Planning for special services and activities for Advent and Christmas across the parish is complete, and we’re getting more and more excited. Alongside annual favourites, there are new and different ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

With children and families specially in mind, the Open the Book team is taking over the Lady Chapel at St Aidan’s and planning a special Experience Christmas event with our primary schools. Those who are helping the children explore the story and feel the wonder will almost certainly gain as much from the experience as them!

We’re pulling together our first Angels and Christmas Trees Festival in partnership with community groups, and there will be an open weekend in church to celebrate the creativity. During that, Mahalha will lead a parish Christingle.

Jean Melrose is pulling together a very special carol service for the whole parish. Jan Teasdale is planning an atmospheric Crib service. And David Brooke is working on a new approach to a service of reflections for Christmas Eve a little earlier than our normal midnight service, which is still a key part of the program.

And to round out the year, Mahalha Wachepa is planning an African-style 2023-24 Crossover Praise Party on New Year’s Eve from 9pm till late. The event will end with simple communion together. Look out for details coming soon.

There's a summary of all the dates and times on one handy poster attached, and we'll be posting more details of each event in the next few days.