Letter from the Rectory by the Reverend Brendan Martin Church Services, Features & News from the Pews Frant Nursery School N
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ISSUE 128 MARCH / APRIL 2020 FREE SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF FRANT, ERIDGE & BELLS YEW GREEN “Eridge Rocks”, by Debs-eye/Flickr. See page 12 for walks to do in the Parish IN THIS ISSUE… 3 4 7 8 10 14 Letter from Church Services, Frant Nursery Parish Council MP Nus Ghani What’s on in the the Rectory by features & News School news news and updates on her role as Parish: events, the Reverend from the Pews and details of a the Maritime useful contacts Brendan Martin fundraising quiz Minister & dates ADVERTISEMENTS PARISH NEWS From the Rectory New Season, New Life. us for Alpha. It has been fantastic to meet lots of I recently bought myself a new toy, a strimmer for new people, in fact we had so many it became quite the garden, and I’ve been spending the last few a task to fit us all in The Stables hall! No doubt the weeks playing with it and hacking back the garden. promise of good food and wine helped with people The level of satisfaction I get slicing through wanting to come, but it was also that we have so those yards and yards of dead stinging nettles, little time to think about the big questions of life, bracken and bushes, is way beyond any gardening meaning, purpose and God, that we all came with experience I have had before! As my friend Andy questions and great discussion! One of the things says, “if you want to make an omelette you’ve got to we discussed was about whether there is ultimately crack some eggs,” and our garden is definitely well beauty out of chaos and life out of death? cracked right now. In fact, it is at the carnage stage We looked at Jesus and his dying on the cross of its transformation. and his physical resurrection from the dead. It had to be done over winter, if I waited I would Which is something Christians across the world have simply been fighting against the growth of will celebrate again this Easter. The evidence for the weeds in spring, a battle I would have lost as I Jesus; his life, death and resurrection is amazingly don’t always have as much time as I hope or need persuasive and can bring hope and perspective as for these things. One of the most lovely things we go through the chaos that is our life so often. about having hacked them back though is the new So much of life seems to be fighting the weeds. growth and new life that has appeared! Out of the The things we have to sort, the difficulties we mess of the brambles, and out of the devastation of have to go through, the sadness around us that we my strimmer violently sending shards of old weeds experience. But the good news of Easter, the good everywhere, out of this devastation has come forth news of Christianity is that there is beauty and life new life! to come! A faith to take hold of. There are seeds of In the middle of what was a heap of weeds, dozens new life brisling through! I hope and pray that this and dozens of bulbs have shot up, no doubt grateful Springtime you might be able to join with us to pull for the sun they are finally able to see. back those weeds of life to find the beauty there is to Out of the carnage, beauty. Out of the death, life. see below. Over the past few weeks lots of people have joined —Rev Brendan Martin — 2 — — 3 — PARISH NEWS PARISH NEWS Instructor training, and alongside when a stone memorial tablet fell off another member of our church who the North West wall of the church. St Alban’s, Frant & Holy Trinity, Eridge is already a qualified instructor, am Fortunately it happened during the looking to see how we can develop our night, but it destroyed a display screen Rector youth and children’s work to get children and badly damaged our rather lovely The Reverend Brendan Martin — 01892 752003; [email protected] outside to enjoy, learn and care for oak pedestal table. We now have to creation, and looking to God as creator. think about how to put it back and who We are hugely excited about this new will pay! venture. We love the idea of making We were very sad to hear that June the most of the countryside around us, Talbot, a member of our congregation how we can understand the plants and for many years, died following a fall animals around us, care for them, and during the Christmas break. June had get excited about encouraging (and lived in Home Farm Court since 1991, building!) the habitats in which they and at 93 years old she was very fit and live and thrive. We want to see how we active. Until a few years ago she played www.frantchurch.org www.eridgechurch.org can use the resources of the countryside golf regularly, and she still attended Churchwardens Services for Churchwardens to make new crafts, for fire lighting, the ‘Older and Active’ keep fit sessions Jane Emler—532233 Jonathan Lynn—864304 for survival skills and for cooking in the Stables, the ease with which she Crawford Burden—07789 170275 March/April 2020 Christopher Hall—750385 outdoors, as well as having great fun could still touch her toes was the envy of making assault courses, big games, many. She was also a valued and regular Ed Pascoe plans our new forest archery and more. member of the Wednesday House Group. 9:30am Family Service ...........................................1st March. Communion 11:15am clubs for youth and children. In October last year, I led a group of As a girl in London, June worked for In Lent this year, we are joining the 9 kids on a pilot programme lasting 6 a legal firm, then for Esso. She was a 9:30am Communion .............................................8th March .........................................Morning Prayer 11:15am church of England’s, LiveLent: Care for weeks. During this time we explored dedicated animal lover and In the 1970s God’s Creation. Over 40 days we are some of these activities (below are she worked for ‘Beauty without cruelty’ 9:30am Morning Service ........................................15th March ............................................Communion 11:15am reflecting on some passages from the pictures of this time). Having received a charity opposing animal testing and Bible, but also taking action on how we fantastic feedback from both kids and the fur trade. The charity was run by 9:30am Family Service .........................................22nd March ............................................Communion 11:15am can care for God’s creation right now. parents, we are excited to develop our her friend Lady Dowding, the wife of ........................................................Mothering Sunday ....................................................... You can join us too by downloading the community and countryside links with Air Chief Marshall Lord Dowding the app, search LiveLent: Care for God’s Forest Clubs after Easter. Commander at the Battle of Britain. 9:30am Communion ............................................ 29th March ........................................Morning Prayer 11:15am Creation. June will be very much missed as part of This is not something we want to News from the Pews our church family and in the community. 9:30am Family Service ........................................... 5th April ..............................................Communion 11:15am limit to a few weeks in lent, and from At the time of writing, (the second The Alpha Course got off to a good ...........................................................Palm Sunday. Easter we will be thinking about how we week in February) there are 3 daffodils start at the end of January. At the time can, as a church, broaden and deepen and masses of snowdrops out in the of writing there have been 2 sessions ..............................................................9th April ..................................Tenebrae Communion 8:00pm our links to the countryside around us, churchyard. Spring is coming! with around 30 people attending. Those ........................................................Maundy Thursday ....................................................... particularly with our young people. I Christmas seems a long time ago now, providing the meals rose to the challenge am about to finish my Forest School but just a word about the Christmas of having to cater for rather more than 10:30am Family Service ...........................................10th April ..................................Last hour at the Cross 2:00pm services before we move on to 2020. we anticipated, and we enjoyed splendid ............................................................Good Friday ........................................................... At all but the midnight communion 3 course meals plus coffee. We watched service on Christmas eve, numbers were videos entitled ‘Is there more to life than 9:30am Family Communion ....................................12th April .............................................Communion 11:15am well up on previous years. At the Carol this?’ and ‘Who is Jesus?’ during which .............................................................Easter Day ............................................................. Service it was a privilege to hear the we heard the testimony and considered school choir sing the lovely carol ‘Noel’ opinions of historians, scientists and a 9:30am Morning Service .........................................19th April .............................................Communion 11:15am by Chris Tomlin. I don’t think I can find varied group of young people. The videos words to describe the Crib Service on were appropriately light hearted, one 9:30am Morning Service ........................................ 26th April .............................................Communion 11:15am Christmas eve, but through the noise, young lady said that she thought that the excitement and the giant party Jesus was probably a ‘cool dude who did There is a Sunday Club for 0–14 year olds at Frant when it isn’t a family service—all welcome! poppers, the message of Christmas rang good things!’ But they were certainly through in a clear and unforgettable thought provoking, and prompted some way. It was rather disappointing that interesting discussions and questions. the snow machine didn’t work, but next The course has 7 weekly sessions, so year, definitely! On Christmas morning hopefully everyone will see it through.