transform edition 2
DESCRIPTION
Transform magazine April - June 2009TRANSCRIPT
Goodbye Laurence: the loss of a legend
Wedded Bliss!
IN THIS ISSUE
Spotlight on Brazil p2-3
Focus on Prayer p4-6
Talent Show p7
Ashburnham p8
The Life Course p8
Dear St John’s...
A fter 55 years of wonderful service to
St John's Church, we said an extremely sad
goodbye to Verger Laurence Knowles who
died on 9th April, aged 78. Our special thoughts are
with all his family - his wife of 52 years, Joan and his two
sons Malcolm and Graham and daughter Diane.
In 1954, the year that Roger Bannister ran the four-minute mile,
and post-war rationing finally came to an end,
Laurence took on the role of Church Clerk and
Verger from his father, Harry Knowles, who had
done the job for the preceding twenty eight years.
Laurence was one of the country's longest serving
vergers who dedicated 55 years of his life to St John's. He was
responsible for organising weddings, and recording events such
as marriages and deaths in official registers. His intimate
knowledge of the church building and its events is probably
unsurpassable, and his work over many years has drawn
praise from all those who knew him.
We will all have our own special and individual memories of
Laurence. Having started his lifetime's service to St John's as
a Chorister aged eight, Laurence was characteristically
humble about his role, saying on the occasion of
celebrating 50 years as Verger: "It was always
my heart's desire to serve in this way - I thought
I would end up doing this job for many years". Laurence Knowles: 55 years of faithful service as Verger
O n th e 28 th F eb ru ary , w e
celebrated the marriage of Bill
and Jackie Holloway.
The Church was full, and friends
and family members were in-
volved in every part of the beauti-
ful ceremony. Bill's son Peter and
longstanding friend Jonathan
Viera entertained the congrega-
tion while the happy couple signed
the register. The service was fol-
lowed by photographs and an
afternoon tea.
Bill and Jackie would like to thank
everyone who worked so hard to
make their day such a special
event!
T wo things are very much on my mind
as I pen these words. One is the
theme of this edi-
tion of transform,
which is especially
focussed on prayer
and on our commit-
ment as a Church to
become a House of
Prayer. The other is the
sad loss of Laurence
Knowles who served
St John‘s as Verger
for an amazing fifty-
five years who
passed away just before
Easter.
Laurence spent the last few weeks of his life in
hospital and despite his courage and humour
and his determination to come home he gradu-
ally grew weaker and more confused by the
high levels of medication that he needed.
But even when he was unable to engage in con-
versation or even to open his eyes there was one
thing that made him alert and lucid: prayer.
Whenever I said the Lord‘s Prayer or the Evening
Collect or read through the Communion prayers,
Laurence would join in with the words that were
lodged deep in his heart. He was a man of
prayer. And he is greatly missed.
For St John‘s to become a House of Prayer we
must get into the habit of prayer so it becomes
lodged deep in our heart. We need to understand
that we are engaged in work that depends on
God‘s Spirit at work among us; that we cannot
complete by our own efforts alone. We need to
believe that nothing of true and lasting signifi-
cance can happen in St John‘s apart from prayer.
Becoming a House of Prayer … p4-6
Rev Jeff Wattley
Vicar of St John‘s
WE must GET INTO THE
HABIT OF prayer SO IT
BECOMES LODGED deep
WITHIN OUR hearts
This year‘s children‘s holiday club
August 24-28th 2009 Come and be part of it! For more information on how to be involved,
please contact Rachel Upcott on [email protected]
Naomi Page caught up with her friend and former housemate Hannah Cross and found out all a b o u t h e r l i f e - c h a n g i n g experiences.
Having just come back from six months in
Olinda, in the north-east of Brazil, Hannah
has spent the last three weeks explaining to
dozens of different people exactly what she
was doing there. It's fortunate that she loves
talking about the projects she's been
involved with – as we chat, it is easy to see
that God has given her a real passion for
Brazil and its people. “It's amazing to be
where God is working, it's such a privilege,”
she says. Back in 2006, during her first trip
to Brazil with the St Johns' student team,
God was opening doors and placing a
strong desire on her heart to serve the
people she met there.
Casa de Meu Pai
This was Hannah's third trip to Brazil, and she
spent it at Casa de Meu Pai (My Father's
House), a shelter for street children from the
favela, working alongside St John‘s Mission
Partners, Ian & Simea Meldrum. There are ten
boys living at the project, between the ages of
eight and sixteen. Casa de Meu Pai is intended
as a restoration home for boys who, for one
reason or another, cannot live at home. Some
have been involved in gang crime and their
lives are in danger, others have difficult family
situations that require outside intervention. The
workers at the project give the boys in their
care a safe place to stay, but more than that, a
normal life - they are taught social skills,
respect for others and are enrolled in school.
―As Christians,‖ Hannah says, ―it's so important
to us to share God's love with them.‖
A normal day at the house begins at 6:30am.
The boys wake up and are led in prayers by
their dorm leaders. They eat breakfast and
half of them go to school while the
others spend the morning doing
chores and activities. They play
sports, go swimming and go to the
beach – Casa de Meu Pai is situated right on
the beach and has its own pool. Those who
have been to school return and they eat lunch
about midday, before the others go to school.
The hot time after lunch is spent resting before
Editor’s Bit
Transform May—June 09 Page 2
Can you help?
We need a designer for
Using Microsoft Publisher to produce the magazine‘s
artwork ready for printing every two months.
If you‘re interested, or for more information please email
about
The magazine for members of St John‘s
Church in Egham. It is produced bi-monthly,
with the aim of helping to connect and build
our church family. Its purpose is to provide
information and encouragement on church life
and our family – specifically to show how God
is transforming situations and people.
It‘s not designed for people who don‘t yet
come to St John‘s. But, if when you‘ve
finished reading your copy, you‘d like to pass
it on to a friend or neighbour, then that would
be great too!
Editorial
We welcome items for inclusion or ideas for
stories. Ideally these should be submitted in
an MS Word document, hi - r es J P G s or
o t h er e l ec t r on i c f o r m , a n d s e n t
b y e m a i l t o
The team
transform is edited by Alison Berry, with the
support of a wider team; Laura Beattie, Naomi
Page and Anne-Maria Roshier. Original
magazine layout and design is by Richard
Jack.
Advertising
We will accept a number of adverts each
issue both from within the church family, and
a small number of external advertisements.
Acceptance of any advertising is at the
discretion of the editing team, and the
acceptance of an advertisement in transform
magazine is not necessarily an endorsement
by the editorial team of the service or product
offered.
Deadlines
The deadline for submissions to be
considered for inclusion in the next edition of
Transform (July / August 2009) is 9th June.
Welcome to edition two of
F or this issue‘s
Editor‘s thoughts,
I‘m very grateful
to Tim Sudworth, who
shared the following
story at a recent PCC
meeting. It has made
me think about all the
times when God is
working, showing
us people he loves
who he‘s just
waiting to call to Him, but whom we‘re probably
just a bit busy to notice….
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC
and started to play the violin; it was a cold
January morning. He played six Bach pieces
for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it
was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands
of people went through the station, most of
them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man
noticed there was musician playing. He slowed
his pace and stopped for a few seconds and
then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute
later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a
woman threw the money in the case and
without stopping continued to walk. A few
minutes later, someone leaned against the wall
to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch
and started to walk again. Clearly he was late
for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-
year-old boy. His mother tugged him along,
hurrying, but the kid stopped to look at the
violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and
the child continued to walk turning his head all
the time. This action was repeated by several
other children. All the parents, without
exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6
people stopped and stayed for a while. About
20 gave him money but continued to walk their
normal pace. He collected $32. When he
finished playing and silence took over, no one
noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there
any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua
Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He
played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway,
Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston with
tickets averaging $100.
This is a real story, Joshua Bell playing
incognito in the metro station was organised by
the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste and
transform Editor, Alison Berry
GOD IS working TO SHOW
US THE PEOPLE HE loves.
ARE WE TOO busy TO NOTICE?
priorities of people. In a commonplace
environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we
perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognise the talent in an unexpected
context? If we do not have a moment to stop
and listen to one of the best musicians in the
world playing the best music ever written, how
many other opportunities are we missing?
Back from Brazil
“ It’s amazing to be where God
is working. It’s such a privilege
Hannah on her time in Brazil
Prayer
―I couldn't have done it without prayer,‖ Hannah
says, ―it was essential to the whole thing. I'm
overwhelmed by the support given to me by
people at St John‘s. Please keep praying that
the boys will make the most of the opportunities
offered to them, and will want to change their
lives – that God will meet with them and they
will be transformed by Him.‖
And we, who with unveiled faces all
reflect the Lord's glory, are being trans-
formed into his likeness with ever-
increasing glory, which comes from the
Lord, who is the spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Transform May — June 09
Mission Unwrapped
St John‘s very own alternative gift
catalogue. Birthdays, weddings, anniver-
saries, baptisms...all special occasions,
and the chance to give a gift.
Use Mission Unwrapped to give a gift that
will change a life. For the better, and for-
ever. A selection of gifts, which supports
the full range of the church‘s
Mission Partners.
Available as printed catalogue, and also
all the gifts can be bought through the
church website www.stjohnsegham.com
Printed gift cards are available.
Page 3
Back from Brazil
Supporting Mission
Rodrigo is one of the older boys in the house, and the change in him
is exactly what the project would like to do for every boy.
He arrived four years ago, aged eleven, having been beaten by his mother, ne-
glected and left alone for days at a time. The project has given him a sense of self-
worth, responsibility, an education, and most importantly a living, mature and pas-
sionate faith in God. The work done at Casa de Meu Pai is transforming the young
lives of boys who would otherwise be forgotten about and ignored by society.
Keyrings
During Hannah's time at the project a co-
operative was started, making and selling key-
rings made out of beads. Any money made
goes into a pot and the boys are allowed to
spend it on treats – trips to the cinema, meals
out and going to see famous landmarks. Mak-
ing the keyrings takes patience and concentra-
tion, and practising these skills has other bene-
fits – for example when they are doing their
homework. In addition, the project teaches
them about co-operating as a group and man-
aging their money – they must discuss and vote
on what they want to do when it comes to
spending their profits.
Hannah also started making memory books
with some of the boys. ―It is easy to take a child
off the streets,‖ she says, ―but it is hard to take
the street out of the
child‖. Making these
books helps the boys
form an identity sepa-
rate to the streets –
many simply define
themselves as a
―street child‖ and it is
important to show them
that they have
choices and op-
portunit ies
in life.
Genivaldo’s keyring was one of those sold to
raise money that the boys can spend on treats
the boys do activities for a few hours. The
evenings are spent relaxing – the boys enjoy
hip-hop dancing and watching action films.
They have dinner and are then led in a
devotional consisting of sung worship, games
and an interactive talk. The day ends at
9:30pm.
Focus on Prayer
Transform May-June 09
What does a House of Prayer look like?
Will Bissett had a clear picture during one of the Saturday morning prayer meetings of the
effect of us turning to God in prayer:
“The St John’s Church building bathed in the light of a warm summer glow, and joyful people running
out from it in all directions carrying wide brightly coloured ribbons, and taking them out into the sur-
rounding community - joyful people with something amazing in their hearts running out from St John’s.”
The verse that Will linked to his picture was from The Message version of Matthew 5:14-16
"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're
going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to
hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hill-
top, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By
opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous
Father in heaven.”
St John’s: Becoming a House of Prayer
What is a House of Prayer?
by Alison Berry
I struggled to write this piece, made especially difficult
by the sound of tiles being bashed off our kitchen walls.
Then, I heard the immortal words of Bon Jovi (!) from
the builders‘ radio, singing out ―Living on a prayer‖, and I
realised that prayer is our life-blood. Whether we live to
pray, or pray to live, prayer and life are inextricably linked.
It‘s been said that ―Prayer moves the hand that moves the
world…..‖
But what is Prayer?
It‘s simply talking with God - our direct line with heaven
that:
Gives us purpose
Refreshes our spirits
Puts us under God in submission
Allows God permission to work in our lives
Roots out problems
Gives us perspective
Renews us and transforms us
You may have heard that at St John‘s we have a goal of
becoming a house of prayer, a phrase taken from Isaiah
56:6-8 where the prophet spoke God‘s words that ―my
house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
Becoming a house of prayer means being reliant on prayer
as the most important thing our church does, and being
committed to ―binding ourselves to the Lord to serve him,
to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him‖ (Isaiah
56).
Prayer must lie at the heart of everything
we are and everything we do.
I’ve never forgotten what one of
my CYFA leaders used to say:
‘Compared to prayer, everything the church
does is like rearranging the furniture
when the house is on fire’
Anne-Maria Roshier
Page 4
Draw Near is a weekend designed to help us deepen our devotion to God in prayer.
It is an invitation to come together and recommit our lives to Him. Through the weekend we will be exploring
together themes from Isaiah's commissioning (Isaiah 6:1-8), in which he encounters a holy God, is brought to
his knees in confession, receives forgiveness, and is sent out to serve the Lord. There will be opportunities to
pray in all sorts of ways: noisily and in silence, privately and together, artistically and in words. But through it
all we pray that God will renew his calling to St John's to be his hands and his voice in our community.
Opportunities to Pray
First Priority
Our central prayer meeting. The second Tuesday of each month for
an hour, starting at 8pm in Church.
Knees and Buns
Every Saturday morning at 9am in the Caddey, with breakfast after-
wards. Prayer specifically for the church, and the ministry of St John‘s
in our community
“
Transform May-June 09 Page 5
I t‘s always amazing how God works
through our willingness to serve him.
From the first time I came to a Ladies‘
Prayer Breakfast, I just loved it. I came, as
a relative newcomer to St John‘s, not really
knowing many people, but walking into the
church centre, I immediately felt welcomed,
accepted, and as though I was being
enveloped in a great big hug! Little
did I realise that I would end up
taking over leadership of this
ministry, but God has put to-
gether a fantastic team –
there‘s six of us who plan and
organise each event, which
takes place once every two
months on a Saturday from 8.30
– 10.15 a.m.
Through these events, we are
helping people to become
more dependent on God
What does a House of Prayer look like?
Will Bissett had a clear picture during one of the Saturday morning prayer meetings of the
effect of us turning to God in prayer:
“The St John’s Church building bathed in the light of a warm summer glow, and joyful people running
out from it in all directions carrying wide brightly coloured ribbons, and taking them out into the sur-
rounding community - joyful people with something amazing in their hearts running out from St John’s.”
The verse that Will linked to his picture was from The Message version of Matthew 5:14-16
"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're
going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to
hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hill-
top, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By
opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous
Father in heaven.”
St John’s: Becoming a House of Prayer
Draw Near is a weekend designed to help us deepen our devotion to God in prayer.
It is an invitation to come together and recommit our lives to Him. Through the weekend we will be exploring
together themes from Isaiah's commissioning (Isaiah 6:1-8), in which he encounters a holy God, is brought to
his knees in confession, receives forgiveness, and is sent out to serve the Lord. There will be opportunities to
pray in all sorts of ways: noisily and in silence, privately and together, artistically and in words. But through it
all we pray that God will renew his calling to St John's to be his hands and his voice in our community.
There is lots of time for reflective and private prayer, often
using visuals on screen to help when we pray for our com-
munity.
Making ladies feel comfortable is very close to my heart – I
know that women often feel more comfortable and ready to
ask for help, when they are in the company of other
women. Also, we learn from reading Titus chapter 2 about
older women ministering to younger women and helping
them in their faith.
Ladies come for all sorts of different reasons, but the
words of one person following our March prayer breakfast
were of special meaning:
“I come... for encouragement and I realise that the women
I see here have prayed, cried and laughed with me, over
the years as we have together searched for God and
Christ in us, the hope of glory together. This is a good
reason for celebration.”
I‘d encourage anyone to come and join us for prayer, wor-
ship, food and friendship. We have anything from 35 to 50
ladies coming along, but we always have lots of extra
croissants, so please join us. If you feel hesitant, chat to
one of the team, or myself – we can come along with you
the first time, or meet you at the door.
―Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting to-
gether…but let us encourage one another.‖
(Hebrews 10:24-5)
The next ladies’ prayer breakfast is on 9th May at
8.30am in the Church Centre
through prayer. We actively support family and community
life, and through the year‘s programme, we seek to equip
and inspire every member to play their part in God‘s work.
Partly it‘s about building up the faithful, giving people
great tips for spiritual growth, but there‘s a real outward
focus too, praying for our community.
To give a flavour of what the breakfasts are like…We
meet between 8.30 and 10.15. The ‗running order‘
varies but typically we start with a continental
breakfast together followed by a short time of
worship. Then there is a talk or testimony,
from an invited speaker, or our own ladies, on
a different topic each time but often these
are linked in a series. Recently we‘ve had
―Finding Assurance‖, ―Finding Peace‖ and
the May breakfast will be about ―Finding
Forgiveness‖. After this we always spend
time in prayer – often in small groups
around the tables. We aim to offer oppor-
tunities for prayer time that will suit all
ages, stages, style and comfort level.
Ladies’ Prayer Breakfasts
Linda Matthews talks about these special events
Opportunities to Pray
First Priority
Our central prayer meeting. The second Tuesday of each month for
an hour, starting at 8pm in Church.
Knees and Buns
Every Saturday morning at 9am in the Caddey, with breakfast after-
wards. Prayer specifically for the church, and the ministry of St John‘s
in our community
The 12 o’clock Prayer Pause
Every day, anywhere you are, whoever
you are with – set your phone alarm to
midday and pause for prayer – to pray
for our church, for opportunities to
transform our community, or whatever
God is prompting that day.
Prayer at St John’s
Transform May-June 09 Page 6
86 High Street Egham Surrey
01784 438484 / 07966 697810
www.armstronghenry.com
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Regular or occasional appointments. Competitive rates
Private, NHS, carer respite and direct payments clients
Free assessment & advice
Call in and talk to us, without obligation
But how can I pray?
To many, prayer can seem complicated,
but it’s simply talking to God.
What Do I Say?
Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and
make you new in Him:
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the
Lord,‖ (Acts 3:19)
Tell Him your needs:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because
he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Thank Him, for He died on the cross:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who-ever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
How Do I Say It?
With confidence and belief that He will deliver:
“Let us then approach the throne of
grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
With joy that He can deliver:
“You have made known to me the
paths of life; you will fill me with joy in
your presence” (Acts 2:28)
With expectation that He is going to deliver:
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my
requests before you and wait in ex-
pectation.” (Psalm 5:3)
Laura Beattie reviews God on Mute by
Pete Greig
God on Mute is a strikingly honest book, unafraid
to address the uncomfortable truths of what it
means to deal with the issue of ‗unanswered
prayer‘ head on. Pete Greig – theology graduate
and co-founder of the 24-7 prayer movement -
does so by recounting the events of a period in
his life during which his wife, after recently giving
birth, is diagnosed with a brain tumour. In the
days leading up to her
treatment, and in the sub-
sequent epilepsy she is left
with, Pete finds his real
struggle with unanswered
prayer begins. His main
prayer is answered, in that Samie survives, but
the condition that continues to affect their daily
lives so profoundly seems to serve no purpose
and is also largely unaffected by prayer.
"Why doesn't God heal her? Is the problem my
unbelief? Is it a matter of spiritual warfare? Is it
simply the Fall? Why doesn't Jesus do what He
did 2,000 years ago? Is it His will for Samie to
suffer? Why would He want such a thing? I
wouldn't wish seizures on my worst enemy. It's
not as though another assault on my wife's body
is going to further world peace or even deepen
our faith in a way that the previous 10 seizures
did not."
Woven into this overarching narrative, as Pete
and Samie come to deal with their situation, is
the parallel story of Jesus‘ experiences, first in
Gethsemane when his fears overwhelm him, on
the Cross when he cries out against his aban-
donment, and in the deafening silence of the
tomb. Indeed it is one of the continuous points he
raises is that we must not be afraid to be afraid -
or sad, confused, scared or doubting – in the
face of events that are so inexplicable or terrible,
and seem unaffected by even the most heartfelt
and earnest prayers. Our faith should not crum-
ble in these moments, yet we need not rush to
find meaning, or beauty, where perhaps God‘s
plan is yet to make itself known. Sorrow is sor-
row and to lament of a situation is not to invite
condemnation. It is this recognition, as well as
the revelations of his personal journey – that
ultimately we can always look towards the
greater glory of God for solace - that allow Pete
Greig to address
the apparent si-
lence of God in a
way that leaves you
feeling both encour-
aged and assured.
Utilising the stories of many others, many of
whom deal with years of unanswered prayer, he
highlights the fact that the chance to engage with
God, even in suffering can leave its own bless-
ing, even though it
may come in the
form of a ‗glorious
redemption‘ not
immediately obvi-
ous to us in our
pain – a pain in
which we are never
alone.
God on Mute is
a v a i l a b l e f ro m
24-7pray er.com
priced £7.99 + P&P
I believe in the sun even when it isn’t shining.
I believe in love even when I am alone.
I believe in God even when He is silent.
First Priority at St John’s
Come and pray for the church and our community. Help to build St John‘s into a House of Prayer. Second Tuesday of each month at 8pm in church
When God goes quiet
T.R. GARDEN SERVICES
For all your garden requirements
Seasonal prep & Planting
Pruning—lawns—hedges
Maintenance of shed and fences
Also odd jobs and small DIY
Fully Insured—CRB certificate
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YEAR ROUND SERVICE
Terry 07847 531478 (mobile)
01932 568 774 (ansaphone)
On Sunday 8th March, after regular services had
ended, the church was transformed by an army of
helpers into a theatre-cum-art gallery for the Talent
Show and Auction in aid of the Capital 100 challenge.
Using the parable of the ‗talents‘ from Matthew 25 to
illustrate the way in which God rewards those who
best use that given to them by Him, the show was a
chance for both the children and adults of St John‘s to
come together and celebrate their own unique talents
as given by God, and to share them with other peo-
ple in aid of a good cause.
Before the talent portion of the event kicked off peo-
ple had the chance to buy refreshments and view the
artwork on display as made by the children. These
ranged from handprints, to ink art, to still life, as well
as photos of St John‘s taken by the children and
handmade jewellery all available for
purchase.
When it came to the talent itself Lizzie
Naudi‘s rousing rendition of Father Abra-
ham really got the crowd going, and the
laughter and praise that filled the church
were typical of the event as a whole. We
had the privilege of listening and watch-
ing a range of excellent performances,
including singing, guitar playing, dancing
and gymnastics, a turn by the Handbell
Group and even a trio of baritone horns.
The range of talent on display really
St John’s Community
Transform May-June 09 Page 7
“With singing lips my mouth will praise you”
Kay Gough talks about what it means to her being in the St John’s Choir Psalm 63:5
I ‘ve always enjoyed singing and hearing
hymns, but I used to get very embarrassed
at how much I could be moved by a hymn –
that‘s why I always used to sit at the back
whenever I went to church. I think it‘s amusing
now that I have ended up in a choir sitting up at
the front of the church facing the congregation,
and that I sometimes even have to stand on the
dais.
I first started going regularly to church about
seven years ago and my main reason for want-
ing to go was that I wanted to sing. I realise
now that God had some things he wanted me
to be moved about!
I can remember my mum singing ‗There is a
green hill far away‘ to me as a little girl. It was
and is her favourite hymn and I have been
thinking lately about my mum‘s influence on me
through this hymn. I realise that it was this
hymn that started my own sense of faith all
those years ago.
I feel I have joined the choir more by accident
than design, but I knew immediately that it was
something I wanted to do when asked and I
have now started to understand the place of
music in a service AS PRAISE. I can honestly
say that I have had times when I didn‘t think I
had a voice in me for praise, but I am always
amazed at how worship lifts me up, above and
out of my situation. I come each Sunday now
highlighted in a joyful way the diverse and dynamic
combination of people God has brought together at
St John‘s.
As well as the children‘s artwork, the auctioning of the
larger events was a great success, with Jeff presiding
as auctioneer. Donations of beautiful framed photos
from Sheila Wattley, paintings by Matthew Williams
and Joe McGowen as well as a pretty flower arrange-
ment by Bobbie McCance made over £300. Com-
bined with the sale of the children's pictures, cards,
jewellery, refreshments and potted plants the whole
event made a total of £600 for the Capital 100 chal-
lenge. It was a fantastic afternoon and all those who
took part, as well as the Stepping Stones team who
organised the event, should be congratulated.
An impressive Show of Talent
―Whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God‖ 1 Cor 10:31
and whatever I am feeling, by the time I am
standing in place, my mind is fixed on praising
God.
We usually arrive at 9am to get ready for choir
and this makes me smile as I was quite a one
for arriving at 9.20 for church. I‘ve found that
because I want to be ready for praising, I get up
earlier and pray to get myself in the right place
in spirit.
I am more open now to the effect of worship in
me and have stopped trying to control my emo-
tions. I love the fact that I can be so moved
today by words written
many, many years
ago. I also love it that
certain hymns have a
special place for a
season in your life and
that others remain as
constant musical com-
panions and as com-
fort.
We practice each
Tuesday at 6pm when
the other sopranos
very kindly help me
(since I can‘t read a
note of music). I love
that we pray before each service and that we
say the Chorister‘s Prayer at the end. This
prayer reminds me of the power and impor-
tance of worship on that day and for the week
ahead as it asks us to be granted ―that what we
sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts
and show forth in our lives‖.
If you’d like to find out more about joining
the choir for our 9:15 services, please email
Di McGuire at [email protected]
Summer Concert
Home and Abroad
In aid of Besom & Tanzania
A selection of jazz, songs, arias & original material
Saturday 6 June, 7.30pm in St John’s Church Entry by programme, priced £5 including refreshments Contact St John’s Church Office on 01784 430964
Transform May-June 09 Page 8
Anne-Maria Roshier explains more
about the Ashburnham weekend.
O ne of the highlights of the St John‘s
calendar is the church weekend
away at Ashburnham in Battle near
Hastings. This year was no exception and as
a church family we enjoyed yet another Spirit-
filled weekend together.
Ashburnham Place is a Christian conference
and prayer centre which has been run by the
Ashburnham Christian Trust for over 45
years. The grounds themselves were de-
signed and constructed by Lancelot
‗Capability‘ Brown in the eighteenth century
and the Trust has worked to maintain the
original beauty of the landscape.
Revd David Bracewell, joined us from St
Saviour‘s Church in Guildford. He spoke on
the three pronged theme of Seeking God,
Transforming Minds and Touching Lives. As
David shared his heart the talks were chal-
lenging, encouraging and inspirational. As
well as giving us information about the Spirit-
led transformation of St Saviour‘s he also
advised us on how we could grow as a com-
munity with the aim of seeking God in all we
do at St John‘s.
The children‘s teaching was also based upon
the theme of transformation and Tim Sud-
worth led sessions based around various
superhero films. On Sunday morning the
children shared what they had learnt from the
sessions and all appeared to have thoroughly
enjoyed themselves.
The weekend away also provided a great
opportunity for us to get to know each other a
little better. Saturday afternoon included a
quiz and some outdoor team games which on
the whole were very friendly with the excep-
tion of a few rather competitive teams!
The weekend was a fantastic opportunity to
unwind and meet with God. Ashburnham is a
perfect example of God‘s glorious creation
and a wonderful place to pray and reflect.
Many of us feel our lives have been changed
by the weekend away and we are now eager
to share our experiences with others.
The Life Course
What was it all about?
As well as providing the wonderful
food during the course, Anne-
Maria Roshier also found time to
get involved and see what was
going on…..
As many of you know St John‘s have
run a number of very successful
courses over the years but this year
we saw the debut of The Life Course.
The Life Course focuses on the ex-
ploration of life and Christian spiritu-
ality over a period of eight weeks.
The sessions include a talk and a
time of group discussion with the
help of a DVD. The course strives to
answer questions like, ―Who is Je-
sus?‖, ―Can a man rise from the
dead?‖ and ―How can I be sure of my
faith?‖
As always sessions involved food
and the course kicked off with a
black tie and canape event. We wel-
comed a number of new faces who
were interested in learning more
about the Christian faith as well as
regulars who wanted to grow in their
faith and over-indulge on the can-
apés!
The course welcomed a number of
different speakers and a whole team
came from St Mary's, Bryanston
Square to lead a Holy Spirit day. The
day away came half way through the
course and took place at Bish-
opsgate School in Englefield Green.
As a group we worshipped, prayed,
learnt and spent some valuable time
waiting on the Holy Spirit together.
Another highlight of the course came
on the final evening when Tim and
Craig lead us in a Passover celebra-
tion. We all shared a traditional Pass-
over supper before taking commun-
ion and having a time of worship
together. When I asked a few of the
group members what they thought of
the life course, responses included ―I
still have so many questions. I don't
want it to end!‖ another member of
the group mentioned that she ―had
never been made to feel so welcome
in a church before.‖
Although the Life Course has now
come to an end Mosaic services con-
tinue on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm
in Church.
News from St John’s
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
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news from church. You can also look-up rotas, download sermons, check peo-
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www.stjohnsegham.com
Ashburnham 2009 What went on down there?