Newsletter - March 2020 to May 2020

 

Newsletter

MESSAGE FROM THE MANSE – MARCH 2020

Dear Friends,

Churches around the world at this time of the year are observing Lent. In this holy period we focus particularly on the sacrificial love of Jesus.  This is a time that reminds us that Christian faith is self-giving rather than self-seeking.  Jesus has shown the world that genuine love works, it never fails.  It is life’s most powerful motivator and can reach depths beyond what we can imagine.

Sacrificial love is built basically on two pillars, patience and kindness, and other characteristics of this love grow out of these attributes.  Wonderfully, love will inspire us to become a patient person.  We can choose to be patient rather than being irritable and demanding.  Patience allows us to extend mercy and kindness to those around us with no strings attached.

Patience makes us wise and brings sweet rewards.  As sure as the lack of patience can turn our home, our community, our world into a war zone, the practice of patience fosters justice and peace.  There is a proverb saying that whoever is patient has great understanding. Certainly this principle has timeless relevance.  Patience is where love meets wisdom and kindness and all relationships need this to remain healthy.

God calls all human beings to serve each other in and with love, pursuing peace, justice and joy in all our dealings and relationships.  So, let us make this month a special priority to sincerely and earnestly develop and actively promote love, patience, tolerance, kindness, humility, justice and peace.

God bless,                                                                                 Revd Asif Das

Easter Services

Good Friday – the church will be open for personal meditation from 9.30 – 10.00 on Friday 10th April.  Followed by the Churches Together service at the East Horsley shops, led by All Saints’, Ockham.

Our Easter Day Service on 12th April, at 10.30, will be led by the Rev Claire Hargreaves and will include the Easter Communion.

Church News

Songs of Praise - This year will be held on Saturday, 30th May, at 7.00; this is the Saturday preceding Pentecost. We hope to be joined by representatives from the other churches in Churches Together in Ockham and Horsley.  Please encourage your friends and neighbours to come to this uplifting event.

We will be marking Christian Aid Week, 12th – 18th May, in our service on 17th may.

The Bible Study Group is still running fortnightly on a Monday at 2.00.  Currently, we are using a study guide called "Journey to the Cross" written by Pippa Durn for Embrace The Middle East.  We began the first of the 6 sessions on 17th February and have spare copies of the material should anyone like to join.  The group is being led through this study by Rev. Claire Hargreaves.

House Group meets at Ruth Isaac’s home at 7.00 on the fourth Tuesday of the month – 24th March, 28th April and 26th May.  All are welcome to join these meetings.

Occasional lunches.  23 people enjoyed the occasional lunch that took place in February.  The next lunch will be on Thursday 7th May; please let your friends know the date and encourage them to come to this event.  Meanwhile, the Thursday Coffee mornings continue weekly, so please come and join us for company and a natter, any time from 10.30-12.00. 

Local News

Churches Together in Horsley & Ockham

Following a well represented committee meeting in January, it has been arranged that All Saints Parish church, Ockham will be responsible for arranging this year's open air Good Friday service at Station Parade, East Horsley at 10.00am on 10th April and will be led by the Rev Hugh Grear.  Please encourage people to come to this worthwhile, public service.

No inter-church Lent groups are being arranged this year, but the committee is meeting again on 7th October, so that there will be plenty of time to consider whether or not more Churches Together events may be arranged next year.

The Effingham Methodists are holding a fund-raising concert with a performance by “Vocalease” featuring 6 male singers.  This will be at 7.00pm on Saturday 14th March, at St Lawrence Church Hall, Effingham.  Tickets @ £12 can be obtained from 01372 459354. 

 

Circuit News

New Appointments

The Rev Sam (Samantha) Funnell, currently Superintendent in the South Kent Circuit, has been matched with the Woking appointment and will join our Circuit in September this year.  Sam will be combining this with Assistant Chair of the Western Area of our District.

 

Lent Reflections – Holy Habits

There will be a series of four talks based on ‘Holy Habits’, followed by a bread and soup lunch, at Guildford St Mary’s, starting on Thursday, 12th March at 12.15 for 12.30.

Sam Monaghan, who gave such an interesting talk to the Circuit Mission Supper about the work of MHA, is taking part in a 375 mile cycle ride from Surrey to Leeds on the five days from 12th – 16th June to raise funds for MHA.  You can make donations via justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-monaghan-mha 

MHA’s slogan is enabling people to ‘live later life well’.

A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land – led by Rev Claire Hargreaves and Helen Belsham

Monday 3rd – Monday 10th May 2021

You are invited to come on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May next year. 

Experience for yourself the sites where the most important events of Jesus’ life and ministry took place, in Galilee, Jerusalem and surrounding areas.  Whether you have been before or you are new to the Holy Land, you will be moved and enriched as we journey, pray and learn together.  Reading the gospels will never be the same again!

The cost will be in the region of £2,000 per person, sharing an en suite room on a full board basis, flights included.  We will stay in hotels in Tiberias and Jerusalem and will be visiting Nazareth, Galilee, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Come and find out more on Sunday 29th March at 12 noon at Merrow church.  Bring your own lunch, coffee/tea provided.

Enquiries: helenbelsham@icloud.com or    Claire.hargreaves@methodist.org.uk

 

A Methodist Way of Life

The Yorkshire West District has piloted the use of the cards with the wording below to encourage people to commit to the Methodist Way of Life.  The original print run of 500 cards had quickly to be increased to 7,500 to respond to requests.

The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ.

With God’s help, we commit to this way of life:

Worship

  • We will pray daily
  • We will worship with others regularly
  • We will look and listen for God in Scripture and the world.

Learning and Caring

  • We will care for ourselves and those around us.
  • We will practice hospitality and generosity.
  • We will learn more about our faith.

Service

  • We will help and serve people in our communities and beyond.
  • We will honour creation and tend the environment.
  • We will challenge injustice.

Evangelism

  • We will speak of the love of God in Jesus.
  • We will live in such a way that others might be drawn to Jesus.
  • We will share our faith with others sensitively.

The Power of Prayer

Pray without ceasing, pray.    (Thessalonians)

Over the last few months you might have noticed that the weekly notices have included a variety of Prayer suggestions.  They have ranged from the monthly Churches Together prayers said in the local churches on the 2nd Sunday in the month, to John Wesley’s prayers, to thinking of local residents in West Horsley’s roads and topical issues to individuals because of their circumstances of bereavement or illness.

At the Housegroup held at Ruth’s in February, we had a very  beneficial chat on all aspects of prayer and  we  shared helpful hints on when, where and how to pray.  This led to the realization there is no right or wrong way.  The greater importance is to make sure we have a two-way conversation with God especially making sure we take time to listen to his responses.

We also discussed all types of prayer from intercessory prayers in services to the more formal prayers said from the Service book. Everyone offered their ideas of helpful books such as the Methodist Prayer Handbook issued annually (there are spare copies in the vestry) and the Circuit Prayer diary with one line ideas for praying suggestions.

Here are some of quotes from well-known people which may be helpful.

  • ‘Pray as you can, not as you can’t.’
  • ‘Do not make prayer a monologue…make it a conversation.’

‘God speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer’

 

CHURCHES TOGETHER INTERCESSORY PRAYERS –  

MARCH 2020

Heavenly Father, during this Lenten time of preparation, may we become more fervent in prayer and draw nearer to Jesus as we contemplate the agonies and persecution He suffered for love of us. Through His example may we increase our  discipleship and lovingly share the burdens of those around us in need.

APRIL 2020

Heavenly Father we rejoice and give thanks on this Easter Sunday, that through your  generosity you sent your only Son to change the World forever, to redeem us by your love and mercy to be Spiritually born again. May we always be worthy of your trust and faithfulness.

MAY 2020

Heavenly Father we pray that all Christians, together with those of other religions and all people of goodwill, may promote peace and justice in the World. May we grow in tolerance and understanding, accepting that you created us all uniquely to love our brothers and sisters unconditionally.

The Circuit Prayer Diary, compiled by Claire Hargreaves, can be found on www.weyvalleycircuit.org.uk/calendar.html 

Examples for March:-

8  Meditate on John 3.1-17, the reading for the 2nd Sunday in Lent

9  Pray for the work of All We Can and Embrace the Middle East with refugees from the Syrian War

10  Read STF 239 asking God to reveal his will and purpose for you

11  Pray for Rev Asif Das and his family giving thanks for his ministry

12  Pray for a positive meeting of Woking ROC initiative

13  Take a moment to remember this is a Holy Day of prayerfor Muslim neighbours

 

Dates for your Diary

March

Monday 2nd  2.00           Bible study in the Wesley Room

Friday 6th    10.00           World Day of Prayer Service at St Martin’s East Horsley

Monday 16th  2.00         Bible study in the Wesley Room

Tuesday 24th 7.00          House Group at Ruth Isaac’s

Monday 30th  2.00         Bible study in the Wesley Room

April

Friday 10th     9.30          Chapel open for personal reflection

                     10.00           Open air Service at East Horsley shops

Monday 20th  2.00         Bible study in the Wesley Room

Sunday26th  10.30        Chapel Anniversary service

Tuesday 28th  7.00         House Group at Ruth Isaac’s

May

Monday 4th     2.00        Bible study in the Wesley Room

Sunday 17th   12.00        Church Council

Monday18th    2.00        Bible study in the Wesley Room

Tuesday 26th   7.00        House Group at Ruth Isaac’s

Saturday 30th  7.00        Songs of Praise

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