Annual Parochial Church Meetings 2023

On 30th April at 11.30am we have our Annual Church Meetings.

We have vacancies for the following:

• Treasurer
• 3 Deanery Synod reps
• 3 PCC members

Our PCC hasn’t had its full quota of members for a good many years, so it would be great if all these vacancies can be filled at the meeting.

If you want to know about Deanery Synod, please talk to Susan. For the other roles, you can talk to Julie or Susan. There are approximately 6 PCC Meetings a year.

Please do think seriously as to whether you can help the church in this way.

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2023 - Week 5

Week 5: Zimbabwe Projects

Look North

A gap in the fight against malaria exists, in the support offered to those who have been orphaned. Orphaned children are often left without the resources to continue their education and to lead meaningful and abundant lives. The Diocese of Matabeleland is addressing this through an initiative called, Look North, which will, amongst other things, establish a nutritional garden at St Augustine Mission, Binga. Funding for this and for the awareness programme about malaria, which is part of the Look North Initiative, will help children and adults too to have better nutrition and education leading to better mental health and well-being as they will have to worry less about where their physical needs.

St Werburgh Clinic

Another nutritional garden is proposed at St Werburgh Clinic, Chigodora in the Diocese of Manicaland. St Werburgh’s Mission has a Church, clinic, primary and secondary schools so it offers holistic support to those
around it. Funding for the clinic has run out and this is one of the reasons for re-establishing the nutritional garden there. The garden will provide a balanced diet to the community, especially those with compromised
immunity. The HIV/AIDS and post-natal care patients at the centre will benefit a lot from the nutritional garden which will provide all types of vegetables.

Shepherding the Soul and Mental Health

The Diocese of Central Zimbabwe is asking for support for Shepherding the Soul and Mental Health. The aim of the project is to work in the areas of substance and drug abuse. There is evidence of an increase in the number of young people abusing drugs and substances, but there are few strategies to address the challenge.

If you'd like to learn more or how to support these projects, please go to Lent Call resources.

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2023 - Week 4

Week 4: The Woolwich Episcopal Area

MumSpace and Espacio Mamá

The Spanish speaking community is one of the fastest growing communities in the Southwark area. Espacio Mamá meets weekly for Spanish speakers, and it is part of MumSpace. Together they provide a welcoming supportive environment focused on reducing social isolation and promoting the well-being of parents. While parents share and learn from each other, children have a safe place to play, develop and socialise.

The Front Room Club

St Luke, Downham is in the Lewisham Archdeaconry and is one of the churches on the Downham Estate in the East Lewisham Deanery. It ranks 1,071 out of 12,382 parishes putting it within the 10% most deprived in the country. St Luke’s is working to address some of the needs of the estate by promoting the mental, physical, social and economic well-being of people and families from the Downham community. They do this through providing support groups, events and offering one-to-one support, to give people a safe place to feel empowered to help themselves.

If you'd like to learn more or how to support these projects, please go to Lent Call resources.

Munch with Music - April 2023

The next Munch with Music will be held in the church on 5th April 2023 featuring Double Duos.

You are invited to bring your own ‘Munch’.

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

Coffee, tea and biscuits from 12:15pm, with the performance starting at 12:45pm and lasting about 45 minutes.

The following Munch will be on 3rd May, INDIG-O.

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2023 - Week 3

Week 3: The Kingston Episcopal Area

The Fircroft Trust

The Fircroft Trust is a local charity in Kingston Upon Thames. The Fircroft Trust works to support adults who have mental health challenges or learning disabilities and who live in the local community to live well. The Trust works hard to break down stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health. It began in 1967 and became a registered charity in 1970. They are the only organisation in the Borough of Kingston which provides centre-based support for people with mental health and well-being problems.

The Man Shed

The Fircroft Trust has established The Man Shed, a workshop style environment for 15 men either with mental health challenges or who are at risk of developing a mental health issue due to social isolation. It provides a safe environment where participants can make friends, feel valued and, most importantly, talk to each other!

The AT Beacon Project

The AT Beacon Project provides health and well-being services to underserved communities. By working with local faith and community leaders - underpinned by the support of our local public health and NHS colleagues - it runs well-being hubs, community events, church outreach programmes, mental health outreach and webinars.

If you'd like to learn more or how to support these projects, please go to Lent Call resources

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2023 - Week 2

Week 2: The Croydon Episcopal Area

The Reigate Archdeaconry is the most rural part of the Diocese, but it is not exempt from the difficulties that affect the other Archdeaconries. Once again, we can see that worries about people having enough to eat, being able to heat their homes and provide for their families is a cause of mental health struggles and a lack of well-being. This week we are supporting the Whyteleafe Community Hub. Their food bank feeds more than 350 people each month. Food is delivered to people’s homes locally and in the surrounding area.

The community hub works hard to collect food surplus from the local area in order to prevent waste and the food is reallocated to local families. They offer a befriending service for the elderly, vulnerable and lonely, and volunteers are given appropriate training to link with those who would value someone to spend time with. Everything the hub does is for the benefit of bringing back the heart of the community. We hope that the Bishop’s Lent Call can help to provide funds to help them to further their work.

If you'd like to learn more or how to support these projects, please go to Lent Call resources

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2023 - Week 1

Week 1: The Diocese of Jerusalem

The Arab Episcopal Medical Centre, Ramallah, Palestine

The Diocese of Southwark has long links with the Diocese of Jerusalem and St George’s College, Jerusalem. On 20 January 2021 a formal partnership link, the Southwark - Jerusalem Covenant, was signed between the Diocese of Southwark and the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

For so many in the Diocese of Jerusalem life is very hard and very complicated. Travel is restricted for many Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and sometimes people cannot even travel in order to go to work. There is often not enough food and education and medical care can be difficult to access. Good mental health and well-being is very difficult to sustain in the Occupied Territories and elsewhere.

Travel restrictions are a daily reality for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and for thousands of families across the region, the charitable hospitals and community clinics of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem are the only healthcare options close to their homes. Serving some of the most vulnerable people in the world, these institutions welcome all patients regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or ability to pay. Everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

To find out more please dowload the PDF about The Arab Episcopal Medical Centre,

Good Friday services 2023

St John's has an Easter Day service at 10am and a Maundy Thursday service at 8pm, but no services on Good Friday.

Why not see what our other Team Churches have to offer? Download Easter services information for:

• St Mary's, Caterham-on-the-Hill
• St Luke’s Church, Whyteleafe and St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Chaldon

Thank you message from Father Jerry and Mother Anne-Marie

To all our friends at St John's

We would like to say a very big thank you to you all for making our last Sunday at St John’s such a wonderful and memorable occasion. It’s hard to leave after so many years, though of course we are also looking forward very much to new things. On our final Sunday it was good to share with so many friends including those from other parishes in the Caterham Group and even old friends from previous parishes. We both felt very much embraced by your love and warmth.

We would also like to thank you for your amazing generosity - we were overwhelmed by your many gifts and cards. We particularly loved the card from Junior Church. When we are down in Shoreham our door will always be open. And it’s good to think that every morning when we have our first cup of coffee we shall be reminded of you all.

Thank you again

With all our love
Father Jerry and Mother Anne-Marie

Sunday 12 February 2023 - a service and lunch to remember

It seemed like any other communion service, but this one was different. After over 2 decades service to the parish of Caterham, Father Jerry was taking his last service.

The differences started at the end of the service, with in church presentations from Junior Church and the Congregation.

Celebrations then switched to the church hall, with a magnificent cake, live bouzouki music, a very filling lunch, presents and much love and appreciation for Father Jerry and Mother Anne-Marie.