n’s, west byfleet issue 7 summer 2015 · spotlight on st. john’s, west byfleet issue 7 –...
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SPOTLIGHT ON ST. JOHN’S, WEST BYFLEET Issue 7 – Summer 2015
on St. John’s Church, West Byfleet
Welcome! Welcome to our latest edition of Spotlight, the magazine from the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in West Byfleet, which is distributed throughout the parish quarterly. Inside this edition, Chris Hollingshurst gives some insight to his forthcoming Blues gig, whilst on p3 we have information about our upcoming Fete with attractions for all the family. On p4 there is some information about our community project to complete the final church banner, everyone is welcome to be involved!
If you have some comments on our magazine, please contact the editor by email - [email protected]
We publish a diary of events at St John’s that is updated regularly at our website - www.stjohnswestbyfleet.org.uk
Our new Facebook & YouTube pages also contain current information and comment, and can be found at: www.facebook.com/stjohnswestbyfleet https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ltN2jGZUliT6T7OMbyzVg
St. John’s, West Byfleet - Camphill Rd, West Byfleet, Surrey KT14 6EH
Diary of Events (2015) (see website for more details) June 2015 Sun 7th Taize Evening Prayer at 6.30 pm Sat 13th Summer Fete, 11am - 3 pm Sun 14th Family Communion at 10am Sun 21st Patronal Festival (St John the Baptist Day); Parish Communion at 10am
July 2015 Sat 4th Genesis Chorale 'American Pie' concert at 7.30 pm Sun 5th Choral Evensong at 6.30 pm Sat 11th Highway 49 (Blues & Gospel music) concert at 7.30 pm - see p2 for more details Sun 12th Family Communion at 10am Sun 26th Parish Communion at 10am with the Bishop of Dorking
August 2015 Sun 2nd Songs of Praise at 6.30pm - favourite hymns for everybody to sing Sun 9th Family Communion at 10am
SPOTLIGHT ON ST. JOHN’S, WEST BYFLEET Issue 7 – Summer 2015
17TH
OCTOBER 2015 6.30PM
Beetle Drive – Keep the date!
New Haweli host charity lunch in The Cornerstone Centre in aid of the DEC's Nepal Appeal Many of you will be familiar with the New Hawali restaurant in the centre of West Byfleet. On Bank Holiday Monday they hosted a charity buffet lunch between 11am and 4pm in aid of the Nepal Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund. Food and drink were provided free of charge by New Haweli and St. John’s provided use of their hall and facilities. Visitors were asked to provide donations towards the appeal. Over 250 people participated during the day and a total of £4240.41 was raised towards the DEC appeal. An astonishing achievement and a fun community day as well! https://www.facebook.com/newhaweli
The Blues by - Chris Hollingshurst
As Chris prepares to play with his Blues duo, Highway 49, at St. John’s on the 11
th July, he gives some background to
Blues & Gospel music and the inspiration he draws from it.
“For years the blues has been characterized as 'The Devil's Music'! However, people of faith have been 'singing the blues' for centuries. You only have to look in the Bible at the Psalms to see that 'deep calls out to deep' (Psalm 42, verse 7) as the psalmist tells God with searing honesty what he thinks of life's difficulties. That's why one writer described King David, who is credited with most of the psalms, as the first bluesman. It's also why the singer Bono once wrote a preface to a Bible commentary on the Psalms. The older I get, the more I recognise the need for perspective. There are some genuinely upbeat songs in the blues catalogue but the biggest problem with 'I woke up this morning and I felt so blue', and so on, is that it can make me look backwards at gloomy scenarios. It is a very good thing to express genuine emotion, but there eventually comes a time to get on with life in God's strength. We are called to live life to the full, because we are first and foremost loved by God. That's where the psalms score heavily, even those which decry the unfairness of the world. Unlike some bluesmen, the psalmist usually returns to an assurance of the knowledge of God and His promises to all of creation. Most of the psalms are actually forward-looking and, once the catharsis is over, they point us to a continuing future with God and with each other. Consequently so many psalms express the joy of life and considerable gratitude for life's many blessings. The equivalent if related musical genre might be gospel music, something that I find myself listening to more and more. I will always love the blues for the strength with which it touches my spirit, but I love the psalms for the same reason. There is no better place to turn when we want to be real with God. As one contemporary songwriter has put it: 'all our days are in His faithful hands.'”
Chris’ Highway 49 gig is on Saturday 11th
July in the church. Details opposite. Tickets are available now.
SPOTLIGHT ON ST. JOHN’S, WEST BYFLEET Issue 7 – Summer 2015
St. John’s Fete
Groups @ St. John’s
Pain Support
A monthly group for those living with chronic pain Contact Jayne Collins 01932 343794
New Horizons An over 50’s group; meets monthly on Monday afternoons for activities, discussion and refreshments Contact Eric Atkinson 01483 827894
Junior Choir/Adult Choir Juniors (from age 7) meet every Tuesday at 6.15 pm for an hour of musical games and singing. Adults (from age 16) meet every Wednesday at 8.15 pm. Experience not essential, but enthusiasm and the desire to develop your voice is! Contact Ian Church 01483 564939; [email protected]
Mission Statement
We are committed to:
seek prayerfully to know and do God’s will;
be a family friendly Anglican church with a liberal catholic
ethos and choral tradition;
be a welcoming and caring community open to all, with
worship and prayer at its heart;
learn and pray together;
be a safe place where people can explore and ask questions
about life and faith;
engage lovingly with the wider community;
inspire people to find faith and to grow in Christ;
promote peace, justice and the integrity of creation
West Byfleet baby & Toddler Group Meets weekly on Wednesday afternoons for parents with babies and toddlers Contact Mary Blackwood 01932 344520 / Bridget Smith 01932 844202
Wit Knits Meets weekly to produce knitted soft toys, and raise funds for St Peter’s Hospital Maternity Unit. No experience necessary! Contact Janet Hodges 01932 402525
Summer Fete
SATURDAY 13TH JUNE 2015
11 am -3 pm in Church Hall &
Grounds
Come spend the day with us.
Meet the animals from Miller's Ark Children’s Mobile Farm
Many stalls, such as Plants; Books; Toys, Tombolas, Craft, Games to Play, Hot & Cold Refreshments and much more. A place to meet and make new friends.
Come listen to the very talented Fullbrook Dance Band who will be appearing throughout the event.
All welcome
Cornerstone Centre
Did you know the Cornerstone Centre (attached to St. John’s) is available for hire?
It comprises the main hall, a smaller meeting room (the Dora Honnor Room) and an upstairs office (the Langsmead Room).
Prices start from £10.00 / hour. Contact [email protected]
SPOTLIGHT ON ST. JOHN’S, WEST BYFLEET Issue 7 – Summer 2015
8 am - Holy Communion
A said service - a time for quiet worship at the start of the day.
10 am - Parish Communion
A service with hymns and a choir to help the congregation take part in the sung parts of the service. There is a sermon - looking together at what God may be saying to us. This is a time to worship and celebrate the work of the Lord Jesus Christ among his people, seeking strength and guidance for the week ahead.
Children are welcome to sit with their parents, but there is an optional in-church Toddlers area for children under three; children between 3 and 11 may leave our worship for a JAM SESSION (Jesus and Me) in the Cornerstone Centre and will rejoin the rest of the congregation later in the service.
Family Communion
On the Second Sunday of the Month, although this may vary for special occasions, the service is tailored more for children, and is shorter. It provides an opportunity for parents and children to be in church together for the whole of the service.
Refreshments after ...
Each Sunday the 10.00 am worship is followed by coffee or squash and biscuits. This is a good opportunity to get to know each other better and to share news of the week.
6.30 pm - Evening Worship
There is usually an act of worship on the first Sunday in the month. A variety of formats are used.
WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS
On Wednesday
10 am Holy Communion
A quiet said service to set you up in the middle of the week.
Weekdays
9 am Daily Prayer
WEEKDAY WORSHIP
CONTACTS
http://www.stjohnswestbyfleet.org.uk
If your enquiry is not urgent, please contact the Parish Administrator on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons on 01932 342263 or email [email protected].
If people need the services of a Christian minister in an emergency, please contact Chris Hollingshurst on 01932 400198 or email [email protected]
Our Pastoral Assistants are trained to deal with specific issues and life events:
Fanny Cross (General Assistance and Broadoaks Estate) 01932 345415
Anthony Hopkins (communion for the housebound) 01932 349995
Geoff Jones (Baptisms) 01932 851830
Carol Oxborough (visiting the elderly) 01932 352080
The Cornerstone Centre Our church centre is available for hire by local organisations and residents for meetings, parties and family events. Click on the ‘Cornerstone’ tab of our website for more details. For bookings, email [email protected] or call 07534 633 859 (voicemail and text).
www.facebook.com/stjohnswestbyfleet
Let Out The Light – community project Let Out The Light: The White Banner Community Project Some of you will be familiar with the Textile banners in the church. The Green, Red and Purple pieces formed part of a collection based on the colours of the liturgy and were created by a group of enthusiastic people during a series of workshops in 2012. There should, of course, have been a fourth banner; the White one. Various reasons prevented me from completing the design and organising the workshops, but I am delighted to announce that we're back on track! Everyone is invited. How you can take part: The gathering of words. Your favourite poem, prayer, line of a song, piece of prose... something that has meaning to you. Handwritten, these will form the main part of the art. Please hand write using pencil onto paper and place in the box at the back of the church. You can add your name or be anonymous. The gathering of bits and pieces. We need fabric, thread, ribbon, lace, cord, netting etc in the following colours: white, cream, gold, silver, grey. Anything you may have tucked away. As with the first three banners, all the materials used are to be recycled or vintage. Please put these in the box in the church. The workshops. There will be three workshops on Saturday 27th June, 1st August & 8th August. In the church hall from 10am until 2pm. You can come along for the whole day or just pop in for half an hour. There will be full guidance and instruction. Sewing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, beads, sequins and some crazy machine embroidery techniques will all feature. Beginners and experienced people are all welcome. Last time we had newbies creating amazing stuff! Contact me if you would like to be involved. Cate Field ([email protected])