St Mary and St Gabriel

Sharing the love of God

Letter from Harriet, the Rector – 18^th June 2021

Letter from Harriet, the Rector Dear friends, I hope you have all had a good week.   This weekend, we have three baptisms in South Harting - what a joy!  Including a baptism on Sunday morning in our Benefice Eucharist which will be so lovely.  It's wonderful for all of us to be reminded of our baptism, to hear again the baptismal promises, and to renew our commitment to Christ along with those being committing to Christ for the first time.   Baptism is our answer to God's call, sometimes made by ourselves if we are baptised as an adult, or, as an infant, on our behalf by our parents and godparents.  God calls each and every one of us, God delights in all that he has made, and in baptism we answer his call and bathe in his love.   In the baptismal promises, the person being baptised or their parents and godparents are asked, "do you turn to Christ?".  Turning towards Christ is a vital part of baptism, and if you have been a Christian for many years you will know that turning to Christ isn't something we do once in a lifetime, but on a daily basis, as we learn slowly to give over all of our lives to him. Traditionally, the font is placed by the door of the church at the back of the building, as it is in all three of our churches.  After being baptised in the font, you physically have to turn from the font to face towards the altar, the physical turning being symbolic of the turning to Christ that we do in baptism and every day. The Gospel for this Sunday is the story of the storm at sea, from Mark's Gospel.  It's a great story to hear when we are thinking about baptism, not least because it involves water!  Jesus and the disciples are out in a storm at sea, and Jesus is resting on a cushion in the bottom of the boat.  Presumably he is tired after a full day.  As the storm builds the disciples begin to panic and they wake Jesus up with the words, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" and Jesus responds to their cry by calming the storm.  Most stories in the Bible that feature water can be linked to baptism in some way and this Gospel story is no exception.  In the chaotic waters of the storm, the disciples turned to Christ; he heard them and responded.   It's a helpful encouragement to us today, that when we face the storms of life, Jesus will be there.  We have only to turn to him and he will act.  We don't always know how, but he will. With every blessing for the week ahead. Harriet

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to our website. Please browse the pages to learn about us. Should you require further Information, do not hesitate to contact us by letter, telephone, or email.

The Parish Church of St Mary & St Gabriel, in the West Sussex village of South Harting, is part of the United Benefice of Harting with Elsted and Treyford cum Didling (in the Diocese of Chichester).

For nearly 800 years, our Church has witnessed to the love of God. Over that period, people have gathered Sunday by Sunday for worship and to share in the Eucharist (Holy Communion). They have come here to be baptised, married, and finally to be buried. 

The Church building is widely recognised as one of the finest in England, and we are pleased to welcome many visitors, especially during the Summer months. South Harting is on a popular cycling route, and is very close to the glorious South Downs Way. Our Summer cream teas (Sundays 2.30pm to 4.30pm) attract villagers and travellers alike.

Of course, although our building is very important to us, the essence of our Church consists of the people who belong to it. We seek to follow Christ, and to share God's love with our local community. Aside from our Sunday services, we hold regular courses (especially during Lent and Advent) where people can learn more about the Christian Faith, and dare to ask questions. We like to think of ourselves as very open minded. Authentic Christian Faith is not about blind belief, but about growing in faith and love and service.

We enjoy an excellent relationship with the local Congregational Church. The Rector and the Congregational Ministers work closely together, and meet together most weeks to share news and to pray.

If you are able to visit us, or to join in any of our activities, you will be most welcome. 

Last updated - 19/6/2021

Email webmaster

________________________________________________________________________________________

We are delighted to welcome our new Rector, The Reverend Harriet Neale-Stevens. 

Harriet joined us on the 24th September when she was formally Inducted as Incumbunt of Harting with Elsted and Treyford cum Didling at a service led by the Bishop of Horsham. 

We extend to Harriet and her young family a huge welcome and hope they will be very happy here in their new home.

We have support from our Benefice Deacon Emma D'Aeth, together with Roger Williamson (Honorary Priest) and our Lay Reader Patricia Grigsby. The Deanery also supports our weddings and funerals.

Please refer any church matters to the Churchwardens, Hatti and Sarah – click here for the contact page. Information about services will be updated regularly. 

___________________________________________________________________

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Policy Statement

As members of the PCCs of Harting and Elsted with Treyford cum Didling we are committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of all our members.

We recognise that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

We are committed to implementing all safeguarding policies and practice guidance issued by the House of Bishops

We will carefully select and train all those who work or volunteer in positions of trust.  We will use the Disclosure and Barring Service, amongst other tools, to check the background of each person.

We will respond, without delay, to every concern made that a person for whom we are responsible may have been harmed. 

We will co-operate fully with statutory agencies during any investigation concerning a member of the church community.

We will seek to ensure that anyone for whom we have pastoral responsibility who has suffered abuse is offered support that meets their needs.

We will respond appropriately to those who have committed sexual offences who wish to join our fellowship, following House of Bishop's guidance and the advice of the Safeguarding Team.

We will review this policy annually and as part of this process will ensure that all our procedures, particularly in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service, are up to date.

Our Safeguarding Representative is Jane Thwaites

Address: Pond Cottage, Elsted, West Sussex, GU29 0LA

Telephone: 07444299054 or 01730 82565

Email: jane.thwaites@btinternet.com