The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | people | church | village | friends | location |
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The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | people | church | village | friends | location |
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JAM Summer Kids Club
Dear John
Hog Roast
Medstead Féte
Intercessions Guide
Refectory Duties
April-June 2009
January-March 2009
October-December 2008
July-September 2008
April-June 2008
January-March 2008
October-December 2007
July-September 2007
April-June 2007
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October-December 2006
July-September 2006
April-June 2006
January-March 2006
October-December 2005
July-September 2005
April-June 2005
January-March 2005
October-December 2004
July-September 2004
April-June 2004
January-March 2004
November-December 2003
Anglicans Online
BBCi: Christian News
The Church of England Gazette
The Church of England Newspaper
Church Times Online
Diocese Of Winchester
Ekklesia
Ship of Fools
St. Andrew's website is:
Coming soon... are you watching your waste? Are you aged between 5 and 11? Then become a waste watcher! This year's Summer JAM will be a three day holiday event on a green theme, with games, songs, drama, craft activities and stories.
It will be held at St. Mary's School, Bentworth between Wednesday, 29th and Friday, 31st July. There will also be a special family service celebrating Summer JAM on Sunday, 2nd August at St. Mary's Church, Lasham.
If your children would like to come, simply complete this form and return it to Maria Fordyce by Friday, 3rd July to book your place.
Application forms are also available from Bentworth and Medstead Primary Schools and the Benefice Churches. Bentworth and Medstead school children can return completed forms in a sealed envelope marked JAM Waste Watchers to the school office, else return your form to Maria.
Activities will take place in the School Hall and outside on the field, so please provide suitable clothing for the weather on the day - sunhat, suncream (if provided and under your instruction this will be reapplied to your child/ren as needed), sports shoes, wet weather gear, etc. Children will also need a packed lunch and water to drink during the day. There will be juice and biscuits available to the children when they have a break from activities.
We would welcome a voluntary contribution, simply to cover expenses, of £5 per family per day, and if you have any cardboard boxes, kitchen towel tubes, egg boxes, Pringle cartons, empty shoe boxes and similar items we'd love to recycle them! Simply drop them into the resource boxes located in any of the four Benefice churches.
The JAM Team: Jesus and Me - spreading the Good News
Related Links:
Waste Watchers Summer JAM Application Form
Easter JAM 2009
Advent Jam 2008
Summer Jam 2008
Our Child Protection Policy
I'd like to tell you a little about John. He was one of those many whose funerals I have conducted over the years of my ministry, one whose life didn't attract national celebrity; whose death wasn't reported in the obituaries of the broadsheet papers; who didn't merit a state funeral.
Yet John was a wonderful man. He worked hard all his life, married and raised his family. He came to live in the village which became his home and, in just as quiet a fashion as he went about all his business, he became one of those unsung lynch-pins of its community.
Like many men, he remained open if undecided about the place of God in his life, although his wife was a regular worshipper. In fact, he regularly attended church with her - more regularly than many who would describe themselves as "good churchgoing Christians". Just before he died, he asked personally if I would conduct his funeral.
I have great respect for these lynch-pins of our society who hold fast the fabric of our common life, whether it be the huge number of small businesses which somehow manage to survive in harsh times and underpin our economy, or those almost-always incredibly busy people who nevertheless find time to perform the voluntary work which continues to paper over the cracks in our state provision. John was one such; a man whose business employed only a small number (in multi-national terms), who worked hard to establish and run his business but who still found time to be involved in village life.
What, sometimes I'm asked, does God offer to people such as John? Is there a place in eternal life for them? Opinions vary widely, even from among those who would see themselves as committed Christians. Some would positively exclude anyone who hasn't made an open, personal, mature declaration of faith; others passionately believe that all are saved through the death of Jesus, whether they realise it or not!
One of the earliest charges brought against Christianity was that it split families: if a believer was married to an unbeliever, irreconcilable differences would result. St. Paul, however, expresses this lovely thought: "For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband". (1 Corinthians 7:14). That was written in the context of a "mixed" marriage, not as in people of different race or religion, but of believer and non-believer. Paul's idea was that God's promises are secured through the faith of the believer.
In a world which tends to judge people harshly - one is either a success or a failure, with nothing in between - I like the possibility that God looks on the greyness in our lives and understands. I take that to be at the heart of God's willingness to forgive - we continually make mistakes but, provided we're truly trying to get it right, God understands.
For whom is it easier to love: the parent who harshly punishes even the most trivial of errors, or the one who hugs their errant child and brings about change through tender loving kindness? Christ died on the cross rather than stand on his dignity and condemn all humankind.
I suggest the "Johns" of this life also find their place in the heart of God's eternity.
Ben Flenley
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Tickets are now available for our annual Hog Roast on Saturday, 18th July, starting at 6.00pm for 6.30pm.
It is taking place as usual in the gardens of the Castle of Comfort and you can either bring your own drinks or even better, buy them from Sue in the Castle!
You will also need to provide your own crockery and cutlery and a bring-to-share salad would be greatly appreciated!
There is a sign-up list at the back of the church, and the cost is the same as last year at £7.50 per ticket or £3.50 for under-10s.
For tickets or further information, please contact Sharon Blackshaw.
Medstead's traditional, annual, fund-raising Village Fête, will be held on Saturday, 11th July. This year the theme is superheroes!
The grand parade will start at 1.30pm from the Tennis Club, before the Fête opens on the Village Green at 2.00pm.
The Fête includes craft and trade stalls, a local beer festival, barbeque, tea and cakes, grand draw and arena entertainment throughout the afternoon.
Hog the Limelight, one of the country's best street theatre companies, will also be there, with The Black Box: a tiny theatre for one, where the five minute show - a spaghetti western parody - is performed just for you, while the crowds waiting outside see the action from a different perspective as the actors run around, grabbing props and changing hats.
The Medstead Parish Plan Environmental Group will have a stall, including displays on the Greening Medstead campaign, on plans for the Village Green copse and a village pond, a solar shower demonstration, surveys, quizzes, freebies and more! The amount of CO2 saved by the village from the Challenge Cards distributed during May will also be announced.
Come and join the fun and raise money for local village causes at the same time. For more information, please contact the Fête Committee:
We need volunteers to help run the St. Andrew's stall. If you are willing to organise this or help then please contact Kerry.
A guidance evening given by Simon Baker has been arranged for Thursday, 2nd July, 7.15pm for 7.30pm, at the Medstead Rectory, Trinity Hill, for those who volunteered to help lead intercession prayers at our services.
If you would also like to come along, it is not too late to join. Please contact Kerry if you would like to attend.
Thank you to our Church team who carried out the duties at the Cathedral Refectory on Thursday, 4th June.
Our next duty is on Thursday, 6th August. If you can help for either a whole day or half a day please contact Mary Spinks.
We are looking for more helpers, so please consider volunteering for this important contribution to the Cathedral's activities. No previous experience is needed and this is an equal opportunity job!
