Dear Friends

What a start to Advent last weekend with two wonderful events at Church Street! Ukrainian Carols featuring traditional Ukrainian Christmas music, costume and foods raised a fabulous £2k+ for Ukraine Mission UK. (If you missed Saturday, the event repeats at Cranleigh Baptist Church this Saturday at 5pm.) Then on Sunday the Godalming Town Lights procession finished in the church for a short carol service led by the Town Band and MbM Community Gospel Choir. It was wonderful to have every pew, the choir stalls, and chancel area occupied for the terrific gospel performances of Mary did you know? and Jesus is the Reason! This was all going on at the same time as Simon Taylor was being installed as an honorary canon at Guildford Cathedral! Simon was very touched to have so many friends and family in support, including Revs Sheila and Patrick Samuels all the way from Wraysbury.

The Autumn term Wednesday and Thursday Alpha courses finished this week. We give thanks and pray for all the participants, leaders and caterers who have been on the 11 week journey of faith discovery, and particularly Rev Lesley Mason who led the two sessions each week, and made the whole thing happen. Please continue to pray for the participants, and get ready for the New Year Alpha courses starting at the end of Jan.

This week we have some great news for our young families in the congregations and locally. We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sophia Barnes as our new 0-4s Families Worker. Following the usual advertising and recruitment process, Sophia was interviewed by Simon Willetts, David Wilkin and Jenny Lansdowne who reached an easy and unanimous decision to offer her the role. Sophia is highly qualified with experience working as an outreach worker for a women’s support centre, as a family support coordinator and as a Children and Families Pastor, AND has a degree in Theology and Counselling. Sophia is married to our youth director, Ben, and is Mum to Freya and Kit. You’ll find her at ABC (Tues in the Old Rectory), Smartots (Weds at Franklyn Road) and with the 0-4s on Sundays at Church Street from next Monday.

As things ramp up, please remember the Minster prayer gathering for the vacancy, 8pm next Wednesday 4 Dec at Church Street.

Also in the notices:

Coming Up in Nov, Dec and beyond: Special services on Advent Sunday 1 Dec; Sign up now for the Nexus Christmas Quiz!; The 2024 Christmas Hamper Appeal; and Stay Curious, Try Alpha next term.

Advent Sunday

Why & how do I read the bible & pray?
(returning to the Alpha Course syllabus)
Reading: Luke 1.26-38

Advent is the season when, as a church, we prepare for Christmas. Next Sunday we will celebrate its start. Take your pick of at least one from the following:

9am Choral Eucharist
Church Street

10am Advent Service followed by lunch
Franklyn Road
The Franklyn Road congregation invites friends and family for a hot lunch after the service.

10am Advent Reflective Communion
Brighton Road
The Classic congregation invites you to an Advent Reflective Communion, with taizé inspired music. 

10.30am Church in the Park (Contemporary All Age)
Phillips Memorial Park
An informal gathering to get Advent underway for ages 0-100.

…

In the evening there are two traditional choral services of music and readings marking the beginning of Advent and the journey from darkness to light, and the hope of Christmas.

6pm Advent Choral Evensong at Hambledon

6pm Evening Service
a regular Six o'clock service to celebrate Advent Sunday

6.30pm Advent Carol Service at Church Street

Look up services for next Sunday and find more information about congregations and service times on ChurchSuite, or the Sundays page on the web site. If you are on a rota, ChurchSuite will ping you a reminder by email, but you can also use the ChurchSuite app to check yourself.

Coming Up

November

A song for the season, Fri 29 Nov 2.30pm: Prime Time takes a look at the much loved hymn ‘It Is Well With My Soul’, (alternatively known as ‘When Peace, Like a River’) and the parallels that can be drawn between this hymn and the Christmas story. Led by Jane, our Anna Chaplain, with tea and cake. All welcome. Find out more >

December

Vacancy Prayers 8-9pm 1st Weds of the month

Simon Willetts invites you to these prayer gatherings specifically to pray for the Minster during the Vacancy and to seek God for new Rector.  There will be a a short and informal time of worship, teaching and prayer at each of the sessions, and the gatherings to move each Minster location. The first Vacancy Prayer Gathering took place on Wednesday at Franklyn Road, following the Archdeacon’s Meeting on Monday. 4 Dec will be at Church Street, 8 Jan Brighton Road, 5 Feb Hambledon and then 5 Mar Ash Weds at Church Street…

Advent & Christmas 2024

See Advent & Christmas to look up events from 23 Nov-25 Dec. There’s such a lot going on, that events and services will be included week by week in the notices.

Events that you need to sign up for ASAP:

Afternoon Carol Service 2.30pm Mon 9 Dec - hosted by Prime Time. Followed by mulled wine and mince pies, and you can request transport when you sign up.

St Mark’s 90th Anniversary Service Join us for a service to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the consecration of St Mark's Church Wed 18 Dec at 2pm. The service will be followed by refreshments.

Christmas Eve Christingles at 4pm and 5.30pm

The Bereavement Café is holding a special evening gathering at 7pm on Tuesday 10 December in the Busbridge Old Rectory. Drinks and nibbles provided. All are welcome, whether you have been before or it’s your first visit.

Help make a heartfelt hamper

Every year Godalming Minster delivers scores of gift hampers to local individuals and families who might not be able to enjoy the nicer things at Christmas, or for who a gesture of love and generosity makes a real difference. They include households who are supported by the Godalming Minster Foodbank, customers of The Cellar Camino Community Café, and people known to the Pastoral Care team and our local schools. Our appeal is now underway for donations of “staple” and “treat” Christmas items, and gifts for adults and children. This year we are aiming for 50 hampers!

EVERYONE!

Pick up a shopping list at services this Sunday. They include a variety of ideas for donations, such as: mince pies, jam, hot chocolate, tea and coffee, chocolates, biscuits, stuffing mix, bread sauce, cranberry jelly, fruit juices, cereals, honey, soups, tinned foods, bubble bath, Christmas napkins and Christmas crackers.

Drop off your Hamper Goodies by 15 Dec

There are collection points for donations at The Yew Tree Café and in the churches at Brighton Road, Hambledon, Church Street and Franklyn Road.

Other ways to be involved:

• Packing Party 16 Dec, 7-9.30pm at Brighton Road

  Our 14-18s will get together at Brighton Road to pack the hampers (with pizza and supervision!), ready for delivery. To join them e: ben.barnes@godalmingminster.org

• Hamper Deliveries 17-12 Dec

  If you can help with just a few of the deliveries between 17-20 Dec, e: josiegammell@gmail.com.

• Writing Christmas cards

• Picking up and wrapping fruit boxes from Sainsburys or dropping them off - at Busbridge or Yew Tree Cafe?

• Small plant pots that we can fill with daffodil bulbs for each box (something to look forward to beyond Christmas)

Churches Together Christmas lunch
Volunteers are needed to help with the Christmas lunch on Christmas Day at Godalming Baptist church for anyone who would otherwise be on their own. The form setting out the various roles is attached. There is also a letter to guests and invitation form attached for anyone who would like to come. Any queries in relation to volunteers, please contact Gillian Martin (Franklyn Road congregation), who is co ordinating volunteers (gmartin1502@outlook.com); and for queries in relation to guests, please contact Carole Goffe-Wood (shosholozo@hotmail.com). Sarah Higgins chair of committee (and Choral congregation) e. sarahhiggins478@gmail.com Thank you.

We have a cleaning vacancy at Franklyn Road for 5.5 hours per week. If you would like to know more or know of someone who might be interested, please contact Liz for further information: liz.gorst@godalmingminster.org

Looking ahead to 2025

Simon’s last service and farewell to the Taylor family, Sun 5 Jan at 10.30am
We’ll be saying goodbye to Simon, Catherine, Jacob, Luke and Daniel at the special All in One Service, 10.30am at Church Street on Sunday 5 January 2025. This will be an act of worship, thanksgiving for Simon’s 14+ year ministry and leaving do rolled into one. More details to follow. There will no other services across the Minster that morning, so please save the date. (Normal Sunday services will restart on 12 Jan.)

NB. We would of course like to give Simon a token of our thanks and appreciation at the service, and you can contribute via the giving page, by BACS, cash or cheque.

A summary of the process to advertise and appoint a new Rector, after Simon’s departure on 5th Jan 2025 can be found in the Archdeacon’s Vacancy Newsletter which you can downloaded using the button below.

Stay Curious. Try Alpha.

The next Weds evening and Thursday morning Alpha courses are in the diary to start on 29/30 January 2025. FOUND!: The team to coordinate the hospitality rota for suppers and lunches in the Busbridge Old Rectory! Thanks to those who have stepped up.

This just leaves the big questions: Would you like to try Alpha? and/or Who could you invite? More details.

The Bereavement Journey

The next 7-week course for anyone who has been bereaved recently or some time ago, will start on Monday 3 February. More details.

Church Family News

Frances Trickey’s funeral

Following Frances’ death on 24 October, the details of her funeral arrangements are as follows: The service will be held at 12.15 p.m. on Friday 6 December 2024 at Christ Church, Weston-super-Mare, 16 Montpelier, BS23 2RH (ccwsm.org.uk). All are warmly invited to join the family afterwards for lunch in the church.  Please let Jolyon know if you will be attending, together with any dietary requirements. There will also be a link (not yet available) to enable people to watch the service online.  No flowers, but donations for Weston Hospicecare are very welcome (via francestrickey.muchloved.com).  Jolyon and the family are immensely grateful for our prayers, love and messages.

The livestream will also be shown in St Andrew's Oxshott, and friends from Busbridge are invited to watch along with others there.

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!

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: 2024.

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.