DECEMBER 2011 USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS Benefice Rector Simon Butler 01256 861706 [email protected] Parishes’ email address [email protected] Licensed Lay Ministers Jill Lestrille 01256 862131 Alan Hoar 01256 395077 Church Wardens Herriard/Winslade John Jervoise 01256 381723 Fiona Ives 07867 973266 Tunworth Mark Ruffell 01256 346148 Edwina Spicer 01256 471271 Upton Grey Sarah Barnes 01256 861164 Geoffrey Yeowart 01256 861218 Weston Patrick Felicity George 01256 862594 Mem FitzPatrick 01256 862359 Borough Councillor Mark Ruffell 01256 346148 [email protected] County Councillor Anna McNair Scott 01256 476422 Member of Parliament Ranil Jayawardena 0207 219 3000 (Phone for your MP Surgery Appointments) [email protected] Parish Chairmen Herriard Michael Branigan 01256 381260 Tunworth Neil Taylor 01256 356267 Upton Grey Paul Gray 01256 862440 Weston Patrick Ian Turner 01256 862162 Winslade John Raymond 01256 381203 PC Andy Reid Main local 01256 389050 Mobile 07768 776844 Neighbourhood Watch Herriard Rebecca Wills 01256 381275 Upton Grey George Hillier 01256 862368 Powntley Copse Julie Trice 01256 861136 Tunworth Sarah Whitcombe 01256 862495 Weston Patrick/Corbett David Don 01256 862464 Magazine Editors Tess Chevallier 01256 862636 David Shearer 01256 320538 Sheila Stranks 01256 862465 Ian Lansley-Neale 01256 381380 Kidszone Katie Goddard 01256 331989 All editors email: [email protected] Treasurer Anne Appelboam 01256 862383 Advertising & Production Susie Vereker 01256 862365 [email protected] Distribution Jane Hanbury 01256 862681 1 BENEFICE MAGAZINE – April 2017 Edition for the Parishes of Herriard with Winslade, Tunworth, Upton Grey and Weston Patrick As I type I’m looking at a beautiful bunch of yellow daffodils and white tulips in a jam jar wrapped in blue tissue paper, and to boot the sun is shining through the window behind me and feels really quite warm on my back. Can spring be around the corner? I just love this season of new life, fresh growth and the promise of long days to come. The flowers were given to me at the end of a baptism on Sunday. Although traditionally we don’t have flowers in church during Lent, the 40 days when Jesus was in the desert being tempted by the devil, we saw no harm in allowing these lovely little signs of spring and new life for our family service. After all, a new life being welcomed into fellowship with Christ is what baptism is all about. Most of us were baptised as babies, of course, and it was our parents and godparents who committed to the baptismal promises on our behalf. For our Lent Course this year we’re thinking about a different one of those promises each week. Lent is a period when Christians take time out to reflect on their relationship with God as we prepare for Easter – it isn’t only about giving up chocolate and wine! – and it’s no bad thing to think afresh about these baptismal promises now that we’re adults. In baptism, we’re called out of darkness and into God’s marvellous light. A lighted candle is given to the child (via a parent!) to represent the light of Christ and we all pray that the child will walk in this light throughout life and shine as a light in the world. As you might expect, this doesn’t come out of nowhere. At Christmas we probably all heard the reading from St John’s Gospel that describes the birth of Jesus. John called Jesus the Word of God made flesh, coming to live with us. He also spoke about the Light that enlightens everyone coming into the world, a light that shines in the darkness, and that cannot be extinguished. When Jesus was preaching, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). Leading up to Good Friday people tried very hard to extinguish that light. At one point it even looked as though they’d succeeded, as darkness covered the earth and Jesus died on the cross. But as we light our Easter (or Paschal) candle on Easter Sunday we proclaim his resurrection. Jesus is alive, and is the light for all people. 2 Jesus also said, ‘You are the light of the world .... let your light shine before others ...’ (Matthew 5:14, 16). As we reflect on our baptismal promises this Lent, perhaps we can also reflect on how we can shine as the light of Christ in the communities in which we live. May we be a light to one another. Revd Linda Scard FROM THE REGISTERS No information from the Registers this month CHURCH NEWS Holy Week Palm Sunday is on 9th April and we have Bishop Tim visiting our Benefice. He will take two services – a 9.30am service at Mapledurwell and the 11.15am service in Odiham. You are very welcome to join these services. In our patch, we have: Upton Grey – Family Service at 9.45am (NB: We are meeting at 9.45am at the Upton Grey pond for our Palm Sunday procession) Herriard – Family Service at 10:00am Tunworth – Evensong at 6:00pm. Maundy Thursday, 13th April there is a Maundy Thursday Holy Communion service for the whole Benefice at 7.30pm at All Saints, Odiham. All are welcome to come to this service. Good Friday we will be running the following services: Tunworth - Good Friday Meditation at 8:00am Upton Grey - Children’s Workshop at 9:30am at St Mary’s followed by Family Service at 11.00am (Please note: The Good Friday workshop is at St Mary’s church and not the village hall) Herriard - Good Friday Meditation at 10:00am Easter Day: each of our churches will have a service: Tunworth – Family Communion at 9:00am Upton Grey – Family Communion at 9:45am Herriard – Common Worship Holy Communion at 11:15am Weston Patrick – Common Worship Holy Communion at 11:15am 3 Adult Choir. The Adult Choir will meet to practice on Tuesday 4th April at 8pm and then will sing at 9:45am on Sunday 9th April. AGM Season. The AGM Season continues in April & provides an opportunity for all our parishioners to ask questions and to give ideas – as well as electing churchwardens and PCC members. All are welcome. The next AGMs are: Weston Patrick – Saturday 22nd April, 10:30am in the village hall Herriard - Monday 24th April at 7:45pm, at Herriard Park Tunworth – Wed 26th April 7.30pm at Home Farm, Hackwood Park Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee, St Mary’s Herriard Sunday 30th April 4 Other Dates for the Diary On 7th May our Benefice will be holding a Licensing service for Mary-Beth Hawrish at 3pm at St Andrew’s South Warnborough. Everyone is invited to come along and welcome Mary-Beth to her new post as the vicar of Long Sutton and South Warnborough. On 21st May, Tunworth (10am), Herriard and Weston Patrick (both at 11am) will be holding Rogation walks. Rogation Day walks go back to early medieval times when the priest and people walked the bounds of the parish to pray for the farmers, who worked on the land, and their crops. So, do come and join us as it is fun and relaxed. Please meet at the respective churches and all walks end with some refreshments. At Upton Grey, we will be holding a Family Service at the usual 9.45am. Ascension Day is the Thursday 25th May and there is a Holy Communion service for the whole benefice at 7.30pm at St Andrew’s, South Warnborough – a lovely opportunity for parishioners from around the benefice to meet Mary-Beth. Upton Grey Café Church – new time from May. Having experimented with our 4th Sunday café church service starting at 11am, we have decided from May onwards to revert back to an earlier starting time in order to be consistent with other services at Upton Grey, so café church will start at 9.45 am from 28th May. Café church is a great chance to get together in an informal setting for a cup of coffee, croissant and some time to chew over life’s big questions. Upton Grey Church Fete – 2pm 10th June. This year the Upton Grey fete will be held at 2pm on Saturday 10th June and David & Sue Scott have kindly agreed to host it. As the relatively new vicar of Upton Grey, this will be our first experience of the Upton Grey Church Fete. It would be wonderful to see you all there - and even more wonderful if you could spend lots at the stalls to raise money for St Mary’s church. Simon. Herriard Fete. Herriard will hold the Herriard Fete on 18th June on Herriard Green. Herriard Thursday Holy Communion Service. The next 10.00am Thursday Holy Communion service in Herriard will be on 20th April. All are welcome to this informal, friendly and relaxed service, which is followed by refreshments. 5 Pet Services 18 June - Upton Grey at 9:45am 25 June - Tunworth at 9am 25 June - Herriard at 10am A Huge Thank-you...From the vicar...to Jo Adair and all those who hosted and took part in the Upton Grey Safari Supper on March 11th...and to the Friends of Tunworth Church and all those who hosted and took part in the Tunworth Safari Supper on March 18th. Don’t forget we have a website: www.uptongreychurch.co.uk. It carries the monthly Parish Magazine including service times and diary dates, plus details of local groups and organisations and other information relating to the four churches.