Dear friends,
This edition will serve for the next few weeks - until 14 August, and hopefully there’s enough news and info to get you through until then. In fact, after the big read this week you might be glad of the break! This Sunday concludes the sermon series on Daniel and there’s end of term celebrations at Busbridge after the Contemporary Service, and at Hambledon Messy Church at 4PM. All welcome. It would be great to see you before the summer break begins, and church might be the coolest place!
A message from david wilkin, chair of the minster evaluation steering group, Rev simon taylor and canon john harkin re. the Outcome of the PCCs’ votes to become a Godalming Minster
On Monday 11th July the PCCs of Busbridge Church, Hambledon Church, St Peter and Paul with St Mark’s voted on the proposal to unite and become a Minister Parish for the Godalming and wider area. The PCC members are the Trustees of their parishes, so the matter was taken seriously and they all spent considerable time in thought, preparation and prayer reviewing the significant ‘Recommendation to PCC’s 11th July 2022’ document before voting. One PCC allows electronic votes to be cast pre-meeting and these are recorded separately. The results of the deliberations and voting are as follows:
Busbridge PCC. Unanimous vote yes. No abstentions. The PCC also voted to give up its own patronage of itself
Hambledon PCC. Unanimous vote yes. No abstentions. The PCC also voted to give up its patronage of Busbridge Church up
St Peter and Paul with St Mark’s PCC. Unanimous vote yes with no abstentions for those present. Two electronic pre-votes cast, 1 yes and 1 no
The Minster proposal has therefore been passed by all PCCs by a clear individual and collective majority, with only 1 vote against. Now that we have a clear proposal which has been thoroughly tested by the PCCs there will be meetings over the coming weeks for all church members where details of the proposal will be fully explored with lots of space for questions. We will also gather for more prayer times.
Bishop Andrew will be writing to all 3 PCCs with his reaction and thoughts, and in the Autumn the PCCs decision will be brought to special Archdeacon’s APCMs across all the parishes for further prayer and ratification. If you are on the Busbridge and Hambledon Electoral Rolls, the recommendation documentation will be sent to you by email shortly, and will be available on request from the church office.
With grateful thanks to all PCC members and to every member of the Minister exploration groups, for giving many hours to this matter.
David, Simon and John
Background info can be found on the Minster Evaluation page:
Read on for details about:
What and where this Sunday (the services)
Summer Services
Changes to services in September
Update on the new Director of Youth and Children (Youth Minister)
Hymns & Pimm’s - 4 Sep
Alpha starting 15 Sep
The big Autumn Spruce - 17 Sep
Yew Tree Café seeks an Assistant Manager (part-time) - see job ad and share!
Sunday 17 July
THE TIME OF THE END
Daniel 12
HAMBLEDON
9.30AM Heritage Service
Leader: Andy Spencer | Speaker: Dudley Hilton
Hambledon Church & Online
10.30AM Alpha Course
Hambledon Church
4PM Messy Church Summer Party
Hambledon Village Hall
BUSBRIDGE
9.10AM Classic Service
Led by: Keith Harper | Speaker: Clare Haddad
Busbridge Church & Online
10.30AM Contemporary Service [Holy Communion]
Led by: Patrick Samuels | Speaker: Clare Haddad
Busbridge Church & Online
Contemporary Social 17th July: The Contemporary congregation will celebrate the end of term on 17th July, with a picnic in the Old Rectory Garden after the service. Drinks and gazebo provided. The bouncy castle will be up. BYO picnic. Everyone, from all congregations welcome!
Carparking for Busbridge services: The church has use of the Busbridge Village Hall carpark on Sunday mornings. Please make use of it to avoid congestion on Hambledon road.
Sunday 24 July
Crossing the Red Sea
Reading: Exodus 14
9.30AM Heritage Service
Hambledon Church & Online
10.30AM Alpha Course
Hambledon Church
Summer Holiday services start:
10.30AM Combined Worship
Busbridge Church & Online
6PM Evening Service
Led by: Simon Willetts
The Church Office will be shut on Fridays over summer from 29th July to 2nd September inclusive.
There’s a handout in both churches to remind you about summer holiday services which start at Busbridge from 24 July, and at Hambledon during August. Please take one home:
Notices
New Service times at both churches from September
Thanks to the 112 members of the Busbridge Classic or Contemporary congregations who responded to the questions about the changes to service times from September. The Contemporary will now take place first at 9.30am and the Classic at 11.15am. Swapping the order will a) make it easier for some Classic members for whom 9.10am is too early (those who need care and transport) and b) ease the time pressure on the more complex set up for the Contemporary service.
As ever, there isn’t an arrangement to suit everyone, but if the responses are indicative of the wider congregations:
Changing the service times would make little difference to how often MOST (41%) members of both congregations worship or serve.
The proposed times would enable a further 35% of people across both congregations to come more easily/often. Moreover there is broad agreement that it will greatly help those who we rely on to lead Contemporary worship.
For the fewer (but no less important) worshippers for whom the change makes it harder to attend their preferred service, the congregation leaders will be in touch with you if you gave your name. If you’d like to speak to Frances or Patrick about it, please get in touch on Sunday or via the church office.
Conversations about moving to one 10AM service have also taken place in Hambledon, and there is support for introducing a blended format, with Common Worship liturgy and informal contemporary elements, from September. Children’s work will be available at 10AM apart from Messy Church Sundays (3rd of the month).
Please pick up a list of the new service times for September from church this Sunday or over the summer. It includes the special Sunday dates for Autumn too, so please watch out for the deviations!
Hambledon Coffee Morning & Hearing Aid Clinic restarting Weds 20th July
We are looking forward to the return of the Hambledon coffee morning at 10.30am on 3rd Wednesdays of the month. NHS hearing aid maintenance and replacement batteries will also be available once more.
Who might you invite? Contact Jacqui Rook via the church office if you would like a lift to church.
There’s some exciting news coming about the appointment of the new Director of Youth and Children who, all being well, will start in September. We are just waiting for some important dotting of Is and crossing of Ts before we announce the special person in the next few weeks.
Coming Up:
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).
The Prime Time visit to Mane Chance has been postponed due to the amber weather warning for Monday - it’s forecast to be way too hot for horses and their visitors to enjoy the occasion safely. Prime Time hopes to reschedule the visit for September.
Nexus have just a few spaces for the visit to Blackdown Ridge Vineyard on 4 August. Please select the event and contact Kate Kaye if you’d like to join.
SAVE THE DATE!
Having missed the Spring Clean and the Summer Blitz, come September the churches will be in much need of an Autumn “Spruce”! Please save the date. We do need your help, but the getting together is just as important. (After Christmas, it’s Simon Taylor’s favourite event of the year!)
Autumn Alpha Course - an Autumn Alpha course will start on Thursday 15th September at St Mark’s Church and run on Thursdays until 24th November (with a break for half-term). Contact Sheila.Samuels@bhcgodalming.org if you’d like to join the course or find out more. We are looking for a catering team to provide one or more of the meals. Please let Sheila know if you’d like to help with this fundamental and most enjoyable element!
Vacancies
The job for an new Yew Tree Café assistant manager (to replace Luke when he leaves for uni) is now published. It’s a very enjoyable role
The search for our new 4-11s Children’s Worker continues. Please take a look at the job, pray and share it. Simon would be happy to talk to anyone about it, even if the specification and terms are not a perfect match.
If you’d like to find out about the verger duties, Cat Garner would be thrilled to hear from you!
Worship Pastor - the ad for a new worship pastor to take over from Ben Ford as soon as possible after August will be going out shortly too. Watch this space, and share it when available.
Please continue to pray for all these vacancies and that God’s people are called to the roles.
Please Pray for
Christian summer camps incl New Wine
Clock Barn Lane and the Cheshire Home
Old Barn View and its road steward Jane Tomes
ELSEWHERE
Read the latest issue (JULY) of Churches Together in Godalming and District Link Up.
Concert in Busbridge Church, 30 July: A Renaissance Sequence
On the evening of Saturday July 30th, Busbridge Church will be the venue for a classical music concert by a newly formed choral group consisting of 8 young singers between the ages of 17- 22, all of whom are lovers of choral music.
The group consists of students from King Edward's School, Witley, prospective and undergraduate students of both the Royal Academy of Music and Cambridge University, as well as some who are members of the world-renowned Rodolfus Choir. For info and tickets see: A Renaissance Sequence Tickets, Sat 30 Jul 2022 at 19:00 | Eventbrite
Recommended by the BHC Prayer Ministry team:
Acorn Healing Conference is being held on Friday 19th & Saturday 20th at St. Alban's Church, Hindhead. This is an excellent opportunity for everyone and especially those involved in ministry of any kind. For details and to book, see:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/acorn-healing-hub-conference-tickets-335228325947
Compassion Course
Amid so much stress and mental health issues would you be interested in attending a course of three evenings on 14th, 21st & 28th July to explore Compassion for ourselves and towards others? It is run by The Revd. Haydon Wilcox at St. Columba’s House, Woking. Contact: admin@stcolumbashouse.org.uk or ring 01483 766498 for more details.
*** We know that 1 or 2 people are planning to go from Busbridge to the Compassion course in July - if you are interested and would like to lift share, please contact the church office. ***
Godalming Baptist Church Life Sessions. Topics covered: Decision Making and the Will of God; Autism; Growing Old Disgracefully - holding onto what matters with increasing age; Bereavement; Come and Be Colourful. Please see the full brochure here.
September talk is on Compassion Fatigue
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 [takeaway to 4.30pm] Weekdays
10am-2pm Saturday
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 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.