St. John's Parish Magazine - February. 2025
- 3. - 1 - The Parish of Boxmoor St John’s Boxmoor St Stephen’s Chaulden & St Francis’ Hammerfield MINISTRY TEAM: Vicar: The Reverend Michael Macey 01442 243258 Boxmoor Vicarage, 10 Charles Street, HP1 1JH Email: [email protected] Day off: Friday Lay Reader: Mrs Carole Lewis 01442 231414 61 River Park, Boxmoor, HP1 1RB Email: [email protected] Day off: Wednesday SUNDAY SERVICES: 8.00am BCP Holy Communion (Every Sunday) St John’s 10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s Junior Church (3-11 Sunday School) A virtual Service is published on our Website 10.00am Mass St Francis’ 11.30am Morning Service - Holy Communion Week 2 St Stephen’s 12noon Holy Baptism - normally Weeks 1 & 3 St John’s No Evening Services at present WEEKDAY SERVICES Monday-Friday 9.00am - Morning Prayer St John’s Evening Prayer said privately Tuesday 9.30am - Tiny Tots for under fives and parents St John’s Service finishes by 11.00am (term-time only) Wednesday 10.00am - Holy Communion St John’s (followed by coffee in church) 5.00pm - Evening Prayer (Wednesdays) St Francis’ Please contact the Parish Office or Vicar to make enquiries re: Baptism, Weddings, or Funerals, or to a request a visit/Home Communion.
- 4. - 2 - PETER D HANNABY Painter & Decorator Interior and Exterior work Undertaken For competitive quotations Please call Mobile: 07765 250092 Home: 01442 288956 MAGAZINE ADVERTISING COSTS Why not use this parish magazine to advertise your business. There are eleven issues per year with double issue in December/January. Charges are: Full Page £115 per annum Half Page £80 per annum Quarter Page £60 per annum For part year charges are pro rata of the annual rate rounded up to the nearest whole pound (e.g. 1 month/issue full page 115/12 = 9.58 rounded up = £10 charge) To discuss your requirements or for further information, please contact Sally Bates, 01442 266912 or 07792 768236 or email: [email protected]
- 5. - 3 - THE VICAR’S LETTER Dear Friends, During the last 20 years in which I have had the privilege to minister to God’s people as an ordained member of his Church I have noticed a significant shift in the language and iconogra- phy that the Church uses to connect with this generation. Perhaps this is an inevitable evolution and consequence of living in a multicul- tural and multifaith society, but we talk more about the values of the Christian faith than we did 20 years ago. Then, the predominant message was simply love and inclusion. Now, we list and promote the values of God’s Kingdom and his Church as often as possible. As a diocese we strive to Live God’s Love with generosity and joy, imagination and courage. As a Parish, you will often hear me talking of God’s love, forgiveness, justice, mercy, compassion, kindness. Most, although certainly not all of our values as Christians can be traced back to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount as rendered in Chapter 5 of St Matthew’s gospel. For instance, my talk of mercy comes from Jesus saying: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” On Tuesday 22 January this year, the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States of America, he attended a National Prayer Service to mark the beginning of his presidency at The National Cathedral (an Anglican church) in Washington DC. During the service the Presiding Bishop (equivalent to our Archbishop of Canterbury), Mariann Budde, addressed the President in a calm and direct manner, saying: “Let me make one final plea, Mr President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labour in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They…may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majori- ty of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neigh- bours. Cont’d.
- 6. - 4 - They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, syna- gogues, gurudwaras and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honour the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. The good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen” Mercy is a key Christian value and yet Bishop Budde now finds herself under attack from “fellow Christians” as someone who in this sermon shamelessly debased the Scriptures for her own political gain. You may not be surprised to learn that I disagree with these attacks. Bishop Budde exemplified the call placed on all our lives to speak truth to power; to live and proclaim the values of God’s Kingdom whether in season or out; to proclaim release to the captives. Gently and respectfully she has asked the most powerful man on the planet to show and embody God’s mercy to all people. I hope and pray that her words are not lost in the political struggles of Washington, nor are they lost on us as a society as we become ever more fearful or dismissive of the stranger in our midst. May the God of Love strengthen and empower us to hear again the values of his Kingdom and to live lives worthy of our calling. May he open our hearts to those who are fearful or anxious or troubled at this time. May he open our mouths to proclaim his truth as we stand for those who have no voice. Surely, this is the vision we want for our Church? It is certainly the vision God has for his Church! Every Blessing.
- 7. - 5 - PARISH DIARY FOR FEBRUARY 2025 Enquiries regarding baptisms weddings or marriage blessings are always welcome. Please contact the Vicar. Morning Prayer is said daily at St John’s at 9.00am You are most welcome to join the clergy in prayer. Evening Prayer is said privately for the life of the Parish unless details are below. St John’s is open daily 9.30am-5.00pm for private prayer (10.30am-5.00pm on Saturdays) The Parish Eucharist and worship resources will continue to be recorded and made available at www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk/suspended-services-resources Sat 1 7.30pm Quiz Night St John’s Hall Sun 2 PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE - CANDLEMAS 8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s 10.00am All-Age Eucharist – sung by the Junior Choir St John’s 10.00am Sung Mass St Francis' 11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's 12 noon Holy Baptism St John’s Mon 3 7.45pm Together on Monday Club St John's Hall Apsley Paper Trail - Speaker: Elena Lewendon 8.00pm Church Meeting: Safeguarding Steering Group Vicarage Tue 4 9.30am Tiny Tots - Stay & Play, and Service St John's Hall & Church 11.15am Church Meeting: Bereavement Team St John’s Hall Wed 5 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee St John’s 5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’ 8.00pm Church Meeting: Fundraising Committee Zoom Thu 6 11.00am Mountbatten Lodge Communion Mountbatten Lodge 2.00pm The Lodge Communion The Lodge Care Home 7.30pm Wedding Preparation Evening St John’s
- 8. - 6 - Fri 7 7.00pm Choir Practice St John’s Hall Sat 8 7.30pm Concert: Hemel Symphony Orchestra St John’s Sun 9 Fourth Sunday before Lent 8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s 10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s 10.00am Sung Mass St Francis' 11.30am Holy Communion St Stephen's 12.30pm St John’s Lunch Club St John’s Hall Mon 10 8.00pm Church Meeting: Finance Committee Zoom Tue 11 9.30am Tiny Tots - Stay & Play, and Service St John's Hall & Church 8.00pm Deanery Synod St John’s Wed 12 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee St John’s 5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’ 8.00pm Church Meeting: PCC Standing Committee Zoom Fri 14 5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall 7.00pm Choir Practice St John's Hall Sun 16 Third Sunday before Lent (Septuagesima) 8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s 10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s 10.00am Sung Mass St Francis' 11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's 11.30am Holy Baptism St John’s 6.30pm Choral Evensong St John’s Mon 17 7.45pm Together on Monday Club St John’s Hall AGM & Buffet Tue 18 No Tiny Tots – Half-term Wed 19 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee St John’s 5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’ Fri 21 7.00pm Choir Practice St John's Hall Sun 23 Second Sunday before Lent (Seragesima) 8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s 10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s 10.00am Sung Mass St Francis' 11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
- 9. - 7 - Tue 25 9.30am Tiny Tots - Stay & Play, and Service St John’s Hall & Church Wed 26 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee St John’s 5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’ Fri 28 5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall 7.00pm Choir Practice St John’s Hall ************* The Gift Saved by grace lest any should boast Such is His gift obtained at great cost, God’s Son was given to set men free, Redemption made ours as He hung on the tree. In wonder the angels saw Him go From the glories of heaven to our world below, This earth once fair now corrupt from the fall, Fellowship broken and lost to all. Bought back with a price that we could not pay The taint of our sin by His blood washed away, Reconciled to the Father, all this we have gained Salvation His gift if we call on His Name. By Megan Carter
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- 12. - 10 - Christmas I should like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making Christmas such a wonderful celebration. Christmas, once again with you, was a real joy and blessing. From our buildings being decorated so beautifully to the music offered by the choir, to the myriad of helpers on duty over Christmas and the army of card deliverers, was simply fantastic. Thank you for all you hard work and commitment. Our publicity through Facebook and the Christmas Cards delivered to every house reaped its reward. Christmas would not have been the same without all the effort that was put in. Thank you. Parish MAP: Mission Action Plan During the later half of last year the PCC sought to discern the priorities and mis- sional objectives for this Parish for the next 3 years. In so doing, they produced a new Mission Action Plan highlighted where our effort and resources should be invested, alongside the general mission of the Church. Our 3 priorities reflect (in some way or another) the saintly dedication of our churches. Priority 1: We would like to follow both St John’s example for sharing the faith and St Stephen’s example of service, in establishing a much-needed Christian Youth Group within the western part of Hemel Hempstead. Priority 2: We would like to follow in the example of St John in studying and pondering God’s word, but also in the way he shared the Good News of Jesus as an evangelist. Priority 3: We would like to follow the example of St Francis in caring for (and being seen to care for) the natural world around us - build- ing on work already undertaken in our previous MAP by becoming a Bronze awarded church. A cultural change is neces- sary through practical measures, teaching, and example. More will be said about these priorities over the months ahead, but if you feel you have any wisdom or insight to share the members of the PCC and I would be delighted to speak with you.
- 13. - 11 - Lent Course 2025: Christ and the Chocolaterie This year our Lent Course is inspired by the film Chocolat (which was in turn based on the bestselling novel by Joanne Harris). Christ and the Chocolaterie presents a lively, stimulating, and mouth-watering way of studying the Gospel themes of Lent, using the film as a starting point for exploring issues about God, the world, and what it means to be human. Each session includes extracts from the film, discussion questions, exercises and meditations, suggestions for personal reading and related Bible passages. This 5 week course will involve a little bit of preparation before each session at home and then an hour-long session to discuss and reflect together. Sessions will be preceded by Worship (normally the Eucharist) which I hope will help set the Lent Course within a context of prayer. So that we have a rough idea of numbers at each session – and so that we can order enough booklets – please would you sign-up on the sheets provided at the back of church. The PCC will subsidise this course but we hope each person would be able to contribute £5 towards the resources. It is recommended that the film Chocolat is watched before the course. A screen- ing will take place in St John’s Hall on Sunday 9 March at 4.00pm. Mondays @ St John’s Thursdays @ 7.30pm – Eucharist St Stephen’s 8.00-9.00pm – Session 9.30am – Eucharist 10.00-11.00am Session Wk1: Giving Up: The prelude to change 10 March 13 March Wk2: Giving Out: The power of gift 17 March 20 March Wk3: Getting Wise: The possibility of change 24 March 27 March Wk4: Getting Real: The power of acceptance 31 March (Compline) 3 April (Morning Prayer) Wk5: Growing Up: The process of change 7 April (Compline) 10 April (Morning Prayer) Cont’d.
- 14. - 12 - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party: for Children and Adults Before we begin our Lenten disciplines on Ash Wednesday, we will be holding our annual Shrove Tuesday parties on Tuesday 4 March. • For under 12s – 4.00–5.30pm Pancake Races, quizzes, and pancakes to munch – races in the church. Donation of £2/child • For over 12s – 7.30pm Chocolate Galore – a feast of chocolate in various forms Donation: £7.50/person Sign-up for both sessions advisable to ensure we cater correctly. I hope many will be able to join us for this happy occasion on the eve of entering into the Lenten season of penitence. More details in due course via the Newsletter. Help needed: This is your Church Despite being incredibly grateful and thankful to those who help week on week with the various jobs/ministries/tasks, and with all who helped over Christmas, I am once again all too aware that we are heavily reliant on a small core of people for the majority of tasks – many of whom have been doing said jobs for a long time and might like to hand-on the baton. As a large Church this is not sustaina- ble. We need to think afresh about what we all do and can do for the life of the Church here in Boxmoor. We each have a vocation – in life and in the Church: what is yours and how can it be put to good use within the life of our Church? Choral Services One of the joys of the last year has been the sustained return of our adult choir. Their contribution to worship is both musically excellent and heart-warmingly joyful. The quality, for a Parish Choir, is simply superb and would not be out of place in most Cathedrals up and down the land. At present our adult choir is restricted to singing Choral Evensong (or another big service) monthly but the hope is to be able to return to fielding a choir at our morning services too. Recently we have tried to recruit paid Choral Scholars but applications have been lacking. We will persist! But regardless, the music offered is truly wonderful. Hats off to our musicians, and especially to Keith our Director of Music. I should also like to praise our junior choir, under the direction of Helen, who never fail to bring joy and life to our All Age Eucharists. Thank you to all our musicians and to those who support our music making.
- 15. - 13 - Thank you to our Churchwardens and Officers Much of the work of our Church Officers goes unseen and often unappreciated, and yet, without it our common life would be significantly poorer. Together, with me, our Church Officers share in the legal responsibility for the life and well-being of our Parish. It is truly astounding and heart-warming when one considers the time and effort they put in to ensure our buildings are maintained and welcoming, our finances are properly managed, administration runs smoothly, and everyone is safeguarded and protected. Without these vital people our Parish would struggle to function and cease to be as effective in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus and God’s love for everyone. My sincere thanks to all our Church Officers. As we approach our APCM (parish meeting) in May, please consider if there is something you can do to build up our common life. Perhaps it is to be a Prayer partner or Phone buddy and commit to praying/phoning certain people each month? Perhaps it is to become a sidesperson or welcomer at our services? Perhaps you would like to give a reading or lead the intercessions? Perhaps you have musical gifts to offer or would like to serve at the Altar? Perhaps you would like to join the PCC (our board of trustees) or be a member of one of our committees? Do you like working with children or visiting people at home? Some Dates for your Diaries 23 March Messy Church 13 April Palm Sunday – Beginning of Holy Week – Morning: Procession and Blessing of Palms – Evening: Special Choral Service for Holy Week 20 April EASTER DAY 4 May St John’s Patronal Eucharist and Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) No services at St Francis' or St Stephen’s 9–11 May MaSJ Music Festival 15 June Messy Church 22 June Parish Cricket Match 27 July Messy Church
- 16. - 14 - TOMS For anyone who doesn’t know about TOMS, it was the outcome of the merger of two church social groups, one for ladies and one for gentle- men in times past. After much discussion and following the pattern of the two groups previously meeting on different Mondays, someone came up with the acronym TOMS, Together on Mondays, and it stuck. The regular twice monthly meetings in St John’s Hall often have an interesting speak- er or may simply be social occasions. An annual programme running from September to July. On Monday, Jan 13th , 27 of us enjoyed the annual TOMS New Year lunch at Little Hay Golf club-delicious food in relaxed surroundings and good company. We could not forget what we had ordered in advance as Graham Gibbs had made individual little cards for each of us complete with our names and our orders clearly legible in his beautiful handwriting. A very nice touch. For more information speak to Di Tovey or pick up one of the TOMS cards at the back of church. Carole Lewis Parish Lay Reader Photo by kind permission of Graham Gibbs
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- 18. - 16 - HALLS FOR HIRE ST JOHN’S HALL - Well equipped hall suitable for use by special interest groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and special occasions. Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary on 07939 226977 or email: [email protected] for further information and availability. ST STEPHEN’S HALL, CHAULDEN - (opposite Tudor Rose) - Sunny Hall with tiled floor suitable for dancing and exercise groups as well as being ideal for chil- dren’s parties. Please contact Jean on 01442 257023 for further information and availability. ST FRANCIS HALL, HAMMERFIELD - Well equipped hall suitable for use by special interest groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and special occasions. Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary by email: stfrancishallbook- [email protected] for further information and availability. More urgent queries can be handled by leaving a message on Paul Davies mobile phone: 07802 442908 Please Note: St. John's Church PCC cannot accept any responsibility for goods or services
- 19. - 17 - Toe-tal FOOT CARE Safe, hygienic, friendly service for all the family For the treatment of corns, callus, ingrown or thickened nails, nail trimming, cracked heels In the comfort of your own home Call Graham Spendlove, MCFHP, MAFHP Qualified Foot Health Professional Book now 07799 033974
- 20. - 18 - Herts Musical Memories deliver vibrant, therapeutic music sessions designed to help connect people to their memories through singing. The group is aimed at people worried about their memory or their voice, those living with dementia, their carers, or anyone who likes to sing and have fun - everyone is welcome! The Hemel group meets on Tuesday afternoons at St George's URC Hall. For more information please call 07515 633486.
- 21. - 19 - SMILE-LINES Hearing A tiny lady was the guest preacher. A few minutes into her sermon, she paused and said: “Can you all hear me at the back?” A kind voice replied: “We can hear you fine. But sadly, we can’t quite see you.” Church service An auntie took her very young niece to church. When they returned home, her parents asked how it had gone. The little girl replied: “Well, the minister prayed, and I prayed. The minister sang, and I sang. The minister speaked, and auntie brought me home.”
- 22. - 20 - PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL The PCC met on 12 November. The Vicar commended the attendance of twenty members, only one needing to apologise for absence. Lasting more than two hours, the meeting was chiefly occupied by three major items. In regard to safeguarding, the meeting approved renewal of the existing policy statement regarding response to a safeguarding concern or allegation, and renewal of the existing list of recognized church activities falling within our safeguarding policy. It was agreed that we need to ensure that outside groups organizing events on church premises have suitable policies in place. The meeting then broke out into four groups to consider the basic essence of safeguarding. Appreci- ation was recorded for Rosie Akeroyd’s continuing dedicated work in ensuring our compliance with new mandatory codes of conduct. The financial position of the parish was discussed at some length. Current figures are slightly ahead of budget, but the end-of-year outturn would depend heavily on the Countdown to Christmas Fair and the Christmas Tree Festival. General fundraising is significantly behind budget. However, the Fabric Fund seems strong enough for some deferred projects to be put in place for 2025. The meeting considered the proposed budget for 2025. Various assump- tions had been made to produce a neutral outcome. It seems that general fundraising has hit a plateau, and serious discussion will be necessary to identify future new income streams. As a general rule it is preferred not to use legacy income to cover routine expenditure. The Vicar observed that the key is to stimulate growth of income rather than to cut expenditure. The view was expressed that there is scope for additional secular events to be held in the church, citing recent such instances at St Alban’s Cathedral. Concern was expressed at the extent to which our Parish Share has increased for 2025 in comparison with other churches. The Vicar will feed this concern back to the Archdeacon. We do not qualify for diocesan financial support as such. Cont’d.
- 23. - 21 - St Francis church, the accounts for which are maintained separately, was running at a deficit, but not as heavy as budgeted. Costs of the recent Quinquennial Inspection had been greater than expected. The St Francis budget for 2025 was approved. Discussion of 2025 parish fees for weddings and funerals was remitted to the Standing Committee, as statutory figures were still awaited from the diocese. Extensive discussion then took place over the draft Mission Action Plan for the next three years. A revised draft will be circulated more widely for further feedback, to be completed by Christmas. In other matters, it was reported that best efforts continue to provide a minister for Mass at St Francis church each week, but there are inevita- bly some occasions when Matins has to stand in its stead. Detailed reports were received from other sub-committees and groups. The next meeting of the PCC will be on 21 January. Nicholas King Hon Secretary BOOK REVIEW Prayer Book of Days - With Saints Through the Ages By Gregory Cameron, Canterbury Press, £12.99 Popular author and illustrator Gregory Cameron offers 31 daily prayers from the treasury of Christian spirituality through the centuries. The prayers included are from some giants of the faith – Augustine, Patrick, Benedict, Julian of Norwich, Francis of Assisi, Clare – and also lesser known figures right up to recent times. Each daily section includes an original icon-style illustration, a prayer, the story that lies behind it and a reflection on its significance in history and for faith today.
- 24. - 22 - 'Music Percentage Club Update’ Congratulations to the winners of the November/ December 2024 Music Percentage Club draws: Nov. 24 Dec. 24 Catherine Holness 1st £15 Richard Lyne 1st £15 Zoe Proehl 2nd £8 Garth Bridgwood 2nd £8 Carole Lewis 3rd £4 Noel James 3rd £4 If you know of someone who would be interested in joining the Music Percentage Club and supporting Music at St John’s in this way there are forms in church or please contact Mark Harbour on 01582 841019 or see him in church. TINY TOTS NEW YEAR PARTY Our weekly Tiny Tots Service and Playtime has remained as popular as ever, despite losing 10 of our regular little ones at the end of the summer term who left to start at nursery or Pre-School. We have welcomed over 20 Tots each week during the Autumn Term with their mums/dads/ grandmas/grandads and carers. There were 16 little ones at our New Year Party in January when a good time was had by all. Following a time for play and a game of Pass the Parcel they sat down to a lunch of party food and snacks. After lunch it was a time for a sing-song and fun before going home with a little present, some chocolate buttons and a balloon. As always we are so grateful to everyone on our team for providing such a wonderful and tasty spread! We are always happy to welcome new members from new-born babies upwards – just come along and join us for friendship, fun, songs and (usually) some chaos! We just ask for a minimum donation of £2.50 (for 1 adult and 1 child) per session, towards running costs and refreshments. Annie Mitchell
- 25. - 23 - MARCH 25 - PRICE 60p Please note the deadline for articles for the March 25 edition of the magazine is Sunday, 2nd February. You can e-mail direct to [email protected] or leave articles in magazine pigeonhole or deliver direct to 27 Beechfield Road. Please note any articles sent by email should be in A5/A4 format (MS Word or MS Publisher preferred). Thank you. Sally Bates, Editor, Tel No. 266912 or Mobile 07792 768236. PLEASE NOTE Website for St John’s Boxmoor is: www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Website for Music at St John’s is http://masj.org.uk Facebook Page: St Johns Church, Boxmoor NEWSLETTER: If you would like to receive a copy of the weekly Newsletter by e-mail, please contact Alan Munford - [email protected] with your e-mail address and he will arrange to send it to you. Please send any items for inclusion in the Newsletter to the Parish Office at the email address: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION TO MAGAZINE If you would like to receive a copy of St John’s Parish Magazine on a regular monthly basis, please email [email protected] or telephone him on 01442 242543 or complete your details below and return tear-off slip to: Mr. Alan Munford, 16 St Nicholas Mount, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2BB Name……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... ........................................................................................................................... Contact Telephone Number ………………………………………………………………………...
- 26. - 24 - Our journey on becoming an Eco Church so far. In order to join with the Church of England’s broad objective of being carbon neutral by 2030 we have signed up to the A Rocha Eco Church scheme. We started on 14 January 2022 and it has taken two long years to achieve Bronze level - for which as Church we should be very proud. The next level is silver then gold - both being a lot harder to achieve! Our journey to Bronze followed the A Rocha EcoChurch Survey. You can find St Johns on the Eco Church website to see what we've achieved so far and follow our onward progress. As part of the survey there were five areas that we had to consider. These were: Worship and Teaching / Buildings / Land / Community and Global engagement / Lifestyle. This survey is changing this year and getting even harder to complete successful- ly. Our achievements so far! For worship and teaching there are now sermons about the environment and ‘saving God’s creation’ Regards the building we now have some secondary glazing and we have two water butts installed. Community and Global Engagement - We are trying to promote Fairtrade Fort- night which has now moved to September and this year falls from 22 September to 5 October 2025. We have managed to twin two toilets at the back of church and two taps for clean water. In addition there is a new bin at the St John’s Church Hall entrance to recycle your ‘unrecyclable’ waste such as crinkly plastic, sweet and crisp wrappers. This is proving a great success - thank you!
- 27. - 25 - Di and Lorraine try to minimise leftovers and freeze anything left over and use some food Andreas grows on the allotment. Notices have been placed below light switches to remind people to turn lights off when they leave a room. Lifestyle - Although we held a Present Swap at St John’s, a Toy Swap at St Stephen’s and a Christmas jumper swap at the Christmas Tree Festival - these haven’t done as well as hoped but still got the message out into the community. We have also got an Eco Church notice board at the back of church - please have a look and provide feedback. What happens next? One of the main things we need to do to get Silver is work out the Church’s carbon footprint and to undertake our own personal footprint review. Also amongst other actions we need to set up a working party to help Marion Davies weed the car park as she currently does it on her own! We still have a long way to go to get to Silver and Gold by 2030 but hopefully we can all do our bit to achieve this goal. Dee Fisher, Rosie Shaw and Mark Harbour
- 28. - 26 - Christmas Tree Festival 2024 : Joy to the World What a successful Christmas Tree Festival that was! The Committee hope that everyone who participated in it, as sponsor, tree decorator, or visitor, enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed creating it. The Festival doesn’t just “happen”. A lot of preparation work goes into the project, over a period of months. Many thanks must go to Jean and Bob Hammond for spending so much time and effort spearheading the whole project once again, to Alan Munford for all the technical work, to Rob Porter and team for their outdoor expertise and hard labour, and to the tireless refresh- ments team headed by Di and Lorraine. Our thanks also to all who stewarded, served refreshments or helped in any other way, and to Santa for his (slightly delayed) visit. The church looked so festive with all the splendid trees, appreciated by well over 750 visitors, not including those who saw the trees in situ later, over the Christmas period. This was real community outreach. Carols Around the Trees on the Saturday afternoon, expertly led by Vicar Mike with Director of Music Keith Beniston on the keyboard to keep us in tune, attracted large numbers singing their hearts out, fuelled against the cold by the very popular glühwein and hot dogs. This in itself seems to have become a Boxmoor tradition, alongside the actual Festival. The outdoor trees, lit up over the whole period, are always a beautiful sight for those passing by, and the new trees by the Hall were visible from the town side of the church. When expenses had been deducted and some extra charitable donations added, the total raised was £3,850 – a marvellous effort which will go a little way towards easing the finances. If you enjoyed the Festival but have not previously taken part, would you consider sponsoring and/or decorating a tree next year? There is plenty of time to think about it! Anne Lyne
- 29. - 27 - Photos by kind permission of Jean Hammond, Nikki Dicks and Sally-Anne Bates
- 30. - 28 - BIBLES Discovery in association with Bibles for Children presents a Children's Bible to each Year 3 child. In the Year 3 lesson we share the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the reason He came. Discovery also presents a Good News Bible to each Year 6 child. In the Year 6 lesson we explain about the Bible and suggest places to read in the Bible. As a start, we encourage the children to read the books of Luke and Acts to find out for themselves all about Jesus. Discovery’s aim is to tell the whole of the next generation the story of Jesus. This is also fulfilled in school Assemblies. PRESENTATIONS Discovery has presented over 41377 Bibles since 2005 to the children of Hemel Hempstead in Years 3 & 6. This academic year Discovery has presented 537 Children’s Bibles and 412 Good News Bibles. The Bible presentations to individual children enables them to read the Bible stories for themselves. (One head teacher commented, ” You must be doing something right, parents come in and say that their children are reading their Bibles.”) One teacher when asked about whether the children read their Bibles she responded ,” Last year the children often chose to read their Bibles in quiet reading.” Discovery presents Bibles to these schools in the Parish of Boxmoor, South Hill School, Tudor School, Boxmoor School, Pixies Hill School and Westbrook Hay School. It is a real privilege to collaborate with Father Mike Macey, he is really gifted at explaining the Bible and relating to the children. The presentations of the Bibles gives’ the church the opportunity to share the importance of the Bible to Christians. Thank you St John’s Church for your faithful support for the distribution of the Bibles. Andrew Masters For more information about Discovery email Andrew Masters [email protected] For more information about Bibles for Children Website:www.bibles4children.org.uk
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- 32. - 30 - at St John’s DECEMBER 2024 HOLY BAPTISM None HOLY MATRIMONY None FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICES 19th Dec. Irene Rumbold Long John, Bennetts End May this soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. BURIAL OF ASHES None
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- 34. - 32 - 2024 Music at St John’s New Year’s Eve 10k Run and 5k walk This year the New Year’s Eve run and walk fell on a Tuesday and so the start time was back to normal with the walkers leaving church at 11.30 am and the runners at Noon. The main organiser John Garner was there and he set up the route map and chatted to people about the event and answered any questions people had. We set up the registration tables at the front of the church pews to see if we could improve the flow of people registering for the walk and run and it seemed to help prevent quite as much congestion as last year. We printed off 150 forms for the registering of people taking part and by having group entries on one form the paperwork was reduced. We set up the Start and Finish banner across the path and people started to arrive to sign up. We had two marshals – Glenn Clayton and Roger Puddifoot – out on the course to assist with the busier junctions such as the Fishery Inn and the Top of the World pub at Warners End. We also had a water stop at the halfway point kindly set up and managed by John’s partner. We estimated that we had around 94 runners and 41 walkers taking part. There were also quite a few dogs and they were well behaved. The registration raised £1,225.00 in direct payments and also paid through the Good Box by card. We will be offsetting some costs for the marshalling. The weather was quite good for the walking and running, it was a bit cold but the sun was out and it was dry at the start. The walk started at 11.30 am and then the runners set off at Noon when John started the run with a loud whistle. Within about 35 minutes we started to see the first runners returning and then a steady flow continued of both runners and walkers.
- 35. - 33 - Most people stayed in church afterwards for refreshments provided by MASJ which included tea and coffee, squash, mince pies, biscuits, crisps and chocolate. All very welcome for the walkers and runners after their exercise. Some stayed outside with dogs but still enjoyed a catch up with friends. We do find that this has become an occasion where people can meet up and catch up with each other after the event and it was nice to see and hear the church buzzing with the conversation and laughter. We even get a few people coming along to support the walkers and runners and not necessarily to take part. My thanks to everyone who helped with the organising and on the day, in particular thank you to Nicholas King, Joy Skingle and Richard Lyne for all their help. Mark Harbour, Chair of Music at St John’s ********* Prayer for February 2025 Dear Lord, February can be a trying month, but there are special associations too and we thank you for the hope they bring. In February we remember how Jesus was taken, as a baby, to the Temple. Simeon took Him in his arms and by the power of the Holy Spirit, recognised Him as the Saviour you had sent as a light, to bring revelation to the whole world. And how this world needs your light and revelation in this new year, 2025. Lord – as we notice more light in the lengthening days of this month, as we see the promise of the Spring in the bobbing heads of the beautiful snowdrops – help us most of all to recognise Jesus as our Light and to trust in Him as our Lord and Saviour. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of each new day. In Jesus’ name. Amen. By Daphne Kitching
- 36. Produced and printed by the Parish of Boxmoor