What brought me to faith, what help to keeps me within it?

As a child I was baptised in a small country parish, in Yorkshire; next to the Peak District. My early life was clearly attached to my parents, my father was low church, but my mother was very high church. This conflict was clear as were taken to one of two churches, Thurlstone and Penistone, the latter being quite high with the first just managing to use an organ for hymn music.

Over the years it became very clear which I liked. I found the music was important for wordhip, to hear and to join in, as I did when I joined the choir at Penistone. The parish is the largest in area within the uk and still is. It had five chapels/churches which meant the clergy was always on the move from one building to another on Sundays. But it was the music that became an important outreach coupled with the high church colours, teachings and music.

Whilst I love science and maths it was music and the drama of the various rites in church which encouraged me in my faith. At university I found a suitable church near Sheffield City Centre which allowed me to come involved in some of the church activities and community.

But music was always a serious requirement coupled with the enactment within the Mass and lifting of the blessed body and blood which gave me a connection for the rest of my life. Every parish I have been connected to always had music and that priestly presentation of Jesus in worship.

Everyone who attends a church on a regukar basis needs a clear connection with the prayer life of that church and hopefully, as in my case, the music to celebrate the life of Christ and His gifts to each of us.

I therefore always encourage any music which can lift us spiritually up as we pray or sing within the church. Even the silence is important as we sit or knee talking to God in our minds or even aloud.

Worship to me is about an relationship with the divine and humans and our openness to alter our ideas and actions to encourage and support Jesus’ Love and Salvation within our lives, families and communities.

The many weeks of Trinity seems a never-ending time but maybe if we quietly sat or kneed listening to the music, words and actions centred on the alter we might suddenly find ourselves on a journey into our future spiritual lives.

Fr Chris Rogers

Saturday 27 September at 7:00 pm
Lasagne evening

Carolynne is organising another fabulous lasagne evening, so put the date in your diaries for another sumptuous Italian feast. There will also be another raffle with super prizes! Carolynne is also inviting the chefs of the parish to bake their own lasagne, so please contact her if you'd like to provide a dish. £15 a head, all proceeds towards the St Peter's Renovation Appeal.

Contact:

 Send an email to: Carolynne Charman

 07503 156 751

Saturday 4 October at 9:15 am
Awareness of Domestic Abuse training

We are running a face-to-face, group safeguarding training course on Awareness of Domestic Abuse, in the Court house on Saturday 4th October at 9:15. We will send e-mails to those who now need to do this course. You may do it online if you prefer but do let us know when you have completed the course. 

Please let us know if you would like to attend. There will be coffee and biscuits!!

Contact:

 Send an email to: Hilary and Rachel, Safeguarding Officers

Sunday 5 October at 9:30 am
Confirmation service

Bishop Richard, acting Bishop of St Albans, will be joining us for our Parish Mass on Sunday 5th October to confirm those who have been prepared. Everyone is welcome to share in this celebration as the confirmation candidates are admitted fully into the Body of Christ. We join in prayer for all those taking this important step in the journey of faith.

Sunday 12 October at 11:15 am
Harvest Promises Auction

We'll mark Harvest Festival with a Promises Auction at 11.15am on Sunday 12th October. The origins of Harvest Festival lie in people giving directly of their gifts in the form of crops they'd grown or livestock they'd nurtured, and so in marking Harvest Festival with a Promises Auction, we're encouraging people to give of their gifts in that same direct way. This year we are supporting the Bishops' Harvest Appeal, "Rewrite Their Future", which is raising money to increase access to education for children in Uganda and Zambia. 

If anyone would like to offer a promise, please contact Fr Stuart (It helps to be as specific as possible: e.g. 'Four hours gardening' is preferable to 'Doing some gardening').

Video:

Contact:

 Send an email to: Stuart Owen

 01442 8797 39

 www.stalbansdiocese.org/parishsupport/growing-comm

Dates for your diaries

Important dates coming up this autumn:

• Sunday 5 October 9:30am:  Confirmations
• Sunday 12 October 9:30am: Sung Eucharist for Harvest
• Sunday 2 November
  9:30am: Sung Eucharist for All Saints
  6pm: Requiem Mass for All Souls
• Sunday 9 November: Remembrance Sunday
• Sunday 23 November: Berkhamsted Festival of Light
• Sunday 30 November
  9:30am: Sung Eucharist for Advent Sunday
  6pm: Advent Carols by Candlelight

St Peter’s Sunday School

Our Sunday School has returned, and last week, the children reflected on the Parable of the Lost Coin. They thought about things that are precious to us and how we search for them when lost and feel happy when we find them. They gave thanks for Jesus' promise that He is there for us when we get lost and that God rejoices when we return to Him. The Sunday School meets on Sunday mornings during the 9:30am service for craft, drama and group activities centred on the Gospel reading for that day, seasonal celebrations or other Bible stories that can inspire us. It's open to children of primary school age (reception - year 6). Younger children/siblings are also welcome accompanied by a parent or carer. If you'd like to know more, get in touch!

 www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/youth/children

Court House

We are aware that there is a bad odour in the Court House hallway at the moment. It seems to be limited to the hall, and the Long Room and Square Room are not affected if the internal doors are kept shut. We are trying to remedy the problem as soon as possible. 

Fr Stuart’s sponsored walk

Thank you to everyone who sponsored members of St Peter's as part of last week's Bike'n'Hike event for The Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust. I'm delighted to say that whilst some of my toes were somewhat battered by the time I got to St Albans after walking 51 miles in 17 hours and 20 minutes, it was a great night's walking. A big thank you too to my youngest son, Barnaby, who joined me for the last ten miles of the walk and inspired me to keep going when I was flagging a bit. So far, I've raised £1,472 and if you'd like to add to that you can still sponsor me here:

 www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-owen-8

Who’s Who in the parish

This month we welcome a few newcomers to the parish. It's worth reminding everyone that we do have a Who's Who page on our website. It's maybe not quite Crockford's, but it's a useful way of putting names to faces and finding contact details. For privacy reasons, we don't offer phone numbers for absolutely everyone. Note that we are lacking a few photographs, so if you are on there with no picture, do please email your most alluring mugshot to the Parish Office.

Contact:

 Send an email to: Parish Office

 www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/about/whos-who

This week at Victoria School

In Collective Worship we have been looking at the fall of Adam and Eve. We started with exploring what rules we knew and the different rules we followed. The children were keen to make sure they shared about rules that were there to stop you from breaking the law and how important they were. When I recapped the story, the children were puzzled about why Adam and Eve broke the rule if it meant they would have to leave the garden of Eden. We then talked about being tempted to make the wrong choice and how we felt afterwards (usually that we regretted doing it, but it was too late).

The children have been getting settled into the school routines and our Nursery children have started to stay for afternoons this week. We had our first Spiritual and Kindness Ambassadors meetings to discuss ideas and projects for the year. One of the first things our Spiritual Ambassadors will be involved in planning is our Harvest Festival in October. Next week I will share about our exciting RE Day.

Mrs Lisa Freeman
Head of School, Victoria CE Infant and Nursery School

Friday 12 September - Sunday 21 September
Exhibition: the Lost Buildings of Berkhamsted

This weekend is your last chance to visit the Lost Buildings of Berkhamsted exhibition inside St Peter's. It's a fascinating display in the south transept exploring Berkhamsted's lost history, from Roman villas to Downton-Abbey-style houses and coaching inns. The exhibition has been organised by Berkhamsted Local History & Museum Society (BLHMS) as part of Heritage Open Days, and it's a pleasure for us to support their invaluable work in bringing our local history to life.

The Lost Buildings of Berkhamsted runs until Sunday, and entry is free.

Heritage Open Days exhibition

Sunday 21 September
Exhibition: From Taste Wars to Star Wars:

This Sunday, the BFI National Archive and Dacorum Heritage are running an exhibition about advertising in Berkhamsted Civic Centre, as part of Heritage Open Days. From Taste Wars to Star Wars: Advertising Food and Film Made in Hertfordshire will bring together two unique heritage collections based in Berkhamsted: Dacorum Heritage's Ovaltine Collection and the BFI National Archive's film poster collection. The display will feature early 20th-century advertising art from the Ovaltine Factory in Kings Langley, while the BFI will showcase a small display of posters for films that were shot in Hertfordshire, sometimes called the "British Hollywood".

10.30am-3.30pm at the Civic Centre, Berkhamsted High Street. Free entry, no booking required.

 dacorumheritage.org.uk/news/heritage-open-days-2

Sunday 21 September at 4:00 pm
Behind the Mirror: Songs without Words

This Sunday we welcome Sarah Thurlow (clarinet), Clare O'Connell (cello) and Iain Farrington (piano) to St Peter's. They will offer an afternoon of Romantic music for clarinet trio in the Lady Chapel, with music by Fanny Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms, interspersed with six songs from Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe. Not to be missed! Tickets £25, under-18s free.

 www.behindthemirror.org/whats-on-1/songs-without-w

Thursday 25 September - Sunday 28 September
Graham Greene International Festival

The Graham Greene International Festival returns in September, celebrating the life and writing of the Berkhamsted-born novelist. This year's special guest is the Scottish, satirist, writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci (Alan Partridge, The Thick of It). the programme will include presentations and discussions about The Third Man and the Mexican background to The Power and the Glory; a tour of the WWI trenches; and screenings of two films based on Greene's novels, Ministry of Fear and Brighton Rock.  Events will take place at the Civic Centre, the Town Hall, and Berkhamsted School.

 grahamgreenebt.org/events

Sunday 28 September
Berkhamsted Fire Station Open Day

Berkhamsted Fire Station on Castle Street will be open to the public 11am-2pm. Come and explore a fire engine, meet the men and women of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, meet the fire investigation dog, and watch a fire demonstration. There will also be an opportunity to get fire safety advice for the home, and there will be stalls, food and entertainment. 

Thursday 2 October at 10:30 am
Thursday Communion at Potten End

Beginning on Thursday 2 October, Holy Trinity Potten End are launching a new short, reflective service with Holy Communion on Thursday mornings at 10.30am. This will be a gentle and unhurried time of prayer, scripture, and the sacrament-ideal for anyone who appreciates a peaceful pause in the middle of the week. The service will last around 25-30 minutes, with an opportunity to stay for a chat afterwards for those who wish. All are warmly welcome, and an invitation is extended to anyone living at Castle Village or Annett House.

Contact:

 Send an email to: Rev Ben Brady

 www.holytrinitypottenend.org.uk

Saturday 4 October at 7:30 pm
Music of Love and Longing

An evening of music for voice and piano at St Mary the Virgin Church in Old Amersham, with baritone Thomas Isherwood, accompanied by Fei Ren on piano. Advance tickets £17, £20 on the door, under-16s £10.

 www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/old-amersham

Sunday 5 October at 4:00 pm
Alexander Ardakov Piano Recital

Celebrated pianist Alexander Ardakov will return to St Peter's for another exhilarating recital in October. He will present a programme of works by the master of piano music himself, Frederick Chopin (1810-1849), including a selection of nocturnes, mazurkas, impromptus and Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor. Tickets are just £12 (pay on the door). It is a privilege and a delight for us to enjoy performances by this acclaimed player - don't miss it!

Sunday 12 October
Berkhamsted Artisan & Makers Market

A brand new market - an Artisan and Makers' Market is to run on the second Sunday of the month from March next year, with 2 launch markets on Sunday 12th October and the Sunday 30th November. The Market will be a regular show case for local creative talent, and brings another exciting event to the High Street. We hope it will ultimately achieve the same success as the popular Antiques and Vintage market in adding to the High Street bBuzz, and attracting visitors to the town.

The Market is being organised by FoSP ( The Friends of St Peters), a charity that fundraises to ensure that our other iconic High Street building, St Peters Church, will still be gracing our High St in the next millennium; it also supports the reimagined Rectory Lane Cemetery which, following its £1.25m makeover from ?Dead Space to Living Place', requires funds to sustain its beautiful landscape and community green space.

 www.berkhamstedartisanmarket.co.uk

Sunday 2 November
BerkoFest Book Festival

BerkoFest Book Festival is returning for its sixth year, with a diverse range of guest speakers, including Shaparak Khorsandi, Nigel Planer, Robin Ince, and many more top-selling writers, musicians, comedians and sports people. The event in Berkhamsted's historic Town Hall usually sells out, so book your tickets!

 bookfestival.berkofest.com

Friday 21 November
DENS Sponsored Sleepout

Local homelessness charity DENS invites the community to take part in its annual Sponsored Sleepout, now at Hammond Academy in Hemel Hempstead. The free event is open to adults and children aged eight and above, offering an inspiring night of activities, live music, and a chance to learn more about DENS' vital work. As participants bed down under the stars, they'll experience a small glimpse of the challenges rough sleepers face, while raising funds to support local people in crisis. Last year's Sleepout raised £33,000, and organisers hope to make this year's the biggest yet.

Free places are available now at:

 www.dens.org.uk/sleepout25

Visit Ashridge House gardens

Sadly last Sunday's Hospice Garden Party was cancelled due to bad weather. However, you can still visit the gardens at Ashridge this autumn - they're open daily throughout September and October, 9am-5:30pm, last entry 4pm (but check for occasional closures due to private events or weddings). Tickets are available at the Bakehouse café at Ashridge House, but online tickets are discounted.

 www.ashridgehouse.org.uk/visit-us/gardens

Artists & makers wanted!

Back in May we had a super successful Arts & Crafts Fair in the Court House. Local creatives sold works of art and raised £1000s for the St Peter's Renovation Appeal. We're planning to run another fair on Saturday 22 November and we're putting the call out for artists and makers to take part. You sell works and we just ask for a % donation towards church funds. It's a fun community day, you'll meet lots of people, and you'll also help St Peter's to fix its leaking roof! Want to book a stall? Give us a call!

Contact:

 Send an email to: Carolynne Charman

 07503 156 751

Introducing… Rev Caroline Wickens

Caroline Wickens has just moved to Berkhamsted where she will serve as the Minister of All Saints LEP and Methodist Circuit Superintendent. We welcome you, Caroline!

I'm delighted to be working with the congregation at All Saints. I've been a Methodist minister since 1992 and have served in Zambia and Kenya as well as various churches in this country, most recently Manchester. I value working ecumenically, partly because my husband Andrew is an Anglican priest currently working in Slough. We have two adult children, one based in London, one in Chicago. I look forward to exploring opportunities for ministry in Berkhamsted and with its people, along with the surrounding areas where I have responsibilities in the Methodist circuit and district. And I'm excited to get to know friends from churches across the town - thank you for your welcome.

 www.allsaintsberkhamsted.org.uk/contact/whos-who