Use the summer sun to show off your local church’s stained-glass windows, that’s the encouragement of the national #StainedGlassSummer campaign starting today (1 July).
The sunnier summer months lend to showing the colourful designs in the windows in all their glory, so grab your phone or camera and get snapping or filming and sharing on your social channels for all to see.
There are some fantastic stained-glass windows in the diocese that have stood the test of time for hundreds of years, telling the stories of the Gospels or the saints that have been and gone. But some are very new or in the process of being installed.
St Martin’s East Horsley is looking to claim the newest stained-glass masterpiece in the diocese with a 27-piece memorial window to mark the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The history of the Church is that our buildings are places of remembrance and hope.” Says Revd Renos Pittarides, Rector of St Martin’s. “Although the windows will not necessarily speak of COVID, their presence will serve to remind us of the loss of life in our community, the sacrifices made by so many people in our country, and the outpouring of friendship and care which speaks of hope for the future.”
Derek Hunt, the designer of the window, shares, “Using the symbol of the English Oak Tree, I have developed a design which speaks of steadfastness in the face of adversity, of regeneration, recovery and of growth and renewal through the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope and Love.”
St Martin’s has launched a fundraising campaign for the windows, which you can find out more about here. They have also helped kick-start the #StainedGlassSummer campaign in the diocese with an image of the proposed central window.
The campaign is running throughout July and August and is a great way to encourage people to visit your local church building. Be sure to use the hashtag #StainedGlassSummer and add @cofeguildford to your post for us to be able to share it even further.
You can find out more details and helpful tips on the Church of England website.
