Church Notes - May 2012 .. and from earlier issues
Prayer of the Month
O God, who revealed your unknown love in Jesus Christ,
who suffered to save the world by his Cross and Passion,
come to us in your mercy and make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer, so that we may turn from sin to love,
from guilt to joy and from death to life.
Grant this for the sake of our friend, the same Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Lord, Amen.
Keep The Date Free! - SUNDAY 8th JULY
With grateful thanks to our Licensed Lay Minister, Gail
Partridge, and her husband Roger, we have the opportunity to
use a marquee in their garden on the evening of Sunday July
8th for a church fund raising event. Discussions are in hand,
and it promises to be an exciting event.
Please keep this date free, and we will get back to you with
details as soon as possible.
A Journey Through Easter
A great deal has happened in church life over the Easter period and I thought you would like to know about all that happened. How we shared in the memory of Jesus last days until his crucifixion and then His glorious resurrection. You will learn how active we have been and the great numbers involved - I hope you were there at some of those happenings:
- Palm Sunday saw our well attended celebration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As a witness we paraded from the town centre to our morning worship.
- Monday - eighty members from our Leatherhead churches home groups gathered and sat down to an excellent Bring and Share supper at the Methodist church. The food was delicious and plentiful and a great social time had by all.
- Tuesday evening we held our service of Compline .............
- Wednesday brought the Brockham Choral Society to our church and their excellent singing of The Saviour by William Lloyd Webber.
- Thursday evening reminded us of Jesus desire by example to serve others and was demonstrated by the washing of hands/feet of parishioners by Graham and Kuhan.
- Friday morning saw 100 joining the walk of witness from the Catholic church to the town centre where we held a dramatic reading followed by tea and hot cross buns in the hall. Then the ceremony of the Last Hour. A wonderful, impacting service. Of Graham dramatically carrying the huge and heavy cross from the West door and a truly beautiful rendition of When I Survey by Graham, Nicky and their children Luke and Bethany.
- Saturday saw a full turnout of our dedicated flower arrangers and Sacristan who transformed our bare church for Easter morning - Christ is Risen - He is Risen indeed - the striking of the new fire at 7am followed by breakfast in the hall. And for the large numbers attending at both the 9.30 and 11.15 services, a great and happy worship time.
Were you there to join in our journey of faith?
Thank you to everyone involved and particularly to our
leadership team
Martin Cole
New Worship Pattern
We have been following an experimental Worship Pattern since October 2010. Analysis of how it worked, including a Worship Pattern Review questionnaire, commenced in December 2011. This paper now summarises the findings of that analysis and sets out the new Worship Pattern approved by the PCC on 14th April 2012.
Some facts about the experiment and the survey
The experimental worship pattern, offering both formal and informal worship styles on a weekly basis, resulted in an increase of some 30% in our average total Sunday attendance.
There were 117 responses to the Worship Pattern survey. Most respondents were over 65 years old but there were replies from all age groups. People described what they liked best about their main service and why they didn’t like other services as much.
The survey asked about the changes that people would like
to see. Some main themes emerged. People thought that having
two main different services on Sunday mornings was divisive
and that it would be better to have
• A family/all age service at least once a month at
10.30am
• A single morning service at 10am or 10.30am
• Alternate weeks traditional and contemporary worship
styles
• A joint service at major festivals
There were subsidiary themes about coffee time, the use of
the screen and the timing of Sunday Club.
Analysis and Review
Over one hundred hours of time has been spent analysing and discussing and praying about the survey results, and possible worship patterns. This has involved our ministry team, churchwardens, the Worship Key Area Working Group and the PCC. You won’t be surprised to know that there is no single worship pattern that meets everyone’s individual preferences!
There is however one worship pattern that meets the main preferences and our aspirations for our New Future.
This worship pattern is to have a New Parish Communion service every Sunday at 10.30. Sunday Club will start in the Church Hall and will usually come into Church for Communion. Once a month this service will be an All Age Parish Communion with active participation by children and their leaders. The aim is for these services to be inclusive, loving, joyful, high quality, relaxed but reverent. These services will be based on Common Worship Order One.
There will be informal worship every Sunday at 6.30pm. This will be at the Methodist Church on a fourth Sunday, with Book of Common Prayer Evensong (Said, Sung or Choral) at the Parish Church, and a Uniting Churches Taizé service on a fifth Sunday. More detailed discussions about united evening worship are continuing but our informal worship will include Bible study, prayer and occasional Lay Leadership.
The BCP Said Holy Communion will continue at 8am every Sunday probably with the addition of a homily more often than at present.
At All Saints there will be Holy Communion at 9am on the first Sunday of every month. Triumph AM will continue at 10am on the second and fourth Sundays. KNOW will be held in the evening of the second Sunday.
There will be coffee in church after each New Parish Communion. This will provide a relaxed time to meet and catch up with each other. There will be a similar fellowship time after the evening services.
What happens next?
The present plan is to introduce this new worship pattern on Sunday 6 May. Much remains to be done with detailed service design still to be completed. There will be a presentation on progress towards the New Future at the Annual Parish Church Meeting (APCM) on Wednesday 25 April.
The new pattern can be seen here
“Space to Think” - Marriage Preparation Day
For most of you, Saturday 24th March 2012 was probably a Saturday much the same as any other. Although, as it was sunny, you may have taken the opportunity to sit in the garden, catch up with the laundry, or go for a stroll in the Surrey Hills. For around 16 couples, all planning weddings in Leatherhead or Mickleham this year, this day provided one of the milestones on the path to married life - the Marriage Preparation Day.
This is a day designed to take couples away from the difficulties of finding a pair of shoes in exactly the right shade of off-white, wondering how long it will take their fiancé(e) to notice they've switched the chair sashes from emphatically-not-pink to ... well ... pink, and debating at length whether Great Uncle Fred is best sat where Great Aunt Maud can keep an eye on him, or next to your friend who shares his passion for fly fishing, and instead take a step back and work out just what they're letting themselves in for!
As a couple, Phil and I have been fortunate in that a large part of Phil's agenda whilst “courting” seems to have been to gradually tick off his mental checklist of "Big things we should talk about before committing to marriage." Even so, having a wedding to plan, a house to redecorate and furnish, and busy work lives has meant that recently the evening's conversation has revolved more around choosing paint for the lounge (so many shades of off-white to choose from!) than around getting to know the other person (though you can learn some things from how a person chooses paint, I'm sure). Engagement, and life in general, is a runaway train - it picks you up, almost without your noticing, and takes you along with it, not stopping for a pitstop along the way. The Marriage Preparation Day is a day to take some time out, take stock, and ponder: "What is this train I'm on? Where is it headed? What does that mean? Is that where I want to go?"
Led by Graham (from Leatherhead) and David (from Mickleham), who were ably assisted by Kuhan, this is not a course to participate in if you don't like talking to your partner. Although, if you don't then why are you marrying them? How do you propose to cope with life together after the wedding? In which case, maybe you should do the course too!
Using as its basis the book "Growing Together" by Andrew Body (copies of which are available to take away with you), the course takes the format of a series of topics, each introduced with a brief talk from one of the clergy. Participants are then given an activity (drawing, generally!) or, more usually, a discussion point. These points are usually for discussion with your partner, though you may be asked to talk to other people's partners (at which point the volume increases as everyone maintains proper distance from someone else's spouse-to-be!)
Topics covered include: attraction, conflict, life after the wedding, vision for the future, sex, maintaining a healthy balance in life, ... There is a also a section taking couples through the wedding service and setting out exactly which promises they are making when they stand up in front of their family, friends and God. Graham will also provide encouragement and inspiration for anyone wishing to be creative with their wedding service (though at least one of my bridesmaids will kill me if I demand a choreographed dance in, rather than the traditional stately walk. Sorry Graham!)
Lunch is also provided and served by a team from the churches. We had delicious homemade soup (with a choice of flavours), served with bread, cheeses and grapes. There was also opportunity to make the most of the weather with a brief bask in the sunshine!
This course provides exactly what it offers – “A
Space to Think”. All in all we found it a very useful
day, not least due to the opportunity to sit down, with no
other demands on our attention, and return to where our
relationship started - and what we love doing - and talk to
one another. About who we are, and what we hope to become.
Together.
Poppy Stagg
Poppy Stagg grew up attending the Sunday Club. She is
marrying Phil Balding on 4th August 2012
Free House Sitting Service
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Interested/wish to know then do contact me juliet_campbell50ATyahoo.co.uk
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Juliet Campbell
Lady Day Service at Guildford Cathedral
I was recently asked by the Mothers' Union if I could help at the Lady Day service at Guildford Cathedral on March 26th; my job was to see that everyone was able to park properly as this is a very popular service. I was assisted by Andy Widman from Ashtead who I had never met before but we got on very well as if I had known him all my life.
Now as for the service itself – Wow!! Amazing. Bishop Christopher's address was very moving, and as for the peace, everyone seemed to know each other: it was like greeting long lost friends. Yes indeed the peace of God really does pass all understanding.
But what was so incredible was the Branch Banners processing down the nave of the Cathedral at the beginning and at the end of the service, and I for one found it hard to believe that there were so many Branches of the Mothers' Union in this diocese.
Now it’s the first time I have ever been to this service but I thoroughly recommend it to all – this is one service not to be missed.
So can I say a very big “well done Mothers' Union”.
John Sutherland
Mothers’ Union
On 2nd May Alison Ney will be coming along to speak on
“High Veldt” (Africa). We will be holding a raffle,
and anyone is welcome to join us at 2.30pm. Thank you to all
those who supported “Genesis”.
6th June – Communion Service at All Saints.
Jane Summerfield
Diocesan Synod
What do you think that Diocesan Synods do? The overriding role is strategic – considering questions of policy and priorities, acting as a consultative body and being a communications route between parishes, the diocese and the top management of the CofE.
Our PCC appoints people to be members of the Deanery Synod, and it in turn appoints a mixture of clergy and laity to be members of the Diocesan Synod. St Mary’s has Sheila Cole, Roger Lynch and me on the Deanery Synod. At present the Deanery Synod has the Revds Robert Jenkins, Paul Boughton, Alan Jenkins and Jeremy Cresswell plus Chris Shawdon (Cobham), Humphrey Bowen (Fetcham), Bill Taylor (Great Bookham), Barry Moughton (Mickleham) and me on the Diocesan Synod. Are you with me so far?
This brings me – at last – to the meeting. It was very interesting, lively, friendly and well attended. It began with an excellent session by the Revd William Challis who you’ll remember led some of our services in January. We had prayers and Bible study on Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 16. With unity as its theme this was most appropriate as the main item to follow later was a debate on the Anglican Communion Covenant – an important unity/disunity topic if ever there was one.
The Synod also discussed Synod membership, and whether it truly represents every Parish in the Diocese. As the list above indicates, it doesn’t, but does it matter? Apparently it might, so more work will be done.
As for the Anglican Communion Covenant, Deaneries in our diocese had already declared four in favour, six against, with two not voting for the motion to adopt it. A very lively debate followed, well chaired by Peter Brunivels, with passion, reason, hopes and fears expressed by more than 20 clergy and laity. It was clear that whatever the result there would be some unhappy and disappointed people. In the event the decision was made not to support the introduction of the Anglican Communion Covenant, and the Guildford Diocese therefore helped to decide that the CofE overall would not support it.
Where this now leaves the CofE in terms of its
relationship with other Anglican churches worldwide churches
is unclear. It may also influence the selection process for a
new Archbishop of Canterbury and it will certainly make the
new Archbishop’s job more complicated than it might have
been.
Donald Yeates
Floral Workshop
Ladies of all ages and from many different walks of life gathered in the Reeves room at the Parish Hall in Leatherhead on Saturday 18 February. The occasion was a flower arranging workshop led by Alison Gillott.
Around a horseshoe shaped table we watched as Alison demonstrated three small arrangements before attempting to recreate the arrangements ourselves.
The arrangements had a distinctly contemporary feel and incorporated unusual materials that we perhaps would not have thought to use before, such as a laminated paper doily (to create the case of a floral cup cake), pearl headed dressmaking pins (to secure a large leaf wrapped around base made of oasis) and artificial straw (to decorate the base of tightly secured daffodil stems rising boldly from a pot).
There was a great deal of conferring as we compared our efforts with those of our neighbours and checked techniques. Some had fingers that were nimble and quick, others made slower progress; some were easily distracted by the conversations happening around the table, others were sunk in silent concentration.
At the end we all entrusted our work to Alison for display on one large table, set off by a striking tablecloth for best effect. We gathered around and found to our surprise and delight that our work was successful. Using similar materials and flowers we had all managed to replicate Alison's arrangements, whilst introducing little touches of our own. Everyone took home their arrangements, and one of mine lasted for several weeks. There were no disasters.
The session took less than a couple of hours but so much was achieved, thanks to superb planning and preparation on the part of Alison and the organisers. We all lead busy lives and much of the success of the event was that all materials were provided so you could just "turn up".
There was also a welcome opportunity at the end to stock
up on a few flower arranging materials. We are very grateful
to Alison for making this delightful event possible. It was a
morning of much laughter, fun, fellowship and accomplishment,
thoroughly enjoyed by all and greatly appreciated.
Julie West
Over the Edge and You’re Down!
St Mary’s tower has been a school and a fire station but there’s never been anything like this. Parishioners old enough to know better went over the edge to help Christian Aid to beat poverty.
On a fine Saturday morning [24th March 2012], in lovely sunshine, in front of a good crowd and with the promise of only sweet tea and a bacon roll at the end, parishioners and visitors abseiled down the 66 feet high tower to the sounds of cheering, screaming, clapping and shouts of “hang on darling”.
Our abseilers were Gail Partridge, Sheila Ford, Linda Hauxwell, Caroline Waters and Nicola Artiss, plus Doug Waters and Martin West to represent the men. They now have a medal, a photographic record, and the satisfaction of meeting the challenge.
Supporters and onlookers
Gail Partidge, Linda Hauxwell, Sheila Ford
Gail Partridge about to descend
Christian Aid expects that the event will have raised £4,000 when all of the pledges are in and all of the cash counted.
By the way, the origin of the abseil is attributed to Jean Charlet-Straton, a Chamonix guide who lived from 1840–1925. He originally devised the technique of the abseil method of roping down during a failed solo attempt of le Petit Dru in 1876. Of course our intrepid heroes now just say “I went abbing the other day you know”.
Well done to all of them, and thanks to helpers Peter
Ford, Martin Cole, Molly Lewis, Mike Todd, Anne Ray, Jan
Yeates, and press snapper Katherine Griffiths.
Donald Yeates
Abseiling for Christian Aid
As many of you will have seen in the local paper, your daft, mad and crazy Verger did succeed in descending the Tower and wishes to thank those many friends who so very generously supported her in her moment of mental aberration.
I am delighted to report that I have raised £668, which
is a phenomenal amount. Merci beaucoup!
Sheila Ford
Starship Discovery Holiday Club - August 20 to 24
This year’s Holiday Club will be blasting off on 20 August for five mornings of fun-filled adventure. We are looking for 100 fearless space cadets, aged 5 to 11, to join our crew. Do you know anyone that’s brave enough?!
Bookings will launch at the end of May. Contact Jane Smith
(janefcwATgooglemail.com - replace AT with @ before sending)
for info & to make sure you are on our mailing list!
Jane Smith
Ecumenical Family and Children’s Work
Easter is always a great opportunity to invite families to hear and respond to the Christian message. This year we were pleased to welcome about 60 guests – children, teenagers and adults – to “The Lion, The Witch … and The Easter Egg?”. The Methodist Church was transformed into a cinema venue for one afternoon and we entered the world of Narnia. While we ate our popcorn, we thought about how the death and resurrection of Aslan helps us understand a bit more about the Easter message. I was so impressed by the thoughtful questions that a number of the children asked. And we all enjoyed a splendid tea, complete with plenty of chocolate and egg-shaped items!
Looking ahead, Leatherhead is hosting a “Messy Fiesta” on Saturday 26 May. This event will bring together Messy Church leaders and helpers from different churches, to exchange ideas, tell stories, celebrate successes and look ahead to the future. We will be welcoming Andrew Cowie from St Paul’s Church in Woking and Charis Lambert from Morden Baptist Church, both of whom have lots of experience helping churches make the most of Messy Church as a new way to worship and grow.
I am also looking forward to my annual visit to Beaver
Camp on Sunday 20 May, where I will help to lead the morning
act of worship. Please pray for good weather during our open
air devotions!
Jane Smith
Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church
Paul Pickering’s talk “The HeART of MADRID” raised over £600 towards the maintenance of the fabric and the grounds of the Parish Church. We are very grateful to Paul and to the Leatherhead Decorative & Fine Arts Society, who hosted the event. Thanks also to those who contributed the delicious home-made cakes.
Annual General Meeting – Friday, 18 May 2012
The Annual General Meeting of the Friends will take
place at 8 pm on Friday 18 May in the Leatherhead Parish
Church Hall. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available from
7.30 pm.
Following the formalities of the AGM, our guest speaker
will be the Assistant Curate of the Church, Reverend Kuhan
Satkunanayagam, who will give an illustrated presentation on Churches
and Charities in Sri Lanka.
June Robinson
Christian Aid Week Sun 13 - Sat 19 May
Volunteers are requested to help us deliver and collect
envelopes door-to-door during Christian Aid Week, and/or to
collect early on Tuesday 15th May at Leatherhead Station,
and/or for an hour in the town on Thursday 17th May. Be bold
for those who need our faith in action. Please call Frank
Haslam L379341.
Music on Thursdays
Thursday 5th April
Unfortunately Henry Manning (baritone), who was due
to sing at this concert, was unwell and had to cancel at very
short notice. Within twenty four hours Graham Davies managed
to get in touch with Anna Tam (cello) who very kindly agreed
to come and play instead. What an unusual concert of 20th and
21st century cello pieces she played: very very demanding for
her and quite different for most of the audience. We even had
a premiere of Roy Chilton's new Suite for Solo
Violoncello, which he wrote for her. Each of the four
movements had a title which applied to Anna's many different
qualities and traits from her early childhood to the present
day. But the icing on the cake was her singing the well known
Irish folk tune Oats and Beans and Barley Grow
whilst she accompanied herself on the cello.
Hopefully Henry is due to come later in the season and we can all look forward to hearing Anna again at the end of May.
Thursday 12th April
What a feast of cello recitals we are having –
three in a row, and what a contrast from the cello recital
last week: then it was 20th/21st century music, this one was
all Bach. Alex Rolton is a student at the Royal Academy of
Music and, judging by his CV and yesterday's concert, his
talent will take him a long way in his music career. His
virtuosity and sympathetic playing of Bach’s Suites
Nos 2 and 3 brought out everything the composer would
have wished for. However Alex did tell us before he started
to play that some of Bach's pieces were either not complete
or had wrong notes, which allowed the many soloists who play
Bach to feel that they could use their own interpretation
when playing! If this was so on this occasion it certainly
made for a most enjoyable forty five minutes.
Frances Presley
Leatherhead Morning W.I.
Our March meeting was well attended, on a bright, sunny
morning. We were reminded of forthcoming trips, and more
events planned for later in the year. The speaker was our
President, Mrs Hazel Richmond-Coggan, who talked about her
recent visit to Ethiopia. This was accompanied by a screening
of photos taken during the trip. Many of us think about
Ethiopia as a colourless country, and remember scenes of
deprivation shown on television. It was, therefore, very
interesting to see lush greenery and imposing buildings.
Hazel was fortunate enough to see many churches, and even
visited ten in one day. It sounded a very enlightening
experience, if exhausting, with one drive lasting thirteen
and a half hours.
If you would like to join us at one of our meetings, give us
a try. We have a wide variety of speakers and demonstrations
during the year. Our meetings are held on the fourth Thursday
of the month, at Leatherhead Parish Hall, at 10.15am.
For further information ring L374570.
Hazel Brown
The Letherhed Institute Celebrates 120 Years Service to the Community in 2012
The Letherhed Institute (yes that’s the old spelling, look above the door) at the top of the High Street was built in 1892 and given to the people of Leatherhead by local benefactor Abraham Dixon of Cherkley Court. This year sees the commemoration of 120 years providing educational, social and recreational facilities within this beautiful Victorian building.
Amazingly the Institute had already been there for 5 years when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee and it will be bedecked again on 19 May to mark the Diamond Jubilee of our own Queen Elizabeth II.
The festivities on 19 May will include an invitation for
all the Leatherhead Community to come and see what’s
inside the building; Mole Valley Silver Band (originally
Leatherhead Town Band) will be playing and a special feature
will be an exhibition organised by the Leatherhead and
District Local History Society.
June Robinson
Leatherhead Trinity School – News
This is the first of a regular column, bringing together highlights from Leatherhead Trinity newsletters over the previous few weeks, in the hope that church members will enjoy hearing about goings-on in the life of our church school.
Music: The infant choir took part in the Youth competitions at the Leith Hill Musical Festival, led by their conductor Lindsay Boswell. They were one of the smallest choirs, but sang up confidently and earned a nice, shiny certificate, along with some very positive comments. The older children enjoyed a visit by students from the Yehudi Menuhin School. As you can imagine the children were mesmerised by these talented musicians, who were only a few years older than them!
Trips: Year 4 have enjoyed an exciting trip by train into London, to visit Sir Francis Drake's ship, The Golden Hind. Meanwhile Year 3 have also been into London, to visit the Natural History Museum where they were excited to have a trip on the earthquake simulator.
At the end of term all year groups took part in Easter services, with the infants at Christ Church and the juniors at Leatherhead Parish Church. At both services the Easter story was told, with readings and prayers by the children, and they raised the roofs with their enthusiastic singing.
During the Easter holidays work has been underway to extend "The Burrow" – the room occupied by the school's Nurture Unit, who are looking forward to having a bit more space!
This month please remember in your prayers the children in
Year 6 who will be sitting their SATs tests during the week
of 14 May – and also their parents and teachers! The
following week there are plans to celebrate the Queen's
Jubilee in school - more news next month.
Jane Smith
Intercessors, Readers
Last Autumn Sheila Moss and I went to an evening arranged by the Rt Revd Ian Brackley, Bishop of Dorking, in a church near Guildford which explored the mechanics, for want of a better word, of delivering Intercessions and Readings. When we came back we thought that it had been a most useful exercise and that it could be very helpful to pass on some of the thoughts to our own Intercessors and Readers. Luckily so did Graham. Therefore we are inviting not only existing Readers and Intercessors but also anyone who feels that they would like to give either a try but have never had the courage to do so. We shall talk about the pitfalls of reading from the lectern – you can have a go if you wish, the reasons for and content of Intercessions, and try and answer any questions that may arise. This is to be in the Parish Church on Monday 21st May at 7.30pm.
If you would like to give either a try please come and see how you get on – you may surprise yourself. And if you are an “old hand” it would be very useful to have your views and experience.
It would be helpful if you could let me know either by email or phone whether you are coming or not, then if I have not heard from some people it may mean that this has not been seen and I can phone those concerned.
Elements
From 1st July I shall not be phoning to “book” two people to take the elements on a specific Sunday. Instead, the Duty Warden will ask two people already in the Church if they would be prepared to take up the elements on that day. As above, if you have seen this please would you let me know and I can contact those who have not seen this.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have, over the years, been prepared to be bothered by me asking them to take up the elements: we are all most grateful.
F Presley L372049
From the Parish Magazine May 1912
Introduction: Mr and Mrs Collyer lived at 31 Church Walk. Their son, Harvey, and Charlotte, his wife, went to Bishopstoke with our curate, the Revd S.N. Sedgwick, when he left Leatherhead in 1904 to become rector of St. Mary’s, Bishopstoke. Harvey was a keen bell ringer and became verger and parish clerk at St. Mary’s. Charlotte suffered from tuberculosis, so in 1912 they decided to emigrate with their eight year old daughter to Ohio which had a better climate. Unfortunately they sailed on the Titanic. Harvey drowned and is commemorated in St. Mary’s Bishopstoke with a masterly understatement: “Fell asleep in the deep”. Charlotte and their daughter survived and returned to England after a few months.
For full details of the story, visit the Leatherhead
Museum which has a very good exhibition and book about it by
Alun Roberts.
Linda Heath
THE VICAR’S LETTER
My dear Friends
The terrible disaster to the “Titanic” has brought the burden of personal grief to Letherhead. All will feel sympathy for Mr and Mrs Collyer whose son perished with the ill-fated vessel: and with the anxiety of the relatives of his wife, who, with her little daughter, is among the number of the survivors.
The whole nation has been thrilled with a sense of the suffering which this calamity may cause in many hundreds of homes, and has with one mind eagerly sought to do what can be done to lessen or avert it; while every heart has been touched by the records of gallantry and heroism true to the noblest traditions of our race. It would be well if all were as deeply impressed with awe at this revelation of the Divine power which sets a limit to the pride of man in the devices of his brain and the works of his hands; and took to heart the rebuke to our heedlessness and forgetfulness of God which this shocking tragedy is surely meant to convey.
From earlier issues
Parish Vision Project - from the April 2012 magazine
People have worshipped at St Mary’s for over a thousand years. In that time they built many new futures for their church congregations and buildings to enable them to survive and to grow. Building on their history and tradition they adapted their work and worship to meet the challenges of their changing world.
We are now at the beginning of another series of changes as we try to ready our church for the challenges of its New Future.
Over the last two years we’ve all worked
to create a vision for the kind of church that we’d like
to see here in Leatherhead. We described this kind of church
in our New Future document and prepared a pathway showing how
we would work towards it.
Much progress has been made already. We have:
• Agreed our vision and mission statement
• Set up seven Key Area Working Groups, each with a
convenor, to move us forward towards our vision.
• Introduced and trialled new service patterns, and just
completed a survey to get feedback about the preferred
pattern of services and the features of our worship that are
most valued by those who attend our Church.
• Completed a successful Parish Funding Programme that
resulted in planned giving promises increasing by 25% for
2012 compared with 2011.
• Established Home Groups as a regular feature of our
church life.
• Worked with other churches in Leatherhead to develop
our faith together. This year over 100 people are following a
shared Lent course run in small groups in houses and
churches.
• Filled our church on Remembrance Sunday, at the
Christmas Carol Service and the children’s Christingle
Service.
But there is still more to do. Our very popular and much used
church hall needs upgrading – toilets, kitchen, boiler,
windows and stage. The church itself needs to be completely
reordered with better lighting, heating, seating, sound
system, flooring, toilets and some kitchen facilities.Several
options are being considered to achieve this.
Having completed a very successful Parish Funding Programme, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) has decided to embark on the more detailed process of developing our New Future document into a Statement of Need, working out what facilities would meet those needs, how and where we might provide them, estimates of how much that might cost and how we might fund the necessary developments.
Nothing is fixed; we’re at the
exploration stage. If you have concerns please speak to a
member of the clergy or one of the churchwardens.
The Clergy, Churchwardens and Assistant Churchwardens
Parish Church Hall - from the April 2012 magazine
Our insurers have carried out a Risk Management Report on the Church Hall. Included in that report is a reminder of our statutory obligations under Health & Safety Regulations 1999 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2006.
In order to comply Peter Leith has volunteered to act as our Health & Safety Officer for all church properties with effect from April this year with all the possible costs of remedial works that appointment may entail.
With regard to Food Hygiene, the church hall and kitchen facilities are hired to outside hirers as seen. For ALL church events where food preparation is required in the kitchen will you please note that the following requirements are in effect as of now.
When a church member contacts Sheila Sutherland (bookings secretary) to hire the hall and kitchen, you will be asked - 'is food preparation taking place at the event'. If food preparation is to take place then the hirer will be asked the name of the person RESPONSIBLE for the kitchen at that event and have they agreed. Until that information is provided the booking will NOT be accepted.. A booking form will be completed by all church event hirers
The requirements will not apply where only
tea/coffee and packaged snacks are on offer.
Martin Cole, Chairman of Church Hall Committee
Review of Concert on Thursday 8th March - from the April 2012 magazine
The first of our weekly concerts at 12.30pm in the church on Thursday 8th March got off to a flying start to a good sized audience. The two artists were violinist, Midori Komachi from Japan, and pianist Carlos Guerrero from Spain. I say pianist and not accompanist advisedly, as their programme consisted of two powerful and demanding sonatas – one by Debussy and one by Prokofiev. Both of these compositions are works for violin and piano, with equally complex parts, rather than violin solos with piano accompaniment. Both performers were quite outstanding, and even those who may have found the Prokofiev a bit daunting were lost in admiration for their skill in performance, making it all seem so easy.
Vecchia Trattoria are sponsoring
these concerts, for which we are most grateful, and they
bring delicious sandwiches and cakes to the church, or if we
feel like something more substantial, we can always walk
along Church Walk to their restaurant in the High Street.
Details of April concerts will appear next month.
Linda Heath
Music on Thursdays, Leatherhead Parish Church - from the April 2012 magazine
Opening Concert On the day of our first concert we launched the Music on Thursdays website, called simply: www.musiconthursdays.org. Here you will find information about the music at St Mary and St Nicholas Church - whether it's on Thursdays, Sundays, or any other day of the week.
Over eighty people enjoyed last week's opening concert of the Music on Thursdays season. As I came into the church to set things up I found it hard to believe that this wonderful violinist was being accompanied on our own piano, such was the skill Carlos Guerrero brought to his playing. Midor Komachi and Carlos Guerrero really gave those instruments their voices. We've added a few photographs to the webpage for the concert. We thank them both for getting our season off to such a terrific start and we wish them every success in their musical careers.
Feeling hungry? Well these are lunchtime concerts. One of the advantages of sponsorship by the High Street restaurant Vecchia Trattoria is that they bring sandwiches and cakes to sell at the end of each concert (at a reasonable £1 for a sandwich or a cake). We will have fruit juice on sale too. The Trattoria also put a discount voucher in their advertisement on the back of our programmes.
We look forward to seeing you at these Music
on Thursdays concerts.
Peter Steadman, Music on Thursdays
The Living Room - from the April 2012 magazine
The Living Room opened for the first time on Sunday 11 March and welcomed over 20 young people to Costa Coffee for live music and an inspirational talk. The new event (run by Leatherhead Youth Project) aims to attract young people from all over Leatherhead and enable them meet new friends and have an introduction to faith. “The Living Room was a great place to hang out on a Sunday and learn a bit more about other people’s lives, I’ll definitely invite my mates to the next one,” Matt age 16.
The Living Room will be back on Sunday 13 May: it is aimed at young people age 14 and over; doors open at 6pm.
Your magazine needs you! - from March 2012
I think most of us agree that this magazine is an important and valuable resource in this wonderful parish of ours. In these financially tough times, I had the idea of saving the parish about £3,000 a year by producing it in-house. Well, like lots of good ideas, it rather fell flat because the machine we have at present just isn’t up to the job; that is why your February issues were not up to scratch. Apologies. So for the present, we have gone back to our printers.
However, we have a bigger problem than how clear our pictures are or whether our edges have been guillotined. WE NEED AN EDITOR, and quickly. After Malcolm’s retirement, Graham took on the role of editor, and this last month while he has been off, Kuhan took over. However, these clergymen of ours just do not have the time to do this on a regular basis. In this hi tech, paper producing, form filling world of ours they have to spend far too much time already in front of their computers, so please, please could one or more of you come forward and offer to take on this job? It’s not too complicated, we have a very efficient system with Margaret Jones co-ordinating, but it is time consuming. Maybe if two or more of you felt able, you could do it on a rota system, who knows what’s possible?
It would be a huge loss if this magazine were to disappear BUT, if nobody can help, that is what is going to happen. Graham is committed to producing the April edition, but how sad it would be if that were to be the last.
If you think you might be able to help,
please ring him 01372 372313.
Thank you, Nicky Osborne
LYP (Leatherhead Youth Project) expansion - from March 2012
LYP has made a successful bid to Surrey County Council to deliver the 'Local Prevention Framework for Leatherhead, Fetcham and Bookham', working with young people who are in danger of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training). The extra workload requires an additional Youth Worker, who has now been recruited.
The resulting pressure on the BFree office space has been resolved by using the All Saints Vestry, and what used to be Claire Gannon’s office, as LYP office space.
How high is it then? Christian Aid abseil of the Church Tower 24th March - from March 2012
The “it” in question is St Mary’s church tower. How high do you think it is? You can find out the boring way – by reading on, or you can find out the adventurous way by abseiling down it!!
On Saturday March 24th the Surrey Sponsored Abseil will see up to 40 people abseiling down the west face of the Tower to raise funds for Christian Aid. From the top you’ll get amazing views over Leatherhead and across the Surrey Hills towards Box Hill. By abseiling down you will be raising money for Christian Aid’s vital development work around the world – working with local communities in around 50 countries, giving them the tools to lift themselves out of poverty.
How much does it cost? It’s just £15 to register, and then you have to commit to raising £60 in sponsorship. Just £59 would pay for a group of farmers in Kenya to attend a training session on environmental management to help them to develop more resilient approaches to farming, using different crop varieties and agricultural techniques to adapt to changing weather patterns.
Have Christian Aid run abseils before? Yes! Last year Christian Aid organised abseils down the Mersey Tunnel Ventilation Shaft (views of the countryside very poor apparently), down a cliff face in Millers Dale in Yorkshire, and down St Barnabas Church in Gloucester. This year churches are very popular - abseils have been booked with us, with St Mary’s Church in Swanage, St Thomas the Apostle Church in Exeter, and St Etheldreda’s Church in Hatfield.
Is it safe? The actual abseil is being managed by “Adventure Plus” www.adventureplus.org.uk – a professional, Christian abseiling provider who are licensed by the AALS (Adventure Activities Licensing Authority) and therefore certified to follow good safety management practice. They have a 100% safety track-record. Risk assessments have been carried out by Adventure Plus, Christian Aid, and the Churchwardens, designed to safeguard participants, spectators, and the Church cleaners and flower arrangers who’ll be in the Church on that Saturday morning. The Church Architect has also been consulted and all insurances are in place. In short, the church tower has been deemed safe to abseil down, and Adventure Plus strongly promote the fact that abseiling is a safe activity.
How can I sign up? For more
information and to sign up online visit www.christianaid.org.uk/abseil
Alternatively, telephone 0207 523 2077 or email the Christian
Aid Events Team at events@christian-aid.org
So… how high is it then?! Oh - the tower is 20.38 meters high. Go on – give it a go! Donald Yeates
Annual Parochial Church Meeting Wednesday 25 April 2012 at 8pm - from March 2012
This is an advance warning of the date of our APCM, which is when we elect Churchwardens and members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
If you wish to vote in the elections you must be registered on the Electoral Roll. If you are not sure whether your name is on the Roll please contact Frank Haslam, the Electoral Roll Officer (L379341), who will be able to reassure you or supply the necessary application form. Names can be added to the Roll at any time during the year, but don’t leave it until the last minute as, under the Church Representation Rules, the Roll has to be closed to further additions 14 days before the Meeting (ie 11th April) until after the end of the Meeting.
Each year one third of the elected PCC
members retires and has to seek re-election. There will be
some vacancies and this could be an opportunity to serve on
the PCC during what could be an exciting period of our parish
history. If you are interested please contact the Rector, one
of the Churchwardens, or myself for further information.
Anne Thomson, PCC Secretary
Mission Partners - Chris and Veronica Padayachee - from March 2012
Chris and Veronica came to speak to us at the Sunday services on 20th November. Chris comes from South Africa and has spent several years working in London in finance, while Veronica is Spanish and has also worked some years in London.
After a year of training they are now newly commissioned CMS “mission partners”, and are setting off to live and work in a small town on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Their two young children, Samara aged 2 and Gabrio, only a few months old, also came to visit us and are very much part of the team, an attractive and endearing family.
60 years ago CMS “Missionaries”, as we were called, worked mostly in schools or hospitals or training colleges. By now many of these institutions have been taken over by governments, and missions have been able to turn to other pressing needs.
Some of the new work is among the families of the large numbers of immigrants in this country. There is also a demand for help from some of the Churches in Eastern Europe who are recovering from the suppression they suffered under Communism. And now there is the plight of refugees from the fighting in the Middle East and North Africa. Among these are Christians who are suffering more and more persecution under Muslim rule.
Chris and Veronica are going to an area where there is a great number of immigrants from Morocco and other countries, as well as local people who are suffering all kinds of deprivation. She will be helping families with young children, and he will seek to befriend immigrants, some of whom will be able to benefit from his experience in finance. He will also be contacting Christians there and in Arab countries. He is learning to speak Arabic, and they are both fluent in Spanish.
Our Church is committed to supporting them,
by our prayers and financially, and they will be keeping us
in touch by email. So we can look out for their news in the
Parish Magazine and also on the dedicated notice board in
Church. Please remember them in your prayers.
Christine Bryant
Music on Thursdays – Lunchtime Concerts in Leatherhead - from March 2012
Music on Thursdays, a season of free lunchtime concerts, runs from 8th March, every Thursday until November. Concerts start at 12.30pm and last 40-50 minutes. Parish Church Master of Music, Graham Davies, commented: “We have invited a selection of musicians to perform in Leatherhead. They include local musicians, professionals from further afield, and Royal Academy of Music students – quite an array of talent.”
The first concert in the Church, on March 8th, features Royal Academy students Midori Komachi, violin, with accompanist Carlos Guerrero. The following week sees performances by musicians from St John’s School, Leatherhead.
After that comes the first monthly organ concert using the both church’s digital organ and the historic 18thC Parker pipe organ. As the season continues we hear a bassoon ensemble, solo singers, a pair of tubas, and combinations of string and wind instruments.
Flyers are available in church showing the
first three months of this year's programme. Please take them
and give them to friends. If you are able to display the
flyer that would be a lovely way to support the venture.
There is level access to Leatherhead Parish Church, and
toilet facilities in the church hall. Entry to concerts is
free, with a retiring collection.
Here is the full programme for the year can be seen on the Calendar page:
Organiser: Graham Davies, Master of Music, Leatherhead
Parish Church
Publicity: Frances Presley & Peter Steadman
Further "Thoughts of a Church Cleaner" - from March 2012
I'm sure everybody enjoyed the lovely poem,
written by Hazel Brown, in February's magazine. It summed up
so well the unsung work carried out by so many in Churches
everywhere. Here in the Parish Church we have our own willing
little band, but we always need more as age, health, and
changed circumstances deplete our numbers. We need YOUNG
blood; and we need a few more MEN. But we welcome anyone. If
you can spare an hour, once a month, to help clean our lovely
church I'd love to hear from you.
S Roberts L376771
Messy Church Leatherhead - from March 2012
Many thanks to all those Parish Church members who responded to Sheila’s plea for volunteers. It’s good to have you on board!
Speaking to some of you has made me realise that some people are rather mystified by the whole idea of Messy Church.
Let me try and dispel a few myths! Messy Church is NOT a playgroup, it is NOT a craft club, and it does NOT, in fact, leave the church in a mess. We are very conscientious about cleaning up afterwards!
Messy Church IS a new way of providing Christian worship. Christian music is playing. The video screen is showing images and Bible verses that make people think. The children are painting, gluing, sticking, and playing games. The adults may be joining in … or they may be having a cup of tea and a chat.
Activities are carefully chosen to introduce a Bible story and lead into productive conversations. So while we “play”, we are learning about God together. Later on we will pray, praise, and think about what the stories mean for us. And then we will share tea before everyone heads home.
Messy Church has a creative, lively atmosphere. We offer hospitality, friendship and a gentle introduction to the values and stories of our faith. At the moment, we have between 45-60 children coming along with their parents every month. For many of them this is their first exploration of church, and they are loving it!
Want to know more? Come and join in one
Thursday. Next Messy Church: 15 March, 3:30-5:30, at
the Methodist Church.
Jane Smith
Letherhead Institute Celebrations Saturday, 19 May 2012 - from March 2012
The Letherhead Institute (yes, that’s the correct spelling – check above the door) at the top of the High Street was built in 1892 and given to the people of Leatherhead by local benefactor Abraham Dixon of Cherkley Court. This year sees the commemoration of 120 years providing educational, social and recreational facilities within this beautiful Victorian building. Amazingly the Institute had already been there for 5 years when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee and it will be bedecked again on 19 May to mark the Diamond Jubilee of our own Queen Elizabeth II.
The festivities will include an open invitation to all to see what’s inside the building and that will include an exhibition of pictures and artefacts from 1897 - Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Year, courtesy of the Leatherhead & District Local History Society.
Do you have any Victorian memorabilia: flags,
sketches, paintings, diary entries, photographs, etc, which
you would be prepared to lend for the exhibition? We’d
be delighted to hear from you at LCAChairman@btconnect.com
or write to:
The Chairman
Leatherhead Community Association
The Institute
67 High Street
Leatherhead
KT22 8AH
If you are unsure whether your material may be appropriate,
please ring Peter Humphreys on 01372 378347, who will be
pleased to discuss.
Many thanks, June Robinson (Chairman)
Parish Funding Programe - 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
Parish Electoral Roll - from the February 2012 magazine
An up to date Roll helps us keep in touch - and being on it permits you to vote at the Parish Annual Parochial Church Meeting. If you are new to the parish and wish to be added to our “Parish Electoral Roll” or unsure whether you are already on it, or your details have changed in the last 12 months please contact Frank Haslam (379341).
A musical introduction - from the February 2012 magazine
It is with great pleasure I am able to tell you that David Black has joined us as Organist of St. Mary and St. Nicholas Church with effect from 1st January 2012.
David is a highly qualified musician, gaining his BMus (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Historical Musicology. He has wide experience as an organist in this country and overseas.
This appointment greatly strengthens the music team and will I am sure help to attract other high quality musicians to our church. It will be most beneficial to have David play for the monthly Choral Evensong services and other special services which are planned for the future and to enjoy his playing for the weekly Sung Communion.
I shall continue to be overall responsible for the music at St. Mary and St. Nicholas under the new position of Master of the Music.
On your behalf, may I wish David every
success for the future.
Graham Davies
Christmas 2011 - from the February 2012 magazine
What a feast of wonderful services we had at Christmas.
It began with excited children (and adults) discovering the contents of their paper bag of goodies - from which they made a Christingle! The Christingle service was loved by children and adults alike; it highlighted the key messages of the Christian faith, and culminated in the lighting of the Christingle candles and singing “Away in a manger”. The candlelight theme continued into our Ecumenical Carol Service when the church was transformed by the beautiful candlelit ambience and we were immersed in the singing of well loved carols and the familiar Bible readings of the Christmas story. To have mulled wine and mince pie fellowship after the service was a much appreciated addition.
The crib service enabled us to watch the Christmas story coming to life as children brought many important characters to the nativity scene and the story was narrated to us. The church was packed and excitement was mounting - it was Christmas Eve – but the peace and tranquillity of that nativity scene reminded me of the love which flows from Jesus, that baby in Bethlehem.
Later that evening I was back in church for Midnight Communion and the anticipation of celebrating the birth of Christ. The church was aglow with beautiful candlelight - offering a sense of wonder and spirituality; we sang some of the great carols and celebrated the birth of the baby born over 2000 years ago who brought light and life with Him. A contemplative way to start off the Christmas celebrations. On Christmas Day, the candles had gone, the church was full of bright daylight and excited children and adults (plus some very tired ones). Christ was born and this service portrayed the message in several ways. The dilemma of Mary and Joseph in the perspective of today’s computer social networking; the Bible reading accompanied by a visual presentation of a beautiful sand drawing; Graham’s acting out of the story which kept us gripped and brought the message to life. To be able receive Holy Communion at the end of this service was very special.
A huge thank you to everyone who worked so
hard to make these services so special especially Graham,
Kuhan and Gail. Also to our choirs, musicians, worship
leaders, children’s leaders, and those who made the
church look so beautiful with floral displays and candles. To
Bernard who spent many hours preparing candles and putting
them in place for the stunning candlelit services (after many
years of doing this Bernard has now retired so if anyone
would like to take this on please contact a churchwarden).
For the provision of mince pies and mulled wine and for all
of our church members who worked hard behind the scenes to
make this special time very special indeed. I thank the Lord
for his provision and that we can use our different gifts as
one body in His service.
Linda Hauxwell
“Is it better with or without?” and will the Deanery Synod sort it out? - from the February 2012 magazine
Those of you who, like me, are four eyed monsters with face furniture will recognise this phrase – “is it better with or without?” It comes when we have our eyes tested and towards the end of the consultation when the optician makes final adjustments to the lenses being proposed. Is it better with this change or without it? We are defining the quality of the vision we’ll get a few days later when we pick up our specs.
The Church of England will very soon find itself in this same situation except that it won’t be deciding on a new pair of glasses. It will be asking itself if the CofE will be better with the Anglican Covenant or without it. Does it need this new statement that will redefine the relationship between the 43 Anglican churches and provinces around the world, of which the CofE is only one?
Recognising differences What’s at issue is the Anglican Covenant, or Anglican Communion Covenant to use its full title. If passed by General Synod it will see the CofE covenanting with those other churches, out of the 43 Anglican churches and provinces across the world that also covenant, in a common and comprehensive statement of what constitutes Anglicanism; what it is, what it believes, and how it behaves. You could be forgiven for asking some questions such as ‘Do we really need the Anglican Covenant at all?’ Don’t we all believe in the same thing anyway?’ Like many of the complex issues which affect international bodies, Christian or not, it depends on where you are, how you got there and what’s happening in Anglicanism in your part of the world.
I guess that we all recognise that Anglicanism is different in different parts of the world. Worshipping in Anglican churches in Nigeria, The USA, the Sudan and Leatherhead brings that home. It is of course the same too; we believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, worshipping the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Although we have more in common than not, there is no doubt that it is the differences that hit the headlines and, left unmanaged, do the damage.
Resolving conflicts It is these differences and conflicts that have brought the Anglican Covenant to the table. Some of the better known ones include the role of women in ministry as priests and bishops, the crises in Rwanda and the Sudan in the 1990s that saw the Archbishop of Canterbury intervening in other churches, the ‘gay bishops’ controversies culminating in Canon Gene Robinson’s appointment as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, and also in 2003 the appointment and then the resignation of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading. Right now there are also issues around same-sex unions.
Archbishop Rowan strongly commends the Covenant saying that ‘it sets out an understanding of our common life and common faith, and, in the light of that, proposes making a mutual promise to consult and attend to each other’. He also says that ‘it outlines a procedure, such as we urgently need, for attempting reconciliation and for indicating the sorts of consequences that might result from a failure to be fully reconciled.
Power and discipline The underlying issue seems to be one of authority; how is it decided what is acceptable in the Anglican Church and what happens to those churches that stray over the limits? The Covenant will help to articulate and explain the traditions and faith of Anglicanism, enable churches to express solidarity with each other and support churches in times of trouble, but inevitably the issue of power and discipline will be the focus.
The Leatherhead Deanery will debate whether the CofE is better with or without the Covenant at its Synod on March 14th in preparation for the Diocesan Synod on March the 24th. Our parish sends five people to the Deanery Synod; Graham and Kuhan, Roger Lynch, Sheila Cole and me. Leading the debate will be Archdeacon Julian Henderson and Gail Partridge.
Get behind the headlines For
more information, look at the ‘Church Times Guide to the
Anglican Covenant’. Just put it into Google. It gives
views for and against. You can also read the Church Times
‘annotated Covenant’ to see the full text with
marginal notes and comments by ‘a small group of
informed contributors’! It’s also interesting to
look at the website of the ‘No Anglican Covenant’
group; just put it into Google. To see a list of all of the
covenanting churches put ‘list of Anglican
churches’ into Google.
Donald Yeates
Lay Chairman, Leatherhead Deanery Synod
Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 27 February to 11 March - from the February 2012 magazine
As usual this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight covers the last week in February and the first week in March, and as usual we shall hold tea and coffee tastings, plus this year hot chocolate, at Coffeetime on the two Sundays in the fortnight, 4 and 11 March.
The theme this year is “Take a step for Fairtrade in 2012” – even a small step, like swapping the tea or coffee you drink to Fairtrade tea or coffee, can go towards helping the millions of farmers, workers, and their communities in developing countries who urgently need a better deal for their products. Make it a bigger step and persuade everyone where you work, or in your social group, to swap their tea and/or coffee too. And search for Fairtrade products in Sainsbury, Lidl, and the Co-op – if you can’t find what you want, ask. It all helps to raise the profile of Fairtrade.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised – Fairtrade tea and coffee is as good as, and often better than, tea and coffee produced by workers whose working conditions are less favourable than those insisted on by the Fairtrade Foundation. And the same goes for rice, pasta, chocolate, and muesli – the list is almost endless.
Did you know that as St Mary & St Nicholas is a Fairtrade Church the tea and coffee served there are Fairtrade? And if you liked the tea and coffee you drank at the Autumn Market did you know you can buy the same tea and coffee on the Fairtrade stall, held in church twice every month?
Come and see the wide range of Fairtrade
products – and there’s a new Traidcraft catalogue
out. If you see anything you like there I can order it for
you, saving you postage. So pay us a visit –
particularly during Fairtrade Fortnight.
M Jones (806853)
Lunchtime Concerts - from the February 2012 magazine
Weekly lunchtime concerts in church will begin on Thursday 8th March at 12.30 pm and will continue until the end of November. The concerts will feature students from The Royal Academy of Music, local schools, together with professional and local musicians. Refreshments will be available. There will be free admission and a retiring collection.
Please do all you can to support this series and publicise the concerts amongst your friends. A brochure giving full details of the performances will be available soon.
These concerts will be a major opportunity for our church to reach out to the local community and also to those who come to Leatherhead for their work.
It is proposed to enlist local businesses for their support in this venture by way of sponsorship and advertising; the idea of promenade concerts in the Swan Centre is also being considered.
Make Thursday lunchtime concerts a regular
date in your diary now!
Concerts begin Thursday 8th March 2012 12.30– 1.30 pm.
Graham Davies
Help needed - Welcomers at Concerts - from the February 2012 magazine
For the lunchtime concerts that Graham Davies is organising on Thursdays from 8th March to 29th November, one person will be needed to act as a “welcome” at each concert. There are 39 concerts in all, and I am trying to build up a rota of volunteers to help in this way. The concerts will be for a maximum of one hour starting at 12.30pm and we are looking for someone who will give out programmes and just help in a general way. If I can build up a “bank” of at least 10 - 12 people then each person would only have to cover a concert a maximum of three times.
The programme of concerts is very varied so it will be a chance to hear many different composers, artistes and instruments.
If you are interested in helping in this way
please give me a ring - 01372 372049 - or email me -
jasepresATwaitrose.com - if possible within the next couple
of weeks.
F Presley
Concert in Church - from the February 2012 magazine
On Wednesday 7th March the AS and A Level students from Rosebery School will, once again, be coming to the Parish Church to give a concert. The girls are singers and instrumentalists and they are all of grade 7 and 8 standard.
Later in March they will be taking their exams and performance is 30% of their final grades, so this is a great opportunity for them to gain experience of playing to an audience and to try and get rid of any “performance” nerves before they have to face the examiners. Also, you may be hearing a soloist of the future!
This proved very popular last year and we would like to ask you to come once again and support and encourage the students.The concert will last about an hour from 6pm - 7pm and entry is free. Full information is on the orange flyers that are in the Church.
Organ Recital by Graham Davies on Sunday 8th January - from the February 2012 magazine
What a lovely finale to the Twelve Days of Christmas! On Sunday 8th January in the afternoon Graham gave us an organ recital to celebrate Christ’s nativity, followed by tea and cakes and mulled wine. Graham chose his programme with great care to provide seasonal music, but with great variety. The music ranged from Buxtehude and Pachelbel in the seventeenth century to contemporary composers. He played on both the Allen and the Parker instruments, and while some of us would like to have heard more on the Parker organ, the Christmas theme restricted the music available.
Having said that, what a wonderful range of music we heard, from quiet and contemplative to some really rousing and exciting pieces – a very powerful piece by Daquin on the Parker organ and choral improvisations on “in dulci jubilo” on the Allen instrument. In gentler vein, John Ireland’s ‘The Holy Boy’ was particularly beautiful.
All the pieces were short (none of them too
long for anyone!) and the whole recital, which was well
attended, was much appreciated by everyone. The concert was
free, but donations provided £161 for church funds which was
very creditable. Thank you Graham, for a most enjoyable
afternoon.
Linda Heath
Leatherhead & District Voluntary Car Service - from the February 2012 magazine
More drivers are urgently needed for Leatherhead & District Voluntary Car Service to take patients to local surgeries, clinics and Epsom and Cobham hospitals. It’s not a regular commitment - you just drive someone if requested on a day when you are free. It tends to work out about once in ten days to a fortnight. The driver receives £7 for local drives there and back, and £10 for Epsom or Cobham to help towards petrol, etc. We receive parking permits for all Mole Valley car parks and for Epsom hospital.
It would be a shame if we had to fold up through lack of drivers, as the service fulfils a real need and is very much appreciated by the patients. If you can spare the time to join us or have enquiries, please contact L Heath, tel. 01372 372603.
Flower Arranging Workshops - from the February 2012 magazine
1st session – Saturday 18 February – 10:00 – 12:00 – The Reeves Room – Parish Church hall – cost £5.00 – facilitator – Alison Gillott (floralist extraordinaire!) – will be demonstrating a choice of 3 very different and individual floral arrangements: handbag; inedible cupcake; daffodil topiary.
Come and enjoy the fruits (or should that really be flowers!) of satisfaction in creating a simple but beautifully effective arrangement to share with others. A not to be missed opportunity to be guided by an expert in the field (flowers again!!) of the art of floristry – Alison Gillott (aka Carol Bristow’s mom!).
What a good way to get into the stride of the
new year and having a craic whilst showing off your talents!
Those interested please let J Campbell know by Monday 6
February to ensure that the information that you need for the
day can be received in good time for preparation.
You can make contact by email: Jules.CampbellATmerton.gov.uk
Come and have some fun!!
Saturday 24 March As I know that everyone will want another chance at creating there is a second session planned for same time, venue and cost etc. On that occasion Alison will be demonstrating the following three arrangements – Spring Basket; Anemone Cornet; Spring Tapestry. Once again there is the opportunity to have a go at one or more of these.
Names for this workshop to J Campbell by Monday 12 March. Contact details as above.
Thank you from the late Peter Morgan's family - from the February 2012 magazine
On behalf of Mum (Joyce), myself and Roger,
please may I express our thanks to those who kindly sent
messages of sympathy and support – such a comfort
at this time.
Gareth Morgan
Review of Experimental Worship Pattern - from the January 2012 magazine
"Since the last magazine, the Worship Key Area Working Group, the churchwardens and staff have revisited the proposed Worship Pattern Survey. As a result some significant changes have been proposed to the survey process to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the responses and to focus more closely on the objectives of getting views about service patterns. It is with deep regret that Frank feels unable to go forward on this new basis and has withdrawn from the survey project.
The survey will however continue to the
timetable outlined previously. Look out for the survey forms
in Church on Sunday January 1st and Sunday January 8th. Forms
will also be available from the Parish Office.
The Rector"
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.]
How many synods make a set? - from the January 2012 magazine
Long ago in the Dark Ages, when school classrooms were heated by a fire in the middle of the floor, and lit by unused candle stubs from the village church, my English teacher used to set us entertaining problems to while away the time. ‘New collective nouns’ was his favourite. No house points were earned by handing in ‘flock of sheep’ or ‘battery of chickens’ or even ‘a screaming of wenches’. The matron offered ‘an expectation of midwives’ but this was ruled out because of her condition.
He especially liked collectives with an ecclesiastical flavour because in his spare time he doubled as the Rector’s Warden. A ‘congregation of Christians’ was one of his favourites. The more daring of his pupils, especially those who also read the Church of England Newspaper on a regular basis on a regular basis offered ‘a re-formation of Protestants’, and a ‘cheerfulness of Methodists’. Top marks went to the swot who proposed ‘an indecision of agnostics’.
So what’s this got to do with Synods you ask? Not much so far but all will become clear. Detailed research reveals that there are three types of Synod. Closest to us in the parish is the Deanery Synod. All parishes are grouped in to Deaneries so here’s the first new collective ‘a deanery of parishes’. Three people represent St Mary’s on the Leatherhead Deanery Synod; Sheila Cole, Roger Lynch and me. Graham and Kuhan as clergy also attend the Deanery Synods.
As the new boy I’m still discovering how it works, but it is evident that senior people in the diocese are pleased to talk and listen to the synod members. So far I’ve heard Tug Wilson, a member of the General Synod deliver a ‘welcome to the Church of England – but not as you know it’ looking at the future organisation of the CofE. In the next ten years 42% of stipendiary clergy will retire along with 20% of non Stipendiary ministers. They won’t be replaced at the same rate. How will this be handled? He said that there is encouragement to think ‘out of the box’. He suggested that this might be shorthand for the question ‘can we continue to support the parochial structure we know and love?’ It was at this meeting that I was voted in to be the Lay Chairman on the Deanery Synod. Is this another fine mess I’ve gotten myself into? The Rural Dean the Revd. Robert Jenkins, Vicar of Cobham and Stoke D’Abernon heads up the Deanery.
The second meeting was altogether more relaxed – the annual supper at St John’s school. This was a splendid evening with music, food and wine and good fellowship. Apparently this is an annual event so being on the Deanery Synod might not be so bad - except for the mini election that put me on the Diocesan Synod!
The first meeting of the Leatherhead Deanery
Synod in 2012 will tackle the thorny issue of the Anglican
Communion Covenant. We’ll have to vote for or against a
motion to support it at our meeting in March so there’ll
be more information in February’s mag. It already
promises to be a lively meeting with Archdeacon Julian
Henderson proposing that we should vote ‘yes’ and
our own Gail Partridge putting the ‘Vote no’ case.
(I’ve simplified this quite a bit but it will suffice
for now.)
The June meeting will address something very close to home,
‘the financial challenges for parishes in the current
climate’. Stephen Marriott the Diocesan Secretary will
lead on this topic. Linda Hauxwell and I met Stephen when he
led a workshop on the Parish Share at a churchwarden’s
training course in October and he was really good. We’ll
also have three or four mini case studies from parishes
wrestling with this issue (perhaps St Mary’s?)
So how many synods do we have? It’s
three of course but the only one that hits the press is the
General Synod when Archbishops Rowan and John try to keep a
very free thinking Synod of 483 members focussed on the
straight and narrow. That begs the question of course about
whether that’s where the Synod should be! It must feel
like herding cats.
Let’s go back to the beginning now. What’s a good
collective noun for synods? Answers please to the editor of
the mag. care of the Parish Office. Meantime I leave you with
‘, a blaze of pyromaniacs’, ‘a complex of
psychologists’ and ‘a generosity of givers’.
Donald Yeates, Lay Chairman, Leatherhead Deanery Synod.
Warner Wright remembered on our website - from the January 2012 magazine
Did you know that on our website many parishioners who are no longer with us are named? Often there is also a web page recalling their life. The most recent addition is Warner Wright.
On the website http://www.parishchurch.leatherheadweb.org.uk/ go via History to the Remembrance page, then down that page for Warner.
Not on the Internet? Show this article to
friends, family or neighbours who have a computer and surely
they will be pleased to help you. Please feel free to tell
others about our website, which has had over 28,000 visits.
Frank Haslam
Parish Funding Programme - from the January 2012 magazine
I write this article early December after the Parish Funding Presentations have taken place. With the use of the latest in 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, the reality now is that income has dropped and we, the living church, must give more.
Our giving currently provided for only 30% of our annual running costs. The average for every other parish in the Diocese75% .... what a shocking difference.
We have pruned our expenditure and budgets to a degree where we make no provision for future maintenance and all repairs are carried out on an 'at need' basis. Not good and, as a result repairs and renewals are continually deferred.
I am pleased to say that, in response to the presentations, our Planned Giving income will increase over the 2010 figure by 19.67% (£9982) 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 our extensive mission we currently provide. The result increases our giving to 42% of our 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 a long way towards achieving the Diocese average of 75%. If anyone did not receive an invitation to the presentations or wishes to commence a bankers order please contact me
I would like to thank Linda Hauxwell and
Donald Yeates who so ably helped in the presentations and to
the great team of volunteers who served such delicious food
Martin Cole, Parish Stewardship Promoter, 373330
MESSY CHURCH NEEDS YOU - from the January 2012 magazine
Messy Church has been running for just over a year now and we are reaching families in Leatherhead who do not normally go to church. It is great fun based around the Bible. The pattern is: Welcome, with a drink and biscuit after school 3.30-4.00pm, crafts around the theme (a choice of about 10 so they can do several) until 4.45pm, worship with Bible story/character/theme, tea at 5pm.
We need – people to prepare crafts (cutting and sticking etc), make cakes, sit with children while they do crafts, offering help if needed. Talking about the Bible story or just listening, help preparing tea, and clearing up afterwards.
This is a joint venture with the three churches, (URC, Methodist and Us) held on the 3rd Thursday of the month except August, but where are YOU? We have only 2 helpers from the Parish, surely you can do something, occasionally, monthly? every other month?
We cannot grow this wonderful outreach
without more help! Please please offer to help – in any
small way. MESSY CHURCH NEEDS YOU. If you really can’t
do anything else, please PRAY.
Contact: S Cole 01372 373330 or J Smith 01372 374304
from the January 2012 magazine
Over the Bridge - The Southern Side
by Brian Hennegan and Goff Powell -
Memories and More from Two Leatherhead Lads
(The Circus Kingston Road to North Street Leatherhead)
In 2009 the Leatherhead & District History Society published a book by Brian Hennegan (a former chorister for a long time a member of our congregation) entitled ‘Over the Bridge’ which related the author’s memories of growing up in Leatherhead Common in the 1940s and 1950s and in the main, covered the area to the North of the Kingston Road railway bridge.
It had been suggested that a sequel should be written which looked at the area to the South of the railway bridge. The idea was taken up, so Brian Hennegan and Goff Powell (another former chorister) have joined forces and this book is the result. For illustrated information click Over the Bridge - The Southern Side
Mothers’ Union - from Dec 2011's magazine
Rosalind Corteen has done a splendid job being our Treasurer and we are very grateful to her for taking over at such short notice when Mary Barnes died. Rosalind now feels it is time to stand down. We urgently require someone to take on this important role, it is not a difficult job and Rosalind will be available to assist. If you are not a Member but would like to help then please do join us. If anyone would like to discuss what the MU does then please do get in touch with me and I will be happy to meet over a cup of tea and have a chat.
Our December meeting will be our Christmas
lunch on the 8th at St. Georges Church Hall, cost £8. If you
have not made your booking please ring L373999. Wishing you
all a very Happy Christmas.
Jane Summerfield
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/
Autumn Market - from the Nov 2011 magazine
Many thanks to all those who helped behind
the scenes and on the stalls, in the counting house, and in
the kitchen. Also a big thank you to Jane in the office for
her help and support. I must say the quality of the goods on
the stalls was excellent, even the bric-a-brac looked good as
new goods. At the time of writing we had reached £3,500.
Jane Summerfield.
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 Padayachee.
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
Who are the people we remember on Remembrance Sunday? - from the Nov 2011 magazine
If you look at the names in our Chapel of Remembrance or on the Town War Memorial in North Street does it ever occur to you to think about the person behind the inscription?
They had some connection with our town. Many were born or lived here - possibly near you - or had family here. Some might have worshipped at All Saints or the Parish Church, sung in the choir. Some are buried in our churchyard.
The Local History Society War Memorials Project, lead by Frank Haslam, and involving a number of people in the different local parishes, has resulted in a series of websites in which the results of research on each war memorial name is being recorded - their background, their war service (and some are civilians), their death and resting place, if they have one.
If you can, please have a look at these -
especially the one for where you live - via our updated
parish website in the History pages. Perhaps you can
help us to 're-member' some of the names.
Frank Haslam L379341
Review of Experimental Worship Pattern - from the Nov 2011 magazine
We are shortly going to be doing a survey of those attending our services at the parish church to learn more about what they think about service times and 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 to international standards.
He insists, quite rightly, on absolute confidentiality for those taking part. Only he will see the replies and no one will be identifiable in the results.
To help to get as high a response to the
survey as possible, it is essential that Frank knows who has
got a questionnaire. Each will have a unique number and when
you take one, it is vital to let Frank know the number on the
questionnaire. This is a condition of taking part. More
information soon on the parish website and in church and in
the notices.
Worship Key Area Working Group
Christine Bryant - from the Nov 2011 magazine
Christine and Ken Bryant wish to thank all those who have supported them with their prayers and messages after Christine’s accident. We praise God for her recovery and for the splendid care she has received both from their family and from the NHS and local services.
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
Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church - from the Nov 2011 magazinePictured is Chris Evans, Chairman of the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church, presenting a cheque for £2,000 to the Rector, Graham Osborne, at the Autumn Market. This has paid for the whole cost of restoration of
the mediaeval Font, and a substantial proportion of
the recently completed plasterwork in the Porch,
South Aisle and Sanctuary. |
 |
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
Warner Wright – A Tribute - from the Nov 2011 magazine
I know precisely when I first met Warner Wright: it was in 1973 and he and Edith had just bought from us our first house in Leatherhead at 2 Mayell Close. Fortunately our sale and purchase negotiations had been amicable, and as Edith will confirm we left the house in a clean and tidy condition! I say fortunately, because in the event our joint involvement in Church and other activities meant that we were destined to see a lot of each other in the ensuing years!
Before coming to Leatherhead, Warner had been a Church member and chorister at Stoneleigh. On moving to Leatherhead Warner promised Edith that he would sit with her in church rather than in the choir stalls. It was a promise that lasted all of one Sunday! Warner joined the choir and was an active and loyal member for 23 years, at which time his vocal chords began to deteriorate. He seldom missed a practice let alone a service, and for many years was the choir’s crucifer. This was the start of what was to become a very big involvement in church affairs at St. Mary and St. Nicholas.
Warner’s financial background led to his being invited with the late Bob Brixey to check and bank every Monday morning, the Sunday collections, and he was treasurer of the church hall committee for 20 years. In the latter role he was extremely adept and keen at getting money in, and very protective then of the funds for which he felt very responsible. He looked upon the hall fund income as being primarily for the purpose of benefitting and maintaining facilities at the hall, and the case for funds to be diverted to other church activities, as frequently happened, had to be a convincing one!
Other duties undertaken by Warner included those of Churchwarden, Committee member of The Friends, and a member of the car rota scheme which transported people to and from church. He also spent a great deal of time helping to keep the churchyard in good condition and one retains fond memories of seeing Warner and the late David Heath, with wheelbarrows and a variety of gardening tools at the ready.
Warner was a well known figure in Leatherhead itself, walking into the town every morning in order to collect his morning paper and for over 20 years, selling, on the specially appointed day, Remembrance Day poppies. In World War II, Warner had served as a sergeant with the Royal Corps of Signals attached to the 79th Scottish Horse Regiment, a regiment closely associated with the Royal Artillery. He landed in France just after D Day in June 1944 and saw active service in France, Holland and Germany. When selling poppies near Cradlers shop in the High Street, Warner always wore his Regimental beret and the positive reaction to this was reflected in the generous donations in his collection can.
Warner Wright made a major contribution to
the life and work of St. Mary and St Nicholas Church. He was
much loved and respected, and we will all miss him very much
indeed.
Mike Lewis
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?
Key Area of Mission - Pastoral Care - from the October 2011 magazine
After a lot of prayerful consideration, the Pastoral Care Key Area has been re-structured to look like this
Sunday Club new arrangements - from the 16 Oct 2011 news-sheet
For children during services (except 1st
Sunday) the new arrangements are: Sunday Club will now run
from 9.30am - 10.40am in the Reeves Room. If you would like
your child to receive a blessing or Communion you are welcome
to collect them at a suitable time.
Families are encouraged to stay for coffee from
10.45am-11.15am when the Tower area is a good space for the
children to congregate (beware of hot drinks!).
Children attending the 11.15am service are welcome in Church,
and the Tower area is equipped with children's items for your
use.
Friends Of Leatherhead Parish Church - from the October 2011 magazine
Bridge with Afternoon Tea - Wednesday 9 November
At the time of writing, there were just a couple of tables left for the Friends' Bridge Tea. If you are interested in bringing a four, please contact F Fleming on 01372 375957 or e-mail fleming.23ATbtinternet.com (replacing the AT with @before you send)Date for your Diary - Friends Quiz 10 March 2012
If you've bought your 2012 diary and want to make sure you save the date - the very popular Friends' Quiz is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, 10 March 2012 in the Parish Hall.
June Robinson
Link Church - from the October 2011 magazine
On Sunday 20th November Chris and Veronica
Padayachee are coming to both morning services to tell us
about their forthcoming new life for the CMS and how we can
all become involved with them in Spain. This is a totally new
venture for us and we hope to have a board in the Church
that, amongst other things, will keep us up to date with that
they are doing. Please put this date in your diary and we
shall hope to give you further information in the November
Magazine.
Outward Giving
Volunteers - 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 give me a ring (01372 372049). 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
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
Sunday at 7 (Mickleham) from the September 2011 magazine
A number of you have already discovered the wonderful series of recitals, which are organised by musicians in St Michael's, Mickleham. The recitals are of the highest quality, and generally last no more than an hour, thus enabling you to enjoy the rest of Sunday evening, uplifted by the music and the peace of the church in which it is performed.
The 2011 season begins on Sunday September 25th at (yes, you've guessed it) 7p.m. with a recital by Lynda Chang and her quartet. Lynda gave a highly acclaimed piano recital last year. Do join us this year, entry is free, although contributions to charity are warmly encouraged.
We will publish the remaining dates for this
season in the October magazine. It is a chance to enjoy
performances of the highest quality, without travelling to
London.
David Ireland
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.
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
from the September 2011 magazine David and Ginny Eaton Announce:
Baby Emma Sophia Hurst arrived safely, on our
40th wedding anniversary, weighing 81b. Carly and Stu doing
well after 36hrs of hard work! Please tell mutual friends.
David & Ginny (Grandad & Granny)
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
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
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 Padayachee 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 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 on 01372 373204 or email
stevewhitingATntlworld.com (replace AT with @ before
sending).
Steve Whiting
"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
Worst Drought in 60 Years - from Aug 2011
You will know that Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal to help people across the east and Horn of Africa after two failed rainy seasons have left millions on the brink of starvation. Drought and displacement combined with rising global food prices mean that Kenya and Ethiopia in particular are facing severe food shortages, the worst food crisis in the world today.
Some parts of the region are experiencing the driest conditions in 60 years, and Christian Aid emergency teams are continuously assessing how best to help local populations. "The crisis has been building for some time, especially in Kenya and Ethiopia, and is fast escalating across the region," warns Nick Guttmann, Christian Aid's humanitarian director.
"People are desperate and if we don't act now we could be looking at one of the worst humanitarian situations the world has seen in a long time."
Funds are urgently needed for life saving measures such as providing: water for villages experiencing the worst of the drought conditions; food for families; and animal feed to protect livestock that are so crucial to survival.
To make a donation to Christian Aid's East Africa Food Crisis Appeal call 08080 004 004 or visit www.christianaid.org.uk/east-africa-appeal
[On the last two Sundays in July and the first in August we had a Christian Aid envelope collection at the Parish Church for this appeal which raised £505, most of which was also Gift Aided]
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
Autumn Market - from the May 2011 magazine
There will be a meeting in the Reeves Room on Tuesday 19 July at 8pm for Stall Holders or anyone who would like to help at the Autumn Market on 15 October. For further information please contact me on 811422. J Summerfield
Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church - from the May 2011 magazine
GIRLS' NIGHT OUT WITH SWAPSHOP
Suggested age range 18 to 98 (exceptions can be made), Friday
24 June 2011
You are invited to spend a relaxed evening amongst friends, with stimulating conversation and an opportunity for a little Midsummer trading therapy.
The evening will begin at Leatherhead Parish Church Hall at 6.45 pm with a gentle walk then we'll return for a convivial supper. Wine will be on sale by the glass and there's no need to bring any cutlery, or crockery. The evening is in aid of the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church.
For more information and a booking form please click on Girls Night Out booking form
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
Hospital Service - from April 2011
We would still be glad of more people to join us at the short service at Leatherhead Hospital on the first Sunday each month. There are about six of us at the moment but it would be good to have some new faces. The service takes place at about 10.45am in the Day Room of Leach Ward and takes about 15-20 minutes. The patients are always very appreciative of the service, which makes it a very rewarding experience. Do come to the hospital and join us on any first Sunday whenever you can, even if you can't manage it regularly. Linda Heath
Parish Electoral Roll - from the March 2011 magazine
Please contact the Electoral Roll Officer, Frank Haslam on 01372 379341 if you wish to remain on our Roll but have changed address, email address or telephone number in the last 12 months. If you wish to be added to the Roll so that you can vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, please complete an Electoral Roll form, which can be had from me or the Parish Office/Church or via the News page of our website. I need to have received all new applications and revisions no later than 15 March. The amended Roll will be available for inspection in the Church and the Parish Office from 16 March until 29 March, the day before the APCM. Frank Haslam
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
from the March 2011 magazine - Christ Church, Epsom Road
Coffee & Chat
in the annexe at 10:30am on the first Wednesday of each
month.
There is plenty of room to park your car.
A-Z of organ music: a series of monthly
40-minute recitals by
Anthony Cairns on the Hill Norman & Beard pipe
organ, Christ Church, Epsom Road, Leatherhead
at 11: 15am on Wednesdays from 2 March 2011.
100 composers in 10 programmes.
Admission free.
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).
A Message from Juliette - from the Feb 2011 magazine
Juliette Hulme was Assistant Priest here from 1998 to 2001. She writes: I have fond memories of Christmas with you all 1998 - 2000 and hope you are all well. I'm still working as a Chaplain at Wells Cathedral School where I've now been over 4 years. I went to Iona in the Summer and that was lovely. Also Florence on a school trip where we got stuck because of the Icelandic volcano and had to come back overland. It took 28 hours by coach! I hope you've had a good year and hope to see some of you in 2011. My contact details can be had from the Parish Office. Juliette Hulme
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. My telephone number is 01372 376771 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
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 ring 01372 454077.
from the January 2011 magazine
The New Assistant Curate - Kuhan Satkunanayagam
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.
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. |
 |
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
from the January 2011 magazine
General Synod
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."
from the January 2011 magazine
The Bible: Good News!
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 360442 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
from the January 2011 magazine
The King James Bible
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.
from the January 2011 magazine
Biblefresh
As the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible approaches, a nationwide initiative, Biblefresh, is building momentum. Over 100 organisations are working together to equip Christians across the country to get immersed in God's Word in 2011. Imagine becoming more confident in the Scriptures. Imagine all kinds of people engaged with the weird and wonderful stories and characters which make up the amazing text. Imagine lives that are more generous, just, kind and wise, through encountering God's words daily - http://www.biblefresh.com/
Biblefresh is asking for stories of how the Bible has reshaped lives. Can you help them? As a spokesman explains: "We'd love to hear about the creative ways in which you are engaging people with the Bible - and we can share some of the stories with the wider media to inspire others. Please use the online form or email info@biblefresh.com
from the Dec 2010 magazine
The Ward Service
Our church members have taken this service from
10.45-11.15am at Leatherhead Hospital on the first Sunday of
the month since the early 70s, possibly before that. It was
organised at first by Eric Kilner, then George Dench assisted
by Stan Parkes. Originally we did the first and third Sunday
each month, but now other churches do the three other
Sundays.
As official Hospital Chaplain's Assistant, Celia Hamilton was our leader until the car crash in which she was injured and had to be in hospital.
When she was unable to continue, Sheila Reynolds was asked to take over, but she has really not been well enough to do so. Meanwhile, Christine Bryant has been organising the rota of who should take each service. Epsom Hospital Chaplaincy no longer includes any visits to Leatherhead Hospital.
The service takes place in the Day Room of Leach Ward with usually about 6-12 patients. The service only takes about 20 minutes but sometimes the patients are being given their coffee at 10.45 in which case we start at about 10.55am. It consists of two hymns, prayers, a short reading (normally by Ken Bryant) and a 3-5 minute "thought for the day" prepared and read by whoever is taking the service. The person taking it prepares everything and chooses the hymns from our list of printed hymns, which Linda plays on the electric keyboard. Afterwards we stay and talk to the patients for about 15 minutes, which we consider a very important part of the visit.
Celia Hamilton or Christine Bryant or Linda Heath takes the service with Ken and Christine Bryant, Celia Hamilton, Sheila Moss, Joan Leach, and Linda Heath regularly taking part along with Mike Lewis from time to time.
We need someone to be appointed to be in charge of the group to arrange the rota of who takes the service each month and to be an official "spokesman" either via parish magazine, PCC or whatever. Without a leader, it is nobody's position to act as spokesman. We also need more people to join us. A leader could appeal to people individually for support or through the magazine. Mary Cruddas has suggested that perhaps some of the house groups could help us with this. Please think about it and let me know if you can help. Linda Heath
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Community Engagement
Earlier this year our parish embarked on a process
of developing a Parish Vision, culminating in a meeting in
May 2010 at which "Engagement with the Community"
was one of seven Key Areas of Mission, which emerged. A
working group consisting of Tim Hall, John Swanson, Anne
Thomson, Doug Waters, Steve Whiting and Graham Osborne, was
formed to develop a Mission Statement, Goals and Action Plan
for this area of church life. The Working Group has met twice
and Jane Smith, Uniting Churches Family and Children's
Worker, has joined us.
We recognise that community engagement should be (and increasingly often is) something that we undertake as Uniting Churches. So we are in the process of widening the remit of the Group and ensuring that its membership is representative of all three Churches.
This article reports on work so far and seeks church members' views about areas on which we should focus. Initially, we have focussed on mapping out the considerable extent to which the churches, either corporately or through individual members, are already involved in the community. The next steps will be to consider how what the churches offer should best be publicised, to identify gaps and think about how to fill them.
From our own knowledge, the Group compiled the following list of community activities in which church members are involved. We would be very grateful for any comments, particularly if you can see any glaring errors or omissions. Please get in touch with a member of the Working Group.
Pre-school age: Trinity Children's Centre, Toddler Groups, Time for Tea, Messy Church
Primary School age: Leatherhead Trinity School, Messy Church, Holiday Club, Triumph, Bugs Club, Beavers/Cubs/Brownies
Secondary School age: Leatherhead Youth Project, BFree, Total Football, MTB (mountain biking), Bliss (girls), Blaze (boys), Triumph pm, Dance classes, Express Art, Music Workshops, 5-a-Day meals, Freestyle (weekends away), Scouts/Guides
Disabled people: Seeability (including Talking Parish Magazine), Shopmobility, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation, Headley Court, Combat Stress, Leatherhead Hospital Ward Service
Older People: Age UK/Age Concern, Leatherhead & District Friends Group - at BFree, The Beeches (monthly Communion service; musical entertainment), Second Sunday Lunches,
Other groups: Pitstop, Night Hostel (temporarily relocated), Clubhouse, Samaritans (are any church members currently involved?), Leatherhead United Charities (Church nominated trustees), Men's Breakfast, Mothers' Union, Leatherhead Community Association, Liquid Connection and The Bridge (both have links with LYP), Therfield (some connections), Young Carers, Light up Leatherhead, Remembrance Sunday - Royal British Legion, Town Twinning Association - Friends of Triel, Credit Union.
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Congratulations
After three years of hard work and with the support
of the Leatherhead churches, Jay Bristow graduated on 13
October. He gained a 2:1 degree in Youth and Community
studies with applied theology from the Centre for Youth
Ministry (CYM) affiliated with Oxford Brookes University.
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Messy Church Launch
Leatherhead's first Messy Church took place
on Thursday 21 October at Leatherhead Methodist Church. Led
by a team representing all three Uniting Churches, our theme
was Bible Mountains, and we explored a pot-pourri of Bible
stories, which take place on a mountain. Think about it
– there are lots!
The whole building was pressed into use
– with crafts and toys for the youngest children in the
church (with the carpet safely protected under the largest
sheet of plastic known to man!), cookery in the lower hall,
and games and crafts suitable for older children upstairs. It
was great to
observe how everyone from toddlers to pre-teens was happily
engaged in the different activities.
Just before 5pm we brought it all together in a short act of worship, after which we sat down to tea together – 32 children, 16 adult parents/carers and about 20 helpers. There was a wonderful buzz as everyone chatted around the table and met some new friends. By the time this article has appeared we will have held our second session and we look forward to welcoming a few more families who couldn't make it the first time. We are looking forward to taking Messy Church forward and deepening our relationship with all the families over the coming months. Jane Smith, Family and Children's Worker, Leatherhead Uniting Churches
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Churches Together In Leathehead
A competion was held this year for children to
design the cover of the Churches Together in Leatherhead
Christmas card. Jane Smith very kindly put together an
excellent package and we had a good response with some lovely
entries.
There were two categories: 8-11 years and 7 years and under. The winner of the older group was Natasha Fernandez and the younger group winner was Susannah Hine. Their pictures will be used for the front and back covers of this year's card. Congratulations to both of them. The following entries were Highly Commended: Jack Clarke, Phoebe Amer, Stephanie Weber, Rachel Smith, Lilian McLarnon, Peter Hine, Laura Smith, Joseph Nobbs, Max Benjafield, Ishan Nathan and Hannah Evans.
We would like to thank all the children who took part. Well done everyone! Sue Roberts
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Friends of Leatherhead parish Church
There was a record number of applications for tables
this year for Bridge with Afternoon Tea. As usual,
the exceptional teas and quality prizes and raffle were a big
draw and we were delighted to be able to add over £1000 to
the Friends' funds. This will be an invaluable contribution
towards the maintenance of the fabric and grounds of the
Church in these challenging financial times.
Many thanks to Fran Fleming and her team of volunteers – and to all those willing men who offered to man the car park and heave over 100 chairs – and even stayed to help with the sweeping-up.
The Chairman and Committee of the Friends
thank you for your support of the 2010 events –
particularly the Quiz, the French Evening and the Bridge Tea.
Look out for more events in 2011 starting with the
ever-popular Quiz on Saturday, 5 March. Seasons greetings
from us all.
June Robinson
from the Dec 2010 magazine
Concerts in Church
Some six years ago, at the request of David Eaton,
the Concerts in Church Committee was formed. Since then a
small group have put in a lot of time and effort in achieving
the objectives set out by David:
To open the church for events other than church services.
To raise much needed funds for the Parish Church.
Sadly, it does now appear that we are losing, or have lost, the support of the members of the congregation. Therefore consideration is being given to winding up the Committee at the end of 2011, after meeting commitments for events planned for next year.
It is possible this may not happen if more support is given. The first opportunity for you to do this would be at the very Special Christmas Concert arranged for Saturday 11 December in the Church Hall.
We are fortunate that an excellent group of singers, "Serendipity", have agreed to return for this concert, despite their giving a wonderful concert in the church earlier this year to a woefully small audience.
The concert will include audience participation, including the children and will end with mulled wine, soft drinks and mince pies. Please see more details below. If you want us to continue please support us. If you do not we shall receive and accept the message. Bernard Salsbury
from the Nov 2010 magazine
Outward Giving
At the last PCC meeting it was agreed to change the
way money is distributed, so instead of giving a relatively
small amount to many projects the money would be sent to just
two or three.
This year the Leatherhead Youth project will receive £3000, and £2500 each is being be sent to the Lazarus Home for Girls in Bethany and to The Pitstop in Leatherhead. There are leaflets explaining the work of the Lazarus Home on the shelves by the North door. It is hoped that the cheque for The Pitstop will be handed over with a photographer present from the Leatherhead Advertiser.
It is not planned that the same projects will receive money every year, and we are also looking into the possibility of on-going support for a Mission abroad. We would welcome further ideas as to where to send money.
We would also like to let you know that well
over £600 was raised at our Harvest Service for LIAT.
Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Frances Presley, Anne Warren, Alison Draper.
from the Nov 2010 magazine
Concerts in Church
For the first time we are presenting a family
Christmas concert from the group that gave us our Spring
concert: Serendipity's Christmas Stocking.
To get you in the mood for Christmas with some beautiful seasonal music, Serendipity, a group of eight talented local singers, is presenting a Christmas concert on Saturday 11 December which will be in the Parish Hall from 4pm-6pm.
The programme includes something for all the family and will be a selection of Christmas favourites, ensembles and solos plus Christmas readings. There will be an opportunity to join in with some well known community carols, and to finish off the event there will be mulled wine, soft drinks and a mince pie, which are included in the price of the ticket.
Tickets are one adult accompanying one child, £10, each extra child £5. Tickets will be on sale from the middle of November and will be available from Barton's Book shop, the Parish Office (Wed-Fri 9am-12pm) and from 01372 372049.
from the Nov 2010 magazine
Gift Aid envelopes
We are very thankful for the regular financial
support of those people who provide direct from their banks.
and are registered under Gift Aid. If you are one of them and
also very kindly supplement your giving through the Yellow
Envelope scheme thought I should mention that as registered
for Gift Aid, all you need do is to put your name and the
date on the yellow envelope. It is not necessary for you to
take the trouble to add your address!
In order to reclaim the tax on such
supplementary gifts I simply add the annual amount received
to the total of your regular giving. You may have noticed
that on the annual "thank you letter" that I send,
I indicate the amounts separately.
Bernard Salsbury
from the Nov 2010 magazine
Help wanted
We are looking for people who can help with coffee
(particularly washing-up) once a month and also for people
with technology skills i.e. sound desk and laptop operating.
If you would like to help out please speak to me about coffee
or Graham about technology. Janine Stagg
from the Nov 2010 magazine
The Organfest
On Saturday 2 October we held our second Organfest
in the church on the 18th century English organ, built
by Thomas Parker. Four organists – Anthony Cairns,
Graham Thorp, Mark Laflin and Peter Lutton came to
demonstrate it with half an hour each from 2-4pm. The idea
was that people could come and go as they pleased, but there
were about 50-60 people there all afternoon and many of them
stayed for the full two hours.
All four organists chose their programmes very carefully, both to demonstrate the music of the period and the scope of the instrument. An organ of this period has no pedals and this one has only half a swell manual or keyboard, so one might think its range would be very limited, but not so.
The variety of tone they all produced was really amazing, not to mention the variety of composers from the 14th century to the 21st! There were so many delightful pieces (all quite short) that it is impossible to single any out, but they added up to an afternoon of excellent music much appreciated by everyone there.
It was good that Dominic Gwynn was there too, as he was in charge of the organ restoration and was able to answer questions from quite a number of people who went up to have a look at the organ after the music.
We would like to thank all four performers
for giving up their time to provide such an enjoyable
occasion.
Linda Heath
from the Nov 2010 magazine
Thank you.. .
Sarah Francis, Helen Middlemas and Bridget Leary
would like to say a belated thank you so much to everyone for
all the kindness you have given us during Mum's varying
different illnesses. We were so very, very sad to lose our
dear Mum, Celia Middlemas, but hope that she may now rest in
peace after such a difficult and long period.
She fought long and hard, never complained, but finally lost her great fight in May. We hope that her faith helped her through the dark times. She is sorely missed and is a tough act to follow. We shall miss her lovely smile and beautiful singing.
from the September 2009 magazine
Women Bishops
In February 2009, Synod agreed that draft
legislation to allow women to be consecrated as bishops
should be referred for revision in committee. At the latest
group of sessions, the Synod voted to ‘take note’
of the Revision Committee’s report, before moving on to
the Revision Stage which involved clause-by-clause debate of
the draft legislation. The Synod left the draft legislation
largely unamended, reflecting its desire to continue to make
provision for those who in conscience cannot receive the
ministry of women as bishops, by providing for certain
functions to be undertaken by a male bishop under a diocesan
scheme made in accordance with a national code of practice.
If a majority of Diocesan Synods approve the draft legislation, it will return to the General Synod, probably in February 2012, for Final Drafting and consideration. The Final Approval stage, at which two-thirds majorities are required in each House, could be reached in 2012. If approved, the legislation would the go to Parliament for consideration by the Ecclesiastical Committee and each House.
from the September 2009 magazine
The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is now online. The
Archbishops’ Council has added the full text of The Book
of Common Prayer to the worship pages of its site at http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/book-of-common-prayer.aspx
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer is a permanent feature of the Church of England's worship and loved by many for the beauty of its language. It is also the foundation of a tradition of common prayer and a key source of the Church of England's doctrine. The first official liturgical text in English appeared in 1544 and the first complete Book of Common Prayer in 1549. The book went through several revisions until 1662, since when the wording of its services has remained largely unchanged.
The Book of Common Prayer is one of the three 'historic formularies' of the Church of England, in which its doctrine is to be found. The other two, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion and the Ordinal, are customarily published in the same volume. It cannot be altered or abandoned without the approval of Parliament.
from the September 2009 magazine
Operation Christmas Child
Well over a million of us each year pack a shoebox
in the autumn to send off to a needy child somewhere in
Eastern Europe or Asia or Africa. In the past 20 years more
than 80 million children worldwide have received such shoe
boxes of Christmas joy. This is the 20th anniversary of the
beginning of Operation Christmas Child – a good year to
try and send even more boxes than usual! Visit www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/ for
suggestions of what to buy for your box, and how and where to
send it.
