Dear Friends,
We have some special things on at church this Sunday, so please read carefully.
Sunday 26 March
Equipping people
reading: Ephesians 4:1-16
Busbridge
9.30AM Contemporary Service at St Peter & St Paul’s Church
& online
Led by: Patrick Samuels | Speaker: Simon Willetts
Children’s groups meet from 9.20am
Tiny Tigers in the Octagon play room, Ark and Explorers (years R-6) at Moss Lane School
Crèche is at the back of church, with the option to move out to the Octagon.
11.15AM Classic Service
Busbridge Church & online
Led by: Keith Harper | Speaker: Peter Shaw
6PM Busbridge Evening Service [Holy Communion]
Led by: Simon Willetts | Speaker: Chad Grayer
6.50PM Gifts of the Holy Spirit - session 4: The Gift of Tongues
Busbridge Church
Hambledon
10AM Morning Worship
Hambledon Church & online
Led by: Philippa Baker | Speaker: Dudley Hilton
6PM Choral Evensong for Passiontide
Hambledon Church & online
Led by: Simon Taylor
Special things about Services on 26th March
9.30AM Contemporary at St Peter & St Paul’s - Take 2! The next trial of the Busbridge Contemporary Service at St Peter and St Paul’s will be on 26th March, with children’s groups using Moss Lane. We are grateful to the school for accommodating us, and look forward to making the most of the opportunity to grow children’s activities on Sundays and throughout the week across Godalming. The Contemporary service will be followed by the Choral Eucharist, starting at the later time of 11.15AM than its usual 10am.
Sunday 26th March at 6PM at Hambledon Church
6PM Hambledon Choral Evensong for Passiontide. A choir is gathered and rehearsing for the Passiontide Choral Evensong. These services take place at Hambledon at key times in the church year. All welcome. The service will use the Book of Common Prayer.
Coming Up:
See the events coming up next and look up dates further ahead in the full calendar.
Notices
Lent & Easter
Click Here
***Palm Sunday 2nd April***
back to the garden gate
REadings: Genesis 3: 23,24 & Matthew 21:1-11
We pick up the Easter Sermon series “The Garden” that was introduced on Ash Wednesday. Having been thrown out of the Garden of Eden and separated from God in Genesis, humankind is greeted by Jesus at the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But this familiar story of homecoming can obscure the awesomeness of what we are watching. God has arrived. He is standing at the gate and intends to meet us on the inside. Do we let him in?
10AM Busbridge Palm Sunday Combined Service
[Muddy Church and children’s groups take a break in the school holidays]
10AM Hambledon Palm Sunday All Age Service
& procession to the Oak tree with the Hambledon Llamas
[A great option for all families with children and younger people]
6PM Busbridge Evening + Youth
Take a look at the list of events and services for Palm Sunday to Easter Day on the web site and collect a handout from church this Sunday. We are looking forward to uplifting worship on Palm Sunday, and The Merry Harriers Pub is kindly lending a pair of llamas to stand in for the donkey in Hambledon’s reenactment of Christ’s triumphant arrival in Jerusalem. It could be “Messy” and “Muddy” rolled into one!
It helps if you sign up to the big events where there’s catering involved: The Good Friday Hot Cross Bun Adventure, and the Easter Garden Service on Saturday 8th. (You can use the MyChurchSuite app or the Easter web page to sign up).
Hot Cross Bun hospitality team needed for the Good Friday Walk
This year the church family walk is from Hambledon Church to Busbridge Church where the multitude of thirsty hikers will arrive at the Old Rectory in need of tea and a hot cross bun. Thanks to those who have offered to help, but it would be great to have a couple more people who are willing to forgo the walk, and organise and serve the refreshments in the Old Rectory. If you can, please let Vic know in the church office.
A reminder that the BHC Easter Appeal for SALCET is now underway. For details about the charity’s latest work in El Salvador, Uganda and Kenya - and ways to give - please read the Outward Giving Easter update.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL EPISODES
Keep it up! The Transformed Life Lent podcast for all 4 churches joining Godalming Minster has a new episode available every week day in Lent. Why listen? It uses the great devotionals by Dave Smith which run alongside the sermon series on Sundays, and the home group bible studies.
That’s right - our wonderful café celebrated its 1st anniversary on 23rd March! So many visitors came along today to thank the staff and volunteers for their excellent service! Please note that the Yew Tree Café will be closed for annual maintenance this weekend 25-26 March.
NEXUS TALK
Thu 30 Mar
Life on the Common
Nexus invites you to its Easter event on Thursday 30th March in the Old Rectory. James Giles, Manager of the Thursley National Nature Reserve is coming to talk about Life on the common. Full details can be found by clicking on the image above.
Get Involved
Church newsletter delivery St Mark’s mission is to reach out to the local community to raise awareness of the Church and all it offers. St Marks Church is issuing a Spring Newsletter to the area around the church in March and if anyone could help deliver, that would be good. There will be teams going out if you want to go in pairs. To sign up or to know more information please contact Sheila on sheila.samuels@bhcgodalming.org.
Church Family News
We send our love and prayers to Ali Wood, whose mother died last week. Please pray for Ali, Dave, Louis and Grace, and the rest of the immediate family, that they will know God’s presence, his comfort and his peace.
We send love, too, to Margaret Appleton, whose younger daughter Sue died unexpectedly on Monday. Please hold Margaret, Jane and Jeremy in your prayers, together with Sue’s husband Ron and his children. Pray that they will be surrounded by God’s comfort and peace.
Elsewhere
Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2023 - The Turkey-Syria Earthquake and those suffering deprivation in Guildford Diocese AND Hearing Aid Clinics
Work of the Bishop’s Fund is wide-ranging, but one of the recipients is the Hear Hear project that enables the BHC Hearing Aid Clinics. Penny and Sophie Bessant were recently interviewed for the promotional video: https://youtu.be/iuxeNYG0lUI
Godalming Baptist Church Life Issues talks: See the full 2023 Life Issues programme.
To book a place contact Sally Pollard-pollard3@hotmail.co.uk or tel-01483-428646.
For news from all the other local churches, see:
Churches Together Link Up - MAR 2023
Don’t forget about…
Simon’s sabbatical 11th April-15th July 2023
3rd time lucky! Simon Taylor will be taking a twice postponed sabbatical this year from Easter to July. (Stipendiary clergy are given a sabbatical every ten years, and Simon’s was postponed in 2020 due to Covid, then again in 2022 due to the Minster evaluation.) He leaves the leadership of the benefice in the capable hands of Simon Willetts, supported by Margot Spencer, the wardens, clergy and staff team. Minster plans will continue to develop.
While Simon is away, his plans involve some walking (The SW Coastal Path) and prayer, time with his leadership coach and spiritual director, reading, a visit to Simon’s spiritual retreat home (Storrington Priory, Chemin Neuf charismatic catholic Order) and some research on St Ignatius and the Jesuit Way of Life.
Please pray for Simon as he prepares for a restorative break from ministry, and for those he leaves in charge.
The MyChurchSuite app. It’s the easiest way to check dates, rotas, church emails, look up church members and sign up to events (without having to enter your details again and again!). Contact the Church Office if you’ve lost your login details or would like to request an account.
Join the Electoral Roll - As we approach the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in May, this is a reminder that we’d love you to join the church electoral roll if you are not on it already. Go to Membership.
Mid-week Prayer Gatherings
Reflective Prayer Mons at 8.45am online.
Busbridge Morning Prayer Weds at 9am online.
Hambledon Morning Prayer takes place on Wednesdays at 9am. All welcome.
Busbridge Saturday Prayer Meeting + PrayerFest 0-30 8-9am 2nd Saturdays of the month [11th Feb]
***Send prayer requests to prayer@bhcgodalming.org***
Groups & Activities
The Men’s Group meets for breakfast at 8.15am on the first Saturdays of the month. See the calendar event for details.
Hambledon Coffee Morning and Hearing Aid Clinic takes place 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 10.30am.
The 2023 Prime Time programme for Jan-Jun is now available, and the next event is the Talk on God’s Trees on Friday 24th March. For all events and details, see Prime Time.
The 2023 Nexus programme is now available, and the next event is a talk on 30th Mar is about Life on Thursley Common. For all events and details, see Nexus.
Busbridge and Hambledon Churches are open daily for private prayer.
Yew Tree Café
at Busbridge Church
The Yew Tree Café at Busbridge Church is open 8.30am-4pm weekdays in term time, and 10am-2pm on Saturdays, and 10am-4pm during school holidays.
Pastoral Care
PASTORAL CARE & PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE
If you, or someone you know at church, are in need of support and care, please contact Sandra Wilkin via the church office, or e: pastoral@bhcgodalming.org.
To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org or call 01483 421267.