Hello All!
As we journey closer to Christmas, the business and sparkle perhaps go into overdrive. It's within that then we are reminded that for many, Christmas is not a best time of year. There are many who are lonely, ill or bereaved. We have been ministering to a lot of families through funerals these past weeks, including those grieving cherished members of our church communities: families of Anne Tinkler, Pauline Roach, Mary Darnley Smith. There is also, at a national level, yet another series of revelations about safeguarding failure on a tragic scale - we should never forget that in the flurry of statements and accusations and justifications, there lie behind lives shattered, children who have suffered beyond imagination. Joy at Christmas should not preclude our ability to be present to those who suffer in body, mind or spirit, for any reason. In fact, the context of the Christmas story is one where there is great anxiety, suffering, and sadness - refugees, abuse of power, homelessness, separation from family...God chose to enter our mortal realm in the most vulnerable of ways. Our celebration of Christmas becomes more authentic if we can hold joy and sorrow in equal measure, and open our hearts genuinely towards those for whom Christmas may be more poignant, or even painful rather than jolly. Christmas blessings to all, wherever you are, whatever you face.
Louise
If you are needing to contact Louise, please use either email or mobile phone, text or call.
[email protected] or 07779585908
Please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill Yates by the end of [email protected]
Material for A Church Near You to Tony Raven: [email protected]
Services and calendar for the week
Saturday 21 December
7.30pm…Carols by candlelight…St Margaret’s
Sunday 22 December
10am…Holy Communion & Christingle…St Margaret’s
10am…Crib, Carol & Christingle…St Luke’s
6.30pm…Carol Service…St Margaret’s
Monday 23 December
7pm…Compline…Zoom
Tuesday 24 December
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
3pm…Nativity Trail…St Margaret’s
6pm…Community Carols…St Margaret’s
11pm…Midnight Mass…St Luke’s
11pm…Midnight Mass…St Margaret’s
Wednesday 25 December
8am…BCP Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10.00am…Christmas Eucharist…St Margaret’s
10.00am…Christmas Eucharist…St Luke’s
Friday 27 December
9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s
Sunday 29 December
10am… Holy Communion…St Margaret’s
10am…Holy Communion…St Luke’s
3.00pm…Carols with cake…St Margaret’s
The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)
Bookings
St. Margaret’s bookings are managed by Caryll Ingerslev.
Contact: [email protected]
St. Luke’s Church and Church Rooms bookings are managed by Sandra Greedy.
[email protected] or phone 01392 271458
St. Luke’s church is now open on Wednesday afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.
All are welcome...
To look around
To sit quietly for a while
To light a prayer candle
To pray.
St. Margaret’s church is always open from approx. 9am, but closure times depend on the season. The church is now being closed at around 5pm.
News and Notices
Dream Big project
Great news! Having considered the responses from the various external heritage organisations which they had to consult, the Diocesan Advisory Committee has now recommended the issuing of a faculty (church “planning permission”) for our project. There will now be a final 28 day public notice period, inviting comments from the congregation and community,. The plans are on display in the church. We hope the faculty will be issued shortly after the expiry of the notice period. This is a major step forward, and a wonderful Christmas present to the church!
Church Cleaning
Would you like to help keep St Margaret’s spick and span? We are always on the lookout for volunteer cleaners to do some hoovering, dusting and general tidying up. One hour, once a month is all that is needed, and you would be paired with another person, and can decide what day and time suit you both. There is usually one of the team in church at Sunday services, so do ask around if you need to be introduced.
Volunteers – If you would like to get involved with readings, intercessions, verging, administration of the bread/wine, please let Gill Yates know. More people are always very welcome!
Exmouth Food Bank
Supplies We Are Short Of This MonthIf you are kind enough to be planning to donate to the Exmouth Food Bank this autumn, please could you focus on the following items:
Tins of soup
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned baked beans and spaghetti
Tinned meat meals such as stews,
meatballs or curry
Tinned cold meats such as ham or corned beef
Tinned tuna
Tinned fruit or custard
We would also be grateful for donations of men's toiletries including shaving foam. Plus bags for life, to enable people to carry their food home.
Thank you so much for your generosity
For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511
Prayers
For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:
Jill and Adrian, Michael, Fay, Kirsten, Chris Whitehead, Tony Bradford, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller, Carol Walker, Peter Helm, Wendy Lockwood
Housebound or in nursing/care homes:
Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear, Peter Gwynne
John Davies
Please pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.
Anniversaries
Eric Newby
Harold Revill, Pamela Forsythe, Lillian Berry, Miranda Leger
Recently departed
Janet Elson, Mary Darnley-Smith
Pauline Roach
We have recently been honouring dearly loved members of our church communities Anne Tinkler, who was a member of St Luke's for decades, a faithful member of the choir for the same, generous, kind and caring of all. Pauline Roach, again a long term member of St Luke's, cherished sister of JeanTipper of St Luke's, shining with love of God and love of neighbour, and love of all God's creatures (Pauline's funeral will be on 30/12 at St Luke's at 11am) . And Mary Darnley Smith, who was the hub of many a bible study, prayer meeting, generous reaching out to others, and was part of the founding group of Estuary League of Friends. These women embodied what it meant to be Christian in our midst. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Gospel Readings for the coming week
Sunday 22nd December Luke 1: 46-55
Monday 23rd December Luke 1: 57-66
Tuesday 24th December Luke 1: 67-79
Wednesday 25th December Luke 2: 1-14
Thursday 26th December Matthew 10: 17-22
Friday 27h December John 21: 9b - end
Saturday 28th December Matthew 2: 13-18
Sunday 29th December Luke 2: 41- end
Collect and reading for Sunday 22nd December
God our Redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our Saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Luke 1. 46-55Mary’s Song of PraiseAnd Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
This email was sent from Mission Community of Topsham and Wear using iknowchurch. If you wish to update contact preferences, please email : [email protected]