St Mary’s Update – 1st December 2018

St Mary’s Church update for 1st December provides listings of services and other events and news.  This update includes Christmas events with a Christmas Message from Rev.Mandy Elmes and the last Good News Magazine in its current format which includes news of:

• Redevelopment of the Church’s End Wall and the Church Hall,
• New website,
• Christmas Noticeboard,
• Bishop Stephen’s New Year Message
• Dates for your diary.

Christmas is Coming

Christmas Message from Rev. Mandy Elmes

The Christmas Season is rushing towards us like an express train, with its joint senses of excitement and apprehension … we love the joy and happiness of Christmas but are conscious of all that needs to be done to get us there. I love the celebrations surrounding Jesus’ birth and the joy of being with family and friends, and this is all happening because God chose to break into his creation, in a new and extraordinary way, so that he could save us from the consequences of what we do wrong.

Most of the time we get on with our daily lives, just as the shepherds did, but on this one night, we remember the splash of God’s glory lighting up the skies and the cry of a new-born baby on a heap of straw. A moment in time when the ordinary and the extraordinary come together, and hopes and promises become fused.

Incarnation

The ‘Incarnation’, God becoming man, with all of its risks, and the daring statement of love which God made, speaks to us as clearly as it did to the shepherds, 2000 years ago. In it, we can marvel at the newborn baby, and be affirmed by the wonder of the moment, even if we are also filled with questions. Questions which can lead us into a greater understanding of what happened in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

Asking Questions

In asking questions we are in good company because Mary asked lots of questions and pondered on them for many years… perhaps all of Jesus’ life. Perhaps only after his death, and rising to life again, did she understand a bit of what God was doing.

He loved us so much, that he wanted us to have inner peace, healing and wholeness, and he knew we couldn’t achieve this in our own strength. So, he sent Jesus to do it for us, because the baby in Mary’s arms is God, hearing our hidden fears and tears, and coming in person to save us and set us free.  So let’s celebrate and enjoy Christmas and say, thank-you to God for making this possible through a little baby.

We would love to welcome you to any of our Christmas Services.
With Love and Blessings,
Mandy Elmes.

Decorating Church for Christmas

All helpers are welcome to attend this activity on Saturday 22nd December from 4 pm.

Messy Christmas

Join us for our Messy Church Christmas Service at 9:30 am on 9th December! Informal, family-friendly worship, songs, a story and fun activities for all ages, followed by refreshments in the hall.

Christmas Services

St Mary’s look forward to welcoming you to their Christmas Services:

• Candlelit Carol Service at the Old Church—Sunday 16th December @ 2.30pm,
• Crib Service, Christmas Eve Monday 24th December @ 3 pm,
• Carol Service, Christmas Eve Monday 24th December @ 6.45 pm,
• Morning Service, Christmas Day Tuesday 25th December @ 9.30 am.

Join Our Christmas Choir

Join our pop-up Christmas choir, led this year by Sarah White. The choir will be singing 2 songs at the Christmas Eve Carol Service @ 6.45 pm ‘Torches’ and the ‘Carol of the Bells’.  All are welcome, there are no auditions! Rehearsals on the following Sundays (all in the church):

• 2nd December @ 10.45 am,
• 9th December@ 10.45 am,
• 16th December@ 10.00 am,
• 23rd December@ 10.45 am.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!

Wired Youth Club

On Friday 7th December the Wired “Strictly Christmas Party” kicks off at 7:45 pm.

Seniors’ Lunch

There are some spaces available at the 5Ts lunch for over 60s at The Queen’s Head on Wednesay 12th Dec @ 1 pm. Tickets are £10 and will be on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Pauline Rideout to book a place: 01206 520137.

Praise on 4 Christmas Café Church

Do you have a favourite seasonal song or poem or reading that you would like to share at our next Café Church on 23 December? If so, we would love you to hear from you. Please email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”] by Monday 3rd December.

Home Groups

• The Tuesday evening home group facilitated by Michael Foster continues on 15th January @ 8 pm. Please contact Michael for more details 241022.
• New Tuesday afternoon home group, facilitated by Sue Day—meets fortnightly @ 1.15pm at group members’ homes. For more details contact Sue 241040.

Good News Magazine

Services & Other Dates

All events are at St Mary’s unless stated otherwise.  Kids’ Church is our new form of Sunday school for children.  Note, no Evening Prayer Service during winter months.

Sunday 2 December	9:30 am	Communion
		Communion at St Mary’s, Langham
	10:00 am	Trees for Advent Family Service at All Saints’ Gt Horkesley
Sunday 9 December	9:30 am	Messy Christmas Church
		Communion at St Peter’s, Boxted
	11:15 am	Communion at All Saints’ Gt Horkesley
Sunday 16 December	8:00 am	Communion at St Mary’s, Langham
	9:30 am	Family Service at St Mary’s, Langham
	11:15 am	Communion
	4:00 pm	Carol Service at All Saints’ Gt Horkesley
Sunday 23 December	8:00 am	Communion at All Saints’ Gt Horkesley
	9:30 am	Café Church
		Communion at St Peter’s, Boxted
Sunday 30 December	10:00 am	Joint Service at St John’s Church, Great Horkesley