Sunday 7 January 2018

Old Rectory update
Mechanical and electrical works are currently underway and the front extension timber construction has commenced.   Mark Pateman

CHANGE OF SERVICE TIMES/LOCATIONS AT BUSBRIDGE CHURCH
A reminder that changes are afoot at Busbridge Church from 14th January...

The Classic service remains in the church, but the start time is moving to 10.00am. The Busbridge Contemporary Service will also be starting at 10.00am but please go to Busbridge Junior School Hall for this one. Children will go to their groups at 10.15am - you’ll be advised in services on where and when to take them/collect them.

There are rumours of coffee, cake and prosecco at the Classic on the 14th (not every week!) and mystery possible offerings at the Contemporary. So it’s 10.00am now - don’t forget. If you turn up at 9.00am or 10.30am, everyone will know you don’t read the notices.

NB. No changes apply to Busbridge Quiet, the evening service or to either of the Hambledon services.

A HUGE Thank you…
...to all involved in the multitude of Christmas services at Busbridge&Hambledon. Amazing efforts from everyone concerned, and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. Thanks again.

Busbridge Advent Calendar
Also thank you to everyone who contributed a picture to the Busbridge advent calendar. There are obviously lots of very talented people out there! If you would like your picture back, you have until the end of January to collect it from the Church Office.

Ruth Bennett would like to thank everyone who has supported her following Linda’s sudden death. She has received dozens of messages, flowers and phone calls as well as practical help in a variety of ways. “Linda leaves a large gap but our friends are enormously valued.  Bless you all.”

Space for God
A reminder about the first Space for God: The Earlybird session, happening on Tuesday 9th January at 7.00am in Busbridge Church centre. All welcome to come along.

Coffee drop in
New for 2018, there’s a new coffee drop-in on the second Monday of the month. The first of these is on Monday 8th January, 2.00pm - 3.30pm in the Busbridge Church Centre. This is for ANYONE around at this time who’d like a nice cuppa and the chance to get to know others.

Busbridge Ball
This fantastic event at Clock Barn Hall is happening on Saturday 24th February - just over 6 weeks away. As previous years, it will be a lovely three course meal and disco. Tables seat 10 and tickets will be sold for the entire table, so get your group together NOW as tables tend to sell out quickly. Bookings for tables will open on 10th January and tickets will be £48 each. To book your table, contact Carol Jones on calack@btinternet.com or 07855 760634. Payment for tickets will be online - talk to Carol for details.

Hambledon Ladies Breakfast
Tickets are available from Hambledon Village shop from 15th-30th January for this popular women’s event at the West Surrey Golf Club happening on Saturday 3rd February, 8.30am. The guest speaker is Kristin Stevenson and tickets are £9 each.

Hambledon Prayer Breakfast
The next Hambledon prayer breakfast will be on Saturday 20th January, 8.30am in the Hambledon Church room. All welcome.

.Blokes’ Biking
The first ride for 2018 will be on Wednesday 10th January. All levels of ability welcome to join the blokes on their cycle and afterwards, you’ll have the option of a reviving beverage in a local hostelry. Meet at 7.30pm, Homebase carpark.

Sermons you might have missed...
Have you missed a talk recently? Our talks and sermons are now uploaded to www.soundcloud.com/bhcgodalming and eventually our website will also carry direct links for each congregation.

please pray for…
· Those who have had a difficult Christmas and New Year
· The Busbridge congregations as they change times and/or locations
· Busbridge Junior School as it re-opens to the Contemporary Service
· Those suffering from illness
· Our emergency services
· Local health centres and surgeries
· The Fairway and their road steward, Lorna Sherwin
· Blewfield & Church Lane

Sunday 17 December 2017

Old Rectory update
This week weather has disrupted works. However we have managed to concrete the slab to the front of the building and are continuing with internal demolition.   Mark Pateman

A reminder that the funeral for Linda Brown will be in Busbridge Church on Thursday 21st December at 11.00am. All who knew and loved Linda are warmly invited to the church service.

Besom Hampers
A huge thank you to everyone who donated wonderful treats for the Besom hampers. On Wednesday night 20 of us gathered to wrap and make 27 hampers. These are now being given to Besom recipients along with members of our Parish. Thank you all for this wonderful mission. Robbie Hume (Channel for Mission).

Weekday Carol Service
Did you know that a weekday afternoon carol service is held in Busbridge Church? This traditional service is hosted by Prime Time and is planned with the older generation in mind.  It is a service that is open to all, so please do consider if there is an older person known to you who you could invite along. This year’s service is taking place on Monday 18th December at 2.30pm. All welcome. And if added incentive were needed, mulled wine and mince pies will be served after the service! For further details or to book a place, contact Bryan or Penny in the Church office or email: primetime@bhcgodalming.org

Nexus
We begin our 2018 programme with a talk: 'Safe Online? Be Cybercrime Aware!’ with David Munro, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner. There are always new things to learn about cybercrime, so come along on Thursday 4th January to learn how to keep your computer and yourself safe when online. We meet at 8.00pm in Busbridge Church Centre with a New Year drink and nibbles before the talk.  All are very welcome (including men).

Hambledon Prayer Breakfast
There will be no Hambledon Prayer Breakfast this month but we will return to the normal routine in January of the 3rd Saturday of the month.

Busbridge Classic & Contemporary 10.00am in 2018
A reminder that we’ll be giving the Classic its 10.00am space from the second Sunday in Jan 2018 (14th). The Contemporary will meet in Busbridge Junior School Hall at 10.00am. We’re grateful to all those who have helped us reflect on the past two years and plan for the future.

To clarify: 1st Sunday of January: Classic 9.00am, FUSE 10.30am in church building, 2nd Sunday: 10.00am in church and school, 3rd Sunday: Churches Together town service. 4th Sunday: 10.00am in church and school.

There is a new leaflet available in all Busbridge Services to help explain the changes.

Sermons you might have missed...
Have you missed a talk recently? Our talks and sermons are now uploaded to www.soundcloud.com/bhcgodalming and eventually our website will also carry direct links for each congregation. Also, if you feel you can help this important ministry, please email sound@bhcgodalming.org.

please pray for…
· Ruth Bennett & the friends and family of Linda Brown
· Friends and family of Diane Albery and Annaliese Boparai
· The homeless
· Local pubs and clubs
· The Drive and their road stewards, Rosie James & Philippa Baker
· Birchanger & Wormley Lane

This is the last noticesheet for 2017 - on behalf of the Busbridge&Hambledon Church staff team - have a safe and happy Christmas!

God Bless x

Sunday 10 December 2017

Old Rectory update
All works going to schedule, including laying the concrete for the extension, which will be started the end of next week (weather permitting). Mark Pateman

We have been shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of Linda Brown last Monday, 27th November. Linda’s funeral service will be in Busbridge Church on Thursday 21st December at 11.00am. All who knew and loved Linda are warmly invited to the church service. Please continue to hold Ruth, Carolyn (Linda’s sister) and the wider family in your prayers.

We have been deeply saddened to hear of Brian Albery’s death on Wednesday 29th November.  Brian’s funeral will be held at Busbridge church on Wednesday 13th December at 1.30pm. Please hold Diane, Neil, James and the whole family in your prayers.

Busbridge evening carols
Thanks to Jill and Janet for purchasing 200 mince pies! We are looking for 4 people to organise the mulled wine on the night. Please speak to Simon if you think you can help.

Weekday Carol Service
Did you know that a weekday afternoon carol service is held in Busbridge Church? This traditional service is hosted by Prime Time and is planned with the older generation in mind.  It is a service that is open to all, so please do consider if there is an older person known to you who you could invite along. This year’s service is taking place on Monday 18th December at 2.30pm. All welcome. And if added incentive were needed, mulled wine and mince pies will be served after the service! For further details or to book a place, contact Bryan or Penny in the Church office or email: primetime@bhcgodalming.org

Busbridge Contemporary Changes Meeting
There will be a ‘rolling your sleeves up’ meeting about the Busbridge Contemporary service at 8.00pm, Monday 11th December at Hambledon Church. We’re starting as we mean to go on with everyone who’s part of this community being involved in setting up, clearing away, giving coffee out, welcoming people, inviting new people for lunch, worshipping together…if you’re someone who’ll get stuck in, you’re up for leading different areas of the contemporary community or want to help out then please come along on Monday.

Nexus
Thanks to all who helped make our Charity Quiz Night so enjoyable. We begin our 2018 programme with a talk: 'Safe Online? Be Cybercrime Aware!’ with David Munro, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner. There are always new things to learn about cybercrime, so come along on Thursday 4th January to learn how to keep your computer and yourself safe when online. We meet at 8.00pm in Busbridge Church Centre with a New Year drink and nibbles before the talk.  All are very welcome (including men).

Hambledon Prayer Breakfast
There will be no Hambledon Prayer Breakfast this month but we will return to the normal routine in January of the 3rd Saturday of the month.

Busbridge Classic & Contemporary 10.00am in 2018
A reminder that we’ll be giving the Classic its 10.00am space from the second Sunday in Jan 2018 (14th). The Contemporary will meet in Busbridge Junior School Hall at 10.00am. We’re grateful to all those who have helped us reflect on the past two years and plan for the future.
To clarify: 1st Sunday of January: Classic 9.00am, FUSE 10.30am in church building, 2nd Sunday: 10.00am in church and school, 3rd Sunday: Churches Together town service. 4th Sunday: 10.00am in church and school.

Advent Book Collection for Delight
3 in 10 children in the UK do not own a single book of their own. Delight believes every child should have their own books to enjoy at home. Last year they provided over 3,000 children from disadvantaged communities with beautiful books that they could choose, take home and very importantly keep. We are holding an advent book collection on behalf of Delight, so in the lead up to Christmas please consider donating your outgrown books to this wonderful charity so that other children, who otherwise would not have access to books at home, can continue to enjoy them. Throughout advent we will be collecting pre-loved (good condition) and new books for children aged between 3-11, look out for the box at the back of church / in the church entrance. If you would like to know more, please speak to Debbie Ollerenshaw.

Christmas Lunch
Churches Together are again organising a lunch on Christmas Day in the Baptist Church for those who would otherwise be on their own. Volunteer forms are at the back of the Church for anyone who would like to volunteer either to set up on the 23rd December, or on Christmas Day itself. We are also keen to hear of anyone who is likely to be on their own and may like an invitation. This is limited to the Godalming area as we provide transport. Please contact Gillian Martin (martin2ls@btinternet.com) if you would like to volunteer, and Gwen Wheatman (gwenwheatman@hotmail.co.uk) if you would like someone to receive an invitation.

Sermons you might have missed...
Have you missed a talk recently? Our talks and sermons are now uploaded to www.soundcloud.com/bhcgodalming and eventually our website will also carry direct links for each congregation. Also, if you feel you can help this important ministry, please email sound@bhcgodalming.org.

Sunday 3 December 2017

Old Rectory update
Foundations to the new extension have been poured this week and the first stages of drainage installation are underway. Thanks for the cake and prayers!

We have been shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of Linda Brown on Monday 27th November.  Please pray for Ruth, as well as for Linda’s sister Carolyn and the wider family.  When we have news of Linda’s funeral, we will let you know.

We have been deeply saddened to hear of Brian Albery’s death on Wednesday 29th November.  Brian’s funeral will be held in church on Wednesday 13th December at 1.30pm. Please hold Diane, Neil, James and the whole family in your prayers.

We also send our love to Annaliese Boparai, whose father died last week. Please hold Anneliese and the whole family in your prayers.

Busbridge Classic & Contemporary 10.00am in 2018
We’ve been listening and talking with lots of people about the service times. We’ll be giving the Classic its 10.00am space from the second Sunday in Jan 2018 (14th). The Contemporary will meet in the school at 10.00am. We’re grateful to all those who have helped us reflect on the past two years and plan for the future. More detail will be shared as we approach the second Sunday in January. To clarify: 1st Sunday of January: Classic 9.00am, FUSE 10.30am in church building, 2nd Sunday: 10.00am in church and school, 3rd Sunday: Churches Together town service. 4th Sunday: 10.00am in church and school.

Be part of the changes for Busbridge Contemporary!
To find out more and your part in it, come along on Monday 4th December at Spinney Copse, opposite the church. Please let Simon or Mark Williams know for numbers. There will be a detailed planning meeting on Monday 11th December about roles and action areas. This will be in Hambledon Church (note the venue). Talk to Mark Williams or Dave Preece if you’d like to come to this one. Both meetings at 8.00pm.

Christmas Lunch
Churches Together are again organising a lunch on Christmas Day in the Baptist Church for those who would otherwise be on their own. Volunteer forms are at the back of the Church for anyone who would like to volunteer either to set up on the 23rd December, or on Christmas Day itself. We are also keen to hear of anyone who is likely to be on their own and may like an invitation. This is limited to the Godalming area as we provide transport. Please contact Gillian Martin if you would like to volunteer, and Gwen Wheatman if you would like someone to receive an invitation.

Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar
The window of Busbridge Church Centre has turned into a giant advent calendar this December. A different picture is being added every day, many created by local community groups. You are welcome to come along at any time to have a look.

Jingle&Mingle
Thanks to all the lovely ladies who descended upon the very Christmassy Clock Barn Hall for this year’s craft spectacular. We hope you enjoyed the festivities. Thanks again to the fantastic team who put this fun event together.

Michael Baughen writes…
You may recall our using a ’My beloved son’ booklet on Hebrews as our Lent Booklet...individually or perhaps in groups? The publishers are now putting 25 extracts from it online, one per day, for Advent. If you’d like to partake in this, go to www.cwr.org.uk.

Squires Lunch
We are suggesting that the next Squires lunch is on Sunday 10th December as the fourth Sunday is not possible this month. Please let the team know if you are interested in coming for the December lunch by Wednesday 4th December.

Busbridge Church
The walls are now back in at Busbridge Church. Thank you for your patience as the works were carried out.

Besom Hampers
Have you brought in your goodies for the Besom Hampers yet? The boxes for these will be at the back of church until 10th December so don’t delay. Things you could bring could be food items (go luxury end rather than value range!), household items, Christmas decorations or maybe toys? The Channel for Mission Team also need helpers to pack boxes on 13th December and deliver the hampers 14th-16th December. If you’d like to offer your services please email Robbie Hume or Jo Cookes. Thanks!

Sermons you might have missed...
Have you missed a talk recently? Our talks and sermons are now uploaded to www.soundcloud.com/bhcgodalming and eventually our website will also carry direct links for each congregation. Also, if you feel you can help this important ministry, please email sound@bhcgodalming.org.

Guildford Cathedral Upcoming Events…
16th December, 7.00pm Messiah with the Guildford Cathedral Choir. Tickets £12-£30.
17th January 2018, 7.00pm God and the Big Bang: an event to get you thinking about and exploring the interaction of science and faith with interactive workshops. More information on www.guildford-cathedral.org/events/boxoffice.

Sunday 26 November 2017

Old Rectory update
Contractors have started work on site and are currently working on demolition and groundworks to form the new layout. Foundations will be poured towards the end of next week ready for the start of construction.  Mark Pateman

Busbridge Church
The walls will be going back in this coming week. The work will take place over a couple of days and we hope this will cause as little inconvenience as possible. If in doubt, please check with the Church Office.

Margaret, Angela and Stephen Swanton wish to thank everyone for the cards and kind messages of sympathy received at this very sad time. They have been a great blessing to us all.

New Year’s Eve
There will be a Churches Together service on Sunday 31st December 6.30pm -7.30pm in Busbridge Church. If people could sign up to be welcomers etc that would be great. Please speak to Michael Stubbs if you can help.

Advent Book Collection for Delight
3 in 10 children in the UK do not own a single book of their own. Delight believes every child should have their own books to enjoy at home. Last year they provided over 3,000 children from disadvantaged communities with beautiful books that they could choose, take home and very importantly keep. We are holding an advent book collection on behalf of Delight, so in the lead up to Christmas please consider donating your outgrown books to this wonderful charity so that other children, who otherwise would not have access to books at home, can continue to enjoy them. Throughout advent we will be collecting pre-loved (good condition) and new books for children aged between 3-11, look out for the box at the back of church / in the church entrance. If you would like to know more, please speak to Debbie Ollerenshaw.

Fair Trade, Tradecraft & Christian Aid
Many friends from Busbridge&Hambledon Church  supported recent fundraising events, which raised a lot for the charities. June Higgins Fairtrade stall raised £729, the Tradecraft stall £642 and Christian aid £223 (which is doubled in November by the UK Government). Thanks again for your support. Lizzie & David Burndred.

Christmas Quiz night
Nexus Charity Quiz Night on Saturday 2nd December in Busbridge Village Hall 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. Buy your tickets this weekend before it’s too late! Our Quizmaster is Alan Betts, with Dudley Hilton keeping track of the scores. There’ll be a charity raffle in support of ‘Topic of Cancer’ Guildford, which raises funds for ground-breaking research into cancer immunotherapy. Tickets are £12.00, including a quiche supper and some delicious homemade desserts. To buy your tickets, contact Janet Harvey or Kate Kaye. It’s always a great evening...all are very welcome.

Volunteer needed!
Our office volunteers do an absolutely invaluable job in the life of Busbridge&Hambledon Church, and we don’t know what we’d do without them! On your behalf, a HUGE thank you for all that they do. We have a vacancy for a volunteer on a Friday morning, starting in the New Year...could this be you? Just 2½ hours once a week or find a friend and ‘job share’ and help out every fortnight, term time only if you prefer it that way. To find out more, call Karen at the church office on 01483 421267.

School applications
If you are thinking of submitting a church application to Busbridge Junior School then you’ll need to:
1) visit the Busbridge Junior School website and familiarise yourself with their admission criteria (‘About Us’, ‘Policies’, ‘Admission Criteria for 2018-2019’). We have hard copies in the office if you don’t have access to a computer.
2) pick up an information sheet from the church office
3) bring the church reference form to the church office by 10th December at the latest (please ensure that you are eligible - the criteria are on the information form)
4) a member of the clergy will meet with you to discuss your application and if approved, you need to take your signed Benefice verification to the school by the application closing date (15th January 2018).

Movie matinee
If you were already planning on going to the fabulous Busbridge Junior School Christmas Fayre on 2nd December why not throw in a Christmassy movie at the end of it? This popular Christmas film is perfect for getting you in the Christmas spirit and will be shown in Busbridge Church at 2.30pm. Popcorn served and no cost to attend - bring as many of your friends as you like (and a good idea to bring a cushion too).

Advent evensong
Sunday 3rd December, 4.00pm at Hambledon Church, a special ‘reverence’ service in the style of choral evensong to mark Advent Sunday. To that end, a choir from across the Benefice has been put together and will be led by Jim Godwin. One not to miss!

please pray for…
· Brian & Diane Albery
· Jingle & Mingle on Wednesday night
· David Mace, who has broken his arm
· The recently bereaved
· Our political leaders
· Those organising various Christmas events
· The upcoming Busbridge Junior Christmas Fayre
· South Munstead Lane and their road steward, Niki Ford
· Appletree Close and The Hydons