Week 1 of Advent! Starting with 4 special services on Advent Sunday, Busbridge Church decorating and the Advent launch at school pickup on 1 December. And! the first of the Walking Advent Calendar displays have been revealed….the calendar display of “recycled robins” for 2nd Dec are most endearing. Please use the Christmas Services link below to go to the Advent & Christmas section, and get to the heart of Christmas.

Ben, Simon and Shelagh bring you the notices for this Sunday: About the “Heart of Christmas” and the Outward Giving/Mission campaigns for 2021. Please note that the Busbridge Christmas Eve services require booking, and the 3.30pm service is full, spaces are very limited at 4.30pm, so book now for 5.30pm. No need to book any other services. On Christmas Eve, you are welcome to come along to the 4pm Crib service at Hambledon, or the 11pm Midnight Communion services at either church.

Watch the notices!

this Sunday

Peace at the heart of Christmas: lives restored
Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10

9.15AM BUSBRIDGE Classic Service [Holy Communion]
Leader: Margot Spencer
Speaker: Chris Payne
Busbridge Church & Online

9.30AM HAMBLEDON Heritage Service
Leader: Dudley Hilton
Speaker: Simon Willetts
Hambledon Church & Online

10.30AM Muddy Church for Advent + bacon sarnies & coffee after
Leader: Mark Puddephatt and Suzie Lambert
The Old Rectory Garden
We are continuing the tree theme, linking berries to Advent. Please bring a hand fork and a reusable cup (for coffee). Musicians! please bring your instruments and download the music and chords

10.30AM Hambledon Contemporary
Leader: Simon Willetts

6PM BUSBRIDGE Evening Service
Busbridge Church

UPDATE - 2 December 2021

In the light of the recent changes to government advice and legislation, coupled with people's desire for caution, the Rector and wardens have taken the decision to kindly request people to once again wear face coverings in services. Hand sanitiser is available in both churches for those that wish to use it. Holy Communion is celebrated in one kind by each congregation once a month (at a service in the benefice each Sunday.): Holy Communion Sundays.

In the light of the continuing rise in Covid infections, the decision had already been made to revert to offering Communion in one kind only - i.e. bread (wafer) - for the foreseeable future. We shall review this from time to time, as circumstances change and regulations permit.

Sunday 12 December

Open to the heart of Christmas: purpose found
Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10 / Luke 1:26-38

9.15AM BUSBRIDGE Classic Service [Holy Communion]
Leader: Maggie Jagger
Speaker: Margot Spencer
Busbridge Church & Online

9.30AM HAMBLEDON Heritage Service
Leader: David Jenkins
Speaker: Dudley Hilton
Hambledon Church & Online

10.30AM BUSBRIDGE Contemporary Service
Leader: Patrick Samuels & Mark Williams
Speaker: Margot Spencer
Busbridge Church & Online

4PM HAMBLEDON Messy Christingle
Hambledon Church

The Notices

CHRISTMAS!…

All things happening for Advent and Christmas can be found HERE including the link to book Christmas Eve services at Busbridge. There’s separate pages for the Walking Advent Calendar, Advent Reflections, Christmas Giving (Hampers and the Christmas Appeal for the Bible Society) and the Nexus Christmas Quiz next Saturday.

2 more people needed to make up a team!
To join the online Christmas Charity Quiz on Saturday 4 December at 7.30pm! Nexus will be raising funds for the wonderful local hospice care team at Phyllis Tuckwell. Our brilliant quizmaster duo will be with us again.  Alan Betts will be masterminding the setting of thought-provoking questions and delivering these in his inimitable style; and Dudley Hilton will oversee the amusing graphics, the technical stuff and score keeping!! 

To join the Quiz, please make a donation to Phyllis Tuckwell on www.justgiving.com/PamelaDaltonWilliams and email Janet Harvey <janetmharvey@btinternet.com>.

Next Thursday 9 Dec: Sherry with the Vicar - Prime Time needs reinforcements to help make up Christingle kits, and share a tipple! Come along to the Old Rectory between 2-4pm and help Simon Taylor and members of Prime Time make up the 400+ Christingle kits for the Messy Christingle and Christmas Eve services. There will be tea, mince pies and sherry. It is Christmas after all! Contact Penny.Naylor@bhcgodalming.org, or come along on the day.

The Bridge Magazine—looking for an new editor and treasurer. 

We have two very important vacancies in one of our key local mission and outreach activities.  Do please contact Vic Hicks if you would like to find out about these roles.  The role of Bridge editor is paid, and could be shared with a deputy editor.  Click the link for details.

Current Editor Cathy Brook will be stepping aside at the end of December after sending then Jan/Feb issue to print.  Lesley Reeves will also be ending her tenure as treasurer so we are looking for someone to take on the accounts (advertising income and printing costs) for the Bridge in the new year too. 

The Nov/Dec Issue of the Bridge is available online HERE, including Christmas events and services at church.

Some reminders…

MISSION: The November Outward Giving Update is about the Guildford Besom. It thanks Busbridge&Hambledon Church for it’s support and has some great examples of how the money we’ve given has enabled care and ministry to vulnerable people moving into new homes around Guildford.

Waverley have offered to help resettle some Afghan refugees. The churches response is being coordinated by the Diocese but the BHC home group led by Julia Stubbs is the contact point in Busbridge. If you have anything to donate please contact Julia Stubbs (eashingstubbs@aol.com) or Sarah Black (sarahblack536@gmail.com) or there will be a box at the back of church on Sunday.

The first family who are arriving this week  have 2 young children .

Things  they need for the family  are :
-household items, food parcels, toiletries etc
-clothes  and toys for a boy aged 2 and a 4-year-old girl. 
-any household electricals have got to be new, for health and safety reasons.
Most families have arrived with very little and would be very grateful for anything our church can do to help support families to resettle here in the UK.

BUSBRIDGE JUNIOR SCHOOL APPLICATIONS

If you are thinking of submitting a church application to Busbridge Junior School for September 2022, please visit the Busbridge Junior School website and familiarise yourself with their admission criteria (‘About Us’, ‘Admissions’). If you meet the criteria, email catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org for an information sheet. The deadline to submit the supplementary info form to the church office is 10 December.

Coming Up NEXT:

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

church family news

Some of you may remember Jo King, who was a member of our congregation for several years. Jo died on 6th November and there will be a Thanksgiving Service in Busbridge Church this Friday, 3rd December at 11.30 a.m.. All who knew or remember Jo are very welcome to attend as we celebrate her life. Please pray for her family and many friends - for God's comfort and peace for them all.

We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Muriel Campbell on 21 November. She has been a faithful, active and lifelong member of Hambledon Church and village and her presence will be much missed. A service will be held in Hambledon Church on Thursday 9 December at 2.30 p.m., to which all who knew and loved Muriel are welcome. Please pray for Ion and the whole family, that they may be sure of God's peace and comfort.

Please Pray for

• Park Road and road steward Anthony Field and Frances Morris

• Lane end

• Those working in medicine.

ELSEWHERE

We are very pleased to be able to run the Churches Together Christmas lunch again this year, subject to any changes in the Covid situation. It will take place at the Baptist Church Godalming on Christmas Day. Guests and volunteers are invited now. Please see the letter to guests and volunteer form below.

Christmas lunch letter to guests

Christmas lunch Volunteer form

See Churches Together Link Up - November Issue for news from around other churches in and around Godalming.

Catch up on News from other areas

Busbridge and Hambledon Churches are open daily for private prayer.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.