Church Blog

Morning Prayer on Facebook will take a break after Christmas Eve.

It will return on Tuesday, 3rd January 2022.

Masks must now be worn inside our church buildings unless you are exempt or consuming food or drink.

This is particularly important with new variants of Covid in circulation, and vital for keeping each other safe at busy Christmas services.

We are using individual cups for communion, and keep our building well ventilated with doors open during services, so it can become cold. Please dress warmly!

We ask that everyone respect each other’s viewpoints on this as we want as many people as possible to feel comfortable coming to our services. 

We urgently need members of both St Barnabas and St Mary’s to encourage each other by meeting weekly at 4pm on a Thursday at St Barnabas.

We hold each other in prayer at this time, giving God quiet and space to speak as we seek to allow the Holy Spirit inspire, guide and direct us as we seek to join in his Kingdom-building work in our communities.

Please come and join us, as we call upon the Lord.

This week we will be remembering the fallen of both World Wars and all conflicts since, the family and friends of those affected, and those who continue to serve us and others sacrificially in many walks of life around the world.

Services of Remembrance will take place in both churches in the Benefice at 10am on Sunday 14th November 2021, followed by Acts of Remembrance outside those churches at 10.50am as we gather as communities to pay our respects. 

You are welcome to come and join us at either church, or follow the appropriate service online via YouTube. If you would like more information please contact Rev'd Rachel.

Many of us have had close relatives and friends die over the last couple of years. In many cases it hasn't been possible to attend funerals and we may have found grieving difficult because of difficulties we've been faced with. Our memories of those we have lost will always be with us, but it can sometimes be helpful to take part in a special act of remembrance together with others; a special time to recall those we have lost and give thanks for their lives.

This year we are offering two opportunities to share in a special service of thanksgiving for our loved ones.
The first is at St. Mary’s Eversley on Sunday 31^st October at 4pm.
The second is at St. Barnabas Darby Green on Sunday 7^th November at 4pm.
Wherever you, or your loved ones, live you are welcome at either service. As we continue to try and keep each other as safe as possible, we are encouraging social distancing and asking people to continue to wear face-masks (unless you are medically unable to). The church will be well ventilated, so please wrap up warm.

If you wish your loved ones and friends to be mentioned by name at the service you wish to attend, please contact me (Rev'd Rachel - see below).  We hope you will be able to join us.

On Wednesday 27th October at 7.30pm, Abby Roper from St Barnabas is giving a talk for Yateley Society on the history of St Barnabas Church.

We have agreed to host them in the church and they would love people from the congregations to come along to join them for the evening.

Please come along if you can!

We are looking to start a new initiative with Charles Kingsley School, which we will also hopefully be rolling out with our link schools in Darby Green soon:

What?

Twice a week – on a Tuesday and a Friday – a small group of volunteers from the church will hang around the school playground wearing church clothing from shortly before to just after school pickup time to engage the parents and children in conversation.

Why?

During the pandemic, and even before, many parents will come to the school gate at pick up time needing to talk to someone about things which are happening in their lives.  Often these conversations have ended up with parents talking to teachers.

The idea of the Playground Pastors would be to offer a listening ear and a friendly face for people to come and talk to about whatever is going on.  The conversations may be mundane to begin with, but as people get to know us they will feel able to share more important things.

Who?

Anyone who can listen.  We aren’t looking for people who are especially skilled or trained in either pastoral care or evangelism – instead we’d love a few people who would be willing to be available to people and engage people in conversation.  Primarily this is for the parents rather than the children, but inevitably they will engage with you too. 

When?

Ideally we would love to get 6-12 people who would be willing to do either once a week or once a fortnight.  The time commitment is only from 2.30 – 3.30pm on either a Tuesday or a Friday and we would offer some basic training beforehand.  We would like to start in November if possible.

If you want to know more, or think you could get involved please contact me.

Our Christmas appeal will again support the work of the Christian charity Link to Hope.

Link to Hope’s vision is that one day every person in Eastern Europe will have a safe environment to live in and access to basic healthcare, human rights, employment and education.  To enable as many people as possible to help with the effort there are several options for the Shoebox Appeal this year.

YOU FILL A SHOEBOX

Link to Hope accept Family and Elderly Shoeboxes.  They request for similar items to be put in each and every box as they have found that the recipients really appreciate those items which meet their most immediate, and mostly practical, needs.  Please download the Shoebox Leaflet 2021 and follow the instructions.  If you are unable to download the form please collect a copy from the porch of St. Mary’s Church.

The Shoebox Appeal Launch will be at St. Mary’s Messy Church at 4pm on Sunday 17th October – and you would be welcome to bring a completed box then. However, we will be formally collecting completed shoeboxes at our 10am service at St. Mary’s on Sunday 24th October. 

LINK TO HOPE FILL A SHOEBOX

This year if you don’t have time or are unable to fill a shoebox, Link to Hope will do it for you.

DONATE TO THE SHOEBOX APPEAL

Help towards the costs of the Shoebox Appeal and enable Link to Hope to send even more shoeboxes by making a donation.

SEND ITEMS FOR A SHOEBOX

Order items in bulk and send direct to Link to Hope or shop from the Amazon Wish List.

We thank you in advance for your help and generosity.

We’re once again able to leave St. Mary’s open for visitors who might want space to pray, be interested in its history and architecture, or just be curious as they walk past on the public footpath.

From this week it will be open during the day on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

We will open on other days of the week if we get more volunteers to unlock and lock up.

If you can help, please let me know.