Dear friends,

Feeling the cold? The first of our warm space events is this Saturday afternoon. It’s a Marvellous Movie Matinee hosted by Prime Time, and the music and dancing in this month’s film, will surely warm the audience up. Then the Football World Cup starts next week (21 Nov), and so to the England match showings at Busbridge Church. Warm Space/Hub events are FREE and open to all, with refreshments provided. Please share the invitation and come along to enjoy them.

Now is also the time to check the Christmas dates and put them in your diary!

We ask that this Christmas you earmark one place to worship, one place to serve, and one person, family or group to share the great invitation!

If you can give some time to help over the Christmas season - you can email the office, or use the Volunteer form. You might see that the first thing needed on Wed 23 Nov at 2pm is some crafty hands to help construct the 420+!!! stars that pupils at the infants and junior schools are decorating for the “Follow the Star” display in Busbridge Church.

(Booking is now open for the popular Christmas Eve service at St Peter and St Paul’s, and though the church is much bigger than Busbridge, we’d appreciate it if you could sign up early so that a decision on whether to schedule a second service can be made).

Lastly, but fundamental in everything we are and do at church, 20 November is national Safeguarding Sunday. It’s a moment to reflect and give thanks for our safeguarding officer, Jenny Lansdowne, and all the work she does on behalf of the PCC, to manage the DBS process for staff and volunteers, and respond to any safeguarding matters with diligence and confidentiality. We remind ourselves that we are all responsible for the fulfilment of the church’s commitment to safeguarding, and the care of everyone. It will be included in our prayers this Sunday, and you may wish to watch the 11 min reflection here: https://vimeo.com/759459476?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=158488745

Read on for more of what you need to know, and print the summery attached here:

Sunday 20 Nov

Do not judge or you too will be judged
READING: MATTHEW 7: 1-6

9.30AM Busbridge Contemporary Service [Holy Communion]
Led by: Simon Taylor | Speaker: Simon Willetts
Busbridge Church

10AM Hambledon Morning Worship
Led by: Patrick Samuels | Speaker: Peter Shaw
Hambledon Church

11.15AM Busbridge Classic Service
Led by: Frances Shaw | Speaker: Simon Willetts
Busbridge Church

6PM Young Ukrainians share their story
Busbridge Church. Replaces Unplugged. Ukrainian refreshments provided.
The BHC4Ukraine group is proud to host, for a second time, a talk by a group of locally hosted teenagers from Ukraine, about their home and the war from their perspective. The presentation was first shared at the lunch for hosts and their guests in September, and those present found it so poignant that the group have been invited to share it again with a wider audience. This time we are encouraging young people to attend too and there will be Ukrainian refreshments for everyone on arrival. Please support. Signing up is not essential but would help with catering.

Notices

Thank you to Toni, Shan and Caroline for organising an exceptional prayer ministry training day on praying in the Spirit and the gift of Words of Knowledge. Thank you to all the prayer ministry team members who were able to attend and our special thanks goes to Rev Emmy Wilson (from HTB) who led us through Biblical teaching, careful ministry, and practical experience of praying for one another. We offer prayer ministry during and after most services in each congregation.

PCC NEWS The PCC met last week and discussed 1) Our continued gap in children’s ministry leadership. A PCC group (called the SAM group) is looking at this. If you felt called to the role but could not do it full time, please speak to Ben Barnes, Simon Taylor or Simon Willetts as it is possible we could consider this as two part time roles. If you have other thoughts, please share them with Penny Harris (SAM group chair). SAM = Specific Ages Ministry. 2) The church budget was approved. We will look at this more in the New Year at our Vision Sunday. 3) Partially in response to the Minster development, the Diocese has generously offered us a trainee not-yet-vicar (called an ordinand) on long term placement for the next 18 months. The PCC accepted this offer and we are grateful that the diocese covers all non-local costs. The ordinand will look around this week and meet Patrick Samuels, who will mentor the ordinand. 4) Will Godwin and Fran Duffell have begun to build a vision for us to become a Church of Creation Care. This is more than Christian environmentalism. The PCC endorsed this as an important development for BHC. More information will come out soon and please speak to Will or Fran.

How are we getting on with abad and shamar, the work and care of creation which were the original purpose which mankind was put in the garden for? Even before God established the terms of relationship with Adam and Eve to Himself, He determined the terms of their relationship to the Earth. Their role and identity as part of creation and stewards of it is the point of departure for all of what follows from God; All of His Mission. As we embark on this new part of that same Mission with this minster, is that our point of departure? We want to make sure it is and we are forming a small team to help lead on ensuring the care of creation is as integral to our life as a church as God wants it to be. We would love there to be a representative from each of the churches in the minster. So, if you would like to be involved then do nothing as we are all going to be involved in this, if you would like to help lead it as a rep for your church then please get in touch with Will or Fran through the office. Thank you

Warm welcome / Warm Hubs at Busbridge Church and St Mark’s
This winter, Busbridge Church has been registered with the Warm Welcome initiative (see: https://www.warmwelcome.uk/) and will provide a warm hub, open to all, with free refreshments for specific times and events.  For example, World Cup England matches will be shown on the big screen, starting 21 November.  Several Prime Time events for older people, and the Hambledon Coffee mornings also meet the criteria and we are looking forward to welcoming those who would benefit this winter.

St Mark’s Church and Community Centre provides a warm hub on Tuesdays 12.30-4pm, offering a soup and roll lunch, tea and cake.

25th Nov. 7pm. Meet the Bishop where World Cup footballs are made! Join us at Busbridge Church for football and to meet Bishop Alwyn of Sialkot, Pakistan. Sialkot is a world leading manufacturer of surgical instruments but right now his diocese is more famous for footballs. The footballs, called Al Rihla balls, used for the World Cup are all made in Sialkot. Al Rihla is Arabic for ‘the journey’. Join us for the football journey and to welcome Bishop Alwyn.

To help with any of these initiatives, please contact Patrick Samuels re. football, Penny re older people’s events and Sheila Samuels re. St Mark’s: curate.godalming@gmail.com.

The current Alpha course has two catering slots to fill before ending on Dec 1st.  Are you willing to cook attendees a simple one-course meal?  If so, pls contact keith.harper@bhcgodalming.org or sheila.samuels@bhcgodalming.org.

Yew Tree Café – your café needs you!
The Yew tree is going really well, but we need more great volunteers to help for half a day on a weekly basis (ideally), or once fortnight:

1. to work in the café, serving food and drinks with a smile and a pastoral heart.

2. Bakers to make cakes in the Old Rectory kitchen. All ingredients, clear instructions and equipment provided.

3. Food preparation on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday morning - just a couple of hours to prepare our salads and soups. Recipes and ingredients provided.

All volunteers are given a barista drink and cake as a thank you. You would  be joining a great team of people and further enabling our endeavours to reach out to the community with God’s love. If you are interested please pop into the café and talk to one of the managers, or email yewtreecafe@bhcgodalming.org. 

Church Family News

Coming Up:

See the events coming up next below or look up dates further ahead in the full calendar. Select the event for details and the location (online or on site).

Sunday 27 Nov

Let us walk in the Light of the Lord
Readings: Isaiah 2: 1-5 and Matthew 24: 36 - 44

9.30AM Busbridge Contemporary Service
Led by: Suzie Lambert | Speaker: Simon Taylor
Busbridge Church

10AM Hambledon Morning Worship
Led by: Simon Willetts | Speaker: David Brockman
Hambledon Church

11.15AM Busbridge Classic Service
Led by: Philippa Baker | Speaker: Simon Taylor
Busbridge Church

6PM Hambledon Advent Evensong
Led by: Simon Willetts, with the choir
Hambledon Church

6PM Busbridge Evening Service [Holy Communion]
Led by: Simon Taylor | Speaker: Hilary Pettman
Busbridge Church

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Regular Events

Busbridge Morning Prayer Weds at 9am online.

Hambledon Morning Prayer takes place on Wednesdays at 9am. All welcome.

Prayer gatherings for Ukraine are now at Hambledon Church at 7.30pm on 1st Tuesdays of the month.

Next Hambledon Coffee Morning and Hearing Aid Clinic is Weds 16th November. All welcome.

VACANCIES

ELSEWHERE

Churches Together Christmas lunch – volunteers are needed to help with the Christmas lunch on Christmas Day at the Baptist Church for anyone who would otherwise be on their own.  The form setting out the various roles is attached. We are also still looking for a volunteer co ordinator and so if anyone would be willing to do this, please let Sarah Higgins know (sarahhiggins478@gmail.com). Letter to guests and invitation form are also attached for anyone who would like to come.

Christmas Lunch VOLUNTEER Form

Christmas Lunch Invitation

Christmas Lunch Guest Form

Read the latest issue (NOVEMBER) of Churches Together in Godalming and District Link Up.

Don’t forget about…

Things in the following areas may not make the notices, but the latest info can be found on the web pages:

Yew Tree Café Opening Hours 8.30am-4pm
10am-2pm Saturday. The café will be open weekdays at 8.30am from 31 October.

Church Family Support Fund
Do you know of anyone who might be struggling to pay their bills in this very challenging time? The Church Family Support Fund is here to help anyone, in the Godalming area, who is in need financially with a one off payment . All details about the fund and an application form can be found on the Busbridge church web site, or please contact Jill Johnston on 01483 422194.

Busbridge and Hambledon Churches are open daily for private prayer.

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.