Parish of Mickleham, Surrey

Parish of Mickleham - Young People

The Mickleham Sunday Club for 3 to 10 year-olds meets in the village hall at 9.45am every Sunday except the first Sunday of each month when we meet in church for the Family Service. Children attending Sunday Club will start in the hall with games, teaching, prayer and song before walking to church and joining the rest of the congregation for the last part of the service. Children can be collected from church at 11am.

St Michael’s Crew (formerly Crusaders) relies on volunteers to construct activities around weekly themes and to lend a hand on the evening. If you are interested in becoming involved once a month and supporting this worthwhile (and rewarding) programme, please contact Benedict-Taylor on 01306 883441 or Patterson on 01737 845970.
St Michael’s Crew for Juniors (ages 7-10) meets every Friday in the Village Hall from 6 to 7 p.m. and costs £1 per session. St Michael’s Crew for Seniors (ages 11-14), also £1, meets every other Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.

There are also youth groups in the parish of Leatherhead - click on young people in Leatherhead

from the May 2007 magazine
St Michael’s Crew St Michael’s Crew is a Youth Club with a Christian basis which meets at Mickleham village hall. The inters section is for 11-15 year olds from Mickleham, Westhumble and surrounding area. We are keen to recruit new members to join us for fun, food and, in an informal structure, games, exciting activities; as well as discussions in a relaxed atmosphere. Come along and give it a try, bring a friend. Last term we went bowling and had regular meetings in the village hall and in the Autumn term we had a sleepover.

Inters meet from 7.30 p.m.– 8.45 p.m. on Fridays and the summer term’s programme is as follows:
11th May Rounders on the recreation ground
8th June or 15th June A river trip on a barge in Guilford (pre booking required cost to be confirmed )
29th June Walk and picnic (wear sensible footwear and clothing)
13th July BBQ and party - bring friends and parents - at Mickleham Rectory

Cost £2 an evening per person unless otherwise indicated. We are always open to suggestions for evening activates if you have a specific activity or theme you would like included please inform one of the leaders and we will try to incorporate in our programme. Jonathan Blake

Our teaching follows the same theme as in the church. This year's is Living Stones Revised Common Lectionary Year A. Music and song forms a very important part of Sunday Club for the children. We are looking for someone who can play an instrument to increase our musical repertoire. If you can help with this please contact us ASAP.

Our friendly team of Alison, Amanda, Kate, Caroline and lan would be happy to welcome any new children from 3-11 years old and any mums, dads, grandmas and grandads, aunts and uncles to assist whenever possible.
for info : Dennis 01372 377499, Wadsworth 01306 743164

ST MICHAEL'S CREW (formerly CRUSADERS)

from the April 2007 magazine
News from the Crew St Michael’s Crew, formerly known as Crusaders, is a youth club with a Christian basis that meets each week during term time. Apart from having a whole lot of fun running around and making a HUGE amount of noise in the village hall – the children get involved with themed activities each week.

On 2nd February, they learned about Candlemas – which falls forty days after Christmas – its significance in the Christian church and how it relates to a funny little American animal called a Ground Hog.

The children also learn about other faiths and cultures. Hindus and Sikhs celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the time of the new moon in late October or early November. Throughout this five-day festival, homes are decorated with lights or small clay lamps, known as divas, which are lit to welcome the spirits of ancestors, drive away evil and welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After learning about this festival, the children made their own divas to take home with them.

During this season of Lent, the children learned the story of Adam and Eve and discussed the subject of ‘temptation’. They were given some dilemmas to solve, such as: what would you do if you were walking down the high street and the person in front of you dropped a one pound coin?

St Michael’s Crew relies on volunteers to construct activities around weekly themes and to lend a hand on the evening. If you are interested in becoming involved once a month and supporting this worthwhile (and rewarding) programme, please contact Benedict-Taylor on 01306 883441 or Patterson on 01737 845970.
St Michael’s Crew for Juniors (ages 7-10) meets every Friday in the Village Hall from 6 to 7 p.m. and costs £1 per session. St Michael’s Crew for Seniors (ages 11-14), also £1, meets every other Friday from 7 to 8 p.m. Spring/Summer term starts on Friday 20th April. C Patterson

from the June 2006 magazine
Mickleham Crusaders - Report to the 2006 Annual Parochial Church meeting: The Junior Crusaders have been growing steadily during the past year. From a steady membership of 10 seven-to-ten-year olds from the outset, the numbers are nearer 15 every week, pretty equally divided between boys and girls. Sadly, at the end of last summer term Carol Crome decided that her move to Leatherhead made it difficult to continue as a leader – and so Jonathan Blake and Ian Dennis doubled their activities as Inters/Senior leaders to help run the Juniors from September, and Mary Huggins now also helps in both groups, especially since Sarah Blake’s successful career move to ‘European Traveller’.

Some of the older Crusaders also help and we are very glad to have assistance from teenagers doing Duke of Edinburgh’s Award service, often students from Box Hill School. The Inters/Seniors (11 – 16+ year olds) has had fewer members – but numbers are growing since a move in September to a once-monthly and now fortnightly meeting, with a less formal atmosphere and (usually) food! We are always delighted to have David Ireland with us most Fridays. We have had a couple of bowling evenings and residential activities have included the annual NotWhit Camp at Farnham and house parties run by West Surrey Crusaders.

Members of both groups regularly bring friends as guests and there is usually a Crusader presence at Family Services each month – reading, doing intercessions, etc. The Crusader Movement is 100 years old in 2006 and we are looking forward to a day at the Albert Hall with some top bands in May, and a Service of Celebration at St Alban’s Abbey in September.

Looking to the future, there is no reason why the current healthy membership will not continue – the only cloud on the horizon is the need for more leaders. Mary has moved to Capel and both Sarah and Jonathan’s work commitments now involve travelling, so they will be retiring at the end of the summer. We are praying that people will come forward to build on everything that has been done in the past five years. Sarah writes from somewhere in Europe: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed, the time we have all spent together, your friendship and encouragement and have learnt so much from the experiences we have all shared.’ We all share those sentiments. Superb training is available from West Surrey Crusaders (hopefully starting in May). It is fun, interesting, stimulating, friendly and, above all, encouraging that we have such an opportunity to share our faith with our young people. Mary Huggins

CRUSADERS
Mickleham and Westhumble’s Christian-based youth group
NEEDS YOU
Mickleham Crusaders has been running successfully for five years.
In all 50 children have enjoyed the club and at present we have
18 young people between the ages of 7 and 18 who attend on a weekly basis!
To keep this successful group going we require a group of leaders
who can carry on this good work. It is fun and rewarding!
So why not give it a try?
Please contact Mary Huggins, Jonathan Blake, Ian Dennis or David Ireland

from the June 2006 magazine
Crusaders’ Centenary On Saturday 20th May a group of Senior Crusaders went up to London to see a concert celebrating 100 years of Crusaders. We drove up in two cars and walked through Hyde Park to the venue just in time for lunch. There were activities happening and a ‘guess who’ treasure hunt, but just after lunch the heavens opened. When it had stopped raining, some went to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, while others had ice-cream.

Soon it was time to go in. The Albert Hall was MASSIVE! When everyone was seated and the lights dimmed, a woman came on and did an amazing solo – How Great Thou Art. Next came a smashing rock band, another band, a girl group and two comedians.All through the acts there were little clips from famous people wishing us happy birthday. We even got a letter from the Queen!

There was also a drama group, a man doing fantastic basketball tricks and a man who got out of a straight-jacket in front of our very eyes! After all but one of the acts, there was a presentation introducing Crusaders’ new name: Urban Saints.

Then there was a final rock band and a cloud of balloons caved in on us from the ceiling. We left and walked back to the cars and had a sneaky McDonalds on the way home. It was a wicked day out, so thank you to all the leaders. Suzie Wood, 13.

The Albert Hall was filled to capacity with all ages – but mainly young people. The noise was incredible, but what was so amazing and uplifting was the fact that these were rock bands with a difference – the words were exclusively Christian and at one point a passage from the Bible was read during one of the songs. Some say the church is failing and is certainly not attractive to the young. We know differently: 3,500 young people were truly worshipping and thoroughly enjoying themselves! Mary Huggins, a lot older than 13

from the April 2006 magazine
Dan Orton reports on the spring term activities of the Juniors: Another term gone by… And what a term it has been; everyone has been enjoying themselves and (hopefully) learning loads at the same time. We started the term in the church, where the children were shown up to the belfry and went out into the graveyard (wooooo, spooky!). The term ended with an Easter egg hunt (I supplied the clues and prizes). Crusaders has also said hello to some new (and old) faces. We have been joined by two boys from Box Hill School; Conrad and Ricky. Also, young Samantha from Dell Close kindly volunteered and has been turning up every week. Sarah, Jonathan’s sister has also been coming when she can. Huge thanks to all of them, they are a great help.

Finally, good luck to Mary who has just moved and, even through all that stress, still found the time to come to Crusaders.
Let us hope next term will be just as exciting and enjoyable as the last one.
P.S. Still no sign of Christian Bear, we all miss him and hope he will be returned home safely - soon!

Jonathan Blake reports on the Inters: The fortnightly meetings have definitely worked well this term and we are continuing with this for the summer term, as you will see from our main advert. We have a preliminary programme of events planned which should be of interest.

The evenings had a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the Juniors with an opportunity to catch up with friends and participate in both individual and group activities, and, hopefully, learn a little about Christian values. We made fabulous pancakes most of which turned out OK. Flipping these pancakes created much debate and many methods were tried and, if I recollect correctly, none were dropped.

We went bowling at The Spectrum in Guilford which everyone enjoyed. As leaders we have as much fun in the evenings as the kids. I think we are just older kids at heart.

See you all in the summer term. New members always welcome. If any further information is required please do not hesitate to contact us.

from the February 2006 magazine
Crusaders To celebrate the Centenary of Crusaders there is to be a Regional Thanksgiving Service on Saturday 25th February at Emmanuel Church, Shepherd’s Lane, Guildford. All leaders, associates, friends and supporters are invited and those of you who may have been Crusaders in the past are very welcome. There will be tea at 4.30 p.m. with the service beginning at 5.15pm and finishing around 6.30pm. Let MH (01372 361726) know as soon as possible if you would like to go.

from the November 2005 magazine
Crusaders Bored sitting at home playing computer games and watching the TV? Looking for something different on Friday nights? If you are between 11 and 16 years old then perhaps you need to try Crusaders Youth Group at Mickleham Village Hall. Usually 7.30 to 8.45pm – see main advert for dates of next term. You will be pleasantly suprised how enjoyable this Christian based youth group is. If you are not sure phone one of us for a chat or e-mail to find out more. One night to try will not hurt will it?

This term we had a relaxed first meeting with pizza, games and time to talk. We went bowling at The Spectrum in Guildford. Dan Orton reports: ‘On 21st October the Crusaders team took us bowling. Little did Ian and Jonathan know what they had let themselves in for. We all messed around and one young lady (who shall remain nameless) threw her ball into the ceiling! I can’t remember who won – I guess it was me! Seriously, though, we had a great time and I thank the Crusaders team on all our behalves. On a personal note I would like to thank Crusaders. I have not been living in the village for very long and going to Crusaders has helped me meet lots of new people. Thank you.’

In November we had a most enjoyable music evening. We created music to illustrate and enhance a poem and all enjoyed the evening. Our final meeting is a Joint Social for all ages on the 2nd December.

For the 8 – 10 age group meetings are weekly between 6 and 7pm on Fridays. We spend the time playing games with some discussion, drama and craft thrown in. We had our own Music Evening in November and enjoyed the considerable talents of members of the group as they entertained us on recorders, trumpet and flute. We are, sadly, having to say goodbye to Thomas Wood who has been a valuable and enthusiastic helper for the past two years. We congratulate him and wish him well in his new activity for Friday evenings – membership of the Surrey Youth Wind Orchestra. We are delighted to welcome Dan Orton who has started helping this term.

Next term for both groups we continue trying to keep the emphasis on themed evenings with opportunities to learn about the Christian way of life. But before that we look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible to our Christmas Party on Friday 2nd December. Mary Huggins

from the Feb 2005 Mickleham magazine
Mickleham Crusaders On Saturday 9th January, Sunday Club set out for Epsom Playhouse. This year’s show was Aladdin; and we were all keen to have a good time. When everyone had arrived in the foyer, we entered the theatre to front row seats. It was Dominic Lane’s 6th birthday, and Wishee and Widow Twankey sang him Happy Birthday. Sunday Club also got a special mention. Thomas was told to take his hat off by Widow Twankey, and Dominic and Emily enjoyed yelling their heads off, “There’s a gorilla behind you!”

The lights grew dark and the moment had come. Our favourite character was Wishee, always pulling gags and making jokes. There were also two slapstick policemen, Ping and Pong (who got shoved in a washing machine at one point!). No show is complete without the baddie! Abanaza tricked Aladdin into entering the cave, then sealed the gateway. Guess who appeared? Genie! He helped Aladdin escape. Then Al was all set to marry the beautiful princess when Abanaza stole her away. With the help of the lamp, all was sorted and Al finally freed Genie (and a slave of Abanaza’s magic ring).

About 30 Sunday clubbers went and everyone loved the show. Many thanks to all who organised the trip. We look forward to next year’s pantomime. Suzanne Wood

10-HOUR FAMINE Mickleham Crusaders are going to starve in aid of HIV/Aids orphans in Africa. Come and eat the delicious lunch they will provide while doing this. All welcome. Saturday 12th March, 12.30pm – 2.30pm Mickleham Village Hall
Come and eat while your servers starve! Pay whatever you think it’s worth! We think it’s worth a lot!! Invitations (so that we know numbers) from M Huggins 01372 361726

2004 Crusaders News Yet another exciting term for Crusaders. For the leaders Friday evening seems to come round rather quickly, but for our young Crusaders it seems to take for ever to arrive. As you are, I am sure, aware this Christian-based youth group meets every Friday from 7.00 to 8.15 pm in term-time in the Village Hall.

Our Mission Statement is: ‘To provide for the young people of Mickleham and Westhumble (not exclusively) an enjoyable friendly meeting:. a group for companionship, friendship and games. Christian outlooks and values are used to reach today’s young people for Christ, preparing them for responsible Christian living and developing their gifts of leadership for tomorrow’s world.’

We play games, create exciting articles in the craft area and have a discussion on a Christian-based theme. This term our theme has been the Book of Exodus, following Open Home Open Bible and Church sermons. This has resulted in some interesting discussions. Each term we plan additional activities.

In January it was ice skating at the Spectrum. We all met at the village hall, where a minibus waited in the dark cold evening to take us the short trip to Guilford. On arrival skates were put on and attempts made to glide around the large rink. People of all abilities swarmed onto the ice. Although I had skated several times before, the last time was 12 years ago so nervously I placed one skate and then the other on to the ice; holding the side rail as I made my first tentative steps. I gained confidence on each circuit, while keeping an eye on others on the ice, but then over confidence resulted in a spectacular fall luckily without injury except of pride. Everyone survived the ice without injury and were whisked home by minibus.

In February we made pancakes. You would not think it was hard work to make a couple of pancakes for the family. The kids were excited at the thought of those delicious flat discs. Organising 15 Crusaders to make their own pancake sounds simple – ask Sarah Blake. Keeping the others entertained while waiting to make theirs was not so easy. Pancake races while tossing the pancake were just a couple of the games we played.

The leaders, Mary Huggins, Sarah Blake, Ian Dennis, Jonathan Blake and Barbara Steadman- Allen had an enjoyable but busy spring term. We are looking forward to the summer term with many more thrilling events planned. I hope all of the Crusaders have enjoyed this term and welcome you all to join us for the Summer Term. We are always pleased to see new members so why not drop in for an evening and try it. For info, Blake 01372 379002 Huggins 01372 361726 Dennis 01372 377499.
Jonathan Blake