With the arrival of spring and the beautiful displays of crocuses, and now daffodils in the town centre, people are out and about more. When out walking or sitting on a bench people are often open to a good conversation about life. Chaplains listen and can bring in a Christian dimension to situations.

Although a number of shops have closed and footfall is down on 3 years ago, the town is quite busy and adjusting to the new circumstances. Chaplains visiting shops meet people for brief chats, but by building a relationship there are times when troubled hearts are opened. Growing pressures on job security, working conditions and salaries as well as family, health and other concerns can be discussed confidentially and the number of supportive conversations has increased recently.

Chaplains continue to attend the Courts most mornings and we are looking to increase our support to those who are attending by video link. Chaplains also chat to passengers, passers by, concession holders, staff and taxi drivers in and around the railway station – it is a very busy area. We now have two Chaplains regularly meeting bus drivers and staff.

Alan has reluctantly retired after more than 10 years of valuable service. We need more Chaplains – Christians willing to give at least one hour a week to meet people in different contexts in the town centre or in a care home.  We provide training and support so it is less daunting than it might appear; a taster session helps to show what’s actually involved. For more information contact Libby by email or leave a phone message.

We have been active in making our presence known and have received support from Festival Place (we are now advertised on their App) and the Borough Council, where the Mayor has invited representatives from the Chaplaincy and Street Pastors to tea to express thanks for our services to the community.

We continue to work with One Church Basingstoke and we want to build stronger links with churches in the town. Our ministry is to support that of the churches in reaching out to others. We value your prayers and would like to have church links so that we can refer people to a contact person if they wish to attend a church activity.

We are continually grateful to those who give generously to meet our costs. The Lord does supply all our needs but our financial needs are increasing and we welcome donations from churches and individuals. A current need is funding for some more uniforms suitable for the summer.

Thank you for your interest and support for the Chaplaincy. We do appreciate it.

Wishing you God’s blessing.

John Hayward

Chair of Trustees

Prayer Points

• Give thanks to God that Chaplains are recognised and valued in the town; that we are able to share God’s love to people in different and often difficult situations.
• Pray for the well-being of people working, shopping and visiting in the town.
• Pray that the interactions with Chaplains will lead people to seek the Lord and be blessed.
• Pray for more Chaplains so that we can serve people in places where we have been invited.
• Pray that we can work closely with churches in Basingstoke to witness to Christ in the community.

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Come along and enjoy an afternoon of Easter fun with the families of Home for Good North Hampshire.

We’ll have a great time at the Malshanger Social Club with craft, games, and Easter Egg hunt, time to talk to other parents and relax all finishing with light tea and ice cream. Whether you’ve come to other Home for Good North Hampshire events or not your family is sure to enjoy this special afternoon.

Do you know people in your church or community who worry about money?

St Mark’s Church in Kempshott loves to partner with other churches in Basingstoke, and with Christians Against Poverty (CAP), to run the CAP Money Course. 

Our next series will take place at St Leonard’s Centre, Oakley across three sessions on 2^nd, 9^th and 16^th March between 9:30 and 11:45 am.

• This course is run by trained Money Coaches and will teach people how to budget, save and spend, putting them in control of their money.
• This course is for everyone regardless of financial circumstances. For those who are comfortable with their finances and would like to see if they can manage them more efficiently; those who may be struggling to keep their head above water; and those who have run into financial difficulty and may be in debt.
• This course will show how to build and maintain a budget and steps you can take to help balance your budget which will enable you to take control of your finances.
• This course will also help people who are suffering with debt to understand how to manage their debt and take the necessary steps to reduce it and work towards becoming debt free. (For anyone who may be struggling with large debts we can put you in touch with CAP’s professionally trained debt counsellors who will support you by dealing with creditors and help you put a plan in place which can help you become debt free).

The course is completely free, is very informal and relaxed and we will not ask for or discuss any personal details concerning bank accounts or earnings. 
Anyone wishing to attend the course can sign up at Find your local course | Christians Against Poverty (capuk.org) with their postcode and follow the link “Looking for a CAP Money Course?” or just scan this QR code

Alternatively, if you would like our trained Money Coaches to come and run the CAP Money Course at your church, we would love to talk to you about that opportunity. Contact our Lead Money Coach by email at money.course@saintmarks/org/uk  for more information. 

Everyone at the Chaplaincy is grateful for your support as we continue to reach out to people in the name of Jesus.

The more stable conditions have enabled us to renew contacts in shops around the town and at Asda in Brighton Hill.  Generally staff changes have been extensive; Chaplains often meet people they know who are now working in different shops, and although there are still many empty premises the shops are now actively recruiting sales staff.  But varied and often long hours, covering for absent colleagues, pressures at home etc, have all added considerable stresses and strains to shop workers, and we have often been able to speak into these situations, offering words of encouragement and hope.

In the Courts not all cases are heard in person, but a Chaplain is present most mornings to talk with staff, members of the legal teams and those called to attend.

At the Police Investigation Centre (PIC) our Chaplain has been involved in helping people come to terms with the shock and distress caused by being involved in tragic and distressing situations. Occasionally, we have been able to support the police on the street too.

We now have two Chaplains at the Bus Station, who are valued by management as well as the staff. We have been asked to expand the service to other bus stations and are working with others to facilitate that.

We also have links with the youth café in London Road and with The Safe.

We are thankful for all the financial support we get, from regular donors, Churches and through grants.  We recently received funds to buy Christmas cards and will distribute them, along with a token gift (chocolate!) during Advent. 

Throughout Covid-19 we have maintained our number of Chaplains; some have left, we have welcomed some new people and some have been ill or needing to isolate, but God has seen us through! We would welcome the opportunity to talk to anyone about the possibility of joining us, even for just a couple of hours a fortnight.  And we also appreciate the prayers of many more people and of churches as we continue this ministry of outreach.  Next year we hope to participate in the Basingstoke Movement for Recovery, joining with Christians across the churches to serve the people of Basingstoke and to witness to God’s love and desire for reconciliation.

As people see different groups of Christians joining together to serve others we add to our witness of God’s love and grace towards all people. The message of the angels at Christmas is an all-year message which we carry – Peace on earth, goodwill to all people.

Thank you for your support; please continue to uphold us in prayer. 

And may you have a joyful Christmas, knowing His grace.

John Hayward
Chair of Trustees

Prayer Points

For the town:

• Thank God for the positive conversations Chaplains have had supporting people and bringing God into people’s lives
• Pray for shop workers, bus drivers and police officers during the pressured times before Christmas and into the New Year
• shop assistants we are getting to know, some new to the shops and some having to work longer hours
• Pray for Chaplains as they meet people, that God will guide their conversations and give them the right words for the situation
• Pray for those who come into town because they are lonely, especially during Christmas and the winter months
• Pray for older people who can benefit from someone spending time with them, perhaps rekindling their faith or helping them to see God in their life experiences and to know Him

  For the Chaplaincy:

• Ask God to inspire others to join the Chaplaincy so that we can take up the opportunities to speak of Him
• That we may keep our focus of sharing God’s love and representing local churches

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As part of our mission focus within Basingstoke, we are looking to employ a person for 25 hours per week as a missional cook and hospitality manager, who is an active member of their local congregation. It is an exciting opportunity to work within and for the community by managing the use of food and volunteers for the provision of meals for the community food table.

London Street URC is a food distribution hub for the Community Food Link (CFL) charity, who collect free food (near the end of its shelf life) from many local supermarkets in the area and commit to distributing it safely into the community where it is needed most. We, together with CFL, seek to stop good food ending up in landfill.

As the missional cook and hospitality manager, your role would be managing the use of food and volunteers within the kitchen primarily for the provision of meals for the community food table on 5 days a week. Customers at the community food table can have a free meal or take food on a ‘Pay as you feel’ basis. Volunteers work on this table to take food orders, offer hospitality, build relationships with customers, and offer prayers when appropriate. Our vision is to become a ‘Renew Wellbeing’ centre in partnership with other churches in Basingstoke. The missional cook and hospitality manager will play a key role in that vision.

The terms of appointment will be for 2 years with a view to extend. The starting salary will be £14,300 per annum with a normal working pattern between the hours of 9.00am and 3.00pm. Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check, references and completion of a six-month probationary period.

An application form and further information can be obtained from Karen Bell

treasurer@basingstokeurc.org.uk

The closing date for applications is Friday 7th January 2022, with interviews being held the week commencing 17th January 2022.