The document is the May 2017 issue of the Catalyst magazine for Hayes Free Church. It provides information on upcoming church services and events in May, including notices on the church secretary, women's and men's groups, fairtrade initiatives, Christian Aid week plans, and a history of the Hayes Philharmonic Choir. It also includes the church contact list and notices about submissions for the next issue of the magazine.

1. Catalyst
THE MAGAZINE OF HAYES
FREE CHURCH (U.R.C.)
May 2017

2. HAYES FREE CHURCH
111, Pickhurst Lane, Hayes, Kent BR2 7HU
Sunday Services. 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.
We are a member of the United Reformed
Church. We believe in Justice and Peace.
Principal Contacts
Interim Moderator: Mrs Hilary Miles
Church Secretary: Mrs Mavis Righini Tel: 020 8462 1168
Treasurer: Mr. Simon Narracott Tel: 020 8462 2004
Lettings Secretary: Mrs Undine Connolly Tel: 020 8776 0108
Church Website www.hayesfreechurch.com
Catalyst Editor: Miss Christine Rees
Contents :
Church Secretary’s Letter 1 Christian Aid 10-11
Sunday Services 2 Bromley Food Bank 12
Church Notices 3-5 Holy Week Controversy 12-13
Fairtrade/Traidcraft 5-6 Coming Events 14-15
Christian Aid events 7 Stop Press 15
URC notices 8 Monthly Calendar 15-16
Hayes Philharmonic 9 HFC Organisations inside back cover
May Dates/ Quiz answers 10 Final Thought back cover
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy for the June 2017 edition is needed by Sunday, 14th
May.
Please submit items in good time
You can leave copy in the "R" Pigeon Hole for Christine to collect, or hand it
directly to her on a Sunday morning.
You can also e-mail copy to catalysthfc@btinternet.com
Thank you.
Editor’s note: throughout this magazine, the following abbreviations are standardly used:
URC (United Reformed Church); HFC (Hayes Free Church);
CTiH (Churches Together in Hayes).

3. - 1 -
Letter from the Church Secretary
Dear all,
By the time you read this we will have a new Interim Moderator,
Hilary Miles, and hopefully we will have all met at the April Church
Meeting.
Many people don't like change, preferring the comfortable rut we've
settled in, but sometimes we have to move on and change.
So as we move on with our vacancy one thing hasn't changed, God
is still with us, loving us and caring about our future. He knows the
full story and has plans for us; we just need to have faith and trust
in our Lord. One thing we all can do is in our private home prayers,
pray for the life of our church, that we may grow together in
Christian love. A strong church is a growing church where all can
feel welcomed and at home. Also praying together will help our
spiritual life.
We are so fortunate with such kind people willing to lead our
services, such support is invaluable.
So we welcome Hilary and look forward to our future together.
With Christian love to you all
Mavis

4. - 2 -
Sunday Services
May 2017
7th
10.30 am - Morning Service – Geoff Larcombe
6.30 pm - Holy Communion – Alan Kienlen
14th
10.30 am – Parade Service - Martin Sweet
6.30 pm – Evening Service - Martin Nunn
21st
10.30 am – Morning Service –
Women’s Contact Group/ Tony Russell
6.30 pm - Evening Service – TBC
28th
10.30 am - Holy Communion – Alan Kienlen
6.30 pm - Evening Service – Judy Davies
All of the evening services will take place in the Elders Vestry which is
accessed from the side door in Hilldown Road.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes on Preachers
 Rev.Geoff Larcombe is a retired Baptist Minister, who has
worked in India with the Leprosy Mission.
 Alan Kienlen is a Synod Recognized Lay Preacher from
Emmanuel URC, where he is also a Serving Elder.
 Martin Sweet is from the Spinnaker Trust, a Christian
organisation working in primary schools
 Martin Nunn is a non-serving Elder, and a member of Hayes
Free Church since 1957. He also leads the Saturday
Fellowship
 Tony Russell is a non-serving Elder of Hayes Free Church. He
was Church Secretary for some years, and later was Church
Treasurer.
 Judy Davies is a Synod Recognized Lay Preacher from
Bromley URC, where she is also Church Secretary.

5. - 3 -
Church Meetings
The next two Elders' meetings will be at 7.00 pm in the
small hall on Tuesday 2nd
May and Tuesday 6th
June.
The next two Church meetings will be in the Church after
the morning service at 12.00 noon on Sunday 28th
May and
Sunday 25th
June.
The Church AGM will follow immediately after the meeting on 28th
May.
Saturday Fellowship
The next meeting of the Fellowship will be held on May 6th
at Barbara’s
house at 2.30pm. We shall be welcoming a speaker, Mrs Gill Baldwin, from
Bromley Methodist Church. All are welcome. Martin Nunn
Men's Group
The Men's Group will be meeting this month on Thursday 18th
May at 8pm in
the small hall for a Games Evening, organised by John Thompson.
Women's Fellowship
Meetings are in the small hall at 2.00 pm, unless otherwise stated. They are
held on Tuesdays and finish at about 3.30 pm.
In May the programme is:
2nd
Informal: Members exchange news
9th
Gentle exercises with Pat Marshall
16th
Talk on the Guards by Don Doncaster
23rd
Members’ input – with anecdotes: Diana and Betty
30th
The Shortlands Singers entertain
Members who use the Mini-Ambulance service are asked to phone Sylvia
Mack on 8462 1938 by 9.00 am on any Tuesday that they are unable to
come to a meeting.
As always, we welcome all ladies to our meetings. Please come along for a
pleasant afternoon. We do have a very varied programme with plenty to
interest everyone.
Marion Swanborough
Book Club
We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 2.00pm in the Small Hall.
This month’s meeting will be on Wednesday 3rd
May.

6. - 4 -
Women's Contact Group
We will be meeting for our monthly meal at the Warren Sports Ground,
Hayes, at 12.30 pm on Monday 8th
May [Please note date, which has been
changed as the first Monday this month is a Bank Holiday]. The Warren is
accessed by car from Croydon Road (address: Croydon Road, Hayes, BR2
7AL) or on foot from the junction of Warren Road and Holland Way. All
ladies are welcome.
Sylvia Mack
Hayes Mothers' & Toddlers' Club
We welcome all babies and children under school age, accompanied by their
parents, grandparents or carers, to our club on Friday afternoons between 2
and 4pm during term time. The fee is £1 per family - tea, squash and biscuits
are provided. This is a time when adults can meet up, while the children in
their care are busy playing with toys and activities in the company of other
children. Wendy Smith
Messy Church
This meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month in the church from 3.30 -
4.30 pm, and children from 2 to 12 years are welcome.
Inter-Church Bank Holiday Rambles
Martin is planning to lead another two Wealden rambles on the two Bank
Holidays in May, viz on 1st
and 29th
. Meet in the Rosary Church car-park at
10.15am as usual, for a walk of about five miles. A pub lunch will be
available. All ages welcome!
The first ramble of the season (held on Easter Monday and starting from
Chelsfield) was greatly enjoyed by a group of seventeen, including members
of all four of the Hayes churches.
Ministry of Flowers
Thank you to Mavis and her helpers for their weekly choice and arrangement
of flowers in the church. Thanks go also to those who provide for these
displays week by week. For this month, they are as follows:
7th
– TBC 14th
– Marion Swanborough
21st
–David and Undine Connolly 28th
– TBC
After the service on Sunday morning, the flowers are distributed in order to
celebrate, or thank, or support, and in all cases to bring further enjoyment.

7. - 5 -
Notice Sheets
If you have an item for inclusion on the Notice Sheet on a particular Sunday,
please contact the relevant person below, by the date shown:
By Tuesday 2nd
May for Sunday 7th
: Brenda Cordingley 8462 3867
By Tuesday 9th
May for Sunday 14th
: Joan Smith 8462 3920
By Tuesday 16th
May for Sunday 21st
: Joan Smith 8462 3920
By Tuesday 23rd
May for Sunday 28th
: Pamela Collison 8658 0748
By Tuesday 30th
May for Sunday 4th
June: Pamela Collison 8658 0748
The Fairtrade Sunday Stall
The Fairtrade stall is held monthly on the 2nd and 4th Sunday just after the
morning service. The stall is near the refreshments trolley. Do pop by on 14th
and 28th
May to see what we have for sale. The items range from snacks and
breakfast foods through to greetings cards. We look forward to seeing you.
Richard and Barbara
There is much more on Fairtrade food and drink below, particularly coffee and
chocolate. It is perhaps a good job that Lent is over....
Sunday morning coffee and tea donations - an update on how your
drinking habits go on giving!
So far this year I have been able to send £70.00 to the famine appeal in East
Africa. Ten pence pieces go in the collecting box for the Bible Society, and a
donation of £50.00 was sent. The Leprosy Mission phial takes your 5p
pieces and this amounted to £8.50. Finally I have sent £20.00 to a small
charity called Hospice Africa, which is run entirely by volunteers – nobody is
paid. This charity provides and supports the provision of palliative care in
Sub-Saharan Africa for cancer and HIV/AIDS patients with chronic pain. If
you would like to read more about this charity there is a leaflet on the Justice
and Peace noticeboard in Church.
As you can see there is no need to feel guilty about your Sunday morning
drinking habit!
Cheers, Barbara

8. - 6 -
The Fairtrade Tourist Bar
This is the time of year when we come out of winter hibernation and start
making day trips to places of interest, museums, cathedrals, castles, parks,
zoos and more. Many of these places have gift shops which sell souvenir
chocolate bars (“a gift from...”) and there is an ongoing campaign to
persuade them to switch to Fairtrade chocolate. There is a website
(http://www.meaningfulchocolate.co.uk/giftbars) where you can read about
progress and be directed to an online petition – or you can simply put
pressure on your favourite destinations by asking for a Fairtrade bar when
you visit, or writing to them about it. St Paul’s Cathedral has switched, and
so has the Scottish Parliament - but the first place in the UK to have a
Fairtrade Bar on sale was the Richard III Exhibition at Leicester Cathedral!
A letter from Traidcraft
Traidcraft is the company which pioneered Fairtrade and still spearheads the
movement (as you will know Fairtrade now has a wider following with
supermarkets and others producing their own goods which meet Fairtrade
standards). Following her successful coffee morning at the close of Fairtrade
Fortnight (see previous issue) Barbara has received an acknowledgement
from Traidcraft. The letter reads as follows:
Dear Mrs Jones,
We can’t thank you enough for holding a Traidcraft Big Brew this year, and
for your amazing gift of £200.00 sent on behalf of Hayes Free Church. You
are part of a community dedicated to making the world a fairer and more just
place.
Your generosity will help change the future for families like Patrick’s in some
of the world’s poorest communities. He told us “Before, life was tough,
straining. Four of my children had to drop out of secondary education. The
time was dark back then.”
Since receiving training on soil conservation from Traidcraft’s FIVE project
he has been able to increase his crop yields significantly – enabling him to
feed his family every day, pay his children’s school fees, and access
healthcare. After participating in the FIVE project, Patrick said “now our days
are bright. The kids have a much more balanced diet. I’m so happy now they
are in school. We’ll never go back to what it was like before.”
On behalf of everyone at Traidcraft, and those with whom we work, please
extend our thanks to everyone involved in your Big Brew. We hope you all
had a fantastic time! The money you raised means together we can help
more families like Patrick’s to break the cycle of poverty for good.
[You can read Patrick’s story on the Justice and Peace noticeboard in
church]

9. - 7 -
In a few weeks, Christian Aid week will be upon
us, and now that the church has given up house-
to-house collections, we will mark it in other ways.
These are our plans:
Sunday 14th
May – the start of Christian Aid week. This will be mentioned in
the service, and there will be an opportunity to donate in the church instead of
via a house-to-house collection (of course we can’t guarantee that you won’t
have someone knocking on your door from another church!)
Thursday 18th
May – Coffee morning, 10.00am – 12.00noon in the Small Hall.
Held by the Women’s Contact Group. Featuring a bring-and-buy stall; second
hand book stall; and (of course) a cake stall. Not to mention tea and coffee
and a chance to stop and chat with friends from other Hayes churches as this
will be an Inter-church event.
Sunday 21st
May – Christian Aid’s annual fund-raising walk around the City
Churches – “Circle the City”. We have church members both walking and
marshalling on the day.
(read more about Christian Aid on pages 10 and 11)
A camellia from Jean Haddon’s garden

10. - 8 -
Daily Devotions from the URC
You may remember that these were mentioned in Catalyst a couple of
months ago, and I know that people who use them are finding them very
helpful. The system has now been enlarged so that, besides receiving a daily
message in your inbox for thought and prayer, you can now look up past
examples as well. The link has also been updated, and so the URC has sent
out a revised description of how things work with this new facility – and here
it is:
Every morning a reading, reflection, and prayer is sent out by email
from the URC. They are written by a team of around 100 people
from different places and perspectives and provide inspiration in
our inboxes! The devotions are designed to help enrich our
discipleship and, whilst designed for personal use, have been
found helpful for Bible Study groups, service preparation and
devotions at the start of meetings. You can read them all by going
to http://devotions.urc.org.uk where you can also sign up to receive
them yourself using the link on the bottom left of the screen.
the
United Reformed Church
Past Case Review
You will remember that a statement about this Review appeared in the
April edition of Catalyst. It included the words:
“We truly want to hear about any behaviour which may need challenging,
or if you have been hurt in the past by anyone in the United Reformed
Church.........We want our churches to be safer places, where people can
grow without fear.”
And it invited anyone who wished, to contact the Review Team at:
Telephone: 020 7916 8682
Website: www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review
Email: pastcase.review@urc.org.uk
Further resources and information are available online at
www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review
Full information is still available on the noticeboard running along the side wall of
the church

11. - 9 -
A little bit of Hayes
passes into History...
In 1944, the two Hayes churches (as they then were) were making plans for
services to the local community after the war. One such initiative was the
Hayes Churches Musical Society, which was already “up and singing” by the
time of the VE Day Service on Hayes Common. There was an orchestra too
(now Hayes Symphony Orchestra), which split off in 1947, and in 1951 the
Hayes Churches Musical Society became Hayes Philharmonic Choir. Singers
from outside Hayes were
welcomed, but there has always
been a close local connection, with
performances in the churches of
Hayes, and strong support
throughout from the Rector as
President and the Minister of Hayes
Free Church as Deputy President,
joined in recent years by the Pastor
of Hayesford Park Baptists. The
choir is very grateful to them all.
The choir also owes an immense debt to Rodney Williams, its conductor
since 1981, and Ken Baker, just completing his 50th
year as accompanist.
Rodney has conducted a varied repertoire, ranging from large-scale oratorios
such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Handel’s Messiah to a large and unusual
collection of Christmas carols. The choir inspires great affection, and some
singers have been members for decades.
Sadly Hayes is about to lose its choir. With changing musical tastes, and the
pressures of modern life, membership has been falling for some years and it
is now impractical to carry on. Ironically, the meeting which decided to close
the choir, on 22nd
February 2017, took place on the anniversary of the
inaugural meeting on 22nd
February 1945. The final concert will take place on
Saturday 13th
May 2017 at 7.45pm in Hayes Parish Church, with a cheerful
mix of short pieces, many of them by British composers. We hope that Hayes
will turn out in force to remember the good times, and enjoy a final celebration
of choral singing. Information from 07989 192928.
Christine Rees

12. - 10 -
The answers to last month’s seasonal quiz (well, it was seasonal at the
time) featuring Old Testament figures:
- ESAU: Jacob’s twin brother
- ABSALOM: David’s rebellious son
- SAUL: The first king of Israel
- TISHBITE: Elijah was known as “the .......”
- ESTHER: Xerxes’ queen
- RUTH: Wife of Boaz, mother of Obed, and great-grandmother of David,
but best known as a daughter-in-law
The word spelt out is “EASTER” of course.
*********
This year is a special one. It is the 60th
anniversary of
Christian Aid week - and did you know that it was the
week which gave its name to the charity, and not the
other way round? Christian Aid itself, which began
under another name, is some 72 years old, and this
year it will be going back to its roots, prioritising refugees, as it did when it
was first founded all those years ago. And this is how it all came about.
(The information which follows is taken mainly from the charity’s website at
www.christianaid.org.uk)
Christian Aid began in response to another refugee crisis, when British and
Irish church leaders came together at the end of World War II to work out how
they could best help the huge numbers of European refugees, and alleviate
their suffering. The organisation which they founded was at first called
Christian Reconstruction in Europe (later given a longer title, and placed
within the British Council of Churches).
 May dates
Below are some important dates in May:
 Monday 1st
May: Bank Holiday
 Sunday 14th
May: start of Christian Aid week
 Thursday 18th
May – coffee morning for Christian Aid
 Sunday 21st
May – Christian Aid walk “Circle the City”
 Monday 29th
May: Bank Holiday

13. - 11 -
As the years went by and Europe became more settled, the organisation
started to look further afield. In the 1950s, it began to support development
work in Africa and Asia, and was also responding to emergencies. It had a
hand in the creation of VSO, which sent volunteers to work in the developing
world. In 1957, the first Christian Aid week was launched, partly in order to
raise public awareness of the problems of the world and also of course to
raise money. As an annual event, it became such a success that in1964 the
organisation changed its own name to Christian Aid.
Gradually its attention shifted to the causes of poverty, not just the symptoms,
and this led to the start of campaigning. Christian Aid is firmly of the view that
religion should not and indeed cannot be kept apart from politics, and it has
never been shy of challenging the British government of the day when it has
considered this to be necessary (the first time was in 1969 on the issues of
aid and trade policies). In the 1970s, Christian Aid placed a new emphasis on
long-term development projects and again expanded its activities so that by
the end of the decade it was working in 40 countries.
In the 1980s, the pattern of giving began to change in the UK, with large-
scale events like Live Aid, and some government funding was made available
to charities, including Christian Aid. By now the charity was raising more
money (£5.5 million annual income in 1979 had become £28 million in 1989)
but there was a worldwide economic recession and every penny was needed.
In the 1990s and onwards, Christian Aid was dealing with complex economic
issues and campaigning accordingly. This was the time of establishing the
Fairtrade Foundation, and there were many other campaigns – you may
remember “Drop the Debt” for example. By 2007 the annual income was
£86.5 million and Christian Aid was working in some 50 countries – a figure
which would increase again in the last ten years. But the charity points out
that if its activities have expanded, this is only because there is so much need
of them, and that is not something to celebrate. And some things are getting
worse: take the shocking statistic of life expectancy for women in Zimbabwe,
which was 65 in the late 1990s but over the next decade dropped to 34.
Natural disasters are increasing in number and Christian Aid has long been a
member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which began in 1964. The
DEC website contains a huge list of appeals that have been made to the
British public on major emergencies (most recently on East African famine).
And so in 2017, Christian Aid is focussing once more on help for refugees in
Europe. This year their posters and leaflets feature Nejebar, who has fled
from Afghanistan with her husband and two sons, only for the family to find
themselves stuck in a refugee camp in Greece, unable to move forward. And
whilst camping in Greece would be delightful for a week or two at the right
time of year, that cannot be the experience of those who are there for long
periods, sometimes years, with only minimal facilities, and great concern
about their future.

14. - 12 -
Bromley Food Bank –
You will be pleased to know that it is now
possible to donate food while you are shopping
in Hayes. A reader has reported that there is a
collection point at the Fundraising Furniture
Shop (3A Station Approach; between the
garage and DayLewis the Chemist). There is a
large wicker basket just inside the door, clearly
visible from outside, and in the window a list of
items that they would appreciate (NB the food collected here is sent to the
Food Bank in Orpington). It remains possible to donate at Sainsbury’s,
Station Road, West Wickham, and there is now also a donation box in
Sainsbury’s at Bromley North. Meanwhile there is, as always, a facility to
donate just inside the door at church. As Catalyst goes to press, this is the
latest list of items needed (taken from the website):
Longlife fruit juice; tinned meat; tinned vegetables; tinned potatoes; rice
pudding; custard; sponge puddings; jellies, instant whips; washing-up liquid.
But preferably not: beans, pasta, soup and cereal (they have plenty of those
at the moment.)
The Holy Week Controversy
We’ve probably all heard it, maybe more than once: a preacher berating the
fickleness of the crowd of Jesus’ followers, who cheered him and greeted him
as “King of the Jews” and “Son of David” when he rode into Jerusalem on the
first Palm Sunday, but only a few days later were yelling “Crucify him! Crucify
him!” before a hesitant Pontius Pilate. But is this a fair or correct description
of what actually happened? A careful examination of all the facts produces a
very different verdict.
Certainly Jesus was at the height of his esteem and popularity in that last
week of his earthly life – but his words and especially his actions were
causing increasing anger and hatred amongst many members of the ruling
Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, who feared their authority was becoming
steadily and dangerously undermined. Two acts of Jesus in particular
precipitated their decision to get rid of him as soon as practicable: first, his
deliberately provocative attempt (as they viewed it) to fulfil the prophecy of
Zechariah 9:9, that Jerusalem’s king would come “with salvation, and humbly,
riding on a donkey”. Then, just a day later, he went into the Temple and
struck a deliberate financial blow against the authorities by overturning the
tables of the exploitative money-changers and driving out all who were there
selling lambs, doves and pigeons.

15. - 13 -
For two or three more days of that Holy Week Jesus taught, healed, and
answered questions before a large and admiring audience in the Temple, but
Thursday brought a major change, as everyone went away to prepare for the
Passover – the commemorative family meal for which they had all come to
Jerusalem. Jesus and his twelve disciples (who had probably been spending
the previous nights in Bethany, in the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus)
found by arrangement an upper room in the city, where in line with nearly
everyone else that evening they celebrated the Passover (The official day for
this was Friday, but by Jewish reckoning Friday began at sunset on Thursday
evening, so most Jewish families celebrated it then). No-one in that upper
room, apart from Jesus and Judas Iscariot, knew that the latter had connived
with the Jewish authorities to lead them to where they could arrest Jesus
virtually in secret later that evening, but this happened as planned, and by
morning Jesus had been tried and condemned by the majority (but not all) of
the 70-strong membership of the Sanhedrin. They then took him to the
Roman Governor, who had to sanction any death sentence asked for by the
Jewish authorities. Pilate was unwilling to agree to their request, particularly
after interviewing Jesus himself. He sought to find a way out, through a
fortunate coincidence that it was customary for him to release one notable
prisoner on the day of the Passover. A group of Jewish nationalists had
arrived to ask for the release of one of their number arrested for committing
murder in an uprising – a man named Barabbas. The group seemed stunned
by the fact that they were offered Jesus of Nazareth as an alternative, but all
the Sanhedrin members urged them to shout loud and clear for Barabbas.
When Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus, it was (according to John’s
Gospel) “the chief priests and their officials” who shouted “Crucify him!
Crucify him!” and “We have no king but Caesar!”, and eventually their voices
prevailed.
So where, then, were all those supporters of Jesus who had cheered him so
lustily on Palm Sunday? Probably still in their beds, after their heavy meal the
night before, and all of them totally unaware still of Jesus’ arrest and
conviction overnight. But they had not forgotten all they had seen and heard –
and from the Day of Pentecost onwards, they responded in droves to the
Gospel message wherever and whenever they heard it preached; 3,000
became Christians on the very first day! Jesus had laid very firm foundations
for the success of his church.
Martin Nunn
*********
There is clearly a busy weekend coming up in the middle of May –
see the next page

16. - 14 -
And an early notification about June follows:
Quiz Night for Nash College
There will be a quiz night on Friday 12th May 2017 starting at 7.30pm, until
22.30pm.
Please come and support 'The Friends of Nash' who raise funds for our friends at
Nash.
The evening will be held in Nash College Coney Hall. Tickets at £10 will include
Ploughman's; please bring your own drinks.
If you can raise a table of 8 that would be great but if not we can find you a place,
for you to join someone nice I'm sure.
Hope to see you there.
Please contact me for more information or to book a place.
Margaret Tannock
'KISSES SWEETER THAN WINE' CONCERT
Celebrating 60's American Folk
Saturday 13th
May 2017 | Hayes Free Church
Doors 7:30pm Start 8:00pm
Tickets £12/£10 at door, or at: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/388576
Lilac Sheer’s female ensemble present modern acoustic renditions of loved 60's
American folk classics from: Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Judy
Collins, The Byrds, The Weavers, Peter Paul & Mary, Leonard Cohen and others.
Come enjoy and sing along to Where Have All The Flowers Gone, If I Had a
Hammer, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Blowin’ in the Wind and many
more memorable songs of the era.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhHvb0vIP_A
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/388576
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica – Lilac Sheer
Violin, Mandolin – Claire Roberts
Bass – Joy Chong
Percussion – Mally Harpaz
Hayes Philharmonic Choir, with Rodney Williams (Conductor) and Kenneth
Baker (Accompanist):
Saturday 13th
May at 7.45pm. Hayes Parish Church. All tickets £5.
The farewell concert after 72 years of music-making in Hayes. Featuring music to
mark the 450th
anniversary of Thomas Campion (1567-1620), the Elizabethan
composer and poet, along with some of the choir’s traditional favourites, and as
ever, a few rarities. It won’t be a sad occasion – do come!

17. - 15 -
STOP PRESS!!!
1) Father Gregory Ackron has been welcomed to Hayes as the new priest
at the church of the Rosary. More in the next issue.
2) Bromley Y will be the charity supported by the Christmas Tree Festival
2017.
3) Just finally on Christian Aid – a new initiative to help with gardening (as it
is that time of year again). You can receive regular tips and even some
seeds in return for a regular donation. Details at:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/regular-giving/gardens-do-good
Calendar for May 2017
Mon 1
Bank Hol
10.15am Interchurch Ramble. Meet at the Rosary carpark
(p 4)
Tue 2 2.00pm
7.00pm
Women’s Fellowship – Informal meeting (p3)
Elders Meeting (p3)
Wed 3 2.00pm Book Club (p3)
Fri 5 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers (p4)
Sat 6 2.30pm Saturday Fellowship (p3)
Sun 7 10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service – Rev Geoff Larcombe (p2)
Holy Communion – Alan Kienlen (p2)
Mon 8 12.30pm Women’s Contact Group - lunch at the Warren
(p4)
Hayes Horticultural Society
Outing Saturday 24th
June
Outing to Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, then onto the private garden,
Goddards Green.
Cost: £27.00 for members of the National Trust or £35.00 if not. This
includes coach travel and entrance fees, along with tea/coffee and cake at
Goddards Green.
There are leaflets at the back of the church and Brenda Cordingley will
have all the details, or you can make enquiries to Liz Clark via the Society’s
email hayeshs@clara.co.uk or on 020 8462 3489.

18. - 16 -
Tue 9 2.00pm Women’s Fellowship – Gentle Exercises (p3)
Fri 12 2.00pm
7.30pm
Mothers and Toddlers (p4)
Quiz at Nash College (p14)
Sat 13 7.30 for
8.00pm
7.45pm
“Kisses Sweeter than Wine” concert (p14)
Hayes Philharmonic Choir Farewell Concert
(p14)
Sun 14
Start of
Christian
Aid Week
10.30am
6.30pm
Parade Service – Martin Sweet (p2)
Followed by the Fair Trade Stall (p5)
Evening Service – Martin Nunn (p2)
Tue 16 2.00pm Women’s Fellowship – Talk on the Guards (p3)
Thur 18 10.00am
8.00pm
Coffee morning for Christian Aid (p7)
Men’s Group – Games Evening (p3)
Fri 19 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers (p4)
Sun 21 10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service – the Women’s Contact Group
with Tony Russell (p2)
Evening Service – preacher TBC (p2)
Christian Aid “Circle the City” walk (p7)
Tue 23 2.00pm Women’s Fellowship – Members input, with
anecdotes (p3)
Wed 24 3.30pm Messy Church (4)
Fri 26 2.00pm Mothers and Toddlers (p4)
Sun 28 10.30am
12.00 noon
6.30pm
Holy Communion – Alan Kienlen (p2)
Followed by the Fair Trade Stall (p5)
Church Meeting followed by AGM (p3)
Evening Service – Judy Davies (p2)
Mon 29
Bank Hol
10.15am Interchurch Ramble. Meet at the Rosary carpark
(p4)
Tue 30 2.00pm Women’s Fellowship – Shortlands Singers (p3)
June 2017 (key dates for your diary)
Sun 4 Pentecost
Tues 6 7.00pm Elders’ Meeting (p3)
Sat 10 Timing TBC Prayer Morning
Sun 11 Church Anniversary and Gift Day
Sun 25 12.00noon Church Meeting after Morning Service (p3)

19. CHURCH ORGANISATIONS – please advise the Editor of updates as they
arise
Day Organisation Contact Phone
Sunday
Monday
5.45pm Brownies Sarah Humphrey 020 3539 8113
6.30pm Cubs Brenda Petts 020 8325 3956
12.30pm – once
a month, usually
1st Monday
Women's Contact
Group
Sylvia Mack 020 8462 1938
Tuesday
2.00pm Women's Fellowship Marion
Swanborough
020 8462 3981
7.15pm Scouts - 1st troop Paul Hasling 020 3236 0083
Wednesday
2.00pm - 1st
Weds only
HFC Book Club Wendy Smith 020 8462 1779
3.30pm - 4th
Weds only
Messy Church Mavis Righini 020 8462 1168
5.30pm Rainbows Jenny Longman 07730 574962
6.00pm Beavers Brenda Petts 020 8325 3956
6.30pm Guides – 4th
Hayes Teresa Cheyne 020 8777 6042
8.00pm Explorers Tom Strachan 07745 813 295
Thursday
5.30pm Brownies Stevie Blair. 020 8325 3469
7.15 - 8.45pm Rangers Please use this
email contact:
Hayesdistrict@
yahoo.com
7.15pm Scouts - 2nd troop Paul Hasling 020 3236 0083
8.00pm - 3rd
Thurs only
Men's Group Bruce Tannock 020 8325 6264
Friday
2.00pm Mothers & Toddlers Wendy Smith 020 8462 1779
6.30pm Guides – 3rd
Hayes Teresa Cheyne 020 8777 6042
Saturday
2.30pm - 1st
Sat only
Saturday Fellowship Martin Nunn 020 8462 5918

20. Final Thought
C reator and Lord of this good earth
H ave mercy on your people everywhere.
R econcile all who are divided
I n your world.
S trengthen those who are poor and weak;
T each those who are rich and powerful;
I n loneliness and isolation give comfort and hope;
A nd help us all to know that you are
N ever far from us.
A ll that I can do to share in your healing work
I nspire and give me courage to
D iscern.
With thanks to Christian Aid for permission to use this prayer