Thomas Parker Organ restoration 2008 2007
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a well-established part of church life. It occurs each January and usually to coincide with the feast of the Conversion of Paul. Paul was the great early church missionary and established many churches across what is now Turkey and Greece. These churches didn't always get on with each other or within themselves in the way that he would have liked. Paul wrote much of the New Testament and some of it is given over to trying to get these early Christians to respect each other and work together. The observance of the Week of Prayer can be perfunctory. However, in Leatherhead it is very much at the heart of the life we share as churches within the Local Ecumenical Partnership and Covenant. The working together between the Methodist, United Reformed and Anglican churches is now central to the development mission and ministry of our church life in Leatherhead. This working partnership has built slowly over a number of years. We share in youth work, children and families work and also share worshiptogether. These developments have proved to be most effective and creative through this joint action. A Covenant drawn up initially in 2003 is now undergirded with a Constitution. This has been seen and approved by church councils locally but also, in our case, by the Bishop of the Diocese. It means that whilst each church retains its independence and separateness there is now an ecumenical church council, which has authority over united events and services. Another important part of the Constitution is concerned with appointments. With my retirement this is particularly pertinent. It means that whilst the Bishop will consult with our own Parochial Church Council, and the PCC at Mickleham, he will also recognise the other denominations as having an important voice in choosing a new incumbent for the United Benefice. Why does working together matter? For me it is not a theoretical thing. It is not that we are all Christians and we jolly well ought to get on together and work alongside each other. I don't see it as something imposed. It is simply that we all face the same challenges and opportunities and it doesn't make any sense to be competing. Much more is it the case that we complement each other and make best use of our resources by pulling together. There is also something here about a creative mix. It really does seem as though the Holy Spirit is able to lead us forward and spring new ideas as we network and discuss together. It was in this way that the churches youth work got going. Now our attention is on children and families with the appointment of Jane Smith as a Children and Families Worker. It was certainly the case over the development of the new Leatherhead Trinity Primary School and Children's Centre. Out of our discussion and in partnership with the local community has come a brand new school with a church foundation bringing together the resources of three churches rather than just one. As churches, we have the same aspirations about the life not only of ourselves but also of our community. We believe that churches are here to serve the community and work in partnership with other agencies who seek to support and shape community life. When it comes to church worship, the Evening Praise service, which formerly was held at the Parish Church, has gone particularly well on a united basis and in the new setting of the Methodist Church. A Breakfast Praise service trialled originally in October has been widely welcomed. This will now happen monthly, and several times during the year as a united churches service as well. All of these initiatives indicate that the Week of Prayer in Leatherhead isn't just apassing nod at something which is good in principle. It is clear that it is the key to the future of church life and the most natural way to think about that future. Church Notes Jan 2009 There are three festivals this month, which continue to follow the life of Christ now that we have celebrated his birth at Christmas. They are Epiphany, which, although traditionally kept on 6 January, may now be transferred to the nearest Sunday so that an important festival is not sidelined on a weekday. And then the following Sunday The Baptism of Christ. We also observe the feast of the
Conversion of Paul and, as usual, this is at the heart of
the annual observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity. This is particularly relevant in Leatherhead
because of the close working relationship, which now
exists between the Methodist, United Reformed and
Anglican churches. As in previous years there will be an
exchange of ministers on the concluding Sunday, 25
January. Urgently Required Two people are urgently needed from January to deliver parish magazines in St Nicholas Hill and Highlands Avenue. If you could help in this way please telephone J Salsbury on 01372 374393. Organfest Saturday 22 November was indeed an 'Organ Feast'! It was an afternoon of music on our Parker organ from 2pm to 5.30pm by five visiting organists, and what a feast of music they gave us. The idea was really that the visiting organists would each play the organ for about 30 minutes for their own enjoyment, as it were, and people could drop in and out during the course of the afternoon. One had no way of telling how many people might come along-, it might have been as few as a dozen, but in fact there was an average number of about sixty people there for most of the time, and probably about 100 came and went. It was very heartening to see so many there, many of whom stayed for most of the afternoon. The five organists were: Julie Ainscough from St Joseph's RC School, Dorking, and Hampton School; James Stanton from St Mary's Church, Holmbury St Mary; Alf Fortnam from St Michael and All Angels, Highworth, Wiltshire; Peter Lutton from St Nicolas Church, Great Bookham; and Geoffrey Harvey, who not only frequently stands in when needed at our church, but was for many years Head of Music at St John's School. Between them, they gave us an unbelievable variety of sound – it was like a paint box being opened and more and more colours used. Not only was there a tremendous range of composers of different nationalities from the 16th century to the 20th century, but each performer fully exploited the tonal range of the instrument. There had been no contact between the different organists to find out what each was playing, but with one exception, there was virtually no repetition of music. The one exception was Samuel Wesley's Air and Gavotte, which was chosen by three of them! However, we were all quite happy to hear them three times and it was interesting to hear the variety produced by different combination of stops, i.e. instruments. This event was arranged very much as an experiment, but so successful that it is to be hoped that it will be repeated from time to time. Thank you Concerts in Church Committee for arranging it and to all the visiting organists for giving us such a delightful afternoon. Come again! Linda Heath Concerts in Church A date for you diary: Saturday 14 March. Come and listen to our own Claire and Richard Price, and all the Ashtead Singers, who are going to give a concert to welcome in Spring! Full details in February. Mothers' Union Firstly may I wish you all a Happy New Year. We start the New Year with a Communion service in the Parish Church on Wednesday 7 January at 2.30pm, which will be followed with a cup of tea etc over in the Church Hall. This is weather permitting. If you need a lift, please give Evelyn or Sheila a ring. Sheila Sutherland Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church Chairman's letter Dec 2008
from the December 2008 magazine It has been a hugely significant time for Ginny and myself and our family and we shall be sorry to leave the many friends we have made in Leatherhead since arriving. I have given a little more notice than might be usual, but this is to enable the process of appointing a successor to get underway. It hopefully means there will not be too long an interregnum. This appointment involves a process of consultation, which includes both the church councils of Leatherhead and Mickleham, because the two parishes are joined in a United Benefice. Our covenanting partner churches, the Methodists and the United Reformed Church, will also be consulted since we are in a Local Ecumenical Partnership. The church council will appoint two members to represent it (usually the churchwardens). These will take part in the actual selection procedure under the guidance of the Bishop who will make the final appointment. We are fortunate in having a strong team of churchwardens and clergy. During an interregnum the overall responsibility lies with the churchwardens and Rural Dean. The recently appointed Rural Dean is Robert Jenkins, vicar of Cobham, who was for many years a Reader at Leatherhead and knows the parish well. Mary Cruddas and Mike Stewart serve in this parish and will be able to offer continuity during the interregnum. However, they cannot be expected to do everything and some locum clergy ministry will also be needed. The Parish Office will continue to be open in the mornings, Monday to Friday, where Jane Andrews, the Parish Secretary, can be contacted. You will help all these people by offering your assistance where you can and by not referring to them matters which you or others can deal with yourselves. from the December 2008 magazine For the rest of us, it has been like meeting up with an old friend, and a welcome reminder of the richness of our heritage. One of the best parts is seeing friends from all the churches popping up in different roles. This production was ably directed by Christine Watts of Epsom, who approached it with a fresh eye and a calm encouraging professionalism. The church itself was one of the stars of the production – it was quite eerie to watch re-enactments of events which had happened six centuries before in the very same building. It began with a violent scene in 1395 when there was bloodshed in the church and the bishop had to come and lead a service of reconciliation and purification, and finished with Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The lighting and sound effects by David Ames and David Stoves were splendid throughout, particularly when the church spire collapsed in the Great Storm of November 27 1703. No less than five of today's clergy of all denominations portrayed their predecessors, which added to the authentic atmosphere, although fortunately we were spared the original Latin! Mention must be made of Beverley Mehta's marvellous portrayal of the Princess of Wales, distraught after her carriage overturned in 1806. The production raised about £1750 for the Leatherhead Youth Project. All in all a most enjoyable experience, long may it continue. Alison Wright ... and finally My thanks to all who supported this production, the cast and offstage team, and all who came to the performances. It seems to have been enjoyed by both cast and audiences, which in itself made it all worthwhile, and after all the expenses have been met it has raised about £1, 750 for the Leatherhead Youth Project, which is also well worthwhile. Thank you. Linda Heath from the November 2008 magazine I have been impressed by the importance which the school places on nurturing spiritual development, without any sense of imposing a particular set of beliefs. When I met the Head Teacher, she spoke in terms of enabling children to meet people with an active faith, ask them questions, and find out what makes them tick. Also fostering awareness among the children about things which are going on in the wider community. These are areas where the churches have much to offer, if we can rise to the challenge. I would like to identify a network of church members who will take an active interest in Leatherhead Trinity, receiving news about events and praying for issues of concern. I hope that some may also be willing to volunteer from time to time with practical tasks that need to be done. One member of our churches has just started helping with a knitting club as a result of an appeal from the school. I also know that the Friends Association would love to have some extra pairs of hands at the Christmas Fair later this term. These things need not be very time consuming, but are great opportunities for the church to be of real use in the life of the school. I will be visiting each church over the next few weeks
to gather a list of people who would like to be involved.
I hope you will feel able to play a part. from the November 2008 magazine When children were asked to take gifts to put beside the crib in Church one poor family, unable to afford a gift, were determined to take something. They found an orange, which they hoped would do, but it was going mouldy at the top. However, they thought they could scoop out the bad bits and put a candle in the top and turn it into a lantern. Thinking that it looked a bit ordinary, one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle, fastening it in place with four small sticks, on the ends of which they put a few raisins. They tooktheir lantern to church, thinking it might look shabby beside the other gifts. However, the kindly priest understanding their worry told the congregation how special their gift was because:
John Pensom of The Children's Society first introduced the Christingle service to the Church of England in 1968 and, 40 years on, 6,000 churches, schools and groups around the country join the celebrations each year from Advent through to Candlemas. Leatherhead Christingle Celebration The Children's Society's Christingle service is a celebration of the Light of Christ in the world. Parents and children are invited to join us in supporting the Children's Society at this wonderful family service to be held in the Parish Church on Sunday December 7 at 4pm. Betty Borgust from the November 2008 magazine HOST is a well-established charity, backed by the Foreign Office and many universities, which links adults studying in the UK with hospitable volunteers throughout Britain. Guests come from all over the world, including many from China. They speak English and are keen to share their own culture, while longing to know more about our way of life. Welcoming a student who might otherwise spend Christmas on a deserted campus fosters international understanding, and could make your Christmas special. See www.hostuk.org or call HOST on 020 7254 3039 to be put in touch with your local organiser. HOST arranges visits throughout the year, so if your "inn" is full this Christmas, you can still offer an invitation at another time. from the October 2008 magazine There will be more details in the coming months. Also some advance notice of our Spring Plant Sale next May; we would like to plant-up some hanging baskets and if you have any baskets, which you will not reuse, we would be delighted to recycle them for you. They can be left at 15 St Mary's Rd or please contact me on 01372 372169 to arrange collection. Chris Evans from the October 2008 magazine from the September 2008 magazine 2. Evening Praise has been re-evaluated. The Council thinks this will go better as a United Praise Service at the Methodist Church. It will continue to mean the Music Group feature prominently but with support from other churches. This has come out of a fruitful liaison with our Covenanting Partners. 3. This means our monthly Evening Reflection service incorporating Taizé style worship will transfer to the third Sunday. The Council felt it important not to run another service against a United Service. I hope this change will not inconvenience those who regularly attend Evening Reflection, whose numbers have increased recently. 4. Mary Cruddas has helpfully devised a new service to run at 4pm on the fourth Sunday of each month. She writes elsewhere in this magazine about this service, Time for Tea, designed to attract under school-age children particularly those who have recently been baptised. I provide this month a Table of Weekly Services so you can see the overall pattern. You may like to keep it by you to see clearly what is happening where, month on month. I also provide this month a Table of Special Events this Autumn. Although these may not all run, I think most are now firmly in place. Autumn 2008 - Special Services and Events
from the September 2008 magazine from the September 2008 magazine Meanwhile, another 30 children were down at BFree, where they indulged in such grown-up pastimes as T-shirt design, china painting and cookery, and waited with bated breath to see who would be "Hero of the Day". On the last day we all got together for a celebration, with parents, grandparents and siblings all joining in. Somewhere along the way, we equipped ourselves with our Heroic Armour - the belt of truth, breastplate of justice, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of God's message. Huge thanks, as ever, to all those who helped – to Christ Church and LYP for letting us take over their buildings for a whole week – and to the children who bring everything to life. You're all heroes! Jane Smith, Family and Children's worker from the September 2008 magazine from the September 2008 magazine This project in Uruguay is being developed in communities which are both poverty-stricken and have overwhelming despondency and hopelessness over the social problems they face. To meet this situation the Church has taken an holistic approach, not just providing basic aid, but offering a new Recipe for Life, described as "a nutritious mixture of faith, pastoral care and practical support, working in a way which understands all human need". Alongside the establishment of social and health care, the project seeks to rebuild a sense of community by encouraging the development of activities such as cookery workshops, kitchen gardens, and social and theatre groups. Through the Church they are encouraging the establishment of relationships and mutual support. It is certainly a project with a wide mission, needing great support! Gift envelopes will be available in Church on Sundays before and after our Harvest Thanksgiving for people who will not be in Church for the Harvest Service on October 7 and who wish to contribute. If you are a taxpayer and would like to GiftAid your donation, please complete the details on the envelope, including your Christian name. I hope there will be a generous response so that we may help towards the Recipe for Life in Uruguay. Helena Hill (for Outward Giving Committee) from the September 2008 magazine If you would like to help decorate the church please do come and join the cheerful group of flower ladies on the morning of Saturday October 4. No experience is necessary, just bundles of enthusiasm. L Meikle (01372 372783) from the September 2008 magazine A limited number of supper tickets will be available at £6.50 each. Book early to avoid disappointment! Tickets for the Supper only will be available from F Presley 01372 372049 or from B Mehta 01372 374304 after September 3. F Presley In the Parish Church on Saturday 4th October at 4pm the Bridgend Male Choir will give a concert of Welsh songs, music from the shows, and much more, including a few numbers accompanied by the Thomas Parker organ. Concert tickets, £15 (£12 concessions) from Barton's Book Shop, the Parish Office (Wed - Fri 9am - 12pm) or from 01372 372049 and 01372 375468. Concert tickets do not include the Supper. Surrey churches bike ride: The Surrey Churches Preservation Trust's annual bike ride takes place on September 13, coinciding with Heritage Weekend. The Trust makes grants to Christian churches and chapels to help with the cost of major fabric repairs, and most of this money is raised by cyclists and walkers throughout the county getting themselves sponsored for the number of churches they visit on the day. This is a really good opportunity to visit churches normally closed during the week without running the risk of being dragged in to a service! Two years ago Andrew and I walked to all the open churches in Leatherhead. The people helping to keep their church open are always happy to show visitors round and as relative newcomers to the area we learned a lot we wouldn't otherwise have known. We hope to do the same tour again this year, why not join in too? S Sutherland (811769) is the organiser for St Mary and St Nicholas and can give you more information. Sponsorship forms and lists of all open churches in the county are available at the back of the church. This is a national event, involving more than 30 counties. I took part in it for years when we lived in Hertfordshire and can thoroughly recommend it. So if you want to be enthused give me a ring (806853). M Jones Time for tea: What are you doing at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon? It used to be the time the English took afternoon tea. A visit to Wisley, or any other garden for that matter confirms the tradition is still alive. On the fourth Sunday of each month, starting on September 28, we are offering an afternoon tea service for hard pressed parents of preschoolers. The half hour service will include simple prayer, songs, a story and a craft. We will light candles to remember baptism anniversaries. Then we will tuck into afternoon tea set out in the tower area of the church. Everyone is welcome, especially those under the age of five with their parents or carers. The September theme is God's Wonderful World. Invitations are being sent out to all the families with whomwe have had contact in the last four years. If you would like more information please contact the church office or me, telephone numbers are at the end of the magazine. We hope you will join us. Mary Cruddas Thank You!: Just to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me for the Cancer Research UK sponsored breast cancer walk. My total was £241, well over twice what I had estimated, so a BIG thank you to you all for your amazing generosity! Emma Vivian The Night Hostel: There is good news for the Night hostel. Are you up to date with the present day acronyms? Here are some you might not yet know: CLG, Department of Communities and Local Government; PCP, Places of Change Programme, taking over from the HCIP, Hostels Capital Improvement Programme. And, of course, LNH – Leatherhead Night Hostel. What do they mean in practical terms? They mean MONEY, millions of pounds to be spent on helping homeless people to move forward into work and a settled home. And some of this is coming our way; within three years and with the help and support of MVDC and other agencies the LNH, which is now 30 years old, should be renovated and enlarged. It will no longer operate at nights only, but will also provide rehabilitation and training for its residents. Come and hear more about this at the Open Morning at the Night Hostel, 3 Church Road on Saturday September 30 at 10.30-12 noon. Christine Bryant Highlights of Heritage Open Days: The theme for this year's Heritage weekend is Hidden Treasures. Many of our architectural, landscape and streetscape treasures are not hidden at all but there are many less obvious ones; it is these that we celebrate this year. As churches are the backbone of many communities it is appropriate that they feature significantly in Heritage Open Days. No less than seven denominations are represented, from the small Strict Baptist Chapel in Brockham to the magnificent St Martin's with is 210-foot spire. St John's, Holmwood, will be at the centre of a village day. This is the 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams who lived for many years in Dorking contributing much to the cultural heritage of Mole Valley. Several events celebrate this great musical figure. A special exhibition in Dorking Museum and a walk around the town will afford an insight into his presence. As this is also the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Surrey Hills as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there are events to celebrate the beauty of the countryside, including a talk on Life in the Surrey Hills. Every year, the programme has unusual, eccentric or intriguing events. The buildings that are featured are incredibly varied. They include a 21st century concert hall, a 1960s listed theatre in Leatherhead where theatrical heritage is celebrated with an exhibition of past productions. There is a medieval tithe barn, a Victorian house and artist's studio, an icehouse, a windmill and a sawmill. For the first time one of our primary schools, St Martin's in Dorking, will take part with games and activities to celebrate an educational heritage dating back to Victorian times. One of the most eccentric events is an auction of socks, not to be sniffed at! Some events must be pre-booked, get hold of the programme booklet or visit www.heritageopendays.org to plan your weekend. There is plenty to see and visit in and around
Leatherhead. For further information contact the Visitor
Information Centre in the Dorking Halls on 01306 879247
or email: ... and for Leatherhead Parish Church from the August 2008 magazine Following the presentation, a variety of questions were asked reflecting both sides of the argument, and the audience were invited to complete a questionnaire to seek opinion. May we thank everyone who completed this task? In total 74 were completed and returned in addition to 14 letters. In general terms, 73 per cent agreed that the proposed model should only be used for selected services, but as to enhancement there was concern and doubt that the DM system would not meet the desired effect. If an alternative, perhaps less obtrusive and costly, model was proposed the results might differ. Opinions varied from hostility to a desire to add a new dimension to the worship within our church, enriching the service. There were valid arguments defending the beauty of the church, and that a screen, however flexible in its design and placement, would nevertheless obscure, even to a small extent, the awe and wonder exhibited within the sanctuary and associated east window. An alternative freestanding screen perhaps could be displayed to the right of the chancel arch. The PCC decided on June 18 that the way forward is not to dismiss audio-visual material outright, but to visit neighbouring churches that have AV in place and seek further opinion. from the August 2008 magazine When a Church Record is complete, the benefits are to the church authorities who have a complete furnishing record-, the police who can use the accurate descriptions and photographs to identify retrieved stolen artifacts; insurance companies who use the Records to identify items and researchers who are producing theses and books on allied subjects. Leatherhead was recently host to a Church Recorders Information Day for East Surrey. Members met in the Parish Church Hall for coffee and an update on Recording projects in the Area. The Leatherhead Society of NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) has completed and presented a Record of the Parish Church and is currently working on the recording of the Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Peter. Members then moved across to the Church, where Linda Heath gave an informative presentation on the history. The Director of Music, David Oliver, followed this with a demonstration of the Thomas Parker organ and some of the men were delighted and amused to be allowed to use the hand-pump. The morning concluded with a discussion on the latest NADFAS initiative, Church Trails for the Young – Leatherhead DFAS is working on this too – and finally there was the opportunity to exchange Church Recording experiences and ideas over lunch. NADFAS members have asked me to pass on their thanks for the welcome that was shown to them and that their appreciation should be conveyed to those whose dedication and hard work ensures that the Church looks so beautiful and cared for. June Robinson, NADFAS from the August 2008 magazine The gardens certainly were beautiful and the wonderful weather meant that they were seen at their best. Nearly 100 parishioners, friends and family members spent the afternoon walking around the six very different gardens, discussing design and planting schemes or just relaxing over the excellent cream teas provided en route! Our thanks of course to the garden owners who worked so hard and made us all so welcome, but also to our many visitors who through ticket sales, teas and buying plants for their own gardens contributed no less than £650 to the Friends funds, which as usual will be spent in pursuit of our commitment to maintaining the Parish Church building and grounds. from the July 2008 magazine from the July 2008 magazine She also suggested having a version of the Lord's Prayer, which was sung beautifully by three grandchildren and her eight- year-old great granddaughter. Tributes were paid by Simon her grandson and by her son Peter who came over from America. We were pleased to have four former neighbours with us, also Pauline and Alan Smith who lived in Leatherhead in the Seventies and Eighties. Pauline was ordained in 1990 and they remained in touch with Marjorie, especially since they retired to Cheltenham. Thank you too, to the Mothers' Union who sent a card
and kind messages. The MU prayer was read at the service
to reflect Marjorie's long 53 years membership. She often
spoke of when she shared the monthly ward service at
Leatherhead Hospital and it was a comfort to her to have
regular services with communion in her Nursing Home. Angela
& Leslie Rhodes from the July 2008 magazine from the July 2008 magazine There will be two more play readings, on Monday July 21 and Wednesday 23 in the parish hall at 7.30pm, so if you are interested in finding out more, and would be willing to take even a non-speaking part, please come along on one of these two evenings (this does not commit you). But please tell either Mrs Watts 01372-726738 or Linda Heath 01372-372603 which evening you can attend, as we do need to know in advance who is coming. Rehearsals will start on September 1 at 7pm in the parish church and will be either on Monday or Wednesday evenings, depending on which scene you are in. Please come and join us; you will be most welcome. Linda Heath from the July 2008 magazine At the moment we are rehearsing Around the World in Eighty Bars and a G&S tune (which can be sung when the music gets difficult) as well as the old faithfuls. There is much laughter and we always come away feeling better for having made music together. We are very smart when we have a "gig". With music stands, made by John Sutherland, and beautiful swans complete with bells hanging from their beaks, appliquéd on our "falls" made by Alison Draper, we are a professional-looking group. I have found the Bell Ringer's Confession
which you may enjoy. Team, learn this off by heart!: Look out for our open evening in the autumn when you,
too, will be able to join in the fun and ring a bell! from the July 2008 magazine Back to Church Sunday began in Manchester in 2004 with the message "Missing You", spreading to Wakefield in 2005, to nine Church of England dioceses in 2006 and 20 in 2007, when 20,000 people came back to church. It seems that about 15% of those who "come back" stay as regular members and another 50% stay in touch by attending at Christmas or at a social event. from the July 2008 magazine The holiday club has gone from strength to strength since we began running these clubs together and in order to accommodate as many children as possible, whilst still making our time together safe and special, we will be running on a split site basis. Children in school years Reception to year 4 will meet at Christ Church, whilst the older children in years 5 and 6 will avail themselves of the wonderful facilities and enthusiastic leadership team at B-Free. All the children and their families will join together at the end of the Friday session to share in a special worship session, followed by a picnic lunch. We would appreciate it if you could remember us in your prayers, as we trust in the Lord that he will help us to bring His word alive to the children of Leatherhead. Catherine Diffey from the July 2008 magazine from the July 2008 magazine Last year's popular event, the Bridge Tea, will be repeated on Thursday October 2 – tables are limited and Fran Fleming (375957) is taking bookings. from the July 2008 magazine from the July 2008 magazine Trinity Primary School Leatherhead from the June 2008 magazine from the June 2008 magazine The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are encouraging all parishes in the Church of England to support the initiative. Parishes are encouraged to choose one Sunday between September 1 and the second Sunday in October on which they would put Creation at the centre of their worship and reflection, perhaps linked to Harvest Festival. A special evening service on September 14, featuring the Bishop of London and special guests, will be held at St Paul's Cathedral; it is hoped that other cathedrals will organise similar events. Mole Valley District Council at the beginning of 2008 launched the "How Green is Your Valley" campaign and website www.molevalley.gov.uk/greener . The aim of the campaign is to encourage as many Mole Valley residents as possible to think about their energy consumption and how they can live more sustainably. The website has an environmental footprint calculator and tips on how an individual can reduce his or her impact on the planet. from the June 2008 magazine Over a number of weeks our home group reflected on what the Christian response should be. As John 1:3 so powerfully states: "'All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being". God created and continues to create. This alone appears to justify caring for creation. The interpretation of what "dominion" means in Genesis 1 has, however, caused difficulties. Is the natural environment there for our sole use and exploitation as God's chosen creatures? If natural resources run out, can we trust in God to provide from this planet or another? There is no need to worry about anything other than today. While this belief continues to be expressed, increasingly Christians are rejecting it, and recognise caring for the rest of creation as being an integral part of our faith. To quote the Archbishop of Canterbury: "For the Church of the 21st Century, good ecology is not an optional extra but a matter of justice. It is therefore central to what it means to be a Christian". If we abuse the natural environment what are we saying about our relationship with God? This could be considered as a Trinitarian relationship between God, each other and the rest of creation. We need the natural environment for survival; it does not need us. There is an interdependence that is so easy to overlook in our hectic lives. We are beginning to see the effects of climate change on some of the most vulnerable people in the world, suffering increasingly from floods, starvation and disease. If people are denied the basics for survival, water and food, they will go looking for them or die. A recent Government National Security Strategy Assessment considered climate change to be potentially the greatest challenge to global stability. Love thy neighbour? Unfortunately, the impact only seems to hit home when we see the effects in developed countries. Australia is probably the first country in this elite club to experience the impact of climate change directly, with several years of droughts, now understood to be partly the result of human action such as deforestation. Trees can be wonderful things to look at and have many useful features in the wider creation picture. They create their own micro-climate and also absorb carbon. What a wonderful creation! We are also seeing food shortages spreading from less developed countries. As I write this, retailers in the USA are reported to have introduced rice rationing. The reasons are complex. These appear to include population growth, placing ever-increasing pressure on world resources, and prosperity pushing up demand while supply is limited. It is one reminder of the fragility of creation whether or not the underlying reason is climate change. As usual, the suffering is mostly concentrated in countries and with people, least able to cope. This is an injustice that should surely speak to us, both as Christians, and simply as human beings made in God's image. What price human life? The scientists tell us there is around a 90 per cent probability that human action is responsible for global warming. We cannot, therefore, ignore the implications of this question. Of course, it is very tempting to blame all the world's ills on climate change and everyone else, losing hope and just carrying on as normal. If the problem is just too big for us individually to make a difference, why bother? This is where our Christian hope can give us an advantage. While weknow the world is broken we also have hope for the future. One area of hope is human ingenuity in finding ways to stop global warming continuing its relentless upward path. Our understanding of the impact of human action is now much greater than only a few years ago. What sort of things can we do? There are clearly many "quick wins" that are easy and might even save us money. Reducing the temperature when washing clothes is one example. Slightly more difficult might be giving up the dishwasher. While many of us are not prepared to stop driving, we might consider a smaller vehicle, saving fuel and therefore money. Switching off lights not in use, buying organic food and clothing, avoiding plastic bags, recycling and buying recycled goods can all help. Consider offsetting carbon omissions
that you cannot, realistically, prevent. If you want to
know your carbon footprint, go to a website such as
carbonfootprint.com. Think about what you can do
personally, as part of the church family, and in the
wider community. There are many ways in which we can help
restore a damaged creation. Some demand of us sacrificial
action. This is a challenge for us all. from the June 2008
magazine Over the years, volunteer activities have also burgeoned, such as the unique Church Recorders who have now completed nearly 1,400 church records; Heritage Volunteers are currently working on around 500 diverse projects; and the Young Arts facet of NADFAS donated nearly £150,000 last year alone to the arts education of young people. Additional grants and donations included £50,000 given directly to young people from the Patricia Fay Memorial Fund and the Zena Walker NADFAS Scholarship. As a fitting salute to all this support for the arts, the students of the internationally renowned Yehudi Menuhin School displayed their talents both on and off stage with an exhibition of their fine art specifically timed to coincide with this showcase NADFAS concert. You may remember that the Leatherhead Society of NADFAS presented their Church Record of our own St Mary and St Nicholas to David Eaton two years ago. This July the East Surrey Area will be hosting a Church Recorders Information Day in the Parish Church Hall, to include a tour of the Church and a demonstration of the newly restored Thomas Parker organ. National Association of Decorative &
Fine Arts Societies www.nadfaseastsurreyarea.org.uk from the May 2008 magazine ... and the Oberammergau Passion Play in August 2010 - The Friends of the Parish Church are organising a visit to the next Oberammergau Passion Play in August 2010, combined with a few days visiting cultural sites in Austria or the Black Forest. The Play has been organised every ten years since 1634 and although the text and the music have been adapted many times over the years the traditional concept has remained intact. The structure of the play with its living pictures from Old and New Testaments, enacted by amateur actors, all local people, has been retained since Baroque times. Performances will run in 2010 from 2pm to 10pm with a three-hour break for dinner. Covered seating would be reserved for the play, performances of which take place regardless of weather. Costs, including travel, local bus transport, hotels and meals, are estimated to be in the region of £800-1,000 pp. If you would be interested in receiving further details when they are available please contact J Robinson on 01372 376650 from the May 2008 magazine We wonder if anybody would be able to cook dinners for about to 30 people once a week or once a month on a rota basis. Expenses would be reimbursed, of course. We would be very grateful for help so that we can continue to feed people who are so desperately in need of a hot meal and who otherwise would not get one. Graham Peddie MBE - please contact via the Parish Office from the May 2008
magazine On the other hand, many church schools are in deprived areas, which sounds laudable; but the Church of England and its critics bandy around contradictory statistics claiming that these schools either do or do not select better-off children from those areas and actually make the problems even worse for the rest of the community. In between, many of us are surely uncomfortable with churches using the need to obtain the necessary clergy signature to get a child into a church school as a crude tool to get parental bums on seats; and many secularists question why the state should endorse and, arguably, subsidise faith presence in education at all. Against those criticisms, how do we fare in Leatherhead? We do not select children on faith grounds. As a Voluntary Controlled school, rather than the Voluntary Aided schools, which are more in the control of the church and less of the local authority, we are not allowed to. But even if we could choose our own admissions policy, it would have no church-attendance clauses. We are providing a school, a service for the whole community of Leatherhead, and that is an imperative, which stems from our beliefs; an inclusive admissions policy is intrinsic. Similarly, our curriculum is the localauthority one; we do not seek any supposedly Christian slant to science or any academic subject. We do, though, try to provide a richer experience of assemblies and RE as a consequence of our church ethos. Our children will, I would like to think, leave us having imbibed more of the Christian story, more of the experience of worship, more awareness of their own spiritual feelings, or at its most basic just having more familiarity with churches and hymns, than may be the norm in an increasingly secular age. If they also understand more of the Islamic tradition (our Year 5 children have just visited a Mosque, one of the after-school clubs we offer is in Arabic, and we have staff and pupils from many faiths, including Islam, and none) that is surely something secularists should thank us for. With regard to siphoning off middle-class children, the situation in Leatherhead is the reverse of that which gets criticised in some deprived areas. We all recognise that parts of Leatherhead are indeed deprived, and other parts affluent. Our vision is for a single school and children's centre for the whole community, a school that does its part to eradicate the divisions and build cohesion across our town. I have to say we're not there yet; but where we are making real progress is in our provision for the more needy, through the numerous services on offer at the Children's Centre and through the special-needs provision at the School. The church, providing service to the
whole community, working especially with children,
offering most to the most in need is surely where we
should be, and is surely hard to criticise. Perhaps when
our new building is finished, we can complete the vision
of the church serving the whole community. from April 2008 from April 2008 Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church You will have read in the December Magazine that the bells were to be temporarily silenced for renovation and this has now begun. With your help, the Friends have been able to make a substantial contribution to the cost and the completion of the work is secured. We should be able to look forward to hearing our bells ring out again this month.
Churchyard Working Parties If you are able at least to use a pair of secateurs we'd be very pleased to see you in the churchyard any time from 0900, finishing 1200 on the first Saturday of every month. Frank Haslam (L379341) From earlier issues, items of ongoing interest from the March 2008 magazine from the March 2008 magazine Archbishops Rowan Williams and John Sentamu both have personal pages covering their biographies, background on personal interests - such as poetry, and Russian literature for the former and York City FC for the latter! A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said: "Through our new websites the Archbishops will be able to reach out to fresh audiences through use of video, audio and other facilities." The websites are: www.archbishopofcanterbury.org and www.archbishopofyork.org from the March 2008 magazine Indeed, and I quote from Mike: "I would again stress that it was made clear from the start that we would not obtain Heritage Funding unless we made the restored instrument widely available to be seen and heard by members of the national population". The Concerts in Church committee are co-ordinating anything that might take place involving the organ, and just now we are planning various events to bring both young and old into the Church to hear it, and also to invite organists to come and play. For example, we plan to circulate local schools and music societies, inviting them to make a date to have an illustrated talk about the organ's history. We are also planning to invite several organists to take a half hour slot to play what they wish one afternoon in November when anyone can drop in and listen. The ideas are endless, and we would be very happy for anyone to make suggestions, or to arrange their own events. If you would like to organise something
involving the organ you are very welcome to do so, but we
would ask that you tell us about it first so that we
avoid duplications. We will also need to have a copy of
the programme or a flyer so that we can let the Heritage
Lottery Fund know at the end of each year what we have
done to promote the organ. Please speak to any of us with
your ideas: from the March 2008 magazine from the March 2008 magazine Al Gore's inspirational film, An Inconvenient Truth, was shown. If you have not seen this, I suggest that you do so, as it could transform the way you view climate change. With a probability of over 90 percent that we are responsible, the film makes powerful viewing. We also discussed practical action that should be taken, by us individually, to tackle what the Archbishop of Canterbury has called "a huge practical and moral problem". He is on record as saying that the moral responsibility "lies with absolutely everybody". Practical responses start with measuring your carbon footprint, for example, at carbonfootprint.com. You might be surprised how the carbon adds up. "How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take To Change A Christian?" (Church House Publishing) is a wonderful guide to what we can all do. Probably the best £4.99 you will spend this year. The basic rule is, of course, "reduce, reuse, recycle". This requires sacrificial action. As Christians approaching Easter we all know the power of sacrifice. Andrew Chastney You might like to attend this ...
"Hope for Planet Earth" Christian multimedia
presentation is coming to Guildford's St Saviour's Church
on Tuesday March 11. 7.30pm start. Tickets at £6 each
from 0845 0944414. For general information contact 020
8781 1741. hopeforplanetearth.co.uk from the Feb 2008 magazine Fuller details will be available in Church for Lent. Bishop Christopher is inviting us to fast (except children and those who are frail with age or sickness) by giving up one meal a week and giving what is saved to international and local Christian outreach. The causes, which the Bishop is supporting and asking us to support this year, are The Amos Trust, which works with street children in South Africa and peace building in Palestinian territories, and locally through The Bishop of Guildford's Foundation to projects like our own Leatherhead Trinity Children's Centre. A form of daily prayer will also be available to use at home in Lent. Please look for papers in Church and support this call by prayer, fasting and giving. Monies placed in the collection and clearly marked in a separate envelope "Lent Call" will be forwarded to the Bishop. from the Feb 2008 magazine from the January 2008 magazine As this is going to cost a lot of money we have
applied for grants from various trusts, but more will be
needed. If you would like to help and are a UK tax-payer,
please use and complete the yellow envelopes in church,
write BELLS on the front (so that we can claim Gift Aid
from the Inland Revenue) and put it into the blue box. If
you have any questions contact me on 01372 373629. from the December 2007 magazine Earlier in the week before the market, we think there will never be enough items, and by the Friday evening we start to panic that, not only will there not be sufficient to put on the tables, but that no-one will come! Thank goodness our fears are always totally unfounded, and the queue that forms by about 9.30 on the morning suggests many have been looking forward to it. This year there were a few slight changes. Veronica Kay, and all her helpers, felt that they should now call time to standing behind the China and Glass stall; Howard and Sue Beales kindly offered to take over. I am not too sure that they fully realised what they had taken on, but they arrived hot foot from the pyramids on the Saturday morning and had everything organised in no time. Also, Eric and Pat Weetman, and Mike and Mollie Lewis, who have done sterling work over the years behind the bottle tombola, decided to put up their feet. I would like to say a very big thank you to all of them for the many, many hours that they have spent raising quite a substantial sum over the years. We had a new stall with us this year. The Friends of Triel agreed to come and promote our twinned town in France, and a very colourful addition they made. We hope that they feel it worthwhile to come again. It was good to see such great photos in the Leatherhead Advertiser, excellent publicity and, this time, quite unasked for. It is impossible to give individual thanks, because it would fill the magazine, but the whole day is so successful as a team of over fifty people run it. That may sound unwieldy but from the moment we have our meeting in June the whole thing seems to roll forward. So I will just say another great big thank you to ALL the stall holders, and those who help them, to ALL the choir who always work so hard in the kitchen, to ALL those on the entry desk and in the office collecting and counting the money, and to ALL who are involved in putting up our banners, flyers and posters. I must mention three people by name. A very special thank you to Linda Hauxwell for all she does to make the programme so successful and so profitable. To Catherine Diffey who spends the whole day in the Reeves Room hoping to entice more children to play the many games that are up there, and also to Jane Andrews in the office who, like Veronica, puts on a very brave face when we ask her, yet again, to do some more printing, even though she is knee deep in other Church matters. It has been fun, but it is time to have new ideas and thoughts. There may well be a new organiser next year, nothing is definite yet, but Watch This Space! Frances Presley from the December 2007 Magazine from the October 2007 magazine From April 6 2008, the tax reclaim by charities will fall to 25%, thanks to the proposed reduction in basic rate tax to 20%. As a result charities will lose out unless contribution levels are increased to compensate. Less well known is that many charities will accept gifts in the form of shares. Many people sell shares, and gift the proceeds, when the alternative can be more tax efficient. This is because Capital Gains Tax is not payable on such transfers. Just contact your preferred charity to see if they will accept gifts of shares. Gifts to registered charities in your Will are free of Inheritance Tax. A good prompt to check that your Will remains up to date? As well as taking into account any changes in family circumstances you should also consider the effect of inflation. In this context, inflation means an increase in the value of your estate, as well as the decline in value of a legacy since your current will was drafted. Both can be good reasons to revise a
legacy upwards. Therefore, gifting to charity not only
benefits the charity directly, it can also be very tax
efficient. from September 2007 I am also delighted that after an advertising and interviewing process I have been able to appoint Jane Andrews as Parish Secretary to succeed Veronica Kay who has recently retired. Jane is known to many people through her roles in church life as Chalice Assistant and Baptism Visitor. She is very well qualified and experienced for the post and takes up her new duties from the beginning of September. from September 2007 The Toolkit course has been piloted from a range of churches and was developed by a small working group of Diocesan Adult Education officers. It consists of four modules of five weekly meetings in the autumn and spring terms. Participants can enrol for one or more, at a cost of £25 per module. There are no entry requirements other than an enquiring mind and a willingness to listen to other Christians. The coursework does not involve homework, but your learning will be enhanced by the reflections suggested. The Diocese has designed the Toolkit for Christian Living to enable Christians to learn more about their faith and grow in discipleship. Module 1. Journey of Faith: September
20-October 18, 2007. These modules, all on Thursdays, will be available at St George's, Ashtead, from 9.45-11.45am. A two-hour introductory session entitled Starter Kit, September 11, at 10am-12noon will be available at the Education Centre, Guildford Cathedral. For further details, and enrolment,
contact: from September 2007 Also, for the first time, there will be
a Christmas Fair in Guildford Cathedral on Saturday
November 3. A member of the Cathedral Committee has
generously offered to pay for stalls for both crafts and
olive oil, so I will be there, as will many other worthy
causes. Do come and support this new venture if you can. from September 2007
Thank you also to those who provided refreshments, including wine, soft drinks, coffee, biscuits, cakes and also a delicious large "church-shaped" chocolate cake along with beautiful flower arrangements for us both. For me it marked the end of about thirty-four years working for the Vicar and Parish. Initially I worked from home assisting Canon Sandy Morris's secretary, Kitty Loveridge, by typing minutes, reports, accounts etc. and also printing the monthly parish magazine on the Gestetner machine in the Reeves Room. When Kitty retired some years later Sandy asked me to be his secretary and I had the pleasure of working for him in the lovely surroundings of the old Vicarage. On Sandy's retirement I moved to what became the Parish Office and after a short interregnum David Eaton was appointed. David has been a great person to work for and I thank him most sincerely for his understanding, kindness and support. I have very much enjoyed working for the Parish and will treasure the friendship and caring shown to me and my family by so many during this time. It has been much appreciated. I do, of course, feel sad to be
retiring as the Church family has been at the centre of
my home and working life. However, although I am taking a
back seat now I look forward to seeing everyone and
worshipping in our beautiful Church of St Mary and St
Nicholas. Thank you again. With my love and best wishes. Thank you all for your good wishes when
I 'retired' from the Parish Office at the end of July. I
very much appreciated your generosity and kind thoughts. from September 2007 from September 2007 from the August 2007 magazine Carol Smith, who lived in Leatherhead and partly trained here, is to be the Vicar of St Luke's, Moulsham, in the Chelmsford Diocese. She will be inducted there on November 1, All Saints Day, at 7.30pm. We offer both Carols and their families our warmest prayers and congratulations. All will be welcome at these services. from the August 2007 magazine from the August 2007 magazine Adrian's live presentations combine humour, poetry and story telling largely revolving round his own struggles as a Christian and human being. Often joined by his wife, the work has taken them as far as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa; trips to Europe have added the dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you are trying to be funny! His central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus and a passion to communicate the need for reality in faith. His latest book, published in 2007 by Authentic Media, is entitled Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation. I have 10 tickets for sale at £10 each; 25 of us went to the last performance. My telephone number is 01372 373261. S Segatta from the August 2007 magazine However, we will be able to make a further claim to 5/4/08 at the rate of 22%. Thereafter the rate is reduced to 20%, as announced in the last Budget. The claim for the remainder of 2008 will be made in January 2009. After that, unless the rate alters again, it should rectify and the actual tax claims should agree in time with funds shown on our balance sheets. Marion Moore Gift Aid Secretary from the August 2007 magazine from the August 2007 magazine | |||||||
