This page mentions some memorable events of the last few years involving the church. Where pictures are shown, click to see enlarged versions.
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On Sunday 24th January Farnham United Reformed Church marked the beginning of its 350th anniversary. This took the form of a special morning service attended by Councillor Pat Frost, Mayor of Waverley and Councillor Lucinda Fleming, Mayor of Farnham. The preacher was the Reverend John Marsh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. During the service the Moderator presented gifts to the two mayors and also to the church which were accepted on behalf of the church by the youngest member, 4-week old Peter Tropman (born on Boxing Day 2009) and the longest-serving member, Nellie Hawkins. |
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On 17th January 2010 The Revd Michael Hopkins hosted the Unity Service on behalf of Churches Together in Farnham at Farnham United Reformed Church. Commenting on the service, Mr Hopkins said, “It was a wonderful occasion with members of so many different churches coming together in an act of worship, and a delight that Father Paul Jennings, Farnham’s new Roman Catholic Priest, was willing to preach.” |
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The photograph on the right shows the clergy who took part in the service: |
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On Tuesday 3rd November pupils from Year 6 of William
Cobbett Junior School visited local churches in central Farnham
as part of their Religious Education studies. The visits were
organised by FAST, the Farnham Assemblies Team and the pupils
visited St Andrew's Parish Church, St Joan's Roman Catholic Church
and Farnham Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches. The
visits were arranged in co-operation with Mr Andy Mitchell, Head
of Year 6 at William Cobbett School.
The picture shows pupils from William Cobbet Junior School inspecting
the organ at Farnham United Reformed Church.
Sunday 1st November, All Saints' Day, was a fitting
day to hold the annual service for thanksgiving for those people
who have been bereaved. The service was intended to provide an
opportunity for anyone in the community to express their grief,
which might have been ignored during the rest of the year, in
a supportive and safe place.
The photograph shows the display of candles which members of the congregation were invited to light.
When the three Farnham town centre churches combined
for their twice-yearly joint morning service on Sunday 28th June
2009 there was no-one to conduct the choir. Both the organist
of St Andrew’s Parish Church and the choirmaster of Farnham
United Reformed Church happened to be away for that weekend. But
the day was saved by 19-year old Chris Pelly, who stepped into
the breach and rehearsed the 21-strong combined choir and conducted
the anthem.
Chris is in the middle of his gap year between school and university. He starts a music degree at the University of Leeds this coming October. Asked why he chose Leeds as a university, he replied that, apart from having an excellent university, the city of Leeds had a lively musical scene in which he had every intention of taking part. Chris aims eventually to follow a career as a musical performer and has an ambition to be an orchestral conductor.
The church was filled for the service, and all the clergy of the three participating churches took part. The Rev Vida Foday, Minister of Farnham Methodist Church, gave the children’s address, Canon Andrew Tuck, Rector of Farnham, offered the prayers of thanksgiving and concern, the Rev Joy Lievesley, curate at St Andrew's, offered the opening prayers. The Rev Michael Hopkins, Minister of Farnham United Reformed Church, presided and pronounced the blessing. The sermon was preached by the Rev Dr Tim Rose, curate at St Andrew’s.
This may be the last time that Dr Rose preaches at Farnham United Reformed Church, as he is leaving the area in September to be installed as Priest-in-Charge of Stanford in the Vale with Goosey and Hatford in the Diocese of Oxford. We wish him well as he takes up his new responsibilities.
Revd. Pat Hall was the Minister of Farnham United
Reformed Church from 1993 to 2004 before becoming Minister of
the combined pastorate of Epsom and Ewell United Reformed Churches.
She is now returning to her native Canada with her husband Peter
Dickinson. On 7th June she shared a farewell service with her
friends at Farnham United Reformed Church. The photograph shown
Pat and her husband Peter at the lunch which followed the service
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To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the composer Felix Mendelssohn, choirs across the country were encouraged by the BBC to sing his well-known anthem "Hear my prayer" which includes the treble solo "O for the wings of a dove". For an exerpt of the performance by the choir of Farnham United Reformed Church click here (The soloist was Hannah Pilkington).
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In March 2009 the church had a visit from Roly Bain, the clown. The pictures above show Roly in action. A video clip is available by clicking here: Roly_Bain.wmv-- it shows Roly juggling with two juggling balls and an apple to illustrate the story of the Garden of Eden ("An apple a day won't keep God away").
He certainly did on Sunday 8 February 2009, assisted
by Carol Harnett, the puppeteer. Hs name was Zachariah and he
climbed the tree because he was too short to see Jesus passing
by. Being a tax-gatherer for Rome, the hated occupying power,
he was universally reviled; but Jesus still came to his house
for a meal.
Puppets are the means which Carol uses to put the Christian message
across to school children, among others (adults learn a thing
or two as well). Carol takes her mobile puppet theatre anywhere
it is invited and the puppets act out an astonishing variety of
biblical stories.
Carol is a member of FAST (Farnham Assemblies and Schools Team),
a voluntary group of people who make themselves available for
conducting school assemblies and RE lessons. Maggie Bridgett,
a member of the church who is also a volunteer for FAST, described
their activities (explaining that they call themselves FAST women!);
they are all under the aegis of Farnham Christian Community Trust,
FCCT.