Transform Edition 2

Goodbye Laurence: the loss of a legend

Wedded Bliss!

IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on Brazil p2-3

Focus on Prayer p4-6

Talent Show p7

Ashburnham p8

The Life Course p8

Dear St John’s...

A fter 55 years of wonderful service to

St John's Church, we said an extremely sad

goodbye to Verger Laurence Knowles who

died on 9th April, aged 78. Our special thoughts are

with all his family - his wife of 52 years, Joan and his two

sons Malcolm and Graham and daughter Diane.

In 1954, the year that Roger Bannister ran the four-minute mile,

and post-war rationing finally came to an end,

Laurence took on the role of Church Clerk and

Verger from his father, Harry Knowles, who had

done the job for the preceding twenty eight years.

Laurence was one of the country's longest serving

vergers who dedicated 55 years of his life to St John's. He was

responsible for organising weddings, and recording events such

as marriages and deaths in official registers. His intimate

knowledge of the church building and its events is probably

unsurpassable, and his work over many years has drawn

praise from all those who knew him.

We will all have our own special and individual memories of

Laurence. Having started his lifetime's service to St John's as

a Chorister aged eight, Laurence was characteristically

humble about his role, saying on the occasion of

celebrating 50 years as Verger: "It was always

my heart's desire to serve in this way - I thought

I would end up doing this job for many years". Laurence Knowles: 55 years of faithful service as Verger

O n th e 28 th F eb ru ary , w e

celebrated the marriage of Bill

and Jackie Holloway.

The Church was full, and friends

and family members were in-

volved in every part of the beauti-

ful ceremony. Bill's son Peter and

longstanding friend Jonathan

Viera entertained the congrega-

tion while the happy couple signed

the register. The service was fol-

lowed by photographs and an

afternoon tea.

Bill and Jackie would like to thank

everyone who worked so hard to

make their day such a special

event!

T wo things are very much on my mind

as I pen these words. One is the

theme of this edi-

tion of transform,

which is especially

focussed on prayer

and on our commit-

ment as a Church to

become a House of

Prayer. The other is the

sad loss of Laurence

Knowles who served

St John‘s as Verger

for an amazing fifty-

five years who

passed away just before

Easter.

Laurence spent the last few weeks of his life in

hospital and despite his courage and humour

and his determination to come home he gradu-

ally grew weaker and more confused by the

high levels of medication that he needed.

But even when he was unable to engage in con-

versation or even to open his eyes there was one

thing that made him alert and lucid: prayer.

Whenever I said the Lord‘s Prayer or the Evening

Collect or read through the Communion prayers,

Laurence would join in with the words that were

lodged deep in his heart. He was a man of

prayer. And he is greatly missed.

For St John‘s to become a House of Prayer we

must get into the habit of prayer so it becomes

lodged deep in our heart. We need to understand

that we are engaged in work that depends on

God‘s Spirit at work among us; that we cannot

complete by our own efforts alone. We need to

believe that nothing of true and lasting signifi-

cance can happen in St John‘s apart from prayer.

Becoming a House of Prayer … p4-6

Rev Jeff Wattley

Vicar of St John‘s

WE must GET INTO THE

HABIT OF prayer SO IT

BECOMES LODGED deep

WITHIN OUR hearts

This year‘s children‘s holiday club

August 24-28th 2009 Come and be part of it! For more information on how to be involved,

please contact Rachel Upcott on [email protected]

Naomi Page caught up with her friend and former housemate Hannah Cross and found out all a b o u t h e r l i f e - c h a n g i n g experiences.

Having just come back from six months in

Olinda, in the north-east of Brazil, Hannah

has spent the last three weeks explaining to

dozens of different people exactly what she

was doing there. It's fortunate that she loves

talking about the projects she's been

involved with – as we chat, it is easy to see

that God has given her a real passion for

Brazil and its people. “It's amazing to be

where God is working, it's such a privilege,”

she says. Back in 2006, during her first trip

to Brazil with the St Johns' student team,

God was opening doors and placing a

strong desire on her heart to serve the

people she met there.

Casa de Meu Pai

This was Hannah's third trip to Brazil, and she

spent it at Casa de Meu Pai (My Father's

House), a shelter for street children from the

favela, working alongside St John‘s Mission

Partners, Ian & Simea Meldrum. There are ten

boys living at the project, between the ages of

eight and sixteen. Casa de Meu Pai is intended

as a restoration home for boys who, for one

reason or another, cannot live at home. Some

have been involved in gang crime and their

lives are in danger, others have difficult family

situations that require outside intervention. The

workers at the project give the boys in their

care a safe place to stay, but more than that, a

normal life - they are taught social skills,

respect for others and are enrolled in school.

―As Christians,‖ Hannah says, ―it's so important

to us to share God's love with them.‖

A normal day at the house begins at 6:30am.

The boys wake up and are led in prayers by

their dorm leaders. They eat breakfast and

half of them go to school while the

others spend the morning doing

chores and activities. They play

sports, go swimming and go to the

beach – Casa de Meu Pai is situated right on

the beach and has its own pool. Those who

have been to school return and they eat lunch

about midday, before the others go to school.

The hot time after lunch is spent resting before

Editor’s Bit

Transform May—June 09

Can you help?

We need a designer for

Using Microsoft Publisher to produce the magazine‘s

artwork ready for printing every two months.

If you‘re interested, or for more information please email

[email protected]

about

The magazine for members of St John‘s

Church in Egham. It is produced bi-monthly,

with the aim of helping to connect and build

our church family. Its purpose is to provide

information and encouragement on church life

and our family – specifically to show how God

is transforming situations and people.

It‘s not designed for people who don‘t yet

come to St John‘s. But, if when you‘ve

finished reading your copy, you‘d like to pass

it on to a friend or neighbour, then that would

be great too!

Editorial

We welcome items for inclusion or ideas for

stories. Ideally these should be submitted in

an MS Word document, hi - r es J P G s or

o t h er e l ec t r on i c f o r m , a n d s e n t

b y e m a i l t o

[email protected]

The team

transform is edited by Alison Berry, with the

support of a wider team; Laura Beattie, Naomi

Page and Anne-Maria Roshier. Original

magazine layout and design is by Richard

Jack.

Advertising

We will accept a number of adverts each

issue both from within the church family, and

a small number of external advertisements.

Acceptance of any advertising is at the

discretion of the editing team, and the

acceptance of an advertisement in transform

magazine is not necessarily an endorsement

by the editorial team of the service or product

offered.

Deadlines

The deadline for submissions to be

considered for inclusion in the next edition of

Transform (July / August 2009) is 9th June.

Welcome to edition two of

F or this issue‘s

Editor‘s thoughts,

I‘m very grateful

to Tim Sudworth, who

shared the following

story at a recent PCC

meeting. It has made

me think about all the

times when God is

working, showing

us people he loves

who he‘s just

waiting to call to Him, but whom we‘re probably

just a bit busy to notice….

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC

and started to play the violin; it was a cold

January morning. He played six Bach pieces

for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it

was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands

of people went through the station, most of

them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man

noticed there was musician playing. He slowed

his pace and stopped for a few seconds and

then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute

later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a

woman threw the money in the case and

without stopping continued to walk. A few

minutes later, someone leaned against the wall

to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch

and started to walk again. Clearly he was late

for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3-

year-old boy. His mother tugged him along,

hurrying, but the kid stopped to look at the

violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and

the child continued to walk turning his head all

the time. This action was repeated by several

other children. All the parents, without

exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6

people stopped and stayed for a while. About

20 gave him money but continued to walk their

normal pace. He collected $32. When he

finished playing and silence took over, no one

noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there

any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua

Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He

played one of the most intricate pieces ever

written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway,

Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston with

tickets averaging $100.

This is a real story, Joshua Bell playing

incognito in the metro station was organised by

the Washington Post as part of a social

experiment about perception, taste and

transform Editor, Alison Berry

GOD IS working TO SHOW

US THE PEOPLE HE loves.

ARE WE TOO busy TO NOTICE?

priorities of people. In a commonplace

environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we

perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognise the talent in an unexpected

context? If we do not have a moment to stop

and listen to one of the best musicians in the

world playing the best music ever written, how

many other opportunities are we missing?

Back from Brazil

“ It’s amazing to be where God

is working. It’s such a privilege

Hannah on her time in Brazil

Prayer

―I couldn't have done it without prayer,‖ Hannah

says, ―it was essential to the whole thing. I'm

overwhelmed by the support given to me by

people at St John‘s. Please keep praying that

the boys will make the most of the opportunities

offered to them, and will want to change their

lives – that God will meet with them and they

will be transformed by Him.‖

And we, who with unveiled faces all

reflect the Lord's glory, are being trans-

formed into his likeness with ever-

increasing glory, which comes from the

Lord, who is the spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Transform May — June 09

Mission Unwrapped

St John‘s very own alternative gift

catalogue. Birthdays, weddings, anniver-

saries, baptisms...all special occasions,

and the chance to give a gift.

Use Mission Unwrapped to give a gift that

will change a life. For the better, and for-

ever. A selection of gifts, which supports

the full range of the church‘s

Mission Partners.

Available as printed catalogue, and also

all the gifts can be bought through the

church website www.stjohnsegham.com

Printed gift cards are available.

Back from Brazil

Supporting Mission

Rodrigo is one of the older boys in the house, and the change in him

is exactly what the project would like to do for every boy.

He arrived four years ago, aged eleven, having been beaten by his mother, ne-

glected and left alone for days at a time. The project has given him a sense of self-

worth, responsibility, an education, and most importantly a living, mature and pas-

sionate faith in God. The work done at Casa de Meu Pai is transforming the young

lives of boys who would otherwise be forgotten about and ignored by society.

Keyrings

During Hannah's time at the project a co-

operative was started, making and selling key-

rings made out of beads. Any money made

goes into a pot and the boys are allowed to

spend it on treats – trips to the cinema, meals

out and going to see famous landmarks. Mak-

ing the keyrings takes patience and concentra-

tion, and practising these skills has other bene-

fits – for example when they are doing their

homework. In addition, the project teaches

them about co-operating as a group and man-

aging their money – they must discuss and vote

on what they want to do when it comes to

spending their profits.

Hannah also started making memory books

with some of the boys. ―It is easy to take a child

off the streets,‖ she says, ―but it is hard to take

the street out of the

child‖. Making these

books helps the boys

form an identity sepa-

rate to the streets –

many simply define

themselves as a

―street child‖ and it is

important to show them

that they have

choices and op-

portunit ies

in life.

Genivaldo’s keyring was one of those sold to

raise money that the boys can spend on treats

the boys do activities for a few hours. The

evenings are spent relaxing – the boys enjoy

hip-hop dancing and watching action films.

They have dinner and are then led in a

devotional consisting of sung worship, games

and an interactive talk. The day ends at

9:30pm.

Focus on Prayer

Transform May-June 09

What does a House of Prayer look like?

Will Bissett had a clear picture during one of the Saturday morning prayer meetings of the

effect of us turning to God in prayer:

“The St John’s Church building bathed in the light of a warm summer glow, and joyful people running

out from it in all directions carrying wide brightly coloured ribbons, and taking them out into the sur-

rounding community - joyful people with something amazing in their hearts running out from St John’s.”

The verse that Will linked to his picture was from The Message version of Matthew 5:14-16

"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're

going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to

hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hill-

top, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By

opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous

Father in heaven.”

St John’s: Becoming a House of Prayer

What is a House of Prayer?

by Alison Berry

I struggled to write this piece, made especially difficult

by the sound of tiles being bashed off our kitchen walls.

Then, I heard the immortal words of Bon Jovi (!) from

the builders‘ radio, singing out ―Living on a prayer‖, and I

realised that prayer is our life-blood. Whether we live to

pray, or pray to live, prayer and life are inextricably linked.

It‘s been said that ―Prayer moves the hand that moves the

world…..‖

But what is Prayer?

It‘s simply talking with God - our direct line with heaven

that:

Gives us purpose

Refreshes our spirits

Puts us under God in submission

Allows God permission to work in our lives

Roots out problems

Gives us perspective

Renews us and transforms us

You may have heard that at St John‘s we have a goal of

becoming a house of prayer, a phrase taken from Isaiah

56:6-8 where the prophet spoke God‘s words that ―my

house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Becoming a house of prayer means being reliant on prayer

as the most important thing our church does, and being

committed to ―binding ourselves to the Lord to serve him,

to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him‖ (Isaiah

56).

Prayer must lie at the heart of everything

we are and everything we do.

I’ve never forgotten what one of

my CYFA leaders used to say:

‘Compared to prayer, everything the church

does is like rearranging the furniture

when the house is on fire’

Anne-Maria Roshier

Draw Near is a weekend designed to help us deepen our devotion to God in prayer.

It is an invitation to come together and recommit our lives to Him. Through the weekend we will be exploring

together themes from Isaiah's commissioning (Isaiah 6:1-8), in which he encounters a holy God, is brought to

his knees in confession, receives forgiveness, and is sent out to serve the Lord. There will be opportunities to

pray in all sorts of ways: noisily and in silence, privately and together, artistically and in words. But through it

all we pray that God will renew his calling to St John's to be his hands and his voice in our community.

Opportunities to Pray

First Priority

Our central prayer meeting. The second Tuesday of each month for

an hour, starting at 8pm in Church.

Knees and Buns

Every Saturday morning at 9am in the Caddey, with breakfast after-

wards. Prayer specifically for the church, and the ministry of St John‘s

in our community

“


I t‘s always amazing how God works

through our willingness to serve him.

From the first time I came to a Ladies‘

Prayer Breakfast, I just loved it. I came, as

a relative newcomer to St John‘s, not really

knowing many people, but walking into the

church centre, I immediately felt welcomed,

accepted, and as though I was being

enveloped in a great big hug! Little

did I realise that I would end up

taking over leadership of this

ministry, but God has put to-

gether a fantastic team –

there‘s six of us who plan and

organise each event, which

takes place once every two

months on a Saturday from 8.30

– 10.15 a.m.

Through these events, we are

helping people to become

more dependent on God

What does a House of Prayer look like?

Will Bissett had a clear picture during one of the Saturday morning prayer meetings of the

effect of us turning to God in prayer:

“The St John’s Church building bathed in the light of a warm summer glow, and joyful people running

out from it in all directions carrying wide brightly coloured ribbons, and taking them out into the sur-

rounding community - joyful people with something amazing in their hearts running out from St John’s.”

The verse that Will linked to his picture was from The Message version of Matthew 5:14-16

"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're

going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to

hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hill-

top, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By

opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous

Father in heaven.”

St John’s: Becoming a House of Prayer

Draw Near is a weekend designed to help us deepen our devotion to God in prayer.

It is an invitation to come together and recommit our lives to Him. Through the weekend we will be exploring

together themes from Isaiah's commissioning (Isaiah 6:1-8), in which he encounters a holy God, is brought to

his knees in confession, receives forgiveness, and is sent out to serve the Lord. There will be opportunities to

pray in all sorts of ways: noisily and in silence, privately and together, artistically and in words. But through it

all we pray that God will renew his calling to St John's to be his hands and his voice in our community.

There is lots of time for reflective and private prayer, often

using visuals on screen to help when we pray for our com-

munity.

Making ladies feel comfortable is very close to my heart – I

know that women often feel more comfortable and ready to

ask for help, when they are in the company of other

women. Also, we learn from reading Titus chapter 2 about

older women ministering to younger women and helping

them in their faith.

Ladies come for all sorts of different reasons, but the

words of one person following our March prayer breakfast

were of special meaning:

“I come... for encouragement and I realise that the women

I see here have prayed, cried and laughed with me, over

the years as we have together searched for God and

Christ in us, the hope of glory together. This is a good

reason for celebration.”

I‘d encourage anyone to come and join us for prayer, wor-

ship, food and friendship. We have anything from 35 to 50

ladies coming along, but we always have lots of extra

croissants, so please join us. If you feel hesitant, chat to

one of the team, or myself – we can come along with you

the first time, or meet you at the door.

―Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward

love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting to-

gether…but let us encourage one another.‖

(Hebrews 10:24-5)

The next ladies’ prayer breakfast is on 9th May at

8.30am in the Church Centre

through prayer. We actively support family and community

life, and through the year‘s programme, we seek to equip

and inspire every member to play their part in God‘s work.

Partly it‘s about building up the faithful, giving people

great tips for spiritual growth, but there‘s a real outward

focus too, praying for our community.

To give a flavour of what the breakfasts are like…We

meet between 8.30 and 10.15. The ‗running order‘

varies but typically we start with a continental

breakfast together followed by a short time of

worship. Then there is a talk or testimony,

from an invited speaker, or our own ladies, on

a different topic each time but often these

are linked in a series. Recently we‘ve had

―Finding Assurance‖, ―Finding Peace‖ and

the May breakfast will be about ―Finding

Forgiveness‖. After this we always spend

time in prayer – often in small groups

around the tables. We aim to offer oppor-

tunities for prayer time that will suit all

ages, stages, style and comfort level.

Ladies’ Prayer Breakfasts

Linda Matthews talks about these special events

Opportunities to Pray

First Priority

Our central prayer meeting. The second Tuesday of each month for

an hour, starting at 8pm in Church.

Knees and Buns

Every Saturday morning at 9am in the Caddey, with breakfast after-

wards. Prayer specifically for the church, and the ministry of St John‘s

in our community

The 12 o’clock Prayer Pause

Every day, anywhere you are, whoever

you are with – set your phone alarm to

midday and pause for prayer – to pray

for our church, for opportunities to

transform our community, or whatever

God is prompting that day.

Prayer at St John’s


86 High Street Egham Surrey

01784 438484 / 07966 697810

www.armstronghenry.com

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Regular or occasional appointments. Competitive rates

Private, NHS, carer respite and direct payments clients

Free assessment & advice

Call in and talk to us, without obligation

But how can I pray?

To many, prayer can seem complicated,

but it’s simply talking to God.

What Do I Say?

Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and

make you new in Him:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the

Lord,‖ (Acts 3:19)

Tell Him your needs:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because

he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Thank Him, for He died on the cross:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who-ever believes in him shall not perish

but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

How Do I Say It?

With confidence and belief that He will deliver:

“Let us then approach the throne of

grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help

us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

With joy that He can deliver:

“You have made known to me the

paths of life; you will fill me with joy in

your presence” (Acts 2:28)

With expectation that He is going to deliver:

“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my

requests before you and wait in ex-

pectation.” (Psalm 5:3)

Laura Beattie reviews God on Mute by

Pete Greig

God on Mute is a strikingly honest book, unafraid

to address the uncomfortable truths of what it

means to deal with the issue of ‗unanswered

prayer‘ head on. Pete Greig – theology graduate

and co-founder of the 24-7 prayer movement -

does so by recounting the events of a period in

his life during which his wife, after recently giving

birth, is diagnosed with a brain tumour. In the

days leading up to her

treatment, and in the sub-

sequent epilepsy she is left

with, Pete finds his real

struggle with unanswered

prayer begins. His main

prayer is answered, in that Samie survives, but

the condition that continues to affect their daily

lives so profoundly seems to serve no purpose

and is also largely unaffected by prayer.

"Why doesn't God heal her? Is the problem my

unbelief? Is it a matter of spiritual warfare? Is it

simply the Fall? Why doesn't Jesus do what He

did 2,000 years ago? Is it His will for Samie to

suffer? Why would He want such a thing? I

wouldn't wish seizures on my worst enemy. It's

not as though another assault on my wife's body

is going to further world peace or even deepen

our faith in a way that the previous 10 seizures

did not."

Woven into this overarching narrative, as Pete

and Samie come to deal with their situation, is

the parallel story of Jesus‘ experiences, first in

Gethsemane when his fears overwhelm him, on

the Cross when he cries out against his aban-

donment, and in the deafening silence of the

tomb. Indeed it is one of the continuous points he

raises is that we must not be afraid to be afraid -

or sad, confused, scared or doubting – in the

face of events that are so inexplicable or terrible,

and seem unaffected by even the most heartfelt

and earnest prayers. Our faith should not crum-

ble in these moments, yet we need not rush to

find meaning, or beauty, where perhaps God‘s

plan is yet to make itself known. Sorrow is sor-

row and to lament of a situation is not to invite

condemnation. It is this recognition, as well as

the revelations of his personal journey – that

ultimately we can always look towards the

greater glory of God for solace - that allow Pete

Greig to address

the apparent si-

lence of God in a

way that leaves you

feeling both encour-

aged and assured.

Utilising the stories of many others, many of

whom deal with years of unanswered prayer, he

highlights the fact that the chance to engage with

God, even in suffering can leave its own bless-

ing, even though it

may come in the

form of a ‗glorious

redemption‘ not

immediately obvi-

ous to us in our

pain – a pain in

which we are never

alone.

God on Mute is

a v a i l a b l e f ro m

24-7pray er.com

priced £7.99 + P&P

I believe in the sun even when it isn’t shining.

I believe in love even when I am alone.

I believe in God even when He is silent.

First Priority at St John’s

Come and pray for the church and our community. Help to build St John‘s into a House of Prayer. Second Tuesday of each month at 8pm in church

When God goes quiet

T.R. GARDEN SERVICES

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YEAR ROUND SERVICE

Terry 07847 531478 (mobile)

01932 568 774 (ansaphone)

On Sunday 8th March, after regular services had

ended, the church was transformed by an army of

helpers into a theatre-cum-art gallery for the Talent

Show and Auction in aid of the Capital 100 challenge.

Using the parable of the ‗talents‘ from Matthew 25 to

illustrate the way in which God rewards those who

best use that given to them by Him, the show was a

chance for both the children and adults of St John‘s to

come together and celebrate their own unique talents

as given by God, and to share them with other peo-

ple in aid of a good cause.

Before the talent portion of the event kicked off peo-

ple had the chance to buy refreshments and view the

artwork on display as made by the children. These

ranged from handprints, to ink art, to still life, as well

as photos of St John‘s taken by the children and

handmade jewellery all available for

purchase.

When it came to the talent itself Lizzie

Naudi‘s rousing rendition of Father Abra-

ham really got the crowd going, and the

laughter and praise that filled the church

were typical of the event as a whole. We

had the privilege of listening and watch-

ing a range of excellent performances,

including singing, guitar playing, dancing

and gymnastics, a turn by the Handbell

Group and even a trio of baritone horns.

The range of talent on display really

St John’s Community


“With singing lips my mouth will praise you”

Kay Gough talks about what it means to her being in the St John’s Choir Psalm 63:5

I ‘ve always enjoyed singing and hearing

hymns, but I used to get very embarrassed

at how much I could be moved by a hymn –

that‘s why I always used to sit at the back

whenever I went to church. I think it‘s amusing

now that I have ended up in a choir sitting up at

the front of the church facing the congregation,

and that I sometimes even have to stand on the

dais.

I first started going regularly to church about

seven years ago and my main reason for want-

ing to go was that I wanted to sing. I realise

now that God had some things he wanted me

to be moved about!

I can remember my mum singing ‗There is a

green hill far away‘ to me as a little girl. It was

and is her favourite hymn and I have been

thinking lately about my mum‘s influence on me

through this hymn. I realise that it was this

hymn that started my own sense of faith all

those years ago.

I feel I have joined the choir more by accident

than design, but I knew immediately that it was

something I wanted to do when asked and I

have now started to understand the place of

music in a service AS PRAISE. I can honestly

say that I have had times when I didn‘t think I

had a voice in me for praise, but I am always

amazed at how worship lifts me up, above and

out of my situation. I come each Sunday now

highlighted in a joyful way the diverse and dynamic

combination of people God has brought together at

St John‘s.

As well as the children‘s artwork, the auctioning of the

larger events was a great success, with Jeff presiding

as auctioneer. Donations of beautiful framed photos

from Sheila Wattley, paintings by Matthew Williams

and Joe McGowen as well as a pretty flower arrange-

ment by Bobbie McCance made over £300. Com-

bined with the sale of the children's pictures, cards,

jewellery, refreshments and potted plants the whole

event made a total of £600 for the Capital 100 chal-

lenge. It was a fantastic afternoon and all those who

took part, as well as the Stepping Stones team who

organised the event, should be congratulated.

An impressive Show of Talent

―Whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God‖ 1 Cor 10:31

and whatever I am feeling, by the time I am

standing in place, my mind is fixed on praising

God.

We usually arrive at 9am to get ready for choir

and this makes me smile as I was quite a one

for arriving at 9.20 for church. I‘ve found that

because I want to be ready for praising, I get up

earlier and pray to get myself in the right place

in spirit.

I am more open now to the effect of worship in

me and have stopped trying to control my emo-

tions. I love the fact that I can be so moved

today by words written

many, many years

ago. I also love it that

certain hymns have a

special place for a

season in your life and

that others remain as

constant musical com-

panions and as com-

fort.

We practice each

Tuesday at 6pm when

the other sopranos

very kindly help me

(since I can‘t read a

note of music). I love

that we pray before each service and that we

say the Chorister‘s Prayer at the end. This

prayer reminds me of the power and impor-

tance of worship on that day and for the week

ahead as it asks us to be granted ―that what we

sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts

and show forth in our lives‖.

If you’d like to find out more about joining

the choir for our 9:15 services, please email

Di McGuire at [email protected]

Summer Concert

Home and Abroad

In aid of Besom & Tanzania

A selection of jazz, songs, arias & original material

Saturday 6 June, 7.30pm in St John’s Church Entry by programme, priced £5 including refreshments Contact St John’s Church Office on 01784 430964


Anne-Maria Roshier explains more

about the Ashburnham weekend.

O ne of the highlights of the St John‘s

calendar is the church weekend

away at Ashburnham in Battle near

Hastings. This year was no exception and as

a church family we enjoyed yet another Spirit-

filled weekend together.

Ashburnham Place is a Christian conference

and prayer centre which has been run by the

Ashburnham Christian Trust for over 45

years. The grounds themselves were de-

signed and constructed by Lancelot

‗Capability‘ Brown in the eighteenth century

and the Trust has worked to maintain the

original beauty of the landscape.

Revd David Bracewell, joined us from St

Saviour‘s Church in Guildford. He spoke on

the three pronged theme of Seeking God,

Transforming Minds and Touching Lives. As

David shared his heart the talks were chal-

lenging, encouraging and inspirational. As

well as giving us information about the Spirit-

led transformation of St Saviour‘s he also

advised us on how we could grow as a com-

munity with the aim of seeking God in all we

do at St John‘s.

The children‘s teaching was also based upon

the theme of transformation and Tim Sud-

worth led sessions based around various

superhero films. On Sunday morning the

children shared what they had learnt from the

sessions and all appeared to have thoroughly

enjoyed themselves.

The weekend away also provided a great

opportunity for us to get to know each other a

little better. Saturday afternoon included a

quiz and some outdoor team games which on

the whole were very friendly with the excep-

tion of a few rather competitive teams!

The weekend was a fantastic opportunity to

unwind and meet with God. Ashburnham is a

perfect example of God‘s glorious creation

and a wonderful place to pray and reflect.

Many of us feel our lives have been changed

by the weekend away and we are now eager

to share our experiences with others.

The Life Course

What was it all about?

As well as providing the wonderful

food during the course, Anne-

Maria Roshier also found time to

get involved and see what was

going on…..

As many of you know St John‘s have

run a number of very successful

courses over the years but this year

we saw the debut of The Life Course.

The Life Course focuses on the ex-

ploration of life and Christian spiritu-

ality over a period of eight weeks.

The sessions include a talk and a

time of group discussion with the

help of a DVD. The course strives to

answer questions like, ―Who is Je-

sus?‖, ―Can a man rise from the

dead?‖ and ―How can I be sure of my

faith?‖

As always sessions involved food

and the course kicked off with a

black tie and canape event. We wel-

comed a number of new faces who

were interested in learning more

about the Christian faith as well as

regulars who wanted to grow in their

faith and over-indulge on the can-

apés!

The course welcomed a number of

different speakers and a whole team

came from St Mary's, Bryanston

Square to lead a Holy Spirit day. The

day away came half way through the

course and took place at Bish-

opsgate School in Englefield Green.

As a group we worshipped, prayed,

learnt and spent some valuable time

waiting on the Holy Spirit together.

Another highlight of the course came

on the final evening when Tim and

Craig lead us in a Passover celebra-

tion. We all shared a traditional Pass-

over supper before taking commun-

ion and having a time of worship

together. When I asked a few of the

group members what they thought of

the life course, responses included ―I

still have so many questions. I don't

want it to end!‖ another member of

the group mentioned that she ―had

never been made to feel so welcome

in a church before.‖

Although the Life Course has now

come to an end Mosaic services con-

tinue on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm

in Church.

News from St John’s

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by

the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what

God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Have you signed up to the website?

By registering as a member of St John‘s website, you can find out all the latest

news from church. You can also look-up rotas, download sermons, check peo-

ple‘s contact details, and even read magazine online!

www.stjohnsegham.com

Ashburnham 2009 What went on down there?

Transform Edition 2

Documents

Transcript of Transform Edition 2