Petersfield and Liss United Reformed Church 2024 Annual Report
Our year started with worship taking place in the newly renovated sanctuary, sitting on chairs instead of pews, with an area able to be changed in layout to suit all styles of worship. Our minister, Josh, leading most services from the front on the new staging behind a stylish new lectern!
One of the new introductions during the year was Café Worship on the 4[th] Sunday of the month. Not to everyone’s taste but certainly loved by the families who regularly attend. It allows for a less formal service with tea, coffee and tasty breakfast items on the go throughout the service – certainly a hit with the children!
Our format of other services remains unchanged with the first in the month being led by members of our congregation or a visiting preacher. This is when Josh is preaching at Basingstoke where he has 25% of his ministry. All other services, including Communion on the third Sunday of the month, are led by Josh. We are so grateful to Josh and everyone who leads our worship in thought provoking, challenging and informative services. Our worship is enhanced by many musicians taking part in the services. We regularly have organ, piano, guitar and, more recently, drums. Thank you to all our musicians and those that, on occasions, join in choral pieces or, regularly, lead the singing from the front.
In January the final decision was taken to close St Paul’s, Liss, as there had been very little worship there over the last few years. It was a sad decision for several of our congregation who have had much to do with St Paul’s over many years. Synod took the building over at the end of May but to celebrate all the years of faithful service we held a Thanksgiving service in April. Invitations were sent out to everyone we knew who had had connections with St Paul’s and many were able to attend. We also welcomed Michael Hopkins, Wessex Synod’s new moderator and other guests from Synod. A joyous afternoon of worship, reminiscences and a delicious tea was enjoyed by all who attended.
The church office team are, as always, a huge support to Josh. Esme Kelly, our church administrator, continues to work in her usual organised and efficient way. Esme is often the first person hirers meet when they come into the CFC and she always welcomes them with a smile and friendly words. During the year the church became a charity with the charity number 1206689. We thank Esme for all the work she did submitting all the necessary forms, and to all others for their work regarding the submission. Esme works so hard behind the scenes ensuring that our building is run efficiently - work that the majority of the congregation just take for granted!
Jo Hopkins continues as our Church Development Worker. Jo is always looking at new ways of engaging our church family and has introduced several ideas over this year. Her pastoral work is so important with keeping in touch with everyone in the church family, especially those who cannot get to church for whatever reason. Her telephone calls and visits are valued by all who receive them. Jo has been involved with several Synod events, including The Big Day Out at Hollycombe and the Children’s Camp. In fact, these events relied heavily on the involvement of both Josh and Jo and would not have been so successful without them. Jo ran another very successful Holiday at Home in August and introduced a new event in November The Living Library. This was most enjoyable, listening to people’s life stories and learning so much about them.
Jo’s full report can be read at the bottom of the main report.
Moaci Mirander continues to keep the building spic and span for which we are grateful.
In March some of our congregation joined with many other churches to attend the induction service of Michael Hopkins as the Wessex Synod Moderator, which was held at London Street URC, Josh’s other church. It was an uplifting service, and we look forward to what Michael will bring to our Synod.
We began the year with 11 elders plus a clerk to the elders. The new format of 3 committees taken from the eldership worked well but there seemed to be many more meetings! From September it was decided to have bi-monthly full elders’ meetings with the committees meeting, on the whole, on the other months. The other committees are Finance and General Planning (F and GP) chaired by Mike P-H, Pastoral, chaired Bu Jo Oru, and Worship chaired by Josh. This has proved to work well.
We were devastated when one of our dear elders died in the summer. Ron Wing had been a loyal member of the church for many years, taking many services and serving 2 terms as elder. His care of the congregation, his wise words and his presence are greatly missed.
Carol Tubbs had been our Synod Rep for many years and decided it was time to pass this on. She was delighted when Mary Fair took on the role and even more delighted to see how interested Mary is in Synod matters and enthusiastically reporting back to the church.
The Maundy Thursday service was held at our church with members of the Methodist invited. Good Friday saw the weather deteriorate and so after the Walk of Witness the service was held in St Peter’s Church instead of the Square and Josh preached.
During September, hosted at our church, Esme Kelly and Keith Evans helped to run the Hope Explored course in conjunction with Life Church and Hope Church.
Also, in September we were delighted to welcome back Alan Missen from New Zealand, who previously had been with our church for several months on an exchange with Peter Norris, our previous minister. Alan took the service and then shared lunch with us.
Our Harvest service took place in September with the produce, once again, donated to Two Saints, Portsmouth and our friend, Donna Burney joined us the service.
December saw our usual gift service, led by Mary Fair, with gifts again going to Two Saints. It was a joy to welcome Liss Band, with Mike Pennicote- Henrie leading the carol service, back in our sanctuary. We were joined by members of the Methodists and Life Church. We held a Christmas film night for families, including crafts and food (!) and were delighted to welcome many of our Little Fishes families, past and present, to this along with other members of the Petersfield community.
Children’s Church took the service on 15[th] December with carols, readings and acting all being part of it.
James Fells and Esme Kelly led a quiet and thoughtful communion service on 22[nd] . Christmas Day service was led by Josh, although if you remember, he was very late arriving! Carol stepped in to lead the first part of the service (all planned) until Josh finally arrived dressed as a sheep! A wonderful service to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Throughout the year there are regular events taking place as well as special events. Prayer time at 10.00 on Thursdays is in the sanctuary. It is attended by a regular group of about 10 people and has continued to be a very important time of prayer together. Everyone
is welcome to join in. There are various monthly events, all of which are reported individually at the bottom of this report.
We have held our bi-monthly church meetings in January, March, May, July, September and November. These are held in person and on zoom.
We had a few fundraising activities to help towards the cost of the renovations. There was a quiz in January which, sadly, was not well attended. Carol and Liss Band held a concert in June which was very well attended!
We did sell the two paintings that had hung in the sanctuary and they raised over £600. Thank you to peter Jolly for organising.
The dishwasher decided to stop working and needed to be replaced at considerable cost and we are very grateful to the generous anonymous donators who made this possible. Our social events during the year included a lovely afternoon tea with Mike P-H playing the piano for a sing-a-long.
In November Josh hosted the Tearfund quiz again, this time on zoom.
Our hard-working treasurer, Jim Cleverly, has had a much bigger workload over the past couple of years due to the renovations and becoming a charity, as well as the usual every day running of the church finances. In order that all the financial records are in one place a computer was purchased and is kept in the church office. Thank you to Mike P-H and Josh for helping to set this up and get Jim established on it! Jim can often be seen working in the office and we are very grateful to him for all he does.
Due to the work done on the sanctuary our church reserves have been reduced to a low level. This coupled with the loan from Synod to enable us to do the work has left us feeling rather vulnerable. We are so grateful to the continued generous giving of the congregation. F and GP have been working hard to address the issues and will continue to do so throughout the coming year.
As mentioned earlier our dear friend Ron Wing died in the summer but sadly, he was not the only member of our church family who died during the year. Two of our church stalwarts and long-time members also died – Gwen Peake and Joyce Perry. Both, in their time, had been elders, supporters, friends of the church and faithful servants of Christ and we miss them greatly. We also heard of the deaths of Jean Hounsome and Sue Silk, both of whom had been regular attenders of church previously.
Our love and prayers go to all who have been bereaved.
In July we were delighted to share the baptism, led by Josh, of Elliot, Phoebe and Honey Morgan. The family have come to us through Little Fishes and Forest Church and are good friends.
We welcomed Wendy Holdsworth, Moaci Mirander, Katie Lace, Karen Beaumont, Adrian Milner, Mel Matthews and Eileen Tupper into full membership of the church at Pentecost and shared a lunch together after the service. A true joy!
I end my report with thanks: to welcomers; tea and coffee servers; to those that run groups; to our musicians; to those that lead worship; to those who have anything to do with the Messenger; to our children’s church team; to the eldership; to everyone who helps in any way to make this the wonderful church family that we are; to those who constantly pray and support.
We thank God that we continue to be a vibrant worshipping community, and we look forward to 2025.
Carol Tubbs, Petersfield and Liss URC Church Secretary
Church Community Worker
As an employed Church Worker it is hard to call a stop on things, that you have poured yourself into. But Forest Church had to stop, with poor numbers from September I closed the group in October. After two years our infant school children had other groups to attend, or parents needed to be in multiple places after school. However, a small glimmer of hope came in our year R and year one’s, as they were asking about Forest church. So, I started a younger group up in the Church Hall more of a mashup between Forest Church and Children’s Church. Let see were that takes us.
Little Fishes is always a special time of the week with nearly always over 30 plus families coming, some with joy about what they have been up to and what milestone the child had done, sometimes frustration or in tears through lack of sleep. And sometimes we are honoured with their brokenness and life changing events - we make tea, hand tissues over and give out hugs, listening and nodding as the pain comes out. The team and I have been told our Little Fishes is a safe place, were the mothers feel no judgment and a time to recharge, and where we all feel blessed. As well as our usual termtime Tuesday mornings we had an Easter craft morning in April, with an Easter hunt and story, and a Christmas party with Santa - both were wonderful times.
Hollycombe “Big Day Out” was on Saturday 4[th] May, we were lucky with the weather on the Friday and Saturday. Josh led worship in the main marquee. I ran Forest Church and had helpers on the recycle table with craft made from plastic bottles. On the Friday I put out a prayer walk in the beautiful gardens. The whole event was a show of the URC working together and having a great time. Great fun.
Friday Reflections started on the 4[th] Friday in March and has proven to be one of my favourite things. A time to be still and be with the Lord, with your own prayers and needs. Please do come along if your able at 10.30am, every 4[th] Friday. Friday Fellowship on the 2[nd] Friday of the month, again 10.30. The session involves 20/30mins of hymn’s, bible readings and finishing with fellowship with tea and cake. All welcome.
JFC changed names to Children’s Church in Sept and with new material from the URC children’s faith sessions, everything is working well. We have some new members to the team- we welcome David Barton, Mary Adams and Karen Beaumont. At the start of the year, we had small numbers of children, but numbers are growing with the help of Café Church. Our Nativity service was the best one ever - I say that every year, with thanks to Carol Tubbs!!
Wessex children’s camp is always the May half term and this year I went for two days, running Forest Church for 2 sessions on the two days. The first workshop on Adam and Eve, making them from clay and group garden of Eden, finishing up with a homemade giant game of snakes and ladders. The 2[nd] day theme was Daniel and the lion’s Den, where we did Den building and made mini villages, hula hoop prayers and the game find the lions. I can’t wait to go again next year and see how the children have grown, height wise and in their faith. Holiday at Home ran again for three Tuesdays over three weeks, following feedback from the previous year as many guests were very tired after having three days in a row. A great three days of craft, watercolours, pampering, games great food and entertainment. All put on by the fabulous members of the Church.
I had training in Oxford for a weekend in November, provided by Wessex Synod for all children’s workers. Lots of workshops and helpful information, and a good time to spend with other workers talking about ideas and planning.
We had our 1[st] Living Library where Church members share parts of their lives others don’t know about. Six wonderful stories of people lives, and faith shared. Such a special time. Thank you.
In December we had an Advent walk, with stations around the Church and hall. And a week later we had a Christmas film night with pizza and popcorn, it was very loud and crazy but great fun.
I know I say it every year but my pastoral work, which is on a daily need is my honour and love. To know so many folks on such a personal level and to share their life’s up and down is everything.
Other parts of my job are: Meetings with the pastoral team, to make sure all are supported; C & YWC meetings three times a year with Josh chairing the meetings and report to Elders and Church Meeting bimonthly.
Jo Hopkins
Home fellowship group at 12 Geddes Way
The Home Group that meets on alternate Thursdays at 12 Geddes Way has continued to enjoy another year of fellowship, prayer and Bible Study. We have been very pleased to welcome several new folk to the group which currently has 11 members. We are following a study guide on the life of David. Our meetings normally start with refreshment and a chat then a short time of worship followed by discussing the Bible passage in question. We finish with a time of prayer. This is a great opportunity to explore the scriptures in an informal setting and to consider how to apply them to our day to day lives, as well as to have a much deeper level of fellowship than is normally possible on Sundays.
Mary and Keith Evans
Home Group – Buckmore Farmhouse
We had good fellowship times with one another in our group and had a chance to enjoy a few dinner outings too. We did a very challenging video study by Max Lucado and Philip Yancey. We meet every other Thursday evening at 7:30pm, term time only. We start with a catch up, prayer, Bible reading, watch the study, and then discuss what we’ve heard; and, of course, let’s not forget the tea and biscuit we do enjoy during our time together.
Esmé Kelly
Lunchtime Women’s Bible Study
6/7 ladies met regularly on a Monday afternoon from 1pm, to explore Bible passages and topics. We started with a study on the book ‘The Father Heart of God’, then we did a Lent course called, Shapes for living’. This Lent course included the following topics, ‘Relating, Prayer, Working, Playing and Growing.’ After the Lent course we did an in-depth video study on the whole of the bible by the Bible Society. This was an amazing study, and we learnt a lot and was challenged too. This took us to the new year. We had wonderful discussions, learning from the word of God and from one another. We start the sessions, catching up with one another, while enjoying a cuppa. We then start with prayer and Bible reading, and the discussion follows. We end with praying for one another and other needs as well. We meet term-time only and end every last Monday of the term with a social gathering.
Esmé Kelly
– Home Group 84, Moggs Mead
On September 5[th] I took over the leadership of Ron Wing’s Home Group and it continued to meet every 1[st] and 3[rd] Thursday afternoons at 2.30pm. We enjoyed fellowship together and built up trust between us and this enabled our being able to share concerns openly. As one member of the group put it – our relationships developed into ones of “burden-bearing”. Not only did we support each other in prayer, but we studied the Bible to find ways of applying Biblical principles to our lives. Our first Bible study as a newly formed group was on the book of James and this was spread over 6 sessions before we started our Advent study on Biblical joy. We linked this to the Book of Ruth, and making the final study focus on the word Redeemer with its link to the Book of Job. Several of our sessions were enhanced by using YouTube videos and then, of course, there was always biscuits/tea/coffee etc to enhance our socialising!
Mary Fair
Faith Comment Rota
We are responsible for five articles each year in our local paper The Petersfield Post. We are blessed that members in our Church accept the responsibility of writing these articles, which are always relevant and inspiring. Thank you to all those who have contributed in writing an article for the Faith Column during the year.
If you would like to write an article for the Faith column, please speak with me.
Esmé Kelly
Connie’s Handicraft Group
Up to 16 ladies meet on the third Tuesday of each month (except August) from 2-4 pm, in the Church Family Centre. We welcomed 4 new members during the year.
We knit, stitch and chat and enjoy fellowship, tea and cake. A further 20 crocheted or knitted blankets- each bearing a label “A gift from Petersfield and Liss URC” – were given to Cedar Ward at Petersfield Hospital where they are very much appreciated by staff and patients who take them home with them when they leave hospital.
28 knitted teddies were taken by the team from Ukraine Christian Partnership to Ukraine when they visited in August and given to the Pastors for them to distribute. On our “suggested donations” table in the CFC there are a variety of items all produced by our ladies (mainly at home) from cards and jewellery to children’s cardigans and jumpers, cushions, shopping bags, aprons, knitted toys, knitted chicks to fill with a small Easter egg and “Christmas puddings” to fill with a small chocolate etc.
With the support of our church fellowship and those who have hired the premises, this year we have given £1145 to the Ukraine Christian Partnership.
We look forward to welcoming any who might like to join us.
Janet and Catherine Adams
Drop In Tea
The Drop in Tea meets once a month, normally on the second Tuesday, where everyone is invited to call in to the CFC any time between 2 and 4pm for a chat and a cup of tea with cake. This has proved popular with an average of about 8-10 people attending, most of them
for the entire 2 hours. This is a lively time of chatter and catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones and appears to be appreciated by those who attend.
Julie Pejnovic, Keith and Mary Evans
Hampshire and The Islands Historic Churches Trust Ride and Stride 2024
Thank you to all our sponsors and to Val Hart, who gave of her time to host the visitors on Saturday 14[th] September. There were 21 participants welcomed to our Church Family Centre. The three commendable entrants from our College Street Church are the following. One strider Peter Jolly and two cyclists Doreen Lewis with Robin Hart benefited both HIHCT and our own treasury. The magnificent amount donated came to £2000. This means our treasury will be enhanced by £1000. Since 93.25 % was Gift Aid the Trust will benefit a further £466-25 from HMRC.
Report of Peter Jolly’s stride
Starting at West Liss, I had (perhaps foolishly) set myself the task of walking, via a slightly convoluted route, back to the URC. Coffee at my first stop, the former St Peter’s Church (I didn’t think I then deserved the proffered cake), I proceeded to St Mary’s Liss, where I was greeted by two fellow Liss Food Bank volunteers doing their stint as ‘greeters’. There followed the first of five crossings of the railway, as I wended my way via Stodham Lane and ultimately into the Sheet Millennium Field. The sun was out, and I felt I merited interim refreshment at the ‘Harrow’ before the climb to All Saints, Steep. The walk into Petersfield follows the ‘Hangers Way’, and as home was only a few hundred yards off the route, needless to say I called there before resuming my increasingly weary journey. Eight churches ticked off, culminating in the welcoming arms of Val Hart at the Church Family Centre. Cake now fully deserved – and much appreciated.
Report of Doreen Lewis and Robin Hart’s ride
The four churches in Petersfield were first visited prior to leaving the town to cycle the heights of the challenging hills to the west. The long climb to the top of Stoner Hill was accomplished to visit Froxfield Green and High Cross where both churches had welcomers to greet all visitors. The ride now was by wayside of many harvested fields where the crops had been gathered and birds were gleaning what was left behind. In the distance a divine beckoning sign of the 160 ft high spire of Privett Holy Trinity Church was seen. The spire dominates the treescape of this high point of Hampshire. This Church was built in 1876-78, and was funded by William Nicholson to the sum of £22000 - a local benefactor and gin distiller - and designed by Gothic architect Sir Arthur Blomfield, later responsible for the Royal College of Music. Coming upon this pastoral setting is an astonishing experience to find this lavishly decorated Medieval-style church with Italian marble mosaic floors in such a rural location. More hedgerows to cycle beside with Buzzards calling and soaring from above on route to the early Norman C11[th] St Mary Magdalene Church in West Tisted. To approach this hidden little gem of a church, a moat is crossed and is surrounded by Irish and common yew trees, of which especially one predates the church. There are vestiges of Saxon work still visible in the form of blocked up arch with vertical and horizontal stones. By way of a farm track a mile was strode to the woods, whilst the Red Kites gave a wonderful display of their agility in flight at low level on route to the next church. The Upper Itchen Benefice care for a small property named Church in the Woods sited in a grove of trees on Bramdean Common. It took just five days to build this mission church in 1883 . Sheets of corrugated iron secured to a timber frame form the whole construction. It is uncertain what the base was constructed from, but a small flight of steps brings you to the doorway. Above the roof, the church bell hangs in its turret and an iron steeple points skywards, topped with a weather vane. The idea of building this church was to give commoners, charcoal burners and gypsy itinerants who used the common, a place to worship.
Next was a ride to the other side of the winter bourne valley at Bramdean the Grade 2 C12[th] Church of St Simon and St Jude was built on high ground over looking this winter bourne valley. After that came three flint strewn fields all with their yield of harvest gathered in where a path leads to a Grade 2 listed building with origins in historic Saxon times at Hinton Ampner. This church still retains some pre-conquest works, which survived the C13[th] rebuilding which preserved the earlier Saxon building. It stands in the grounds of Hinton Ampner House and has the benefit of the wonderful gardens supported by the National Trust at its gateway. Now followed a ride through Brockwood Park to West Meon Church dedicated to St John the Evangelist designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) at the age of 31, this was an early commission in the 1840s. Further up the Meon Valley is All Saints Church at East Meon where you can see the most fascinating Tournai Font from Norman times and is one of seven brought to this country by King Stephen’s brother Henri de Blois who lived in the near by Court House. This journey in fine weather through magnificent rural neighbourhood continued back to Petersfield via Oxenbourne, Ramsdean and Stroud and to the 2008 Family Centre at the end of a 50 Km cycle ride, for refreshments so assiduously prepared by Val.
A heartfelt thank you is extended from the three participants for all the very generous donations given for the benefit of this Trust for the work in many churches.
Robin Hart
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