NEWS THIS WEEK:
What’s On, Churches reopen for private prayer, Alpha Online starting 24 June, Busbridge, Chain of Hope.
LATEST RECTOR’s REFLECTION: George Floyd
Rector’s reflections & A Word from: ……. Please check the news section on the home page, and top menu regularly for updates and reflections from Simon Taylor and the clergy team.
This Sunday
Waiting for Hope | Titus 2:1; 11-15
Click HERE for the ONLINE Services on YouTube
Available from
9AM Heritage Service (BCP)
with traditional liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer and hymns recorded at Busbridge and Hambledon.
10AM BHC Main Online Service
The main act of worship for Busbridge&Hambledon Church with contemporary band-led worship music.
Both services
Welcome: David Preece
Speaker: Simon Willetts
Reading: Frances Shaw
Prayers: Daniel and Fran Duffell
Music: David Marson
11AM After Service Coffee on zoom (Hambledon and Contemporary congregations) - see what’s on for joining instructions.
NOTICES
Churches Reopening for private prayer
We are delighted to let you know that from Monday 15 June we plan to open Busbridge Church and Hambledon Church daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm (approx.) for private prayer. We know that many of you will welcome this opportunity.
As per government and CofE guidance, there will be instructions to visitors to use hand gel on the way in and way out, to avoid touching surfaces and to keep at least 2m apart from others. Opening daily will involve a government stipulated cleaning and checking process when the church is opened and closed each day. This will fall to staff initially, while we seek to fill a rota of volunteers. Please let liz.gorst@bhcgodalming.org know if you would be able to commit to this humble act of service on a weekly basis.
For visitors to the church, our aim is to provide a warm welcome and a way to connect with God, or perhaps discover Him for the first time. There will be notices and images displayed to guide prayer if people wish, and at Busbridge, an invitation to take part in the prayer walk in the churchyard and add a pebble to the Chain of Hope (see the video above). We hope this will encourage you to drop in while we cannot gather physically to worship. Our starting theme in the churches next week is Why Pray?
COMING UP
The next film discussion in this coming Tuesday 16 June at 8pm on the documentary 13th which has been selected for its relevance to the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd. As we are challenged to think more about our own understanding of the complex story of racism, this documentary about the issues facing African Americans might be a good place to start. Details for the film, the meeting details and the questions for discussion are on the web site calendar.
The next Unplugged Live service will be on Sunday 21 June at 6.30pm, but do zoom in from 6.20pm to exchange ‘hellos’ as the service will start promptly at 6.30pm. There will end the formality!
Click here for Alpha at Busbridge&Hambledon
Alpha Online—starting 24 June
The ALPHA course has reaped a good harvest since it was adapted for use online in March. The current crisis has led people to evaluate life now and as they knew it, and provided the time to engage in wider questions. Alpha works for people at many stages of their Christian journey:
· If you are new to the Christian faith or just starting to ‘dip your toe in’
· If your friends or family ask you about what you believe and you’re never really sure what to tell them
· If you’ve been a Christian for a long while but have never felt you could ask questions about your faith
· If you’re fairly new to church and want to get to know some more people.
Busbridge&Hambledon has run many Alpha courses in the past and indeed many of our church members are the fruit of those courses. Simon Willetts will be leading the introductory session of the online version on Wednesday 24 June at 7.30pm. Please pass on the details to people and encourage them to sign up on the Alpha page here. And if you can help support or facilitate on Wednesday evenings, please contact simon.willetts@bhcgodalming.org, ideally before the prep session on Wednesday 17 June.
For others elsewhere on their journey, the next HELPFUL HABITS prayer course has been provisionally scheduled to start on Weds 24 June. The course involves 3 or 4 stand-alone sessions on different ways of praying. The first one, will be ‘Praying with my pen’. To discuss or to register, please contact Gertrud Sollars, e: Gertrud.sollars@btinternet.com.
In the community
Kindness for Keyworkers. The next recipients of our small care packs will l be staff at Hambledon Nursery and St Dominic's School. We’ve had lovely messages from staff at BJS and Hydon Hill to say thank you. Thanks to those on the Coronavirus Response volunteer list who have helped Judith and Penny make up the gift bags too.
“I am just writing to thank you and your amazing volunteers for the time and kindness in making gifts for our amazing team we have at Hydon Hill. ... you can’t go wrong with biscuits and chocolate.
...There is no denying it has been a very challenging time for everyone. The staff have risen to the challenges as they have arisen, like the professionals they are.
It is humbling to us to thing that others are thinking and caring for our carers. We appreciate what the wider community has done for us here.
”
#CreativeKindness. You can find information about how our young folk are spreading light and hope to those who aren’t using the internet and see some of the lovely creations on the #CreativeKindness page here. Do keep them coming.
Church family news
We send our love to Simon Gilbert, whose mother died last weekend. Please hold Simon, Juliet and the whole family in your prayers.
Many people will remember Jean and Harry Whitehouse, who were members of Busbridge Church for a number of years, before they moved to Eastbourne in 2015. Ed and Chris Payne, among others, have visited them there and kept in touch. We have been saddened to hear that Harry died last week; Jean remains in their flat, with a carer. Please pray for Jean and their family, that God will sustain them and give them his peace.
ELSEWHERE
Outward Giving: SALCET has been very busy this week because El Salvador got totally bashed by Storm Amanda (the first hurricane of this season) on 31 May (Pentecost Sunday!) and there have been massive floods, loads of landslides and 17 deaths. El Salvador is in strict lockdown because of Covid 19 as well, and the poorer people have been struggling for food even before the storm.
It wasn't really reported in the UK - we only heard this last weekend when we received messages from our projects in El Salvador. Anyway, SALCET has been able to send financial aid to 2 of our projects where they have been flooded out and need food parcels too, and this has largely been made possible by the generosity of Busbridge&Hambledon and the money raised in the Christmas collection. So, we want to thank everyone and ask for ongoing prayers for El Salvador.
We received the following e-mail from El Salvador this morning, from Ruth Cruz who is organising the help for San Carlos, which is very encouraging. Having more trouble getting money through to Carlos Gomez at Panchimalco, but hopefully it will arrive early next week. Christ and Maggie Jagger.
“
Dear Dr Chris, Margaret, and Nathalie:
Warmest greetings from El Salvador. I trust God that you are doing well. May God bless you.
I acknowledge receipt of $1,225.oo USD sent by SALCET. I was able to cash it at Davivienda, which was great because they have a branch in my neighborhood. Brother Vladmir picked me up at my home and brought me back. I cashed it without any problem and I did not have to wait because there were only two people in the bank. I am also glad that my scheduled day was Wednesday.
The foods requested by the community have already been purchased. I bought the cooking oil, tomato sauce pouches, milk and coffee because we can carry them in Vladimir’s car. Carlos ordered the rest at a big supermarket in Ayutxtepeque, which is the closest one to the community house. They will deliver the groceries directly to the community house, which is great, on the same day that the foods will be distributed with a little charge.
We have scheduled to give out the groceries this coming Sunday at 8:30 am. a total of 30 baskets at the community house. The supermarket will make the 30 baskets and we will add the rest of the food. The people from all the suppliers have been very nice and have given us a nice delivery service because of the lockdown. They will have a list of the 30 beneficiaries and I have also called the Church Pastor brother Cideos so he can go to pick up his food. There are 29 families plus the Pastor, who lives in another neighborhood but he has pastoring that church for almost 20 years.
I will be sending you the invoices on Sunday. Thank you for your loving concern for this people of San Carlos, they are very grateful to you. We will be sending you pictures and the thank you note from the Community Committee Blessings. from Ruth
”
Don’t forget
¨ If you are not connected in some way and would like to be, please let us know (e: catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org). The Coronavirus Response team is ready to help those self-isolating— e: coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org.
¨ The CFSF is receiving donations AND applications for financial gifts. Details on https://www.bhcgodalming.org/c19-givingandsupport.
¨ If you have anything to post, thoughts, prayers, musings—remember the BHC Together facebook group is yours to do so!