Muddy Church in the Park 2 Mar 25
Dear Friends
After a short lull since the new year, Lent begins next week, and there’s lots to get involved in. Pick up a Living Hope CofE Lent booklet at church this Sunday, or order your own copy here: https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/features/living-hope. The version for children will be given out at CYF groups over the next week, but do contact Ben.barnes@godalmingminster.org for a copy.
If you’d like to dive deeper into our sermon series in the gospel of John this Lent, try Tim Chester’s book The Glory of the Cross which has 47 reflections for Lent from the gospel of John. You can order it from the Good Book Company or Amazon.
This week the ad for the position of Rector has been published on the CPAS web site and in the Church Times. The closing dates for applications is 23 March. Please be praying for the applicants and the selection process over the coming weeks and months.
Read on for:
Support the 20 mile walk for Ukraine
The choir at Chichester Cathedral last Sunday
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
World Day of Prayer on 7 March.
This Sunday
Topic: Sign 5 - Walking on Water
Reading: John 6:15-21
9am Choral Eucharist
Church Street
10am Morning Worship
Franklyn Road
10am Morning Worship
Hambledon
10am Classic Service [HC]
Brighton Road
10.30am Contemporary: Muddy Church in the Park
Phillips Memorial Park between the memorial and the bandstand.
For all ages - BYO cup for coffee and hot chocolate
6pm Evening Worship
Brighton Road
Roots Youth (11-18s) meets in church before leaving for their time together in The Hut.
Ash Wednesday 5 March
7pm Ash Wednesday Communion with ashing
Church Street
Readings: Psalm 51 and John 8:1-11
Everyone across Godalming Minster is invited to mark the start of Lent together. This service encompasses the monthly prayer gathering for the vacancy.
Notices
20 mile walk for Ukraine
They did it! Last weekend Ben Rogers and Natalia Maievska walked the entire River Wey Navigation from Weybridge to Godalming - a lot of it in the rain! Read the story on BBC Surrey
Ben and Natalia are raising funds for Ukraine Mission, a small group of British volunteers from Guildford who have been delivering aid, equipment, and medicine to medics, rescue teams, and civilians in Ukraine since April 2022.
While Ben and Natalia finished as planned, they had to trudge through a lot of mud along various sections of the tow path which added to the challenge. Thanks to everyone who helped them along the Wey / way….!
It’s not too late to sponsor them. Here is the link to their fundraising page https://gofund.me/45b22a19
The choir at Chichester Cathedral 23 Feb 2025.
Also last Sunday, our Minster Choir received a very warm welcome from Chichester Cathedral when they deputised for their choir and sang for Matins and the Choral Eucharist. Then they travelled back to Godalming for the 5pm Evensong at Church Street! There are two chances to experience choral evensong in March: Sunday 16th 4pm at Hambledon and Sunday 23rd 5pm at Church Street. These services offer a special time of wonderful music and reflection sung by talented choirs, so please do support our traditional music across the Minster.
Road Stewards needed
The latest issue of The Bridge magazine for Busbridge has just been published, and we are so grateful to the team of road stewards who faithfully collect and distribute the magazine to their neighbours. That’s 1800 copies between them! We are currently looking for people to deliver to Phillips Close, and parts of Brighton Rd, and Hambledon Rd. Please get in touch with Lorna via the office if would like to help.
Coming Up
Men’s Breakfast Sat 1 March - “Woke”
Do join us this coming Saturday at 8.15am for our monthly breakfast and discussion. After last month's excesses (for those who couldn't make it, you missed a full-on fry up!), we're back to our normal service of exquisitely and lovingly prepared porridge, toast and marmalade etc. Just come along to the Old Rectory, Brighton Road, to "share and enjoy"!
The topic for discussion this time is all things "woke" (an adjective meaning being aware of social problems such as racism and inequality - what might perhaps previously have been called "politically correct").
Come along and share your thoughts on all this and more.
Alan and Dudley, For Godalming Minster Men’s Group
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party
The CYF team is hosting a pancake party in Busbridge Church on Shrove Tuesday 4 Mar from 3.15-5pm. It’s timed so that families can drop in for as little or as long as they want after school pick up, but everyone is welcome so please come and support this community event. More details and sign up.
Nexus 6 March
The Joanna Wildlife Hospital – a new chapter. Talk by Lily Pan and Steve Kirby
The Hydestile Wildlife Sanctuary combined with the Bramley based Joanna Wildlife Hospital following the death of Hydestile co-founder Graham Cornick. Their new joint venture, The Joanna Wildlife Hospital, is now up and running and Lily and Steve will tell us about the vital work they do rescuing injured wildlife and nurturing the creatures before releasing them back into the wild. It should be a very interesting evening.
Do join us at 8.00pm in the Busbridge Old Rectory for drinks and nibbles and a chance to chat to old and new friends before Lily and Steve start their presentation.
All are welcome, including men!
World Day of Prayer
This year’s service takes place on Friday 7 March 2025 at 10.30 a.m., with coffee served from 10 o’clock. Godalming & Farncombe Mothers’ Union is joining forces with the Haslemere branch, and the service will be held at Haslemere Methodist Church, Lion Green, Haslemere GU27 1LD. If you are not sure where it is, go through Haslemere High Street and bear right down Wey Hill towards Shottermill. The church is a modern building on the left-hand side, on Lion Green. The theme is “I made you wonderful” and the service shares the stories of three generations of Christian women from the Cook Islands. This is a warm invitation to join us ‘to become part of the great wave of prayer’.
And here is the link to our fundraising page https://gofund.me/45b22a19
Mothers Union
Mother’s Union next meet on Tue 11 March at 2pm St.Peter and Paul Church Street. The topic is Gunpower Works and Andrew Norris is the speaker.
Alpha
The spring term Alpha is now well underway, but you can sign up or register your interest at any time and we’ll be in touch when the next dates are announced.
The Bereavement Journey
Please register your interest at anytime for the next series of sessions for anyone who has been bereaved recently or some time ago. The pastoral care team would be happy to speak to anyone who wants to find out a bit more, so please do get in touch now. More details.
What’s on Where
There’s lots going on around Godalming Minster every week, for all ages and stages - always too much to list in the notices!
Elsewhere
SUPPORTING THOSE “LIVING WITH CANCER AND BEYOND” - FROM A RELATIVE’S PERSPECTIVE
Led by Daphne Bleach
Saturday 15th March 2025 10 am – 12.30 pm
(Coffee available from 9.30 am)
at Godalming Baptist Church,
Queen Street, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1BA
* Do you know what to say, and not to say, when someone says “I have cancer”?
* How does a diagnosis of cancer affect someone?
* How we can encourage someone to “live well with cancer”?
* What help and support is available to patients and their relatives?
* Living beyond treatment - the “elephant in the room”
* Who is there for those when no further treatment is available’?
Daphne is a Care Companion, offering help and support to families and those who are dying as they approach end of life. Following her talk in 2024, Daphne will lead another informative and sensitive talk about how to come alongside and support those living with cancer, to help all of us make the best of the precious time we have together. Daphne Bleach is a Christian, whose nursing career spans over 40 years.
Please reserve a place, with payment of £7, by contacting Sally Pollard
email: pollard3@hotmail.co.uk, tel: 01483 428646
by Friday 28th February
Following Jesus
Mid-week prayer gatherings take place in the Zoom Online Prayer Room (8.45am Mon / 9am Wed), and at Godalming Minster Hambledon (9am Wed) and Franklyn Road (9am Mon and Tue). Vacancy Prayers are 1st Weds of the month around the Minster. Please check the calendar.
If you would like to join a prayer gathering online, please use the link to the online prayer room on Zoom with passcode: 2025.
Small groups meet in homes to study the bible, pray and journey together.
New members are invited to join an existing group, or form their own group.
To find out more and connect with the right one for you, contact Rev Hilary Pettman. e: hilary.pettman@godalmingminster.org.
Loving People
The Hub at Franklyn Road provides a free lunch and time to socialise every Tuesday from 12-2.30pm. Open to all in the area, and across the Minster. (Donations of homemade cakes are always welcome.)
Prime Time for older people meets every Monday at 10.30am in the Yew Tree Café for a coffee drop in. For all events and details, see Prime Time.
Nexus meets on the 1st Thursday of the month, with talks and activities for church members and the community. More about Nexus.
The Men’s Group meets for breakfast at 8.15am on the 1st Saturdays of the month. See the calendar for details.
Busbridge Coffee Morning takes place on 1st Wednesdays of the month at 10.30am in the Yew Tree Café.
Hambledon Coffee Morning and Hearing Aid Clinic takes place 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 10.30am.
The Bereavement Café takes place on the last Tuesday of the month, 2.30-4pm in the Busbridge Old Rectory.
Hearing Aid Clinics run at the Busbridge Old Rectory on 2nd Fridays of the month from 2.30-4pm, and at Godalming Library on 3rd Mondays of the month from 10.30am-12pm.
The Yew Tree Café at Godalming Minster Brighton Road is open 8.30am-4pm weekdays in term time, and 10am-2pm on Saturdays, and 9.30am-4pm during school holidays. There’s wi-fi and power for those that want to work, and Prime Time hosts a drop in session for anyone who’d like a coffee and a chat every Monday from 10.30-11.30am.
CYF activities for 0-18s include term-time Toddler Groups, The Youth Café and Friday Night Social, as well as Sunday groups and seasonal events.
Get Involved / Join a team
We're passionate about people feeling like they're a part of our church family and one of the best places to do that is as part of a team.
No matter your age or experience, there's a team that you can join, serving alongside others and getting to know people better in the church. You can find out about all our opportunities to serve and offer your time and talents on the Join a Team page.
Don’t forget about…
MyChurchSuite is an app for members of Godalming Minster 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 Minster Office if you’ve lost your login details or would like to request an account. See more instructions.
PASTORAL CARE & PRAYER MINISTRY
Can we pray for you?
***Please send prayer requests to prayer@godalmingminster.org***
If you, or someone you know at church, are in need of support and care, please contact Sandra Wilkin via the Minster office, or e: pastoral@godalmingminster.org.
To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@godalmingminster.org or call 01483 421267.