www.ashingtonparishchurch.co.uk

A Time to Celebrate

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:34:46 +0100

Several Sundays ago, in a small summer kissed corner of rural South England, (our very own small corner, to be precise), a little bit of history was made.

Oh, it hasn’t make any headlines; neither national, regional, nor local newspapers have commented on it, and even the majority of villagers in the communities concerned will not have been aware of its significance – to the world, generally, this little bit of history is meaningless, but in the heavens, one would like to imagine there is celebration. A small but significant wound had been cleansed and healed. A Benefice has been reunited.

A what? To most, the word ‘Benefice’ means very little. Today, it is predominantly an ecclesiastic word; within the Church of England it describes the union of a group of parishes sharing a single Minister. So then, what is the significance of all this to us? What exactly happened several Sundays ago, on the 10th July?

Here’s a little bit of background….over the centuries, there have been many changes to the parochial arrangements of our three neighbouring parishes of Ashington, Washington and Wiston with Buncton. All Saints church in Buncton, for instance, was first recorded as a parish church in 1323, but in the 15th century it lost its parish status and became a Chapel of Ease to St Peter and St Paul’s church in Ashington, which in turn had been split from nearby Washington parish in approximately the 12th century.

Lets jump forward a few centuries, to a major change in 1977, when the parishes of Ashington with Buncton and Washington with Wiston were united into one single large Benefice. For reasons not important now, the Benefice was then suspended during 2005, although it continued to remain a legal entity in name only. All Saints Buncton was now in the parish of St Mary’s church in Wiston, and in 2007, Buncton church became the principal church in the parish. At the end of 2009, St Mary’s church, Wiston, was declared redundant by the Diocese of Chichester.

Recently the parishes of Ashington and Washington have been praying, quietly and not so quietly, for unity in the ‘church’ in the local area, in particular for reuniting this Benefice so that Ashington, Washington and Wiston with Buncton ceases to be just legal terminology, and the three parishes could once again be united as the body of Christ. After much legal consultation, ecclesiastic paperwork, and heaps of prayer, the official ‘Collation’ and ‘Induction’ service to make our Vicar Chris Maclay the ‘new’ Rector, and the Benefice of Ashington, Washington and Wiston with Buncton whole again took place on Sunday 10th July, another (hopefully permanent) ‘tweak’ in church history in this region.

The service itself took place in a marquee situated right next to All Saints church, Buncton. It was a beautiful summer’s day; the right amount of sun, shade and breeze; the children worshipped with play and laughter outside the marquee as the adult congregations from all three parishes praised, worshipped and thanked God for His grace. They watched with real joy as the The Right Reverend Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham, led the service, assisted by The Venerable Roger Combes, Archdeacon of Horsham and our own curate, Julie Sear, who just a few weeks earlier at the end of June was herself fully ordained into the priesthood. All Saints church, beautifully adorned inside with stunning flower displays, stood in quiet anticipation for the moment the Rev Chris Maclay symbolically paraded up and unlocked the doors to ring the church bell, signifying the reunion.

Throughout the day there was a real sense of joyful celebration, not just during the service, (when, incidentally - and somewhat ironically - everything electrical behaved itself beautifully despite being in the middle of a field) but even as the three congregations were gathering and introducing themselves before the service and during the picnic lunch afterwards (with the obligatory summer ‘shower’!). A Benefice at last reunited.

WOW! Easter Holiday Club

Sun, 15 May 2011 21:10:45 +0100

For several years now at Ashington, we have run an Easter Holiday Club in partnership with Splash. Each year, the Holiday Club gets bigger, and more and more children come from our local community to learn about, and more importantly, to meet with Jesus. Along with about 40 other adults and teenagers, Jane Blakely, a local mum and member of our congregation at Ashington Church, volunteered to help out and this is her account:

“WOW! – I have just completed another Ashington Church Holiday Club and they just get better and better. Loosely based on the X Factor/ Britain’s Got Talent theme, the WOW Factor holiday club certainly was WOW, WOW, WOW!

After weeks of planning, the first day of the holiday club finally arrived; it was the 18th April and stretching ahead were four mornings of jam-packed activities based on Jesus miracles and culminating with Jesus death and resurrection - the biggest WOW factor ever.

As the doors opened at 9 o’clock each morning, seventy children piled into the church which was decked out with disco balls hanging from the ceiling and a sparkly set fit for any talent show judge. The children were split into seven groups, according to age, and with over forty volunteers to care for them it meant a high ratio of volunteers per children.

The group names were (youngest first) Super Stars, Joyful Jugglers, Dazzling Dancers, Sizzling Singers, Amazing Acrobats, Fabulous Fire-eaters and Stunning Stuntmen. With a ‘friendly’ competitive streak running through each team and points and a daily trophy to be won, it wasn’t long before each team had got their own unique chant going. Stunning stuntmen excelled themselves with;

“Stunning Stuntmen in a catapult
Ready to shoot like a lightning bolt
Going up to heaven on a big big wave
It is the world that we’re going to save “

Each day kicked off with a craft activity in groups and an energetic, if not slightly silly warm up. What followed included team challenges which varied from dressing a team member up as a microphone to sticking stars all over a leader, songs, air guitar playing, and the distribution of more valuable points.

Then came the Bible stories – the WOW Factor miracles – we had the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of the lepers, Jesus calming the storm and lastly the biggest miracle of all, Jesus’ death and resurrection. All this was played out to a captivated audience in an extremely accessible way for children (and adults).

Then it was outside for team games. I never knew there were so many events involving a ball or a hoop. This section culminated in a water balloon catch game on the last day. Having been blessed with such amazing weather many children and adults were quite happy to get a soaking and I’m not sure that it didn’t descend into a mass water fight towards the end.

With no time to stop and contemplate the points earned for each team, it was off to the craft tent. This hub of activity brought children out wearing T-shirts they had designed, rockets to fly and shooting stars to wave.

Back inside, some much needed refreshments and snacks were provided and then there was some quiet discussion time about the morning’s activities and the Bible story. However, it did not end there. More songs, leaders challenge involving wotsits, shaving cream, baked beans, jelly, marshmallows, big pants – you get the picture (use your imagination).

And of course the drama - this year Simon High Pants and Cheryl Lump of Coal were harassed by untalented acts and a little egg splatting and water throwing was ‘thrown’ in (literally) for good measure. Some of the best acting to be seen this side of Washington!

Each morning finished with a summary from Chris Maclay and a final song as the parents came in to collect their weary (or was that the leaders?) but very happy children.

This Holiday club was a wonderful, positive experience, most importantly for the children. Getting to know the children in my group and being inspired by their delight and enthusiasm was a joy. However, with many helpers being taken way out of their comfort zones, it also provided a great opportunity for growth and discovery for the adults. Sign me up for the next one.”

Christmas Events at Ashington Church

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 21:00:46 +0000

Christmas is a time for both joy and reflection, and we have a number of events at Ashington Church over the Christmas period during which we can both celebrate God’s wonderful gift to us in Jesus, and have the time and space for our own thoughts on just what this really means to us.

Family Carol Service: Sunday 19th December at 6pm.

Come and join us for a service of traditional carols, (and the nation’s newest carol, ‘Long Long Ago’, composed by a member of our congregation and the winning entry in a national Christmas Carol competition last year!). There will be mulled wine for the adults after the service.

Christmas Prayer Labyrinth: 21,22 and 23 December

The prayer Labyrinth gives us an opportunity during this week of busy Christmas preparation to take time out and be peaceful before God. There will be a number of separate areas set up in the church, each one giving us a chance to reflect and pray. The Labyrinth is available during the following hours: Tuesday 21 (9.00-15.00); Wednesday 22 (9.00-15.00 and 18.00-20.00); Thursday 23 December (9.00-15.00).

Church Lane Café: Tuesday 21 December 1.30-4.00pm

The Café is a warm haven in which to rest and chat over tea, coffee and cake, while the children play in the play area. The time to relax will be particularly welcome during this busy week. The Café will be closed on Tuesday 29th December and 4th January 2011, but will be open again on Tuesday 11 January.

OASIS: Every Wednesday, 8.45-10.30am

Oasis, a sanctuary for everyone who wants a few moments of quiet and peace, will continue to be open over Christmas and the New Year on Wednesday mornings.

Film Night – The story of the Nativity - Wednesday 22 December 8pm -10pm

Hailed as a ‘powerful, timeless, visually magnificent and beautiful telling of one of the world’s most familiar stories’, the film is a rich and realistic dramatisation of the nativity story. The film has been PG rated, and we would not recommend it as suitable for children under the age of 11.

Crib Service: Friday 24 December, 4.00pm

As the busy preparations come to a close, the traditional Crib Service is an ideal opportunity for the whole family to take a step back and to focus on the ‘real’ meaning of the nativity story. Come and see shepherds, angels and of course, the baby Jesus as we celebrate God’s amazing audacious plan for the salvation of mankind.

Midnight Holy Communion: Friday 11.30pm

This is more of a reflective service as we share Holy Communion and welcome in the day of celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Family Christmas Celebration: Saturday 25 December 10.45am

This is a joyful Christmas celebration for all the family and we are delighted to welcome Ashley, our resident puppet at Ashington Church, as he amuses both children and adults alike during the service.

Autumn at Ashington Church

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:00:13 +0100

Now that the Summer is over and the children are back at school, we have a number of events and activities going on here at Ashington Church, and all are welcome to join us:

‘Y’ Course

Our Church’s Autumn activities have started in earnest with ‘Y’ courses running in both Ashington and Washington parishes. Like the world-renowned Alpha course, the ‘Y’ course is a discussion-based forum and provides an ideal opportunity to ask any questions at all – even (especially) the hard and difficult ones - about God and life. For some it is an excellent course to do before embarking on an Alpha course. We run both ‘Y’ and Alpha courses during the year and details of the next courses will appear on our Calendar pages. If you are interested in finding out more, please call the Parish Office on 01903 893878.

‘Insight into Depression’

We are hosting a teaching day on the subject of Depression on Saturday 30th October from 9.15am - 4.30pm. The day is led by Chris Ledger, who has worked for 17 years as a counsellor, supervisor and trainer in the NHS, and is now in private practice. It is aimed at those who help others with depression, as well as those who would like to come for themselves.

The day, part of the ‘Insight’ series of seminars run by CWR, a Christian training and publishing organisation, will address our understanding of depression and its symptoms and causes, what the Bible says about the condition, and the role that faith plays, as well as skills which will help overcome depression and help us to help others suffering from depression. It is not considered suitable, however, for those who have had a recent trauma or those currently suffering from severe depression.

There are still a number places available. If you are interested, please contact Jimmy Girling on 01903 892900 or email jimmyanddiane@onetel.com

The Light Party

Our Light Party is an alternative to the season’s traditional halloween festivities. To reflect the light of Jesus rather than celebrate ‘darkness’ we are meeting at 6pm at the church on Sunday 31 October to parade around Ashington, calling on pre-arranged addresses before returning to Ashington Parish Church for games and hot chocolate. Children are invited to dress up in ‘bright’ non-halloween costumes and must bring a parent and a torch. The cost is £1.00. If you would like to join us or find out more please ring Louise Maclay on 01903 893878.

Oasis

Every Wednesday morning from 9.00-10.30am the church will now be open for all in Ashington to visit for a time of personal prayer, reflection, or just a bit of peace and quiet. Free tea and coffee will be served during the morning, and everyone, wherever they are with their faith, is welcome to join us for a time of sanctuary away from the pressures of the day.

Church Lane Café

On Tuesday 9 November, a Café comes to Ashington! Church Lane Café wlll be open each Tuesday from 1.30 - 4.00pm to provide a warm cosy place for all in Ashington to meet with friends and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of cake. Free transport to and from the café will be available to older residents or those who are not mobile. The Café will be held in the Ashington Parish Church building. If you would like know more about the Café or to arrange transport, contact Liz Burston on 01903 891599.

A Round-up of our Summer at Ashington Church

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:32:15 +0100

Despite the fact that the sun didn’t always shine throughout our summer activities, we were blessed with some wonderful moments.

New Wine

The summer holiday period at Ashington Church - which seems years ago rather than months ago - started with a group of 30 plus members of our congregation setting off for Somerset to join several thousand other Christians from churches all over the southeast at New Wine, a great annual week-long event of worship and Christian teaching. We spent an excellent week camping in beautiful weather, worshipping, learning, and enjoying wonderful fellowship. Our kids especially had a fantastic time, with their own sessions of bible-based fun and many of our church’s teenagers were working as helpers with the children’s groups.

Ashington festival

Towards the end of August we entered a Float into the Ashington Festival parade and on the morning of the festival, a group of five mums, little ones in tow, turned up under leaden low cloud and drizzle to build the H2O float, which was based on the theme of Creation. Despite the wet weather there was a real sense we were there telling a little part of God’s amazing story. We also opened the church for the day specifically for Ashington residents who don’t normally come to church to see how our recent renovations looked.

There was a lot going on at the church stand too; once again we had a prayer tent where people could receive prayer, and also a pot into which confidential personal prayers were placed; these remained unseen but were lifted up to God through prayer from members of Ashington church before being shredded. There was a bead tent for children to make bead necklaces and bracelets and for those who were not too embarrassed, a hugely popular ‘Keepy Uppy’ football competition.

'Party over The Hedge' 2

In early September virtually the whole church got involved one way or the other with blessing the village – first by helping to clear gardens and the school vegetable garden in the morning, then hosting a wonderful event called ‘Party Over the Hedge 2’ during the late afternoon.

Local children were entertained in the mud by bouncy castles, Gladiator Duels and Bungee runs, and a Teddy Bear Bungee Jump. Outside there was a free BBQ and a spit roast lamb, whilst inside we had turned the church into a Café Theatre for the day offering free tea, coffee and cakes. Our church’s resident puppet, Ashley, cheekily engaged parents and children through two performances, and we were treated to the inaugural performance from ‘Those Guys’, a new rock band trio of schoolboys whose parents come to Ashington church, playing a collection of modern rock worship songs.

It was a wonderful way to mark the end of the summer and a fantastic opportunity for us to bless and welcome all those from the village who came to join us.

Free Downloads New Carol - Competition Winner (Recording & Sheet Music)

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:45:47 +0100

Ashington and Washington Parishes welcome their new Curate

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 09:47:29 +0100

Julie Sear, the new Curate at the sister Parishes of Ashington and Washington, joined us at the beginning of the summer and has been settling well into her new role.

Julie did her theological training for the ordained ministry at Trinity Theological College in Bristol, and has spent the last 2 years during her training commuting between Bristol and her former home in Haywards Heath, before moving to a house in Wiston on her appointment as Curate to the two parishes.

Having been ordained as a Deacon in June this year, Julie will be ordained into the priesthood after a year, whilst continuing with her 4 year appointment as Curate to Ashington and Washington. The role of Curate can best be described as ‘Vicar training’, where Julie, as well as working in the parishes, will continue to study.

Following a few years of motherhood, Julie worked for a while in a nursery, and then returned briefly to dentistry. She then took up the position of teaching assistant at Great Walstead School. It was while she was here that she enrolled at St John’s Theological College and did 2 courses in Pastoral care and counselling. She later joined the staff team at All Saints’ Church, Lindfield, as their full time Pastoral Chaplain, and it was during this time she felt called into the Ministry, fully supported by her husband Trevor.

Chris Maclay, Vicar at Ashington and Washington Parish Churches says: "There is no doubt how delighted we are to have Julie and Trevor join our church families. This appointment plays a crucially important part in training and developing Julie for ordained Ministry, and the God-given skills she brings with her are a real blessing to both parishes, who have prayed much over the last couple of years over the way forward for our churches. "

"We welcome them both, praying God’s blessing over Julie’s appointment, her continued training, their family, and their stay with us over the next few years."

In their spare time, both Julie and Trevor share an enjoyment of walking and music (Trevor plays the classical guitar), and Julie also enjoys gardening, reading and meeting up with friends over a meal.

Julie says: "Trevor and I were both delighted when I was given the opportunity to be the Curate here. We both felt very peaceful with the decision, and during the year since my interview the certainty that this is where God wants us to be has been fully cemented. During the summer, I have had the opportunity to meet many from the two Parishes, and now the summer holidays are over I am very much looking forward to settling in quickly and working with Chris and our new church families. "

Julie committed her life to Jesus at 15, and trained originally as a Dental Nurse and Practice Manager. She met her husband Trevor, an Insurance Broker, in 1979 when he came to a guest service at her church, All Saints’, Lindfield, and they were married in 1981. They have 2 children, Ben who is now 25 and who is exploring the possibility of ordained ministry whilst working in his current job, and Andrew, 23, who runs his own electrical engineering business.

Back to Church for Ashington!

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:24:53 +0100

After 18 months of worshipping and praising God in temporary accommodation, the congregation of Ashington Parish Church moved back into the newly refurbished church building in mid-April.

Chris Maclay, Vicar of Ashington Parish Church, reflects on what it means to be back in the Church building, and the events that have taken place since then:

"What an amazing few months it has been, since we moved back into our church building. We were very blessed as a Church to have been able to meet and worship in the fantastic Ashington Community Centre, but without doubt it is great to be back in our bright, welcoming, dry and now warm church!

"We have been, and continue to be inspired and guided by God's Word in Isaiah chapter 58 in the Old Testament, part of which reads:

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings..."

"We firmly believe that God is leading us, not just to 'refurbish and repair' the physical church building - although that is an important part - but to use this building to 'rebuild' Ashington and its entire community; couples, busy families with children, the elderly, singles, the desperate, those employed and unemployed, youngsters, the lonely, those who are unwell and those who are yet spiritually unaware. And part of God reaching out to His children in Ashington is to use this building for the whole village, not just the congregation on Sundays.

"Since the doors were opened again in mid April, the church has been used for a number of wonderful events:

"Almost immediately after the paintwork was dried, we held our Easter Holiday Club in partnership with SPLASH, a local Christian charity bringing fun and worship to primary school children. 'Rocky's Plaice' holiday club was a great success, with up to 70 children from the village on each of the three mornings of the club learning about Jesus through fun, crafts and lots of jumping up and down. Amazingly, not one drop of paint or glue ended up where it shouldn't have! This was followed the very next day with a production by Rhema, a Christian Theatre Group.

"The Sunday following that we held our 'official opening' Rededication Service and were blessed with the most amazing weather for our lunch together in the Church grounds. During May we held the third of our Plant Sale Plus events, raising over £1600. The wet weather did nothing to take away from the lovely café/market atmosphere inside the building.

"Also in May, we had the wonderful Riverside Theatre Company (where one of our congregation is doing her Gap year) staging a powerful performance for a younger audience; in June there was the God@Work Seminar to encourage those of us at work to share our faith in the workplace. In July the building was the venue for a classical music concert; the Monthly Lunch Club turned the building back into a café for its Summer Cream Tea and very recently we were able to bless the village with 'Free to Give', where high quality secondhand clothes were given free to anyone in the village - this was hosted by Liaise, a Storrington-based free debt-counselling service run by two members of our congregation. We hope to make this a regular occurrence.

"This church building belongs to the village, and it gives us great pleasure to see the village using it. We will be holding a number of events throughout the year; in the meantime, the church will be open during the Ashington Carnival for quiet reflection or just to have a look around and ask questions about the refurbishment and on Saturday 11^th September we will be hosting another major event along the lines of our successful "Party over the Hedge' - look out for more details later in the summer. "

Ashington Parish Church wins major grant for Church Renovations.

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:28:37 +0000

Ashington Parish Church has been awarded a major grant towards the renovation of its church building by Viridor Credits Environmental Company, a subsidiary of Viridor, one of the UK's largest resource and waste management companies.

Ashington Church is benefitting from a grant of £22,442 which has been awarded to pay towards the electrics and east wall repairs.

Now in the 20^th week, the renovation of Ashington Church is more than half way through and is still on schedule for a spring finish, despite the dreadful weather at the beginning of January.

The intricate multi-layered flooring, with its new under-floor heating system, has been the focus for much of the work since the start of the Christmas period and during the last few weeks. Now completed and totally covered up for protection, the floor has been built up with a number of different layers including hi-tech materials and piping, and terracotta heat releasing tiles all topped by large pale coloured limestone slabs. As well as greatly improving the quality of heat available in the colder months, the new floor will add to the feeling of light and spaciousness when the church building is eventually reopened.

Alongside the work on the floor has been the insertion of a new boiler system in the Vestry, and the total rewiring of the church which is now nearing completion. The walls and ceilings are in the process of being painted, having had sections of the plaster repaired, and SGN has recently dug up Foster Lane to establish a gas supply for the heating system.

In addition to the actual overseeing of the building works, there has been a real focus on fund-raising which started in October 2008 with the Ashington congregation 'gifting' (through both donations and pledges) approximately £180,000, in a single day.

Another part of the fund raising project included applying for, and being awarded, the grant by Viridor Credits, which redistributes a proportion of money that its parent company, Viridor Waste Management Ltd, would otherwise pay as Landfill Tax. These funds support community-based projects through the Landfill Communities Fund and a proportion is awarded for restoration or renovation of buildings of historical importance, including those used for religious worship, provided they offer public access.

Peter Lewis, Building Project Coordinator for Ashington Church, says: " We are of course absolutely delighted with the award from Viridor Credits, which has been a fantastic contribution towards our fund-raising efforts. The church building belongs to our community, and we look forward to welcoming Ashington residents to into a warm and inviting church building which is there for all in the village as a sanctuary and a place to meet with God."

Ashington Church member Joy Hammond wins National Christmas Carol competition!

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:52:01 +0000

Joy Hammond, a member of our congregation at Ashington Church, has won a prestigious national competition to compose a new Christmas carol. The carol, called "Long, Long Ago" was picked as the winner from over 100 entries from all over the country in a competition called 'The Christmas Factor'. Run by Ecclesiastical Insurance, the competition is part of a wider campaign with ChurchAds.net to put the Christian message back into Christmas.

Joy, an amateur musician, was tempted to enter the competition to win the £1000 prize money for our church's renovation, which is due to be completed in the spring. Having been involved with church worship for a number of years, Joy is a member of our worship team here at Ashington, but has not actually composed anything for about 10 years.

She admits to being 'flabbergasted' at winning. "I heard about the competition from our church notice sheet and thought I'd give it a go" says Joy. "I sat down at the piano and started to play a little melody line and tried to get the lyrics to reflect all the things I associate with carols. To be honest, I thought the carol was too simple to win the competition."

But it was the simplicity and beauty of the song that impressed the judges, and as part of the prize the carol has been professionally arranged and recorded, and played on several radio stations.

Joy's carol was not the only competition entry from Ashington. Tim Fooks, who is also part of our worship team, wrote another beautiful carol called "Joy has come to the World".

Both carols were performed at Ashington Church's Christmas carol service by a joint choir from Ashington and our sister Church Washington.

"We are all absolutely delighted for Joy, and very proud of her and Tim. And, of course, we are very blessed by the prize of £1000 which is a beautiful gift towards the church" says Chris Maclay, our Vicar at Ashington.

"Having the carols performed at the Ashington Christmas carol service was a wonderful treat for all who came to the service, and there could not be a more fitting way to bless and wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful and very happy Christmas."

To listen to the new carol, click on the link below:

Ashington Parish Church Launches ‘SpendAndGive’ scheme

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:17:29 +0000

Ashington Parish Church has joined forces with SpendAndGive, an Internet based fundraising company, to help raise funds for the church's renovation project.

SpendAndGive works with online retailers to raise funds for charities by offering an additional no-cost channel for charity supporters to access a growing number of high profile retailers, including Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Amazon and ToysRus among others via a dedicated website.

Ashington Parish Church is delighted to join the scheme, launched this week, which allows supporters - both existing members of the congregation and residents of Ashington - to support the renovation of their Parish Church at no cost to themselves.

Shoppers start their Internet shopping by logging onto www.ashingtonpc.spendandgive.com and then follow the links to the many on-line stores who are part of the scheme. When the purchase is made, the church receives a commission on the sale.

Chris Maclay, our Vicar at Ashington, is enthusiastic about the scheme: " The renovation of the church is going extremely well, as is the fundraising for it. But there is no doubt that the amount of work being carried out is enormous, and carries a cost.

"This is a fantastic way for everyone in Ashington to get involved with their Parish church in a way that doesn't cost the buyer anything at all, but will help us significantly as we continue to turn Ashington church into a warm and welcoming place for the whole village, not just the congregation on Sunday."

Ashington Parish Church renovations well underway.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:53:36 +0000

After a whole month of digging and levelling, the first stage of building work at Ashington Parish church is well under way, and on schedule!

During these first few weeks the works have concentrated on removing the flooring and digging out tons of rubble to reduce the ground level by nearly two feet.

Over the next few weeks the floor level will gradually be rebuilt, layer by layer and will incorporate the new under floor heating system.

One of the issues that can affect church renovations is the possibility of finding human bones and that is exactly what did happen here at Ashington during the second week. A number of bones and part of a human skull were found in the southern part of the church, and the official procedure was immediately put into place. An archaeologist was called to observe the building works and to check that the bones were not from a grave. Once it was established that the bones had simply been reburied - probably as a result of disturbing the ground when the South Aisle extension was added in 1872 - building work was cleared to continue, without any delay to the schedule.

The most recent work has focused on the high ceiling; in order create a feeling of light and space, the dark wooden planks in between the ceiling beams have been covered with plaster board, which are easier to maintain than painting the existing wooden ceiling, and will be painted the same light colour as the church walls. Once the work on the ceiling has been completed, the work on rebuilding the floor level will continue.

"We are really pleased with the quality of the work and expertise shown by Farnrise Construction Ltd. Their input into the decision-making process has been excellent," says Peter Lewis, Property Secretary at Ashington Church.

"In addition, our architect, John Minter, is doing a superb job managing everything and we are blessed as a Church to be working with him and Farnrise."

There are a few pews left for sale so if you would like to buy a little bit of local history then contact Geoff Tute, our fundraising Chairman on 01903 745004.

Building work begins at Ashington Parish Church

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:31:39 +0100

Members of Ashington's Parish Church 'celebrated' the start of their church's building programme this weekend by dismantling the interior in preparation for the builders arriving on Monday 21 September.

After months of planning and waiting for approval from various regulatory bodies, building work begins this week and is expected to last for approximately six months.

The church - which is now officially a 'building site' - still had to be emptied of its remaining pews, storage cupboards and any wooden flooring which could be salvaged. Throughout the day on Saturday, members of Ashington church worked together to empty the building, with any remaining pews being delivered to their buyers.

Chris Maclay, the Vicar at Ashington Church says,

"There is no doubt that we are all delighted that work has started at last. We are all looking forward to returning next year into a building that will be wonderfully welcoming to all in Ashington.

"Throughout the building work we will continue to meet on Sunday mornings at the Ashington Community Centre, unless otherwise advised. Any information on our church services throughout the winter, the Y course due to begin this week and other Church based activities can be found in the Calendar pages of this website.

"In addition we'll be posting regular updates on the progress of the building works so log on regularly to see how your church building is developing."

Water into (New) Wine!

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:10:48 +0100

It was a wet but worthwhile week for over 60 members of Ashington Church's congregation as they camped out at 'New Wine', a huge Christian Conference held at the Bath and West Showground, in the last week in July.

New Wine, which holds three different regional events, attracts Christians from all over the country for an intense week of worship, learning and fellowship.

This year there were a number of people from Ashington who had never been before, and despite the weather, all agreed that the week was hugely worthwhile spiritually, and that they would be going again next year.

Chris Maclay, our Vicar at Ashington, says "It was definitely a steep learning curve for many of the first timers, but God is infinitely bigger than the weather! It was great to see people in our Church Family really touched by God throughout the week as they took part in teaching seminars and the fantastic worship.

"The children also absolutely loved it, they loved their groups where they had their own age appropriate teaching and worship and got to know Jesus better, they loved the camping and the freedom it gave them and they loved the muddy puddles and playing hide and seek with torches!"

"It was the 'showering of the Holy Spirit', not the rain showers which made impact during the week."

The NOISE @ Ashington Parish Church

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:17:11 +0100

Members of Ashington Church picked up their spades and met together on Saturday 4th July to clean up overgrown areas in Ashington Village as part of Ashington Church’s first ‘The Noise’ event.

"The Noise@Ashington, was a fantastic opportunity for our Church family to get out into our community and serve in a very practical way" says Chris Maclay, our Vicar.

Over 25 members teamed up to clear the ditches running along side the Rec (4 good quality footballs were found and returned to the local team who train there); to cut back bushes, brambles and weeds outside Aladdin’s Cave on London Road, and to help one lady by weeding her garden and painting some woodwork.

‘The Noise’ is an initiative originating from a group of Churches working together in North Bristol, where it is in its 8^th year, and earlier this year over 500 volunteers from several churches made an impact on their local communities.

"It’s unlikely we’ll get quite that big," says Chris Maclay, "but not only is ‘The Noise’ a great opportunity for Ashington Church to make an impact locally but a wonderful way for local Christians to join together in giving time and service to our communities. "It would be great, eventually, to see this grow and more churches, whatever their denomination, joining in with us."

Beavers and Salsa at Ashington Parish Church!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:13:49 +0100

It was an exciting week for some of Ashington Church’s young people and youth. On the evening of Monday 15 June, five of our young H₂O members became fully fledged Beaver Scouts at their Investiture, and on the Saturday 20^th June two of our teenage Salt group members held an amazing Salsa Evening to help fund their Gap year projects.

The six year old Beaver youngsters, Joseph Blakely, Alice Burston, Katie Harvey, Ashleigh Dean and Amy McKinnon were among 23 invested into the brand new 1^st Ashington Beaver Scouts, set up as a new Pack this term. Beaver Leader and Church member Sue ‘Otter’ Harvey (Katie’s mum!) was delighted with the event. "It is fantastic to see so many children both from the wider village community and our church supporting this new Pack together.

"The Beavers is a great way for children to do exciting things and at the same time learn to work together and respect each other, their community, the environment and God. We’re delighted that Ashington has now got its very own Beaver Scout Pack, and we would like to thank all those parents who turned up to support the Pack’s Investiture Ceremony, our Vicar Chris who handed the children their certificates during the ceremony, and church member Nick Willmoth who was our ‘official’ photographer for the evening."

A few days later the Ashington Community Centre was the venue for a more grown up evening of colour, music and Salsa dancing, organised by Emma-Louise Maclay and Naomi Richardson to fund their respective Gap years.

A hundred guests turned up to Salsa the night away, and the two raised £1,600 through ticket sales and a silent auction, with gifts such as an aerobatic flying lesson, an electrician for 4 hours, 2 sets of airport runs to and from Gatwick, an exclusive meal fo 2, a day-trip on a yacht, were amongst the kindly donated services and goods.

Emma-Louise, 18, will be spending a year from September with Mission Africa in Nigeria, where she will be working to 'bring Jesus' mainly to Street Children, but also to other alienated and vulnerable members of African society, such as widows and the disabled, prostitutes and those in prison.

Naomi, also 18, is going to ‘Riverside School of Performing Arts’, a Christian Drama College, and over the next year she will be performing Christian drama to audiences totalling over 25,000 people.

Chris Maclay, our Vicar at Ashington Church, says: "It’s so important for our young people, whatever their age, to get involved with activities which not only enable them to grow into responsible well-rounded individuals, but also gives them an opportunity to give back to society and to God - whether locally or on a different continent.

"It’s great to see our young church members getting involved in the Beavers. It’s also great that as a Church our youth have a tradition of dedicating their gap years to Jesus, and we will be sending Naomi and Emma-Louise off with our heart-felt prayers and blessings."

Ashington Parish Church Blessed by the Best in Music

Wed, 27 May 2009 19:10:34 +0100

Members of Ashington Church have been blessed two weekends in a row by music from some of the best Christian artists in the world performing right on their doorstep.

The first occasion was at Ashington Church's fantastically successful 2nd annual Plant Sale Plus on the 16th May, when over £1,600 was raised for the Church funds. As well as plants, many of which were grown, nurtured and donated by church members, there were crafts, locally grown produce from Crumbs of Sussex and jewellery from Ashington-based The Cat's Whiskers, among others.

Also on sale were the church pews, and it was these that attracted Stuart Townend - one of the world's most renowned Christian songwriters and the most prolific living hymn writer today - to visit.

Villagers were treated to an hour of some of Stuart's most beautiful modern hymns, sung in churches all over the world, as well as a selection of popular secular favourites.

The second musical highlight took place the following weekend, Sunday 24th May, down the road from Ashington at Wiston. Over a 100 members of Ashington Church joined a further 13,000 fellow Christians of all denominations from all over Sussex and beyond at the beautiful Wiston Estate for The Big Church Day Out, a spectacular musical event with some of the biggest names in Christian music, including Graham Kendrick, Michael W Smith, Lou Fellingham. The event was the brain child of Tim Jupp, the keyboard player in the world famous band Delirious, and the highlight of the event was a concert from Delirious, one of their last before they disband later this year.

"Both events were utterly blessed, very successful, and whilst worlds apart in terms of size, were very important for our Church here in Ashington", says our Vicar Chris Maclay.

"Our plant sale was a fantastic opportunity to welcome many from our village who do not normally go to church, and the Big Church Day out was an opportunity not only to show Sussex that Jesus is Alive, but to worship in unity with Christians from all denominations. The intention is that both events will be repeated next year and it would be fantastic to see even more people from Ashington at both".

Ashington Parish Church and SPLASH! team up for Mini Holiday Club this Easter

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:52:22 +0000

Ashington Parish Church is once again teaming up with SPLASH!, the Storrington based Christian children's charity, to run a Mini Holiday Club at Easter in the village. This year, the theme is 'Waste Watchers', another action packed bible based programme with games, quizzes, sports, arts and crafts, team challenges, drama and music, all centred on the theme of protecting our environment and God's creation.

Liz Burston, a member of our congregation and one of the organisers says: "Last year in Ashington we had a hugely successful holiday club in conjunction with Splash, and we are delighted to be able to build on the foundations of that with this new mini Holiday Club Programme. We feel very blessed to have such a fantastic opportunity to reach out to young children in Ashington to tell them of God's love for them and their families in such a fun-filled way."

Chris Maclay, our Vicar at Ashington Church agrees. "It is especially fantastic to see so many children from families who do not normally come to Church coming to the SPLASH! events and experiencing the love of Jesus.

"Young children are the future for our society and our planet and, as Christians, we feel privileged at being able to teach about Jesus in all aspects of our lives, not just through our great H₂0 children's services on Sundays but also through this special partnership with SPLASH!"

The SPLASH! Mini Holiday Club is aimed at kids from Reception to Year 5, and will once again be held in Ashington C of E School. The programme runs for three mornings, 9.30-12.30 pm, starting on Tuesday 7th April until Thursday 9th April, and finishes with a lunch for everyone from 12.30 onwards on Thursday. The cost is £3.00 per morning which includes a free 'Waste Watchers' T-shirt.

To find out more call SPLASH! on 01903 740044 or visit their website www.splashschools.org.uk.

You can also email them at admin@splashschools.org.uk or write to Splash! c/o Trinity Methodist, Thakeham Road, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 3NG.

Ashington Parish Church's Pipe Organ Needs New Home!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:43:34 +0000

Ashington Parish Church is now looking for a good new home for our small Speechly Pipe Organ. As our congregation has grown in size, it has become inadequate for leading our large congregation in singing.

The organ has been well maintained over the years, is in good working order, and would ideally suit a small church with a congregation of up to 50 members.

If you know of anyone who would be interested in giving our pipe organ a good home, please contact either Peter Lewis 01798 817516 or The Rectory on 01903 893878.

For further information regarding organ specification, please contact Paul Ebling at the National Pipe Organ Registry website:

www.npor.org.uk ref. no - N15324

Ashington Parish Church welcomes newest arrivals!

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:47:53 +0000

Celebrations, thanks and praise to God have taken place over the last 2 months here at our church in Ashington as we have welcomed the safe arrival of our 3 newest and youngest members!

All born within 7 weeks of each other, the 3 youngsters - all boys - are causing quite a stir when they appear among our Church family at our Sunday services.

First to arrive was Ewan Samuel Trott, born on 12th December (8lbs14oz!). Then with a splash came Jack Anthony Footitt, born in a birthing pool on 29th December (7lbs10oz), followed a month later by Thomas Joel Blakely on 31st January (8lbs2oz). Having decided to keep his mum waiting for a whole week after he was due, Thomas then raced the midwife and was born at home 15 minutes before the midwife arrived! (Clever Dad Andrew!)

"It's great to have 3 brand new babies in our congregation" says our Vicar, Chris Maclay. "Our fellowship at Ashington has a massive range of ages, from the 3 newborns right the way up to members in their 90's, and is a fantastic and welcoming place for families and all ages to come and worship Jesus."

"God has really blessed all the families involved, and we congratulate them with a special 'well done' to mums Katy, Camilla and Jane."

During our Sunday services Ewan, Jack and Thomas will either stay with their mums and dads or go into the crèche until they reach 3 years, after which they will join the other children at H₂O - our children's 'church'- which is held in Ashington C of E School.

If you would like to know more about how we worship, please click on the links at the top of this page, or even better still, do pay us a visit. We would be delighted to see you.

Ashington Parish Church's Plans Approved!

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:58:15 +0000

After many months of discussion, we are delighted to announce that Chichester Diocese have now approved our plans for the refurbishment of the church building. This is a major step forward and we thank God that our plans remain almost entirely intact. We are now in the process of applying to the Chancellor for the Diocese who has the power to give the final authority (faculty).

We have also been advised by Horsham District Council that we require planning permission for an access ramp we need to install to the external vestry door (to comply with legislation regarding the disabled) so again that is in process.

There are still decisions to be made about acoustics and chairs and we are currently trying to obtain access to the roof above the nave to find out amongst other things where water is coming in (at the west end of the building).

On the funding side we are applying to for a Landfill Communities Grant, and are looking to sell the pews and find a good home for the old organ - all subject however to final approval as above.

Our architects have advised us that they are hoping to send out the documents next week to invite tenders from various building contractors (all known to either them or us). Please pray that we will appoint the right contractor and that they will be available quickly.

So months of thought and preparation and prayer seem at last to be coming to fruition and we have every confidence that the work will commence and soon!

Praise God!