News
The Parish News for Abinger and Coldharbour, which is published 10 times a year and is delivered to every house in the Parish, includes a report on Coldharbour life; a copy is available by clicking here.
On this page we focus on news directly relating to Christ Church.
Hike the Hill - For Local Charity Amber
As part of our support and care for our wider community our churches support a number of local charities, one of which is Amber.
Amber are raising money by doing a Hike the Hill; walking to transform the lives of young people who have faced homelessness. You can join them - see below – OR support Guy Pakenham who is doing it!! Just follow this link - https://www.justgiving.com/page/guy-pakenham-1706515620201
Together, we will be funding a bed space at Farm Place in Ockley, so a young homeless person can get the support they need to transform their lives and move forward into independent housing and into employment or education. You could help someone like Martin:
Martin arrived at Farm Place last summer, after sofa surfing in Basingstoke. He had run out of options and had nowhere else to go. Amber provided the safe haven Martin needed, when he was at his lowest.
Since being at Amber, Martin has become more self-aware and instilling better boundaries with people. He has become more open and tolerant with others due to sharing Farm Place with other young homeless people. He has particularly found the support of Team Leaders has given him good grounding: “They go above and beyond for people, it shows they care. The Team Leaders at Amber have really supported me.”
Martin’s goal is to work in politics or with prison reform, as well as live a healthy lifestyle. “Amber has given me a positive outlook on life. The structure is good and the routine helped put my life back on track.”
Register for Hike the Hill with £20 to receive your free Amber t-shirt for the walk. For more information on Amber's work, visit www.amberweb.org
Thank you!
Kia
Celebrating 175 Years of Christ Church here in Coldharbour
Over the weekend of 21 and 22 October we celebrated the dedication of Christ Church in 1848 - 175 years ago. The building of our Church was funded by John Labouchere, who lived in Broome Hall, on land given by the Duke of Norfolk. Pat Newberry, a former resident of Coldharbour and a great historian has written a short history of Christ Church which you can download by clicking here.
The weekend began on Saturday 21 October with two organ concerts by our organist David Hansell and colleague Philip Drew, complemented by two recitals by soprano Jenny Hansell. In each concert, the first organ piece was a fine duet by David and Philip playing Mozart’s Adagio and Allegro K554. This was followed by three William Blake songs with music written by Vaughan Williams not long before his death: Infant Joy, The Shepherd and The Lamb. We then enjoyed a second organ duet, Beethoven’s Adagio for a Flute Clock, followed by another three William Bake songs to settings by Vaughan Williams: A poison Tree. Ah Sun-flower and Eternity, sung by Jenny Hansell. The concert ended with an organ due – Sonata in G , BWV530, by J S Bach.
On Sunday 22 October we hosted the other three Leith Hill Benefice churches to a special service, which opened with the Village Band playing in the gallery; they also accompanied the choir and organ through much of the service. After a practice of the Coldharbour Hymn written for the occasion by Rev Virginia Smith with music by David Hansell, the service commenced with Leith Hill choir singing Psalm 122. The full order of service, including the words of Virginia’s Coldharbour Hymn, can be downloaded by clicking here. Virginia's sermon is on our Christ Church - Words and Thoughts page.
On completion of the service, the choir, the village band and the congregation together with Kia, Virginia and David got together for an excellent ‘bring and share’ lunch.
A real celebration, with thanks to John Labouchere and the 1848 Duke of Norfolk!
Dorking Food Bank
A reminder that donations to the Dorking Food Bank remain very necessary - they can be left by the font at the back of the Church and or in the box in the drive to Plough Haven - just to the right of The Plough. Because of mice, packets they can eat through should be left at Plough Haven not in the Church
Julian Meetings
We usually have a Julian meetings on the fourth Sunday of each month at 6.00pm.
They are named after the Mystic, Julian of Norwich, who had a powerful encounter with Jesus in the 12th Century. Following this she spent the rest of her life as an Anchoress writing about her experiences. Her 'Revelations of Divine' love is the earliest surviving English language works by a woman.
Our Julian meetings are open to those of any faith and none. Following a short reading or reflection, we sit in stillness for half an hour for a time of contemplation.
It is a wonderful way to gather our thoughts and still our minds before the week begins.
We look forward to welcoming you,
With love
Rev’d Kia
Do you have a question for Kia?
Just to make it clear – I am not a theological guru, I am more of a pastoral and practical theologian than an academic one (by the way a theologian is just someone who thinks about God!) - and this makes my very point!
Do you have random, poignant or (what you may think) silly question about faith, life and God? Like ‘what does ‘theologian’ actually mean? Will my dog go to heaven? What is communion all about, really?
Do you have question that you haven’t found the right time, or the right person to ask? Well, now may be your chance!
We are starting (trialling!) a new slot in the monthly parish news for you to ask those questions you’ve been holding onto or have just occurred! Nothing is too ‘simple’ or too complicated. I may (definitely!) not have all the answers but I can perhaps point you in the right direction.
Open to all ages, those of faith and those with none. All correspondence to me will be treated in confidence and I will only publish answers if permission is given, and you can always be anonymous.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Please write to rector@abingerandcoldharbour.org
With every Blessing
Rev’d Kia