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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Lenten Lunches 2010
Carbon Fast
Giving Without Strings
PCC Meeting: 25th January
Karamoja Update
Epiphany
Medstead Bowls Club
Quiz Night
2010 Social Events
JAM Family Events
Julian Meetings
Refectory Duties
50:50 Auction
Village Hall Update
Medstead Scouts
Medstead Players
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One of St. Andrew's major charity fund raising events is our annual series of Lenten Lunches, with invited speakers. Lunches of homemade soup, bread and cheese will be served from 12 noon to 1.30pm in the Church Hall. All donations collected will be divided equally between the nominated charities. This year, the lunches will be in aid of the following:
Ash Wednesday, 17th February: Karamoja.
In support of the Alton Deanery Karamoja Link Committee's work in providing practical support to the church and people of North-Eastern Uganda. The lunch will be preceded, at 11.00am, by an Ash Wednesday Communion Service with Imposition of Ashes.
Tuesday, 23rd February: The Stroke Association
The Stroke Association is the only UK-wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation, and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its rehabilitation and support services.
Thursday, 4th March: UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund works for children's rights, their survival, development and protection, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Friday, 12th March: Winchester Churches Nightshelter
The Nightshelter is an independent local charity supported by the Churches of Winchester, welcoming homeless people into safe and clean accommodation with a hot evening meal and breakfast. It also provides advice and support as well as assistance in finding appropriate permament accommodation.
Saturday, 20th March: Treloar Trust
The Treloar Trust, based in Alton, provides education, therapy, medical support and training in independence for young people with physical disabilities in a caring and supportive environment. The Trust gives students the opportunity to develop their confidence and skills to enable them to achieve their potential in all aspects of life.
Friday, 26th March: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
A UK charity which trains and places dogs trained to alert the deaf or hard of hearing to chosen everyday sounds, so offering greater independence, confidence and security at no cost to the recipients.
If you can help and/or make soup, please put your name on the sheet at the back of the church. Thank you.
Related Links:
Lenten Lunches, 2009
Lenten Lunches, 2008
Lenten Lunches, 2007
Lenten Lunches, 2006
Lenten Lunches, 2005
Lenten Lunches, 2004
Winchester Diocese has launched a new Environmental Policy, which includes recommendations for each parish to:
Parishes which make the most effective impact in reducing their carbon footprint will be recognised by Diocesan Environmental Awards.
The Policy supports the Church of England's wider strategy, Church and Earth. Launched in October 2009, it aims to cut the 330,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted annually by the Church of England's 43 dioceses, 16,200 churches, associated halls and vicarages and 4,700 schools across the UK by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The strategy will be overseen by the Church of England's Shrinking the Footprint campaign.
Other commitments made in the strategy include:
"We need to reduce our carbon footprint. We also need to address the major challenges being faced by our brothers and sisters especially in the south. Climate change is not just about science; it's about justice. By contributing to the fund we can make good some of the damage our excessive consumption is having on the poorest. I hope individuals and parish communities will seize this opportunity to give generously."
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Rowan Williams
The Climate Justice Fund is managed by Christian relief and development charity Tearfund, which works with Anglican churches in poor communities overseas to help them adapt to the effects of climate change and to provide access to clean energy.
During Lent, Tearfund is campaigning for a Carbon Fast; those who sign up pledge a cut in their personal carbon use by carrying out a simple energy saving action on each of the 40 days between 17th February and 3rd April.
The action for Day 1, for example, is to remove a light bulb from a prominent place and live without it for 40 days as a reminder of the need to cut energy.
Taking part in the Carbon Fast daily actions could result in an estimated 25 per cent cut in your average emissions over Lent.
Related Links:
Shrinking The Footprint
Tearfund
Winchester Diocese Environmental Policy
Greening Medstead
The challenging weather in late December and throughout January has brought problems to many, not least in getting to work. I was interested to read a letter in one of the national newspapers which commented that, whilst vast numbers of people were staying home, this correspondent's local supermarket car park was nevertheless full! By no means everyone commutes huge distances to work; can it be that many who could have made more effort simply chose not to?
I'm too young to have any knowledge of 1947's winter, but I recall well that of 1962-3. My school remained open throughout and my parents contrived to get us there each day via a long, tortuous route until the bus service was able to be resumed. Paths at school were not salted, nor even cleared of snow. Being on the side of a hill (as most of the city of Bath is), we schoolboys turned one path into a sheer slope of ice; those who didn't feel brave enough to slide down it had to walk in the deep snow alongside. Roads around our hilly village not being cleared made it safe to use snow chains without fear of ripping our car tyres to shreds. Only the farmer had a 4x4! The two old ladies who took milk around the village on their hand cart continued to make all their deliveries as normal.
Was there a greater determination then than now? Is all the difference down to fear of being sued? Or have we, as a nation, become cosseted and feeble?
Rabbi Lionel Blue has just delivered a challenging Thought for the Day on Radio 4. An old and devout man, steeped in Judaism, had suggested to him that Britain was greater after World War Two than it had been before, despite popular opinion to the contrary and the death of Empire. It had given us "the Salvation Army, a Health Service free to all, The Samaritans, hospices for 'decent dying', the Citizens' Advice Bureau and free libraries and museums". (The Salvation Army, of course, was founded in 1865). In the same talk, Rabbi Blue also told us that this man had defined religion for him as "giving without strings".
I think we've seen plenty of that sort of religion practised by people, not all of whom would describe themselves as religious, during this cold weather. The emergency and rescue services, health care workers and, simply, good neighbours have all gone out of their way to care for people in need. A team of people responded to the appeal to help Medstead School re-open by clearing paths and the car park of snow. Many of those who could have walked to a church on the 10th, however, didn't, even though others who had to drive to get there did. (Shalden's evening service was, wisely, cancelled).
There is a mood of determination which can take us over in difficult times and that's been evident just recently. It's a great quality, and is the same as that which lay behind the creation of those post-War institutions cited above - needs being met through practical response and initiative.
No greater example of "giving without strings" can be found than that of Jesus who freely laid down his life for us. The Epistle of James reminds us that "as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26).
"Giving without strings" will have to be something of a mantra once we have survived the weather and gone back to grumbling about the state of the economy. In the face of inevitable cutting of public expenditure, the Church may find itself taking up again initiatives in caring which it founded and subsequently ceded to the state. Only a strong Church, regular in its worship and prayer, will be equipped for this work.
Ben Flenley
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The Parochial Church Council met on Monday, 25th January and, in addition to the usual items of business, discussed the following:
The next PCC Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 23rd March at 8.00pm in the Church Hall, upper room. If you have any matters you would like discussed, please contact the PCC Secretary.
The full minutes of this meeting will be available to download following their approval at the March PCC.
The Karamoja Link Committee (KLC) met on Thursday, 14th January and discussed items, including:
David Hayward
Related Links:
Alton Deanery: Karamoja Bursary Scheme
Faith In Action: Karamoja
The climax of the Advent and Christmas Season is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, known as Epiphany. Observed on 6th January, Epiphany commemorates the visitation of the three Magi, Persian Priests or "wise men" traditionally named Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12).
Epiphany celebrates the revelation or incarnation of God made man in the person of Jesus Christ to the world. It also celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17), inaugurating his public ministry as an adult. In the words of the collect for The First Sunday of Epiphany, the Baptism of Christ:
Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Season of Epiphany includes Candlemas, also called The Presentation of Christ in the Temple and The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we will celebrate on Sunday, 31st January at the Benefice Communion Service. Candlemas celebrates these events: presentation, purification and light for the world.
The presentation of Jesus in the Temple took place 40 days after his birth which, this year, falls on Tuesday, 2nd February and there will also be a Candlelit Communion at St Mary's Lasham, from 7.30pm on that day to celebrate Candlemas.
The feast of Candlemas can be traced to at least 543. The Feast of Lighted candles is mentioned by Bede and St. Eligius, who was bishop of Noyon from 640 to 648. It is a watershed in the church year, marking the point at which we take a last look back at Christmas and then turn our minds firmly towards Easter, for this reason it has been called a 'bitter-sweet Sunday'.
The Season of Epiphany extends from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, on 17th February this year, which marks the beginning of Lent.
The prolonged spell of cold, snowy weather has meant our regular roll-ups have been mainly played indoors on the short mat where it's warmer. The main casualty was our Ladies vs. Gentlemen match on New Year's Day, where attendance was much lower than usual as many members took the opportunity to spend a long weekend with relatives.
There was an imbalance of numbers so the ladies' team was brought up to strength by a few men wearing grass skirts (over their trousers of course!). Due to the cold weather, half the matches were played on the green and the other half on the short mat and, for the record, the ladies won. The soup, rolls, mince pies and mulled wine served afterwards were very welcome.
So far, the Winter Cup matches have mostly been played on time, with a few slightly behind schedule. However, with the temperature well below zero and a foot of snow on the ground, it will be some time before the green is playable again. All the remaining rounds need to be complete before Winter Finals Day on Saturday, 27th February.
This year, as well as the Winter Cup and Short Mat finals, we shall also be playing the final of the new Ladies Short Mat competition for the first time.
Although our lease restricts the use of our premises to activities associated with bowls, our landlord has kindly granted a relaxation to allow other village organisations to use the clubhouse and kitchen facilities while the Village Hall is closed and we have taken out the necessary extension to our insurance cover. Medstead Players, the Lunch Club and Medstead Parish Council have already made arrangements to use our facilities.
Anyone who would like to try the game or just play casually is always welcome at our rollup sessions. We meet every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday afternoon and we play on the indoor short mat if the weather is too bad to play on the green. There is plenty of club equipment for newcomers to use, so just turn up a little before 2.00pm. For more information, contact the secretary on 01420 560014.
Wilf Robinson
Related Links:
Medstead Bowls Club, Oct-Dec 2009
Come and pit your wits against the best brains in the village at our annual quiz night in the Church Hall on Saturday, 27th February, from 7.00pm.
Local author Jack Sheffield is setting the questions and running the quiz, so you can expect a witty and challenging time!
You can enter individually, or in teams of six, the more, the merrier, to enjoy an evening of fun, entertainment and a fish and chip supper. Please feel free to bring your own drinks.
Tickets, at £9 each, are the same proce as last year. For tickets or for more information, please contact the Social Committee, or sign the form at the back of the church.
The Social Committee has now planned its programme of events for this year. Our social events are always very popular, so please put the dates into your diary and watch out for full details to follow. Highlights include:
Saturday, 27th February: Quiz Night
Saturday, 10th April: Spring Jumble Sale
Sunday, 18th April: Journey Back to VE Day, 75th anniversary commemoration
Saturday, 24th July: Hog Roast
Saturday, 13th November: Autumn Jumble Sale
Sunday, 28th November: Recital
Please see our regularly updated Events page for more details on these and other village events.
If you are interested in joining the Social Committee or helping at any of the events, please contact Sharon Blackshaw.
Related Links:
Events
JAM, our Benefice team who organise and lead themed days especially for children and families to enjoy, will be holding the following events:
Saturday, 13th March: Make Mothers Day 4.
An activity afternoon from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in the Church Hall for primary-school aged children with lots of things to make and do, including gifts for Mum for Mothering Sunday on March 14th, when we will be holding a special family service at 11.00am.
Wednesday, 28th-Friday, 30th July: Summer JAM.
Following the success of Summer Jam 2009 we will again be running a club for primary school aged children during the summer holidays, full of fun, creative and play activities.
For more information please contact JAM.
The JAM team need volunteers for Make Mothers Day to help the children make 200 posies for the Mothering Sunday services in the Benefice. Please contact Kerry if you can help.
Related Links:
Summer Jam 2009
Our Child Protection Policy
Events
Our Julian Meetings are now held once a month. We have recently started reading The Ladder of Perfection, by Walter Hilton, as our lead-in to the silence. The next meeting will be on Friday, 5th February, at Belmont, Five Ash Road, Medstead.
If quiet Christian contemplation is something you might enjoy, or if you just want to find out more, please contact Gay or Jill. We are always delighted to welcome new members.
Jill Hurley
This year's duties for the St. Andrew's team at the Refectory commence on Thursday 21st January, other dates will follow.
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!
Intended for either new or good quality second hand items, but not jumble, with proceeds shared between the seller and St Andrew's, we are held a 50:50 Auction in the Church Hall on Saturday, 16th January.
The auction was well attended with over 40 lots to bid for and £65 was raised. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped, with special thanks to Dudley and Pat who arranged and managed the whole event and also to Logan, our first-class auctioneer.
Due to the fire in December, 2009 the Village Hall is out of action. The damage was mainly in the entrance lobby, toilets, bar area, Wiltshire Room, the upstairs store room and the lighting loft. It also affected all electrical equipment and wiring in the main hall, as well as smoke and water damage throughout the building.
Many of the village organisations have now found new locations to hold meetings. Please check with the individual organisations listed in the Medstead Village Guide for specific details. In particular, we would like to thank St. Andrew's Church Hall, Medstead Bowls Club and Medstead School for their assistance.
The cause of the fire was electrical. We are awaiting more details from our insurer's forensic specialist and for a structural survey to be completed before we can approach repairing the Hall.
A building sub-committee has been created to co-ordinate the activities required to return the Hall to operational use. Since there were a number of improvements being planned, for which we are still waiting for planning permission to be confirmed, any opportunity to reduce the overall cost of these by incorporating them into the rebuild without significant additional delays will also be investigated.
If you would like more information or if you are able to offer specialist services, please email:
Allan Coombs
Medstead Village Hall Management Committee
Building Sub-Comittee
Related Links:
Medstead Village Guide
Due to the fire at Medstead Village Hall, the scout group have changed meeting location - for all sections - to Medstead School Hall, until we have our own building. Beavers and Cubs remain on Mondays and Scouts has moved to Tuesdays.
Planning permission has now been approved for our own hut - to be located behind Medstead Bowls Club - and we are currently fund raising in earnest so the hut may be operational as soon as possible.
If you would like to donate or assist in any way, please contact group chairman Val Coombs, on 01420 563906.
Scouting means fun and adventure for adults as well as children. If you would like to know more about the adult opportunities for Scouting in Medstead, please contact the Group Scout Leader, Tim Warren, on 01420 542165.
There are also opportunities available in other locations in the area, please email: or telephone 01420 563906.
Allan Coombs
District Commissioner
The Medstead Players had an eventful December. Our Panto, Cinderella, was very successful and, as well as having five very well attended performances, with good reviews and feedback, we also raised £850 for St Michael's Hospice, Basingstoke.
We also had our usual carol singing evening when we visited three hosts and raised £250 for Broadlands, Riding for the Disabled.
Then, on December 20th, the fire at the Village Hall not only deprived us of our home for monthly meetings, our two annual productions and our many charity events, but also destroyed a considerable amount of our lighting and sound equipment and all of our costumes and props collected over the last 30 years.
Our planned spring production Pure Nectar will go ahead, now at Four Marks Village Hall, on Friday, 30th April and Saturday, 1st May.
Our January meeting had to be cancelled due to snow, but our next meeting will take place on Monday, 1st February in the small committee room at Four Marks Village Hall, from 8.00pm. As usual, new members are very welcome. For more information please contact Jenny Overy on 01420 563260.
Allan Coombs
Chairman, Medstead Players
Could you be the replacement for Chris Tew?
If you would like to become an Assistant Churchwarden, Kerry and Ian would like you to contact them and they will be pleased to explain the position and responsibilities.
St. Andrew's is looking to appoint an Environmental Officer to assist the PCC in: implementing an environmental statement aligned with Winchester Diocese's Environmental Policy; carrying out an energy audit; promoting environmental awareness and, by increasing reuse and recycling, encouraging a reduction in our carbon footprint.
If you are interested in the role, or would like more information, please contact a Churchwarden.
Due to the success of past Jumble Sales, we have accumulated a large quantity and variety of books in the Church Hall, Upper Room.
Please help yourselves to any number of them after the services, as otherwise they will be removed and disposed of by the end of January.
To advertise here please contact us. To advertise in the Pewsheet please contact Adrian or Debby.
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