Our Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting takes place on Thursday, April 25th and it is the time of year that we must review our church ELECTORAL ROLL - this helps the church show its strength and the number on our electoral roll affects our representation on the Deanery Synod so it's great to sign up.You can check if you are already signed up by viewing the print out of the roll in the church porch, or contacting Jane St Aubyn (jmastaubyn@hotmail.com or 01483 200213). She can email you or post a copy of the required form.Signing up to the Electoral Roll is an important way of confirming your commitment to St Mary and All Saints’ Church and comes without additional obligations.The only qualifications required are: you are resident in the parish, a communicant member of the Church of England and are 16 or over, you can legally go on the roll (unless you are ordained). In addition, those who live outside the Parish can be on the electoral roll but you have to have been worshipping at St Mary and All Saints’ Church Dunsfold for a minimum period of 6 months. If you are on the Electoral Roll you enjoy all the rights and privileges that go with being resident in the parish (for example, baptisms and weddings). The Electoral Roll is the parish church’s register of electors. In the same way that being on the civic Electoral Roll allows you to vote in parliamentary and local elections and referenda, joining the Church Electoral Roll means that, if you wish, you can vote on Church matters, attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and stand for election to the PCC.Jane St Aubyn
Lent is here so it's time to sign up to attend a Lent lunch or stage your own.If you want to stage your own you can select a date through the end of February and on through March. Please email Pam Walker at pamwalker2020@gmail.com, or call her on 201140, to confirm the date you're happy to host.At the moment we have two confirmed lunch dates in Dunsfold. They are:Thursday, February 22nd at 12.30pm at Chennels Cottage, Dunsfold. Please call 201140 or email pamwalker2020@gmail.com to book a place.Saturday, March 16th at 12.30pm at 6 Church Green, Dunsfold. Please book a place by emailing markedsall@hotmail.comAll monies raised will be donated to the Bishop of Guildford's Community Fund which helps the poorest and most challenged people in our diocese.
We are launching an exciting campaign next month called Christianity Explored.It's an informal seven-week course which will meet on Monday evenings in the Sun Inn. The sessions will start with a courtesy supper at 7pm. You don't need to know anything about the Bible to take part and you won't be asked to pray or sing!The meetings will commence on March 4th and then run up to Easter. We break for Easter Monday and then finish with three more sessions in April. You'll be meeting up with friends and neighbours and a warm welcome is guaranteed.So whoever you are, come along to explore Christianity. It might be the best news you've ever heard.For more information and to register please email cedunsfold@gmail.com
With the onset of Israel’s ground offensive into Rafah, we call for an immediate ceasefire. The relentless bombardment of Gaza and its huge cost in civilian lives and civilian infrastructure must stop. The manner in which this war is being prosecuted cannot be morally justified. We urge Israel to adhere to the ICJ order and to ensure that Palestinians have access to food, water, healthcare, and safety, that have long been denied to them. We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s recent call for an immediate pause in the fighting and would also welcome further representation to the Government of Israel about the way that it is exercising its right to self-defence and to affirm adherence to international law. We continue to advocate for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to the missile attacks on Israel by Hamas. All sides must begin to imagine a future beyond this conflict: for a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians. This war can’t result in the consolidation of a system of occupation that has for too long denied Palestinians their rights and freedoms. In praying for all those in Israel and Palestine living in the midst of war and the fear of war, we pray particularly for the Palestinian Christian communities, that they may know strength and the presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. As we consider the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East on community relations here in the UK, we again condemn all antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiment. We are horrified by the growing threats and abuses of Jews on university campuses, in our neighbourhoods, and online. We appeal to our communities to be safe for all people whatever their nationality, ethnicity or religion. For our own part, we commit to working alongside our fellow faith leaders for the common good, despite and with our differences. The House of Bishops
