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Saunter on the Mount

Saturday 30 August 2014

Jim Thornton tells us why a group from St Andrew's met on a hilltop one Saturday morning
IvinghoeBeaconGroup300814B
The passing walkers and model aircraft pilots who dived bombed us must have thought we were a bit weird.  Standing on the top of the hill in a circle we read the Beatitudes to each other and prayed; we also held up foam boards and ate sausages and amazing blueberry muffins.
 
It was all part of our Year of Matthew, and on the last Saturday of August a group of us converged on Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns for 10.00am brunch. Some then walked along the ridge to the Duke of Bridgewater’s column, and some even climbed it.  The weather was great, and that really helped.
 
The purpose of the event was to try and find an easy way to remember the Beatitudes, so we can reflect on them when we face challenging choices and situations.  The most curious is Blessed are those who mourn.  What does this mean?  It cannot mean that those who have been bereaved are happy or blessed, so what does it mean?
 
IvinghoeBeacon300814WillisBOn the Internet I found The Theology of Work Project, and they gave an example of a company that tried to put this into practice. “Toro, the manufacturer of tractors and lawn equipment, adopted a practice of showing concern to people injured while using their products.  As soon as the company learns of an injury, it contacts the injured person to express sorrow and offer help.  It also asks for suggestions to improve the product. Surprising as it may sound, this approach has reduced the number of customer lawsuits over a period of many years.’  How do you feel about this as a way of addressing the failure of a product? I think they should have made a safer product in the first place.
 
I think the best comment I found on another website came from one of the early Church Fathers, Gregory of Nyssa: It is impossible for one to live without tears who considers things exactly as they are.
 
At the back of St Andrew's Church are yellow cards with the Beatitudes in three different versions, and a possible way to remember them: we are to TRUST and OBEY and GRIEVE, and be HUMBLE, MERCIFUL and PURE, and to be RECONCILERS who will inevitably be DESPISED and REJECTED as we try to follow Jesus day by day.
 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to St Andrew's. If you are new, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

No one belongs here more than you.

We look forward to meeting you! Here's some information so that if you're planning a visit you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.  We have other pages telling you more About Us, our approach to Faith and our Online services.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our main Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you find a parking space and can settle in before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Plan your journey:
While, unfortunately, St Andrew's does not have its own carpark, there is a council-run pay and display carpark a short distance along St Andrew Street, to the east of the church; there is a £1.50 flat-rate charge for parking in this carpark on Sundays (though half an hour or less is free).

This is a useful East Herts Council website page for full details of parking in Hertford.

There are single yellow lines outside the church with parking restrictions, but some 30-minute parking bays are situated on the opposite side of the road for short stays (longer on Sundays).

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet towards the back of the church, behind the kitchen.

Our Service

The service will usually begin promptly at 10.30am and will last between 60 and 75 minutes. We enjoy the presence of an excellent choir who help us sing hymns (modern and traditional) as well as provide anthems and special songs through the period of communion. We have a traditional organ but also benefit from music played on the piano and by our band (eg on the Second Sunday of each month when we have an All-Age Service in which our children and young people are fully involved).

Each 10.30am service includes a sermon, prayers and eucharist.

After the service, everyone is invited for coffee and conversation - some like to stay for a quick chat while others remain in the church for a longer time.

Communion

Children and Young People

Children are never too young to come to church. You and your children are very welcome at St Andrew’s. 

We really value worshipping God together as a family, so children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service before being invited to leave for the young people's activities after the first hymn. Junior Church meets in the St Andrew's Centre (our adjoining hall), accessed through the church on Sunday mornings. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy.

The children and young people then return to the main service in time to join the eucharist and, if confirmed, take Holy Communion or, if not, receive a blessing. We offer a grape or a little box of raisins to children being blessed at the altar.

There is a Children's Corner in church where you can go at any time. You will find books, toys and drawing materials there.

Toilet and baby-change facilities are located at the back of church, behind the kitchen.

There's lots more information here: Children and Young People at St Andrew's

Junior Church celebration

Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week. Check out Home Groups on our website and see if there’s one that you could join. Alternatively, speak to a member of the Welcome Team who will give you the information that you need.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. Please contact Phil in the Church Office.

Get in touch with us
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. You'll find our contact details here.

We hope that you will feel at home at our church.