ST GILES FARNBOROUGH - EVENTS, NEWS AND NOTICES

 

 


Public Worship - Welcome Back

I thought that it would be helpful to update you as to where St. Giles is post lockdown.  As we go through the post lockdown months there is much to be encouraged and grateful for.  Each week sees different people returning to Church after a long time away.  This always feels like the joyful reunion of separated friends. 

Sadly, some people remain unable to return for various reasons, please remember you are not forgotten and I look forward to the day when you will once again be able to take your place in the life of our Church.
 
If you are now out and about please do all you can to reconnect with St. Giles.  In some ways our Church remains in a fragile state as there is much that needs to be rebuilt and consolidated if we are to return St. Giles to its pre-pandemic life. I appreciate how easy it is to get out of the habit of attending Church after so much disruption.  It remains my sincere prayer that our Church family will be fully reunited and we will once again continue on our shared journey of faith together.  

If you have any concerns or anxieties about returning to Church, or as to what service might be best for you, please do get in touch.   Above all thank you to everyone who is continuing to support the life of St. Giles in this difficult time. 



There are a number of ways in which we can support St. Giles.  

Through our private prayers.  Especially if we are not able to attend public worship, prayers for our Church, its members, its life and clergy are essential and much valued.  Thank you.  

Through our presence.  There is nothing more encouraging for all of us than well attended services, through them we have a sense of being part of a living and dynamic community.  

Through volunteering and participation. Thank you to all of you who have continued in your various roles through this difficult time and thank you to those who have willingly taken on new tasks as they have arisen.  Please keep your eyes and minds open to vacancies as they are advertised.  St .Giles can't do it without you!  

Through our giving.  Thank you so much for all your generous support of St. Giles over this year.  If you would like to use the weekly offertory envelopes, or take out a direct debit to St. Giles please get in touch with our Deputy Treasurer, Carol Fryer, at carolfryer@icloud.com
.  
Gifts are love in action.   ‘'

Safe Zone

At a recent PCC Meeting it was suggested that if people would like to return to Church but are worried about ‘crowds’ then we could designate the gallery as a ‘Safe Zone.’  At the recent organ recital a few people felt safer sitting in the gallery. 



If the main body of the Church is busy then the gallery will be put aside for six people.  If you would like to use this Safe Zone area please let Liz know in advance of any service or event.

Carol Singing at Summerlands,
Wellbrook Road Locksbottom

Sunday 12th December 4.30 p.m.

Members of the Choir and congregation
are welcome to come and sing at this service.  Please sign the list on the noticeboard in the Church porch if you are able to join us.



Sunday School Christingle

24th December 4:00pm

A Christingle Service for Sunday school, family and friends will be held in St Giles Church on Christmas Eve at 4pm.

Free tickets will be available from the Parish Office or from Irene Dancer at the 10am Sunday morning services or call 01689 854765 or email  idstgiles@btinternet.com

Parish Magazine

New Editor for Parish Magazine

A new Editor is needed for the magazine from the January 2022 issue.  For further details including a full job description please contact either the Rector or the  out going Editor Mr. Eddie Roberts at farnboroughparishmag@gmail.com

Read More

... and from the Outgoing Editors:

As we have been preparing our final magazines we have been receiving many votes of thanks for our contribution to the work of the parish over the past 7½ years. Our contribution was editing and compiling the submissions of our readers and we would like to thank everybody for helping by sending in their notices, articles and photos in order for us to produce the magazine.

We sincerely hope that you have enjoyed it and will continue to do so in years to come The parish magazine email address will remain the same so please carry on sending in your contributions.

The subscription form for 2022 is on the 'Download a Form' page of this website.  The subscription for the printed version remains the same at £30. The annual cost of the emailed magazine remains at £10. This is to help towards the cost of T&C producing the pdf which is used both for the emailed copies and the printed copies. There will be some printed magazines available to buy in St Giles church at £2.50 per copy. Please place the money in the box marked ‘magazines’ which can be located on the plinth on the right hand side as you enter St Giles just after the font.

We are looking for a volunteer to look after the distribution of the magazine from April. This role consists of taking delivery of the magazines, putting them in bundles for delivery, posting some and sending out the pdf to the email subscribers. We are also looking for volunteers to help with delivering the magazines. If anyone can help out with delivering the magazine, please contact Eddie on 01689 851267.

Thank you.

Eddie and Helen Roberts



ABOUT ST. GILES CHURCH

Charity Film Night:

Charity Film nights will restart in January.

Further Details

New Pastoral Visitors

We congratulate and welcome five new Pastoral Visitors to our pastoral team. Christine Coyle, Julia Hoadley and Mary Yates were authorised by Bishop Simon at the confirmation service and Barbara Campadelli and Melanie Sullivan will be commissioned in the New Year.

Their training has included sessions on pastoral care, listening, Holy Communion and accountability. Following the completion of a DBS check and two online safeguarding courses the new visitors will start supervised home visits to the sick and housebound who are no longer able to attend services, taking the Holy Sacrament to them, so that those visited will continue to feel part of the fellowship of the Church and be fed by the Body and Blood of Christ.

Please support and pray for our new team members. Thank you.

Heather Argent - Pastoral Assistant

Ladybirds and the Church Clock

As many of you will have noticed, St. Giles Church clock stopped working some time ago. 

We have now got it repaired - cause of its problems? Two Harlequin ladybirds!  Two 'fried' ladybirds were found on one of the circuit boards.  In their death they had formed a link to the mains supply which then went on to blow the circuit board.  Now we know where the expression 'you have a bug in your computer' originates.

We have now varnished the back of the new circuit board to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

Time will tell!