One of the newly wed couples and their band of guests dancing down The Drive from Busbridge Church to their wedding reception last Saturday. Congratulations Georgie and Tim!
Dear friends,
Busbridge and Hambledon can feel quiet at this time of year, particularly in the heat, but at the churches there have been some busy services on Sundays, wonderful weddings and a steady flow of visitors to the Yew Tree Café. Both churches offer ways to connect on Sundays and mid-week.
There’s a particularly big get together this Sunday at the Godalming Bandstand for the Churches Together service at 10.30am. There are no morning services at Busbridge or Hambledon church, but everyone is also very welcome to the 6pm Evening Service at Busbridge.
This week we are delighted to announce a few arrivals: 2 baby boys (see Church Family News) and - drum roll please - the Director of Youth and Children! Ben Barnes comes with his family from St Paul’s Church, Camberley and will start his ministry at Busbridge&Hambledon Church on 1st September. Ben, Sophie and their two children are in the process of moving to Busbridge, and we can’t wait to meet them all on or after Sunday 4th September. Please do be praying for the family as they settle in, their daughter prepares to start school and Ben and Sophie start their new ministry and jobs here.
Read on for details about:
What and where this Sunday (the services)
Summer Services
Changes to services in September
HMP Send appeal - How about lunch with Helen?
Hymns & Pimm’s - 4 Sep
Alpha starting 15 Sep
Please sign up for the big Autumn Spruce - 17 Sep
Plans for Godalming Regen - press release from Waverley.
Sunday 14 August
10.30AM Churches Together Service at Godalming Bandstand. All welcome.
6PM Busbridge Evening Service
Led by: Simon Taylor
Busbridge Church
Sunday 21 August
Ezekiel's Call and the Vision of God's glory
Readings: Ezekiel 1:1-6 & 14-21
9.30AM Morning Worship [Holy Communion]
Led by: David Jenkins | Speaker: Dudley Hilton
Hambledon Church
10.30AM Combined Worship [Holy Communion]
Led by: Andy Spencer | Speaker: Keith Harper
Busbridge Church
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
Outward Giving request to support the HMP Send appeal: Why not have lunch with Helen? (Leaflets are at the back of the churches)
Her name may be Helen, but it may be something else. Having served her time at HMP Send she is about to be released. On a Friday afternoon, just as everything is closing for the weekend, Helen walks through the prison gates with just £76 in her pocket. This is hardly enough to find her food, accommodation, and everything else she needs to see her through the weekend. And, quite likely, nobody knowing her background will trust her with a job either.
Most likely, through desperation, she will return to a life of crime simply to get some cash. And soon she will be behind bars again.
Is this really necessary?
The BHC Outward Giving Group has come up with a scheme to help Helen and women like her. Give up a meal out during the summer or autumn and donate the money saved to the Nazareth Way at HMP Send. Prison Chaplain Lesley Mason will be delighted to see us helping in this way. Think of what £3000 would do in helping Helen and those like her out of their predicament.
If you are challenged by this, please donate £50 (the price of the average meal out) or anything you can afford to ‘Lunch with Helen Fund’, Busbridge PCC, Old Rectory, Old Rectory Gardens, Godalming GU7 1PU, by cheque, or direct to Busbridge PCC account 00705349, sort code 60-09-04, putting ‘Lunch with Helen Fund’ in the reference field.
Shelagh Godwin, for the BHC Outward Giving Group
New Service times at both churches from September
A reminder that the Busbridge Contemporary will take place first at 9.30am and the Classic at 11.15am.
Hambledon is introducing a single 10AM service with 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).
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 on 3rd Wednesdays of the month.
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.
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).
SIGN UP NOW to the Autumn Spruce!
Having missed the Spring Clean and the Summer Blitz, come September the churches will be in much need of a back to church 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!) Click the flyer to sign up.
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
Worship Pastor We are now advertising for a permanent full time Worship pastor. Do you know anyone who might be interested?
We'd love to be able to offer subsidised or free housing for the post to widen the attraction. Might you, or anyone you know, offer to have them as a lodger, or have them living in your annex? Please speak to Karen Hart, 07891 114306, for further details or a chat.
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.
Please continue to pray for all these vacancies and that God’s people are called to the roles.
Church Family News
Jenna and Stephen welcomed Arthur on 22 July and Anto and Jess welcomed bebé Leopold on 28th July. Huge congratulations to all!
A number of church friends will remember Neil Pinto’s mother Doreen, who died peacefully on Friday, 22nd July, aged 95. She was a frequent visitor for over thirty six years and became a familiar figure here. As we give thanks for Doreen’s life and Christian faith, please pray for God’s peace and comfort for Neil, Jan and the wider family. The funeral will be at Doreen’s home church in the Midlands.
Please pray for
The BHC4Ukraine group as they prepare to welcome Ukrainian families and their hosts for lunch at the Old Rectory to mark Ukrainian Independence day on 21 August.
Hambledon Cricket Green
Oakdene road and its road steward Catherine Hobden
ELSEWHERE
Some church members may have seen the following plans for Godalming. The press release is included in the notices for general interest, and to assure you that the Godalming Minster Evaluation Steering Group are aware of the plans and will be liaising with Waverley.
News Release Issued by Waverley Borough Council
Date: Wednesday 3 August 2022
Waverley seeks views on potential Godalming regeneration
Waverley Borough Council is asking for feedback from residents and local businesses about potential plans to regenerate three council owned sites in central Godalming. The council has been considering options for its head office at The Burys for a number of years, as it has very poor energy efficiency, making it very expensive to heat and maintain.
More recently, the council has begun to look more holistically at its land assets in central Godalming to ensure it is maximising their value for residents. It has now widened the scope of its regeneration project to include the main car park in central Godalming, Crown Court, and The Wharf, which has most recently been used as a car park for council staff.
Early options appraisals by the council indicate that The Wharf and Crown Court car parks could both support low density housing in a mixture of tenures, including social rented and affordable homes. Much of The Burys site is in Flood Zone 2, and it is therefore unsuitable for new housing, however revenue from the sale of new market homes on The Wharf and Crown Court sites could fund the redevelopment of The Burys site, making the entire project cost-neutral.
Waverley is heavily reliant on revenue from car parks, and from the outset has sought to ensure there would be no net loss of parking within central Godalming as a result of the regeneration works. The council’s viability assessment indicates that redevelopment of The Burys site could support a multi-deck car park that would replace any loss of parking on Crown Court and The Wharf. Options for a decked carpark have been considered, which place the car parking behind an attractive façade and within the current height of the office building.
The council has a range of engagement opportunities planned for members of the public over the summer. Residents are invited to drop into the reception area of The Burys to view displays about the project and potential options, and to offer feedback via an online survey. The displays, online survey, FAQs and further information are available online at www.waverley.gov.uk/GodalmingRegen. There will also be events for local businesses and partners throughout the summer and pop-up displays in the High Street. Comments and questions are also welcomed by email to: Burysdevelopment@waverley.gov.uk
The council will undertake full consultation later this year.
Councillor Paul Follows, Leader of Waverley Borough Council, said: “Last year, our ageing building cost over £210,000 to heat and complete only the most essential maintenance. Our estimate for this year is around £410,000, so we’re under a great deal of financial pressure to find a solution urgently.
“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to come up with some options that will see the current level of parking spaces maintained, while bringing new, genuinely affordable housing to the centre of Godalming. At this stage, there are no concrete plans, but we’ve got some fantastic options to create new community spaces, support and enhance the High Street, develop future income streams for the council and future-proof our offices, using new housing to fund it all.
“We really need your views, so please do come into the reception at the Burys and see our displays about the opportunities we’ve identified or visit the webpage and feedback to us via the online survey or our dedicated email address.”
For further information contact:
Tel: 01483 523296
Web : www.waverley.gov.uk
Email: communications@waverley.gov.uk
Read the latest issue (JULY) of Churches Together in Godalming and District Link Up.
From Godalming Baptist Church: Maureen Jones is retiring from her role as Friendship Lunch cook. We are so grateful for all her very hard work over many years. We are now seeking a new cook . Friendship Lunch is a great outreach to the local community to show God's love to many who live alone. We need someone who would be willing to work fortnightly Thursdays (or monthly) 9.00am-2.00pm and fortnightly on Wednesdays in preparation (or monthly)
Please contact Sally Pollard-01483-428646 -e-mail-pollard3@hotmail.co.uk for more details. A warm welcome awaits!
Godalming Baptist Church Life Sessions. Please see the full brochure here. September’s talk is on Compassion Fatigue
Vacancies at Waverley Abbey
We currently have a number of excellent job opportunities. Should you know of anyone who may be interested, please could you forward them the details. The jobs are advertised on the Waverley Abbey website and can be accessed using this link https://www.waverleyabbeytrust.org/vacancies
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.