2. HAYES FREE CHURCH
111, Pickhurst Lane, Hayes, Kent BR2 7HU
Sunday Services. 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.
We are a member of the United Reformed
Church. We believe in Justice and Peace.
Principal Contacts
Interim Moderator: Mrs Hilary Miles
Church Secretary: Mrs Mavis Righini Tel: 020 8462 1168
Treasurer: Mr. Simon Narracott Tel: 020 8462 2004
Lettings Secretary: Mrs Undine Connolly Tel: 020 8776 0108
Church Website www.hayesfreechurch.com
Church Magazine Catalyst
Editor: Miss Christine Rees catalysthfc
@btinternet.com
Contents :
Church Secretary’s Letter 1 The Church in China (Bible Soc) 9
Sunday Services 2 Chartwell Cancer Trust 9
Church Notices 3-5 St Andrew of Scotland 10
Subscriptions 2018 5 Food Bank latest needs 11
Christmas Fair/ Card Sale 6&8 Stop Press 11
Christmas Tree Festival 7&8 Calendar 12
November in Wartime 8 HFC Organisations inside back cover
Final Thought - back cover
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy for December 2017/ January 2018 (single issue) is needed by
Sunday 12th
November – and even earlier if at all possible. The editor is
very grateful if you would submit items in good time.
You can leave copy in the "R" Pigeon Hole for Christine to collect; hand it
directly to her, or e-mail it to catalysthfc@btinternet.com Thank you.
Editor’s note: throughout this magazine, the following abbreviations are standardly used:
URC (United Reformed Church); HFC (Hayes Free Church);
CTiH (Churches Together in Hayes).
3. - 1 -
Letter from the Church Secretary
Dear All,
How I love this time of year – not too hot, not too cold, and all the
wonderful colours of the leaves. What an amazing Creator we have.
Autumn colours are glorious. How different things would look if God
had created just evergreen trees, though even these have subtle
variations.
I realise that to some people autumn is not such a happy time. The
leaves turn brown and have to be swept up. Winter follows autumn,
which can for some folk mean long, cold, dark nights lie ahead.
I try to be positive and say if time flies then it won’t be long until
spring bursts forth. We are so fortunate with our changing seasons;
no wonder weather is one of our main topics of conversation – we
do get so much variety. How very different things would be if God
had no imagination.
So let us rejoice in God’s variety. His handiwork is all around us. Let
us give thanks to our Almighty Father, the Creator of our beautiful
world.
With Christian love to you all,
Mavis
4. - 2 -
Sunday Services
November 2017
5th
10.30 am - Morning Service – Derek Woodcraft
6.30 pm - Holy Communion – Judy Davies
12th
10.30 am – Remembrance Sunday,
Parade Service: 3rd
and 4th
Hayes Guides
6.30 pm – Evening Service – Duncan Wilson
19th
10.30 am - Morning Service – Tony Russell
6.30 pm –Evening Service – Sonia Weston
26th
10.30 am - Morning Service – TBA
6.30 pm – Evening Service -TBA
Evening services will take place in the Elders’ Vestry, which is accessed
from the side door in Hilldown Road.
Notes on Preachers
ď‚· Derek Woodcraft comes from a church in Biggin Hill.
ď‚· Judy Davies is a Synod Recognized Lay Preacher from Bromley URC
(Widmore Road), where she is also Church Secretary.
 Duncan Wilson recently received the church’s endorsement of his
application to start training as a Lay Preacher.
 Sonia Weston is the Secretary of St Andrew’s URC, Brockley.
ď‚· Tony Russell is a non-serving Elder of Hayes Free Church. He was
Church Secretary for some years, and later was Church Treasurer.
5. - 3 -
Church Meetings
NB The next Church meeting will be at 12.00 noon on
Sunday 26th
November, in the church following the
morning service.
The next two Elders’ meetings will be at 7.00 pm in the
small hall on Tuesdays 7th
November and 5th
December.
Women's Contact Group: 6th November
We will be meeting for our monthly meal at the Warren Sports Ground,
Hayes, at 12.30 pm on Monday 6th
November. The Warren is accessed by
car from Croydon Road (address: Croydon Road, Hayes, BR2 7AL) or on
foot from the junction of Warren Road and Holland Way. All ladies are
welcome. Sylvia Mack
Men's Group: 16th November
The Men’s Group will meet on Thursday 16th
November at 8pm in the Small
Hall for a Music Quiz, organised by Chris Fitzgerald. Note: this is a
departure from the published programme - as most in this group will
already know, as the October and November events have been swapped.
The Tuesday Friendship Group:
All are welcome at the meetings of this group, which will be held in the small
hall at 2.00pm on Tuesdays, finishing at about 3.30pm. The November
programme is:
7th
Nov Gill Bran – the Arctic Circle
14th
Nov Handicrafts – something made in the past
21st
Nov Gentle exercises with Pat Marshall
28th
Nov The Tootswood Singers entertain
Members who use the Mini-Ambulance service are asked to phone Sylvia
Mack on 8462 1938 by 9.00 am on any Tuesday that they are unable to
come to a meeting. Please come along for a pleasant afternoon. We have a
very varied programme with plenty to interest everyone. Wendy Smith
Churches Together in Hayes Quiz Evening
Thank you to everyone who supported the quiz night. A
cheque has been sent to St. Christopher’s for £750.00 in
memory of Father David. Alistair Wilson.
6. - 4 -
Hayes Mothers' & Toddlers' Club: Fridays
We welcome all babies and children under school age, accompanied by their
parents, grandparents or carers, to our club on Friday afternoons between 2
and 4pm in term time. The fee is ÂŁ1 per family - tea, squash and biscuits are
provided. This is a time when adults can meet up, while the children in their
care are busy playing with toys and activities in the company of other
children. Wendy Smith
Messy Church: 22nd November
This meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month in the church from 3.30 -
4.30 pm, and children from 2 to 12 years are welcome.
Saturday Fellowship: 4th November
We usually meet on the first Saturday of each month. This month we will
meet on Saturday 4th
November at 2.30pm in Barbara’s house, for a talk on
Aspects of Prayer. The speaker is Mrs Gill Baldwin. The group’s leader is
Martin Nunn and you are welcome to join us.
Book Club: 1st November
We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 2.00pm in the Small Hall.
This month’s meeting will be on Wednesday 1st
November.
The Fairtrade Stall
The Fairtrade stall will now be held once a month (please note this change
from the past), on the 2nd
Sunday, just after the morning service. The stall is
near the refreshments trolley. Do pop by to see what we have for sale. The
items range from snacks and breakfast foods through to greetings cards –
and this month there will be some Christmas items too. We also have a new
catalogue which you can take home to browse through. We look forward to
seeing you. Richard and Barbara
Singles’ Lunches
Anyone living alone is welcome to our Singles Lunches,
which will be held at the Warren, starting at 12.30pm (for
details of the location see the Women’s Contact Group
notice on p3). These are held approximately monthly, so
following a lunch at the very end of October, the next one
will be held on Sunday 3rd
December. More information
from Joan Smith.
7. - 5 -
Top of the Pew
The final of the 2017 contest will take place on Friday 17th
November at
Emmanuel Church, West Wickham at 8pm. At time of publication one of the
semi-finals has yet to take place, but it is known that the other finalist will be
St Barnabas’ Church.
Notice Sheets
If you have an item for inclusion on the Notice Sheet on a particular Sunday
in November, please contact the relevant person below, by the date shown:
By Tuesday 31st
Oct for Sunday 5th
Nov: Joan Smith 8462 3920
By Tuesday 7th
Nov for Sunday 12th
Nov: Pamela Collison 8658 0748
By Tuesday 14th
Nov for Sunday 19th
Nov: Pamela Collison 8658 0748
By Tuesday 21st
Nov for Sunday 26th
Nov: Brenda Cordingley 8462 3867
By Tuesday 28th
Nov for Sunday 3rd
Dec: Brenda Cordingley 8462 3867
Ministry of Flowers
Thank you to Mavis and her helpers for their weekly choice and arrangement
of flowers in the church. Thanks go also to those who provide for these
displays week by week. For this month, they are:
5th
– Christine Rees and Sarah Fletcher 12th
- 3rd
and 4th
Hayes Guides
19th
– TBC 26th
- Mavis Righini
After the service on Sunday morning, the flowers are distributed in order to
celebrate, or thank, or support, and in all cases to bring further enjoyment.
********
PLEASE NOTE:
Subscriptions for Catalyst 2018 are now due
The cost is ÂŁ6 if you receive Catalyst via the pigeonholes at the back of the
church. Please let David and Judith Stoner have this as soon as possible
(envelope attached).
If you wish to have Catalyst sent by post, the cost is now ÂŁ13. We regret the
increase but it reflects the current prices of Royal Mail. Please send your
subscription to:
Judith and David Stoner
108 Salisbury Road
Bromley BR2 9PU
Please make cheques payable to Hayes Free Church.
9. - 7 -
HAYES FREE CHURCH
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
2nd
– 10th
December 2017
in aid of BROMLEY Y
Bromley Y is a long established local charity offering
free therapeutic support to young people between the
ages of 0 -18 years, and to their families.
The church will be open for services at 10.30am and 6.30pm on both Sundays.
During the festival it will also be open daily to view the trees as shown below.
NB The church will NOT be open on Sat 2nd December until 7.00pm.
Saturday 2nd December 7.30pm – OPENING CONCERT:
Croydon Guitar Club Entertains
Sunday 3rd December 6.30pm – Evening Service with Pickhurst Junior Academy
Tree viewing 1.00 – 2.45pm
Monday 4th December 7.30pm - Bishop Justus School Concert
Tree viewing from 2.30pm to start of concert
Tues 5th December NO EVENING EVENT Tree viewing 2.30 – 4.30pm
Wednesday 6th December 7.30pm – Concert: The Wandle Ringers
Tree viewing from 2.30pm to start of concert
Thurs 7th December 7.30pm – Chamber Concert: Bromley Youth Music Trust
(featuring string quartets and Cello Massif)
Tree viewing from 2.30pm to start of concert
Fri 8th December 7.00 for 7.20pm – Film: The Shop around the Corner (1940)
(relive the cinema experience of the 1940s in the company of James Stewart and
Margaret Sullavan)
Tree viewing from 2.30pm to start of film evening
Sat 9th December 7.45pm – Concert: Beckenham Concert Band
Tree viewing from 2.30pm to start of concert
Sun 10th December 6.30pm – Evening Service: Churches Together in Hayes
with musicians from Hayes School Tree viewing 1.00 – 2.45pm
All the money raised will go to Bromley Y:
www.bromleywellbeingcyp.org
www.hayesfreechurch.com
10. - 8 -
The organisers of the events advertised on the previous two pages will be
very glad of your help and support:
For the Christmas Fair and Charity Card Sale Saturday 11th November
We would welcome donations of cakes, jewellery, and good quality bric-a-
brac. These can be brought to church hall on the Friday evening or Saturday
morning. With thanks, Daphne
We will also be glad of some “strong men!” on the Friday evening and again
on the Saturday afternoon to help putting the tables up and down. Thanks,
Pamela
For the Christmas Tree Festival Besides further work for the “strong men”
(details later) we shall need stewards during the afternoons, and for all the
evening events, together with pairs of helpers running the refreshments on
most evenings. There is a timetable in the church and I would be very grateful
if you would sign it if you are able to help. Thanks, Christine
******
Past Novembers in wartime
In November 1917, one hundred years ago, the Battle of Passchendaele
eventually came to an end after the village of Passchendaele was captured
by Canadian troops.
In November 1942, seventy five years ago, the second Battle of El Alamein
ended in Allied victory, hailed by Churchill as “not the beginning of the end,
but perhaps the end of the beginning”.
In both cases there was much fighting and other confusing activity going on
elsewhere. In November 1917, the news coming out of Russia must have
been bewildering as Lenin took power after the October revolution, only a
few days earlier.
In November 1942, in complete contrast, the Church of England apparently
abandoned a requirement that women should wear hats in church. Today
this seems a tiny matter, but there was probably a connection with the war
effort. Clothing in Britain had been rationed since 1941 but hats were largely
exempt. They were however taxed as a luxury. This gave them a role as a
fashion accessory which perhaps encouraged a “keeping up with [or
outdoing] the Joneses” mentality, thought to be unsuitable in church,
particularly at a time of so much suffering and privation. Whatever the
precise reason, this is one of those small changes which illustrate how the
effects of war permeate the whole of society.
11. - 9 -
Information on China from the Bible Society
“In China today, there’s only one theologically-trained minister for every
6,700 Christians. It’s an almost unbelievable fact – but let me help you
understand what it really looks like.
During China’s Cultural Revolution, when churches were closed and worship
was banned, the training of ministers was abruptly halted. For nearly 20
years, no one in China received a theological education. There was a
generation gap in the output of church leaders. So, when the Cultural
Revolution ended, there was already a shortage of pastors. Then, the
dormant Church exploded into life and the number of Chinese Christians
began to grow… and grow. The Church couldn’t train leaders fast enough, let
alone fill the leadership gap caused by the Cultural Revolution.
In rural areas, three out of five Christians cannot read or write, so they rely
on the teaching of others to access God’s word.
With Church growth showing no signs of letting up, the shortage of ministers
is only going to get worse. China has one of the fastest-growing churches in
the world. Half a million people are baptised every year and within a
generation China could have the highest population of Christians of any
country in the world.
We’ve bought books for the national theological seminary and are creating
libraries in other regional seminaries (some had fewer Christian books than
you or I might find on our bookshelves). We’ve given scholarships to the
most promising young leaders, and have flown in international Bible experts
to lead conferences.
This is longterm strategic work, which takes vision and courage. We need to
send Bibles to new Christians in China and help them to understand and
engage with God’s word. When this happens, lives and whole communities
are transformed. And if the Bible shapes China, one of the world’s
superpowers, it will affect all of us around the globe.”
(reproduced with thanks to the Bible Society)
We give our Sunday coffee morning donations on occasion to the Bible
Society and with the quarterly magazine are kept up to date on this vital
mission work. Betty (Bible Society representative).
*****
CHARTWELL CANCER TRUST is seeking help…
Volunteers
- Bag packing in Marks& Spencer – Thurs 23, Thurs 30 November
- Present wrapping – Sat 16, Sun 17, Thurs 21 December.
- Carol singing (as part of, or joining with, a choir) in the Glades in Dec.
Furniture – for their new charity shop opening soon in Brixton (more on
this in the next issue of Catalyst)
If you can help with any of this, please ring 01959 570322 or email
info@chartwellcancertrust.co.uk. Thank you.
12. - 10 -
St Andrew (feast day: November 30th)
To complement earlier notes on the other three patron saints of the British
nations, here is a brief account of St Andrew. He is of course the only one of
the four to be mentioned in the Bible, as one of the first and best known of
Jesus’s disciples, particularly remembered for bringing people to Jesus. After
Jesus’s death and resurrection, it is said that he continued this missionary
work in the area around the Black Sea, preaching to the Scythians and
others. He is certainly associated with countries in or near that region, being a
patron saint of Russia, Roumania, Ukraine and Greece, and also revered as
the bringer of Christianity to Georgia. He is believed to have been martyred at
Patras in Greece, on a strangely shaped cross since he felt unworthy to be
crucified in the same way as Jesus. In the city there is now a Cathedral
dedicated to him.
There is a legend that Andrew visited Scotland - or if not he himself, then a
Greek monk, St Rule, who travelled to Scotland with a group of monks and
nuns, carrying some relics of the saint. In both versions of the story, landfall
was made in Fife, at the location which was to become the city of St Andrews.
It seems more likely, though, that information about St Andrew reached
Scotland as part of general Christian missions to Britain, with less specific
emphasis on St Andrew.
Still in the region of myth rather than history, another story is told that in 832 a
king of the Picts celebrated a great victory over the people of Northumbria,
after seeing the diagonal cross of St Andrew (the shape known as a saltire) in
the sky. But from the twelfth century there is real historical evidence both for
the importance of the saltire as a symbol of the saint, and the importance of
the saint to Scotland. As early as 1385, Scottish soldiers were required by act
of parliament to wear the saltire as a badge. And even earlier, in 1320,
Scottish nobles had set their seals to the Declaration of Arbroath, a letter to
the Pope seeking to establish Scotland as an independent nation, which
referred to Andrew as the one who established Christianity in Scotland. This
was well before St George was established as England’s patron saint.
From that time on Scotland’s loyalty to its patron saint has been
unquestioned. Figures on horseback representing St Andrew and St George
met in the streets of London when James VI of Scotland
acceded to the English throne as James I. Early on, the
white or silver coloured saltire had a variety of background
colours, but the use of blue seems to have been
standardised in the sixteenth century - though not always
the same blue! It varied over the years until the Scottish
Parliament stipulated a particular shade in 2003.
13. - 11 -
Special dates in November:
Saturday 11th
: Remembrance Day. Christmas Fair and Charity Card Sale
Sunday 12th
: Remembrance Sunday
Wednesday 22nd
: St Cecilia’s Day (patron saint of Music)
Saturday 25th
: Festivities for Hayes Christmas Lights, switched on at 5pm
Thursday 30th
: St Andrew’s Day (patron saint of Scotland)
Bromley Food Bank
Last month we supported the Food Bank through our Harvest contributions
and no doubt other churches locally did the same. Their website however
still needs to ask for more of the items that it has been listing as urgent for
the past few weeks:
Custard; tinned cold meat (eg ham, spam, corned beef); tinned fruit; biscuits;
pasta sauce; tinned vegetables; tinned meat that can form the basis of a hot
meal; rice pudding; tinned tomatoes; small bottles of squash; UHT milk.
But they still have plenty of beans, pasta, soup and cereal.
Since we tend to visit the church only on Sundays, it may be useful to have a
note of the Food Bank’s formal collection points across the borough. They
can be used on any day that the relevant shop is open. They are:
Tesco, Homesdale Rd, Bromley
Tesco Extra, Orpington
Sainsbury, Station Road, West Wickham
Sainsbury, Station Square, Petts Wood
Sainsbury, the Walnuts, Orpington
Waitrose, Green Street Green
Furniture Fundraising Shop, 3A Station Approach, Hayes
(also St Michael and All Angels Church, Ravenscroft Rd, Beckenham is open
at specific points during the week, not just on Sunday). For timings see:
https://bromleyborough.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/
!!!Stop press!!!
Apologies that the voucher for a Christmas Tree from Layhams Road Farm
Shop is not yet available (see last month). I hope that it will be in the next
magazine – and/or I will leave copies at the back of the church. Thanks for
your patience.
14. - 12 -
Calendar for November
Wed 1 2.00pm Book Club (p4)
Fri 3 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers’ Club (p4)
Sat 4 2.30pm Saturday Fellowship (p4)
Sun 5 10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service (p2)
Holy Communion (p2)
Mon 6 12.30pm Women’s Contact Group (p3)
Tue 7 2.00pm
7.00pm
Tuesday Friendship Group (p3)
Elders’ Meeting (p3)
Fri 10 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers’ Club (p4)
Sat 11
10.30am
Remembrance Day
Christmas Fair and Charity Card Sale (p6)
Sun 12 10.30am
11.30am
6.30pm
Remembrance Sunday: Parade (p2)
Fairtrade stall (p4)
Evening Service (p2)
Tue 14 2.00pm Tuesday Friendship Group (p3)
Thur 16 8.00pm Men’s Group (p3)
Fri 17 2.00pm
8.00pm
Mothers and Toddlers’ Club (p4)
Top of the Pew final (p5)
Sun 19 10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service (p2)
Evening Service (p2)
Tue 21 2.00pm Tuesday Friendship Group (p3)
Wed 22 3.30pm Messy Church (p4)
St Cecilia’s Day
Fri 24 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers’ Club (p4)
Sat 25 5.00pm Hayes Christmas Lights (p11)
Sun 26 10.30am
12.00noon
6.30pm
Morning Service (p2)
Church Meeting (p3)
Evening Service (p2)
Tue 28 2.00pm Tuesday Friendship Group (p3)
Thur 30 St Andrew’s Day
And looking ahead to December 2017:
Sat 2 7.30pm Start of Christmas Tree Festival (p7)
15. CHURCH ORGANISATIONS – please advise the Editor of updates as they arise
Day Organisation Contact Phone/
Email
Sunday
Monday
5.45pm Brownies Sarah Humphrey 020 3539 8113
6.30pm Cubs Brenda Petts 020 8325 3956
12.30pm - 1st
Mon only
Women's Contact Group Sylvia Mack 020 8462 1938
Tuesday
2.00pm Tuesday Friendship
Group
Wendy Smith 020 8462 1779
7.15pm Scouts - 1st troop Paul Hasling 020 3236 0083
Wednesday
2.00pm - 1st
Weds only
HFC Book Club Wendy Smith 020 8462 1779
3.30pm - 4th
Weds only
Messy Church Mavis Righini 020 8462 1168
5.30pm Rainbows Jenny Longman 07730 574962
6.00pm Beavers Brenda Petts 020 8325 3956
6.30pm Guides – 4th Hayes Teresa Cheyne 020 8777 6042
8.00pm Explorers Phil Butcher
&
Dan Perrott
Pip.butcher@
googlemail.com
danperrott@
hotmail.com
Thursday
5.30pm Brownies Stevie Blair 020 8325 3469
7.15 - 8.45pm Rangers Please use this email
contact:
Hayesdistrict@
yahoo.com
7.15pm Scouts - 2nd troop Paul Hasling 020 3236 0083
8.00pm - 3rd
Thurs only
Men's Group Bruce Tannock 020 8325 6264
Friday
2.00pm Mothers & Toddlers Wendy Smith 020 8462 1779
6.30pm Guides – 3rd Hayes Teresa Cheyne 020 8777 6042
Saturday
2.30pm - 1st Sat
only
Saturday Fellowship Martin Nunn 020 8462 5918
16. Final Thought:
I greet thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust, and saviour of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray thee from me anxious cares to take.
Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place:
So come, o King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of thy pure day.
Our hope is in no other save in thee;
Our faith is built upon thy promise free;
Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,
That in thy strength we evermore endure.
Attrib John Calvin (1509-64); tr Elizabeth L Smith (1817-98)
