BLESSINGS THIS WEEK
We’re aware that people are under financial pressure. Thank you to everyone who had found that they can continue to give to God’s work at this time. We’re hugely grateful to all of you. Special thanks to some, particularly at Hambledon, who usually give weekly via green envelopes and haven’t been able to do this in services; so you have contacted Andrew Dunn with your giving. Thank you so much.

We’re pleased to share that the Church Family Support Fund has made a series of gifts to local people in the past few days. Please pray for those who have been blessed in this way.

Special thanks this week goes to the Unplugged team and Anto for a great live Unplugged last Sunday. It was well worth being part of.

Since CYF has moved online the ministry has grown!  Our Ichthus group for 14-18s has doubled in size since Anto first started last summer, and there are more and more Pathfinders on zoom every Sunday.  Initial Zoom sessions for Explorers (7-11s) have been really well received too, and our little ones love the YouTube videos.  So, we are still reaching and teaching 100+ young people once or twice a week, and this year we are also aiming to keep activities going over the ‘stay-at-home’ holidays.  

If anyone wonders whether delivering CYF (or any) ministry online takes less time, please think again!  Planning and recording, as well as delivering the live sessions is fully occupying our CYF team (paid and volunteers), and for variety as well as support, we are looking for people who can give a bit of their time too.  Leaders have found that contributing one piece of the session weekly is a lot easier than planning and delivering their whole monthly session ‘solo’ – and it’s great fun being part of the CYF team.  So please, if you would be willing to record something, help to lead online sessions, help for Bible studies etc, please contact anto.ficatier@bhcgodalming.org for more details.

PRAYER Opportunities & Resources

Please take a look at the PRAYER area of the web site which provides details, ideas and encouragement for prayer together and individually.  We are meeting at least once a day on zoom to pray, and the sessions are open to all.  The Prayer Ministry Team, the Emergency Prayer Chain, and Listening Prayer are all still available via prayer@bhcgodalming.org.  Coming up:

PrayerFest 0-30 in 60.  Please come and join us in the prayer zoom this Sunday at 5pm to pray for children and young people in our churches and wider community.  Many young people, children and families  are finding this time of lockdown a real struggle and with schools starting to think about some of its pupils returning – there is a lot to pray about.  Contact:  Shan Hallam Shan D Hallam e: hallamshan7@gmail.com. 

Thy Kingdom Come: Ascension to Pentecost. 

Thy Kingdom Come is a global 11 day prayer campaign which started yesterday and runs til Pentecost on 31 May.  The challenge this year is ‘Light Up the World with Prayer’.  Your small group may be using the web site resources to pray and the 9am Morning Prayer will be participating too.  See www.thykingdomcome/global.

FRIENDSHIP with the community

Last week Margot attended a (Zoom) meeting run by Waverley Borough Council, which also included various volunteer community groups, help-lines and a local mental health charity, together with staff from Surrey County Council and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.  All had heartening stories to tell of armies of volunteers and the kindness of people in the communities helping those in isolation or quarantine.  As we enter what is being called the Recovery phase, some are still very busy; others (like us) are finding that the requests for help have levelled out.  This has inevitably left some volunteers feeling that they have not been used as much as expected.  If you are one of those who has not been called on to help yet, please accept our apologies – and be encouraged by the possible explanation that this time of crisis has brought out the best in us all, so that we have all become good neighbours – and good Samaritans – to those in need.

Kindness for Keyworkers. In the immediate future, Penny Naylor and Judith Hawkey will be grateful for help with an initiative for care home staff and teachers in our local schools.  They are putting together small tokens of love (hand cream and chocolate) for key workers in our local care homes and school staff.  If you would like to make a contribution, please send by BACS and use ref: key workers.  Or get in touch (coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org ) if this sounds like something you would like to be involved with.

#CreativeKindness.  Penny has received a number of lovely items to pass on to older people we know that aren’t on the internet and are finding harder to stay connected. Thanks for those who’ve supported their children in creating these messages to spread some cheer.  Do keep them coming. Please see the details on the web site. 

Worship Playlist
For those who love our well known hymns, here is a spotify play list you might find it helpful to ‘like’ for your own worship/listening.  Click the icon above. Thanks to Alan Harvey for compiling this one.

Don’t forget

If you are not connected in some way and would like to be, please let us know  (e: catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org).  The Coronavirus Response team is ready to help those self-isolating— Email: coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org.

The CFSF is receiving donations AND applications for financial gifts.  Details on https://www.bhcgodalming.org/c19-givingandsupport.  

If you have anything to post, thoughts, prayers, musings—remember the BHC Together facebook group is yours to do so! 

Character that forges hope: Romans 5: 1-5

the images above link to youtube or zoom meetings. You can also Select any event in the web site calendar and click ’location’ To access the zooms/Youtube. 

The Notices

Pioneering the New Church during and after Covid-19
There was a great turn out for Monday evening’s session led by Ed Olsworth-Peter as we looked at Pioneering the New Church, and what might things look like for Busbridge&Hambledon Church in the future.  It was inspiring to hear from lay pioneer minister, Emma Major in Reading, and we thank her for sharing her experience of founding a forest church, and lessons learnt. Ed kicked off with the questions: 
· What was essential to church before lockdown?
· During lockdown, what are we doing without?
· What have we learnt (so far?)

Then: what will and won’t we want or need to resume? And what might be taken forward out of lockdown?

This is only the start of the process to discern God’s new purpose for us and we will be coming to you all for input to create our new being.  If you have any thoughts to share on these questions email: church.office@bhcgodalming.org.

Church Family news

Dudley Hilton writes: “Catriona, Robert and I are enormously grateful for all the messages of love and support we have received since Pat’s death on 25th April. Her funeral is to be held at the Guildford Crematorium on Thursday 21st May at 1pm. Under the current restrictions it has to be private, but it will be streamed live. If anyone would like the link to join it please email Dudley at DudleyH2020@gmail.com (not the email address in the last Church address book, which is no longer valid). We will be holding a Thanksgiving Service to which all will be invited once circumstances permit.”

We were delighted to hear last week that Rev Clive Potter’s wife, Janet, is home from the ICU. Thank you to everyone who has been praying.

No more 10.30am Coffee Breaks. As of Monday 18 May, the daily zoom chats have stopped, as there are now so many other opportunities for zooming with church friends.  If you are not connected in some way and would like to be, please let us know  (e: catherine.garner@bhcgodalming.org).  More people than not have responded positively to the contact made by home groups to ‘connect’ or  ‘fold in’.  Not all have signed up for bible study, but home group leaders have found that people have been really happy to have been reached out to and to be in contact with a group within the church family, perhaps by occasional email or social zoom. “I think sometimes we assume that people may not want to be reached out too, but this has not been our experience.”  Mark Puddephatt.  Oddly, this time is proving to be a great opportunity to get to know new people.

The Big Wave
You too can have your moment as a YouTube star!

We’d love to see as many of you as we can waving to us in our service on Sunday 24 May. To do this is simple!
Film a 1-2 second video of you waving.  We won’t broadcast names, portrait or landscape is fine, Dave can work with different formats (we think).  Send it to david.preece@bhcgodalming.org by 10am on Thursday 21 May.

We had a wonderful turn out to the VE day Tea Party and sing along last Thursday and those who attended really enjoyed the songs from the wartime era, and an excellent poem written especially for the occasion by Chris Payne. 

EVENTS COMING UP

Unplugged is returning, live on zoom—Sunday 17 May at 6.30pm.  Anto will lead a short ‘service’ on zoom including a message, a worship song recorded by the Unplugged band, and a drama based on the parable of the vine from the FUSE team— Of all the videos doing the rounds in lockdown, this might be the funniest!  All very welcome to join.

Groups for all ages continue online.  Our young people are participating really well, and parents are so grateful to the CYF team (staff and volunteers) for their ongoing commitment. 

Busbridge Church Prayer Walk
Our almost qualified, LLM Philippa Baker has designed a very moving prayer walk for people to follow around the Busbridge Churchyard—if that’s where your outing for exercise  takes you.  You need a smart phone to guide you, or follow the signs, or use it remotely from home.  The pdf is here to scroll as you stroll, and there is a QR code on the sign when you get to the church so you don’t have to fiddle with finding the URL.  

Film Discussion: The Lunchbox. 8pm on Wednesday 20 May
Next week’s film recommended by Pri Burford is The Lunchbox available on iPlayer. It is an absolutely beautiful film starring Irrfan Khan who (you may have seen in the news) died recently and who was, to my mind, one of the great screen actors. He wasn’t well known to Western audiences but across most of Asia and the Middle East, a worthy superstar.

We will be considering in our discussion:

• What are the key elements in deep friendships?

• Can we ever really be friends with those who are very different from us in age, class, race, culture, religion? 

• What are the barriers to and the enablers of true connection and friendship?

• Is it possible for men and women to ever really be just friends?

Watch the film before Wednesday. Men are welcome too, and we’re trying a different night of the week. These discussions are proving to be really fruitful during lockdown.  
Email ladies@bhcgodalming.org for the zoom meeting details.

PrayerFest 0-30 in 60.  Please come and join us in the prayer zoom room next Sunday at 5pm to pray for children and young people in our churches and wider community.  Many young people, children and families  are finding this time of lockdown a real struggle and with schools starting to think about some of its pupils returning – there is a lot to pray about.  Contact:  Shan Hallam Shan D Hallam e: hallamshan7@gmail.com. 

#CreativeKindness.  Penny has received a number of lovely items to pass on to older people we know that aren’t on the internet and are finding harder to stay connected. Thanks for those who’ve supported their children in creating these messages to spread some cheer.  Do keep them coming. Please see the details on the web site. 

FRIENDSHIP with the community

Fruit picking work at Tuesday Farm
A number of young people responded to the offer of work Tuesley Farm this summer, and are due to start fruit picking  as soon as next week!  We are really grateful to Hall Hunter for offering support to local people, and for employing the students who Anto put forward.  Hall Hunter are have no more vacancies at the moment, but do contact anto.ficatier@bhcgodalming.org in case they need to call on a waiting list in the future months.

Why Pray?  If anyone is asking (and we think they are) please refer them to the web site.  Andy Spencer has put together some info for people who might be thinking about this for the first time.  Please pass the word on and look out for the posters going up around Busbridge. 

Don’t forget

• The Coronavirus Response team is ready to help those self-isolating— Email: coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org.

• The CFSF is receiving donations AND applications for financial gifts.  Details on www.bhcgodalming.org.

• If you have anything to post, thoughts, prayers, musings—remember the BHC Together facebook

  Prayer Ministry team available

  To contact the EMERGENCY prayer chain, email prayer@bhcgodalming.org  or call 01483 421267.

  Listening prayer is available mid-week.

  For more information contact Jeannie Postill t 01428 687968

   

9am Heritage & 10am BHC Online services on YouTube
11am  Virtual Coffee—3rd Sundays (from 17 May):  
hosted by Busbridge 8am and Classic and Busbridge 6.30pm 

6.30pm Unplugged LIVE (Zoom) —The service and music for our young people, but it’s extremely popular with all ages.

This Saturday – A reminder about the monthly Busbridge Prayer Group meets this Saturday at 8am. An hour to prayer about things we care about.

VE Day Celebrations
The bunting is up at Busbridge Church for those passing by, and Prime Time invites you all to join the zoom VE day Tea Party and sing along led by Lisa today, Thursday 7 May at 3pm. 

Message from Simon
We are beginning to ask the question ‘what might the future look like’? for us as a Christian community. There is much to go back to but there is also much to reflect on for the future. This is about lessons to be learned in areas such as leaning of God, laying down that which became redundant, living faith for tomorrow, and being a learning as a community under Christ. You might call it ‘BHC MkII’.

Explore this with us and Rev Ed Olsworth-Peter on Monday 11 May at 8pm, as he leads a discussion on Pioneering the Future Church.

BHC Online this Sunday

Join everyone at 10am, or at your leisure, to watch the main service this week.  Dave is talking to us about how Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians can encourage us to stand firm and have hope—with a reference to his surfing days.  Thanks to Lydia Guest who has been interviewed this week, Mark Puddephatt for the reading, the Ford family for the prayers and Hannah Preece for the Lord’s Prayer in sign language.  It’s great to have different people involved, as they are for our regular services.  If there’s anyone else out there who can offer time and technical skills for video editing, we’d be keen to have you on the team.   Contact david.preece@bhcgodalming.org.

CYF News

Anto, Judith, Juliet and all our wonderful CYF volunteers have mastered the art of using the internet in so many fun and creative ways to keep our young people together and learning about the Jesus. (BHC even has gametag for FIFA on the xbox for Pathfinders to challenge Anto!).

Unplugged is returning live on zoom—next Sunday 17 May at 6.30pm.  Anto will lead a short ‘service’ on zoom including a message, a worship song recorded by the Unplugged band, and a drama from the FUSE team.  All very welcome to join.

Pathfinders and Ichthus seem very at home on zoom (ha!) and the numbers taking part in Sunday and mid-week bible-study sessions are growing.  This week the Explorers session will run on zoom too, so our 7-11s can see their leaders and friends.

And we are seriously concerned that Juliet Gilbert might be snapped up by CBeebies if her Tiny Tigers videos keep going.  Last week she created a brilliant animated version of the wedding at Cana with lego figures.  So impressive!  You can catch up on all the Tiny Tigers and Ark videos from Juliet and Judith on BHC Godalming YouTube.

Kids it’s your turn to join the wave of #viralkindness.  The BHC version is #CreativeKindness.  Penny’s been thinking about the older people we know that aren’t on the internet and are finding harder to stay connected.  We can still post things though, and would like to pass on messages with all things arty and crafty from our young people to those who need cheering up.  Please see the details on the web site.  We are also enlisting the children from Busbridge Junior and Infant schools to help too.

Fruit picking work at Tuesday Farm (over 18s) 
This might be good for students back at home for a long summer… Hall Hunter has received so many applications that it’s no longer accepting applications for work this summer. HOWEVER, they are keen to support local people, and due to our links they will consider those who are put forward by Anto on behalf of Busbridge&Hambledon Church.  You need to be 18+ and able to work 5 days a week for at least a month from May.  Contact anto.ficatier@bchgodalming.org ASAP.  Please share this opportunity to people and families you know might be interested (they don’t need to be church members).

Community

Why Pray?  If anyone is asking (and we think they are) please refer them to the web site.  Andy Spencer has put together some info for people who might be thinking about this for the first time, and can respond to people individually, or develop sessions if there’s a demand.  Please pass the word on.

Watch this space for our prayer opportunities when you are out for your daily dose of fresh air.  Philippa Baker is working on a prayer walk in the Busbridge Churchyard, and Mark Puddephatt is setting up an orienteering challenge around Busbridge, based on Psalm 23.  We hope to have these ready to start next week.  Another reason to keep an eye on the web site!

A slice of cake on us.  In Hambledon, the village shop is doing an amazing job of coordinating volunteers to delivery orders to those who can’t get out.   Shop orders are going out with a slice of cake from Hambledon Church with a message from Simon Willetts, just to say Hi, the church is still here and how we can support.  If you are a lucky recipient, enjoy! 

Don’t forget

¨ 10.30am Coffee breaks for anyone to pop in and out. 

¨ The Coronavirus Response team is ready to help those self-isolating— Email: coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org.

¨ The CFSF is receiving donations AND applications for financial gifts.  

Elsewhere

Christian Aid Week 10-16 May: Love Never Fails.  Please don’t forget it this year, and support in the way you usually would.  See caweek.org to give or take part in their other fundraising initiatives.

Please pray for The Cellar café in Godalming as the trustees and management team pray to discern the future for its ministry in the town, and for provision and safety for its vulnerable customers who are missing the care and safe haven that The Cellar provides.

If you have anything to post, thoughts, prayers, musings—remember the BHC Together facebook group is yours to do so!   

Message from Simon
(posted earlier this week on bhcgodalming.org, Twitter and Facebook.  Good for you if you’ve seen it already!)

Dear all,

It is heart-warming to know how much you are all caring, sharing, supporting, praying, worshipping and growing in fellowship in Christ. We’re hearing more and more stories of church members connecting together in new ways. We know that many of you have welcomed a call from a home group leader and the response to ‘would you like to fold in to a home group’ has been amazing. Thank you once again to our home group leaders. You play a crucial role in the leadership of BHC as we head into the future.

We’re gradually expanding the faith, teaching, worship and fellowship that we can offer online. We’re doing this because we think that our church family might be doing these online things for a while to come. We’re offering some online short-courses and one off practical faith events; we’d encourage you to be part of them, partly to bless those who are putting such effort into them for all of us.

We’d like to give particular thanks this week for Matt Toombs. Matt and the Explorers team create an incredible weekly ‘padlet’ for the young people. The work behind it is phenomenal. Also, a quiet thanks to Jacqui R and all the wonderful saintly supporters who are caring for many in and around Hambledon, Hydestile, Enton and beyond. Do pray for these people.

We’re beginning to turn our thoughts to what ‘normal’ life, worship, faith and fellowship might look like in the months to come and even further ahead too. Like much of the UK exploring how life might be changing; we’re asking what “BHC MkII” might look like under the Holy Spirit’s leadership. Some research has been started into this and you can read an interesting theological and practical article which has been forwarded to us by Rev Catherine McBride.

What can we return to? What have we learnt God is growing afresh and which we need to explore further? What can we set aside as we live together for the Kingdom of God and look forward to Christ’s Return? If you’ve got thoughts, do send an email to Simon and Simon.

In the love of Christ, Simon

P.S. Thank you to those who responded to the C19 survey so we could check what is offered and how we can ensure it is sustainable and see if it is meeting needs. We’ve closed the survey now. We’ll use the information for planning things. The summary is: people appreciate what is offered for worship and teaching and the complexity of doing this; there is some desire for something more traditional and we’re now working on two approaches to this; people recognise the great community work that is going on via so many church members; there is desire to see home groups as central to what we are doing within the church family and we’re working on this with our great home group leaders. Thanks for completing the survey.

THE NOTICES

Pat Hilton
Many of you will have heard by now that Pat died peacefully, at home, last Saturday evening (25th April).  We are deeply saddened by this news, but grateful for the example of Pat’s deep Christian faith, as well as her courage over the last couple of years.  Please pray for Dudley, Catriona, Robert and the wider family, for God’s love and peace to surround them all.   Thank you.

Coming up this week

Managing your time and energy when working from home: a Christian perspective;  a session facilitated by Peter Shaw on Monday 4 May 

Do you struggle with making the best use of time when you are working from home?  This session is for you.    Peter Shaw coaches leaders internationally and will be facilitating this session on Monday 4 May from 8pm to 9:30pm, drawing on Christian themes like gentleness, patience and self-control.  Peter and a colleague have written a prompt sheet (link here) about questions to ask yourself about managing your time and energy when working from home, together with a 4 minute video. (link here).  The session will be in the BHC Public room (password 2020).

VE Day Sing Along and Tea Party
A day early as we hope for good viewing on the TV on Friday! — Lisa and Penny are running a virtual sing along to wartime songs, some readings and an opportunity for a chat.  (Approx event time 40 mins).  The Prime Timers enjoyed a similar event in Busbridge Church last November—but EVERYONE is welcome to this one.   

Ed Olsworth-Peter is hosting another zoom ‘evening with…’ session at 8pm on Monday 11 May in which we’ll be looking at The pioneering church. What will church look like after lockdown? Will it go back to how it was or will it reshape in some way?…  insights, experience, theology and discussion around innovating the New Normal of Church exploring how to: listen, adapt, experiment, inhabit and persevere.

If you have anything to post, thoughts, prayers, musings—remember the BHC Together facebook group is yours to do so!   

Worship, prayer and teaching

With so many of our regular events now transferring onto zoom the diary is back to it’s full self!  Select the event in the web site calendar for full details and to access the right zoom meeting or other online location.

Hambledon Prayer Breakfast— 9am this Saturday, and then 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Saturdays.  Hosted by Simon Willetts.  (Breakfast included if you prepare it yourself.)

Space for God is running a reflective Take time session on Tues, 5 May @ 7.15am

Thursday Live, half an hour to reflect and engage, on Thursday 7 May, 7.30pm, in the zoom prayer room 946-391-4833 (password 2020). The theme for next week is going to be COVID19 – Hammer of God?

Unplugged—6.30pm on 17 May.  The service and music will involve our young people, but it’s always extremely popular with all ages.

Don’t forget—9am Morning Prayer on weekdays.  Probably the best way to start your day!

Loving the community

Kids it’s your turn to join the wave of #viralkindness.  The BHC version is #CreativeKindness.  Penny’s been thinking about the older people we know that aren’t on the internet and are

finding harder to stay connected.  We can still post things though, and would like to pass on messages with all things arty and crafty from our young people to those who need cheering up.  Please see the details on the web site.  We are also enlisting the children from Busbridge Junior and Infant schools to help too. 

A slice of cake on us.  In Hambledon, the village shop is doing an amazing job of coordinating volunteers to delivery orders to those who can’t get out.  As of Thursday, all shop orders are going out with a slice of cake from Hambledon Church with a message from Simon Willetts, just to say Hi, the church is still here and how we can support.  If you are a lucky recipient, enjoy!  (sadly the delivery service doesn’t extend as far as Godalming.)  

Why Pray?  If anyone is asking (and we think they are) please refer them to the web site.  Andy Spencer has put together some info for people who might be thinking about this for the first time, and can respond to people individually, or develop sessions if there’s a demand.  Please pass the word on.

Don’t forget—10.30am Coffee breaks for anyone to pop in and out.  The Coronavirus Response team awaits requests to help those self-isolating—

Email: coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org. The CFSF is receiving donations AND applications for financial gifts.   It’s all on www.bhcgodalming.org

Elsewhere

Christian Aid Week 10-16 May: Love Never Fails.  Please don’t forget it this year, and support in the way you usually would.  See caweek.org to give or take part in their other fundraising initiatives.

Also Tearfund have launched an emergency appeal to help some of the poorest countries in the world where coronavirus is spreading: https://www.tearfund.org/

Something to uplift!
Instead All Souls music team have created a Virtual Prom Praise  with  great music and worship from 10 years  of Prom  Praise, many notable artists from across the world have given input for this virtual event  and  the master editing of 240 musicians and singers on line performing together!

Go to allsoulsmusic.org for more information or look up Virtual Prom Praise on the web… It is 7.30 -9pm this Saturday May 2nd.  I do hope you can share it and be inspired by it and do please  let others know.

Finally, please see: Godalming Churches Together Link up & TTT update is attached for other good stuff going on around us.

 

 

Please find the lastest notices here

This week

Simon writes for the notices

5 tips for parents in isolation with at teenager

Holy Week and Good Friday Reflections

Perhaps, like me, you have been distracted from Lent this year, and Palm Sunday is a good time to refocus on our story, picking up this Sunday in Matthew 21. 

Church@Home this Sunday from 10am– Click to go to BHC Godalming on YouTube

The YouTube service is scheduled to go live just before 10am, so don’t worry if you can’t see it on the channel before that. 

For our Palm Sunday service, Dave Preece is introducing, Simon Taylor is preaching and we have the readings and prayers curtesy of the Kinder family.  We’ve also tried to make the worship sound more familiar, so Lisa has been recording herself in a bedroom at home.  (Isn’t that how Justin Bieber started out?)

The service includes two songs, but the full playlist for this Sunday is on Spotify here for you to enjoy anytime.

This Sunday’s youth & children’s work
0-7s: The Ark will also be available on YouTube – thanks to Judith Hawkey for dressing up and Mike for his contribution to costumes and production.

7-11s: For a lighter look at the Palm Sunday story, the Explorers interactive session is on something clever called padlet where there’s videos, songs, craft and prayers for the children to work through.  Thank you Matt Toombs for producing it, and all the contributors.  I particularly like the Skit Guys take on Palm Sunday – perfectly silly for our under 11s but also made me smile.  And some lovely prayers from the Glaysher children. 

Do take a look here (password john316) –  BUT if you have an Explorer please wait to watch with them on Sunday. 

11-18s: Pathfinders are getting together in the CYF zoom room at 10am and Ichthus at 6.30pm.  Contact Anto if you have anyone who isn’t on the joining list yet.

Also this week, Anto’s 5 tips for parents in isolation with teenagers – some of which might be relevant to everyone else too!

HOLY WEEK – on Zoom

[If you need help with zoom, please see the instructions here, or contact our friendly IT support team – Dave Preece and Anto Ficatier who have demonstrated near saintly patience with new users in the past couple of weeks, and are keen to keep as many people as possible participating in our worship.]

All taking place in the BHC public zoom room – use this link at the scheduled time:

Holy Week Reflections led by Andy Spencer | 8pm Monday and Wednesday

Maundy Thursday Reflection led by Dave Preece | 8pm Thurday

Good Friday | 9am Morning Prayer

Good Friday Reflection led by Margot Spencer | 10am

And don’t forget 9am Morning Prayer, 10.30am Coffee Break & 4pm Tea time on zoom
Please feel free to pop in and out of the BHC public room from 10.30-11am and 4-4.30pm to say hi, share highs and lows from the day.  We’re all getting used to the new technology so this is quite a good time try it out.

JUST FOR FUN

Missing ABC and Sing it Out!?  Next Tuesday at 9.45am parents with little ones are invited to zoom in with their teddies for a live sing along to some favourite songs with actions.  Email lisa.olsworth-peter@bhcgodalming.org ASAP for the details to join in.

Time for a bit of comedy and culture – Ladies and Gents Night at the Theatre
You may have heard that during the COVID-19 crisis, the National Theatre have launched NT at Home on YouTube where every Thursday 7pm you can watch some great British Theatre for free.  Last night the NT streamed its production of One Man, Two Guvnors with James Cordon which is available to watch for another 7 days. 

Simon writes for the weekly notices:

Heavy artillery
This Palm Sunday, thank you for all your acts of kindness and signs of Christ’s love across this church family and in the wider community. Your presence makes a difference. Your prayers change the spiritual atmosphere. The Rt Revd Graham Cray called prayer “the heavy artillery of spiritual warfare”. I am hearing stories of people who have rarely been to church but who have prayed in the past two weeks.

Contact. Connect. Fold in
Over the next week or so every member of this church family will be contacted by us. I don’t know how many you think that might be but if you add up all the adults involved in Nexus, Ark, Explorers, WOW, Prayer Ministry, who have asked for this church email weekly… it is over 650 adults. We’ll contact you about inviting you to be connected to a key person who lives in your neighbourhood. It is about folding into a closer Christ community. It is a way to stay close whilst we are apart and to know the bonds of Christian love at a time such as this. If this isn’t for you, then you just need to reply to the email (next week). We expect most people will be wanting a little bit more connection and community; you may have it in spades yourself but I can promise you that if that is the case, you have something to share with Christians near you who need some of it. Share it and fold in with others!

Hope in dark times
If you’re looking for some hope, do read Simon W and my articles on the church website. Do check the youtube channel out and listen to our sermons from the past two weeks.  (Also available on the soundcloud).

Thanks
There are too many people to thank. Today we’re celebrating Lorna Sherwin, Cathy Brooke, Penny Naylor, Jackie Rooke and others who are spearheading our community response team. Pray for them.

Coffee?
This is why we’re asking everyone to join the 10.30am and 4pm coffee rooms once or twice a week. You might be fine, but others there may need to see your beautiful face. Do it for them.

Simon Taylor
Rector of Busbridge&Hambledon and Area Dean of Godalming
A Deanery Family Encouraging, Enthusing & Equipping one another in Christ

In accordance with the times, these are very different notices to usual.

There are no services until further notice (was there ever a time when this has happened before?), so no rotas or diary dates to shout about.  And we will miss coming together.

Some might be wondering if everyone in the church office has gone to ground this week, in a time of crisis and uncertainty.  Not so. 

Get ready to for a steady stream of opportunities both online and ‘ungathered, together’ to serve the community and stay connected.

We have divided Busbridge&Hambledon Church’s new and developing ministry into 2 broad areas:

Staying Connected

We are offering worship, prayer and fellowship online.  We have a few things up and running already, with more to follow.

10am ON SUNDAYS – YouTube channel BHC Godalming.

There will be a short online message from our clergy team broadcast on the BHC Godalming YouTube channel.  This Sunday we will hear from Simon Taylor, speaking on 1 Samual 1: 20-28 about brokenness, separation and having to fall on God – for a very different kind of Mothering Sunday.

You can subscribe to the BHC Godalming channel on YouTube here, or just click the link we send out at 9.30am on Sunday.  (NB. it’s not perfect – you will also get ads from companies that are not endorsed by the church.)

The music for this Sunday (hymns and worship songs) can be found on this Spotify playlist put together by Lisa.

Daily prayer at 9am weekdays

Anyone can join this via the Prayer Room link on www.bhcgodalming.org.

Judith Hawkey is organising the rota of people to lead, and we hope to add second prayer session in the evening too.  It’s running on something called Zoom and you might find it useful to install it first on your PC or download the app on your smart phone.  We’ll get instructions up on the web site as soon as….

10.30am Coffee break and 4pm Tea time – One of the team will be in the BHC chat room at these times so that anyone can pop in, cup in hand, and chat to anyone who’s there.

CYF – To meet the needs of our children and young people facing weeks if not months of remote learning at home, the CYF team will be hosting activities and youth meetings on Zoom too.  Contact Anto.Ficatier@bhcgodalming to be added to the parents list to receive details.

[We’re trialling quite a few new things, so all this might be a bit clunky at first – please bear with us, not done it before!]

The Churches are open

Please observe all government instructions, but if it is safe for you to visit the churches, they will be open in daylight hours for prayer and reflection. 

At Busbridge, there is a short visual playing on the screen in the church with meditative music.  Thanks to Lisa Olsworth-Peter, Dave Preece and Tim Davies for making this happen. 

Community Response

Everyone that can, wants to help.  We’ve had so many wonderful responses from church members and local people who are already getting on with it, but looking to the church for direction.

In Busbridge, the Community response is being coordinated by Margot Spencer, Cathy Brook, Lorna Sherwin and Penny Naylor.

The team have produced a handout which will be delivered through every door in Busbridge.  We are reliant on Road Stewards for this, a significant number of which are in the vulnerable healthy category and may be self-isolating.  If you would like to support them by delivering the flyers this weekend, please email coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org. 

Hambledon have also set up a Corona response network with lots of people involved.  Details are on the Hambledon Village web site.

The foodbanks are running low, and we are investigating if we can have a collection point in the churches.  The risk of cross contamination of goods is an issue, so we will update on that shortly.

More great ideas for outreach and spreading the Gospel

There’s much more in the pipeline, and it feels like a race, but for better or worse it seems we have time to put different things in place which are worthwhile and sustainable – and build the Kingdom! 

You can find more details and communications we have sent out on the resources page of the web site:  This week: Simon Taylor’s letter to BJS parents, Judith Hawkey’s message to BJS parents, Simon Willett’s reflection and more.

If you do want to stay connected and be involved, please take this time to follow us on facebook, instragram and Twitter, subscribe to the YouTube channel, and use the web site bhcgodalming.org. 

For those not online – we need help –  firstly to identify anyone who might be missing out on communications, or is unable to participate in the online worship and gatherings.  Phone calls, doorstep visits and deliveries will all play an important part here. 

Things you can doAs well as the request for extra road stewards, we would also like to reinforce the Prayer Ministry team. If this is your gift and time now allows, please contact lisa.olsworth-peter@bhcgodalming.org.

GIVINGThis Sunday was/is Mission Sunday for Open Doors.  Sadly the visiting speakers have been postponed, but you can find out about the cause, and ways to donate here. 

Church Family Support Fund – the trustees are currently rewriting the constitution of this fund so that it can be used as a charity to support people in the community who are affected financially by the economic impact of Coronavirus.  It is open to donations by church members for church families now, as it has been for the last 30 years.  Please consider if you’d like to give to it at this time.

The Church Office at the Old RectoryThe majority of clergy and staff are working remotely from home now, and a lot of us will have childcare responsibilities from Monday.  All staff can be reached by email as usual, and the office phone will be manned by one of us in the office or remotely.  Please check whether the Old Rectory is open before you come.

Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback.  We are not able to act on every great suggestion right now, but in time they will all be evaluated.  Let’s keep talking. There is so much that this crisis will teach us.

(Have I missed anything?  Almost certainly.  Read what you will into the lateness of this email.  It’s been a long week for the everyone, but a privilege to serve.)

Kind regards

Vic Hicks

Communications & Office Manager
Part-time: Mon, Wed and Thursdayt: 01483 421267 | w: bhcgodalming.org | Find us on Facebook & Instagram
the Old Rectory, Old Rectory Gardens, Godalaming, GU7 1XB

UPDATED: Precautions against Coronavirus

We are closely following the advice from the government and instructions from the CofE to parishes, as it develops daily.  The BHC leadership team has made plans so that we are ready to respond quickly if and when we are required to change or limit services and/or areas of ministry.  Our plans aim to ensure that we can carry on as safely as possible, but maintain a spiritual and pastoral presence and continue to worship. 

FOR NOW church services and activities are continuing, with the following precautions:

No Communion—for this Sunday it affects 8am, 9am, Busbridge Contemporary, Hambledon Contemporary services which were due to have communion as part of the service. 

Coffee and refreshments—we will not be serving coffee after the Sunday services.  You are welcome to bring your own in a flask or mug.  Refreshments and food shared at other events will only be shared when high levels of hygiene can be maintained.  (Saturday’s Marvellous Movie Matinee and CYF activities will offer individually wrapped snacks, for example).

Printed materials and handouts—Hymn and prayer books have been removed from the churches.  Printed handouts will be limited to single use song sheets and notices where necessary.  Please help yourself.

Larger congregations— Busbridge Contemporary and Unplugged—will meet outside this Sunday to allow social distancing.  The services will be 30-40 mins.  Children’s work will take place as normal at 10am.  Busbridge Contemporary will be in the school playground, and Unplugged will be in the Old Rectory garden.

THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:

Follow government advice and guidelines to protect yourself and others from the spread of Coronavirus.

Please don’t come to church or the Old Rectory if you feel at all unwell, even if the symptoms are not indicative of Coronavirus.  The same request applies if there’s a chance that you might have been exposed to anyone with the virus, or anyone who has come from a containment area.

Please let the church office know if you have any symptoms of the virus, and particularly if you are being tested or have tested positive.

Please consider the safety (vulnerability of members, numbers, meeting space) when arranging to meet in home groups, for prayer or other bible study.

AT CHURCH:

Wave hello, bump elbows, tap toes etc.  Please continue to offer a warm and friendly greeting to each other without  handshaking or other hands on contact for the time being.

Keep your distance!  Please aim to sit/stand apart 2m from each other. 

Please make use of the handwashing facilities at both churches, and in the school hall.  We have a limited supply of hand gel in the churches, but it is proving difficult to more and we need to keep it for use by the clergy.  Please bring your own if you can.

Your will see from the listing on the front that some higher risk events have been cancelled.  Looking ahead, arrangements are likely to change, possibly at short notice, PLEASE CHECK www.bhcgodalming.org TO SEE IF THE EVENT YOU ARE COMING TO IS TAKING PLACE.  Any changes will be published on the calendar, on bhcgodalming facebook and Instagram pages, and by email.  (Have we got your email address? – email vic.hicks@bhcgodalming.org)

What about ….?  This probably won’t have answered all your questions on more specific aspects of church life, and we may (or may not) be able to answer anything else you think of.  Please call or email the office and we’ll create add things to FAQs on the web site.

Other items

We send our love to two Hambledon families bereaved during the last week: John Tidmarsh and the family, following Annie’s death on 5 March … and Simon Rhodes and family, following Louise’s death on 10 March.  Once funeral details have been settled, we will let you know.  In the meantime, please hold them all in your prayers, asking God to surround them with his love … and for his peace and comfort to be very real.

Posies for Mothering Sunday – 22 MarchCarole Keating asks for volunteers to help her make posies for Mothering Sunday. If you would like to join her on Saturday 21 March at 9.30am in Busbridge Church Centre, please contact Carole via liz.gorst@bhcgodalming.org.  Any donations of greenery (especially heather) would also be gratefully received.

‘What’s on your washing Line?’ A creative Lent installation will be on display outside Busbridge Church from 2 March until Easter.   Come and have a look.

***DATES AND EVENTS FOR LENT AND EASTER ARE NOW ON THE WEB SITE—PLEASE ALSO TAKE ‘A WHAT’S ON YOUR WASHING LINE?’ LEAFLET TO KEEP HANDY***.