2

Key Information

Clergy: Vicars: Rev Cathy & Rev Jonny Blair (off duty Fri) 01932 917736 Curate: Rev Caroline Merrick (avail Tue, Thu & Fri) 07419 827739 Curate: Rev Alex Oehring (off duty Saturday) 07920 098867

Church Warden: David Henderson & Janet Todd (St John’s)

Children & Youth Minister: Mandy Watts (off duty Thursday)

Licensed Lay Ministers: John Muggleton, Tessa & John Badcock

Pastoral Assistants: Wendy Fitch, Alan White, Roger Hunt, Linda Muggleton, Margaret Valentine, Sue Green and Louise Turner.

For enquiries of a pastoral nature, please contact via the Vicars.

A full list of Parish Officers and organisations is on our website.

Information about Weddings and Baptisms can also be found on our website www.waltonparish.org.uk

Parish Office (open Monday - Friday 10:00-12:30) St Mary's Church Hall, Church Street, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 2QS

Administrator: Becky Warner Telephone - 01932 224238 Email - office@waltonparish.org.uk

Communications Manager & Strategic Co-Ordinator: Sally Eckes (day off Fri) 07779 623377

St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 2QS St John’s Church, 1 The Furrows, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 3JQ

3

VICARS’ BLOG: The Exodus

Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect on the year gone by with its joys and blessings and to think about the things and people that are important to us. As we look to a new year ahead, it may be a new season for starting something new or adapting our lives around others. It’s so important to put in our diaries things that feed the soul as well as the body. Nurturing our relationship with God doesn’t just happen by itself, we must set aside time for prayer, Bible reading and meeting for worship. We are looking forward to a Pilgrimage to Israel this Spring and to walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

I’m an Israelite – get me out of here!

Not “I’m a celebrity get me out of here!” Although we can promise that frogs will make an appearance. We haven’t studied much Old Testament recently, so we thought about which book would really open up our understanding of God – Yahweh and the people of Israel. Exodus of course. “Let my people go!” is a message that crosses the generations and echoes through the Old Testament. Right up until the time of Jesus, the Jewish people looked back to the escape from Egypt, the wandering in the desert, the 10 Commandments and God’s promise to be a people and to have a land. Many of the psalms refer back to part of the Exodus story and it opens up an understanding of the whole Old Testament. We will look at big themes such as liberation, sacrifice, God’s presence, mission and creation. It’s not simply an inspiring tale of the past, it is a key to understanding the person and work of Christ and it becomes our story of deliverance. Towards Easter we will offer a Passover meal as we embrace the crossover between Exodus and Easter.

Buckle up your seat belts and enjoy the ride in sermons and in Life Groups starting January 12th. Happy New Year from Jonny and Cathy

4

A princess goes to bathe in the river and has her heart won by the cries of an abandoned baby.

A bush on fire never burns up, and from it speaks a voice that will change history.

An unarmed shepherd walks out of the wilderness to do battle with the most powerful man on earth.

The people of Egypt turn back their sheets to find frogs in their beds.

The lone cry of a bereaved mother is joined by another and then another and then another until a loud wailing echoes across the land.

A whole nation walks through a sea, with walls of water on either side.

God is put on trial and, when the verdict is announced, God receives the judgement of the court.

Amid thunder, lightning, thick cloud and an earthquake, the voice of God booms across the plain.

In the wilderness, a man argues with God about the future of a people, and God relents.

The glory of God so fills a tent that everyone must evacuate. There is no shortage of dramatic moments in the book of Exodus. It is a story that has repeatedly captured the public imagination, and which has been a favourite of filmmakers. Its story of deliverance from oppression has inspired liberation movements from the Pilgrim Fathers and the English revolutionaries of the seventeenth century to the anti-slavery campaigns of the nineteenth century to the civil rights movements in the twentieth century. Its cry of, “Let my people go” has echoed down across the centuries.

But in truth, its message is more dramatic than these dramatic moments

and more revolutionary than these revolutionary movements.

Our sermon series and Life Group studies will be based on this book this term. You can buy the book in the pop-up book shop at St Mary’s during Sunday services. Speak to Alex or Sally if you’d like to order a copy.

5

FAMILY NEWS, THANKS & PRAYER

6

December has brought so much joy, so much to be thankful for, so much to continue praying for. We took 10 candidates for confirmation at St Peters, our Youth are thriving and enjoyed all sorts of Christmas shenanigans at their Christmas gatherings, the churches both look amazing, we hosted a fantastic Christmas lunch club where over 80 people were fed and gifts given out, we celebrated at Messy Church, had 2 Christingles (with a real life human sized Christingle – well done Cathy, we’re led to believe that next year it’ll be Caroline’s turn to be the Christingle! :-) We’ve had numerous Nativity and Crib services, 2 wonderful Carol Services and more still to come. We’ve also seen almost 2,500 children and adults at St Mary’s for various school events and services and delivered nearly 5000 Parish Christmas cards.

Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God. Amen

7

8

9

DAILY PRAYER

Some ideas for prayer for our church & community

Sunday Sunday Services, midweek Communion - for all who make our Church feel welcoming. For our Singers and Musicians.

Monday One another in our daily lives at work, in our neighbourhood, wherever we are, to show God’s love. On our frontlines.

Tuesday Seniors – Walton Connections. Other groups - Mothers’ Union and St John’s Wives.

Wednesday Discipleship and Leadership – Small Groups, the Servant Course, PCC, worship leaders, preachers and Pastoral Assistants.

Thursday Outreach & community links – the Alpha Course, Messy Church, assemblies in Walton schools, the Open the Book team, baptisms and funerals.

Friday Children and Youth – Friday groups, Sunday School and Sunday youth groups, Toddlers’ Praise. For all helpers and leaders and for more leaders.

Saturday Missionaries we support – Tear Fund, Compassion, Foodbank, Hannah Satterthwaite, Jo Davis & Fusion, Home Leone.

Prayer is vital to our life as a church, it’s at the heart of all that we do. It’s the main way in which we express our dependence on God, seek His guidance, and ask for His blessing on all that we do in His name. Prayer is prominent in our services and is an important part of all our small groups. On the website you can find a variety of links and suggested resources that might be helpful when thinking about ways to encourage and support your daily prayer life. It can be a challenge when we are all so very busy but it is possible to be busy and still enjoy time with God.

10

ChurchSuite enables us to organize and manage all our valuable contact information; children’s age groups, members and groups, bookings, rotas, events and attendance, donations, and more. As we continue to configure our system, ChurchSuite will simplify our administration, management and communication to our members.

Most importantly, ChurchSuite is an amazing tool which allows us to simply and effectively communicate with our church family through My Churchsuite, and allows all our church family members access to:

My Details: update and manage all your personal and children’s details

My Calendar & Events: view and sign up for Church events

My Rotas: View rotas, add your unavailability, make swaps and receive reminders.

My Giving: Make donations online

My Podcasts: Missed a sermon? Access all our online sermons.

On the website you will find some simple instructions that we hope will help you make the most out of your access to My ChurchSuite. There is a section specifically about rotas as well as several more general instructions. Over time we will be adding to the list of FAQ’s. If you have a question and it’s not on the list, please do get in touch with the office and we’ll do our best to help!

We will soon be rolling ChurchSuite out and making it available to EVERYBODY. If you would like to set up your profile now, then please do get in touch and we will happily send you an invitation.

11

SERVICES AT ST MARY’S & ST JOHN’S

JANUARY 2019 Exodus – Journey to the LORD Sun 29th Dec Christmas 1

St Mary’s 8.00 am Said Communion 10.00 am Joint Service with Communion St John’s NO SERVICE

The true light shines in the darkness Gen 1:1-5 John 1:1-14

Wed 1 Jan St John’s No midweek service

Sun 5 Jan Epiphany

St Mary’s 8.00 am Said Communion 9.15 am Lively Service All Age 11.00 am Reflective Service with Communion

Gifts for the King Isaiah 60:1-6 Matthew 2:1-12

St John’s 9.00 am Said Communion 10.30 am Morning Praise

Thurs 9 Jan St Mary’s 10.00 am Said Communion

Sun 12 Jan Epiphany 2

St Mary’s 8.00 am BCP Communion 9.15 am Lively Service with Communion 11.00 am Reflective Service with Communion

Exodus: A people & a land Exodus 1:1-22 Matthew 2:13-16

St John’s 10.30 am Morning Praise for All

Wed 15 Jan St John’s 10.00 am Said Communion

Sun 19 Jan Epiphany 3

St Mary’s 8.00 am Said Communion 9.15 am Lively Service 11.00 am Reflective Service with Communion 7.00 pm Walton Churches Together Service

Meet Moses Exodus 2:1-15, 23-25 Matthew 2:19-23 St John’s

10.30 am Holy Communion

Thurs 23 Jan St Mary’s or at Day centre 10.00 am Said Communion

Sun 26 Jan Epiphany 4

St Mary’s 8.00 am Said Communion 9.15 am Lively Service with Baptism 11.00 am Reflective Service with Communion 3.00 pm Baptism

Who are You? Exodus 3:1-17 Mathew 3:13-17

St John’s 10.30 am Morning Praise

Wed 29 Jan St John’s 10.00 am Said Communion

12