Spring 2010 SW

Shepherd’s Watch The magazine for and by the people of the Good Shepherd

March 2010

60p Prepare For Lent Parish Survey Portsmouth Journey

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

The Clergy Vicar

Fr. Felix Mascarenhas The Vicarage 272 Dyke Road Brighton BN1 5AE Tel (01273) 882987 felixmas@hotmail.com

March 2010

Churchwardens Ian Hill 77 Hove Park Road Hove BN3 6LL. Tel (01273 888607) David Nissen 1 Shirley Road Hove BN3 6NN Tel (01273) 554183

Stewardship Secretary David Nissen 1 Shirley Road Hove BN3 6NN Tel (01273) 554183

Reader Meets on second Thursday afternoon and fourth Thursday evening of the month. Please contact Christine James telephone (01273) 724802

Parish Office Michael Miller 68 Ainsworth Avenue Ovingdean Brighton BN2 7BG Tel (01273) 240287

The Parish Office is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9.30 to 10.30.

The Parish Office telephone number is (01273) 553747

Tea Club Meets on the first Monday of the month at 1.30pm. We welcome all who are 50 years plus, who are free and would like some

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…particularly in Lent.

There is more than one way of looking at the strength of the church. Like the person in prison, “one saw the stars and other, the dust”. “Ecclesia semper reformanda”, (the church has to reform itself always) is a phrase that’s still in my mind.

It’s buildings’ size and shape, liturgy, governance, language, liturgical books and very aspect, has been changing (growing I should say) from its moment of inception. And if it is a living organism, it has to.

The first meeting (discussion) between Peter and Paul(Acts 15), The Edict of Milan(313), The Cluny Reforms(ca.920), the Reformations in the West (though some call them Protestant,15th cent.), together with the great councils of Trent (1545) and Vatican Second(1962) in the Roman church are a few of those landmarks.

Almost always caused by individuals, and not without debates and dissensions, these events transformed the entire church.

Call them reforms or revolutions or transformations or by any other name; the final outcome is a church purified and renewed only to face the pangs of birth for the next generations.

However small or big, our contribution may be, we are all part of one church. Each one of us, baptized in Christ, is part of that church which calls us individually and as a community.

The Holy Spirit works in a subtle and wonderful way for us and through each one of us, if we are open to him, and such catharsis and purifications are a must. We may have known some moments and seasons of such renewal in our own past life; but often such revolutions take place particularly in Lent.

Fr Felix

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What are our church families up to?

Gathering together If you came into the hall before church on a Sunday morning recently you’ll have been invited to join us for toast and tea or coffee. Several of you did, and I hope you enjoyed it! From the constant activity of the toaster, we saw that toast and jam or marmite was a great hit with the children. And we adults were glad of a top-up of our favourite hot beverages on a rather cold and grey morning.

We hope to repeat our ‘Breakfast before Breakout’ on Sunday 7 March at 9.45am, before either going into church or staying in the hall for our group sessions of worship, discussion and practical activities for all ages.

On the evening of Friday 29 January, lots of people of all ages – with families or not – met together in the hall for games and fish & chips. This was our Family Challenge evening, and the ‘family’ refers to our whole church family not just those under 16!

Come next time – on a date to be arranged after Easter – and learn the wonders of wii; show your prowess at pool, your technique at table tennis, your championship at chess, your skill at Scalextric, your dexterity at Duplo, your duplicity at Diplomacy, your megalomania at Monopoly and your legerdemain at Lego.

Families in worship At January’s Family Eucharist the entire Pacey family took part in helping us with our worship: serving, leading the intercessions, assisting Fr Felix at the altar and administering the chalice. Also at this service, Ethan & Evie Skeeles read the intercessions for their first time – and very well they did, too.

We look forward to seeing more of all these young people in the leading of our worship.

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Our Time for God services are continuing on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays monthly. These are part of the Church of England’s ‘Fresh Expressions’ of worship. * Do come and join us for about forty minutes of prayers, songs, a reading from the Bible with some sort of application to our daily lives, and activities for young and old. At about 10.55am we join the rest of the church family to celebrate the Eucharist in church.

We are encouraged that many families continue to attend regularly, and we have occasional visits from people new to church attendance, who express interest in coming again.

These Time for God services are intended to serve the needs of all ages, by no means the children alone. This is a tall order: we sometimes achieve it in a small way, and sometimes we don’t.

We are all learning as we go along, and would love to have the company of other members of the church at the Good Shepherd.

Please come if you can.

We are gradually learning, I think, to make a bit of space for the Holy Spirit to guide our planning and execution of these services. We certainly can’t hope to feed each other spiritually without His wisdom and enlightening.

Coming soon On Saturday 20 March, Hannah Beattie is organising a 2-3 mile walk starting at the church at 10.00am and finishing with a pub lunch. The route of the walk is still to be finalised but is aimed at being suitable for young children even if they need to be lifted over stiles.

Looking forward to your joining us with your dogs!

Meriel Vincent

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Revelation revealed.

It was my turn to do the New Testament reading and I was faintly bewildered. I have always skirted round the book of Revelation. I had stood on the island where it may have been written it but felt that it was a mystery beyond me.

After the reading I wondered whether it conveyed an understanding of “glory”. I wondered how I would explain the word glory to a child. Perhaps the picture of jewels and a crystal lake and crowns being cast down conveyed glory.

My next step was to read a good commentary and I found that much of the imagery was perhaps a secret message to Christians at a time of desperate persecution. That felt better.

The Roman emperor Domitian was demanding that his subjects address him as ”Lord and God”. The reading showed the twenty four elders praising the Eternal One and casting their crowns down before him. Why twenty four? Perhaps the twelve Patriarchs of the Old Testament and the Twelve Apostles were implied. They cast their crowns before The One on the throne. They were subject only to Him, not Caesar.

All the jewels and lightning showed drama and royalty all pertaining to the One..

There was much more but you can find it for yourselves if you wish. I was pleased to find that something I had tended to dismiss had a great purpose.

Daisy Walpole

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No time to lose.

Visiting friends in hospital is not always easy.

I visited my very dear friend and she could not speak clearly or move properly.

I had been asking her to see her doctor as she was showing signs that all was not well. Unfortunately, when the moment came her companion did not know about the instructions FAST. Look at the Face for unusual signs, Notice whether the Arm is moving properly. Check that Speech seems normal. If ANYTHING SEEMS AMISS, Phone for an ambulance.

Quick treatment can prevent permanent damage and make physiotherapy easier.

Face, Arm, Speech, Telephone. Don’t dither. Phone.

This Palm Sunday!!!!

There will be a new donkey this year for the children to ride and enjoy. Come and see the donkey!!

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Fun and Games.

Two Golden Oldies strayed into the Games Night simply to take advantage of the fish and chip supper. It was a very cold night and we half expected that there would be few people there. We were a little late and so the “ fish fetchers” were contacted on a mobile phone and all was well.

There were so many games set up and child experts were available to show us how things worked. Men were testing their golf skills on the Wii, a car race was being demonstrated (by younger boys) board games were in evidence and there was a hockey table which was much nicer than my “good old days” memory of wet grass, ill fitting boots and viciously wielded sticks.

The supper was excellent and it was great to see so many families involved and happy.

Thank you to whoever organised it.

Daisy Walpole

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Time for God. Or T4G. The services in the hall are so welcoming and varied. It is good to see so many children and adults developing leadership skills.

It is so cheering to see small people “playing� the percussion instruments with gusto and taking part in enactments of bible stories. Teenagers are operating the technical things and so the congregation can see pictures relating to the service and words for hymns and prayers.

Children are relaxed and sometimes roam about but parents can relax. Last time I counted there were 38 of us and I think all went in to communion.

All this started because we had to split into two groups to get the congregation in the hall whilst the church was being rewired. Who said God works in a mysterious way?

Daisy Walpole

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Survey on views of Church members Lat year the Mission, Outreach and Publicity Committee (MOP) agreed to undertake a Parish Audit so we could understand what people wanted from the Church and how we were meeting their needs. Most people will have seen the questionnaire for Church members, which was made available on line and in hard copy in Church. The survey was opened on 3 September 2009 and closed on 22 November.

There was a reasonable response for this sort of “in-house” survey, but it is a pity that more did not take the opportunity to have their say. There were 12 hard copy responses to the survey and 21 on-line. The hard copy responses were entered into the on-line survey. Many respondents did not answer every question, so percentages could be variable. With that caveat, some of the key points to emerge were: Eighty percent of respondents were lifelong Churchgoers. Nearly a quarter of people who answered had been attending the Good Shepherd for less than seven years. Only 40% said they had never attended Time for God, but most of the comments of those were strongly against doing so. Those who had attended were broadly supportive, even if they would not go regularly.

Surprisingly, given the number of discussions and Magazine articles we have had about it, nearly one third said they had not heard about the Mission Action Plan (where a contact was given, they have been sent a copy). Most people who knew it felt it was “about right”.

Inevitably comments about what we should stop or start doing represented the breadth of our congregation. For example we should “stop being so modern”, but make “the main services more informal” and “use more modern hymns”. There were a number of comments about the running of the Church and communications with the congregation; there was a feeling that the dropping of evensong had been abrupt. Many people com-

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mented that they have particularly enjoyed Time for God. Mention was also made of the Rome trip, study groups, family services, festival/fun day and “doing things differently�. It was also suggested that we should have stronger links with Christian work overseas. There is plenty of meat in the detail of these comments (and those on other questions) for further consideration and action.

Although 80% of respondents said they were comfortable inviting a friend to Church, the detailed comments gave a somewhat different picture. Reservations included: only those used to Anglican services; depends on the service; only to family service; still regarded as high.

Most of the respondents were already helping with some aspect of the Church or did not offer any significant new offer (one person has been contacted about an offer to help).

Demographics of respondents show: nearly 80% are aged over 40 (51% over 60) and almost two thirds female. The majority (57%) are married and five (15%) say they have a young family.

Four people (12%) say they are recently retired.

The PCC looked briefly at the results of the survey at its January meeting and will spend more time on it at the awayday in April.

Meanwhile the MOP is thinking about it how it can extend the idea of a survey to non-churchgoers in our Parish.

Peter Rose

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A Portsmouth Canon It was quite a rush to get home from the Good Shepherd on 7 February, prepare and eat lunch and be back at the church to board the coach at 2pm – but everybody made it, some with fruit in hand because they’d not had time for pudding.

We were going to the collation and installation of our former Priest-in-Charge, Nicholas Biddle, as Canon Residentiary and Precentor at Portsmouth Cathedral during Evensong. We’d been invited for 3.45pm for a guided tour of the Cathedral and tea before the service.

Those of us who hadn’t visited before were immediately impressed by the beauty of the cream stone building with it’s central bell tower topped with a cupola set in green lawns which by now will be ablaze with crocuses.

We gathered inside – as well as those on our coach, there were others who had come by car, a coach from Bedford where Nicholas was a curate, people from Putney, from Chichester and London. We had a chance to catch up with old friends – especially Stephen Date who was amongst the invited clergy.

Soon we were shepherded down into the well of the nave and one of the guides gave us a brief history of the Cathedral – murders and cannon fire, a Royal wedding and no damage during WW2 (the Cathedral was a beacon for the German bombers).

Parts of the Cathedral date back to the 1100s when it was just a parish church. It was being extended when the last war broke out and a hastily built brick wall made it secure. After the war, the brick wall stayed until it became unsafe and the Cathedral was finished but only to the wall and not the full extent that was originally intended. Inside, the Cathedral is finished with the same cream stone and has a light and airy feel. The join of the old with the new is seamless – only the stained glass windows giving it away. Our guides then showed us around pointing out the old wall paintings, the window dedicated to D-Day, the grave of the unknown sailor from the Mary Rose, the unusual font and

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much more.

There was time for more chat over tea and homemade cakes which were served in the hall across the road whilst the bells pealed out from the Cathedral tower.

Then it was time to go back for the service. The congregation packed into the pews and side chapels as the procession entered led by the Cathedral choir, visiting clergy. Cathedral chaplains, the Bishop of Sunyani, the Dean of Chichester, the Canons, members of the Chapter, the Archdeacons, the Dean, the Bishop of Dorking and the Diocesan Registrar. (The Bishop of Portsmouth has recently retired and the new Bishop was named two days after this service, so the Bishop of Dorking presided.)

The senior Canon Residentiary presented Nicholas to the Bishop who read the Deed of Collation, blessed him and passed him over to the Dean to install him in his seat. After applause, evensong commenced with the choir singing some beautiful settings including a specially commissioned anthem set to music by Alasdair Friend and based on Addison’s (London). We sang hymns including ‘O Thou who camest from above’, ‘Glorious things of thee are spoken’ and ‘Angel-voices ever singing’ and the sermon by the Bishop reminded Nicholas of some of the tasks he would be undertaking.

Afterwards there was time for us to have a glass of wine in the nave before rejoining our coach for the journey home. Felix insisted on our singing a hymn as we left Portsmouth behind – I didn’t catch the reason why – but then we reverted to songs and rounds (Frere Jacques, Green grow the rushes oh, There’s a hole in my bucket, and so on) ably conducted by Sarah Thomas.

Pat and Ronnie

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Good Shepherd Festival 2010 Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 June Sat. 12 June 2pm to 5pm

Family Fun Day. Join us for the Festival party with live music, plant sale, tombola, raffle, bouncy castle and other games and activities for children

Sun. 13 June 10.15am

Festival Eucharist

Tue. 15 June 6.30pm to 8.30p

Festival shared picnic with the Brownies and parachuting of Teddy Bears from the bell tower

Thurs. 17 June 2pm

A Musical Program by local schools

Sun. 20 June 10.15am

Family Eucharist with children’s participation

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We are having an

African Evening Friday 7 May On In the church hall Food & Music

Travellers’ tales

by Chris Wilson and Richard & Meriel Vincent

Further details to follow‌

March 2010

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Bells update You may have noticed that the bells have sounded a bit thin lately. For most of January, we rang only three bells – sounding a bit like “three blind mice”! This was partly due to the weather preventing people getting to the church and partly due to illness.

Unfortunately, two of our regular ringers will be off sick for some time. But, on the bright side, we do have two new ringers who will be able to handle a bell on Sundays very soon. Maybe Easter Sunday will be a good starting point.

We can always make room for more up in the bell tower. If you fancy having a go - and particularly if you are male (we seem to be rapidly becoming an all female band) – do speak to me or give me a call and come up one Tuesday evening. If you’ve rung before, you’ll be even more welcome to join us.

Bellringing is good fun, good exercise and something for all the family from age 11 until you can’t manage the stairs any more!

Pat Hunter

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In memory of Beryl Eileen Sheppard, (14th May 1924 - 4th February 2009).

During the Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration of her life, on 18th February at the Good Shepherd church, The Very Revd. Jonathan Greener, Dean of Wakefield, delivered the following address: “Would you like another Gin and Tonic, Beryl?” Just a little one. .... well - not that little.

“Would you like more pudding, Beryl?” Oh – yes please.

“With cream?” All right then.

“Do you mind helping paint the vicarage kitchen, Beryl?” That’ll be fun, if the steps aren’t too high.

Though since by then she’d reached the age of 78, I did have to point out the bits she missed.

“How do you fancy a trip to Armenia, Beryl?” I’m going home to start packing.

“Do you think a donkey ride up the mountain is too much for you, Beryl?”

Oh no – I want to go – it’s much better than walking.

In the 13 years I’ve known Beryl, I don’t think I ever heard her say no to any request or idea, however outlandish. Her age and her gammy knee were never an issue, since for Beryl, every day was a celebration. So every day, Beryl would say yes: yes to life, and yes to anything that would add colour, texture or enjoyment. And that’s why today is such a celebration – a celebration of life; a celebration of Beryl’s life.

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We’ve just listened to that very well-known reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. I was keen we should hear it during this service, because of the marvellous final sentence. And now faith, hope and love abide – these three. And the greatest of these is love. It’s not my job this morning to turn Beryl into a saint – she’d have been the first to admit to her own shortcomings – but there’s a real sense in which Beryl embodied those three qualities: faith, hope and love. I mention that now, so you have some idea of where this address is heading.

But first some background. Beryl was born 85 years ago in Southampton. The oldest of 3 children. Alan and Pat came after. And Pat tells me that even when she was young, she had bags of energy.

They shared a bedroom, and at 6 in the morning, Beryl would be up singing. Her father’s work moved the family from Southampton to Canterbury; and Beryl went to Commercial College. But the war had started, and Canterbury was badly bombed, including Beverley Road where they lived. It was time to move on, and the family settled in Reading. Beryl wasn’t called up since her mother was ill, but she was a part-time fire warden, and started work at the Norwich Union. And then she moved to the RAF, working for the Adjutant, one Arthur Sheppard; he was a solicitor, and when the war was over, Beryl moved with him and trained as a legal executive. Arthur was organist at Greyfriars in Reading, and that was the church where Beryl found a home. Arthur came from a very old-fashioned family; and their courtship was immensely long; but Beryl remained patient and devoted; and finally they were able to enjoy 9 very happy years of marriage.

The house was too big for Beryl on her own, so as Debbie’s said, she moved to Brighton to be closer to Pat. Number 1 the Droveway was perfect – small enough to live in, big enough to be hospitable and of course just 50 yards from the Good Shepherd. You can imagine I’ve given thanks many times that the house she found didn’t happen to be opposite All Saints’ Church down the road in Hove. If we’re thinking about Beryl’s faith, Greyfriars was important to her. So of course was this church.

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Beryl’s faith was deep rooted, and very practical. Dan’s reminded us how much time she spent in church. Quite a lot of that time was in services. But the rest was helping to run the place. We all remember her at the jumble sales and the book sale, and at the Christmas Fair, and down in the park selling bric a brac and glass.

When Father Geoffrey was vicar, she worked as his secretary; and something of that remained for me, because she would often trot off across the road with a great bag of filing to be sorted. But of course she especially loved her work in the sacristy, preparing for services, where she wanted everything to be just right. But she was never stuffy, and always enjoyed trying something new, even there.

As many of you know, I’ve long loved Romania. And it was one of the first places we went with Beryl, so some of the more exotic practices in the Good Shepherd sacristy were picked up from a church in Ploiesti.

One of their most sensible habits comes from their all-night Easter services, when they wrap candles in a cloth, and decorate them with flowers – to prevent the wax falling on the priest’s vestments. I don’t know if you still do that here – but Beryl used to spend hours getting the candles looking just right. One of Beryl’s favourite memories of Romania comes from a beautiful monastery called Sihastria. We’d travelled a long way north specifically to visit a monk named Father Cleopa, a spiritual giant of the Romanian Church. He was very old, so we gathered around his bed, and he spent some while talking energetically to the group, assuring us in a loud voice that our journey to heaven would be much easier, now we’d been on pilgrimage to Sihastria. And then, turning his head and his attention to Beryl, he added: “Especially the old girl in the corner. It’s a miracle she’s made it this far.” Romania’s a remarkable country: Beryl was captivated, and kept asking to go back.

Faith is followed by hope: quite a hard word to define. One way in is to look at the opposite. Despair is one option. Impossibility another. That’s why we can talk about Beryl being such a hopeful person. Because as I said at the outset, nothing daunted her – there were so many new experiences to be explored. Debbie remembers taking her to McDonalds the first time. Because Beryl had never had a burger, and wanted to know

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what all the fuss was about. So she queued up in a fine blue tailored suit, and enjoyed the full McDonald’s experience. Though I suspect it was only the once – she was wise enough not to push her luck a second time.

Another one off experience came during our pilgrimage to the churches of Turkey. Rather rashly, I decided that a trip to Turkey wouldn’t be complete without a proper Turkish Bath, and of course Beryl didn’t want to be left out. We lay down on the stone slab and were covered in soap suds head to foot though we were both taken aback when they asked us to take off all our clothes. We both did so – and without comment. But later that evening, when I went to check Beryl was ready for dinner, I knocked on her door: “Are you decent?” I asked. And back came the reply: “I hardly think it matters any more!”

When I say that hope is the opposite of impossibility, it brings to mind one more travellers’ tale. We were having lunch on the beach next to the Red Sea, and Beryl turned to all of us at the table and said: “I rather fancy a camel ride.” Bear in mind we were at the water’s edge, and there was not a camel to be seen in any direction. But she was really keen, so I asked the waiter what we needed to do to find a camel. “There’ll be one here in 10 minutes, sir.” And so there was – and Beryl was the first aboard. If that’s not a story of hope, then I’m not sure what is.

Yes, for Beryl it was all part of the fun of being alive. As were her regular lunches at the College and all sorts of Brighton restaurants. And the theatre. And the concert society. And the cinema. And the circus.

Beryl didn’t only thank God for the gift of each new day, she managed to squeeze out every ounce of possibility. Faith, then, and hope – but St Paul tells us that the greatest quality for a Christian is love. And I’m sure the reason we’re all here today is that we’ve experienced tangibly something of Beryl’s love. We know for instance that she loved welcoming visitors. She was proud of the fact that during both the parish missions, she was able to host the visiting bishop: Richard Holloway and then Roy Williamson. You’ll remember she bought those 10 white folding chairs so the Mothers’ Union could meet in greater comfort than in the Church Hall. If ever we had visitors from overseas, she was always the first to volunteer a meal, either at home

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or somewhere in town. And it continued of course when she moved to her flat: with her regular coffee parties.

But it’s always been the same, apparently. Arthur’s birthday was on 4 November, and after he died, Beryl decided she should keep herself busy about that time to help cope with her sadness. So she organised a huge bonfire party for the neighbourhood in her very big garden.

The men and children all came together weeks beforehand to build the bonfire, and everyone brought a different dish to share.

Debbie experienced the party while she was staying with Beryl, and she says it was a terrific community event, which will still be remembered by people with great affection.

But of course many of us will have felt Beryl’s generosity in so many ways. She was devoted to the family, and would talk about all the children’s exploits with great pride. And Pat tells me she was very generous from the outset. When Beryl started work, every week she’d come home with a book for her little sister: Rupert, or the Famous Five, or whatever was new. This cotta I’m wearing was a present from Beryl.

If we ever needed something for church, we knew where we could turn.

Yes, hugely practical; very generous; but along with that went the cheerful chatter, the encouraging phone call (I can’t imagine how much her phone bill must have been), or the gentle visit, to someone who was poorly or lonely or under the weather. The great thing about Beryl and love is that it happened without her trying. It’s just the way she was.

Now I’m not intending by anything I’ve said to suggest Beryl didn’t struggle with the Christian faith – she did, as we all do: it can be very hard to love, to pray, to believe. But somehow, spending time with Beryl made each one of us more faithful, more hopeful and more loving.

Yesterday, in Wakefield Cathedral, Tony Benn was asked how he would like to be remembered. ‘As a person who encouraged others,’ he said – ‘that’s what I’d like on my tombstone.’ Well, Beryl was the great encourager. Spending time with her gave us a push along our pilgrim path.

There’s so much to be thankful for this morning, and many a lesson to learn from her example as well. Thanks be to God.

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Pastoral Care Update In the December magazine we submitted an article about the renewal of pastoral care in the church. Since then a small group of parishioners have agreed to form a nucleus of those willing to be in touch with the housebound or those in special need, either by phone calls or visits. .

We shall be meeting at the Vicarage on Tuesday 16th March at 10AM to discuss ways of developing this ministry and of involving the wider church fellowship in pastoral awareness and action. Anyone interested in becoming part of this encouraging development, even in a small or tentative way, is welcome to come to the Vicarage. All of us have a calling as disciples of Jesus to care for each other in practical ways. Let's join together in this loving outreach. Our fellowship will be the stronger for it.

For more information, contact Felix, Michael Miller or Margy Weir (551454)

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Orphanage Update Just in case you missed it ! - £2,000 has been sent to the Pilar Orphanage in India This excellent total was the result of almost a year’s fund raising starting with the ‘curry night’ in the early part of the year and culminating in our harvest festival activities where Lancing College Preparatory School students and parents also contributed handsomely to the total raised by the congregation. My grateful thanks to all who contributed to this worthwhile cause. Hopefully Fr Felix will bring news and photographs back from his latest trip to Goa. Dick Aynsley-Smith

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Brave Bears Jump The Tuesday of GSFest week is now traditionally when we have a bring-and-share parish picnic. We will have a picnic again this year on Tuesday 15 June. Maybe we should call it a “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” because we’re going to have a Teddy Bear Parachute Jump from the tower roof. Look out your bears now and start preparing them (mentally) for their big moment!

There will be a charge of £1 per jump and each bear doing a jump will get a certificate. The health and safety of each participant is, of course, our prime concern and, in case of any small injury, the Mobile Bears Surgical Hospital will be on hand – manned by a specially qualified doctor.

There will also be a prize for the Best-dressed Bear. So, if your favourite Teddy is a little nervous of heights, he needn’t feel left out of the proceedings.

More details will be available nearer the time.

Pat Hunter

We are very grateful to all the advertisers, who enable us to keep the price of the magazine down. Please patronise them whenever you can and do mention that you heard of them through the Good Shepherd Magazine.

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March Sat 6th March 9am Corporate Communion in the Lady Chapel Thurs 11th March 2.45pm Prayer Group led by Carole Briggs at 57 Tamworth Road, Hove Thurs18th March 2.00pm until 3.00pm Wave of Prayer.

Venue to be advised Sat 20th March 2.30pm Commissioning Service in Chichester Cathedral (still some tickets available) Sat 27th March 10.30am Coffee Morning in the Church Hall April Thurs 8th April 2.45pm Prayer Group led by Jean Ashmall.

Venue to be advised Thurs 22nd April 7.30pm in the Green Room The work of Martlets Hospice May Sat 1st May 9.00am Corporate Communion in the Lady Chapel Sat 8th May 10.30am Diocesan Council at Burgess Hill school for Girls Thurs 13th May 2.45pm Prayer Group led by Marguerite Harland at 7 The Paddock,Hove -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Social Committee There will be a Parish Ramble on Monday 5th April and to check the weekly sheet for details.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Advance Notice Christian Aid Week which is 9th to 15th May. There will be the usual house to house collection around the parish. All help will be gratefully received.

Christine James

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Grub Club After a couple of months’ break, the next Grub Club event is lunch at Hangleton Manor at noon on Monday 15 March. We are following that with an evening carvery at our old favourite, The Sportsman at Withdean on Monday 19 April and then a Cream Tea at Garden Pride Garden Centre at Ditchling on Monday 17 May. That should be nice timing for those of you who want to buy vegetable or bedding plants – and don’t forget the wonderful delicatessen and frozen foods that are available there.

There won’t be a meeting in June as we will all be supporting the Fun Day and the Picnic (not to mention the Teddy Bear Parachute Jump) on Saturday 12 and Tuesday 15 June respectively.

We are planning another Skittles Evening at The Bull at Henfield. This will either be on Monday 19 July or Monday 16 August. Please tell Daisy or myself which date is best for you.

Signing sheets will be at the back of church for all events and further details in the Service sheet.

Pat and Daisy 555954/508600 We say a big “THANK YOU” to Sarah Thomas for editing the magazine thus far. She and Martin have been able to fulfil this task with excellence and punctuality.

Henceforth, please leave your articles and other written materials either at the back of the church or send them to Pauline Grimstone (freshfields49@tiscali.co.uk). The written material will then go to Marcus Grice (nicholson8@msn.com) who will do the editing and composing. Jenn Adamson (adamson36a@yahoo.co.uk.) will take care of the art in the magazine.

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

March 2010

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

March 2010

Holy Week – ‘When I survey... Christ’s cross and ours’ This year we welcome Canon David Painter, Archdeacon of Oakham in the Peterborough Diocese, as our Preacher throughout Holy Week.

Canon David’s ministry has included Westminster Abbey and Wandsworth, Plymouth Polytechnic and Peterborough, Trinity College of Music and Treasurer at Southwark Cathedral. So he will have lot’s to share with us during our week together.

Our theme at the Lent courses has been ‘When I survey...

Christ’s cross and ours’ and this leads us to a prayerful reflection as we embark on our journey with Christ through Holy Week. We cannot fully appreciate the joy of Easter without the humility of Maundy Thursday and the sacrifice of Good Friday on the Cross. So please do carefully consider the balance of your life over these few days and set aside as much time as you can to stand alongside Christ.

Day Palm Sunday 28th March

Time 8am 10.15am

6.30pm

Service Details Eucharist and Address Procession of Palms from Hall (with Donkey), Dramatised Passion Gospel & Sung Eucharist We have a new donkey this year which one of our young people will ride! We remember how Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem and was greeted by the crowds waving palm branches in welcome. We take part in the Dramatised Passion taking us back to the first Holy Week.

‘Time for God’ continues in the Hall after the Procession.

Music for Holy Week

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Day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week 29th, 30th, 31st March Maundy Thursday 1st April

Good Friday 2nd April

The Good Shepherd Magazine

Time

March 2010

Service Details

8pm

Eucharist and Address We have the opportunity to reflect quietly on different aspects of Jesus’ passion.

8pm (followed by Watch until Midnight)

Eucharist of the Last Supper with Washing of Feet followed by Watch until Midnight Our Church becomes the Upper Room; we recall the Last Supper, welcoming Christ in Communion. Our Lady Chapel then becomes our Gethsemane; we keep vigil there and respond to Christ’s call: “Watch and pray with me!”

Family Service followed by Hot Cross Buns Our young people will explore Jesus’ journey on Good Friday and build a garden to await his Resurrection.

An Hour Before the Cross Reflections and meditations The Liturgy of Good Friday with the Proclamation of the Cross and Holy Communion We discover the Cross in Words (the Passion Gospel), the Cross in Wood (as the Cross is carried into Church as a focus of our devotions) and the Cross in Bread (as we share in the Sacrament).

10am

1pm 2pm

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

Day Easter Eve 3rd April

Time 8pm

Easter Day 4th April

8am 10.15am

March 2010

Service Details Easter Vigil and Lighting of the Easter Candle We light the new fire and the Easter candle symbolizing Christ, the light of the world, risen from the darkness of the grave. We process joyfully into Church and sing the Easter Song of Praise. We continue with The Ministry of the Word including The Vigil Readings of watching and waiting as we prepare for The Easter Eucharist on Sunday morning.

Eucharist and Address Easter Eucharist We celebrate the Easter Eucharist of the Resurrection as we are sacramentally reunited with our risen Lord and welcome him into our lives. We bring flowers as darkness becomes light.

Sarah Banerjee

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

March 2010

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

March 2010

OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERVICES 8am, Holy Communion 10.15am Parish Eucharist 10.15am “Time for God”, informal worship for all ages (Church Hall) 10.15am Family Eucharist in Church at on the third Sunday of each month 6.30pm Choral Evensong on 3rd Sunday of each month and Evening Worship on other Sundays (except as shown below) Weekdays: Eucharist on Thursday at 10.30am followed by Coffee and on Saturday at 9am

14th

20th 25th 26th 28th

29, 30 & 31

1st 2nd

3rd 4th 18th

MARCH 10.15am, Family Eucharist, Mothering Sunday (Note date) 6.30pm, Choral Evensong (Note date) Spring Walk (with dogs/pets) followed by lunch at a pub 9am, Lancing Prep at Mowden school’s Easter Service 10am, Windlesham school’s Easter Service PALM SUNDAY, 10.15am, Procession with donkey (Canon David Painter, of Peterborough Diocese, will be our preacher for the Holy Week) 8pm, Eucharist with a short sermon APRIL MAUNDY THURSDAY: 8pm, Eucharist and Watch GOOD FRIDAY: 10am, Family Service, for children and Parents 1pm, Hour before the Cross 2pm, Good Friday Service EASTER EVE: 8pm, Easter Vigil EASTER SUNDAY: 8am, Holy Communion 10.15am, Easter Eucharist 11.15am, Annual Church meeting (after the Family Eucharist)

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24th

March 2010

9.45am – 3pm, PCC Away Day

12th 22nd

3rd

The Good Shepherd Magazine

MAY 10am, Anglican Eucharist at Cardinal Newman School 7pm, Roving Supper JUNE 7pm, “Corpus Christi” Eucharist in the Vicarage Garden

N Battrick

Activities for Children and Young People The Little Lambs

Painter and Decorator Property Maintenance and all Exterior and Interior Work

(Parents and Toddler Group) Meets on Wednesday afternoon in the Church Hall.

Brownies 7-10 years

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Estimates Free Tel (01273) 563908

Meet on Tuesday evening in the Church Hall. Please contact Tessa Pacey (01273) 551298

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The Good Shepherd Magazine

The Church of the Good Shepherd Service Times Sunday Worship 8am Holy Communion 10:15 Sung Eucharist* 10:15 Time for God** 6.30 Evensong *On one Sunday each month this will be a Family Eucharist to which children are particularly welcome. ** Time for God Services are held in the Church Hall.

Weekday Eucharists Tuesday 8:30am Thursday 10:30am Saturday 9am Morning Prayer Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8.30am

March 2010

Grub Club Meets on third Monday of the month. All welcome. Please contact Daisy Walpole at (508600) and Pat Hunter at (555954)

Choir Choir practice every Friday evening in the church. New singers are always welcome. Please contact: Derek Froud (681007)

Hall To book the hall please Margaret Bell (505763)

contact

Keep Fit With Yoga Classes are held on Tuesday mornings – 10:15am to 11:15am. All ages welcome.

Please contact Joanne Cassidy (508010)

Flowers If you would like to donate an arrangement in memory of someone or help with the flower arranging, please contact Gloria Cruttenden (505225).

Bell Ringing Ringing practice every Tuesday evening in the Tower. New ringers are always welcome. Please contact either Pat Hunter (555954) or Margaret Bell.

Notice-boards Information (lists and posters) for the notice boards may be placed in the tray in the church porch windowsill or contact Gloria Cruttenden (505225).

Magazine Evening Prayer Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 5.30pm

Contributions to the magazine are welcome. Please leave copy at the back of Church by 15th of every February, May, August and November or e-mail