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FROM THE EDITOR

VICAR: The Rev Stephen Bowen

The Vicarage, Felbridge,West Sussex RH19 2QT

Tel: 01342 321524

Fax: 0870 9156268

stjohnschurchoffice@gmail.com

Vicars day off: Thursday

ASSOCIATE MINISTER:Michael Peach

5 Burns Way, East Grinstead,

West Sussex RH19 1SA

Tel: 01342 312406

michaelstevenpeach@gmail.com

Michaels day off: Friday

APRIL: Articles for this Issue to be handed in by

SUNDAY 11TH MARCH

Please e-mail your articles to parishmagstjohns@gmail.com, put them in the editorspigeon hole in the church entrance, or post them to Lindsey Saunders at TheBungalow, Saint Hill Farm, Saint Hill Green, East Grinstead, RH19 4NG.

Cover photo:

Greater double-collaredsunbird in South Africa

by Gordon Wilkinson

Some people like to give up chocolate for

lent.. I once decided to give up cake. Thetrouble was that I happened to be on

holiday in Germany at the time visiting

some friends and they were most offended

that I wasnt eating any cake! So this year

Ive decided to join in with Tearfunds

Carbon Fast.

If you would like to join in you can

download daily actions from Tearfunds

website: www.tearfund.org/carbonfast

If you dont have access to the internet,

here are a few ideas

Turn your home heating down and

wear warm jumpers instead.

Remove one light bulb in your

home and live without it during

Lent.

Give up using your tumble dryer for

a week.

Walk instead of drive to work or

school

Compost. Put nutrients from your

food waste back into the soil, not

into methane-emitting landfill. Ifyou dont have a garden,

investigate other options like

wormeries.Lindsey Saunders

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STEPHEN WRITES

W. W. J. D.

DEAR FRIENDS,

Youve probably seen those four

letters on a placard outside St Pauls

Cathedral. What they stand for is

What Would Jesus Do?

It is very easy to assume that we

know the answer to that question,

and that he would do exactly what

we would approve of.

Sometimes, from the gospels, we

have a clear answer to the question

What did Jesus do? and we can be

quite definite about that.

Christians ought to be especially

aware of the danger of making Godin our own imageand only noticing

the things that Jesus did that we are

enthusiastic about. But I would

venture to suggest that if you ask

yourself that question every Sunday

morning, say about 9 oclock, the

answer is fairly clear.

W.W.J.D?

On the Sabbath day he went into the

synagogue, as was his custom. Luke

ch.4 verse 16.

The custom of the Lord Jesus Christ,

during his time on earth, was to

attend public worship every week. I

cant imagine there has ever been

anyone who neededto less than he

did. And yet it was his unfailingpractice.

Going to church is not the be all and

end all of being a Christian.

Following Christ concerns the

direction of your whole life, seven

days a week. There are all sorts of

ethical and practical issues every day

about which a Christian ought to be

asking himself, W.W.J.D?

But if we follow Jesus example in

making a priority of public worship,

we are more likely to find the help

and strength to live for God the rest

of the week!

It is not easy. The pressure on life

and the pressure on Sundays is very

great. The world no longer stops onSunday. There is no ready-made

space for an hour with God and

Gods people. It has to be chiselled

out of a schedule that is already

tightly packed.

But W.W.J.D?

Yours sincerely,

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Felbridge W.I.

Although our roads were coveredwith snow and ice I was delighted tosee so many members who bravedthe cold to come to our meeting,and I was very pleased to havesome visitors as well, one of whomdecided to join on the day.

There was no flower competition my only tulip was frozen solid buthas since recovered but we had avery good array of pill boxes whichwas the theme following our talkfrom Lady Teviot Being ill in the19th Century It was a veryinteresting and detailed descriptionof the causes of death during the1800s and we were all pleased that

we live in this present age.

After our last meeting when weheard the needs of Open House forthe Homeless, our members wereasked to bring any spare clothing orblankets, etc., and the responsehas been wonderful, filling the bootof my car with all the bags, which

will be passed on to Open House.Our next meeting on the 6th Marchwill be a Seasonal CookeryDemonstration

We meet from l.30pm to 3.30pm. inFelbridge Village hall. Do comealong.

Daphne Ayerst

VILLAGE ISSUES

Felbridge and DistrictHorticultural Society

meet on 15th March at8.15pm in the village Hall

Felbridge Country Show

Preparations are well underway forFelbridges new Country Show,being held on 16th June as part ofthe celebrations for the DiamondJubilee. Most of the villageorganisations are now on board,coming up with plenty of ideas forattractions throughout the day and

into the evening when there will bea family disco.

Adults and children's competitionshave been organised in Arts andCrafts, Photography, Domestic andHorticulture, and the alwayspopular Scarecrow competitionhas been extended to include thewhole village so its time to get

creative! Full schedules and entryforms will be available throughmany local groups or, if you cantwait to get started, contactStephonie Clarke on 715830 orRosemary Archer on 311184.

Lets all work together to make this

a village event to remember.

Rosemary Archer

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WHATS HAPPENING

8AM 10AM 6PM

FAMILY SERVICE

Michael Peach

HOLY

COMMUNION

Stephen Bowen

HOLY

COMMUNION

Stephen Bowen

MORNING PRAYER

Andy BrownRAISE THE ROOF

Michael Peach

FAMILY SERVICE

Stephen BowenMark Dadds

HOLY

COMMUNION

Jack Baker

HOLY COMMUNION

Stephen BowenAndy Brown

4th March

11thMarch

18thMarch

25thMarch

1st April MORNING PRAYER HOLYCOMMUNION

Sunday Services

Alterations to Services in March and AprilBecause of the date of Mothering Sunday, the following adjustments have been

made to the monthly pattern of services in March:

As well as the Family Service on the 4th March, there will be a Mothering

Sunday Family Service on the 18th March.

Because of that, the 10am Communion that would normally have been on the18th March will now be on the 25th March.

Also, Raise the Roofthat would have been on the 18th March will now beon the 11th March.

As we shall have had two Family Services in March, there will not be

one on 1st April, but the 10am Service on Easter Day will be a

Family Communion that is to say a Communion Service which

families and children will be encouraged to attend.The Morning Service on 1st April will be followed by the Annual Parochial Church

Meeting.

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THROUGH THE WEEK

Mondays Connections 2-4pm on 5th March in the Church Hall

Tuesdays WI 6th March at 1.30pm in the village Hall

Wednesdays Watercolour on Wednesdays in the Church Hall at 2pm

1st Felbridge ( St Johns) Brownies

Prayer on Wednesday (non-homegroup weeks) at 8pm

Afternoon Prayer meeting on 28th March at the home of Di Giles

Thursdays WIGS at the Old Pheasantry, Woodcock Hill at 10.30am (home of

June Clark)

Girls Bible Study in the Church Hall at 4pm

JAFFA Plus in the Church hall on 8th March at 7pm - 8.30pm

Fridays 1st Felbridge (St Johns) Rainbows

1st Felbridge (St Johns) Guides

Saturdays Prayer breakfast on 2nd March at 8am9am

Mens breakfast on 10th March at 5 Burns Way from 8.3010am

Wednesday afternoon prayer - 28th March

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. We all lead busy lives, if Jesus

needed to do this, so do we. From my own experience, with the best will in the

world during my quiet times and prayers, there are times when my mind wanders off

to the jobs that need doing, so it would be better to get away from the house, just to

take a walk & spend time in prayer. Or to drive somewhere, sit in the car and pray.

Once a month a group of us get together - you would be most welcome to join us.

Di Giles

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As we grow old we usually need to

downsize. What we also need is

home cooking without the chores,

control over laundry without having

to do it, the ability to stay in or go

out as we please, and choice of

companionship or privacy

according to our mood. Lingfield

Lodge aims to be such a place.

There are 22 bed sitting room en

suite. There is a full meals service

and laundry service. The lounge,

dining room, laundry, garden,

conservatory, hobby room and

activities room give ample

opportunity to socialise.

It is not easy to give up your own

home. One resident, Ellen, who

moved in five years ago told me of

how she wept at the loss of her own

home. However she found it wasnt

so bad when she furnished her

room at the Lodge with her

favourite pieces and divided the rest

between her children. She likes tosit by her window because it has a

lovely view over the Lodge garden.

Ellen and her daughter often go out

to one of her favourite places,

Haskins, the garden centre or the

Pantiles at Tunbridge Wells. Ellen

attends church on a monthly basis,

alternating between Trinity

Methodist and St Marys Anglican.

WHERE ELDERS FLOWER

She told me that the best fellowship

she had was at Blackburn Mothers

Union. Another resident goes to

Trinity so she generally has

company when going to church. She

can cope with different styles of

worship but prefers the old hymns.

Ellen told me that the food isalways tasteful and plentiful. Once a

week there is a cooked breakfast but

she particularly enjoyed the regular

breakfast choice of cereals, prunes,

grapefruit, porridge, toast, rolls and

marmalade. Ellen enjoys the Lodge

entertainment programme run by

Jane, especially the quizzes andbingo. She also enjoys the Lodge

trips out for coffee, tea and lunch. A

recent highlight was the Christmas

lunch at Horne Golf club.

Sometimes she chooses the privacy

of her own room. At other times she

finds company in the lounge when

she needs to have a chat.

Interview with Ellen Ibbotson by

Joan Brown

Living at Lingfield Lodge Residential Home

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A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew that it was a long trip to where God

lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six pack of Coca-

cola and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in

the park, just staring at some pigeons.

The boy just sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take

a drink of his Coca-cola, when he noticed the old lady looking hungry, so he

offered her some chips. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see itagain, so he offered her a Coke. Again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted.

They sat all afternoon smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realised that he was tired and got up to leave;

but before he had gone more than a few steps he turned and ran back to the old

woman and gave her a hug. She gave him the biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his home a short time later, his mother was

surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, What did you do todayto make you so happy?

He replied, I had lunch with God, But before his mother could respond, he

added, You know what, shes got the most beautiful smile Ive ever seen!

Meanwhile the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son

was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, Mother, what did

you do today to make you so happy?

She replied, I ate potato chips in the park with God, However before her sonresponded, she added, you know, hes much younger than I expected!

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch or a smile, a kind word, a

listening ear, an honest compliment, the small act of caring, all of which have the

potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season

or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God - bring chips.

(sent to us from a former St Johns treasurer, John Barnard ca 1970, now living in NewFoundland)

MODERN FABLES

Lunch with God

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THE MEANING OF EASTER

I was recently watching a bunch ofschool lads playing football atlunchtime when a fly ball shotacross unnoticed by one of themand hit him on the side of the face.Ouch, cried another teacherstanding by, He didnt deservethat.

In Society today, we all, evenchildren in school, seem to have anidea of our rights. A psychologistrecently noted that most of the illsof today stem from the fact thateveryone nowadays, feels that theydeserve.

The motorist who feels that he

deserves not to be held up bysomeone hesitating in front of him.The teenagers who feel that theydeserve things handed to themwithout effort, (or by X factor). Theladies who I heard shopping, Goon, treat yourself, you deserve it.

Our recent forefathers werent soburdened with such feelings of

deserving. However, in Jesus daythe Jews did have a sense ofdeserving.

First, as Gods chosen people, theyfelt that they deserved a better lifeand status in the world thanseemed to be theirs. Individually,they felt that God rewarded them,for justly living and hard work, inthis life. Similarly, they felt that sinwas punished immediately, in this

life. Therefore, men received, inthis life, the life that they deserved.

Muslims today still believe this.They believe that everything thathappens to a person, in this life, isby the will of God (inshallah). In theworld, people talk of Karma.Sometimes, this belief would

surface in confused questions toJesus; Did these people sin sobadly that they deserved to bemurdered even as theyworshipped?

When a man blind from birth wasbrought to Him, they asked Him,Who was responsible for the sin

that deserved this, was it him orhis parents?

On each occasion, Jesus simplywarned them to take care of the sinin their own lives. The truth is, ofcourse, that we dont get rewarded,good or bad, simply in this life,whatever the TV evangelist mightsay!

If that was the case then allChristians would be millionairesand drug dealers would be broke,rather than, very often, the otherway round. Jesus made it clear thatwe shall have to wait until the life tocome to see that redressed.Thankfully, God is totally in controland we know that He is with usalways and knows, moreimportantly, our needs.

He didnt deserve that

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The Youth Team at St Johns Felbridge presents:

Race Runners: Easter Holiday Club

A fun holiday club for Primary School aged children (those

in school years R to 6, so aged 4-11) including games (with

an Olympic theme!), activities, craft, and learning aboutJesus together from the Bible.

Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th April,

10am-12noon,

in St Johns Church Hall.

Followed on Wednesday 4th at 12noon by a lunch forall the family.

Adult helpers from St Johns very welcome (and feel free

to bring your younger children with you). Over 11s very

welcome to come and help too.

If you are interested in helping or coming along, please contact Diane

Francis, 01342 714575 diane.francis21@gmail.com.

As we look towards Easter, Imreminded of the two criminals onthe cross with Jesus.

One taunted Jesus and felt that hedeserved to be saved and, as far

as we know, received nothing.

The other honoured Jesus, felt thathe was being punished justly anddeserved nothing but asked forGrace and received everything.

In the entire history of the universe,there was only ever one who

certainly didnt get what Hedeserved in this life. Yet throughHis sacrifice on the cross and HisGrace we can receive what Healone deserves.

In royal robes I dont deserve, I(now) live to serve, your majesty.

Even so, Maranatha, come LordJesus. Amen.

John Dabell

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FELBRIDGE WILDLIFE

Was I an Otter Spotter?Did I unexpectedly become an otterspotter at Hedgecourt Lake a fewmonths ago? From a few secondsview of a large mammal, withcharacteristic whiskered head asseen on television, swimmingstrongly into the tangled tree rootsand overhanging branches, Iconvinced myself that it was. It alsocarried a fish in its mouth. BeaverLakes and the British WildlifeCentre confirmed that it probablywas an otter moving through thearea.

Last month's snowbrought some

unusual sights to thegarden. The pair ofmoorhens from theVillage Pond took upresidence on ourlawn, with frequentforages to the birdfood; a pair oflongtailed tits appeared daily at the

feeders; blackheaded gulls and aherring gull swooped in among thejackdaws. More recently, a pair ofstock doves returned again fromthe trees of Whittington College, agreat spotted woodpecker has beendrumming from a resonating branchto the North and soon I shall expectto hear our operatic thrush leading

the dawn chorus.This month the superficiallydandelion-like yellow flowers of

coltsfoot are appearing on banksand verges, well before their hoof-like leaves from which they arenamed.

More obvious beside the roads andin woodlands appears the lessercelandine, of which Wordsworth

wrote as, shining bright as the sunitself before he encountered allthose wild daffodils.

Fewer of the chestnut-headedpochards have come to our lakes

this year, but thismonth will see theamazing courtshipdisplay of the localgreat crestedgrebes. The soundof the chiff-chaff willbe heard in the landand all will be wellin the Felbridgewoods.

The cold also drove a yellow-

necked mouse into our garage tofeed on a bag of potatoes. One ofthis month's saints is Gertrude ofNivelles, whose help may beinvoked against mice on thestrength of being patroness of cats.

In the garage I collected the mousebody next morning. It must havebeen a potent cold spell.

Peter Bateman.

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CURRENT ISSUES: FAIRTRADE

Lives transformed by Fairtrade

We went to a wedding in Sri Lanka in

January in Dummalaseriya, a small

village north of the capital Colombo.

The bride had bought her own dowryby saving her earnings from Gospel

House Handicrafts (GHH). She was so

proud to have been able to buy the

furniture and everything else that sheneeded for her married life. This

reminded us how important it is to a

persons dignity to have meaningful

employment and be paid a fair wage.

The wedding was in the garden of a

neat little brick house, which had been

built by her grandmother, Seelawathi,

one of GHHs first craft workers. Thefamily was so pleased to have a visit

from our group of Tearfund supporters

that they invited us to the wedding.

GHH was set up by John Karunaratne

in the 1970s when there was an

uprising of young people because they

couldnt find work. John felt called by

God to help and set up a wood-working

business to create employment forthem. At first they had a contract to

make boxes, but after that job ended

things became difficult. A missionary

returning to the UK gave John a tumble

dryer in the hope that he could sell it to

raise a small amount of money to pay

the young men. Instead, John used the

motor to make a lathe and a wood-

turning business was created.

As the business grew, more products

were added including beautifully-

coloured wooden toys. Now run by

Johns son Shiran, GHH exports to 22

countries, has been accredited by the

World Fair Trade Organisation and

sells in the UK through Tearfunds

Created range and Traidcraft.

John said that the only qualification helooks for in a job application is no

qualifications. He keeps to the GHH

original aim of employing people who

would not find work elsewhere and

helping them to achieve their full

potential. One young man who is deaf

and dumb is happily employed screenprinting designs on to wood ready for

the jig saw operators. Another, whoused to be frightened of any type of

machinery, even the office fan, now

operates one of the jig saws.

This situation is in stark contrast to teapickers in the south of the country who

can earn just 100 Sri Lankan Rupees

per day (about 60p) if they are not

working for a Fairtrade employer. To

earn that they have to pick 20

kilograms of tea leaves the luggage

weight limit on many flights. This

really shows the importance of buying

Fairtrade products whenever we can.

Gordon and I tried our hands at tea

picking and it really is hard work. So,

please think before you buy and

support Fairtrade.

Brenda Wilkinson

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TELL ME WHY?

Isnt faith a matter of personal opinion?

In our society today people believe all sorts of different things about God, life and

the world. Indeed, when it comes to faith, many say that it is really just a matter of

personal opinion and what counts is being sincere. So it does not matter so much

what you believe, it is often argued, but rather that you are true to yourself.

In some areas of life this type of approach is fine. If you and I list our five favourite

foods we probably would not agree, and it does not matter very much. However, if

we were discussing whether the bottle in my hand is medicine or poison, personal

opinion (however sincerely held) is not enough what I would need is the truth!Similarly when it comes to God, what counts is not my opinion of him, but rather

what he actually is like.

Johns Gospel begins with these words about Jesus:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word

was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were

made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3 NIV)

John says that Jesus is God. He says that Jesus was with God the Father before

Creation. He says that everything in the world was made through Jesus. These arenot matters over which different people might have different valid opinions either

these statements are true or not, either John is right or he is wrong. Not only that, butwhat John says about Jesus really matters. If Jesus is God and if he created the

world, then we cannot just treat Jesus however we like, we must honour and worship

and follow him.

The apostle Paul writes this about how he feels about his own people:

Brothers, my hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they

may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,but their zeal is not based on knowledge. (Romans 10:1-2 NIV)

Paul has a great concern for his own people, because even though they are very

sincere when it comes to God, their way of relating to God is not based on true

knowledge. It matters so much to Paul because what is at stake is being saved

spending eternity with God enjoying all his goodness, and he dearly wants as many

as possible of his own people to be saved.

When it comes to faith, being sincere is not enough you can be sincerely wrong. It

really matters what you believe: it is matter of eternal life or death so I urge you tomake sure you believe what is true.

Michael Peach

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FELBRIDGE HOTEL & SPA EVENTS

Beatlemania Saturday 17th March 2012

We are bringing the extremely talented Beatlemania to perform live at the Felbridge

Hotel on Saturday 17th March 2012.Beatlemania are regarded as one of the UK's leading tribute acts, playing to ecstatic

sell-out audiences throughout the world and regularly appearing on television and

radio.

The band uses authentic Guitars, Drums and Amplifiers to add to the atmosphere

and recapture the sights and sounds of the Fab Four. The evening will be full of

classics such as:Let It Be,All You Need Is Love,Hey Jude andA Hard Day's Night.

In case you aren't danced out we will have our resident DJ playing popular party

music until the early hours.

Tickets to this event are 49 per person. (Book a table of 10 and receive one ticket

free.) Book this event and receive 5% off your ticket price of any other event in

2012 (subject to availability).

Why not treat yourself and stay over in one of our beautiful bedrooms? From just

98.50 per person to include your ticket, breakfast, overnight accommodation and

full use of the Chakra Spa facilities based on 2 people sharing a Standard Double

Bedroom.

Dress for the occasion... Smart!

For bookings and more information please call 01342 337700 or email

events@felbridgehotel.co.uk

Connections is a new series of events for Seniors. We will meetmonthly for tea, coffee and cake, a short informal talk from theBible about things that matter, and lots of different activities andgames, or just the opportunity to sit and chat. A greatopportunity to meet old friends and make new ones allwelcome! Our next meeting will be on

Monday 5th March, 2pm-4pm,

in St Johns Church Hall.

For more information please do contact Don Ely or MichaelPeach.

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The term Safeguarding mightcreate in your mind a picture of LisWoolley and I, the SafeguardingOfficers at St Johns, patrolling thechurch in security style uniformsbut actually this term replaces thatof Child Protection and reflects the

wider role of reducing risks tochildren and vulnerable adults.

A part of our role is to implementthe diocesan guidelines andensure that those employed inpositions, paid or volunteers,comply with correct procedures.Please see the folder at the back ofthe Church. A key aspect is that

individuals need a CriminalRecords Bureau (CRB) check priorto taking on a role in the Church.The need for CRB checkssometimes raises concern.Sometimes people say we did notneed this in the past but the recentannouncement by the Archbishopof Canterbury that the Church of

England will launch a review intochild abuse, including events goingback to the 1970s when mistakeswere made, shows that proceduresin the past were inadequate. Childabuse is not new but in responseto its shocking nature it sometimesbrings about feelings of denial anddisbelief. This reaction had led to

serious mistakes.

SAFEGUARDING AT ST JOHNS

Another grumble about CRBchecks which has been raised withme is that they are intrusive butactually the questions about youhaving a criminal record are thesame as official forms for example,a Passport application. It is

important to understand that havinga CRB check is not a certificatethat says you are and remain agood person but a pre employmentcheck requested by a prospectiveemployer about past criminalevents. It is valid only on the day ofissue for the organisation whichhas requested the check. In theory

a person could commit an offencesubsequent to the check andtherefore it cannot be an ongoingstatement that the individualconcerned has no currentconvictions.

What is all this leading to? Thediocesan policy and the Churchsinsurance require that people are

re-checked every five years so ifyou see Lis or me heading in yourdirection it may be to request youto do another CRB. Please beassured that the forms have beensimplified recently and it is for thebest interests of St John's.

Many thanks

Christine Ely

Why are CRB checks important?

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. . . in green underwood and coverBlossom by blossom the springbegins. Swinburne

Despite all the promise of such amild January, February gave us asharp reminder that winter hadntaltogether forgotten us! However,now its March - time for the firstday of Spring and putting the clocksforward. So much to do . . .

However - start the month as youmean to go on relax, and its free.RHS Wisley is holding its Free DayFriday on the 2nd of March. Many ofyou will know what a gloriousgarden Wisley is but, if youvenever been, this is your idealopportunity for a first visit Im sureit wont be your last. Even if it is stillchilly, the spectacular glasshouse isalways warm and there may evenbe a few exotic butterflies left fromlast months show.

Some of the daffodils which arrivedunseasonably early were flattenedby the snow, but most havesurvived and lift our hearts as theyflower everywhere. Public planting

of daffodils on verges androadsides seems to increase everyyear and here in Felbridge we have

our share, having planted largenumbers for each of the last threeyears, thanks to the Parish Counciland some willing volunteers. If I hadto choose just one favourite flower itwould have to be the daffodil. Thisis a good time to give all your springbulbs a good dose of liquid feed,then as they start to die back,deadhead them but dont removethe foliage, or even tie it up into

bundles as we used to do. Just letthem fade naturally so that thebulbs are replenished for a goodshow for next year. Cut them backwhen you cant stand looking atdead foliage any longer it willprobably be too soon, but youll doit anyway!

If you havent tried it before, canyou find room for a wildflowermeadow even just a tiny one? Iplan to do it this year, and March isthe time to plant it. Well have tosee how it works out in the summer.

In the kitchen garden, plant outthose early potatoes and protect theearly blossoms of peaches and

apricots from frosts at night.Remember to open up in themorning to let the pollinating insectsin, or do it yourself with a finepaintbrush. Just hope theneighbours arent watching!

Rosemary Archer

IN THE GARDEN

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MISSION MATTERS

Church Army

Church Army Weekend 17th & 18th March

A coffee morning and sale table on the Saturday in the Church Hall

from 10am - 12noon.

Proceeds to the Church Army Marylebone Project

On Sunday 18th March 4pm - 5.30pmTea & Cakes followed by Prayer Time, in the Church Hall followed

by the Evening Service at 6pm, when Captain Mark Dadds from the

Marylebone Project will be speaking. Please come and support this

worthwhile work. We would like to be able to send Mark back to

Marylebone with some Easter Eggs.

Marylebone Project - The Real Meaning Easter egg appeal 2012

For most of us Easter is a time of joy and great celebration. Here at theMarylebone Project we want to make sure that the women in our care have a

wonderful Easter and share in the real meaning behind the annual

exchanging of chocolate eggs. This Easter wed like to make sure that every

woman accessing our services receives a Real Meaning Easter egg

celebrating the resurrection of our Lord.

In order to do this we will need your help.

Could you collect some Easter eggs, which we can distribute to our residentsand day centre clients this Easter along with a special Easter message?

We need the boxed type as they will be undergoing an in-house

transformation to become Real Meaning eggs! This will include us

producing and inserting an Easter story booklet, celebrating the real meaning

of Easter, and changing the packaging to carry Easter Messages.

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Fairtrade Fortnight, 27th February to 11th March

Look out for promotions in major supermarkets and find more Fairtrade products to

put in your trolley. Information about this years Fairtrade Fortnight is available at:step.fairtrade.org.uk. The aim is to encourage us all to take a step for Fairtrade, like

switching to Fairtrade tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Every step counts for millions of

farmers, workers and their communities in developing countries who urgently needa better deal from trade. Remember too, that Created goods are not just for

Christmas - we have plenty in stock for birthday presents and special occasion gifts

and many items from the catalogue can still be ordered.

For more information, contact Brenda or Gordon Wilkinson on 01342 311516

Action against Homelessness East Grinstead

On 29th January an ecumenical Service was held at Trinity Methodist Church to mark

poverty and action homelessness week.

Alison Gelder, Director of Housing Justice, spoke about the charitys mission for a

societyin which everyone has a home which truly meets their needs. She also sharedsome shocking statistics with us. In the street count for 2010 there were 1,800 people

sleeping on the streets of England and Wales. One third the true figure of those

really sleeping rough.

The following Franciscan prayer was read out at the close of the Service.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial

relationships so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people sothat we may look for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and

war so that we may reach out to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a

difference in the world so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to

bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

And may we walk with Gods little ones,

With subversive saints and with bright holy angels,

All the nights and days of our journey home.

Amen

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EULOGY

Barbara Kitchin11th May 1926 23rd December

Barbara was born in Watford,

where she regularly attended St

Marys Parish Church with her

family. She was a member of the

Sunday School and Scripture

Union Club and at the age of eightBarbara responded to a gospel

message inviting her to ask God

into her heart. With this simple

action a lifelong relationship with

the Lord Jesus began.

During the war Barbara, her sister

Ruth and their mother spent three

years with an aunt near Lancaster,closer to the family roots of

Cumbria. On their return to

Watford in 1942 Barbara was

confirmed at St Marys Church.

She went to train as a primary

teacher at St Matthias Diocesan

Teacher Training College in

Bristol in 1944 and then worked at

three schools in the Watford area,

Bovington Village School, Grange

School and the new Cassiobury

School. Barbara was fully involved

with church activities, including

helping in the Sunday School. She

was also keen on sport, playing

tennis, badminton and hockey. In

summer holidays she helped withCSSM Beach Camps in Cornwall

and North Wales. During this time

she also attended evening classes at

Northwood Bible College. Then

one Sunday night at church she

heard and responded to the call to

serve the Lord overseas.

In 1955 she was accepted by the

South American Mission Society

(SAMS) to work in Northern

Argentina and later that year went

as a missionary to the Argentine

Chaco where she was one of the

pioneers of many aspects of the

work of the Anglican Church. Shespent 25 years working amongst

the Wichi and Toba Indians who

remember her with huge affection

and great respect. Several

generations learnt to read in their

own language using reading

materials which Barbara produced,

the best known of which, Pepe yEma, is still being used today.

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Barbara established and visited

many rural schools to which she

drove in her jeep, which was

provided by St Marys Parish

Church, Watford. She trained

teachers and persuaded thegovernment to provide education

for the Indians. She established

radio work in the Wichi language

to develop education throughout

the Chaco, an area the size of the

UK, which was all very

revolutionary at the time. She

travelled extensively in Argentina,promoting and making the Indians

cause known and exerting a wide

and unforgettable influence.

On Barbaras return to the UK in

1980 she served for six years as the

NE Area Secretary for the SAMS,

encouraging individuals and

churches to support and to learnfrom the church in South America.

She retired to Whittington College,

Felbridge in October 1986 and

continued an active life. Barbara

was a founder member of the

Association of Christian Teachers

and held a position on the board as

Overseas Secretary. Sheestablished a teachers fellowship

and prayer group in East Grinstead.

She was a member of the SAMS

General Council. She was also a

member of the Lingfield Mothers

Union, and an adviser to the

Carlisle MU about work among

women in South America

continuing her long established

links with MU from her time in

Argentina. She was a founder

member of the local U3A, running a

Spanish conversation class and was

one of the first volunteers for CARE

in East Grinstead. She firmly

believed in the power of prayer andstarted the weekly Prayer Diary at

her local church, St Johns

Felbridge. In the midst of all this

activity, she also took an active part

in life at Whittington College,

where there was much enjoyment of

outings, gatherings of friends and

fun.

Barbara was an appreciated

colleague, auntie to many

missionary children, much loved

godmother and a faithful friend who

worked hard to keep in touch with

people. She graciously accepted the

limitations of old age. Above all her

life and commitment spoke of herlove for and trust in her Saviour and

Friend, Jesus Christ, so together

with the Wichi and Toba people we

praise God and thank Him for her.

Phil and Rosemary Tadman (February

2012)

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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS

Sue & Terry Ogden have a second grandchild, Ben Archie Manning born inFebruary in Australia where their daughter Sarah and her husband Sam are

living. He is also a second great-grandson for Jim and Doreen Broom.Congratulations to them all!

Congratulations to Peter and Jessica Stopp on the arrival of Estella onFebruary 8th, a sister to Kitty and second daughter to their daughterRebecca and husband Joe.

Many thanks to the kind people who cleaned the church hall while Nimal wasin Sri Lanka for a family wedding, it was very much appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who rallied round on 5th February when snow struckthe Sunday services! Path clearers, to stand-ins to coffee makers were allmuch appreciated including Dan Callaway who came to the rescue joggingfrom home! We were delighted that all Ruth Peach's family and friends wereable to get to the service one way or another and that she was duly baptizedand welcomed into the family here.

Last month we had the sad news that Harry Smith had died. There will be ashort service at St Johns when his ashes will be interred with his wife Mary'sin the churchyard. It is to be held at 2pm on Tuesday 13th March, which was

his birthday. Everyone who knew him is welcome to join his family for theservice.

Benjamin Saunders is taking part in the East Grinstead Sports club mile on25th March in aid of Sports Relief. If you would like to sponsor him, pleasesend him an e-mail at mountainash4@gmail.com or sign the sponsor form atchurch.

We were very sorry to say goodbye to Kevin, Kris, Jake,Kezzieand JedDefriend at the start of January. They have been much valued and loved

members of St John's church family for many years now. They have takenpart in two church missions, in small groups, and they have helped with theyouth groups from the crche upwards over the years as their family has

News and Thanks

Ruth Esther Grace Peach on 5th February 2012

Christenings

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grown. Their contribution included starting a new group called Light Eagles.

They played a part in the Stop, Look Listenservices. Their contribution to theFamily Service each month was much appreciated. Kevin played a key partin the Family Service leadership group, and took a major role in the servicesthemselves. Kris (a well qualified pianist) felt very nervous about playing in

public and accompanying a congregation but with the Lords help she did it!

The younger members of the family have all taken innumerable roles as theyhave grown up in the church. More recently Jake has played the drums andKezzie has sung and danced with a lovely smile on her face.

In the last few years the original concept and then the implementation of theRaise the Roofservice has been their prime focus. They inspired others toform a team which practised sessions prior to the service itself with its music,dance, drama. Others produced tea and made a real attempt to include

people for whom coming to church was a big step, as well as regularmembers of the church. Kevin and Kris have also both served on the PCCand been friends to many. We will miss them.

We are moving slowlytowards producing a new family directory so pleasecould you send any details that have changed to Stephen or Mandy so theycan be checked against what we think they are now!! There will be a draft ofthe new directory at the back of church (or with Mandy) for people to perusedetails, add details (and say if there is something they don't like about their

entry!). It would be good if everyone could doublecheck carefully please. Itwould be nice to get it as accurate as possible!

Meanwhile, new email addresses are available for Elaine Short, Cecilia Bliss,Andy and Joan Brown and Joan and Peter Batemanfor details, contact theChurch Office on 01342 321524 or at stjohnschurchoffice@gmail.

We have a basic slide projector and a slide viewer for which

we have no use. If anyone would like

these items we would be happy for

them to give a donation to St. Johns

Building Fund.

Janet & Brian Starr 01342 325744

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CAR PARK UPDATE

Barbara Kitchin died aged 85 on 23rd December 2011. The Funeral was heldat the crematorium on 20th January 2012 followed by a thanksgiving at

St Johns church on 23rd January 2012.

Victor Maurice Shoebridge died aged 80 on 11th January 2012. The Funeral

was held at St John's Church on 24th January 2012 followed by a burial at

Mt Noddy.

David Alan Stevens died aged 64 on 13th January 2012. The funeral was

held at Sussex & Surrey Crematorium on 25th January 2012.

Funerals

No more news from the Diocese, we are still hoping that the Diocesan

Surveyor will find sources of funds that meet the full cost of the

lowest tender for permeable block paving.

In the meantime, the PCC is considering minor repairs and

improvements including the following:

Replace the dilapidated wooden fence with a metal railing bolted to

the top of the brick retaining wall running parallel to the hall.

Replace the open metal handrail down the north steps with a railing to

match the new one that replaces the wooden fence.

Extend the footpath from the car park to the church north gate down

the grass verge on the south side of The Glebe. (This would have

been done under the church extension project - and we have

planning permission for it).

Erect three disabled parking signs to increase the visibility of the

designated parking spaces.

Replace a cracked manhole cover outside the hall kitchen.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns

(email john@malcolmgee.plus.com).J Grainger 12

thFebruary

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PEST CONTROL SERVICES

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

When you contact any of our advertisers, don't forget to mention that you sawtheir advert in Parish News. For advertising enquiries, contact

Gordon Wilkinson on 01342 311516 or John Dabell on 01342 317745.

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 ofpoverty, call Brenda Wilkinson on 01342 311516 for acatalogue and to place your order, or log on towww.createdgifts.org.

GARAGE & CAR REPAIRS, MOTs & COACHES

Woodcock Hill Service Station, London Road, Felbridge01342 325544

01342 326213

BUTCHERARTHUR 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

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USEFUL CONTACTS

Churchwardens: Anne Butler 01342 313640

e-mail: butleranne09@gmail.com

Andy Brown 01342 314267e-mail: brownemail@aol.com

Treasurer: Chris Saunders 01342 325662e-mail: treasurerstjohns@gmail.com

PCC Secretary: Sheila Drury 01342 323865

e-mail: sheila.drury1@hotmail.co.uk

Magazine Editor: Lindsey Saunders 01342 325662

e-mail:parishmagstjohns@gmail.comCleaning Rota: Carole Grainger 01342 325482

Ministry of Flowers: Ann Morley 01342 714645

e-mail: annmorley@aol.com

Church Hall Bookings: Sally Hobbs 01342 410929

e-mail: hobbsfamilysja@gmail.com

Church Office (closed on Thursdays) 01342 321524

Village Hall Bookings: Lynda Railton 01342 322205

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

Stars (3-6 yrs): Sally Hobbs 01342 410929

e-mail: hobbsfamilysja@gmail.com

Comets (Year 2-4): Diane Francis 01342 714575

e-mail: diane_francis@tiscali.co.ukMeteors (Year 5-6): Gaby

e-mail: gabriella.cicala@gmail.com

The Rock (Year 7-9): Michael Peach 01342 312406

e-mail: michaelstevenpeach@gmail.com

Parish Safeguarding Officer Chris Ely 01342 311614

e-mail: christineely2@msn.com

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

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