine at all? Or should we combine with say URC and the Methodists, even if they were willing to do so? I don't think that is the answer - I feel strongly that we should continue to have a magazine of our own.
So, we return to the question of why we have a magazine and what is it for? It is obviously a very convenient way of distributing information about services, people involved with the church, and future, current and past events. Of course, this can all be put on line, but for most of us it is much quicker and easier to pick up a booklet to look something up, even if we have a computer.
We have bound copies of all our parish magazines since
they began in 1880, which is very unusual if not unique. They are stored
at the Surrey History Centre in Woking and provide a very valuable
record of past events – it's hard to envisage how fascinating our
present activities will seem in 100 years! I hope that we can continue
the magazine in its present size at least until December so that we can
complete this year to make up the bound set. Meanwhile let us hope and
pray that a new editor can be found.
Linda Heath
and .. The Way Forward - from Aug 2011
After 10 years of excellent service, Malcolm Clark OBE will be stepping down as editor of the Parish Magazine. This August issue will be his last and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to him for his considerable expertise, time and effort over the years and to wish him all the very best for the future. We are, therefore, looking for an immediate successor to Malcolm. If you feel able to take on this important role, please contact any of the church officials or myself either by telephone or Email as soon as possible. Malcolm has kindly indicated that he will be willing to provide any necessary help to his successor who will need to be available to edit from the September issue onwards.
This enforced editorial change does allow us a natural opportunity to evaluate where we are with the magazine and whether the time has come for any changes or improvements to its present format, content and delivery.
The Parish Magazine is currently circulated on a monthly basis to some 500 recipients within the parish. Historically, it has been informative, educational and newsworthy. However, it has been suggested that perhaps generally the magazine no longer fulfils the aim for which it was first intended. What do you think? We are anxious to hear from you. Your feedback is important to us.
Does the magazine have to remain monthly? Is it time to share a magazine with the other Leatherhead churches -perhaps on a quarterly basis? Should the content and style change?
For the past two and a half years I have enjoyed the
responsibility of producing an audio version of the magazine for the
visually impaired and I will be seeking the same feedback from them in
this August edition. Please rest assured that no changes will be
implemented without due consideration and assessment of your feedback
and suggestions. Please contact me.
Steve Whiting
and .. "The Old Order Changeth ... Yielding place to new" - from Aug 2011
Change is good. Well it often is! Some years ago the Church of England produced a report, which advised parish priests in general to move parish every twelve years. Parish magazine editors are not important enough to have had such a report written about them but had there been one the advice would probably have been much the same and for similar reasons; an added reason for me is that I no longer have close links with Leatherhead. With some sadness therefore I have decided to retire from being editor of this magazine. I can only hope that you have had half as much enjoyment in reading it as I have had in overseeing its production.
After a vicar in Derby produced the first parish magazine in January 1859 many other parishes copied the idea including Leatherhead in 1880; it has been going here ever since and a copy of every issue is stored in the County Archive. Whoever succeeds me will be carrying on a tradition of approaching a century and a half.
It is not a solo performance even though computers have made the job much easier than it used to be. Tribute must be paid to all those unseen people who distribute the magazine, led by Joyce Salsbury; Carole Neeser who arranges the advertising; and the contributors of articles including Edward Riedel for his regular Word Search and Linda Heath for her equally regular One Hundred Years Ago.
However, more particular thanks are due to Keith Evans who has, during all my time as editor, set out the magazine to give it the professional appearance it has had. Any recent falling from his high standard has been due to my standing in for him while he has been unwell. His illness obliges him also to retire now.
For the last few years Margaret Jones has been a welcome part of the team; she is a dab hand at proof reading and punctuation: you will have noticed a huge improvement since she joined. But that is not all she does: the monthly Magazine calendar is her work along with articles and kind advice. Thank you, Margaret. Fortunately Margaret feels able to continue at least for the time being.
The Treasurer has always been understanding and helpful,
never complaining as he might have done when I have been late in sending
cheques to him. Jane Andrews has not complained either even though I
must sometimes have been a nuisance to her. One of the joys of the job
has been the freedom given to me first by David and latterly by Graham.
They have both been forgiving of my mistakes and gentle in their
guidance for which I warmly thank them and everyone else too.
The Editor, Malcolm Clark
Our New Organist & Choirmaster - Graham Davies - from the July 2011 magazine
Welcome and Thanks
I'm sure we all welcome Graham Davies, our new organist and choirmaster and we hope he will enjoy being here and working with the choir. It has been a very long interval since David Oliver died, and I would like to express our thanks and congratulations to the choir and to all who have helped in every way to keep our music going throughout this period. It would have been all too easy for the choir just to fall apart, but in fact they have gone from strength to strength — one prime example is the splendid choral evensong once a month. Our thanks to all our loyal stand-in organists and, in particular, to Richard Price. Congratulations to all concerned! Linda Heath
Prayer Chain - from the July 2011 magazine
A vital part of our Pastoral Care is prayer. In our Intercessions during worship we pray for those we know to be "suffering in body, mind or spirit" as Common Worship puts it and I know that a number of you pray regularly for others.
The idea of a Prayer Chain has come up recently - having in place a number of prayer warriors who could be mobilised to pray for acute needs as soon as they arise.
We are setting up such a Prayer Chain with immediate effect and Rosalind Corteen has agreed to undertake the role of Convenor. No doubt the detailed practicalities will be refined over time, but the way we will start out is as follows:
• Requests should be directed to the Convenor with brief
details and she will mobilise the Prayer Chain
• The Prayer Chain will deal with acute needs only — long-term needs
will continue to be met by our parish Intercessions
• Prayers will be offered for a week from the date of the request
The initial members of the Prayer Chain will be those who are part of our Pastoral Care Key Area, but I would like to invite anyone who feels called to this ministry to make themselves known to any of the Pastoral Care Team - Rosalind Corteen, Sheila Cole, Sheila Reynolds, Edith Wright, Dee Lawrence, Linda Hauxwell, Vikki Dixon, Mike Stewart, Gail Partridge, Kuhan, or me. Any of us would be happy to talk it over with you.
This is a ministry to which those who are housebound or those who do not get out much might feel called. Please do insert this possibility into your prayers to see if you are being called to this ministry. I am sure that you will join me in expressing our thanks to Rosalind for being willing to undertake this important role. Rosalind can be contacted via the parish office. Please pray for her. The Rector
Concerts in Church - from the July 2011 magazine
We have had three delightful mid-day concerts in the church; the first on Thursday 12 May was a piano recital by our curate, Michael Stewart, consisting of works from the Romantic period. His programme opened with the Pathétique Sonata by Beethoven who, as Mike explained, bridged the gap between Classic and Romantic, as did the next composer, Schubert, whose Impromptu in G flat followed. The rest of the programme was by true Romantic composers - Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Rubinstein, Sinding and Rachmaninov, finishing with a medley of pieces by Ivor Novello, with We'll gather lilacs as finale. It was a very well balanced programme, played superbly by Mike, in spite of having had his right foot run over just two days previously! Needless to say, the concert was much enjoyed by everyone.
The second one, on Wednesday 18 May, was given by the Ewell Ladies' Choir, conducted by Margaret Harrington and accompanied by Christina Ward. This was another most welcome return visit by the choir who provided great variety and entertainment in their light-hearted programme, entitled "Spring into Summer'. They chose a lovely selection of "seasonal" songs, including Country Gardens, Cherry Ripe and Strawberry Fair. In between the vocal items we had a very amusing reading called Parental Fears, and a piano solo by Christina who played The Dream of Olwen. All in all, it was a delightful programme, beautifully sung by the choir and accompanied by Christina.
The third in the series was on Wednesday 25 May - a song recital by Ian Howarth, Minister at the Methodist and United Reformed Churches. He has a truly splendid voice and it was a pleasure to hear a vocal recital of such calibre. An equally talented pianist, Judith Flint, accompanied him. His programme opened with three old American songs and continued with La Bonne Chanson by Fauré - a setting of nine poems by Verlaine. Ian very kindly had the words in both French and English printed, which was very helpful to the audience. After this Judith gave us a beautiful performance of Brahms' Intermezzo in A major. There followed an aria from Mendelssohn's St. Paul oratorio and the recital ended with songs from South Pacific and Kiss me Kate. Again, another well-balanced programme which was much enjoyed by the audience. How lucky we are to have two such musically gifted clergy in Leatherhead! Linda Heath
Re-plastering - from the July 2011 magazine
As many of you have noticed, we have embarked on a major outstanding item of work following the Quinquennial Survey carried out in November 2008.
There were signs of rising damp problems around the South Aisle and Lady Chapel walls, plus other areas. Over twenty years ago there were damp problems when the original plaster was replaced to a height of around two feet. It was replaced with waterproof sand and cement mortar and painted with waterproof paint. Unfortunately, this led to damp rising to almost four feet, as the plaster was unable to "breathe". Using modern plasters, cement renders and non-breathable paints can lead to damp problems as they seal the walls, not allowing them to breathe properly.
We have obtained the services of Archers Stone Masons, a well known building surveyors and contracting company, who specialise in the restoration of ancient monuments and historic buildings. The work involved removing damp and blistered plaster work up to a height of five to six feet and then re-plastering with slaked lime plaster and mortar with horse hair! This has been used for thousands of years, whereas the use of cement in construction is relatively recent.
The work was started in late April. With the majority of
the plastering completed and once most of the water used in the
preparation of the mortar has evaporated, the contractors will complete
the decorating work with "breathable" paint. This project also
involved removing radiators and electrical sockets and the dust-cover of
the Parker organ.
The cost is in the region of ten thousand pounds and we
are extremely grateful to the Friends of the Parish Church who have
agreed to pay almost half of it.
Navin Mehta
52 Woodbridge Avenue, Leatherhead - from the July 2011 magazine
This address is one of two properties owned by the PCC. Until recently the two properties were let to tenants. They provided a sizeable income to our church funds, supplementing free will offerings and, by doing so, has given us all a rather false impression of our own giving needed to run our church in Leatherhead.
No 52 became empty mid May since when the house, a three bed terrace, has been totally refurbished, with the exception of the bathroom which we renewed two years ago. Turning round the house in such a very short space of time has been a real challenge and our thanks are due to the professionals involved who achieved the transformation in three and a half weeks.
Early June saw Kuhan, Christine and Theo take up residence
at the beginning of Kuhan's ministry in our Parish and we hope that
their new accommodation will be a good start for them.
Martin Cole
Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church - Chairman's Report given at the 2011 AGM
(Royal) Wedding Bells - from the June 2011 magazine
Communion before Confirmation - from the May 2011 magazine
Sunday 10 July 2011 is an important date to note, as on that day, five of our young people will be formally admitted to receive Holy Communion. Their names are Jemima Bleackley (daughter of John and Natalie Bleackley), Lucy Morris (daughter of Phil and Kay Morris), Joseph Palmer (son of Mark and Chooi Palmer) and Barnaby and Harriet Tagart (son and daughter of Andrew and Nicola Tagart). You may know the parents even if you don’t yet know the children.
As preparation for this important landmark in their Christian life journey they will have completed a ten-session course, covering such topics as Who am I? Who is Jesus? the Bible, Prayer and Worship. They have already contributed well to their sessions with thought-provoking questions such as ‘Did Jesus write the Bible?’ and ‘Was Luke prone to exaggeration?’
Please continue to remember them in your prayers. It would also be great if you could be there to support and encourage them on 10 July at the 9.30am Traditional Service when they are ‘Admitted to Communion’ and receive their first Holy Communion. Chris Stagg, Sunday Club Leader and course tutor
Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2011 - from the May 2011 magazine
53 parishioners attended the APCM on Wednesday 30th March.
The following were elected to office for the coming year:
Churchwardens: Linda Hauxwell and John Hampton
Assistant Churchwardens: Martin Cole, Sheila Sutherland and Donald
Yeates PCC Members (for 3 years): Alan Fleming, Anne Thomson and Edith
Wright.
Representatives on Leatherhead Deanery Synod (for 3 years) with place on
PCC: Sheila Cole, Roger Lynch and Donald Yeates.
Navin Mehta was presented with a golf sweater and bottle of whiskey to mark his retirement as Churchwarden. Andrew Chastney, who had decided to stand down from Deanery Synod, Alison Draper, who had decided not to stand for re-election to the PCC, and Anne Warren, who had stood down part-way through the year, were thanked for their services.
The meeting received reports on the fabric furnishings and fittings of the two churches and the rented houses, and on the activities of church organisations over the last year.
Alan Fleming presented the accounts. He pointed out that, while the year had resulted in a small surplus, this had been largely due to some major items of expenditure having been delayed. There had been some generous bequests and the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church had contributed to the cost of repairs and maintenance of the churchyard. The proceeds of the Autumn Market, Concerts in Church, and the Magazine had also contributed to the result.
However, Alan predicted that 2011 would end with a substantial deficit. Major renovations would need to be carried out at 52 Woodbridge Avenue prior to its occupation by the new curate in June 2011 and the parish would no longer receive rental income from this property. The Hall Committee planned to make improvements to the toilets and kitchen in the Parish Church Hall to meet the standards expected by hirers, and there would be the cost of repairs to the font and plasterwork in the Parish Church. Against this, there was a worrying decline in the level of planned giving and recovery of income tax through Gift Aid.
Graham Osborne then gave a presentation on the progress of
the Vision Process and introduced the 'New Future' document, which was
available for people to take home to study at the end of the meeting.
Anyone unable to attend the meeting can obtain a copy of the "New
Future" pack or any of the reports from the Parish Office.
Anne Thomson
24/7 Prayer - from April 2011
Towards the end of the last millennium two different groups, separated by thousands of miles and unknown to each other, began to pray with the intention of never stopping. One group from the US, inspired by the picture of an ever burning flame upon the altar in Leviticus 6:12-13, began a journey of prayer which has continued day and night right up to the present.
Providentially, another group on this side of the Atlantic felt a similar stirring but drew their inspiration from a small group of religious refugees from the 18th century known as the Moravians, who began a prayer meeting that was to last over a hundred years and spark a massive missionary movement!
Prayer is one of those words which we as Christians commonly use, but when we are pushed to actually define the term we often struggle: perhaps because it is fundamentally a concept which is rooted and grounded in relationship, and relationships resist neatly defined conceptual boundaries. This relational dynamic is often a too familiar truth for those schooled within the Christian tradition, and its explosive, iconoclastic potency is diluted into a formula consisting of painfully dull religious ritual. It becomes something we should do, rather than something we are privileged to do.
But if we look to Jesus as our model for what a life shaped by prayer might look like it is anything but boring! He himself, when prompted by his disciples to teach them how to pray, gave them the subversive rallying cry of "Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven".
But as we call for this invasion of heaven into our communities and work places we must also hear the corresponding invitation to follow and participate in the work for which we pray. God has chosen primarily to use his people upon the earth to co-operate with him in his kingdom purposes and this gives us an invitation more precious, honourable, dangerous, and desirable than any other that the world might afford.
It is none other than the invitation into a deep and abiding relationship with the Triune God and to participate in his mission in bringing healing and wholeness to a wounded and broken world. At the heart of this lies prayer and it is primarily through this multiple-faceted relational dynamic that this relationship is cultivated and nourished.
24/7 prayer is simply an opportunity to facilitate and respond to this invitation. Come and just sit, shout, read, write, draw, meditate, or just "be" in the presence of God - starting at All Saints Church over the weekend of 15 to 17 April. This invitation is not just for the spiritually elite: it is for all God's children, those with 9-5s, those with kids, those with theology degrees and those without. It's for everyone at any stage of their journey of faith. We may not feel eloquent, we may not feel especially equipped or gifted in prayer, but the good news is God is not concerned with that, he is after your heart. For more information on the two groups mentioned at the top of the page see www.24-7prayer.com
Baptism Policy - from April 2011
The PCC has recently reviewed the Parish's policy on baptism and has agreed an amendment to make available a Service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. This is one of a number of new services of initiation introduced by the Church of England and it is felt that this may better meet the needs of some families who want some kind of landmark but feel uneasy about making solemn declarations of faith.
In future, parents enquiring about baptism for their children will be invited to a Baptism Awareness Evening, held monthly, when the various options will be explained. The Service of Thanksgiving will be presented as a "rite along the way" which is not intended to be an obstacle to baptism and does not preclude baptism at a later date. The parents will then be left to make their decision between the options and will be supported along whichever route they have chosen.
If they choose baptism they will have done so in full
knowledge of the commitments involved in the baptismal promises and we
hope that this will make the experience more meaningful. The parents
(and godparents) will be invited to a rehearsal shortly before the date
of the baptism service and will be asked to attend at least one service
in church beforehand.
Anne Thomson, PCC Secretary
Church Hall Committee - from the March 2011 magazine
Changes are taking place. After many years of excellent and dedicated work Kevin and Jean Taylor, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the Church Hall Committee, are moving to Chester. The church hall is a larger version of our own homes requiring repairs cleaning and maintenance but with thousands of people passing through the doors each year. It has provided an annual income to church funds. Kevin and his committee have controlled the hall activities and the various licences now required in a quiet and efficient manner.
A big thank you to Kevin and Jean and we all wish them well in their new home. Another thank you to Alan Wright who has been treasurer of the hall, and who is retiring again!! We appreciate his contribution in this necessary area of administration. A Church of England requirement is the consolidation of subsiduary accounts into one church accounts. The opportunity is being taken to transfer the accounting of the church hall to Alan Fleming, our treasurer's control. Martin Cole will take over the role of Chairman of the Hall Committee, until, he says, someone younger is appointed.
Choir Vestry - from the March 2011 magazine
People seem to think the Choir Vestry is a place where they can put things that are not immediately required, which has resulted in the accumulation of a lot of clutter on top of cupboards and windowsills. No longer! A group of us are proposing to have a clear out. Among objects we have our eyes on is a small pile of, presumably obsolete, electrical /hi fi equipment on the windowsill. None of the choir has any knowledge of the origin of this equipment. We give notice that unless someone claims it by 18 March we intend to dispose of it. Anne Thomson
Hospital Service - from the Feb 2011 magazine
Volunteers are urgently needed to come to our short service at Leatherhead Hospital on the first Sunday of the month from about 11-11.15am. The service is in Leach Ward Day Room and consists of two hymns, a short reading and a few prayers. The patients really appreciate it and it is very rewarding, but we are getting short of people to come along. Do please come and join us when you can, even if not every month; we meet in the entrance hall at about 10.45am. For further details, ring C Bryant (378792) or L Heath (372603).
Small Groups Update and Lent Groups 2011 - from the Feb 2011 magazine
One of the marks of Christian Discipleship is to be a
lifelong learner; continuing to develop our faith and responding to
God’s calling in our lives. I find that a great way of learning is to be
part of a small group because:
• it’s good to study the Bible and pray together
• it’s good to discuss issues of faith, doubt, morality, conflict, and
so on with other people – it’s just good to talk and it’s good to share
• discussion of important issues helps us to grow, both as a person and
in faith
• it is useful to keep up with new ways of thinking - there are always
new things to learn, however long you’ve been a Christian
• discussing current issues with fellow Christians is often helpful in
sorting out our own views – swapping ideas can be very creative.
• it’s FUN making new friends, eating/socialising and caring for each
other
Following the Lent groups in 2010 five small groups were set up to continue to study/learn/pray etc. There are both daytime and evening groups which meet weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in homes around the Parish. A team of lay leaders lead the groups and the lay leaders meet together with the clergy team periodically to review and for personal development. I am thankful for these leaders who give so generously of their time and gifts and for those who host the groups in their homes.
Because Lent has always been a time to put special
emphasis on our personal and spiritual development, Christians often
choose this time to take special actions such as fasting, reading,
additional giving or following a course of study. So, during Lent we
shall again have Ecumenical groups throughout the Parish following a
York Course called Rich Inheritance, Jesus’ legacy of love: Jesus didn’t
write a will. He left no written instructions. He didn’t seem to have a
plan. At the end, as he hung dying on the cross, almost all of his
followers had abandoned him. By most worldly estimates his ministry was
a failure. Nevertheless, Jesus’ message of reconciliation with God lived
on. It is the central message of the Bible. With this good news his
disciples changed the world. How did they do it? What else did Jesus
leave behind – what is his ‘legacy of love’?
This course addresses these questions:
Session 1 An empty tomb Session 4 A power
Session 2 A group of people Session 5 A meal
Session 3 A story
You can sign up for a group on a list in your church until 27 February or contact me on 370308. Around 120 church members participated in Lent groups last year and many of you went on to join small home groups. I would recommend these Lent groups to you. L Hauxwell
New Year - New Start - from the Feb 2011 magazine
But unfortunately, Old Problem! We still desperately need people to join the Church Cleaning Rota for one hour, once a month. There are now two vacancies on the first Saturday and two on the fourth Saturday. Please contact me, if you are able to help.
I would like to say a huge 'Thank you' to Pat Weetman and
Mollie Canning who have long been stalwarts of the team, but who must
now take a well-deserved rest; and to Eric Weetman who has recently been
such a great asset to Team 4. Thank you everyone who has worked
tirelessly throughout 2010.
S Roberts
400 years on - from the Feb 2011 magazine
Which do you prefer?: ‘Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!’ or ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled’?
Both are translations of Matthew 5:6, but the first is from the Good News Bible from the 1960s, while the second is the King James or Authorised Version, of 1611 (KJV for short).
For many people, the older version goes deeper, is more stirring and tells us more about God.
In 2011 we mark the 400th anniversary of the KJV. There is a range of celebratory events from talks to readings in tiny churches. As we will hear often, the KJV has meant much to English-speaking people throughout the world in these four centuries. It first coined many words and expressions that have become part of the language so much so that most people would not necessarily think of them as biblical, and may often confuse them with quotations from Shakespeare as he was writing at about the same time. For example: ‘loving kindness’ (Psalm 17 and elsewhere), ‘the signs of the times’ (Matthew 16), and ‘the powers that be’ (Romans 13) There are many more.
But the old-fashioned words are not just part of our heritage, like an ancient monument; they can speak directly to us giving a stronger and more immediate sense of God’s tender love and glorious majesty. For instance ‘I water my couch with my tears’ (Psalm 6:6) and ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels …’ (1 Corinthians 13:1). It is easy to be put off by the odd words: ‘thee’ and ‘thou’, ‘-eth’ endings, ‘abide’ and ‘sojourn’. Some parts, especially the Epistles, can be dense and tortuous. We cannot turn the clock back; the KJV can never be the only version we use, together both old and new translations give us so much more.
In its heightened language, the KJV offers us a richer
appreciation of wonder. So, just as we would not want to knock down old
churches, neither should we leave the KJV unread. It is not just a
cultural landmark, it can shape our life right now.
Rachel Boulding, a Deputy Editor of the Church Times
and .. The King James Bible - from the January 2011 magazine
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible has shaped the consciousness and expression of English-speaking people in the last four centuries. Because the translation was done in a particular way, at a particular time in the development of the English language, its literature, its words and phrasing are especially rich. Like good poetry, the chosen words suggest depths and layers of meaning neatly and movingly.
It also has echoes of Shakespeare, having been produced at about the same time, and coined many expressions that have become part of our language today such as Escaped with the skin of my teeth (Job 19), They shall reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8), The signs of the times (Matthew 16), A law unto themselves (Romans 2), and The powers that be (Romans 13).
In readiness for 2011, the 400th anniversary of the publication of the KJV, Rachel Goulding, Deputy Editor of the Church Times, explores her passion for the KJV in a hardback book (Celebrating The King James Version — Devotional Readings from the Classic Translation, BRF, £9.99) of 116 devotional readings using the KJV.
Many of the best-loved passages such as Psalms 21-41, Proverbs 31, Lamentations, and Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount are included. There are also readings from the writings of Richard of Chichester and Julian of Norwich. The book concludes with an afterword by Dr Alison Shell of University College, London, on the cultural and historical significance of this most enduring of Bible translations.
Macular degeneration - from the Feb 2011 magazine
Do you suffer from macular degeneration? Would you like to meet with others in the same position? If so why not come to our meetings on the second Monday of each month, at the Leatherhead Institute, from 2-4pm. We are a friendly group and each month we have a speaker on a subject of interest, followed by tea and a chat together, with a chance to share helpful aids and ideas. If you think you would be interested then please make contact.
The New Assistant Curate - Kuhan Satkunanayagam - from the January 2011 magazine
Twenty-eleven will mark the beginning of a new ordained ministry. Dr Kuhan Satkunanayagam will be ordained Deacon to serve as Assistant Curate in the United Benefice of Leatherhead and Mickleham at Petertide (3 July) in Guildford Cathedral. He is currently studying at Cranmer Hall, Durham.
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This is Kuhan with his wife Christine. Kuhan is to be ordained in June and will join us as Assistant Curate. Please remember them in your prayers. Kuhan writes: I am originally from Sri Lanka but came to the UK with my parents when I was five years old. I grew up in Epsom and became a Christian when I was a teenager through the Christian Union at Epsom College. My family are Hindus so it continues to be a struggle for them to accept my faith and call to ordained ministry. After I left school I lived in New York City for nearly two years on an internship programme working for Asprey of London. I returned to the UK and read Natural Sciences at St John's College, University of Durham. |
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Following a brief spell working for Harrods I decided to train in psychotherapy and did a masters and doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of East London. Following that I worked for the NHS in Hammersmith and Fulham as a Chartered Counselling Psychologist.
I have returned to Durham to do my ministerial training at Cranmer Hall. In April last year I married Christine who previously worked as a medical doctor in Sri Lanka. We had our wedding at my old school chapel in Epsom.
Both Christine and I are really looking forward to moving
to Leatherhead and continuing our journey of faith with you all.
Kuhan Satkunanayagam
General Synod - from the January 2011 magazine
In his Presidential Address to the Synod in November the Archbishop of Canterbury urged members to recognise the value of the Covenant for the life of the Anglican Communion. He said:
"The Covenant text itself represents work done by theologians of diverse views. It does not invent a new centralised authority, quite explicitly declaring that it does not seek to override any province's canonical autonomy. It is dispiriting to see the Covenant still being represented as a tool of exclusion and tyranny.
"It is an illusion to think that without some changes the Communion will carry on as usual, and a greater illusion to think that the C of E can somehow derail the entire process. The unpalatable fact is that certain decisions in any province affect all. If we ignore this, we ignore a real danger, the piece-by-piece dissolution of the Communion and the emergence of new structures in which relation to the Church of England and the See of Canterbury are likely not to figure significantly."
The Archbishop also turned his thoughts to the idea of the "Big Society":
"At the moment, our society is calling out to the real Church with a new urgency. We are going to be discussing the language of the Big Society .. which looks to an ideal that Wesley would have recognised easily: men and women determined to enhance each others' lives by building up their freedom to shape their future and their communal life with fairness and generosity; people for whom responsibility is not a grim and repressive word but a joyful acknowledgement of what we owe to each other."
The Bible: Good News! - from the January 2011 magazine
As the new parish contact for the Bible Society I would like to share with you why I felt called to become more involved. The mission statement of the Bible Society is: "The Bible: available, accessible, credible".
Available: Getting the Bible to those who wait for its life-changing message. We take for granted that we can just go into a bookshop and buy a Bible. For many other countries, cultures and languages, this is a real challenge.
Accessible: Getting the words off the page and into lives and communities. This includes using various media including film and the internet. Meeting people where they are.
Credible: In the UK the Bible Society spends more on this than the other two. It's about making us as Christians confident in the Bible. If we are not, how can we expect others to be?
If you have not read the Bible for a while you might like to open it at a random page today, and breathe in God's word. Or maybe revisit a Gospel? By the way, a Small Group is a great way to delve further into scripture, learning with others.
The Bible. Worth knowing. Worth Sharing. Worth Living.
Want to know more? Please contact me on L360442 and also visit www.biblesociety.org.uk
. I will be keeping the parish up to date with what's going on, and our
initiatives to support this God inspired work, as disciples of Jesus
Christ.
Andrew Chastney