Crowhurst_Autumn_15.pdf

Autumn 2015

Contents04 Steve’s letterWhat is the CrowhurstChristian Healing Centre?05 Ecumenism at the CCHC06 Visit to Carisbrook Priory07 Authentic Men’s WeekendA conference for men08-09 Together - Families Weekend10 Evangelical Sisterhood of Maryand our Prayer Walk10 A sense of belonging11-14 Prayer Focus15 Testimony Time16 Guided Quiet Day:Look at the birds17 Swallow ‘chit-chat’17 Garden News18-20 Thanksgiving Day21 Welcome to New Trustee:Suzanne Owen21 Welcome toJohn Brown:Chapel Projector Operator21 Teaching Days:Signs of His Kingdom21 Healing week withBishop Graham Dow22 Teaching Day:‘When I am old, I will wear purple’23 Autumn programmeThe CCHC is a friendly Christian HealingCentre where a warm welcome awaits allwho come through its doors. Situated in anarea of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is justfour miles from the coast in the Sussex HighWeald. The peace and comfort of this placecreates an ideal setting in which to drawcloser to God and experience His love.The saving, healing work of Jesus is all aboutKingdom come/coming. Every time a personis drawn out of darkness, slavery or dis-ease,it is a Kingdom moment; the Kingly rule andauthority of Jesus breaking into our world.Every time we allow Him to be King in ourlife or in a situation around us, the Kingdomhas come.The ministry of the CrowhurstChristian Healing Centre is a Kingdomministry where we seek to cooperate withJesus (as junior partners) in the bringing in ofHis Kingdom.OUR VISION STATEMENTThe Crowhurst Christian Healing Centreis a non-denominational, residential placewith a vision to grow the Kingdom of Godby continuing the healing, preaching andteaching ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ,both at the Centre and in the widercontext of the Church of Christ.23 Forthcoming Events2

Editorialhave been fitted to the lower end of thechapel corridor, along with a ramp whichmakes wheelchair access easier. By the timeyou receive your magazine, it will have had asafety rail fitted and be in use.“To see Jesus lifted high.” This was thetitle on the Thanksgiving Day programmethis year. And lift Him high we did - at themorning service and in the afternoon, whenwe looked at the team’s vision for theCCHC going forward. (See pages18-20 formore on Thanksgiving Day.)I have been coming to the Centre for nearlytwenty years now, making many lovelyfriends, and during that time, have seenmany changes in personnel and routine, butno matter who comes or goes, I know thatthe Lord will always be ‘in this place.’ Afterevery visit, I come away with a fresh touchof Jesus, through His Word in the servicesand through the love and care that is givenby the Chaplaincy team, Prayer Ministersand hospitality/catering staff.The ‘new thing’ is, and will continue to be,a ‘work in progress’ as step by step, theLord continues to lead the team forward.The successful outcome of the Gift Days inApril has confirmed the belief that the Lordis guiding the team and taking them forwardwith their vision.The buildingSome much needed work has been carriedout this year. In July a new carpet was laidoutside the kitchen and the corridor, whichwas also redecorated. A new UPVC slidingdoor has replaced the old aluminium one inthe sun corridor and as you can see from thephoto (top right), a new door and windowsFacebookAt the time of print, we are up to 408 ‘likes’!Henrietta Blyth, who was staying at the CCHCin July, was our 400th ‘liker’ and during her stay,Esther from the office, who is also in chargeof our Facebook and Twitter accounts, tookthe opportunity to take a celebratory photo.Henrietta is proudly holding the ‘400 likes’poster. Do ‘like’ our Facebook page if youhaven’t already done so.Please keep the team in your prayers as theyfollow the Lord’s leading, and let’s lift Jesushigh at the CCHC and beyond!With every blessing, Mary3

Steve’s letter -Jesus said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you …’Dear Followers of Jesus, you who arebeing made like Him,Recently, to help uspray during NightPrayer, I was usingPsalm 147 verses1-4. When we gotto verse 4, whichreminds us that ourLord names thestars in the nightsky, I suggested wesimply ask the Lordto show us what He sees when looking at thestars. In the next few minutes all those presentreceived extraordinary pictures of the night sky,and sounds too. It was awesome!The Lord has been reminding me again of theprogress of the advance of His Kingdom acrossthe globe. Think about it; by the time you havefinished reading this magazine, countless morepeople would have heard the Good News andthousands of those would have decided tobecome followers of Jesus. Blind people wouldhave received sight; the deaf will have heardsound for the first time; the weak made strongand over a billion followers worldwide (youand me too) would have shone like lights in theworld.Be encouraged; we are on thevictory side – the Lord whoknows the stars by name is onour side – ‘who can be againstus?’Our call is to walk by faith, not by sight - faith ina Lord who knows the stars and daily advancesHis global Kingdom. How I would love to knowwhat tomorrow may bring and what the futureof the CCHC looks like. The Lord has shownthe leadership here a very helpful picture of‘one carpet tile being put down before us at atime’. It seems for us here at the CCHC, theLord gives us all we need, to do what He wantsus to do presently. We need to prayerfullydiscern what that is and faithfully press on,knowing that we are not building just for thehere and now, but for the Kingdom of God.Since our successful Gift Days we believe theLord is confirming our ‘going out’ to the widercontext of the Church of Christ, as we havereceived more invitations. Thank the Lordwith us and continue to pray as we considerfinancing and resourcing this new work of theLord here.There have also been two new developments –a necessary part of the next carpet tile. We feelprompted to further explore our big pictureby carefully and prayerfully viewing our land,and where things like prayer rooms and hutsmay be placed in relation to the much neededimproved car parking space and presentbuildings.Secondly, the two day a week voluntary role ofour Associate Chaplain, Penny, has a new look.One day a week Penny will continue to blessus with all the Ministry things we love her to do(mostly on Thursdays) and the other day shewill be looking into all things business in relationto the Centre. This will be until the end ofDecember 2015.It thrills me that here (and in all our hearts andhomes), around the globe and the galaxiesbeyond, our Lord is faithfully and lovinglykeeping His promises and that one day not onlywill we be like Him, but we will know and fullyexperience the peace and joy of His Kingdomon earth. Thank you Lord!With love from us all, Steve4

Ecumenism at the CCHC‘Make every effort to keep the unityof the Spirit through the bond ofpeace’. (Ephesians 4.3)Our Vision Statement says:The Crowhurst Christian HealingCentre is a non-denominational,residential place with a visionto grow the Kingdom of God bycontinuing the healing, preachingand teaching ministry of the LordJesus Christ, both at the Centreand in the wider context of theChurch of Christ.We are non-denominational.A general definition for non-denominationalis ‘not restricted to, or formally aligned to, anyparticular religious denomination.’ You may knowthat inter-denominational ‘celebrates the strengthsof a variety of denominations.’ It’s easy for me tosee that an outsider looking in could say we wereeither, or a mixture of both. As the questionwas raised recently, we decided to look into thevariety of people that visit and/or work here.Let me start by saying I celebrate the truth thatour guests, staff and volunteers come from alldenominations (from Pentecostal to RomanCatholic) and none. Groups that visit are anincreasing number from black Pentecostalchurches in London, Vineyard church, Deanerygroups, Parish groups (Anglican, non-Conformist,Pentecostal and independent Free Churches).Individuals that visit include clergy/pastors and/ortheir spouses, and youth workers from a numberof different denominations, who come for dayretreats and quiet days – see group list above.Those attending Healing Services come from awide range of denominations.Links with other organisationsChaplains attend quarterly network meetingswhich include Ashburnham, Penhurst, PilgrimHall, Glyndley Manor, Burrswood, The Oastsand The Coach House, all of which represent avariety of denominations and theology.Steve and I hold a license from the Bishop ofChichester authorising us to work in all his C ofE congregations (when invited) and as aresult we are part of the local DeaneryChapter.The CCHC attends HastingsChurches Unity Services, Bible bythe Beach and Diocesan HealingDays. The Centre is also a memberof Christian Healing UK whichincorporates many denominations.Liturgies usedIona, Northumbria, Methodist, URCand Anglican liturgies are used on aregular basis. Also a ‘Simple Communion’of unknown provenance and Celtic Daily Prayerby David Adam. Some services that we lead haveno written liturgy, and this occurs for both inhouse services and our public Healing Services.Hymnody spreads across the traditions fromCharles Wesley to Taize, from Kendrick toHillsong. When appropriate I sometimes crossmyself and occasionally genuflect in worship.(There have been two occasions I felt promptedto perform a cart wheel but I’m not sure if thereis historical liturgical precedent for this?)Visiting ChaplainsThe team of Visiting Chaplains include Ministersfrom many denominations. Our most regular areBrenda (URC); Bridget, Pat and Peter (Baptist,but worshipping in Anglican Churches); John,Colin, Denis, Lesley and Terry (Anglican); James,Andrew and Ian (Methodist).Our Ministry Team come from Methodist,Anglican, independent Free Churches andBaptist.Our Guided Quiet Days are led by leaders froma wide range of denominations and the TeachingDays are mainly led by our own Chaplains.I am thrilled that we have the flexibility in worshipto be obedient to our dear Lord and Scripturewithout being limited by anything or anyone.The Lord is here and people visiting here findthat is true. By God’s grace we provide a safeenvironment that enables this. Praise the Lord!Steve Gendall5

Visit to Carisbrook PrioryIn May, Steve C (playing hooky from sickleave!), Penny, Yvonne and I travelled tothe Isle of Wight for a Teaching Day atCarisbrook Priory, a non residential centreof Prayer and Christian Healing, whichwelcomes “everyone, but especially thoseseeking peace of mind.”Around forty people from various localministry situations attended the day. In themorning Steve’s teaching focused on thefoundations and practice of the healingministry, with supporting testimonies fromYvonne and myself.Then after a delicious lunch from the tearoom, and a rest in the peaceful gardens,it was time to “try it out.” This is alwayschallenging for guests, as they experiencepraying, and being prayed for, in miniministry sessions based on the ‘Crowhurstmodel.’But our Lord is faithful, and people came awayencouraged by the experience and emboldenedto continue their journey in the healing ministry.Our thanks to the Buttons for our transportand Penny’s awesome driving, and to ourwonderful hosts, Bob and Maxine.We continue to pray for the growth anddevelopment of the Lord’s Kingdom work atCarisbrook.Veronica Gendall6

Authentic Men’s Weekend - A Conference for MenThirty men from all over the UK convergedon the CCHC for a very special weekendin May. Not only was there a broad rangeof accents, there was also a broad rangeof ages. Jokingly I said beforehand that Iwanted a certificate to prove that I am an‘Authentic Man!’ That wasn’t forthcomingbut such a certificate would have paled intoinsignificance in comparison with such apowerful move of the Holy Spirit during thatweekend.Based on the book ‘Wild at Heart’ by JohnEldredge, a team of skilled men took usthrough what it is to be a man in the churchtoday. In essence, the church has tried toproduce emasculated and non-competitivemen, to produce ’nice’ men. That was neverGod’s plan. God gave men a warrior heartand we need to reclaim it. There are battlesto fight and adventures to live. Adventure isvital to the lives of men; when boredom setsin, it creates the wrong sorts of adventure -gambling, pornography, affairs etc.We looked at the cosmic battle and theimpact that has on lives today. We alsolooked at the masks that men wear, oftento hide past hurts and how these need to bedealt with. Finally we looked at father/sonrelationships, both in Godly, and in humanterms.This brief summary does not do justice tothe real impact of the weekend, which was amixture of talks, interspersed with film clips,and times for reflection.Each evening ended with meeting sociallyround a camp fire in the grounds. Therewere unexpected extras like bacon butties,and popcorn to go with a film on Saturdaynight.The weekend was challenging, exhilaratingand well worthwhile. I would recommend itto any man. If you get a chance to go on one,then please do. You will not be disappointed.Colin Crook7

Together - Families WeekendIn May, the first ever Families Weekend was heldat the CCHC and what a wonderful time was hadby all! Ages ranged from toddlers to teens andthere was something for everyone - from toastingmarshmallows on an open fire, being creative inthe art room, and shaving foam pies! A weekend ofgrowing in faith together, lots of fun and laughter,and making new friends.Barbara Kingston writes:For many years, my husband Fred and I broughtour young son Owen to the CCHC for a coupleof weeks holiday each summer, staying in theflats which were available for guests before thefire regulations changed. Since having children ofhis own, my son has longed to bring them to theCentre, but this is no longer feasible, so imagineour delight when we saw that they were hostinga families’ weekend! We applied at once andfound that even gran could come - wow!The whole weekend was a great success; theplanning was so good that no detail had beenoverlooked to make the weekend fun for thechildren, and enjoyable for the adults. Fromhaving stickers and colouring sheets in the diningroom, to keep the youngsters happy when theyhad eaten, to Duplo/Lego cars etc in the loungeto occupy inquisitive fingers!Early in the programme there was a treasurehunt for each family to do together, whichinvolved finding objects/places photographedthat were in the house and grounds. Therewas great excitement in our family wheneverwe found the place where the picture hadbeen taken! We found Maggie in the art roomwhere we made Pentecost crowns, Steve inthe lounge, where we were given a blessing anda chocolate, and we found Jesus on the crossin the small chapel etc. What a great way toexplore the house!There was such a friendly atmosphere in thehouse; the children very quickly made friendsand encouraged their parents to make newfriends too! In the garden were sports toys - avery large ball and small ones - skipping ropesbats etc, and so lots of scope for impromptugames. Even parachute games were providedone afternoon.My granddaughter made friends with someolder girls she called ‘my big girls’ and she stilltalks of them.8

Fun, Faith and Foam pies!The art room was a magnet to my grandsonand he made so many wonderful craft projects,some edible, and even my two year oldgranddaughter made a few masterpieces.Parents also enjoyed dabbling at things as it issuch an enticing room!There were puppets to watch, music makingin the marquee, and a very inspiring FamilyWorship for Pentecost. My grandson has sincebeen busy teaching his teddy to sing ‘My God is agreat big God!’I am sure the whole experience will have alasting impression on my grandchildren andwhen I asked them what they liked best aboutthe weekend, they said “toasting marshmallowson the campfire and …all of it, when are wegoing again?”And the adults in our family? Well of coursewe echo the children - please arrange anotherone soon, hopefully with Sally and Becki, ourwonderful children’s workers who planned it allwith such care.So a big thank you Steve, Penny, Sally, Becki, allthe staff and cooks, the music makers and othervolunteers that made the weekend so veryspecial.9

Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary andour Prayer WalkMany people will have seen the ‘PraisePlaques’, which are placed in strategic placesaround the Prayer Walk here at the CCHC,and perhaps wondered about their origin.These unusual and very special signs have allbeen donated by the Evangelical Sisterhoodof Mary. Founded in 1948 by Mother BasileaSchlink and Mother Martyria in Darmstadt,Germany, there are now eleven sub-divisionsall over the world. Our nearest branch is inRadlett, Hertfordshire where we are in regularcontact with Sister Glory and Sister Thekla.As Mother Martyria put it: “God’s standards arevery different from ours. When we think we havecome to the end of our strength, He steps in togive us new energy and new vision.”If you wish to use a map to guide you aroundthe Prayer Walk, you will find these on displayin our main reception area or in the Library.May your feet always be guided in the steps ofour Lord.Juliette VaneThe wording on all the signs has beencomposed by Mother Basilea with referencesto the appropriate biblical tracts and willencourage the reader to pause and ponder,pray and communicate with our Lord at thechosen ‘stations’. The messages are simple andclear, and show Mother Basilea’s deep loveand commitment for our Lord in all that shedid. She wrote many books which are still veryappropriate for these modern times.The Sisterhood has placed praise plaques invarious places around the world where therehas been suffering and destruction – ‘With God,suffering is never the final outcome.’For whatever reason you have come to theCentre, for rest, respite, ministry or to copewith life in general, please enjoy our PrayerWalk and be thankful how blessed we are tohave these plaques provided for us.A sense of belongingTwo dear friends introduced me to the CCHCalmost three years ago. When enteringthe Chapel I was overwhelmed with thepresence of our God and the Holy Spirit – infact no words can ever describe the feelings Iexperienced. I only know that He was therewith open arms, welcoming me to walk withHim. Since then I have made many friendsat the Centre; I have always been made tofeel very welcome and that I belonged in thiswonderful place.When taking a walk around the gardens oneis very aware of the Lord’s healing presence.I know that when leaving after the service onThursday morning the Lord our God is by ourside and will never leave us. Hallelujah andPraise the Lord!Barbara Anne Jeub10

Prayer Requests for Autumn 2015Please pull out and keep for the coming months11Autumn Prayer Requests

Prayer Requestsfor Autumn 2015PRAYER FOCUS“Praise the Lord all you nations; extol Him allyou peoples. For great is His love towards us,and the faithfulness of the Lord enduresforever.” Psalm 117:1PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING“Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanksin all circumstances, for this is God’s will for youin Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18PRAYER• Give thanks and praise for all those whocovered Steve Clark in prayer after hebroke his collar bone while cycling during abreak away in May. He is now fullyrecovered and able to joyfully raise hishands high in praise to the Lord.• Please pray for Geof, who retired from hisposition as Maintenance Manager on 31 stJuly. We thank God for his many years offaithful service to the CCHC. Kim has nowtaken up the post so please pray for him ashe juggles the demands of the everydayjobs and maintenance needs on a limitedbudget.• Give thanks for the increase in numbers ofguests so far this year. The website is beingupdated and in July, we also celebrated our400th ‘like’ on Facebook!• We continue to receive requests to go outinto the surrounding area and are learningfrom, and building on, past visits. We haveeven had enquiries from Kenya, Spain andIndia. Please pray earnestly for the Lord’sguidance as how to respond to this newdevelopment. Much prayer is needed.“Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanks, andhonour and power and strength, be to ourGod for ever and ever. Amen.”Revelation 7:12September Prayer Focus“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield tothose who take refuge in Him.” Proverbs 30:5SEPTEMBER4-6 Women’s Weekend:New for 201518 - 20 Healing Weekend23 - 26 Ordinands Retreat (House closed)“The Lord gives strength to His people; theLord blesses His people with peace.”Psalm 29:1112

October Prayer Focus“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me yourpaths; guide me in your truth and teach me, foryou are God my Saviour.” Psalm 25:4-5OCTOBER1 Editorial Board Meeting2 (evening) 3 (day) Teaching Day:Signs of His Kingdom: Healing Churches Today10 Guided Quiet Day‘Prayer walking for everyone’Led by Pat & Peter Lockley12 - 16 Healing week: Led byBishop Graham Dow22 - 25 Prayer Partners WeekNovember Prayer Focus“For this God is our God for ever and ever; Hewill be our guide even to the end.” Psalm 48:14NOVEMBER3 - 7 Prayer through Painting week9 - 12 Franciscan Retreat (House closed)10 Trustees Meeting14 Guided Quiet Day‘Known and loved by God’Led by Maureen Stringer18 Teaching Day:‘When I am old, I shall wear purple’Led by Steve & Veronica Gendalland Dr Rachel Fawcett20 - 22 Healing Weekend27 (evening) 28 (day) Teaching Day:Signs of His Kingdom: Resourcing Individuals“God is our refuge and strength, an everpresenthelp in trouble.” Psalm 46:1“Create in me a pure heart, O God, andrenew a steadfast sprit within me.”Psalm 51:1013

Prayer for The CentrePRAYER FOCUS“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and yourplans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3TRUSTEES’ PRAYER REQUESTSMartin Granger (Chair), Jim Beveridge,Shirley Dawson, Suzanne Owen, Paul Raynor,Jane Thomas and Nigel Thonger• Give praise and thanks to the Lord thatSuzanne Owen, Director of Nursing atBurrswood Hospital, has agreed to becomea Trustee. We welome her to ourcommunity and pray that she enjoys afruitful time with us as we continue ouradventure with the Lord.• Mavis Williams resigned at the beginning ofSeptember. We thank her for her input anddedicated service as a Trustee.• Pray for Penny, our Associate Chaplain,who has a two day a week voluntary role aspart of the Chaplaincy at the CCHC. Shewill continue to be a vital part of theMinistry Team, mostly on a Thursday, buton the other day, she has agreed to shareher business experience with us by lookinginto all things business in relation to theCentre. Therefore until the end of the year,her present role will change to one day aweek on Chaplaincy matters and the otherday on business matters.• We give thanks for the continued generosity ofall who have a heart for the healing ministry ofChrist’s healing love at the Centre. We givegrateful thanks for those who supported ourGift Days in April and our Thanksgiving Day inJuly. May you all be truly blessed.Prayer for staff at The Centre“Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, youservants of the Lord, you who minister in thehouse of the Lord.” Psalm 135:1-2CHAPLAINCY AND WORSHIPSteve Gendall, Steve Clark, Penny,Andy, Brenda, Carole, Colin, David B, David F,Dee, Gill, Gwen, Helen, Hildegard, Jan,Jenny, John, Judith, June, Maggie, Margaret,Mike, Nigel, Olive, Pam, Pat, Paul, Pete,Peter, Phyllis, Pippa, Rachel, Roland,Stephen, Veronica, Vivien, Yvonne andVisiting ChaplainsOFFICEChris, Jayne, Diane, Esther, Hilary, Jenny, Jo,Juliette, Maria and RosemaryHOUSEHeidi, Abigail, Chrissy, Clare, David, Ian,Justine, Marion, Sarah, Shirley and SteveMAINTENANCE AND GARDENKim, Brian, Cliff, Dave, David, Desmond andRonnieMAGAZINE EDITORMary“In his heart a man plans his course, but theLord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9“The Lord is faithful to all His promises andloving towards all He has made.”Psalm 145:1314

Testimony TimeFor some years now, my fiancé Phil and I havebeen able to visit the CCHC regularly. Phil tooksome persuading at first but now he cannotkeep away! It has become our second home, afamily, a place of the transforming work of theHoly Spirit, and somewhere that is very hard toleave.At times the Lord has done a very obviouswork of healing. At other times it seems nothinghas happened and change feels impossible.However, in the weeks and months that follow,I notice I have grown and changed. It is as if Ihave put my child hand into the strong hold ofJesus’ hand. We turn a corner on the journey,and unexpectedly I find myself in a new placewith Him; the Lord has been working in theunseen along the way.Our last visit was in June this year, where wefound the sense of peace even more tangible.It was my first time in the new art room andwhat struck me on walking through the doorwas the peace. Through Maggie’s prayerfulnessand encouragement, I was inspired to draw andpaint once again.One day Phil and I sat in the large chapel soakingin the peace that was more a body than anatmosphere, and I had the impression of ‘God’swings’ covering the chapel.Whether in a conversation in the lounge,laughter at meal times, the words of a sermon,the peace of the chapels, the inspirationof the art room, walks across the fields orthe gentleness of ministry, this place is thetrue fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Phil oncecommented on Facebook: “Special place; specialpeople; nowhere better to be this side of Paradise.”What more can I say? We’ll be back!SuzieA guest recently wrote to theoffice about her stay, saying she felt‘enfolded in God’s love.’ She alsowrote about the cross in the mainchapel: “The light behind the crossspoke to me of God’s glory that liesbehind Christ’s cross, knowing thatmy husband is safe there (and withGod’s help) I can get on with life.”During our week, the corridor between thedining room and chapels’ corridor was beingrefurbished, so there were fewer guests thanusual. By our last day, we were the only onesleft, and Steve G kindly did a short communionservice for us. At the end we all sat silently in atime of wonderful peace.She mentioned too how much sheenjoyed the prayer walk and howit had encouraged her to do morein her own garden.15

Guided Quiet Day: Look at the BirdsThis very thought provoking day, led by one ofour Visiting Chaplains, Revd Bridget Jenkinson,provided us with many Scripture passages inwhich birds are mentioned. We also discoveredsome very interesting facts about our featheredfriends. I learned amongst other things, that thewing span of an eagle is six to seven foot! Theselarge wings have been designed by God to helpthe adult teach the young to fly. If they fall toofar, or get tired, the parent bird will swoopunderneath them and carry their fledglings untilthey can fly independently. Amazing!Eagles catching their young reminds me ofthat enouraging verse in Isaiah 40:30-31:“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young menstumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lordwill renew their strength. They will soar on wingslike eagles; they will run and not grow weary, theywill walk and not be faint.”I’m sure many of you will know, the song, ‘Powerof your love’ which speaks of the Lord’s love andcloseness as we wait and trust in Him.“Hold me close, let Your love surround me,Bring me near, draw me to Your side.And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle,And I will soar with You, Your Spirit leads me on, inthe power of Your love.”Apart from interesting eagle facts, we alsolearned that the beautiful swallow, which is thesize of penknife, flies 6,000 miles from SouthAfrica to Britain and back again, reaching speedsof 17-22 mph. Wow!Thank you Bridget for such a spirituallyinspirational and educational day! Sparrows,swallows, eagles, doves, chickens (mother hencovering her chicks with her feathers) ... I couldwrite so much more but am limited for space,so I will leave it to Sheila and Susan to sharetheir thoughts and reflections on the day.From SheilaThis Guided Quiet Day was inspirational andparticularly relevant to me in planning to retirenext year.We were reminded of God’s total provision forthe birds, that we are much more valued thanthey and there is no purpose in being anxious.If swallows were able to think about their longand arduous twice yearly flights, they couldbe really anxious but by God’s design, theirrelocation journeys are just perfect!I reflected on the eagle, how she hovers overher young offspring by spreading her wingsto catch each one, and carries them, teachingthem to become confident and mature eagles.And in the same way God cares for us.The dove in Noah’s Ark is the symbol of newcreation, and when Jesus was baptised by Johnthe Baptist in the River Jordan, the Holy Spiritcame upon Him ‘like a dove’, after which Hisministry began.“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out ofthe water. At that moment heaven was opened,and He saw the Spirit of God descending likea dove and alighting on Him. And a voice fromheaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; withHim I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17So guidance for my retirement is in God’s hand,and with a new chapter approaching in my life,I know that in faithfulness and with gentleness,He will lead as I stay attentive and listen to Hisvoice.And from SusanI found today’s quiet day very interesting andinspirational. I was staying as a guest at theCentre and although I am a bird lover, hadbooked my stay unaware of the topic of thequiet day! I believe the Lord had clearly guidedme to stay that particular week and to attendthe day.16

Swallow ‘chit chat’Continuing the bird theme, I asked in thesummer issue for captions for the cute littleswallow on the right of the photo, who Ithought looked far from impressed by hissiblings’ behaviour as they awaited their food!Thank you to everyone for their amusingcomments.Lucille Gaunt writes:• Lousy food – don’t know why they’re makingsuch a song and dance about it!• Wish I was in the nest next door – they getbetter food than us!• Huh! If she thinks I’m going to eat that, she’sgot another think coming!• Who wants worms anyway? Nasty wrigglythings!• Bunch of prima donnas, the lot of them!Juliette, who works in the office• I do wish they could all sing in tune, then wemight get fed!• They’re so out of tune, we’ll never get in thedawn chorus at this rate!Jan Cooper (one of our Prayer Ministers)• Do you think you could zip it for a bit; I’ve gota pounding headache!• Ok, so we can’t all be good at singing!Gwen Farmer• If I keep my beak shut tight, they’ll neverknow that I’m tone deaf!• And finally, from Marnie Simmans“They also serve who only stand and wait.”(Apologies to Milton!)Garden NewsAs usual thesummer seasonhas been avery busy time.Strimming,hedge cutting,shrub pruningand for a shorttime, mowingin variousareas.The bedding plants were planted inthe planned positions and hangingbaskets were prepared and put intoplace.During the summer months, a carefuleye had to be kept on various itemsto make sure greenfly were kept atbay. With this in mind, Jeyes Fluid wasused periodically to keep Black Spotfrom becoming a problem with theroses.When the weather permitted, thecutting down of brambles, nettles andthistles was carried out in the vicinityof the lower pathway. Strimmingaround the interior side of the sheepfield was another task that wascarried out.It was a mostly dry July and theconsequences of a hot and drysummer result in leaves falling early,thus starting a busy time of leafclearing. Sometimes this can startin or around the middle of August.During leaf clearing time I amsurprised that I don’t dream aboutfalling leaves!With the pruning that is carried outduring autumn, the usual bonfires willbe taking place.With blessings to you all.Desmond.17

Thanksgiving Day - Lifting Jesus high!This year’s Thanksgiving Day was not onlya time of thanking God for His continuingprovision at the Centre, it was also a time ofreflection, repentance and lifting Jesus high,which we joyfully did in song with ‘We wantto see Jesus lifted high’ at our morning HolyCommunion Service. During the service theMinistry Team and those involved with thework of the CCHC were anointed.Bishop Richard Jackson preached a challengingsermon on Christ’s healing and told us anamusing, but encouraging, story of how he firstbecame involved with the healing ministry. Ithappened in India at the end of a very noisy andchaotic service. He had been asked to pray forthe sick, which was a bit daunting as he hadonly been a Christian for eighteen months andthe healing ministry was new to him! However,he faithfully ministered to a lady who was bentdouble. Praying a simple prayer for her to ‘getbetter’, he found out three days later thatshe had indeed been healed! The lady was sograteful to the Lord that she started a churchin her house!At lunch time, we broke with the usualtradition of separate lunches and aPloughman’s lunch, lovingly prepared by ourhardworking hospitality team, was served toeveryone. Thanks to the lovely weather, wewere all able to fellowship together outside.18

After lunch we all gathered back in the largechapel for the afternoon talk. Martin Granger(Chair of Trustees) thanked all who work atthe CCHC and all who volunteer, includingthe Visiting Chaplains who faithfully stand inplace of the Chaplains while they’re away. Theteam then shared their vision for the Centregoing forward. Plans for the future includemore teaching days, podcasts of the HealingServices and an on-line E-learning course onthe Healing Ministry. We also hope to put upsome prayer rooms, which will be availablefor folk who can just ‘call in’ for prayer withoutprior appointment, and there are also plansfor more outreach. Former Warden, GeorgeBennett’s vision was to ‘go out and share Jesus’healing’ and our Vision Statement indicates that‘we are here and beyond’, so the team feel thatthere is a real sense of moving out and reestablishingoutreach.Just before afternoon tea and lovelyhomemade cakes, we all gathered at theThanksgiving Cairn, where two new stoneswere laid by the Chaplains - ‘Repent 2015’and ‘Go out’. Steve G then led us in a time ofprayer, after which folk laid their own stones ofthanksgiving.A wonderful day; great weather, greatcompany and much to look forward to overthe coming year and beyond!19

Thanksgiving Day cont’d ...My thanks to everyone who took photos ofthis wonderful day (especially to Tom whowas popping up all over the place and tooksome great snapshots). There were so manyto choose from and I hope the ones I haveused will capture the day just a little bit forthose of you who were unable to attend,and bring back happy memories for thosewho came.The comments below were taken from theboard in the dining room, where folk wereinvited to write their thanksgivings. Here area few them:• Thank you Lord for setting me free.• Thank you for family.• Praise my soul; all my innermost beingpraise His holy name … for bringing mehere.• The Lord abounds in goodness and mercy.Praise Him.• God – Father is in this place. With loveand peace.• Thank you Lord for Crowhurst, my oasis.• Thank you Lord for this wonderful place ofGod’s love and peace.• Thank you Lord for setting me free fromacute pain in my leg after prayer lastThursday!• Praise the Lord for His clear guidance andLOVE!Lifting Jesus high at our Thanksgiving Cairn20

Suzanne OwenWelcome to New TrusteeSuzanne OwenSuzanne writes:I feel very excited aboutbeing invited to join theboard of Trustees at theCrowhurst ChristianHealing Centre.I have been involvedin the Healing Ministryfor the last thirteenyears within my roleas Director of Nursing at Burrswood and Iregularly participate in the healing services asa Prayer Minister. I have been a nurse for overthirty years, working first within the NHS andthen within nurse education as a nurse lecturer. Iam passionate about nursing, about the deliveryof high standards of care, and I love teaching. Iam also passionate about seeing God at work inmatters both great and small. Outside of workI love to read, walk and do Pilates - but usuallyonly one at a time!I am a member of St Matts Church, HighBrooms in Tunbridge Wells, although I spentmuch of my life within a free church and havegrown to appreciate the foundation that hasgiven me in many aspects of my faith journey.I very much look forward to getting to knowyou all.Welcome to John BrownChapel Projector OperatorJohn operates theoverhead projectorat the ThursdayHealing Service, a jobthat requires greatconcentration to keepthe singing flowing!He is married withtwo children and fivegrandchildren andretired from teachinga number of years ago. He is very involved in hischurch, St Mary’s Northiam, where, amongstother things, he plays the guitar.Teaching Days:Signs of His KingdomThese Teaching Days begin with dinner at 6pm onthe Friday and continue all day Saturday until 4pm.You are welcome to stay overnight or attend as dayguests. Places are still available at time of print.2 - 3 OctoberHealing churches todayHave you noticed how people flocked tomeet Jesus? The church is to be the Bodyof Christ here on earth. Do we ever getconcerned that we are not overwhelmedwith the flood of people wanting to meetJesus? These two days will be an opportunityto explore this conundrum together.27 - 28 NovemberResourcing IndividualsResourcing Individuals is about enabling us tocooperate with Jesus turning ‘Your KingdomCome’ into a reality. We will explore howwe can be a sign of God’s presence andpeace in our family and neighbourhood. Inour own chaotic and broken world we needto be peaceful as a starting point.This Conference is an opportunity toexperience more of the healing and peace ofChrist. It was always meant to be shared.CliffHealing Week: 12 - 16 OctoberLed by Bishop Graham DowThere are still some spaces available for thisHealing DaveWeek.Topics include:♦♦Laying the foundations of the ChristianHealing Ministry♦♦Physical Healing with practice♦♦Inner healing followed by groups♦♦Spiritual healing: confession andforgiveness♦♦The truth that sets us free♦♦Use of Spiritual Gifts♦♦Issues of suffering, death and whypeople are not healed.21

When I am old I will wear purple!This Teaching Day in April was so popular thatanother is planned on 18 th November. It is fullybooked, but if you would like to be consideredfor a cancellation, do give the office a ring andput your name on the waiting list.The light hearted, but also thought provokingday, which was based on a poem by JennyJoseph, was led by Steve & Veronica Gendalland one of our Prayer Ministers, Dr RachelFawcett (pictured right).Brenda Russell, one of our Visiting Chaplains,shares her thoughts on the day:This Teaching Day was an opportunity forrecognising that however old we are, God lovesus and has a purpose for our lives. It was a day offun, learning, reassurance, challenge and a time toreflect on our own life journeys and God’s purposefor our lives.Fifty people attended and really got into the spiritof the day! They came wearing purple and redhats, and purple balloons and decorations weredotted around the Chapel; as you can see from thephotos, Steve and Rachel were both suitably attiredfor the day’s theme!Apart from lots of laughter, there was also worship,Bible study, teaching, sharing, and space to reflectand pray.Sessions were:Letting Go: Embracing a new identityOur life story: Healing the hurtsLooking forward: Joyfully living the presentmoment.One of our Facebook followers, Jean, sums upin a nutshell what the day meant to her:“Thank you for today. An inspiring mixture oflaughter, teaching and reflection. Indeed we are allunique, special and precious to God.”(For those of you with internet access, youcan see a short video clip of Steve on theCentre’s website, and on our Facebook pageof him walking into the Chapel amidst peals oflaughter!)22

Autumn ProgrammeSEPTEMBER4-6 Women’s WeekendNew for 201518 - 20 Healing Weekend23 - 26 Ordinands Retreat (House closed)OCTOBER2 (eve) & 3 (day) Teaching Day:Signs of His Kingdom: Healing Churches Today10 Guided Quiet Day‘Prayer walking for everyone’Led by Pat & Peter Lockley12 - 16 Healing Week:Led by Bishop Graham DowForthcoming EventsAdvent Quiet Day: 2 December‘Highway Maintenance:Walking the Kingdom Road’Led by Revd Paul and Olive DeemingWith the busyness of December, it is oftendifficult to find any of the Lord’s peace, sowhy not come along to this Advent GuidedQuiet Day and peacefully prepare a way forthe Lord’s coming at Christmas.“A voice of onecalling in thewilderness -prepare the wayfor the LORD;make straightin the desert ahighway for ourGod.” Isaiah 43:122 - 25 Prayer Partners WeekNOVEMBER3 - 7 Prayer through Painting week9 - 12 Franciscan Retreat: (House closed)14 Guided Quiet Day‘Known and loved by God’Led by Maureen Stringer18 Teaching Day: ‘When I am old, I shallwear purple’ - Led by Steve &Veronica Gendall and Dr RachelFawcett20 - 22 Healing Weekend27 (eve) & 28 (day) Teaching Day:Signs of His Kingdom: Resourcing IndividualsNew Year Celebration:30 December to 3 JanuaryIf you don’t as yet have plans for theNew Year, come along and spend it atthe CCHC. This very popular New YearCelebration is an opportunity to meetup with old friends and make some newones. It does get booked quite quicklyso early booking is a good idea, hencethe advance notice! Come and have ajoyful, uplifting, and reflective time withthe Crowhurst team and if you need anyfuther persuasion, here are a couple ofguests’ comments from last year!• Wonderful atmosphere among friend;I hope to repeat the experience• Wonderful - inspiring - challenging - areal blessing and joy. Thank you to everymember of the team for your generouslove - God’s love - pouring from you all.23

How to contact usCrowhurst Christian Healing CentreThe Old Rectory, Crowhurst,Battle, East Sussex TN33 9ADTelephone: 01424 830204Bookings: 01424 830033Email: bookings.cchc@btconnect.comEmail: crowhurstrectory@btconnect.comWeb:: www.crowhursthealing.org.ukThe office is open from 9am - 6pmMonday to Friday and 9am - 4pm SaturdayFor a brochure, programme or furtherinformation, please contact the SecretaryWho’s whoPRESIDENTRt Revd Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of ChichesterCHAIR OF TRUSTEESMartin GrangerSENIOR CHAPLAINRevd Steve GendallDEPUTY CHAPLAINRevd Steve ClarkASSOCIATE CHAPLAINPenny ButtonPRAYER PARTNERS CO-ORDINATORShirley DawsonMAGAZINE EDITORMary SlaterFollow us on Twitter @CrowhurstchcPublished and distributed by: The Divine Healing MissionRegistered Charity Number 208738