ADVENT SUNDAY - 29 NOVEMBER

This is how they do it! Please get in touch if you’d like to help with online services.

THIS SUNDAY

Comfort and Joy

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

ESSENTIAL LINKS FOR SERVICES
Zoom Password: 2020

services

9AM Online Heritage Service (pre-recorded, YouTube)
With David Preece and Michael Baughen

9AM Classic Service for Advent Sunday (Zoom & YouTube Live Stream)
Advent service, including some reflective Taize music, as we look forward to ‘God coming to be with us’ at Christmas-time.
Leader: Philippa Baker
Speaker: Michael Baughen
Music: Karen Hart

10AM FUSE & MESSY CHRISTINGLE (Zoom only)

Led by the Hambledon Messy and Busbridge FUSE teams. You will need an orange, a candle, red ribbon or tape, 4 cocktail sticks, sweets and a small piece of tin foil.

Or collect your pack from either church porch and just supply the orange! All welcome, even the over 12s!

After dark: Advent Stars light up at Hambledon and Busbridge Churches
See Rob Hewlett talking about why he’s making the giant stars for Advent in the Christmas video.

WATCH the Advent Reflection for Advent Sunday
(Video available on Sunday) A reading, a question and a prayer compiled by Andy Spencer, and read by different church members, will be available on the YouTube channel every day in Advent. If you prefer to read them yourself, see Advent Daily Reflections.

Children & Youth
10AM Messy Christingle - as above
7.30PM Christmas Film NIght (11-18s)

Next Sunday 6 December

Comfort and Joy continues…Reading: Isaiah 40: 1-11

9AM Online Heritage Service (BCP) on YouTube (pre-recorded)
Speaker: Margot Spencer

9AM Busbridge Classic on Zoom and YouTube (broadcast live)
Speaker: Patrick Samuels

10.15AM Contemporary - Conversations on the Couch
On the couch this week: Simon Taylor and Patrick Samuels

Tip for Sundays: TRY ZOOM, BUT HAVE YOUTUBE AS A BACKUP!

Coming Up this Week:

Go to What’s On and select the event to join the meetings on Zoom.

The Notices

Moving to Tier 2
From the 2 December congregations are once again allowed to attend church services, with social distancing and face coverings (and no singing). As space is limited in both churches, our worship will continue online, as in lockdown, on 6 and 13 December. (The 9AM service at Hambledon may resume - TBC next week).

Comfort & Joy!

For more details and information on Christmas see What’s On/Advent & Christmas 2020. It has info on the Advent Reflections, Walking Advent (calendar and map), the Christmas Exhibitions, Outward Giving and the ***Christmas Services***.

Walking Advent - In recent years we’ve had “Shedvent”, “Living Advent” and now, for the very exceptional, COVID 19 restriction permitting, 2020 experience… “Walking Advent”! Like opening the numbered doors on an advent calendar, the Busbridge Advent Calendar Walk will take you to a new window display for every day from 1-24 December. Go daily, or visit a few at a time. Click here for the MAP.

Click to go to Just Giving and join the quiz…

Next Saturday - join the Christmas Charity Quiz led by popular quiz masters Dudley and Alan. This is always a full and fun event in the Busbridge Village Hall, so please join in online. It’s one of our best fundraising opportunities too, so your support for the Guildford Samaritans will be much appreciated. To take part you need to make a donation (see left) by Monday 30 November.

The Comfort & Joy Exhibitions at both churches from Monday 7 December. Thanks for all the wonderful contributions of all things Comfort and Joy (art, craft, poetry, scripture, videos). You and other visitors will be able to enjoy and reflect on the exhibitions when you pop in to pray. Please note and share the message that the churches are open for individual prayer daily from 7 December and COVID 19 safety precautions are in place.

Christmas Eve Drive in Carol Services - 4.30pm and 6pm

Early bookings indicate that this ONLY ‘ALL SINGING’ celebration will be very popular, and space in the Godalming College car park is limited. The 4.30PM service has a few spaces left, but there is plenty of room at the 6PM at the moment. More advertising is out to the local schools and the wider communities of Busbridge and Hambledon next week, so please don’t leave it too late!

Thanks to those that have volunteered to help on Christmas Eve. We have a small army, but still need more troops - especially stewards to help direct traffic. If you can help, please contact Patrick Samuels who is leading the team of organisers, ASAP.

Outward Giving & Outreach

Christmas Hampers
We will again be supporting BESOM this Christmas. Through the home and church groups, we are busily co-ordinating 'Besom' hampers for needy people in the community. In 2020, the needs now are greater than ever.

UPDATE - We are looking to create 7 hampers for families (yet unidentified) at Busbridge Infants' School, to be delivered to the school before they break up. We are looking for donations of goodies to fill these boxes within the next two weeks. See Christmas Outward Giving for all details.

Busbridge Church Christmas cards for sale

Pack of ten of 2 designs with envelopes for £4. The cards say Happy Christmas inside! Contact the church office to place an order.

BUsbridge Junior School applications

If you are thinking of submitting a church application to Busbridge Junior School for September 2021, here are some instructions:

1)            Visit the Busbridge Junior School website and familiarise yourself with their admission criteria (‘About Us’, ‘Admissions’)
2)            Email catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org for an information sheet
3)            Bring the Supplementary Information Form to the church office by 10th December at the latest (please ensure that you are eligible – the criteria are on the 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 Church verification form to the school by the application closing date (15/01/2021) 

Press Release from the Diocese of Guildford:
Are you a survivor or victim of church related abuse? Read more

What’s On

Click Here for What’s on this week and beyond. It’s all in the calendar and more details for each event can be found when you select it.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.

SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER

Meaningful Chocolate Advent Calendars and Christmas Angels with the Christmas Story donated, with love from Busbridge&Hambledon Church, to those on their own in Hambledon, and clients of the Godalming Community Store. Thank you BHC Ladies for your donations. Here started our quest to share some “Comfort and Joy” this Christmas!

THIS SUNDAY

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God

Reading: Matthew 5:8

9AM Online Heritage Service (pre-recorded, YouTube)

9AM Classic Service from Busbridge Church (Zoom & YouTube Live Stream)
Leader: Hilary Pettman
Speaker: Peter Shaw

10.15AM Contemporary Conversations from the Couch (Zoom & YouTube Live stream)
On the couch this Sunday: Simon Willetts and Simon Taylor

6PM Unplugged (Zoom)
Led by Anto Ficatier and members of Ichthus and Pathfinders

ESSENTIAL LINKS for services

Find the services on Zoom and YouTube:

Zoom - BHC Public Room | PMI: 946-391-4833 | Password: 2020

BHC Godalming YouTube: www.youtube.com/bhcgodalmingonline

Both Zoom and YouTube worked well last Sunday so you might like to try both. This week on Zoom, there will be time to “Unmute” for a few minutes after each service finishes to say Hello to one another.

Children & Youth

There’s a new video for the Ark children on Sunday and Explorers are meeting on Zoom. Pathfinders and Ichthus will be at the very excellent 6PM Unplugged.

Next Sunday 29 November

Advent Sunday
New Sermon Series: Comfort and Joy

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

9AM Online Heritage Service (BCP) on YouTube (pre-recorded)
Speaker: Michael Baughen

9AM Busbridge Classic on Zoom and YouTube (broadcast live)
Michael Baughen

Advent Sunday Messy Christingle

Advent Sunday on Zoom
29 Nov at 10AM

Collect your Christingle pack from Busbridge or Hambledon church porch from next Tuesday! (you supply the orange).

10AM MESSY CHRISTINGLE on Zoom
Led by the Hambledon Messy and Busbridge FUSE teams. You will need an orange, a candle, red ribbon or tape, 4 cocktail sticks, sweets and a small piece of tin foil. - Or collect your pack from either church porch from next Tuesday and just supply the orange! All welcome, even the over 12s!

5PM Advent Star lights up at Hambledon Church
5.30PM Advent Star lights up at Busbridge Church
See Rob Hewlett talking about why he’s making the giant stars for Advent in the Christmas video.

Tip for Sunday: TRY ZOOM, BUT HAVE YOUTUBE AS A BACKUP!

The Classic and Contemporary services from Busbridge Church will be available live on both Zoom and YouTube. Zoom will provide the more interactive experience (you will be able to see other members of the congregation) but it requires more internet bandwidth, so the sound and picture might not be so good. We recommend you have the BHC Godalming YouTube channel ready or bookmarked, in case we need to switch the broadcasts to YouTube only.

Coming Up Next Week:

Go to What’s On and select the event to join the meetings on Zoom.

N.B. All welcome to join in and invited friends to the informal film discussion next Tuesday. Click the event for details and take the opportunity for an online social event during lockdown.

The Notices

***Christmas***

Comfort & Joy!

For more details and information on Christmas see What’s On/Advent & Christmas 2020. It has info on the Advent Reflections, Advent Walkabout Calendar, the Christmas Exhibitions, the Christmas Quiz, Outward Giving and more. Please keep checking - the fully programme of services and events will be published next week - and subject to change when we receive guidance after 2 December.

The video here features Simon, Lisa, Rob Hewlett, Anto, Jess and others telling us about the 2 special events this Christmas.

1. The Comfort & Joy Exhibitions at both churches in Advent. It’s not too late to create and show something in either church. So far there are more than 30 creations (art, craft, poetry, scripture, videos) which say something about “Comfort” and / or “Joy”!

Thanks once again to Andy Brownstone for producing the film, and all those on screen. Please do share it with others in Busbridge and Hambledon and encourage our local community to be involved. Email Lisa Olsworth-Peter if you have any questions, and would like to take part.

2. Christmas Eve Drive in Carol Services - 4.30pm and now 6pm

If, having watched the video, been to the Drive In on 6 Sep, you are keen to book your parking space - please do it now! Early bookings indicate that this ONLY ‘ALL SINGING’ celebration will be very popular, and space in the Godalming College car park is limited to about 100 spaces. So, we are running the service twice, at 4.30PM and 6PM . More advertising will go to the local schools and the wider communities of Busbridge and Hambledon next week, so this weekend is your chance to choose your service time.

Thanks to those that have volunteered to help on Christmas Eve. We have a small army, but still need more troops - especially stewards to help direct traffic. If you can help, please contact Patrick Samuels who is leading the team of organisers, ASAP.

Get ready for the Advent Walkabout Calendar - the map will be published next week of where to look for windows 1-24 around the streets of Busbridge. Something similar is happening in Hambledon too, so please check the details on the Village web site!

Outward Giving & Outreach

Christmas Quiz in aid of the Guildford Samaritans - 5 December at 7.30PM
The ever popular Christmas Quiz organised by Nexus is online this year, but still with renowned Quiz masters Dudley Hilton and Alan Betts! Purely social and fun (for those that know a bit about anything), this is a great opportunity to enjoy being together for an evening and raise money for the Samaritans. To take part, the first step is making a donation via the Just Giving page. Enter individually or in teams of up to 6. All the details are in the Advent & Christmas pages HERE!

The BESOM Christmas Hamper project
We will again be supporting BESOM this Christmas. Through the home and church groups, we are busily co-ordinating 'Besom' hampers for needy people in the community. With the COVID crisis still in full swing, the needs now are greater than ever.

The Outward Giving Group is thrilled with the response to the appeal to people to make hampers for the needy. We could still do with some more offers,  and would like to stress that items should come from the luxury range if possible.

If you would like to make a hamper individually, here is what to do:

•  Collect a flat 'banana' box from Sainsbury's and wrap it with Christmas paper. There are also some ready wrapped boxes available at the back of Busbridge Church.

• Start collecting goods from the list of suitable items

• Contact Shelagh Godwin on jimdogshome@aol.com to be allocated a suitable recipient

• Fill box according to specifications

• Contact the recipient by phone or e-mail to arrange a delivery time

• Deliver hamper to recipient: leave outside the front door or in porch, Besom requests that you do not ring the bell

Busbridge Church Christmas cards for sale

Pack of ten of 2 designs with envelopes for £4. The cards say Happy Christmas inside! Contact the church office to place an order.

BUsbridge Junior School applications

If you are thinking of submitting a church application to Busbridge Junior School for September 2021, here are some instructions:

1)            Visit the Busbridge Junior School website and familiarise yourself with their admission criteria (‘About Us’, ‘Admissions’)
2)            Email catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org for an information sheet
3)            Bring the Supplementary Information Form to the church office by 10th December at the latest (please ensure that you are eligible – the criteria are on the 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 Church verification form to the school by the application closing date (15/01/2021) 

What’s On

Click Here for What’s on this week and beyond. It’s all in the calendar and more details for each event can be found when you select it.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.

SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER

Please join the BHC Prayer Ministry Team this this Saturday, 14 Nov, and pray for those in need due to the coronavirus pandemic. Click HERE to sign up for an hour’s slot between 8am and 8pm, or join others in the BHC Public Zoom Room from 8-9AM, 12-1PM and 5-6PM. It’s part of the National Call to Prayer in November. More details

Winter Lockdown

From 5 November to 2 December churches will be closed except for broadcasting acts of worship and individual prayer. Attendance at services is sadly not permitted. Please join us every Sunday online, on YouTube or Zoom. (See below for details).

This Sunday

this sunday online

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy
Reading: Matthew 5:7

11.30AM-12.15 Join the Classic Congregation in the BHC Public Zoom Room for a virtual coffee after the services this morning!

Find the services on Zoom and YouTube:

Zoom - BHC Public Room | PMI: 946-391-4833 | PW: 2020

BHC Godalming YouTube: www.youtube.com/bhcgodalmingonline

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy
Reading: Matthew 5:7

In the Online Heritage service at 9AM, David Hodson asks: What happened to that kinder, considerate, gentler, caring and more merciful society that we said we would have during the first lockdown in the spring?  Why for some life is now decidedly far less kind and merciful?’ Why it is that we have become both a far more tolerant society and yet in some ways far less willing to be merciful? Where these western values differ from the Christian church, and what Christ teaches us in how to be merciful and why to be merciful?

Anto Ficatier will give the talk in the Classic service at 9AM from Busbridge and Peter Shaw will chat to Dave Preece during Conversations from the Couch at 10.15AM.



Children & Youth

There’s a new video for Creche and Tiny Tigers on Sunday (Noah’s Ark), The Ark will be learning about Daniel in the Lion’s Den on Zoom, and Explorers, Pathfinders and Ichthus all continue to meet on Zoom too. See the calendar and contact CYF for details.

Next Sunday

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God
Readings: Matthew 5:8

9AM Online Heritage Service (BCP) on YouTube (pre-recorded)

9AM Busbridge Classic on Zoom and YouTube (broadcast live)

10.15AM Busbridge Contemporary: Conversations from the Couch on Zoom and YouTube

Tip for Sunday: TRY ZOOM, BUT HAVE YOUTUBE AS A BACKUP!

The Classic and Contemporary services from Busbridge Church will be available live on both Zoom and YouTube. Zoom will provide the more interactive experience (you will be able to see other members of the congregation) but it requires more internet bandwidth, so the sound and picture might not be so good. We recommend you have the BHC Godalming YouTube channel ready or bookmarked, in case we need to switch the broadcasts to YouTube only.

Go to What’s On and select the event to join the meetings on Zoom.

The Notices

The Bridge Magazine - Nov-Dec edition out now
You can read this, and past editions online HERE. The Bridge team would like to pass on their sincere thanks to four long-standing road stewards who are stepping down from the role. Our very grateful appreciation goes to Ruth Bennett, Jean Hawden, Linda Smith and Debbie Scott; all of whom have been loyal deliverers of the magazines for many years. And a warm welcome to Katharine & Chris Rothwell and Gemma Taylor who have kindly stepped forward as new volunteers. It's wonderful that with our volunteers help and support we're able to connect with over 1900 homes in the locality. Thank you everyone

***Christmas***

Comfort & Joy!

Thanks once again to Andy Brownstone for producing the film, and all those on screen. Please do share it with others in Busbridge and Hambledon and encourage our local community to be involved. Email Lisa Olsworth-Peter if you have any questions, and would like to take part.

If, having watched the video, been to the Drive In on 6 Sep, you are keen to book your parking space - please do it now! We really need to know how many cars we need to accommodate, and whether to run the service more than once.

Thanks to those that have volunteered to help on Christmas Eve. There will be a planning meeting on Zoom on Monday 16 November at 7PM. If you can help on Christmas Eve, please contact Patrick Samuels who is leading the team of organisers, ASAP. We need people to help on the evening but also those who can help plan and organise now. Sound and vision is covered, but we need people to take responsibility for or help with lighting, staging, stewarding, costumes and nativity characters…

Outward Giving & Outreach

The BESOM Christmas Hamper project

We will again be supporting BESOM this Christmas. Through the home and church groups, we are busily co-ordinating 'Besom' hampers for needy people in the community. With the COVID crisis still in full swing, the needs now are greater than ever. If you would like to make a hamper individually, here is what to do:

•  Collect a flat 'banana' box from Sainsbury's and wrap it with Christmas paper

• Start collecting goods from the list of suitable items

• Contact Shelagh Godwin on jimdogshome@aol.com to be allocated a suitable recipient

• Fill box according to specifications

• Contact the recipient by phone or e-mail to arrange a delivery time

• Deliver hamper to recipient: leave outside the front door or in porch, Besom requests that you do not ring the bell

Meaningful Chocolate Advent Calendars
Wow! Following Nicky Hemery’s appeal for donations to buy Meaningful Chocolate Real Advent Calendars to bless customers at the Godalming Community Store and the Food Bank, the BHC ladies group raised at great total of £370. The Community Store are thrilled about the offer, and join us in wishing to send a message of Christmas hope into the homes of the most needy in our area. Hambledon also ordered calendars for the people we know are on their own in the village. Having found the Meaningful Chocolate calendars were “SOLD OUT” last week (much to Nicky’s dismay!), the company director managed to find exactly the right number - not a calendar more or less - to meet the order, and added to it with donations of chocolate angels given by other sources for food banks. That’s 108 calendars and 90 chocolate angels which will be shared among the 50 families and 70 children using the Community Store, and 50 calendars for those on their own in Hambledon village. Thank you Nicky for organising this great community initiative!

Churches Together in Godalming will not be able to run their usual Christmas lunch this year, but we are hoping to put together a list of volunteers who would visit anyone on their own on Christmas Day, with a small gift and card. We would go in pairs and not enter people’s houses. If anyone would like to volunteer to join us, please contact Gillian Martin (martin2ls@btinternet.com) or if you or anyone else would like a visit, please contact Gwen Wheatman (gwenwheatman@hotmail.co.uk).

Busbridge Church Christmas cards for sale

Pack of ten of 2 designs with envelopes for £4. The cards say Happy Christmas inside! Contact the church office to place an order.

BUsbridge Junior School applications

If you are thinking of submitting a church application to Busbridge Junior School for September 2021, here are some instructions:

1)            Visit the Busbridge Junior School website and familiarise yourself with their admission criteria (‘About Us’, ‘Admissions’)
2)            Email catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org for an information sheet
3)            Bring the Supplementary Information Form to the church office by 10th December at the latest (please ensure that you are eligible – the criteria are on the 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 Church verification form to the school by the application closing date (15/01/2021) 

What’s On

Click Here for What’s on this week and beyond. It’s all in the calendar and more details for each event can be found when you select it.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER

Winter Lockdown

From 5 November to 2 December churches will be closed except for broadcasting acts of worship and individual prayer. Attendance at services is sadly not permitted. Please join us every Sunday online, on YouTube or Zoom. (See below for details).

This Sunday

The services are scheduled to coincide with the minutes silence at 11AM.

Children & Youth

this sunday on youtube

All CYF meetings are taking place on Zoom or YouTube in November. NB to Ark! - you need some craft equipment for this Sunday. Select the event below for details.

Next Sunday

9AM Online Heritage Service (BCP) on YouTube (pre-recorded)

9AM Busbridge Classic on Zoom and YouTube (broadcast live)

10.15AM Busbridge Contemporary: Conversations from the Couch on Zoom and YouTube

Zoom - BHC Public Room | PMI: 946-391-4833 | PW: 2020

BHC Godalming YouTube: www.youtube.com/bhcgodalmingonline

Go to What’s On and select the event to join the meetings on Zoom.

The Notices

winter lockdown

Rector’s Reflections… Simon Taylor: Lockdown II: You have such beautiful feet.
Please read the message from Simon about our calling in the winter lockdown, and everything that’s going on away from church. It’s got some crucial info about Sundays in the next month too…

Our worship pastor Lisa Olsworth-Peter also blogged earlier this week: Find your own Song. (Lisa would have us all in a Gospel Choir so here is something to listen to as you read on: Glory Glory Hallelujah London Community Gospel Choir.)

Dudley and Alan have been writing to those in the Mens Matters group with an invitation to Zoom over breakfast tomorrow to discuss “lockdowns, the death of democracy and anything else that takes their fancy…” and Penny’s weekly PrimeTime blog can be found on the home page too.

Some of these “thoughts” go out on facebook, instragram and Twitter. For those that use social media: Are you following BHC Godalming?!

Worship at Home
Your worship leaders have selected these worship songs for you to bring you some comfort as we begin our next lockdown. These are free to listen to, but you need to register for a Spotify account: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3s8sufAl0KllESKKM9nHxJ

A month of Prayer

National Month of Prayer & National Day of Prayer this Friday 13 November
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are calling the nation to unite in prayer during the second lockdown. The following link from the Church of England website included the Archbishops’ letter to the nation, and gives very specific and helpful daily focus’ for prayer during November. They have also made this coming Friday a national day of prayer which we are awaiting further details about.

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches/call-prayer-nation#sunday

To support this, a reminder that Morning Prayer takes place on Zoom at 9AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ‘Listening Prayer’ continues to take place on on Monday mornings at the slightly later time of 8.45-9.30AM on Zoom.

Winter lockdown Prayer Vigil - Sign Up here
As previously planned, on Saturday 14 November we call our Church community to join us in a 12 hour prayer vigil to pray for families in our community and across the nation affected by the pandemic.

• For those that have lost loved ones

• For those who have lost employment and are struggling financially

• For protection for the vulnerable

• For relationships that are under extreme pressure

• For those that cannot again see their grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren due to the 2nd lockdown

• For those families coping with mental health illnesses

Prayerfest 0-30 in 60 will cover the 5-6pm hour to pray for our own Children, Youth and Families, CYF ministry, the schools in our local area. CYF and members of Ichthus will cover 6-7PM. You can sign up HERE to take an hours slot to pray in your own home, or on a walk. If you would like to pray with people you can join us in the BHC Public Prayer Room for one of the 3 Zoom sessions: 8am – 9am |  12midday – 13:00  | 17:00 – 18:00.

The Bridge Magazine - Nov-Dec edition out now
Your copy will be dropping through the letterbox shortly, with thanks as ever to our road stewards. You can also read this, and past editions online HERE.

condolences

We send our love to Chris Rothwell, whose mother Gillian died on 24th October.  Please hold Chris and his father in your prayers, together with Katie and the boys, and the wider family.

We have been saddened to hear of the death last Friday (30th October) of Christine Blanchard.  Christine was a longstanding resident of Hambledon and also well-known to the church family in Hambledon.  We send our love and prayers to her son Michael and the wider family.

At least we had last Sunday…

BHC certainly made the most of our pre-lockdown freedoms, with 4 services at Hambledon and Busbridge on Sunday, and two Light parties. FUSE in the Busbridge Junior School felt quite poignant, especially while loudly clapping, and silently praising to the re-written lockdown verse in “This little light of mine”.

All Souls Service
Replacing our usual Memorial Service with an online version, making it one of our morning services, and with minimal people in church, gave the whole occasion a very different feel.  It was strange not to be able to welcome people who have been coming for years, as well as some who have been bereaved more recently.  However, the astonishing response seems to indicate that it was – for this year at least – the right thing to do.  It also seems that many more people were able to access it online than would have been able to travel here to attend in person, as well as sending it to far-flung family members who watched wherever they live.  230 people have seen it and we remembered 126 people by name, which is also something of a record.

Whatever part you played – whether it was publicity, creating the online link, setting up the church, flowers, lighting nightlights, welcoming, sound and a/v, live-streaming, music, preaching, clearing and cleaning afterwards – thank you!  

Thanks also to all of you who prayed.  The messages I have received since yesterday seem to indicate that your prayers were very effective, so this comes with my love and thanks to you all. Margot Spencer.

Some footage and a takeaway from the Fire Pit service last Sunday evening

Pics from the Light Parties last Saturday and Sunday

Youth Light Party 2020

My Prayer - Light Party activity

Prayer Activity at the Explorers Light Party

The DJ at the Explorers Light Party

***Christmas***

Comfort & Joy Exbitions - Your lockdown project!
Might you have some more time and a need to challenge and express yourself creatively during lockdown?

With a shortage of opportunities to gather people all at once, our key community event for Advent and Christmas will be the “Comfort & Joy” Exhibitions at Busbridge Church and Hambledon Church - open to anyone to get involved and contribute creative works loosely on the theme, and to visitors from 7 December. We’ve adopted the Church of England theme for Christmas 2020 (which you can read about here) and are calling on church members and the local communities to make it your own.

If you would like to find out more, contribute something to either exhibition, or encourage a local friend or group to produce something, please contact Lisa Olsworth-Peter. We want lots of community involvement and visitors at both churches! BIG Advent Stars made by Rob Hewlett will be lighting up at both churches at 5PM on Advent Sunday, 29 November.

Christmas Eve Drive In “Bling your Car” at Godalming College!
Thanks to those that have volunteered to help on Christmas Eve. There will be a planning meeting on Zoom on Monday 16 November at 7PM. If you can help on Christmas Eve, please contact Patrick Samuels who is leading the team of organisers, ASAP. We need people to help on the evening but also those who can help plan and organise now. Sound and vision is covered, but we need people to take responsibility for or help with lighting, staging, stewarding, costumes and nativity characters…

Outward Giving & Outreach
The Busbridge&Hambledon Church Christmas £ Appeal will be in aid of the Trinity Trust Team. Take a look at their web site to find out about TTT’s great work with young people in the Godalming area. More information and how to give will follow in advance of Mission Sunday on 13 December.

We will again be supporting BESOM this Christmas through by preparing hampers for delivery to families in need. Unfortunately the Taylors’ jolly hamper filling party won’t be possible this year, so the Outward Giving team are working out how, what and when. Please be ready for instructions!

The BHC ladies group coordinated by Nicky Hemery are liaising with the Godalming Community Store and hope to be able to give out Meaningful Chocolate Real Advent Calendars to bless community store clients before 1 December. Each calendar is £3.50. If you would like to contribute to the fund to buy a calendar, please contact Nicky Hemery.

Churches Together in Godalming will not be able to run their usual Christmas lunch this year, but there may be many people who are on their own with families unable to visit them. We are hoping to put together a list of volunteers who would visit anyone on their own on Christmas Day, with a small gift and card. We would go in pairs and not enter people’s houses. If anyone would like to volunteer to join us, please contact Gillian Martin (martin2ls@btinternet.com) or if you or anyone else would like a visit, please contact Gwen Wheatman (gwenwheatman@hotmail.co.uk).

Busbridge Church Christmas cards for sale

Pack of ten of 2 designs with envelopes for £4. The cards say Happy Christmas inside! Contact the church office to place an order.

What’s On

Click Here for What’s on this week and beyond. It’s all in the calendar and more details for each event can be found when you select it.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.

SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER

This Sunday

Part 4 in the Autumn Sermon series: The Beatitudes - “Falling Upwards”

“Blessed are the those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled”

— Matthew 5:6

online

at church

COVID-19 SAFETY NOTICE & SIGN UP INFO FOR SUNDAY SERVICES

BHC GODALMING CHANNEL (CLICK HERE)

You can join the 10AM service at Busbridge Church from home. The ‘watch on YouTube’ links are listed with the service.

The 10AM Busbridge Contemporary will be filmed and uploaded to YouTube after the service.

On Zoom - BHC Public Room | PMI: 946-391-4833 | PW: 2020

Go to What’s On and select the event to join the meetings on Zoom

Children & Youth

Unplugged Youth Light Party - Sat 31 Oct, 7.45-9PM | Explorers Light Party - Sun 1 Nov, 4-5PM

1 November - Half-term: No CYF groups this Sunday (Ark, Explorers, Pathfinders or Ichthus).

BUT!

Busbridge Contemporary FUSE (all age service) - Sunday 1 November, 10AM
& both Light Parties will provide acts of worship for our older children and youth. Email Anto Ficatier for details or sign up via the calendar.

Next Sunday

The Notices

ELECTION RESULTS FROM THE VIRTUAL APCMS on SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER

Thanks to all those who joined the APCMs on Zoom last Sunday, and voted in the following church officers: Busbridge Churchwardens 2020-2021
Frances Shaw
Keith Harper

Hambledon Churchwardens 2020-2021
Derek Pearsall
Fran Duffell
Thanks were given to Liz Cooke on completion of her 6 year term as churchwarden.

The Electoral Roll which allows you to vote at the APCMs is now reopen for applications. Please find the application form here.

All Souls Service THIS Sunday 1 Nov
As we are unable to hold our annual Memorial service in the usual way this year but the 10AM service at Busbridge will be on the theme of All Souls, and include a reading of names of loved ones. Priority to attend the service will be given to church members who have been bereaved in 2020. Space in church is limited, but it is also possible to sit and listen to the service in the churchyard. If you usually attend the Classic service, or would like to attend this special service, please sign up in the usual way.

If you would like someone remembered by name during the service, please use the sign up form for the event, or email Margot Spencer.  Please note that, by submitting a name, you are giving permission for it to be read out and broadcast to a wider audience than would usually be the case. 

FIRE PIT service at Busbridge Church, Sunday 1 Nov at 7PM
An outdoor service with fire pits for warmth, light and to signify the presence of the Holy Spirit. This will be a short gathering with a charismatic feel.  We need you (and your fire-pits, torches and maybe umbrellas) to come! Please sign up in advance to assist with Test and Trace. If you are able to bring and care for a fire-pit on the day, please contact Annie (abryett@hotmail.com)

Remembrance Services, 8 November

10.30AM outside at Busbridge Church and Hambledon Church
The Remembrance services replace 9AM at Hambledon 10AM Busbridge Classic & Contemporary services. Brighton Road and the roads surrounding the church will be closed from 10AM to 12noon to allow for additional standing room around the war memorial.

Prayer Opportunities and changes to times:

Change to Morning Prayer on Zoom: From November, Morning Prayer will be at 9AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ‘Listening Prayer’ will continue to take place on on Monday mornings at the slightly later time of 8.45-9.30AM on Zoom. Space for God (early bird) has migrated. It is not quite so early any more, on
the first Wednesday of the month (e.g. 4th November) from 7.45 to 8.30AM. Morning Prayer restarts at Hambledon Church at 9.30AM every Wednesdays from 4 November. Also the Prayer Ministry team will be leading a 12 hour prayer vigil on 14th November to pray for families affected by Covid crisis and for the community initiatives that are working with them including Godalming food bank and the Cellar. All welcome to sign up to join the team to pray from the Church or at home, 1 hour slots. Email Michael Stubbs. The prayer page will shortly be updated to reflect these changes but you can find out about the different meetings on the PRAYER page.

NEXUS is back on 5 November at 8pm, with an online talk by Simon Willetts titled: Never Say Never. All welcome to the talk in the BHC Public Zoom Room. The event can be found in What’s On. (Save the Date for the NEXUS Christmas Quiz on Saturday 7 December, starting at 7.30PM in the BHC Zoom room too.)

Who is Missing?
With the threat of increased restrictions, if there is anyone you can think of that you haven’t seen or heard from at church or on Zoom, and may not receive (or read!) the notices, please consider trying to make contact. In April our Small Group leaders led an activity to contact everyone on the church database to check they were OK and invite them to connect with a small group. This is a follow up to that, but we are asking all members of the church family to think about those who may be self isolating, in need of support or a friendly phone call every now and then. If you have any questions or need to pass on a request for further support, please contact Jill Johnston in the Pastoral Care team.

Live Streaming We know that people have commented on the quality of the internet coverage on Sundays in Busbridge. We’re working on providing the technology and are hugely grateful to Tim Davies and others for their time on this. There have been a lot of internet problems in the Busbridge area recently which has made our live stream go jittery from time to time. We’re purchasing some equipment including a backup box which uses the mobile phone network so we are hoping that our more usual smoothness will return this Sunday. Thankyou for bearing with us.  If you’d like to help fund the work we are doing in this area please speak to Martin Lambert (treasurer) or for more information and a confidential chat about the vision for it, Simon Taylor (Busbridge) or Simon Willetts (Hambledon).

Road Stewards needed for The Bridge magazine for Grayling Close and Windy Wood.
The Bridge magazine is looking for two new road stewards who, 6 times a year, would be willing to deliver magazines to either Grayling Close (46 houses) or Windy Wood (38 houses). If you live in, or close to, either of these roads, (or maybe know someone who does and might be willing to take on the role) please contact the editor, Cathy, at editor.atthebridge@gmail.com. We'd be delighted and most appreciative to hear from you. 

***WARNING: Christmas section ***

With a shortage of opportunities to gather people all at once, our key community event for Advent and Christmas will be the “Comfort & Joy” Exhibitions at Busbridge Church and Hambledon Church - open to anyone to get involved and contribute creative works loosely on the theme, and to visitors from 7 December. We’ve adopted the Church of England theme for Christmas 2020 (which you can read about here) and are calling on church members and the local communities to make it your own.

If you would like to find out more, contribute something to either exhibition, or encourage a local friend or group to produce something, please contact Lisa Olsworth-Peter. We want lots of community involvement and visitors at both churches! BIG Advent Stars made by Rob Hewlett will be lighting up at both churches at 5PM on Advent Sunday, 29 November.

Christmas Eve Drive In “Bling your Car” at Godalming College! Given the likelihood of existing or higher COVID 19 restrictions severely limiting numbers (and singing!) in church, a drive in carol service offers the safest opportunity to gather and share a Christmas experience with your church family and the local community - and exercise your lungs in the confines of your car. We are delighted that Godalming College has offered its grounds to host the event. The central, well known location, tarmac carpark, lights and other infrastructure make the organisation quite easy - but there’s still some planning to do! If you can help on Christmas Eve, please contact Patrick Samuels who is leading the team of organisers, ASAP. We need people to help on the evening but also those who can help plan and organise now.

Outward Giving & Outreach
CORRECTION TO LAST WEEK: The Busbridge&Hambledon Church Christmas £ Appeal will be in aid of the Trinity Trust Team. Take a look at their web site to find out about TTT’s great work with young people in the Godalming area. More information and how to give will follow in advance of Mission Sunday on 13 December.

We will again be supporting BESOM this Christmas through by preparing hampers for delivery to families in need. Unfortunately the Taylors’ jolly hamper filling party won’t be possible this year, so the Outward Giving team are working out how, what and when. Please be ready for instructions!

The BHC ladies group coordinated by Nicky Hemery are liaising with the Godalming Community Store and hope to be able to give out Meaningful Chocolate Real Advent Calendars to bless community store clients before 1 December. Each calendar is £3.50. If you would like to contribute to the fund to buy a calendar, please contact Nicky Hemery.

Churches Together in Godalming will not be able to run their usual Christmas lunch this year, but there may be many people who are on their own with families unable to visit them. We are hoping to put together a list of volunteers who would visit anyone on their own on Christmas Day, with a small gift and card. We would go in pairs and not enter people’s houses. If anyone would like to volunteer to join us, please contact Gillian Martin (martin2ls@btinternet.com) or if you or anyone else would like a visit, please contact Gwen Wheatman (gwenwheatman@hotmail.co.uk).

Busbridge Church Christmas cards for sale

Pack of ten of 2 designs with envelopes for £4. The cards say Happy Christmas inside! Contact the church office to place an order.

Please pray for

Please pray for these roads and their residents, and perhaps include them on a prayer walk this week:

• Ramsden Road, Busbridge and road steward Ruth Roseblade

• Church Lane, Hambledon

And those working in healthcare and medicine.

What’s On

Click Here for What’s on this week and beyond. It’s all in the calendar and more details for each event can be found when you select it.

6 week Road Closure on Brighton Road from 26 October

Gas works will begin on 26 October between Crownpits Lane and Latimer Road, and a diversion via the A3100, Broadford Road, A281 and the B2130 will be in place. Please allow extra time if this affects your journey to church, or school.

PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM AVAILABLE

To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call Lisa Olsworth-Peter on 01483 421267.
Listening prayer is available mid-week.