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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

[email protected]

Vicars day off: Thursday

ASSOCIATE MINISTER:Michael Peach

5 Burns Way, East Grinstead,

West Sussex RH19 1SA

Tel: 01342 312406

[email protected]

Michaels day off: Friday

FEBRUARY: Articles for this Issue to be handed in by

SUNDAY 15TH JANUARY

Please e-mail your articles to [email protected], 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:

Trees in the snowby Brenda Wilkinson

Ive just started reading Getting your kids

through church without them ending uphating God. Interestingly it doesnt come

up with fantastic ideas for transforming the

youthwork, but what it does do is pose

challenges about what our motives and

values are and also questions the way Itreat my children - how I show them they

are loved and accepted. Rob Parsons says:

If you really want to get them through

church without hating God, make sure

they dont see church as the main

competitor for your time.

I am sad to admit that I have often put

church work before the children and nowwe are faced with the situation that one of

our children doesnt want to come to

church.

Over the past few months Chris and I have

been attempting to tackle the editing of the

Parish News together - hes been doing all

the work and then Ive been changing it!

Its not really working and Im finding

time to write this at 6am on a Saturday

morning. So I would like to ask if there is

anyone who feels that they might be

willing to take on the role of editor of the

Felbridge Parish News. No experiencenecessary, but access to a computer

essential and access topublisheruseful.

Lindsey Saunders

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STEPHEN WRITES

Are you dreaming of one?! Just likethe ones we used to know

Of course in practice there arevarious inconveniencestherelatives you are expecting cantget to you, or (even worse) have to

stay longer than expected, oressential last-minute deliveriesdont arrive.

From a vicars point of view itdepends on whether yourcongregation tend to walk to churchor drive, I suppose! Last year whenit was snowing on the evening ofthe service of Carols by Candlelight

we had a really good turn-out.

On the rare occasions that we get awhite Christmas it does look lovely,doesnt it? But I believe really onlyabout 6% of Christmases in theSouth-east have really counted aswhite over the last century.

How we have got this powerful folk-

memory of the white Christmasesthat used to happen virtually everyyear? It must be just one of themyths of Christmas. And there areso many of them! The net result isthat it is very easy to write thewhole thing off as myth and legend.

But really, under the layers of snowthat have fallen year after year,

there is the real and utterly reliablekernel of the account of the birth of

the baby in Bethlehem, who wasGod come down to earth in humanflesh.

How can we dig down to it? How dowe know when to stop clearing thelayers away? What is the real heart

of the matter, that we can rely on?The wonderful thing is that we dohave a very simple basic account ofthe birth of Jesus in two of thegospels, Matthew and Luke. Somepeople discount them becausealthough they are simple and basic,they do claim that somethingmiraculous was happening when

this child was born.

But then if God did decide to comedown to earth in the person of ahuman baby, Jesus, born inBethlehem, its not too surprising ifyou find yourself reading anaccount of the supernatural worldbreaking into our natural world!

With best wishes for a HappyChristmas,

A White Christmas...

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Through the week at St. JohnsSundays

8am Holy Communion on

10am Morning Service

6pm Evening Service

Tuesdays

1.30pm WIfirst Tuesday of the month in the Village Hall

Wednesdays

2pm Watercolouron Wednesdays in the Church Hall

1st Felbridge ( St Johns) Brownies

Thursdays

10.30am WIGSat the Old Pheasantry, Woodcock Hill

(home of June Clark)4-5pm Girls Bible Study in the Church Hall

7pm - 8.30pm JAFFAPlusin the Church hall on 1st December

Fridays

1st Felbridge ( St Johns) Rainbows

1st Felbridge ( St Johns) Guides

Saturdays8am9am Prayer breakfaston 3rd December

8.3010am Mens breakfaston `18th December at 5 Burns Way

REGULAR EVENTS

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WHATS HAPPENING

Sunday Services

4th December 10am FAMILY SERVICE with - Kevin Defriend6pm HOLY COMMUNION with Stephen Bowen

11th December 8am HOLY COMMUNION with Stephen Bowen10am Morning Service with Stephen Bowen:6pm TREE OF LIGHT SERVICE with Don Ely

18th December 10am HOLY COMMUNION Service with Michael Peach6pm CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT With Stephen Bowen

25th December 8am Holy Communion with Jack Baker10am Family Service with Michael Peach

10.45am Holy Communion

1st January 10am Family Service with Stephen Bowen6pm Holy Communion with Don Ely

8th January 8am Holy Communion with Stephen Bowen10am Morning Service with Stephen Bowen

6pm Evening Service with Michael Peach

15th January 10am Holy Communion with Michael Peach6pm Raise the Roof with Kevin Defriend

22nd January 8am Holy Communion with Jack Baker10am Morning Service with Tim Neale

6pm Evening Service with Don Ely

29th January 10am Morning Service with Andy Brown

6pm Holy Communion with Stephen Bowen

Connections is a new series of events for Seniors. We will meet

monthly for tea, coffee and cake, a short informal talk from the Bible

about things that matter, and lots of different activities and games, or

just the opportunity to sit and chat. A great opportunity to meet old

friends and make new ones all welcome! Our first meeting will be

on Monday 9th January, 2pm-4pm, in St Johns Church Hall.

For more information please do contact Don Ely or Michael Peach.

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BIBLE BY THE BEACH - 2012

For several years now a group from St John's has gone to 'Bible by the Beach' at

Eastbourne over the first May Bank Holiday, and have found it really worthwhile.

Next year it will be held from 4th -7th May, once again at the Congress Theatre. If

you've never had the inspiring experience of singing hymns and Christian songs with

several hundred other people, this is your chance! And, as an added bonus, the singing

is led by Stuart Townend and his band!

On offer next year to tempt you! - the Bible Readings will be led by StephenGaukroger on the theme of 'Christ in all the Scriptures'; a choice of 3-part seminar

sessions will take place each day, to focus on specific aspects of our faith and the

world around us; and the Evening Celebrations will again be a wonderful time ofworship and inspiration with a number of different speakers. Great for families, with

age-related, action-packed groups for children, including pre-schoolers. Judging from

the video clips we saw last year of their activities they had a brilliant time!

If we have a group of 12 or more booking before 31st January, we can get a discount

held at last year's rate of 65 per person. Children go for 12, or 6 for pre-school age.

Accommodation needs to be booked independently. Discounted rates have been

negotiated on all hotel and guest-house bookings by Eastbourne Accommodation

Bureau; details can be obtained on the website: conferenceeastbourne.com/Bible2012,

or phone or email Liz Attwell on 01323 647130 or [email protected].

If you would like to go, please speak to me asap, so that we can take advantage of the

group booking rate. There are leaflets at the back of church which have all the details

and the booking form, and there is a website at www.biblebythebeach.org.Anne Butler

If you would like to camp with the Saunders family, please let Chris or Lindsey know,

so we can book the campsite.Last year we stayed at a lovely sheltered site, close to

Westham station with beautifully clean toilets and showers. The kids loved the

ducklings and farm animals there. It would be lovely to go along with a few friendsthis time. Lindsey

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Felbridge and District

Horticultural Society

We held our 60th Anniversary Supper at

our meeting this month and I am sure it

was enjoyed by all. This is our last

meeting through the winter and we start

again on Thursday 15th March 2012 at

8.15pm at Felbridge Village Hall.

Felbridge W.I.

Over fifty ladies sat down to afternoon tea

and cake as we celebrated our 87th

birthday. We were entertained byGeraldine Horne with very funny stories

and her sketch of a W.I. meeting made us

laugh until we cried.

Rosie Archer placed the W.I. poppy

wreath in St. Johns Church at the

Remembrance Service.

VILLAGE ISSUES

Our next meeting will welcome Tilda

Conway who will show us how to makeChristmas decorations for our homes.

Daphne Ayerst

Communication hubs

Surrey County Council have got a new

gritter and they have increased their

supply of salt in preparation for bad

weather. Crawley Down Road now has

the same status as the A264 for gritting

protection.

Gas boilers should, of course be

checked before the bad weather starts

and a C.O.2 alarm would make you

aware of any malfunction in your gas

supply.

Kenneth Harwood

The Olympics coming to Felbridge

on Tuesday 17 July

Well the flame! We are looking forward to the Olympic flame coming

through Felbridge on 17th July. Stephen spoke to radio Surrey and Sussexon 7th Novemebr when it was announced!

A different town and city of the UK will welcome the Olympic Flame everyevening of the Torch Relay.

Torchbearers will carry the flame through Brighton &Hove, then to Crawley &Copthorne and on toFelbridge, then into East Grinstead, passing throughTunbridge Wells, Crowborough, Lewes, Eastbourne,

Pevensey Bay, Bexhill on Sea and St Leornards onSea, stopping in Hastings for an evening celebration.

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AT last there is some progress with refurbishing the church car park (not

before time you cry!)

The Diocesan architect has invited contractors to provide costs for two

options to resurface the car park in an attempt to satisfy the Local Planning

Authority and the Parish.

Option 1 - Marshalls Driveline Priora Permeable Block Paving (or similar)

laid in 90 degree herringbone pattern. Colour - Bracken, with parking bays

etc marked out using Charcoal coloured blocks.

Option 2 - Golpla (Hoofmark UK Ltd) high quality recycled hexagonalplastic cell system (or similar) with max 10mm beige/grey decorative stone

infill. Cell colour Silver/Grey, with parking bays etc marked out using

Golplas plastic inserts (in white and/or yellow).

In addition the tenderers are to include for:

A A central kerb to divide the car park into two separate areas, with a

street lamp at either end (lighting controls fitted in the church hall).

B Four bollards (one each side of each entrance) indicating the kerb edges

(particularly when obscured by snow).C Footpath adjacent to the white timber fence (which remains) to improve

pedestrian access and protect the west lamp post. This shifts the three

DDA spaces, but does align the two central rows (instead of the present

staggered arrangement which makes pedestrian access between cars

difficult). As a result:

(i) the parking bay layout is revised

(ii) one car parking space lost

(iii) a motorcycle space is addedD Dropped kerbs for wheel chair access.

E Kerbs extended across end of Disabled Bay.

F Cross hatching painted on access road area to define No Parking zones

G Existing soakaways cleaned out and connected to a new channel drain

along the west side.

Tenders are due back on 21st November, so we may know the result before

this report is published. Please contact me if you have any questions or

concerns (email [email protected]).

J Grainger

CAR PARK UPDATE

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FELBRIDGE WILDLIFE

A Battered Bat and a Rambling Brambling

AROUND Halloween, a veryuncommon bat appeared inFelbridge. Sadly it was injuredwhen the tree in woodland off theCrawley Down Road, in which itwas sleeping, was felled bydevelopers. The bat, a Nathusius'pipistrelleis recovering in the BatHospital run by Jenny Clarke atForest Row.

I was asked what had nibbled thesplendid toadstool featured as lastmonth's magazine cover. The flyagaric is named for its ability to killflies. It also producesa range of

hallucinogenic toxinsthat do no good topeople. Mice,however seem able tomake a meal of it, asdo the maggots of themushroom fly.

Indoors, No FlyZones have been created by

several species of house spiders,especially Tegenaria domesticaorthe seriously large Tegenariagigantea, which can mop uphibernating Autumn flies, or clusterflies and other insects in ourhouses.

One definition of a weed is a plant

for which we have not yet found ause. Thank God for creating so

many wonderful plants we do notknow that we need. Among thelowliest of these, literally at groundlevel, are the liverworts andmosses. In the wetter parts of theparish are bog moss or sphagnumand the rich green fleshy lobes andelfin cups of plants too neglected tohave memorable English names.

A welcome visitor to the gardenfrom across the North Sea hasbeen a solitary brambling.Nicknamed 'the chaffinch of theNorth', this delightful finch is more

black and orangeand shows a

white rump as itflies. More areforecast by the'Autumnwatch'pundits for theNew Year,when bothbramblings andchaffinches will

turn over old leaves under thebeech and birch trees. I shall beturning over a new leaf, withresolutions that again I shall fail tokeep, but with God, hope springs atleast until February.

Peter Bateman.

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CURRENT ISSUES: UNEMPLOYED?

Unemployment reaches 17-year highcan you help?

UNEMPLOYMENT has now topped

2.6 million, the highest since 1994.

More worryingly, over one million of

our 16 to 24-year-olds are now out ofworkmore than at any time since

1992. While the figure includes the

286,000 people in full-time education

who are looking for part-time work, the

youth unemployment rate is now 22%.

The months up to Christmas dont look

much better, with most employers

intending to create fewer jobs, reports a

survey by the Chartered Institute of

Personnel and Development .

Government ministers say that the

figures are a reflection of the impact onthe UK of economic uncertainty in the

eurozone and slower growth in the

global economy. This misses the point.

The reasons arent importantwhat is

important is the impact on individuals.

When you lose your job, you feel like

your world is collapsing around you,

you feel depressed and sometimes

afraid, you feel frustrated by the factthat everything revolves around job

vacancy adverts, getting your

applications in on time, and wondering

why companies just dont seem to

respond, even with a rejection letter.

Having been made redundant when I

was 32, I know about the financial

worries this can bring. Losing your job

for any reason affects how you feel

about yourself, it means a loss of

dignity, self-esteem and confidence

you feel alone and begin to wonder if

youre worth anything to anyone.

Its bad enough to lose your job, butimagine leaving school and being

unable to get your first job. Many

young people are unable to get work

without experience, but not being ableto get experience without having a job.

Volunteering or taking unpaid work is

increasingly the only option.

If you can summon up the enthusiasm

to look at them, there are guides to help

you cope. Try: www.helpguide.org/

life/unemployment_job_loss_stress_

coping_tips.htm. Just believe that youcan get through this and you will.

Here are four useful tips from the

guide: face your feelings and accept the

reality of the situation as this can help

you move on; let people know that youare looking for work and share what

youre doing with people you love and

trust; involve your family and listen to

their suggestions; and take care ofyourself. Above all, stay positive and

be patient. If you want to work,

something WILL turn up eventually.

For those of us in employment or

retired, lets try to do what we can to

support, encourage and inspire anyone

we know of in this difficult position. If

you can, persuade your employer to

create some work - every little helps.

Gordon Wilkinson

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IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION..!

No-one can dispute the fact that we live in

an age of communication which wouldhave left our great-grandparents breathless

and bemused! Some of us 'senior citizens'

still actually write and post letters,

although that seems to be a dying art!

Most of us use the phone, tap out texts,

send emails, download attachments, surf

the web, watch the TV, catch up on 'I-

player', listen to the radio, and read

newspapers and all the other 'stuff' that

drops through our letter-boxes day by day,to keep in touch. Some of us manage our

finances on-line, order goods from

Amazon, sell things on E-bay, and

'google' the information we need. Those

who have time to spare use Facebook,

Twitter, Skype or Blogs to communicate

with friends and family or even total

strangers. The younger generation - and

many of their elders, too get withdrawalsymptoms if they are parted from their

mobile phones for any time, and now the

invention of I-pads and other ingenious

technological devices mean that no-oneneeds to be 'out of touch' for a moment,

whether it's phoning home from the train

to announce that they'll be at the station in

seven minutes precisely, or standing in the

supermarket aisle enquiring which brand

of cereal to buy.Yet, despite the fact that we spend a hugeproportion of our time in communicating

with the world around us, I wonder how

much time we spend in communicating

with God? After all, he communicates

with us all the time through the beauties

of his wonderful creation, through all the

changing seasons; in the love of friends

and family, or the kindness of strangers;in the answers to unspoken prayers, or the

'co-incidences' that delight us; in the way

he cares for us when the going gets tough,

and shows us the way ahead when we areconfused. And, of course, through his

Word which teaches, comforts, enlightens

and warns us.

The Bible, both the Old and New

Testaments, is full of prayer for help,

healing, comfort, deliverance and justice,

as well as prayers of hope, praise, gratitude

and acceptance. God always answers our

prayers, though not always in the way wemight wish or expect; sometimes the

answer is 'No', or 'Not yet' or 'Wait',

because God knows all our circumstances

so much better than we do. The Bible

teaches us that prayer is fundamental to

our Christian lives. We can pray on our

own (Matthew 6:6); with one or two others

(Matthew 18: 19-20); or in a church

fellowship (Acts 2:42).

Jesus knew the importance of prayer, andmade it his priority to spend precious time

with his Father in Heaven whether

slipping off to a secluded place on his

own, or praying with his disciples, or

joining in the synagogue worship even

praying on the Cross.

God longs for us to communicate with him

in prayer, and it's a two-way process,

whether it's through reading our Bibles,praying with a prayer-partner or in our

family, joining a Home Group, coming to

a church prayer meeting; praying formally

or informally; sending up 'arrow-prayers',

or spending time in intercession for people

or situations. It should be as vital to us as

breathing, and as instinctive as a child

communicating with its parents.

I still have so much to learn about prayer but I couldn't live without it!

Anne Butler

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FELBRIDGE HOTEL & SPA EVENTS

Burns Night on Saturday 21st January 2012Celebrate 253 years since the birth of 'Rabbie' Burns, with a traditional Burns Night.

Felbridge Hotel & Spa will warm up this cold winters night with a traditional

Scottish menu followed by coffee and fudge as well as a wee dram of whisky with

the address of the Haggis.

Traditional entertainment in the form of a Piper and Ceilidh Band will guarantee to

get you all dancing. Our resident DJ will also be on hand to ensure you party

through to the wee hours. 39.00 per guest.Why not treat yourself and stay over in one of our beautiful bedrooms? From just

99.00 to include breakfast, overnight accommodation and full use of the Chakra

Spa facilities. For bookings call 01342 337700 or email

[email protected]

MenuStarters- A choice of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties or Cock-a-Leeky Soup(V)

Main Course- A choice of Skirlie stuffed Chicken Breast with Rumbledethumps &

a Whisky Sauce or Sweet Potato and Root Vegetable Pie with Rumbledethumps(V)

Dessert- Crananchan followed by Coffee and Fudge

For bookings and more information please call 01342 337700

One Life. Whats it all about?Christianity Explored is an opportunity for a small group to meet together and

consider what Marks Gospel says about the central questions of life: Whats life all

about? Who is Jesus? Why did he come? What does it all mean for me?

Anyone can come along to Christianity Explored. You would be very welcome

whether you feel you know nothing much about Jesus at all, or have been coming

along to church for many years but would just like to revisit the central truths again.

Each time the group gets together well start with tea and coffee, followed by

looking at a bit of Marks Gospel. After that well watch a short talk on DVD,

discuss what everyone thinks, and have the opportunity to ask any questions.

We will be starting a daytime and an evening group from

January onwards, meeting for 7 weeks, at a time that isconvenient for those who would like to come along. If you

are interested, or would like to find out more, then please

do contact Michael Peach: (01342) 312 406,

[email protected]

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WINTER with the grey, wet, colddays and dark evenings is my leastfavourite season. T S Eliot called

midwinter the dark time of theyear. I prefer Shelleys If wintercomes can spring be far behind?which is full of optimism and cheersme up.

In the middle ages winter wasreferred to as The Terror. In thosedays a good harvest and a mildwinter was a matter of life and

death. Now we can not only storeand preserve the surplus producefrom the garden but also freeze it.

Once Christmas is over we shall allbe cheered, as always, to see thenew shoots of daffodils andsnowdrops poking their tips throughthe cold earth and the primroses inflower. The camellias are alreadyfull of promise with their fat budspreparing to dazzle us.

Now that the leaves have fallen it isa good time to look at the barebones of the trees and shrubs as itis easy to see where branches cutacross one another. Remove anyunwanted or weak branches to

improve the light and air to thecentre. It is also useful now to cutsome of the deciduous shrubs such

as buddleias and lavateras down by

about half to stop them rocking inhigh winds which could weakenthem. Then they can be prunedmuch lower in the spring as usual.One can also trim back this yearsshoots of passionflowers to within afew inches of the wood.

The mistletoe seeds we attemptedto grown on an apple tree were notsuccessful but if you have holly andivy or variegated evergreens then itis so easy to make a Christmaswreath for the door using an oldwire coat hanger, some chickenwire and red ribbon.

There is still a lot of colour hangingon in the garden especially the

nerines, fuchsias, schizostylus andargyranthemums. We have dug upthe dahlias for winter storagebecause we were so eager to putdaffodils in their place. We havealso divided overgrown clumps ofasters and obedient plants andreplanted them elsewhere and filledpots with tulips. Already I am itching

to be out there again in the spring.In the meantime like thehedgehogs, dormice and bats thathibernate because of lack of foodand to save energy I too shallhibernate simply because I dontlike the cold! Happy Christmas.

Maureen Reynolds

IN THE GARDEN

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TELL ME WHY?

Isnt the Christmas story just make-believe?

EVERYONE likes the Christmas story, dont they? With its shepherds, wise men,

angels and an exciting birth too, it is a fun story but is it just that? Can we really

believe the Christmas story is true? Does it matter?

Much of the Christmas story is found in Lukes Gospel account. Thats where wehear about the journey to Bethlehem, the stable, the angels, the shepherds and of

course Jesus birth. However, this story is not the very first part of his Gospel, before

that he says why and how he has written this account.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been

fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from

the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I

myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed

good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent

Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been

taught. (Luke 1:1-4 NIV)

Luke says that he is seeking to write reliable history. He makes clear here that he is

aware of the other accounts that have been written and has taken those into account.He knows what eyewitnesses to these events have said, and those who have been

followers of Jesus from the beginning. He has carefully investigated and looked into

all that he has heard and brought it together into an orderly account. Luke has

approached his task as an investigator and historian, not as a creative writer!

Luke also makes clear here what his purpose is in writing his Gospel. He wants his

readers to be certain regarding the things they have been taught about Jesus. He

wants to make sure that people have heard the truth about Jesus and have confidence

in that truth.

Luke has sought to write a reliable account of Jesus birth so that we can be certain

about what happened, for those events 2000 years ago affect the whole of history.

The angels and the remarkable birth of Jesus show that he was no ordinary baby, but

Gods own Son and the Saviour that we need.

Surely Luke at least deserves a hearing! So why not read Lukes Gospel account this

Christmas time, and consider thoughtfully what he says about Jesus. For the truths

that he records changed history, and can change our lives forever.

Michael Peach

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MISSION MATTERS

The Mission Team Reps are eachallocated a month to promote theirCharity or Mission. I haveDecember as thats when we holdour Tree of Light Service so it fits invery well. I usually write about theTree of Light Service but I did that

last month to ask for help etc. and atree!!

So this month I thought I would tellyou a bit about St Catherines, thework they do and how I havebecome a bit more involved.

I retired in 2010 and spent thesummer months relaxing and slowly

becoming used to not having to dothings I didnt want to do. By thetime September came around Ibegan to realise that I needed to dosomething more. I had a fewcontacts at the Hospice as the linkperson for St Johns, so rang andasked if I could help in any way asa volunteer. After a few forms hadbeen filled in, references followedup and an interview, I was asked if Icould help in the FundraisingDepartment. I did wonder whatexactly this would entail but said okand we agreed I would be there onTuesdays each week. By this time itwas October so my first task was tohelp with the Christmas cuddliescampaign. I wont bore with the

details but it involved making lots ofphone calls, data entering, working

St Catherines Hospice

on spreadsheets, franking post,mail shots etc. The staff are allfriendly and helpful making me feelvery welcome and I actually feltuseful again! Since then I havehelped in a small way with thepreparation for many fundraising

events throughout the year- far toonumerous to detail here.

Many of you will know about thework of St Catherines sadly someof you at first hand. If so, I am sureyou will have been as impressed asI am at the amazing work theMedical Staff carries out. They workwith the In Patients but there is also

a Community Care team and a Daycentre which they are involved with.

As well as Clinical care, patientshave access to Counselling,Occupational Therapy,Physiotherapy, Welfare advice, aLymphoedema Clinic andComplementary Therapies. Theseinclude: Massage, Aromatherapy,Reflexology and Relaxation, all ofwhich help to improve Patientswellbeing.

What of their Spiritual wellbeingthough well, the Spiritual CareTeam are there for that. They areled by Mike Nevill and Sue Clarkewho are supported by qualified and

experienced volunteers. StCatherines believe the role ofspiritual care is to enable those

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Ch r is t m a s Lu n ch

Thursday 15th Decem ber 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm

The Star Inn, London Road Felbridge

2 courses 14.99. 3 courses 17.99

varied festive menu

living with illness to reflect on andfind meaning in their experiences.The spiritual care team can helppatients discover their ownmeaning, direction, purpose and

answers, regardless of faith andbelief.

Through providing an open,sensitive, listening ear and talking,the team can help patients andtheir loved ones achieve a sense ofpeace and understanding. Peoplehave their own spiritual needs andconcerns and will use their own

coping mechanisms in dealing withproblems. The team will help toexplore thoughts and feelings forexample about things happening inpeoples lives, relationships withothers or questions about themeaning and purpose of life andtheir beliefs. They will not bepreached at or pressured to

accept anything that they are notcomfortable with.

For practising Christians theymay wish to receive HolyCommunion or prayers, perhapswith anointing at the bedside. Thiscan be arranged with the patientsown Minister or they can ask one of

the Spiritual Care Team who will bepleased to pray with them. TheHospice does not have a Chapelbecause it is not a religiousorganisation. Instead there is a

Quiet room offering peace andquiet for reflection or prayer, forpeople of all faith or none. Servicesof prayer and reflection are heldweekly in the Quiet room.

Services are non-denominational,lasting about 20 minutes and areheld on different days each week toallow Day Hospice Patients to

attend if they wish. All are verywelcome to attend.

I could go on and on about thework of the Hospice, the staff andvolunteers ( about 600), Hopefully Ihave captured just a little but if youwould like to know more, pleaseask me and I will do my best to

help or find someone who can. Oryou could look on the Hospicewebsite yourself if you have accessto the internet (www.stch.org.uk).

Jenny Young

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We are delighted to welcome Andy and Joan Brown back from their timeworking on the Mercy Ship off the coast of Sierra Leone. Andy was using hisskills as a surgeon and Joan was helping with physio for in and out patientsand helping read to children and as an assistant in the physio department.We hope to hear more about their experiences soon.

There is a very welcome addition to the churchyard. Sheila Johnson hasrenewed the bench which had become unsafe, which was dedicated to the

memory of her husband Ian. Ian and Sheila and their family were very muchpart of the life of St John's for many years .Ian contributed so much to thelife of the church and other organizations locally before his untimely death.Sheila and the family continued to do so for many years. Sheila has nowmoved away but there is still a special memory of them all here in Felbridge.

We are glad to welcome Don Ely to the status of reader at St Johns. Anumber went up from St Johns to Southwark cathedral for his licensing inOctober. There were a good size group being licensed and so the cathedralwas full but St Johns had a good strong party in support of Don as well as

his family. (Thank you Ann for arranging the mini bus for this) Then it wasgood to have a welcome service for him at St Johns when folk from hiscourse (he studied in Guildford) came and joined us all. Don and Chris puton a marvellous lunch in the hall afterwards to end a happy occasion on avery tasty note!

Thank you to all who brought filled shoeboxes for the Mustard Seed reliefmission to take to children abroad for Christmas. There were 72 boxes.Thank you too to Daphne Ayerst (and Jacky Egginton) who sold items for

these boxes and raised more money for the Mustard Seed Relief Mission.Mustard Seed Mission Shoe boxes went to the Sumy region Ukraine wherethe temperature was minus seven degrees and getting colder. The shoeboxes were given to the children in two of the orphanages. All the childrenquietly wait their turn to receive a box even though they are so excited at thethought of a gift. The mission leader said these children are in our heartsand we will always continue to work hard for them and show them just howmuch they are loved.

Many thanks to Anne Butler who has spent much of her days over the last

weeks in church ,seeing workmen in and one thing and another. Rather likethe camp outside St Paul's cathedral only no tent and no protesting!

CHURCH FAMILY NEWS

News and Thanks

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ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Photovoltaic Panels (Solar PV) ...FIT for purpose?

Even if you were only vaguely interested in generating electricity from Solar PV

panels you are probably aware of the Governments eight week consultation period on

a proposal to roughly halve the feed-in-tariff (FIT) from 1st April next year for all

installations completed and registered on or after 12th December this year. The

consultation ends on 23rd December and those in the industry expect that the proposals

will be implemented although the announcement is only likely to be made after the

New Year. The good news is that installations registered before 12th December are not

affected. The bad news is that St Johns will be unable to benefit financially as the

reduced FIT barely covers the installation and maintenance costs, as shown below.

Our projected benefit at the end of 30 years (assuming 4% inflation):

(a) at the current FIT is a gross benefit of 129,000 and a net benefit of 77,000 (after

deducting costs to install, maintain and remove the panels). The initial outlay is

33,500 so the net benefit is equivalent to a gain of 2.822% pa. In other words, if

we invested the initial outlay in a savings account earning 2.82% pa, then the total

in the account after 30 years would be 77,000. (NB figures are rounded).

(b) at the proposed FIT is a gross benefit of 68,500 and a net benefit of 16,500. Theinitial outlay is the same 33,500 so the net benefit is equivalent to loss of 2.345%

per annum

The impact of these proposals is a massive reduction in income - money that could be

used for community projects. The Church of Englands national campaign Shrinking

the Footprinthas started a petition calling on the Government to exempt not for

profit organisations (which includes churches). If you support that idea then please

sign the petition on line at https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20928

Progress at St Johns is as follows:An application to Tandridge District Council has been submitted (but not yet verified).

The Diocesan Advisory Committee has recommended our proposals for approval by

the Chancellor, subject to certain comments to be resolved at a later date. The

preparation of a St Johns energy audit has been completed based on the spreadsheet

established by the Diocese. A response to the Governments proposal is being

prepared for sending to the Department of Energy and Climate Change before 23rd

December.

There is still a long way to go and it is by no means certain that we will receiveapproval from Tandridge. However, if we do (and the PCC still wish to proceed at the

lower FIT) then we could have the panels installed and registered by the end of March.

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PEST CONTROL SERVICES

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

GARDEN SERVICES

Ron West 01342 712586

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

CLARINET LESSONS

Classical or Jazz, for pleasure or exam preparation

Elaine Short CT ABRSM 01342 327563

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: [email protected]

Andy Brown 01342 314267e-mail: [email protected]

Treasurer: Chris Saunders 01342 325662e-mail: [email protected]

PCC Secretary: Sheila Drury 01342 323865


Magazine Editor: Lindsey Saunders 01342 325662

e-mail:[email protected] Rota: Carole Grainger 01342 325482

Ministry of Flowers: Ann Morley 01342 714645


Church Hall Bookings: Sally Hobbs 01342 410929


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


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

e-mail: [email protected] (Year 5-6): Gaby


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


Parish Safeguarding Officer Chris Ely 01342 311614


Rainbows, Brownies & Guides Ann Tucker 01342 317283e-mail: [email protected]

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Dec2011-GW

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