Parish of Leatherhead in 2013

Apologies for not including a summary in last month’s Magazine but we thought everyone would have heard quite enough of the Fayre by then!! However it appears that many of you were looking for an update so here it is.

It is always nerve wracking taking over the organisation of an already successful event, but this year we thought we would risk a change of date and time and try to add a variety of stalls and sideshows. This resulted in a Fayre which was fundamentally the same format as before, but had a fresher feel to it. Much to the relief of the organisers it generated a magnificent £4,100 profit which even despite the recession was £1,000 more than in 2012. Everyone involved, in this our main yearly fund raiser, should be very pleased!

The overall increase seems to have been due mainly to increases in advertising revenue, sales by the Bake Sale and Promises Stalls, together with the new-look catering by the BBQ and Café.

The money taken from advance Programme sales and door entrance seems to indicate that the number of people attending the event was about the same, though this happened over a shorter period of trading time making it appear busier (and hotter!) in the Hall. We were certainly blessed with the weather!

Everyone excelled themselves from donating goods and cakes to distributing flyers and decorating stalls to selling and buying goods and so much more. This year we had a team of 70 people helping in the Hall!

So thank you all so much for the part you played in making it such a successful event all round.

If there is anything you’d like to know that we haven’t mentioned here please ask.
Nicky and Janine

Church Matters for November 2013 - from the November 2013 magazine

A New Way to Share the Christmas Story - from the November 2013 magazine

The Real Advent Calendar is a great way to share the real meaning of Christmas: there’s a line of the Christmas story and a chocolate star behind each window, and behind the final window is a 24-page Christmas storybook. The Real Chocolate Company will make a donation to The Children’s Society from each calendar’s sale. And, of course, like the Real Easter Egg the Advent Calendar is made from fairly traded chocolate.

It might be difficult to believe but recent surveys show that knowledge of the Christmas story is fading. Among 5-7 year olds 36% don’t know whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas and 72% don’t know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Among adults less than 12% know the full nativity story and 51% say that the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas.

The Christmas Starts with Christ campaign hopes to reverse the trend by telling the Christmas story in new ways. The Real Advent Calendar is designed to support the campaign as a new and fun way to share the Christmas story. You can read more at www.realadvent.co.uk

We shall have the Calendars on our fortnightly Fairtrade stall from 3 November. Each calendar costs £3.99.
Margaret Jones

Revd Gualter de Mello retires - from the November 2013 magazine

It all began for us in 1981, when we were invited to Hackney. The Vicar, Revd Sandy Morris, had answered an advertisement in the Church Times asking for produce from the Harvest Festival, and after a couple of years the parish was invited to visit Prideaux House in Hackney to see what the charity did.

Friends Anonymous Service had been set up after an old lady was found dead in her flat at Christmas. She had been dead for three days. The founder was Gualter de Mello, who had come from Brazil as a young man to help to look after the Revd Tubby Clayton in his old age. Tubby was the founder of Toc H, the organisation started after the First World War to strengthen community bonds. Gualter often said that he learnt everything he knew from Tubby.

FAS grew out of a Toc H hostel for young men, and in its heyday ran a playgroup, a youth club, and many other community projects. Its core work, however, was to bring together local people, either at the Lunch Club, or on outings, holidays, and home visiting. Everything revolved around food, with parties for Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, national saints’ days and so on. There was a Christmas dinner once a month, because, as Gualter maintained, you couldn’t fit everyone in at Christmas, and it was too good an occasion to restrict to once a year!

A coachload from Leatherhead went several times to Hackney, and a memorable return match was organised when Gualter preached, and then the guests had Sunday lunch with individual families (food again!) and met for tea in the parish hall. My husband Horace bought a van to take goods from this locality to the charity shop in Hackney, and we got involved with all its work.

Gualter’s drive and enthusiasm was unique – his watchword was, and is, “Any problem is no problem”. When the volcano in Montserrat in the West Indies forced nearly half the population to flee, he worked tirelessly to gain them evacuee, rather than refugee, status.

Gualter was helped in his work by a succession of young volunteers, who often came in their gap year, and by Molly Carleton, who retired to Hackney from Hampstead in 1960 because Hampstead was “boring”. She ran the charity shop and the outings until she was 92, and now beats me in 3 out of the 4 Scrabble games we play daily on the computer! Molly will be 103 in November! Both she and Gualter have been awarded the M.B.E.

In latter years Prideaux House has been rebuilt, and caters for a core membership of elderly people. Members of this parish will remember with pleasure our annual Pancake Races on Shrove Tuesday, and a few years ago the Montserrat Steel Band and Choir came to perform in the church gardens. We are still able to help them as the leftovers from the Autumn Fayre every year are taken to the shop. A number of us have been on holiday to Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, and Montserrat, as well as the annual reunion at Ely.

Gualter has now returned to Brazil to be with his family. The work at Prideaux House which was his inspiration will continue.
Alison Wright

New York September 2013 - from the November 2013 magazine

I love New York: it never sleeps, it's dirty, it's noisy, and it is always full of people from every part of the globe that you can think of, and some that you can't! When I knew that I was going to be there for a few days, visiting “Ground Zero” was at the top of my list. However, it is no longer called “Ground Zero” but the “9/11 Memorial”.

You can only go if you have a pre-booked ticket, otherwise you need to be there by 9.30am which meant an early start on the subway, to stand in the queue for the limited day tickets that are issued. Once I was in the 9/11 area, after the usual queuing and security checks, my first impression was one of space, peace and respect in spite of the fact that several hundred people were already there. There are two “footprints”, each approximately 200ft square, which are placed where the original North and South towers stood. Each is a deep hole lined in granite with water continuously falling 30 ft from the top edges and running into a smaller square in the base. Set around the top of the walls of the “footprints” are written the names of those who died in each respective tower, nearly 3,000 in all. They are not in alphabetical order but written where their loved ones wanted the names to be, and placed so that friends and colleagues would be near each other.

416 oak trees have been planted which adds to the feeling of calm, but standing proudly is the only survivor from the original gardens that was found battered and charred and which has been lovingly nursed back to life. The museum is due to open in the Spring of next year and it will be filled with artefacts relating to the events of 9/11. It will be set at least seven storeys underground so as to accommodate the last seven staircases - the “Survivors' Stairs” - down which so many people were able to escape the disaster.

Nestled no more than a few hundred yards from the 9/11 site in a small square is St Paul's Chapel, Manhattan's oldest church, and standing between the churchyard and the entrance to the Church is a bell which was given to the City of New York by the City of London after 9/11. What is of great significance about the churchyard is that it was completely covered with debris from the falling towers which took two years to clear up. The bell is struck at particular times of commemoration.

The Church itself is modelled on St Martin in the Fields, although it would probably fit at least four times into the London Church and, close as it was to the fall-out, not a pane of glass was broken. After 9/11 its community of volunteers provided food, beds, counselling, or just a shoulder to cry on for the many firemen, police, and other first responders who worked round the clock on the recovery and clean-up over many months. Around the inside walls of the Church are small exhibitions showing the beds, clothing, and food that were provided and many photos of the dirt, dust and grime that everyone had to cope with. I attended their 10am Eucharist which was celebrated in the round, and was warmly welcomed afterwards by their vicar who wanted to know where I had come from.

I have only given a tiny impression of the area and, as you have probably realised by now, I found the whole experience deeply moving causing me to ask yet again - Why? I brought away the official book of the National September 11 Memorial “A Place of Remembrance” which shows far more graphically than I can the horrors of that beautiful day in September and explains the beginnings and coming to fruition of the Memorial. I am very happy to lend it out.
Frances Presley

Church Matters - 14 - from the October 2013 magazine

Belated News from the Belfry – A First for Margaret!!!! - from the October 2013 magazine

Celebration of Peter Ford's 50 Years Ringing at Leatherhead Parish Church - from the October 2013 magazine

The Role of a Parish Visitor - from the October 2013 magazine

I am a Parish Visitor. I was commissioned as a Parish Visitor in 1994 by David Eaton, our previous Priest. Before this I had been a Churchwarden, and I had worked as a Health Visitor. As a Health Visitor, except for an hour in the morning and evening when people phoned us for help or advice, we would be visiting: we visited from birth to the grave. Visiting was the most important part of my job, especially if it was to a mother with a new baby and family. I enjoyed every minute of my work, and I have so enjoyed serving God in being a Parish Visitor.

In my Job Description as a Parish Visitor the objective was to be the Lord's Ambassador; I also felt I was the Vicar's Ambassador and now I feel I am the Rector's Ambassador. Two years on from being commissioned the Curate was moving on which meant that for a while the Vicar would be the only priest, and the Curate said that he would train Sheila Reynolds, who is a Pastoral Assistant, and me to take Holy Communion to the sick. (Pastoral Assistants and Parish Visitors work closely together.)

Through the Vicar the Lord called me to have this wonderful role in the Church, and my Spiritual Faith has so blossomed.

The Pastoral Assistants and I try each Sunday to notice if a parishioner who regularly attends is not in Church: if you notice that someone has not been in Church we would appreciate if you would mention it to us.

Finally, I do recommend the Prayer Group: I am a fairly new member, and I am a great believer in Prayer. You can speak to the Dear Lord any time of the day or night – he is always there to listen to you. The Prayer Group is personal and it is prayers for the Church Family which brings us closer together.
Edith Wright, Parish Visitor

RSCM International Summer School, York, 2013 - from the October 2013 magazine

I wanted to share with fellow church members some of the gems encountered during the International Summer School which took place in York from 12 – 18 August 2013.

St Augustine: “The one who sings prays twice”
John Wesley’s Directions for Congregational Singing
“That this part of Divine Worship may be the more acceptable to God, as well as the more profitable to yourself and others, be careful to observe the following directions."

Christian Aid Week 2013 - from the September 2013 magazine

In total the Anglican and URC teams collected £3,294 this year, almost exactly the same as last year. Most came from house to house envelope collections. Many thanks to all who collected – at the Station, in the Town, Door to Door, and via envelopes in Church, and to those who supported us in their prayers. If you think you'd like to join us for next year (11-17 May) please let me know.
Frank Haslam L379341

Domestic Abuse – Surely not in Surrey? - from the September 2013 magazine

Loving relationships in the family and in society are at the core of Christianity: John 13:34-35.

Domestic abuse can never be condoned under any circumstances. It offends God’s law of love, and the dignity and fundamental rights of a human person. Please join us in September to find out what we as Christians can do to end domestic violence.

Domestic abuse is about power and control and using coercive behaviours within close personal or family relationships. It can and does happen to anyone, both men and women. People are abusing their partner or former partner or close family, often in the home where we should all feel safe. It can take many forms: physical, sexual, emotional, financial, singly or in combination.

As well as involving a wide range of behaviours, domestic abuse follows a repeated and escalating pattern. It can lead to death or serious injury: Government statistics indicate that two people are killed every week in England and Wales because of it. The emotional damage is also immense and will affect everyone in the household, including children.

Recent data shows that in the last year Surrey police dealt with over 1000 reports of domestic abuse every month. Local outreach services worked with over 3000 new service users as well as providing support to their many existing service users.

Help and support is available. There are specialist independent and confidential services across Surrey that you can call for advice. For more information please visit the website at http://www.surreyagainstda.info or call the 24 hour confidential helpline 01483 776822
Suzette Jones
Health & Wellbeing Adviser, Diocese of Guildford,

A date for your diary: on Tuesday September 17th 2013, between 10am to 3pm, a Domestic Abuse Seminar is being held at Holy Trinity Church, High Street, Guildford, GU1 3HN, facilitated by the Diocese Communities Engagement Team. To register your interest please contact emma.beswick@cofeguildford.org.uk

Reviving Prayer Life - from the September 2013 magazine

“Reviving prayer” had been on my heart for some time before 21 intrepid souls from the Uniting Churches set off on Saturday for the wilds of Somerset and a week at New Wine at the Royal Bath & Wells Showground near Shepton Mallet. We were joined by four more for the day on the Monday, and by a further eight for the day on the Wednesday.

Our Monday treat was the presence of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who was interviewed during an afternoon session and who spoke at the evening celebration. He asked us to focus on becoming communities of prayer, on growing as disciples and growing disciples and on reconciliation and renewal. We are planning to let all of you see and hear Archbishop Justin for yourselves at a Sunday service in September – look out for further details.

One of the most telling “God-incidences” was that, quite independently, out of the 31,240 verses in the Bible, two of the main morning speakers had been inspired to preach on the same passage from Zechariah. The key verse was as follows:

“‘Not by might nor by power,
but by my Spirit,’
says the Lord Almighty”
Zechariah 4.6

which is why that verse is on the front cover of our new parish Prayer Diary.

With my hopes and prayers for a revival of all our prayer lives.
Graham Osborne

Church Matters 13 - from the September 2013 magazine

Church Matters 12 - from the August 2013 magazine

Linda Heath - from the August 2013 magazine

Not many eighty or so year old widows have the church full to bursting for their funeral, but such was the feeling of the community for Linda Heath that those who could not make it to the funeral – and there were some – felt themselves impoverished that they were not there.

All this was as it should be, for Linda gave so much to Leatherhead and its life. She was not content to study and record its history: she had to share it with everybody. She wrote five booklets on different aspects of its history – on its early education and schools, on the church’s history, on its organ, and so on. She wrote a play, “A Rich Inheritance”, in which scenes from Leatherhead’s past are re-enacted, and which has been staged a number of times in the parish church.

As Chairman and President of the Leatherhead & District Local History Society she made sure that as many people as possible appreciated the place in which they live by acknowledging the richness of its past. Leatherhead is not just any old small market town which has seen better days: it is unique, as are them all. Think of Linda when you see the plaques dotted round the town telling passers-by of the history of various buildings.

Linda used to ring me in a slightly hesitant way, which I knew was the preamble to a request to do something – take photos, write a poster for the car pool, etc, etc. She was great at getting things moving! In the last few years I met her in Annie’s every Saturday when she brought our old friend Roddy Clube down from Bookham for coffee. She and David had known Roddy and his wife Mary in Beirut in the sixties – once you were a friend of Linda’s, it was a lifelong commitment!

No-one knew that more than her friend Gillian Womersley. They were at school together, and shared a lifelong love of music. The church has recently benefitted from this connection: Gillian’s son James O’Donnell, internationally known organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, played the inaugural concert in the parish church in 2007 on the restored 18th century Thomas Parker organ. He played at Linda’s funeral.
Alison Wright

Church Matters 11 - from the July 2013 magazine

Leatherhead Parish Vision and Values, 2013 - from the July 2013 magazine

The Vision and Values Statement issuing from our Values Day in March was adopted at the most recent PCC meeting. It reads as follows:

Our Values

As members of Leatherhead Parish Church we aim to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ by attracting more people into our church family, and by growing in faith together.
We area Jesus-centred church. Jesus is at the centre of what we do and how we live our lives. We try to discover his call to us; in moments of uncertainty we ask ourselves "what would Jesus do".

We recognise that different people encounter God in different ways; we offer different patterns of worship so that everyone may find their own pathway to Jesus. We embrace worship styles that range from quiet contemplation to making a loud and joyful noise. We meet together in church and in people's homes throughout the week. At special times we meet as a whole church to worship together as a Christian family.

We welcome the weak and the strong, the old and the young, the active and the less able, individuals and families, adults and children.
Everyone is valued. There are opportunities for all to use their time and talents and to contribute to the work of our Church.

We reach out into our local community, and with other churches share in worship and community activities. We aim to give at least ten per cent of our income to support the needy in our community, both local and worldwide.
We welcome the newcomer. We nurture and support our fellow worshippers. We pray for God's help in our work.

We were reminded that our parish has five Key Areas of Mission:
• Worship
• Growing as Disciples
• Evangelistic Outreach
• Community Engagement
• Pastoral Care

An A5 flyer setting out both of these was recently distributed in church and further copies are available from the Sidesmen's table. tba

I would ask that everybody would reflect prayerfully on our values and discern how best to live them out in daily life.
Graham Osborne

Family and Children's Work - Looking Back and Forward - from the July 2013 magazine

A Celebration of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Guildford Cathedral - from the July 2013 magazine

On Sunday 9th June I attended the Choral Evensong at the cathedral which celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation. It was a wonderful occasion, and surrounded still by many of the flower arrangements from the Flower Gala.

Bishop Christopher gave a stimulating address as viewed from his position. He drew our attention to the similarities between the Coronation of the Queen and our own personal acceptance into the church through baptism End confirmation and the vows we make. The service is a Eucharist with important additions: there is the Recognition; and next comes the Oath (actually more than one) to execute mercy and justice and maintain the law of God and the true profession of the Gospel.

For Bishop Christopher as Clerk of the Closet attending the personal homage of new diocesan bishops when they kiss hands, she looks "her" bishop in the eye. After the homage she kindly asks them about the traumas of moving whether to Palaces or Granges. She cares about her Church. At this point in the Coronation the Sovereign receives the Bible. Then comes the Anointing of the Sovereign, who is seated in the Coronation Chair facing the Altar and concealed under a canopy. Consecrated oil is poured on her hands, neck and head. The Sovereign is not a priest but is a "sacred" person. Next follows the Investiture where the Queen receives the Sceptre (symbolising power), the Rod (symbolising Justice), and the Crown of St. Edward. Finally there is the Homage when the Queen receives Holy Communion.

Bishop Christopher went on to say that in the Old Testament oil was used to consecrate prophets, priests and kings. At baptism and confirmation oil is used to symbolise the inner anointing of the Spirit of all people. Every person is called to be consecrated to the service of God. The Sovereign's consecration stands for all who are consecrated for service. We are all deacons, servants, ministers. The Queen's Consecration implicates us. Whatever our background, we are all afforded the dignity with which God endows US.
"Vivat Vivat Regina Elizabeth" of God
Dee Lawrence

Church Matters 10 - from the June 2013 magazine

Jubilate - A Song of Joy - from the April 2013 magazine

1 O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth;
serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.
2 Know that the Lord is God;
it is he that has made us and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and bless his name.
4 For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting,
and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

Psalm 100, Jubilate Deo, needs to be sung with a smile. Written after David, and with its echo of the Jewish people entering the gates of Jerusalem, Psalm 100 is part of the Jewish daily prayer service.

The Psalm is well-known in the English-speaking world in its metrical hymn setting, sung to the tune Old Hundredth – All people that on earth do dwell. Through its use in the Anglican service of Morning Prayer the Jubilate has been set to music by composers from Purcell and Handel to S.S. Wesley, William Walton, Benjamin Britten and Herbert Howells.

The Psalm encourages us to sing the Lord’s praises when – or as - we come into His presence. There is a feeling of movement towards God that makes this a fitting hymn for the opening of an act of collective worship. We are given reasons to praise Him – the Lord is God, he made us, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture, he is gracious, his love is everlasting, his faithfulness endures.

This and Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord, Praise God in His sanctuary) are the most joyous of all the Psalms. If you don’t start singing with a smile you’ll find you have one before long. Joyful, indeed! Jubilate!

Taking on this theme of praise, the Parish Church will be holding a Music and Flower Festival entitled Jubilate, for the week beginning 10th June. The church will be full of stunning flower arrangements and there will be live music and a social event every day - Monday through to Sunday.

These include a cellist from the English Symphony Orchestra on Monday lunchtime and a Picnic in the Park with Atlantis as guest band on Friday evening - so do put the week in your diaries and don’t book to go away, you won’t want to miss a single day of what promises to be a truly joyful week.
Nicky Osborne

and .. Jubilate - from the June 2013 magazine

Our Jubilate Festival week begins with a cello recital by Jo Garcia (formerly of the English Chamber Orchestra) at 12.30pm, then please come back in the evening to wander round the church with a glass of Pimms to see the wonderful floral arrangements our flower ladies will be presenting, at our Start of Festival party, 6.30-8pm.

The Tuesday evening concert will be piano duets, given by Ian and Jan Assersohn. Ian is the very successful Music Director of the Leatherhead Choral Society which did so very well in the Leith Hill Festival.

We are delighted that the two choirs of Trinity School Leatherhead, are coming to sing during their lunchtime on Wednesday, they also did very well at the recent schools festival. Please come and support the children.

On Thursday evening "The Downsmen' will entertain us with their special style of a capella Four-part harmony, with music ranging from songs written in the 1920’s to songs from West End shows, amongst others.

On Friday, weather permitting, please bring along your picnic to enjoy the well-known, and ever popular, local band, Atlantis, in the Church gardens, together with our very own Chris Stagg. We will retire to the Church if the rain should dare fall!

All Saturday afternoon there will be 'Organfest 2013', the third one we have held since the Thomas Parker organ was installed, when Chris Connett from Mickleham, Anthony Cairns from the URC, Derek Harris from Oxfordshire and Oliver Walker from Solihull will be playing on both organs - but not at the same time!

On Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, if you come into the church you will hear a variety of musical treats. Although not official concerts, Hedley Kay will be be playing from 10-11, the local choir All Aloud will be singing from 11-12, and The Church Choir will be having a choir practice under the eagle eye, and ear, of the new Choir Mistress Gina Eason from 12-1pm. Do come along and enjoy the flowers and art again and listen to the music. After lunch on Sunday from 2.30 the Swan Handbell Ringers will be playing and from 3-4 the Orchard Singers will entertain. The week will finish with a most delicious STRAWBERRY TEA at 4pm.

Do come along as many times in the week as you would like, entry is entirely free to both the church and all the concerts and there will be retiring collections in aid of the Church 'New Future' Fund.

Caroline Williams 1930 – 2013 - from the June 2013 magazine

New Dean of Guildford announced - from the June 2013 magazine

The Revd Canon Dianna Gwilliams is to be appointed the new Dean of Guildford. Dianna is currently vicar of St Barnabas Church, Dulwich, in south-east London, foundation chaplain of Alleyn’s College of God’s Gift, Dulwich and, until recently, acting Archdeacon of Southwark.

With her appointment, Dianna will become one of the most senior female priests in the Church of England – when she is installed on September 15 – joining four other women who have already been appointed to the post. Dianna said: “I feel hugely privileged to have been invited to serve as the next Dean of Guildford. I’m really looking forward to joining the Chapter, congregation and Cathedral Council as we participate enthusiastically in the part of the mission of God with which we are entrusted; and to working closely with the team in Guildford to support the mission of God in the parishes and chaplaincies in the diocese.

Dianna was born in Colorado, USA and grew up in California. She read physics and chemistry at university and came to the UK to work as a sound engineer for just six months. Thirty five years later she is still here. Following twelve years as an engineer she was ordained deacon in 1992 and priest in 1994 in Southwark Diocese. She has also been an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral since 2006 and has served as area dean and as diocesan Dean of Women’s Ministry.

Church Matters 9 - from the May 2013 magazine

New Artwork in Leatherhead
from the May 2013 magazine

The art installation which now takes pride of place on the façade of the Letherhead Institute at the top of Leatherhead High Street was created by young people of the Leatherhead Youth Project and the Fire and Iron Gallery to celebrate:

• the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
• the Olympic Road Cycle Races through Leatherhead
• 120 years of the Letherhead Institute

The project was sponsored by:
• The Leatherhead Community Association
• Leatherhead Decorative and Fine Arts Society
• Surrey County Council
• Trustees of the Letherhead Institute

Church Matters 8 - from the April 2013 magazine

A Special Palm Sunday - from the April 2013 magazine

This year’s Palm Sunday became quite an event through the appearance of an unusual visitor to the Church.

After the service, Kuhan informed me that he had been talking to one of the young mothers in our congregation some weeks before and she had suggested how exciting it would be on Palm Sunday this year if we could process to the Parish Church in the company of a donkey.

Quick to spot a good idea, our Curate did some online research and as a result, on a rather snowy Sunday 24th March 2013, Jasper the donkey arrived from Suffolk to meet with members of the congregation at the bottom of Leatherhead High Street at ten past ten, ready to begin a procession to the church.

The service commenced with a short reading in the High Street and then the congregation, bearing palm fronds and beating drums, followed Jasper along Church Street and up to the door of the church. The short trip attracted quite a bit of attention and rather disturbed the flow of traffic, but nobody seemed to mind too much.

Unfortunately Jasper was not keen to enter the church and encounter the noisy congregation up-close, so he only made it half way into the building. However, I am sure that his presence on this important day contributed to the large congregation of over 130.
Matthew Waters

Moving On – thesixthirty - from the April 2013 magazine

On Sunday 3 March 2013 our contemporary informal worship service – thesixthirty – drew to a close for the time being, after a period of consultation, reflection and prayer. We took “Moving On” as our theme and “prayed our goodbyes” by writing down our memories and what we want to celebrate, and then packing them in a suitcase ready for the next stage in the journey. I also set out to locate this point in our journey in the context of the Past, the Present, and the Future.

The Past for me here in Leatherhead started with the Statement of Needs in the Parish Profile. Regarding worship, it included the following - “support existing traditional services alongside the continuing development of contemporary worship styles and more accessible services”. In our Vision Process in May 2010 we discerned our Key Areas of Mission, the first of which was Worship. In October 2010 we started an experimental worship pattern with three services on a Sunday morning – a traditional said Prayer Book Holy Communion at 8am, a contemporary, informal celebration at 9.30am, and a Parish Eucharist with organ and hymns at 11.15am.

About halfway through the experimental period, we swapped the start times of the two later services. Over the course of about eighteen months we enjoyed a growth in our Average Sunday Attendance of some 35%. In response to the Worship Survey we moved to our current pattern in May 2012.

In the Present, with the contemporary informal worship service at 6.30pm, we have found that there has been a gradual decline in attendance, sometimes with over half the total number present being those leading or supporting the service. It is an article of faith for me that the Lord raises up the resources we need, when we need them (need not want). In the three and a half years I have been here, whilst there has been significant personal growth for some, no new contemporary worship resource has been raised up and we have been “running out of steam”. We have recognised that this pattern has led us up a cul-de-sac and we now need to look for a new route. One element of this will be to grow and develop our monthly All Ages service.

Looking to the Future, we had been exploring our Values earlier in the day. The Values Statement that we develop from that process will give us the opportunity to re-visit our Vision and Mission to help us to discern where we should focus in moving forward.

There are lots of exciting possibilities, not least moving back to a three-service pattern on a Sunday morning as and when resources and easily-deployable technology make that possible. Our Uniting Churches Covenant partners are also exploring their options, and we are generously being included in that process. Messy Church continues to thrive and there could be developments from that. There are also on-going conversations about the emergence of some form of Fresh Expression of church that would intentionally include the whole of the town.

I would encourage us all to “get our prayer wheels humming” to see if we can discern what the Lord has in mind.

The Poor Murdered Woman - from the April 2013 magazine

An unusual event took place in the church on 15th January this year which the local Museum had helped to arrange. The much loved folk singer Shirley Collins MBE came to Leatherhead to record a radio programme about one of her favourite songs, “The Poor Murdered Woman.”

January 15th was the anniversary of the burial of the song’s subject, “a woman, name unknown, found dead in the Common Field,” as the vicar, Revd Dallaway, recorded in the Parish Register on that day in 1834.

John Barnard Hankey of Fetcham Place (“Hankey the Squire”), had found the body when out hunting on Leatherhead Common the previous Saturday. James Fairs, a Leatherhead agricultural labourer and brickmaker, wrote a song about the incident which has beceome a standard part of the English folk repertoire (despite being unfairly described as doggerel when it was first collected in 1897). At the time Fairs lived in a cottage in a small road off the Kingston Road, quite close to the scene of the murder. It was subsequently named after him and is still known as Fairs Road. Many people will remember Fairs greengrocers in Leatherhead, which was opened by James Fairs' grandson in 1899, and was a feature of the High Street until the 1970s.

Shirley has known the song for more than fifty years and recorded what many believe to be the definitive version on her 1971 album “No Roses”. She was very moved to visit the spot in the churchyard where it is believed the woman was buried.

Leatherhead Museum will present an exhibition when it opens next month about the song, and Shirley has agreed to honour us by opening it. The ceremony will take place at 10.30am on Saturday April 6th. Was the murderer ever traced? Come to the Museum and find out…

Leatherhead Parish: Growing disciples of Jesus Christ: NEWS Easter 2013

Church Matters 7 - from the March 2013 magazine

New Editor - from the March 2013 magazine

My name is Matthew Waters and I have lived in Leatherhead for most of my life and been involved in the local churches in a variety of ways during that time. I have agreed to take on the editing of For Church and Town, our venerable magazine, to ensure that it continues to provide up-to-date news and debates to our congregation and the wider community of Leatherhead for at least another few decades or so.

So if you have any comments about the content, layout or purpose of the magazine as it was, is or should be, then please get in contact with me by email on matthewswatersAThotmail.com (replace AT with @ before sending) or by phone on L363730. I’d love to hear what you, the readers, think.

New Priest for Mickleham: Rev Malcolm Raby Feb 2013

Church Matters 6 - from the Feb 2013 magazine

Christian Ramblers of Surrey - from the Feb 2013 magazine

The Christian Ramblers of Surrey is a walking group affiliated to the national Christian Rambling Club of the UK. They organise monthly walks in different parts of Surrey, Sussex, Kent, and sometimes further afield. The walks are approximately 8-10 miles in distance.

I walked out with them for an 11 miler recently commencing at Abinger Roughs just outside Dorking. There were 17 walkers. The group leader always starts with a prayer asking that we be blessed with good fellowship and safety. The group stopped for a coffee break on the North Downs Way above Gomshall, then carried on to Peaslake for lunch, and then back around to finish where we began. After the walk most of the group drove to a tea shop in Abinger where further fellowship was enjoyed. I highly recommend the company and pleasure of walking and chatting. They have a website: just type Surrey Christian Ramblers, and it will give you their programme. If interested do speak to me directly.
Juliet Campbell

Guildford Diocese and the Women Bishops Debate - from the Feb 2013 magazine

There are 44 Dioceses in the Church of England, and at their Diocesan Synods 42 of the 44 voted in favour of the legislation to enable women bishops. Guildford's (our own Diocese's) laity voted 70% in favour. Yet when the legislation came to General Synod in November last year, the legislation failed because it did not get the necessary majority among the laity, and three of our own four lay representatives voted against the legislation - proportionately the second highest vote against from any Diocese, and clearly at odds with the majority in favour at Diocesan Synod.

This disparity between the apparent collective view of the Diocese and how its representatives voted, along with the strongly held views on the issue of women bishops itself, animated a standing-room-only open meeting of lay people called by the bishops in Guildford in early December, which we both attended. The three representatives concerned all had the integrity to explain their actions: they all assured us they were, personally, in favour of women bishops, but had voted against because they considered that the provision for people who cannot accept women bishops was inadequate.

The energy and passion was impressive - there is hope for the church when hundreds of lay people are prepared to pack a church on a subzero December evening to have their (strictly enforced) one-minute say. But it is also ironic because it was the absence of just such widespread enthusiasm and engagement at the time of the last elections to General Synod that allowed people to get themselves elected who, whilst sincere and committed, come from clearly identified "camps" that are not representative of the Diocese (or indeed the church) as a whole.

Trust has now broken down between them and at least some of the people they represent. But then their telling us that the provisions for non-assenters to women bishops were inadequate also represents a breakdown of trust - they are failing to trust the church and, specifically, the bishops to make that provision.

The energy of the laity thus galvanised may have been impressive -but the tragedy is that it takes such a disaster (a strong word but one used several times without any intent to exaggerate) for the church to do this. "Disaster" for the church's credibility and hence mission in the country - disaster for the women prevented from responding to God's call and the church deprived of their gifts - disaster for Anglicans feeling there will be no place left for them.

The Bishops now propose new legislation with new provisions for nonassenters. It is their job to do the right thing for the church - but this approach feels out of tune with what seems to be the spirit of our Diocese at least. If ordaining women bishops is the right thing to do let's get on and do that right thing, without qualifications and provisos. And to whatever extent making provision for non-assenters is the right thing, let's do that too, not through yet more lawyers' drafting but as a matter of Christian family love.
Gail Partridge and John Swanson

Completely New Parish Electoral Roll - from the Feb 2013 magazine

Every 6 years we are required to scrap our Parish Electoral Roll and completely rebuild it using fresh applications. So everyone who wishes to be on the new Roll (so that they can vote at the forthcoming Annual Parochial Church Meeting) needs to complete an application form. From 1st March 2013 the Electoral Roll application form will be available from the Parish Office, in church and via the Parish website. We will need to receive these completed forms no later than 1st April 2013.

Announcements will be made in church and there will be reminders in the March magazine and in the weekly news-sheets.
Frank Haslam, Electoral Roll Officer, L379341.

Wholly Beaders - from the Feb 2013 magazine

Wholly Beaders meet on the first Wednesday of the month. (please note: 2 exceptions in March and December), 7.15 - 9.30pm in the Reeves Room, Leatherhead Parish Church Hall. Workshops may be on a Saturday.
The cost is £5 for the evening - refreshments are included. Experienced headers and beginners welcome. Please bring your basic beading equipment to each meeting: bead mat, needles, thread, scissors, beads of your choice. Appropriate beads will also be available. Contact: L Willmott L375773

2013 WHOLLY BEADERS PROGRAMME
Date	Activity	Materials
January 2	Crystal cross/heart or bracelet	4mm bicone crystals 11 seeds, 15 seeds
February 6	Spiral ropes	8 seeds 11 seeds
March 13 (Tuesday)	Findings and Finishes	Please bring a piece that needs finishing; findings will be provided
April 3	Earrings with Barbara	TBC
May 1	Bead embroidery	Piece of clothing, cushion or bag to decorate 6 seeds, 8 seeds, crystals
June 5	Autumn Fayre preparation	TBC
July 3	Autumn Fayre preparation	TBC
August 7	Cuff in herringbone/ right angle weave	Delica Beads 4mm bicone crystals
September 4	Tassels/light pulls	11 seeds, delica beads, drops, 4mm crystals
October 2	Christmas bauble	Bauble, 11 seeds, 4mm crystals
November 6	Snowflake	6 seeds, 4mm crystals
December 3 (Tuesday)	Christmas creation	TBC

Church Matters 5 - from the Jan 2013 magazine

The Sewing Shop 2013 - from the Jan 2013 magazine

Thank you to all those who supported this venture throughout September and October when I was able to open for five half days per week. Sadly due to the fire restrictions at the Parish Church Hall I cannot use the room full-time so in 2013 I will be open as usual alongside the Community Market on Friday mornings from 10am - 12noon (Market 10.30am-11.30am). However if this isn't convenient for you, give me a call on L374914 and I will try to help you out.
Happy sewing, crafting, beading ...
Janine Stagg

The Parish Prayer Group - from the Jan 2013 magazine

Some time ago I wrote about the Parish Prayer Group: we meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 2.30pm at Sheila Cole's house for roughly two hours - including a time for chat and tea afterwards.

For those who wish to, there is an opportunity to lead the session and we benefit greatly from the variety of thought. But all are welcome just to share "where two or three are gathered in my name".

We now have a list of Parish needs for prayer printed in the weekly Notice Sheet under the heading "For your prayer diary this week", and it occurred to us that those who were housebound might well like to have this list - a way of keeping in touch and sharing in this valued part of the Church family. If so, please get in touch with either M Canning on L372796 or S Cole on L373330.

We shall have a break now until March, when we shall meet on Tuesday 19 March at 2.30pm at York Cottage, 31 Church Road, Leatherhead. Please ring either of us if you are interested and would like to know more, or if you would like the Notice Sheet sent to you.
Mollie Canning

and .. The Parish Prayer Group - from the September 2013 magazine

I was looking through the list of activities to be found in the Parish Magazine recently when it occurred to me that I didn’t really know what belonging to some of the activities actually involved. I thought it might be interesting to be given an insight into some of them. The duties of the Chief Sidesman (what, no women?) would appear to be self-explanatory, but what does it actually involve? Likewise what are the duties of the Sacristan and what do the functions of a Pastoral Visitor involve?

I wonder what readers of the Parish Magazine think of when they come across the heading Parish Prayer Group. Do they think that is perhaps something to do with the Prayer Chain – if they know what that does – or perhaps some form of home prayer group?

I then thought that I had better put into practice what I am suggesting. I am a member of the Prayer Group and have been for many years, though not quite as many as the number of grains of sand there are, so I am in the position of enlightening anyone who may be interested.

The Group was started some thirty years ago to pray for the needs of the Parish Church. It was set up and run by Anthony Hill, and when he died his wife Helena carried on in his place. In due course she had to give it up and Mollie Canning stepped into her shoes and is still in post. The meetings were initially, and for a very long time, held in the Hill home and were held in the evening to enable members who worked during the day to attend.

The format of the meetings has remained the same, the accent on prayers for the church coming more from members, with an input from Graham, our Rector, as occasion demands. We now meet on the third Tuesday of each month, in the afternoon, at the home of Sheila and Martin Cole in Church Road and can muster up to ten members, depending on health and other commitments. Prayers are led by a member on an entirely voluntary basis; it took me over a year from when I first started before I felt confident to take the lead one evening. We have members who have never felt the call to do so.

With so much change in the air in reaching into the future and trying to expand the Christian life of the parish it seems to me ever more important for the Group to continue. Of the ten members at present some five are over ninety which suggests that over the next ten years there may be some wastage! If the idea of joining us for an afternoon, to test the temperature of the water as it were, appeals to you, you would receive a warm welcome at Devon Cottage, Church Road; or ring M Canning on 372796.

As an added incentive, each afternoon after prayers we talk about things in general; Sheila, for instance, will bring us up to date on parish matters. Gossip? Certainly not, more like informed discussion. Oh, by the way there is of course the obligatory cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit. On high days and holidays there might even be a special cake.

Finally, although I have made this something of a recruiting drive, it would be interesting to other members of the congregation if an insight could be given into other activities and what they do. How many people know what being a Pastoral Convenor involves, or the Resources Convenor? Please tell.
Derek Harding

Parish of Leatherhead - Key Events & News 2013

Church Matters for December 2013 - from the December 2013 magazine

Notes from The Belfry - from the December 2013 magazine

The Autumn Fayre 2013 - from the December 2013 magazine

A New Way to Share the Christmas Story - from the November 2013 magazine

Revd Gualter de Mello retires - from the November 2013 magazine

New York September 2013 - from the November 2013 magazine