FROM THE EDITOR

ADVENT has always been a time of waiting and anticipation. There is a tendency to associate waiting with stillness and patience. But Im sure that many of you would agree that Advent can be one of the busiestand most stressfultimes of the year! There are carols to sing, presents to wrap, cakes to bake, relatives to host or visit, trees to decorate, nativity plays to attend and cards to send. Even Mary, who didnt have any of the traditions that have attached themselves to the Christmas season, couldnt sit with her feet up and wait for the birth of her Son. Instead, she had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted and denied a room at the inn. Ive been doing a lot of waiting this year: waiting to hear about jobs, waiting for suitable positions to become open, waiting to hear replies from friends who are now far away, waiting for my parents to come home in the evening. Through all that waiting Ive been trying to keep busy. Ive been (re)learning to drive and editing the Parish News. With Advent, its easy to wait and its easy to be busy because the end is in sight. Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th December each year. However, when waiting for something where the date is more uncertaina response to a job application or an email from a busy friend, it can be much more difficult to know how to spend your time. As a Christian, I am also waiting for something a bit bigger than a positive email. The baby that we wait for in Advent was Jesus, he lived, died, in his death took our punishment for rebelling against God, he rose again and now is reigning in glory. We are waiting until we can join Him. How should we wait? Should we be still, bide the time by not doing anything? The Book of Acts is full of the actions of the first disciples after Jesus was taken into heaven. They had seen Jesus, they knew that victory had been won for them. They didnt sit quietly, they acted. With the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to go and tell people about Jesus, tell them what they should be waiting for. During Advent, were not waiting for presents or for turkey, were waiting for Jesus. Sarah Francis VICAR: The Rev. Stephen Bowen (on sick leave) ASSOCIATE MINISTER: Michael Peach 5 Burns Way, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1SA Tel: 01342 312406 michaelstevenpeach@gmail.com Michaels day off: Friday

Cover photo:
Jesus, the Light of the World. Candles at La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona by Gordon Wilkinson 1

A MESSAGE TO READERS
DEAR READER, Few would argue that our Parish News has been transformed over the past few years and certainly looks great with its wonderful cover photos and improved print quality. However, this will be the last edition of the magazine in its present form. Although thats very sad and we will miss the lively editorials, letters from the vicar and other regular contributions, times change and we must look to the future. Before we talk about that, I am sure you would want to join with me in thanking our past and current editors, most recently Lindsey and Sarah; regular contributors, particularly Peter, Maureen and Rosie; Jon for his cover and advertisement designs; Barbara and her team of distributors, including Charlotte, Christine, Jessica, Joan and Peter; Daphne and Carole for doing postal subscriptions; and Chris for handling the accounts. Finally, we mustnt forget Eddie, our in-house printer, and the collating team of BarbaraP, Cecilia, Lesley and Muriel. So why do we need to change? Well, when no one came forward to act as a permanent editor, we had to rethink how best to use our limited resources; and it was also time to look at how we were communicating with people. The regular readership for Parish News has mostly been the St. Johns church family, plus former members and friends. We have also delivered, month by month, copies of the magazine to some of the homes in the parish. 2 The beautifully-designed Finding Reality leaflet, on the other hand, has been distributed to every home in the parish at Easter, Harvest and Christmas. The leaflet is an outreach publication and is designed to encourage people to find out more about Jesus Christ and to invite them to come and worship at St. Johns. You know that our mission statement is Winning and building followers of Jesus Christ so we believe we should direct our resources to that aim. Our plan is to continue to develop the church website so that we keep up to date with new technology and smart phones; expand the weekly news sheet to include the church family news that appeared in Parish News; and develop a new magazine, Felbridge Focus, that will focus on Felbridge its people, church and community. This will replace Parish News and Finding Reality and be distributed - free of charge - to current readers and all 1,200 homes in the parish four times a year ... in March, June, September and December. There will be a greater emphasis on our local community and the role that we play in it. Many advertisers have already been in touch to say that they wish to continue to support us in this new venture, which is great. We hope that you also see this as a powerful opportunity to reach out to those around us with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Gordon Wilkinson

THROUGH THE WEEK

Mondays

Connections Christmas Lunch on 3rd December from 12.30pm at the Felbridge Hotel WI Meeting on 4th December at 1.30pm in the Village Hall Watercolour on Wednesdays at 2pm in the Church Hall 1st Felbridge (St Johns) Brownies at 5.15pm in the Church Hall Keep-fit at 7.30pm in Chruch Hall Prayer meeting and Homegroup Central on 19th December at 8pm in Church WIGS at the Old Pheasantry, Woodcock Hill at 10.30am 1st Felbridge (St Johns) Rainbows at 5.45pm in the Church Hall 1st Felbridge (St Johns) Guides at 7pm in the Church Hall Prayer Breakfast on 1st December, 8 - 9am in the Church Hall Nature Action Group (GNATS) Building Bird Boxes on 2nd December at 2.30pm

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

VICAR SELECTION ANOTHER WAY

If you are unhappy with your vicar, simply ask your churchwardens to send a copy of this letter to six other churches who are tired of their vicar. Then bundle up your vicar and send him to the church at the top of the list. Within a week you will receive 16,435 vicars, one of whom should be just right. PS One church broke the chain and received its old vicar back. 3

WHATS HAPPENING
Sunday Services in December
2nd Dec 9th Dec 10am Family Toy Service with Michael Peach 6pm Holy Communion with Alan Mathers 8am Holy Communion with Alan Mathers 10am Morning Prayer with Nick McQuaker 6pm Tree of Light Service with Michael Peach 16th Dec 10am Holy Communion with Frank Gough 6pm Raise the Roof with Michael Peach 23rd Dec 8am Morning Prayer with Jack Baker 10am Morning Prayer with Andy Brown 6pm Carols by Candlelight with Don Ely 24th Dec 4pm Childrens Carols with Michael Peach 11pm Holy Communion with Alan Mathers 25th Dec 8am Holy Communion with Alan Mathers 10am Christmas Day Family Service with Michael Peach, followed by Holy Communion at 10.45am 30th Dec 10am Morning Prayer with Frank Gough 6pm Evening Prayer with Jack Baker

Sundays @ St Johns
10am Service in December The rise and fall of Solomon (1 Kings 1-11) In our morning services in December we shall continue to look at the life of King Solomon. As we reach the end of his life well see both his great wisdom and his great folly. Well see that even the great Solomon is not the King that we need we need another: King Jesus! All the way through 1 Kings our studies have been packed with practical application for today, and there is much in this final section that will challenge us. 4

6pm Service in December lots of specials! 2nd December: Jesus The Great Priest 9th December: Tree of Light Service 16th December: Raise the Roof Carols (a modern and informal service with carols) 23rd December: Carols by Candlelight (a traditional carol service) 30th December: Jesus The King Saved The New Year? In the mornings in the New Year well be delving into Tales of the Unexpected as we listen to the surprising and challenging parables of Jesus in Lukes Gospel. In the evenings well be hearing how some of the Old Testament prophets speak of both judgement and restoration, and both justice and hope.
Raise the Roof is a fun, action-packed service, where Jesus message is presented through music, dance and drama. The next service is on: Sunday 16th December Rehearsal 4.15pm Scrummy Tea 5.30pm

Service 6-6.40pm If youd like to join, you can play an instrument, act, dance or sing- young or old, beginner or pro - all are welcome! Call Michael Peach for further information.

Carols at The Wiremill

St John's has been asked again to sing carols at The Wiremill pub on Sunday 9th December at 8.00 pm. This is after the Tree of Light Service and there will be time to go to both services and also for some refreshments in between. There will also be mince pies for us at The Wiremill. Last year we had about 25 singers and we made a good sound, so we hope to have the same number this year. We will be providing carol sheets of words and will sing in unison, apart from some descants. Celia Esau is accompanying us on the keyboard. As before we will be taking a collection for Welcare. Please give your name to Gill Matson or Joe Clease if you would like to take part. We will be meeting in the Church Hall at 7.20 pm and organising lifts as needed. 5

VILLAGE ISSUES
Felbridge W.I.
WE WERE PLEASED to invite guests to our 88th Birthday meeting and were intrigued by Mr Thomas talk and video representation of Crop Circles. It would seem that due to the foundation of chalk and water the Surrey and Sussex area are the most populated sites of crop circles, the number of which have increased considerably over recent years. Many of these are of the most intricate design without any apparent sign of mans interference. It gave us a lot to talk about as we tucked into scones with cream and jam and a delicious birthday cake. We would like to thank our Craft group for all their efforts in producing handmade items for the stall at the Felbridge Craft Fair which raised over 100. This is a big boost to our funds and some of this money will be used to purchase materials for our next craft stall. We look forward to our festive activities with entertainment by Mr Humphries at our next meeting on the 4th December. We meet at Felbridge Village Hall at 1.30pm - do come along. Daphne Ayerst

Christmas Concert
by the East Grinstead Choral Society Christmas Day by Holst Carols by the Choir and by Estcots Primary School Saturday, 15th December at 7.30 pm at Sackville School Hall
Tickets 10 adults, 5 Students/children from Gill Matson, Joan Bateman, Sheila Drury and Anne White

FELBRIDGE WILDLIFE
No Ash Any Day
The threat posed by Ash Dieback Disease into Kent and Sussex may deprive us of one of the finest forest trees, of which there are many in Felbridge. As a Yule Log, before the advent of spruce Christmas trees, it would be pulled indoors on Christmas Eve and was supposed to burn for twelve days. It was said that the infant Christ was first washed and dressed before an ash fire and the traditional poem 'Logs To Burn' states that, "ashwood wet or ashwood dry, a king shall warm his slippers by." At this junction of the years, the mythical god Janus showed his two-faced approach to life, one face looking forward and one backward. Looking both ways may have saved a few Roman children from speeding chariot traffic, but Minnie Louise Hasking gave better advice for staying alive for eternity in her poem about the man at the gate of the year, "God Knows": "Put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better to you than light, And safer than a known way." As for wildlife, remember the church mouse that gnawed through the bellows of an Alpine village church organ, indirectly causing Joseph Mohr to reach for his guitar and compose "Silent Night, Holy Night." 7

Badgers seem to have had a reprieve from the selective cull proposed by government scientists to reduce bovine TB. I have had TB but doubt that badger-infected milk or meat was the cause. Perhaps any calves at risk could be vaccinated at birth? The appearance last Winter of redpolls at bird feeders is having a significantly good effect on numbers. They have discovered nyjer seed. At Weir Wood reservoir, redpolls and siskins were both at the feeders and, as dusk closed in, Joan and I were treated to an ethereal display by a pair of barn owls quartering a meadow at the water's edge, their white wings catching the last rays of the sinking sun. Both birds landed on a dead branch, perching back to back, reminding us of something. Whatever changes 2013 brings, let us all keep looking. Look back with gratitude, look forward with resolution, look down with compassion and look up with hope. Not Janus but Jesus.

Peter Bateman.

IN THE GARDEN
At Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in Mays new-fangled mirth; But like of each thing that in season grows. Shakespeare: Loves Labours Lost AT STEPHENS farewell service in October, he chose a reading from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, which begins: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Shakespeare gives us much the same message above and I believe that that message should be observed by the gardener. I dont want to see spring flowers out for Christmas; I want to see homes decked with holly and other bright berries and stems. Of course we all gasp in amazement at the Chelsea Flower Show, where flowers of all seasons reach their peak of perfection at precisely the right time but, wonderful and clever as it is, it never seems quite right. There are, of course, plenty of garden jobs to be getting on with in December and January, both those things we havent quite managed to finish from the autumn and those which we should be doing in preparation for spring. I was relieved to hear Monty Don tell us on Gardeners World that it is fine to plant tulips as late as Christmas, providing the ground is soft enough. 8 However, apart from the tulips, such a waste if I dont get them back in the soil my idea of winter gardening involves a log fire, a hot drink and the seed catalogues! The next time I reach the far end of the garden will be in mid January, to see (and smell) whether the daphne bholua is in flower yet. If you dont know that particular daphne, just take a January walk to Wakehurst Place, where youll be in for a treat. Our great gardens still have much to admire and are ideal places for a brisk winter walk. There are paths rather than mud to walk on and a hot drink to warm up with afterwards. Wisley is beautiful at any time of the year, and has the added bonus of being one of the best places I know for unusual, high quality Christmas gifts. Standen will be open in the late afternoon and early evening dark for a Garden of Lights, where you can follow the story and music of The Nutcracker through the illuminated gardens. For details ring 01342 323029. A very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to everyone and lets hope for better gardening conditions than weve had in 2012. Rosemary Archer

TELL ME?
Can we believe in the Virgin Birth?
In an age of science and reason can anyone believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus? Does it really matter if we do or not? The Bible is very clear about the Virgin Birth. When Mary is told by an angel of God that she is going to have a baby, she asked the obvious question: How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? (Luke 1:34) Mary understands how these things work, and she knows that she cannot have a child. Gods messenger responds to her, and what he says helps us to understand the meaning and significance of what is going to happen: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:34) Jesus is not going to be conceived the same way every other child has been conceived. Instead Jesus is conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit by Gods miraculous work. It is something that cannot be explained by the normal operation of science and nature, and that is exactly the point God is doing something exceptional, something supernatural. Why has God done this miracle? Well here are 3 reasons: The Virgin birth says Jesus is Special. There are a number of unusual conceptions in the Bible, and each time they tell us that God is doing something special. The Virgin Birth is the most remarkable and it tells us that something unrepeatable is happening. Jesus in no ordinary child! The Virgin Birth tells us that Jesus is God. Jesus is not just a man, as the angel says: Jesus is the Son of God. For Jesus to have this unique identity as fully God and fully man, he needs a unique beginning; one that is both fully human, but also a special work of Gods Spirit. The Virgin Birth tells us that Jesus can save us. Every person in history has sinned and rebelled against God, and so every one of us has a broken relationship with our maker. To be rescued form this we need someone who can deal with our sin and its consequences by taking our place someone who is both like us, but is without our sin. The Virgin Birth means that Jesus has a clean break with sinful humanity, while still being fully human. He is uniquely placed to save us! Far from the Virgin Birth being an unscientific embarrassment to Christianity, it is a reality which points to the very centre of the Christian Faith: Jesus, fully God and fully man, the one who can save us. Michael Peach 9

A (DIFFERENT) CHRISTMAS TALE

IM ASHAMED to say that, as a very small boy, growing up in a village in Leicestershire, I had a tendency to be very constructive with my portrayals of what had happened to me during my days play; seeing bears and wolves and giants and aeroplanes. My Mum used to call it telling fairy stories. Telling lies is what it was. As I got a little older, the fairy stories became a means to get myself out of trouble and my good Christian mum used to adjure me to: Tell the truth and shame the Devil, ask me: What Jesus would say and tell me stories such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf. When this later gave way to a few well deserved wallopings, I began to see the error of my ways! Mums work finally paid off as I grew up and learned more about Jesus. I realised that a persons word is a very important part of them if they are to be trusted. It goes before them and reassures that they wont let you down. I wanted to be known as someone whose word could be trusted. I wanted to be known as someone who wouldnt lie, no matter what the cost. In Jesus, I taught my own children the same principle and was proud when I found that they had made it their own. Gods Word is even more important than that. It has Life of its own, like every part of God, but not separate from Him. 10 It was through His Word that God created the entire universe. Our scientists tell us that this happened 40 billion years ago. The Word of creation translates as, Let, or perhaps, Allow, or even, Amen. God continued on, of course, in His time, to create you and me and we can read that it is by His Word that all things hold together. When the Word came to people in Old Testament times it brought Gods Life to them and with the Holy Spirit gave them power to say and do extraordinary things. When accounts of those things were written down, the Word remained there in the account itself, living and able, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to talk to us and bring to us the very essence of God. Then, around 2000 years ago, something even more extraordinary happened. The Word came down to earth and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He impregnated a young, virgin, Jewish girl, was born as a human childin every respect apart from sin and He grew up as one of us and lived amongst us. His name, in Greek, is Jesus and his best friend, John, and others, wrote a full account of his life and what it means for us (The Gospel of St John). I give you my word that it is worth reading and I promise you that its no fairy story. John Dabell

Handcrafted quality Ethical values Thoughtful gifts

If you are looking for gifts that express care, thoughtfulness and uniqueness, look no further. Created has been selecting beautiful, high-quality gifts for over 35 years for you to give to friends. By buying Created goods, you can help bring transformation and fresh hope to people living in poverty. You can provide the dignity of employment with fair wages to skilled craftspeople living in poor communities around the world. In January, Gordon and I met a lady called Mohanna, who has been trained in sewing and patchwork by Created supplier CMCT in Chennai. She said that the love and prayers of her fellow workers have helped her grow in confidence and faith. The work she does helps to provide for the family and gives her confidence for the future. Please pick up a Created catalogue from the back of church and encourage your friends, work colleagues and family to buy. Orders can be placed on the website: www.created.org.uk or via Brenda and Gordon Wilkinson on 01342 311516 or brenda7406@gmail.com

Connections, our series of events for Seniors will be back in the hall this month for tea, coffee and cake, a short informal talk from the Bible about things that matter, and lots of different activities and games. A great opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones all welcome! We have a Christmas lunch at 12.30pm at the Felbridge Hotel on Monday 3rd December. Connections will return as normal in the Church Hall on Monday 7th January, 2-4pm For more information contact Don Ely or Michael Peach.
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MISSION MATTERS
St Catherines Hospice
WELL BE holding our sixth annual Tree of Light Service this year on Sunday 9th December at 6pm at St. John's. Mike Nevill is the Hospice Chaplain and will be with us this year. As well as my weekly volunteer duties at the hospice, I keep in regular contact with Mike and have asked him if there are any special requests for prayer at this time. He writes below: In answer to your request for prayer matters I think the first thing that comes to mind is that St Catherines is facing a time of great change. The current economic climate is dragging on and fundraising is becoming ever more difficult and that seems to be how it will be for some time to come. We can still pay our bills, thank heaven! But there is very little slack in the system. The changes that are happening in the NHS with the devolvement of financial control from the regional areas to much more localised GP practice control will have a major impact on the hospices relationship with the NHS. Our Board of Trustees and senior management are exploring the way forward and at the same time, seeking to introduce management changes in the hospice that will streamline our services. I hasten to add that the service we provide to patients and families will remain at its high standard and they [the patients] will notice no change. The only real change to patients is that we plan to expand our End of Life Care provision to a much broader spectrum of life-threatening conditions. This will necessitate a lot of additional training for all staff directly involved in patient care and we anticipate a significant increase in the number of patients we care for. That figure is currently about 650 patients. The spiritual care team goes from strength to strength. We now have nine in the team, including Sue Clarke and myself and the demand for spiritual support has grown quite a bit since the new volunteers joined us about four months ago. Its wonderful to have such a skilled team of volunteers to expand the work we do, and they do great work. We meet every quarter for a training day at the monastery in Crawley Down and we see them all very regularly. That all helps us to bond as a team and I think we work really well together. Along with other members of my family, Ill be taking part in the sponsored Santa Run at Chartham Park on 17th November. I walk very quickly as my running days are over but its good fun and for a very good cause. A rather strange and amusing experience to be running/walking around a golf course with 100 plus people of all ages dressed as Santas! As well as raising funds for the hospice, well be doing it in memory of my daughter-in-laws wonderful Mum, Sue, who died earlier this year at the very young age of 57 and is sadly missed. Sue and her family were just one of the many families who are helped by St Catherines every year. By the time you read this, I will have hopefully, completed the run but to find out more about the Santa Run or other events over the Christmas period for St Catherine's you can go to their website www.stch.org.uk/christmas. Jenny Young

16

Marylebone Project - Church Army

ON 25TH OCTOBER, I was invited to join a group to visit the Church Army Marylebone Project in London. All I knew about the Project was A Hostel for Homeless Women and something that Di Giles is passionate about! We were welcomed at the front door of the main hostel by Marina Tomlin the Project Manager, a lady who at the end of a very busy day was still bright, lovely and friendly. The way she spoke I knew was straight from the heart. She has a love and compassion for all the women at this project. They can accommodate fifty-four women at a time, each with their own room, most have been living rough for months or years. For a lot of them their lives have been crisis and trauma, meaning that they dont settle easily. The staff all have to be special to be able to work with the women: to encourage and help them to see there is a future for them. The possibilities they offer are seemingly endless. The aim is to offer safety and security, in the first instance, in a comfortable loving environment. Some cant cope and return to the friends still living rough but they come back and are welcomed with ongoing love and patience. The first steps are to build up the confidence and self esteem - in looking after and cooking for themselves. Then there are plenty of courses to move onto: Computer classes, learning English, crafts, painting, knitting, sewing all to encourage them in the development of life skills. The running of courses incorporate volunteers, many of whom are professionals from the caring sector, working alongside project staff. The Project has Three Enterprise Schemes for women to work in and develop marketing skills for when they are ready to seek jobs. Munch in Marylebone - a catering company set up in a professional kitchen; Handmade in Marylebone women make jewellery by up-cycling broken jewellery; and Space in Marylebone - they offer rooms for hire, giving practice in taking bookings and phone calls, teaching hospitality skills and customer service. During the past year one hundred and fifteen women have been resettled in their own accommodation with the ongoing support of the project staff. Also, beside all this activity downstairs, at the Hostel is the Day Centre where women who are homeless can come for help and advice. For a shower, clean clothes and many other crafts, sewing, reading, even German classes and piano playing. I hoped for an interesting evening out - well I have seen Jesus at work 24/7 in the lives of the staff and volunteers whose dedication to this work is outstanding. As we left it had to be quietly as the night staff where still taking calls from women in desperate need. PRAISE GOD FOR ALL THEY DO TO HELP WOMEN FIND THEMSELVES. Ruth Dymock - Trinity

17

CURRENT ISSUES: EDUCATION

Giving learning opportunities to children living in poverty
DURING November, the WISE Prize, the most highly regarded award in education, was presented to Madhav Chavan for ensuring an education for millions of poor families in India. Dr. Chavan started helping uneducated children in the slums of Mumbai in the 1980s when he returned to India after studying in the USA. He set up a charity, Pratham, and working with Unicef and local authorities, recruited volunteers and organised lessons in literacy and numeracy so that children could be taught at low cost. Prathams flagship programme, Read India, was designed to improve the reading and basic arithmetic skills of children in the 6-14 age group. At its peak in 2008-09, the campaign had 450,000 community volunteers and reached 33 million children in 305,000 of the 600,000 villages in India. Theres no doubt that in the last 30 years new technology has had an extraordinary impact on education. One remarkable study was recently reported by Gillian Tett in the Financial Times (5th October, 2012). She explained that earlier this year, a group of researchers from MIT in Boston, led by Nicholas Negroponte and Matt Keller, dropped dozens of boxed tablet computers into two remote villages in Ethiopia where the population was illiterate, poor and had no knowledge of high-tech equipment. 18 They did not leave any instructions apart from telling the village elders that the boxes were for children aged from 4 to 11. They showed an adult how to charge the computers with a solarpowered unit then disappeared and remotely monitored what happened. Within minutes of the tablets arriving the kids had unpacked them and worked out how to turn them on. Then, in both villages, a couple of children took the initiative to explore the tablets and showed others what to do. Unlike behaviour in the West, where learning is often in isolation, the children , huddled together, touching and watching each others machines, constantly swapping knowledge. Within days, they were using the preinstalled apps, with games, movies and educational lessons. After a couple of months, some were singing the American alphabet song and recognising letters, says Tett. One group, even worked out how to disable a block that the Boston-based researchers had installed into the machines, which was supposed to stop them taking pictures of themselves. Tett adds, This apparently happened without any adult supervision and anyone in those mud huts having handled text before. The project clearly raises questions about the way forward for educating children in the developing world. Gordon Wilkinson

1st Felbridge ( St Johns )

Being a Rainbow, Brownie, or Guide is lots of fun with exciting things to do and try and a great way of making friends and learning new skills in a girl only space. 1st Felbridge (St Johns) Rainbows, Brownies and Guides meet weekly in the church hall
Rainbows 5- 7 years old , Brownies 7 -10 years old, Guides 10 14 years old

We are also looking for women aged 18-65 who want to have fun, be part of a team as well try new activities and learn new skills whilst helping the girls to do the same. Being a leader can be a rewarding experience all round, every woman brings different invaluable skills and that is what makes Guiding Great!!

To nd out more please contact Ann or Louise Tucker on 317283 or by e.mail felbridge_rbg@hotmail.co.uk

Tree of Light Service

for St Catherines Hospice
On Sunday 9th December at 6pm, St John's Church in Felbridge will be holding another special Tree of Light service in support of St Catherine's Hospice. This annual memorial service is an opportunity for local residents to remember loved ones who will be missed at Christmas time. It is open to everyone, not just those who have benefited from the services which St Catherine's provides free of care in our area. As one of the first ever churches to hold a Tree of Light event for St Catherine's, we are proud to support our local hospice in this way. We hope that you will be able to join us at this event, which will end in us switching on the lights on our Christmas tree outside the church to shine in memory of those we love throughout Advent.

19

CHURCHES TOGETHER NEWS

Volunteers wanted on Saturday 1st December at the Jubilee Community Centre to help wrap Christmas Presents for children who have a father in prison. This is the Angel Tree project that is organised in the UK by the Prison Fellowship charity. Local Prison Fellowship volunteers raise funds and work with churches and prison chaplains to buy and deliver the presents. As long as they are allowed access to their children, prisoners are given the opportunity to apply for a gift to be sent to them. Each gift is sent as though it is from the parent in prison who is also able to write a personal message to their child. More information from www.prisonfellowship.org.uk Crawley Open House (COH) needs sleeping bags and warm clothing, as their stocks are almost exhausted and now the weather has turned much colder they will use a lot of them. They give them to men and women who turn up in the night but COH have to turn away as they are full. The men and women can then try and sleep in a doorway or on the pavement outside the gate which is the safer option. On average COH have to tell people 85 times each week that they are full and cannot give them a bed. In addition they need UHT milk. More information from www.crawleyopenhouse.co.uk. Dates for 2013 The Week for Christian Unity is to be held from 23rd - 30th January 2013. The CTEG AGM is to be on Tuesday 12th February (Shrove Tuesday) at Jubilee Centre. Ecumenical Lent Groups are to be organised in 2013. Fairtrade fortnight is from 25th February to 10th March. Womens World Day of Prayer is to be on Friday 1st March 2013. Service prepared by the women of France. John Grainger 20

East Grinstead Foodbank in partnership with the Trussell Trust

13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK. Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. How it works: 1. Food is donated in church or at Supermarket Collections which are events held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a foodbank shopping list and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis. 2. Food is sorted and stored by volunteers who check that its in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. 3. Frontline care professionals, such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police, identify people in need and issue them with a foodbank voucher. 4. Clients receive food by bringing their voucher to a foodbank centre (Trinity Methodist Church) where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients in the caf over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. More details at www.trusselltrust.org For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:35-36 John Grainger

FOODBANK
There will be a box at the back of the church for any of the following items. All surplus food will be passed on to Crawley Open House Milk UHT or powdered Fruit Juice longlife only Tinned Ham, Tinned Corned Beef, Tinned Tuna. Instant or Longlife Custard Instant Mashed potato. Daphne Ayerst will pass them on to the Foodbank.

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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS

News and Thanks
Baptism Ruby Lidia Mills on 4th November Funeral Muriel Wright on 1st November

From David and Jill Tuck: Wooden step-ladder in excellent condition, 6' extending to 12'. Free to any member of St John's who collects. 01342 325961

PLEASE HELP!
There must be some of you reading this who could find 1-2 hours once in two months to help clean our church. Many of our dedicated team have been serving in this role for years and our numbers are dropping. Cleaning is not a popular task, but it is one small way we can honour God. Do join us. To find out more please speak to Carole Grainger or phone 01342 325482. If you prefer using a mouse to a mop or a keyboard to a vacuum cleaner then the church laptop projection team would be glad to hear from you. Further information from any laptop operator or contact John Grainger: john@malcolmgee.plus.com

Lunch Club for the retired The Lunch Club meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month in the Village Hall from 12 1.30pm. The 2-course meal costs 3.00 and changes every month. All retirees welcome. For more details please contact Mary Taplin on 01342 325548 22

Felbridge Village Store opening times:

Mondays-Saturdays 8am to 7:30pm Sundays 8am to 4pm.

PEST CONTROL SERVICES

Wasps, flies, fleas. All types of rodents and vermin 01342 321373

BUTCHER
ARTHUR FRY, Lingfield Road, East Grinstead 01342 323225

CHIMNEY SWEEP
MILBORROW CHIMNEY SWEEPS, The Flueologists All Flues and Appliances Swept and Serviced. Pots, Cowls, Caps, Birdguards, Fireplace Repairs, Stacks Repointed 01342 717900

FUNERAL DIRECTORS
R MEDHURST, Vine House, Hartfield Caring family firm; home visits; 24 hour service. Memorials arranged: Golden Charter pre-paid Funeral Plans 01892 770253 01342 315880

GARAGE & CAR REPAIRS, MOTs & COACHES

Woodcock Hill Service Station, London Road, Felbridge 01342 325544 01342 326213

KOINONIA COUNSELLING
Marriage problems, bereavement, depression, eating disorders etc Jackie Lake 01342 718948

TV SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATIONS

Panasonic Specialists. Plasma, LCD, Multiroom Systems, Aerial & Satellite. Scott Brothers, 178 London Road, East Grinstead. 01342 321117 For Fairtrade gifts and jewellery that help lift people out of poverty, call Brenda Wilkinson on 01342 311516 for a catalogue and to place your order, or log on to www.createdgifts.org.
When you contact any of our advertisers, don't forget to mention that you saw their advert in Parish News. For advertising enquiries, contact Gordon Wilkinson on 01342 311516 or John Dabell on 01342 317745.

USEFUL CONTACTS
Churchwardens: Phil Tadman 01342 322825 e-mail: philandrosemaryt@sky.com Andy Brown 01342 314267 e-mail: brownemail@btinternet.com Treasurer: PCC Secretary: Magazine Editor: Cleaning Rota: Ministry of Flowers: Church Hall Bookings: Village Hall Bookings: Chris Saunders 01342 325662 e-mail: treasurerstjohns@gmail.com Sheila Drury 01342 323865 e-mail: sheila.drury1@hotmail.co.uk Sarah Francis 01342 714575 e-mail: parishmagstjohns@gmail.com Carole Grainger 01342 325482

Ann Morley 01342 714645 e-mail: annmorley@aol.com Sally Hobbs 01342 410929 e-mail: hobbsfamilysja@gmail.com Lynda Railton 01342 322205

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

Stars (3-6 yrs): Comets (Year 2-4): Meteors (Year 5-6): The Rock (Year 7-9): Parish Safeguarding Officer Sally Hobbs 01342 410929 e-mail: hobbsfamilysja@gmail.com Diane Francis 01342 714575 e-mail: diane.francis21@gmail.com Diane Francis 01342 714575 e-mail: diane.francis21@gmail.com Michael Peach 01342 312406 e-mail: michaelstevenpeach@gmail.com Chris Ely 01342 311614 e-mail: christineely2@msn.com

Rainbows, Brownies & Guides Ann Tucker 01342 317283 e-mail: ann_tucker@btinternet.com

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