Parish of Westborough – Guildford

Women from St Francis’ Church were joined by their counterparts from the Guildford branch of the South African Congregation Church who came to show how their ‘blessing blankets’ are made.

Hard at work making blessing blankets.

Children in South African schools make them to give as gifts to older members of the community, for homes for the elderly, for people who have just had babies and a number of other people who they wish to bless.

Edith, from the South African Church (whose sister devised the blessing blankets), told those at the event that the health service in parts of South Africa is very different from here in Britain.

She said that sometimes people have to travel for hours to get to a hospital and then wait for many hours before they are seen.

But the time is not wasted as the women use it to make more blessing blankets to give away.

The team rector of the parish of Westborough and Park Barn, the Rev’d Stefanie Hodges, said: “It was a great privilege for us to welcome our visitors and be taught this wonderful skill.

“Our thanks also go to the members of the SA Congregation Church, because their amazing generosity throughout the year means that our community shop (open on the last Saturday morning of each month at the church hall) is always well stocked with items they have donated.

“They have also joined in this year with our annual toy service. Members of their women’s group donated many gifts for us to pass on to needy children this Christmas, so as to bring a little joy and surprise to those who may otherwise have very little.

“We thank God for the relationship that is developing between our two churches and look forward to our annual joint celebration each harvest festival.”

The SA Congregation is a reformed church of mostly South Africans resident in the UK. It is part of the General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and has close ties with different churches in South Africa.

In the UK it is a participating member of the Evangelical Alliance.

In Guildford it meets for worship each Sunday at Kings College in Park Barn.