I feel that Pump Aid, our Harvest project for this year, has been a very successful project for the whole church. First of all, it is a very worth-while project in itself; we have had plenty of information about it; it is a project on which we have been able to focus; it has been within the reach of everyone, especially the Brownies, who have raised enough money on their own for 1½ pumps – a great effort.

The effort started with the Brownies filling Smartie tubes with money from friends and relations, then there was the Harvest Lunch, the envelope collection at the Harvest Service, the Brownies’ Coffee Morning, the Pump Aid Breakfast and sundry donations. All in all, over £720 has been donated, a splendid result – so far. Let’s see if we can get it up to £800 and supply four pumps!

It is hoped that we may be able to get a visit from Pump Aid’s sponsorship co-ordinator to talk about the project. We hope she likes our model! It is also hoped that we can be kept up-to-date with the villages where the Brownies’ and ‘our’ pumps are installed. Watch this space.

The day after the Activity Day, our hall was in use again – for a much different purpose. The National Blood Service came for their second visit. But after the successful initial uptake of over a hundred donations, this time there were 73 visitors of whom only 56 were bled.

There could be a number of reasons for this. It was half-term, when people may go away for a break, and it’s a long time since the hall was used for this purpose, and donors may not be used to coming to this venue. After all, Bourne Hall is not far away, and the NBS mobile unit comes to Depot Road Car Park.

Fortunately for us, the hall is in use for much of the time, so it is hard to find times, long enough in advance to suit the NBS’s programming, when we can guarantee the availability of the hall. Tom Lockett is now looking at the long-term usage of the hall, so as to be able to provide new dates for the NBS.

The next date for the NBS is Boxing Day (yes!) This is a morning session only, from 09:30 to 13:30, so if any readers are able to get along, it won’t take up too much holiday of staff or donors. Hospitals need blood especially over holiday periods, so please try and help. After all, ‘it’s what Christmas is all about!’

Congratulations to Bethan Galliers on the occasion of her marriage in Manchester on 17^th October to Ihsan Mehrobi, a muslim from Afghanistan. Our very best wishes go to Bethan and Ihsan for a happy and blessed life together.

Judith Ellis is in Chuter Ede ward at Epsom General Hospital, following a fall at home. She is very bright and prepared to wait patiently for the broken tibia to knit together successfully, hopefully in about six weeks. Judith thanks all those who have sent greetings and good wishes.

Friends will be sorry to hear that Alfred Lampty has also been in Epsom General Hospital, following a heart attack. He has made progress but is at present at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, for tests to ascertain if he would benefit from further treatment. We send Alfred warmest wishes for his recovery.

It has been good to have Eileen Horsler back with us after a lengthy time of poor health.

We miss Mary Hallifax at service – we remember her in her weakness.

We hope both Betty Hay and Peggy Eldridge continue to make progress.

Marjorie Thomson was at service with Ann recently. She had been ‘under the weather’ that week, and we hope she is feeling improved.

Chris, Oliver and Alexandra have been to Egypt this half-term week. We hope it has been an exciting and interesting experience for them.

To all these friends, and also to Lynne and Del, we send our love and remember them all in our prayers.

Correction of Address

Please note that Bettie Forster's post code is incorrectly printed in our Church Directory.  It should be KT22 7QH.  Please correct your copy.

Rosa Parks died this week. I happened to hear about it on the morning radio. Not much was made of it, perhaps because she is remembered for something that happened fifty years ago, perhaps because it happened in Alabama, a long way from here. On December 1, 1955, forty-three year old Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus after finishing work as a tailor's assistant in a department store. As all black patrons were required to do, she paid her fare at the front of the bus and then re-boarded in the rear. She sat in a vacant seat in the back next to a man and across the aisle from two women. After a few stops, the seats in the front of the bus became full and a white man who had boarded, stood in the aisle. The bus driver asked Parks, the man next to her, and the two women to let the white man have their seats. As the others moved, Parks remained in her seat. The bus driver again asked her to move, but she refused. The driver called the police and she was arrested. The arrest of Parks sparked the bus boycott in Montgomery, which eventually led to the desegregation of buses throughout the United States.

I doubt if Rosa Parks set out to start a boycott. My guess is that she did not feel that she had a choice in the matter any more, that to continue giving up her seat for white people was no longer an option for her. And of course it wasn't just about that, was it?

Rosa Parks was an ordinary sort of woman, educated, able-bodied, probably not all that remarkable to look at. But she was immersed in her own culture and knew very well how hard life was for non-white people in her country, from her own experience and from listening to the experiences of others.

Isn't it easy to live in a vacuum? To listen to the news like it was wallpaper? To turn down the volume when we don't like what we are hearing? Sometimes our own lives seem to be more than enough for us to handle. Often we get so caught up in our own world that we don't see what is happening to others who are not part of it. Who might be needing us to hear their story? Are there things that happen in our own lives and country and world which should not be tolerated? Can we do anything about them? Jesus was caught up in the pain and poverty and oppression of his world. How are we involved in the pain and poverty and oppression of our world?

Peace, 

Pat.

October has been a very busy and successful month. I thought the Harvest celebrations were particularly enjoyable and a very happy time. The results from our donations to Pump Aid were extremely satisfying: I am told to date we are £80 short from supplying four pumps. Any ideas how we might make up the difference? Think about it.

I have not received any comments or feedback from the Service arranged and conducted by Members. Are any more folk interested, and would you like more of this kind of Service? We need to know for future planning.

Last weekend George and I went to a District Rotary Conference in Torquay. There were about five hundred and eighty people attending, so quite a mammoth task to organise. I was impressed by the amount of money that has been raised by Rotary members world wide for various good causes and charities. We listened to speakers from "Mercy Ships" – these ships are converted into floating hospitals and help people who have no hope of any medical attention; "Kids Out", who help put a smile on the faces of mentally impaired and disabled children; "Shelter boxes", that provide tents, sleeping bags, water and cooking equipment in areas of natural disasters. As you can imagine with all the disasters we have experienced this year they are stretched to the limit. All these folk are volunteers and give so much time to helping others; the world would be a sorry place without volunteers. On Sunday morning there was a very moving presentation complete with graphic slides and a video from Colonel Bob Stewart, the first British United Nations Commander in Bosnia in 1992-93. It is difficult to imagine how human beings can do such things to each other. For his work there he was awarded the DSO.

Now we look forward to November and our own A.G.M. Please make every effort to attend the meeting, everyone is important. Please fill in the nomination papers, there is a box in the foyer for completed forms. If you run an organisation I would be grateful for your annual reports in good time to prepare the booklet for the meeting, it makes life much easier when time is short.

I look forward to seeing you there.

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It was Saturday afternoon on 1^st September, and the ladies were decorating the church for the Harvest service the next day, when it was noticed that certain technicians were weaving cables and pulling chains in deep concentration.

This year, we had agreed to restrict the giving of produce to the beautiful baskets that the Brownies provide. Instead, we would concentrate on collecting money for Pump Aid, an organisation which helps the villagers in parts of Africa to build their own water pumps. These are simple but sturdy constructions, and which are remarkably efficient for so little cost, being only £200 each.

During the morning service all was revealed, literally. For in between the bible readings and the happy singing of hymns, we saw, bit by bit, the whole process of organising the villagers and the making of the pump. For the first time in our church we had a video presentation on a screen of videos from a CD issued by Pump Aid. These came from a lap-top and data projector, courtesy of Alan Wood, who had worked tirelessly to set this up for us. But that was not all!  Peter, Pat and Alan had also perfected a demonstration model of the workings of the pump itself. Loud were the cheers when water actually poured from its spout.

Water also figured elsewhere in the church with a ‘water feature’ comprising an old-fashioned water pump mounted in a half-barrel with a submersible pump which kept the water circulating during the service. To counteract this, at the end of the service we had bread baked by Junior Church.

All this produced a good collection for our cause, of £285. But it did not end there! Since Harvest Sunday other activities, not least by the Brownies, have swelled this total considerably. We are now within £60 of four pumps. So come on – we can do this. Let’s get it to four pumps!

So this year’s Harvest service was a memorable one in many ways. I wonder what we will get up to next year, and with what technical aides – last year, cows; this year, pumps; and next year . . . ????

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Although it seems so long ago, our Harvest Lunch comes within the scope of this month’s NewsLetter. Held on the day of Ewell’s Harvest Festival, a good number of their members joined us for beef or chicken stew, and a variety of desserts. Our thanks to those that cooked, froze, stored, prepared, served and cleared up the great meal, which raised £60 for Pump Aid.

A very big thank you to all our friends at Epsom who helped with our 'Shoe Box' Scheme for 'Smile'. Around 40 boxes have been filled, and we have several bags of spare items which they are also willing to receive to help fill other shoe boxes - so I think we've done very well.

I shall be delivering all this to their receiving point early next week, so that they will all be well in time to go off for Christmas.

So many thanks, and I suspect we may be doing it again next year - I'll let you know.

As it is a while since there was any definitive description of Commitment for Life I thought this might be helpful to friends who have recently joined us. It is a major department of the URC. The title refers to our commitment to bring life to those parts of the world with major problems. Once collected, the money is sent on to Christian Aid. To help us focus on some major problem areas, the URC selects four, which change from time to time, and from which each church selects its ‘Partner’. At the moment we are supporting Bangladesh: did anyone notice that Bangladesh has recently suffered severe flooding of the Ganges delta area?

I doubt it, since it happens quite frequently. Individual farms and land ownership are not permanent in the delta because after each annual flood the scene has changed, and the water channels altered. So people plant new crops wherever there is some drier land. Bangladesh has no minerals or raw materials to form the basis of industry, but they do their best. Recently they have had a major set-back: world trade regulations have killed the garment making industry by which the women have been supporting their families, so they are especially in need of our help.

Our main giving time to Commitment for Life has been at the Harvest Service. But as we have sometimes concentrated on another cause at Harvest, we have, in recent years, postponed it until our Church Anniversary on the first Sunday in November. Envelopes are available on the table in the Vestibule. However, if you prefer to give in smaller amounts over the year, e.g., monthly, this is quite OK. In either case use the envelopes provided and please fill in the back of the envelope.

The first Sunday in November is also the day on which we bring in all the 5p pieces we have collected over the year.

Points from the meeting held on 20^th September, 2005:

• Week of Prayer for Peace October 23 – 30^th. There will be a service for Peace to be held on Clayhill Green, West Hill, at 3:00 pm, beside the pine trees.
  

• The Constitution has been accepted and is to be signed as an Act of Commitment by representatives of the participating churches at the AGM in January 2006.
  

• Lenten House Groups. It is proposed to run groups as in 2005. For study, "Easter People in a Good Friday World" has been suggested.
  

• Week of Prayer for Surrey: September 17^th – 24^th. 24/7 Prayers. Closing Service at noon on 24^th September when a representative of Merrow will take on the Baton.
  

• Christian Aid Week Collections. Gillian Mead gave a summary of the week’s collections by the churches. She was somewhat critical of Epsom URC for not taking up the roads allocated to it. (After the meeting I did my best to persuade her that we were probably making more money by the events we had put on, since we felt unable to do the street collecting. She asked to be informed as to how much we had collected for this year’s total.
  

• C.O.T.E/Dovecote. Carol Concert at St. Joseph’s on Thursday, 15^th December.

Next Meeting. AGM at Epsom URC on 22^nd January, 2005.

      6^th November   Sheila Carpenter

    13^th November   Ron Perkins

    20^th November   Sheila Carpenter

    27^th November   Charles Senior 

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This talk will be presented on Thursday 24 November, from 7:30-9:30 pm, at either Ewell or Epsom URC. Stephen is minister at Fleet URC and has been Training Officer for Wessex Synod from 1995-2004. This event is open to anyone in the congregations interested in finding ways to encourage our churches to grow. I highly recommend this to both our congregations, as I know Stephen, and he will make our evening well worth it.

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Many people have been asking when the Chessington/Kingston Park and Ride service for Christmas shopping will start.

The service will start on Saturday, 12^th November and will end on Saturday, 14^th January, 2006.

Did you know that last year 10,000 cars a week parked at Chessington World of Adventures?

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A Thought for Hallowe'en

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.  God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off you.  He opens you up, takes out all the yucky stuff, including all the seeds of doubt, hate and greed, etc.  Then He carves you a new smiling face, and puts his light insideyou to shine for all the world to see.

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin.  Now it is your turn to pass it on to more pumpkins.

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As we approach Remembrance Sunday it is perhaps appropriate to mention how seriously the Silence was observed in 1919 and the early 1920s, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In that first year the King had asked that all normal activities be suspended – all work, all sound and all locomotion should cease, so that perfect stillness would allow the thoughts of everyone to concentrate in reverent remembrance of the "Glorious Dead".

Not only Britain was petrified: abroad, all garrisons and warships were silent; Australia came to a halt; the Prince of Wales’ train stopped between Baltimore and Washington. In schools everywhere nervous children tried not to giggle.

Amazingly, 85 years on, the ceremony still climaxes at the Cenotaph. Our own small token of respect lists Albert E Adams, John M Bliss, John W Cliff, Albert E Gadsby, Robert S Garrod, Leslie E Gorard, Matthew Hanley, Kenneth J Pamment, Basil D Spark, Benjamin Warwick and Eric VE White.

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Pauline Donnelly has left Monday Club for three months as she will be back-packing in South America for two months and then visiting New Zealand. To send her on her way we bought a cake, which we decorated with ‘Bon Voyage’, and the children all decorated fairy cakes for themselves and made ‘Bon Voyage’ cards for Pauline.

Rosemary Holmes has come to help on a regular basis for which I am very grateful. As it is autumn, the children have learnt a bit about some trees, one week they made a card and paper oak tree, and the Monday before half term they each made a man out of conkers.

We are hoping that some of the children who enjoyed themselves at the Activity Day may like to come and join us.

Calling all children aged between 5 and 10 years

Come to the

at

Unity Hall

from 6p.m. until 7p.m.

Games and Activities every Monday Evening

With the approach of Harvest, one Brownie meeting was spent with the Brownies making up two or three Harvest boxes in their Sixes. The girls also brought in the money they had raised in Smartie tubes for ‘Pump Aid’, which totalled about £145.

There was a very disappointing turnout of girls for the Harvest Church Parade, but the few Brownies who did attend had a very good time. They enjoyed preparing the bread for the congregation and having a go at the water pump, having seen a video about the real Elephant Pumps in operation in Africa.

At the following meeting, we set the Brownies a number of simple tasks to try out such as:

• Writing their name using the hand they do not usually use.

• Using chopsticks to move strings of cooked spaghetti.

• Tying a bow behind their back.

• Moving peas using a straw.

• Throwing a beanbag into a hoop.

They had eleven challenges in all and had great fun having a go at them.

We celebrated the National Day of Spain at our next meeting and the girls coloured in the Spanish flag, learnt their numerals in Spanish and had an easy test on them. The Brownies also made flapjacks and coconut balls to sell at the coffee morning they had arranged for Saturday 15^th October.

This special Coffee Morning was arranged by the Brownies to raise funds for ‘Pump Aid’ but was once again very poorly attended by the girls. The Brownies that attended worked very hard especially Katie Williams who came at the start and was there for the whole time. Thanks also to Phemie who kindly took charge of the coffee and generally looked after matters in the kitchen. The people who came enjoyed the cakes that the Brownies had made, and were very generous. The coffee morning raised about £155 and so the final amount raised by the Brownies for ‘Pump Aid’ was £302. 47p. A great total, well done girls! This will buy at least one pump. Thank you to everyone who has supported us in any way with this project.

The Brownies are now preparing for their Artist badges and have learnt about primary colours, made a three-coloured pattern on a plate, decorated a bookmark and made a greetings card.

Later this month, Barn Owl, Katie Lardner is going to Australia for three weeks, and we wish her ‘Bon Voyage’.

Worship Group Services
Pat Hall

Recently people from the congregation were invited to take part in leading a service of worship. We met in September to look at the scripture readings for the day and to give some thought as to who would be doing what. After selecting the readings we wanted to use and deciding what we wanted to do with them, people chose what they would like to do. We all went home to think about things for a few weeks, and to look for resources.

When we met up again a few weeks before the service, we chose the hymns and ‘firmed up’ what we were planning to do. The day arrived, 16 October, and the team did a truly admirable job of leading our worship. Perhaps the test of doing something in front of a congregation is what we do when technology fails, as it does on occasion. I thought Sheila Carpenter showed lots of ‘cool’ when her microphone played up, didn’t you? I was very pleased with the service, with the standard of leadership and the quality of what was said.

You might be wondering why we have people from the congregation leading worship in the first place. Isn’t this what we pay the minister to do? As you well know, there are not as many ordained ministers as there used to be and congregations are increasingly relying on lay leadership for such things. It would be to our advantage to have as many people as possible ready and able to share in worship.  Besides, it is another string to our bow, if you like! It will make us stronger.   We are planning another such service in the New Year. If you are interested in taking part, would you please let us know?

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Early in the summer a number of us met at the invitation of Pat to discuss a Play Day during the October half-term. This was to be a joint project with our colleagues in Ewell. Several meetings took place over the following months and colleagues worked out responsibilities.

Twenty-two children attended on Wednesday 26^th October in Unity Hall and an enjoyable noisy time was had. The theme of the day was the Ark, and the children designed and made montages using paper, clay and many other materials. Yogurt pots and kitchen towel tubes, etc., saved and provided by friends, were all put to good use during the day.

When the parents came to collect the children they saw a presentation in the church of the day’s efforts, which the congregation will be able to see on Sunday.

Each child had a basket of their own to take home with them, whereas the adults helpers all went home for a nice, quiet cup of tea.

This is to give you advance notice of another Lunchtime Carol Service, which is being planned for Thursday, 8^th December, from 13:10 to 14:00. Rebecca Drake will be at the organ for us, and refreshments will be available following the service. Publicity is being planned and will soon be available for distribution to local offices and businesses.

Junior Church would be delighted to hear from any children who would like to take part in the Nativity presentation on Toy Service, 11^th December.  Lots of voices are needed to make a musical possible. Please speak to Gwyneth or Valerie.

30^th Oct.                   In memory of Bob and Nan Coombes, parents of Valerie Wood

6^th Nov                    TBA

13^th                         Lily Moody

20^th                         TBA

27^th                        TBA

Peggy is pleading for help with the flowers in the weeks leading up to Christmas. There are still four Sundays without anybody to decorate the church.

Have you got an anniversary to commemorate, a loved one to remember, or birthday to celebrate around this time? Say it with flowers at the church, and give Peggy a break!

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The Friday Art Group meets Fridays from 10:00 – 15:00 in the Longhurst Room. New members are always welcome. For those who like to paint portraits, models are provided. Perhaps you would like to be a model? If you are interested, please get in touch with Yvonne Law, 01737 361826.

Afternoon Fellowship 
Daphne Dawe

We had a most enjoyable meeting on Thursday, 20^th October. Together with friends from Ewell’s Afternoon Fellowship and some members of our own church membership, our president, Barbara Wood, gave a warm welcome to all. We were so grateful to Sheila Stredwick for playing the piano.

Dennis Sexton gave a most interesting talk and demonstration, "A Fanfare of Trumpets". We heard of the development of the trumpet through the centuries and saw and heard a number of instruments that Dennis had brought along. Dennis also arranged a quiz with prizes. Some twenty-five people were present, finishing the afternoon with a very appetising tea.

On 17^th November, at 14:30, Alan Wood and his friend David Fear will be giving a talk entitled ‘The Canal du Midi by Bike’ – the sponsored cycle ride that Alan and David did in 2004 for the Princess Alice Hospice. It will be illustrated with photographs from a digital projector. We hope again to have a good number present.  Please take this as your personal invitation.

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We certainly found the talk on the Quakers such a different subject, and a different religion from our own. In the beginning it was known as ‘The Society of Friends’ and it has always been a strict but happy and caring religion.

We meet again on 1^st November for ‘A Visit to Iceland’, by courtesy of Phyl Cary.

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The Epsom and Ewell congregations are invited to an open house at the Manse on 3^rd December.  Come any time between 10 and 12 am, and 2 and 4 pm. Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to make a donation, in the morning to the Parkinson’s Disease Society, and in the afternoon to Moorfields Eye Hospital. We look forward to seeing you there!

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The Coffee Morning on 8^th November, from 10:30 to 12:00, will be for the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA). It is our custom in this month of Remembrance to support a charity that helps ex-servicemen. The assistance given comes in many forms, depending on what is necessary and appropriate. Everything that can be done is done to ease worry and alleviate distress.

Please come and support this worthy appeal.

Sheila is now taking orders for the 2006 diaries. If you would like one, please contact Sheila fairly soon.

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Copy for the next issue should be with the Editor by 20th November for publication on 27th November 2005.  

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