THE WEDDING OF DEBORAH KING TO STEPHEN BEAVEN is being held at our church on SATURDAY from 1pm, conducted by Captains Susan and Ian Woodgate. All are very welcome.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family of ERIC JOHN DAY as they share in celebrations of his life and influence tomorrow. We start at 10.30am at the crematorium at Crawley, and then a further celebration continues at Staines Salvation Army

Next Sunday will be Youth Council in the London South East Division. This is a day of celebration, worship, teaching and interaction with other youth from around the division. Lieutenant Nicola Brooksbank has arranged the day. We look forward to sharing this day with other youth. If you are interested in attending please chat with Kate Gregory. Further information is available from Lieutenant Nicola, Kate or the corps notice board in the porch way

The Principal and Associate Principal of the International College for Officers and Spiritual Life Development, will be with us at Horsham on Sunday 31st October at 10.30am.

There is an exciting party next Sundat (31st) from 4pm at our church. The Friendly Monster Party is the place to be. Everyone invited. Do let us know if you can come.

Our Captains now take a few days break. Sunday worship on the 24th will be led by Major Roy Smith. The funeral of Eric Day takes place next Thursday at Worth Crem at 10.30am, and the wedding of Stephen and Debbie next Saturday

The first half term of the new school year concluded with KIDS ALIVE encouraging young people to follow Jesus. As part of this term the kids club has been part of ALF which explores the Christian Faith. Captain Susan helped the children to understand that Jesus is the best person to follow and is the best Himself!!! As music played many children used a symbolic cross to place prayers on and to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour. We thank God for these opportunities and lives that have been touched.

The Hall was full and buzzing on Sunday 17th October for the dedication to God of Baby Simon. Songs today included:- God's love to me is wonderful; Your love is amazing; O I love Him; This the Power of The Cross; Dedication Prayer; Love with ever lasting love. Michael and Jackie shared the song O Lord Your Tenderness, and the singing group sang Here is Love. The band played Jesus Loves me. Tony, Jean and Sandra shared Scripture from 1 John 3. Following the dedication to God by Yvonne and Kofi, the family and friends shared a shared of dedication. Captain Ian led the meeting, and saw through the dedication. He also spoke on 'Simon Peter' and the account in Matthew 14 of walking on the water, looking at how we need to keep that Love alive in our lives, celebrating Jesus in everything. Someone knelt at the mercy seat at the end of the meeting. We thank God for such a blessing-filled day.

ERIC DAY

We are sorry to inform you of the passing of Eric Day. Eric, has been attended with his wife, Sally, for some months now, but died Sunday morning. The funeral service will take place for committal at Sussex and Surrey Crem on Thursday 28th October at 10.30am.

a Number of our church attended the London South East Divisional Adult Ministries Celebration in Tunbridge Wells. The church contributed £500 to the helping hand scheme for this year.

The Youth Band in Action

A lot has happened since we last blogged - sorry for the lack of comments! Our Friendship Club have enjoyed an afternoon tea party out at a members house. Captain Ian led Harvest at Burgess Hill Corps on the 19th, and Captain Susan led the meeting at Horsham. Our officers were at Hillingdon Corps on the 26th, and Lieutenant Nicola led our meeting.

Of course throughout this period we have been engaging in our annual appeal, and it looks like well over £8000 has been collected this year, which is amazing. More information will follow.

Harvest Celebrations were led by the London South East Divisional Youth Band, and we had a great weekend with them. They led a festival on the Saturday evening, and then two meetings on the Sunday. Between them over 80 enjoyed a Harvest Roast together. We were of course very grateful for the support throughout the weekend by so many different people and June Belcher decorated the hall so beautifully. June set a challenge to the children to create animals out of fruit and vegetables and this proved very popular.

Captain Susan spoke on Sunday 10th October, whilst Captain Ian was at Caterham and Lieutenant Nicola away. Our new group, Reflections, shared a couple of songs, and the youth matters group, led by Kate Gregory led the meeting.

Lots of people shared together in SAFE AND SOUND, a course which helps explore our policy and procedures for working with children and vunerable adults. A meal followed morning worship, and members and friends of the church stayed and enjoyed that too. We are grateful to those who made time to share in this, despite being so busy.

Sunday 12th September

......gives me wings was the subject of our thoughts today, given by Lieutenant Nicola, who we were pleased to welcome back after some weeks engaging in divisional work and holiday. Nicola looked at how we need to hear and know what God says - I will strengthen my people. Captain Ian led the meeting with songs including: Give me the wings of faith; Strength will rise; Your love is amazing; Under the shadow of His wings; God You're so cool; The Power of Your Love. We were blessed today again with such a packed hall, and extra chairs having to be brought out. We are so grateful to God for all He continues to do among us.

Kids Alive returned for its new term with a very exciting posh party. Posh Food was enjoyed around posh tables (sausages and chips and beans!!!!!), and loads of posh games were enjoyed as well. What was really great was that everyone was back.....with some friends with them as well.

REPORT FROM SUMMER SCHOOL

A few weeks ago Faith, Mini and myself attended the London South East Summer School from the 7th to the 14th of August. Each year it’s held at Vinehall Boarding School in Hastings. It’s attended by young people between the ages of 13 to 25 from various Salvation Army churches in the division.


This year we had new directors for summer school with Nicola Brooksbank the Corps officer from Crawley being one of them. Working with a team of staff they put up a programme of activities for the week, which enabled us to have great fun. Each day we got together for morning gathering where we heard news for the day and spent some time in fellowship led by a worship band. Following on this we had cell group meetings made up of young people of the same age. In the cell groups we looked at the theme for summer school which was ‘The Event’. To help us get a better understanding of what this theme meant. Throughout the week we studied the gospel of Mark, focusing on some of the significant encounters that Jesus had leading to the event his crucifixion and resurrection. Later in the day we got together again in our cell groups with two members of staff to talk through questions, thoughts and reflect on the theme of the day. The most important lesson we learnt from this was that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death through his resurrection from the tomb. He proved that there is no power that can overcome him, that he has the authority to forgive the sins of people, and that he is the one and only Son of God.

The three of us did the same specialism’s this year playing in the brass band and singing in the gospel choir. The other specialism’s included leadership, sport, media and alternative worship. We spent an hour and & half each on our two chosen specialism learning new pieces of music in preparation for final celebration. In the band we learnt how to march whilst playing for the first time which was not easy but enjoyable. In the evening we had pm gathering where we relaxed and enjoyed different activities each night. We had a quiz, talent night, silent disco, barbeque night, and heard from a guest speaker. Although with such a busy schedule we still had some free time for fun and games if we wanted to take part. We did manage to take part in a dodge ball and ultimate frisbee tournament which was great fun. On the last day of summer school we had a final celebration. This was a great chance to for family and friends to see what was going out throughout the week. We do look forward to going there next year. Thank you for listening.

This past Sunday we were thrilled to welcome Shirley Gardner as an adherent-member of The Salvation Army, and a member of our church. We feature here the words she shared with us in her testimony:-

I want start by telling you a bit of family history this morning. When my grandfather was a young man, over a hundred years ago, he was at work, hoeing turnips, in the middle of a field one day, when he heard the voice of God, telling him he was going the wrong way, and knew that he had to change his life. At the time, he was a drinker, he used to drink very heavily, so he signed the pledge, became teetotal, and became a Methodist lay preacher. Soon afterwards he met and married my grandmother, and for most of their lives they were caretakers of the Methodist chapel in their village in Dorset.


Now, being married to my grandmother wasn't easy. Although she was a good Christian woman, she had a very volatile temper. Once, early in their marriage, when she was in full eruption (she was only 4 feet 10 inches tall and my grandfather was over 6 feet) my grandfather, at a loss to know what to do with all this drama, picked her up and threatened to stuff her up the chimney. She begged him not to, and he relented. He always said he would probably have had a much easier life if he had followed through on that threat – but he didn't, he was much too nice a man to do that. He was one of my favourite people, and I can remember him telling me stories about the Old Testament prophets and about Jesus. My father was their only child.

My other grandparents were in the Salvation Army. My mother was the youngest of their 5 children, and in 1923 at the age of 18 she left her home in Dorset to become an Officer. She served on Salisbury Plain and in Mare Street Hackney, as a young Lieutenant. When she was 21 her father died, sadly, and she asked to be posted nearer to home to support her mother, but the Army posted her to the north of England, so she stopped being an Officer and she too did some work as a Methodist lay preacher. She brought Jenny and me up to say our prayers and to be Christians. She was always singing hymns and choruses around the house, and when we sing many of the old hymns here I hear her voice.

While I was growing up I always said my prayers at night, and sometimes during the day as well – depending how the day was going.

When I was 11, Jenny started going to the Salvation Army where we were living, and I went with her. I went out to the Mercy Seat at the age of 13, and I'll always remember that as a significant point in my spiritual life. Then when we moved house – from Goucestershire to Dorset – we both carried on going to the Army, to a new Corps, and I was even a Corps Cadet for a while. I can remember that the Corps Cadets did the meeting one Sunday morning and for some reason I got to do the address. I had to write something about the woman with the alabaster box of perfume who washed Jesus' feet – I was very, very nervous. I stopped going to the Army when I started working hard for exams at school. Since then I have always considered myself a Christian, but not attended Church with any regularity. I believed, but didn't do anything about it – working seemed to take up most of my time.

When I turned up here in Horsham it was with Jenny and Mel – by that time work had finished with me, I was looking for a church to go to, they had moved here and were thinking about transferring from Sutton. I started singing with the Singing Group, so that meant that I was singing with my sister, which I enjoyed.

You might have noticed a theme emerging here. What I've been rambling on about up to this point is that my religion has always been rooted in family, I've believed because I was brought up that way, and followed what my family did, and it's only in recent years that I thought that I should really start taking some initiative where my religious life was concerned. A few years ago, when I started asking difficult questions, two members of the family said 'You ought to go on an Alpha course', so I did. Anyway, to cut the rambling short, the time came when I realised that the Salvation Army in Horsham is my church. I've known for quite a while that I would become a member, but I was waiting until I was perfect before I did so.

Then I realised that it could be a very long wait, so I'm sorry to have to tell you that I'm not perfect yet. I still do things I shouldn't do, and I still don't do all the things I should do, but I'm human, and I'm trying harder all the time, and with God's help I'll be a better human being as time passes, and I'll get better at listening to Him and working out what He wants me to do, and trying to do it. That's all I've got to say, so thank you for listening to me this morning, God bless.

Shirley Gardner

The Salvation Army's annual appeal is now well in action throughout the area. We are grateful to the team of volunteers who are engaging in door to door collections, and our own members and friends who are doing all they can to help work towards raising £6000 towards the national appeal. So far nearly £2000 has been collected and donated. The money raised supports our social and community services, programmes and activities, throughout the UK, the largest provider of such after the government.