Love was in the air at the February SQUEEZE Breakfast Club. With St. Valentine’s Day only two weeks away, hearts were all over the place. Heart-shaped cinnamon biscuits were being decorated with
Squeezy tubes of sugar paste in a variety of colours, and packaged in heart-shaped envelopes woven from two colours of paper and tied with a ribbon. On the next table, more heart shapes in shades of pink and purple were put in place on Valentine cards for the unsuspecting.

A goodly number of young people were drawn to these activities; Canadian students from the Castle mingled with members of our Youth Club, and several not-so-youngs were busy making love tokens for their partners.

Laurence Keeley brought along the cardboard box in which he had spent the previous night, with a certificate to show that he and more than 100 others had spent a very cold night sleeping rough to draw attention to the plight of the homeless, and to raise money for Churches in Worthing who are active in this field.

David was in his usual form: this month’s gleanings included the man returning from a fancy-dress party to find a burglar in his home. “As soon as he saw me his eyes went wide with terror, and he dived out of a window to escape,” said the homeowner, who was dressed as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder! With horned helmet and spear presumably.

Our Pastor Jim Beveridge took the love theme to a higher level, the “most excellent way” of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. God’s Love Letters, he declared, lifting the Bible high, then reading appropriate Scriptures, mostly from chapter 13,; “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps not record of wrongs.” There is a lot more: read it for yourself.

Next SQUEEZE is on Sunday 1st March.
Breakfast is served from 10 am and now we have a battery of toasters! Everyone of all ages is very welcome.

It’s all change at the Village Hall on the first Sunday morning of each month. After about 100 “Sunday Supplements” spanning the almost nine years that the Hall has been open, the Free Church has broadened the programme to appeal to all ages. From the first Sunday in December 2008, the entire family – parents, children, grandparents and those with no family, are invited to

Starting at 10 am. with breakfast (of course), the SQUEEZE Breakfast Club will include several crafts. Grandad can show the kids how steady his hand is at painting on glass,(December) and Dad can show them how he used to make his own Valentine card. (February). Or maybe the children will be making sweets, while Mum reads the Sunday papers we provide in a quiet corner with a cup of coffee and a cake.

Everyone can listen to Jim’s Topical Talk, and enjoy David’s Downloadings from the world’s news sources. The range of crafts changes every month. The morning finishes at 12 noon, unless you have to leave earlier, and there is no charge. The next SQUEEZE Breakfast Clubs are on Sunday 1st February and Sunday 1st March 2009.

“It’s beautiful – so beautiful.” Doris McConnell’s last words on this earth, and taken by many to be a glimpse of Heaven before she passed over from death to Life, were imprinted boldly on her service sheet under a smiling photograph of her in a sunny spot by the water’s edge in North Wales.

Our Pastor, Jim Beveridge, likened her passing to the ‘modern parable’ of the recent aeroplane crash into the Hudson river. One of the passengers thanked the pilot for saving him and the reply was ‘you’re welcome ‘ In 1942, Doris had chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as her Pilot through life, and , as He does to all the whose who say “Thank You for all that You have done for me,” Jesus replies, “You are welcome,. Welcome to My Father’s House.”

He had certainly kept her safe though wartime perils; her home in Rye was bombed, her RAF base at Fareham was bombed, and when posted to Lea Green, South London, a Doodlebug (V1 flying bomb) fell on the shelter she was in and she was buried. Miraculously she came out with minor injuries. Meanwhile, Jim was also on the move and the two met in Gosport in 1945, where he was in the Royal Navy. Their first date was a bicycle ride to Lee-on-Solent; they were engaged in May 1947, and married in Battle on 21st February 1948. Last year they celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary.

Some fifty family members, friends and neighbours gathered in the Chapel on Friday 23rd January to bid farewell to Doris. The hymns reflected her Christian life and witness – How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear; The Lord’s my shepherd, and Father hear the prayer we offer. Later we sang And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood, died He for me who caused His pain,…?

The wind and the rain of the morning had turned to winter sunshine as we laid Doris to rest in the churchyard. May our prayers be for her husband Jim as he reflects on their sixty years spent serving the Lord together.

Accounts of the wartime experiences of both Jim and Doris are included in the book ‘Community Reminiscence Project on World War Two’ which is on sale at the Village Information Centre, Gardner Street, Herstmonceux.

Hi, I’m Jim Beveridge and this time last year my retirement clock was ticking loudly. It struck towards the end of March and a month later, at the invitation of the Free Church, I joined the Leadership Team as part-time Pastor, following a Call to Ministry some three years beforehand at an Anglican Conference.

My wife Jenny and I live in Hastings and our four sons, three married, are all active in their local churches. We have five grandchildren to enjoy.

Before my arrival a visiting speaker had challenged the Church (which embraces all believers in the area) to bring the Heart of God into Herstmonceux. That sounds like a huge task, but we have already seen several encouraging happenings.

The first was at my Induction, when the Church was full of those who are behind us in this New Beginning. The second was at Nigel’s Believers’ Baptism (more of Nigel next month) when the Church was again full for this public acknowledgement of his Spiritual new birth.

The third was the sad occasion of the funeral of a young man who was big on the local music scene, and the church was packed with mostly young people who overflowed into the Hall, and some even outside, listening through an open window. This young man was a Christian and together we marked his passage into Eternity.

These three events highlight some of the steps along the way to a life lived with Jesus as a 24/7 companion. For many, Church is for babies, funerals and the occasional wedding. Bringing the Heart of God into Herstmonceux requires a much greater involvement in village life.

The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. If you are rejoicing or weeping right now, or have any other matter you would like to talk about with me, I am at the Church in Chapel Row most Sunday mornings or you may contact me through the website.

I look forward to seeing you around, Jim.

It was frosty outside the Village Hall, but inside the big surprise was snow painting, using white paint on a black ground. Its appeal was obvious as an elderly gentleman sat next to a toddler, both of them enjoying the striking effect so easily produced. On another table at the January Squeeze Breakfast Club sat the calendar makers. How simple to hang a calendar block under a snow painting.

David’s haul from the internet told the story of the motorist convicted three times for driving without insurance. So he forged a certificate on his computer. Next time he was pulled over he produced the forgery, with an expiry date of 31st February!

Even non-pop lovers could not escape the Christmas double chart-topping Leonard Cohen song ‘Hallelujah’ which tells of a secret chord that pleased the Lord. Pastor Jim of the Free Church took this thought for his topical talk.. How can we please the Lord in 2009?. By drawing a line under anything in our life which may displease Him, he suggested.
We should test the things which we consider to be important with three questions: Does it help my Christian life? Will it allow me to be free? Will it build up the lives of others?

It is easy to remember the dates for the next two Squeeze meetings as they both fall on the first of the month. Sunday 1st February crafts have a Valentine theme, and breakfast is served from 10am.

Article written by Colin Porter