Big journeys begin with small steps

We all have goals and dreams. When we were younger we dreamed of being a football player, or going into space for example and we believed this could happen- what was going to stop us? The only limit was our imagination.

What happens as we get older? Those dreams can begin to fade away like a candle burning out. We start to feel as though they’re not important, not relevant to where we are now.However, that flame is still there inside you, still flickeringsoftly in the background.

Have you ever said any of the following to yourself;

‘I don’t have the time’

‘I’m too old now’ 

‘I wouldn’t know where to start’

The question I want you to think about is;

‘What was your dream?’

‘Did you achieve it?

‘How do you feel about what you have achieved?

It’s not too late to turn that dream into reality, you just need to take small steps.

When we have big goals for ourselves, what often happens is we don’t start because they feel so vast and this can overwhelm us. You feel like you are at the base of the mountain just looking up, what you need to do is to turn the mountain into a set of stairs and just make the first step.

This is what I love about coaching people- being able to turn that mountain into a manageable staircase which inspires the individual to take the first step and onto a path towards their goal.

Action: Think about the five most important things in your life. These may be your family, your parents, your career, your hobbies, your long-term goals etc.

Now score these five things 1-10 on how happy you are with the amount of time you spend on them (1= not happy; 10 = very happy)

Next think about what you would like the ratings to be. Score your five important things 1-10 according to what you wish the time spent on them was (1= much less time than currently; 10= much more time than currently.’)

This exercise should give you an indication of where you are spending most of your time is it in the areas you want?

If you have done the exercise above or would like to dive a bit deeper and this article resonates with you then feel free to contact me below.

I work with men who feel they want to enhance their mindset, but are not sure how to go about it, to give them the sense of achievement and fulfilment in their life. Ensuring they are equipped with the tools to build a clear picture of what they want things to look like and helping them achieve this. 

My first session is always complimentary as I want people to experience the power of a coaching conversation, these can be online or in person as I live in Ash.

Keep dreaming

James Carpenter

James Carpenter Coaching

jcperformancecoaching@outlook.com

07729413667

Contemplative Prayer

Contemplative Prayer – Wednesday evenings: Sarah will be starting a regular Wednesday evening session of contemplative prayer in the Church from 22nd June. This will be a weekly event with the lead being shared between Neil and Sarah. More details of timings are available by contacting the church office parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk.

Prayer is central to God moving in our lives and we have several ways in which we gather as a fellowship to pray. Other ways to pray together include the prayer chain, Tuesdays at 11:45am in Church, monthly Friday evening prayer meetings, prayer ministry after the service on Sundays, and in our homegroups. How is God calling you to pray?

God desires us to be in relationship with Him and praying is simply talking to God and including Him in everything that you do. If you don’t feel comfortable praying or feel unsure of how to pray, do talk to Revd Neil or anyone from the Prayer Ministry Team.

#Prayer #TryPraying #Community #PrayerMinistry #ContemplativePrayer

Summer Fair 23rd July 2022

Come and join us at St Mary’s for our Summer fair!

Saturday 23rd July,  12-3pm (Save the date in your diary now!)

St. Mary’s Church, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE

Prizes, Refreshments, Music, Competitions and much, much more

Free Entry

If you would like a stall please contact our wonderful Church Warden Martin who is organizing the event. You can contact him on mlindsay500@outlook.com or text our Project Manager with a message to pass on to him: 07730 609446.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Forest Kids – a new project in Ash!

Forest Kids is a new project in Ash that gives children and young people a chance to take part in bush-craft and nature activities in a woodland whilst learning about the Christian faith. Taking part in activities outside is proven to improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing and is also likely to cultivate an interest in and care for the natural environment.

The project comes from a long held dream to combine our love of the outdoors and Jesus. We really want to give other people, especially children a chance to explore both. So last summer we found a woodland near Ash and bought a house nearby and we’ve been working hard getting the woodland ready for people to enjoy.

Just before Easter, we were delighted to welcome some families from the Chapel and St Mary’s to come and join us for a picnic, Easter egg hunt, to hear the Easter story and build dens, not forgetting toasting marsh mallows and making s’mores around the fire.

At the end of April some of our lovely friends and family came and got really stuck in to clear some of the large amount of rhododendrons and tree stumps and to create the beginnings of an amazing natural play area.

Our aim is to have small groups of children from the local area coming to weekly sessions, including their families in some of the activities too, so we’re now looking for interested children and adults to come and get involved.

There’s all sorts of ways of being involved, from sending your children along to the regular weekly sessions when they start, to praying for us, supporting us financially, doing practical stuff in the woods to make it super great fun for the children on our Woodland Activity Days, to helping with the weekly sessions or transport.

If you’d like to find out more, come and have a look at our site or get involved in some way, please do get in touch – we’d love to meet you!

Sarah, Anne & Peter – The Forest Kids team.

To book on or for more details contact us on
07731 681963 or at facebook.com/forestkidsash/

Volunteers clearing an area for play
#ChapelKids and friends enjoying the den they just built

Why not join us on 21 May for our Woodland Activity day 2-4pm?

Contact us to book: 07731 681 963

What’s on at St Mary’s & The Chapel this Easter 2022

You are warmly invited to join in with local Easter events at St Mary’s on Vale Rd, and at The Chapel on Wharf Rd.

Easter is our major festival of the year when we remember the death of Jesus and celebrate him rising from the dead.

Lent is the period before Easter when Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ. Last Sunday Neil spoke again about the opportunities to reflect together during Lent:

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Springing in to the New Year

By Rev. Neil Lambert

Happy New Year! So much has happened since my Christmas letter. We hugely enjoyed welcoming you to St Mary’s to celebrate Christmas in lots of creative ways. Thank you for joining in with our (mostly outdoor) adventures and keeping one another safe throughout our Celebrations. We made 85 pizzas on Christingle night alone, it was a joy to welcome you all. What an amazing community we have here in Ash Vale.

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Join in with Lent in 2022

Join us at your local churches for Lent events and activities in 2022. All Welcome.

Thursday Lent Film Nights 6:30pm at The Chapel on Wharf Rd. Every Thursday in Lent, starting 3rd March for 6 weeks. Film, food and discussion. Each week will be different so you can come to one, some or all. Text to book 07730 609446.

Messy Church during Lent: St Mary’s in Ash vale invite you to Messy Church on Sunday 27th Feb and Sunday 20th March 4-6pm. All Welcome, but please book ahead! Text to book: 07730 609446

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Cast your Votes at the Co-op to support Food Projects at The Chapel!

By Alex Sanderson (Chapel Project Manager)

As most locals will already know, the Chapel Project on Wharf Rd is all about sharing Christ’s love through creativity, hospitality and worship. We welcome everyone, of all faiths and none. The Chapel is a joint initiative between the Hants Surrey Border Methodist Circuit, and St Marys Church in Ash Vale (more on our website here: www.ashvalechapel.com and Facebook @ashvalechapel). Now you can help us do more in 2022, through the Co-op ‘Local Causes’ scheme! https://www.coop.co.uk/local-causes

Continue reading “Cast your Votes at the Co-op to support Food Projects at The Chapel!”