December is fast approaching, and many children are looking forward to opening the first window of their advent calendars to start the countdown to Christmas Day. As we embark on the season of Advent it is a good time to reflect on why it is important to Christians. The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning ‘coming or arrival’. The season of Advent was first introduced into the Christian calendar in the 5th century AD and was a time of fasting and reflection. Today, Advent marks the beginning of the Church year and begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas - Advent Sunday. It refers to a four-week season observed by Christians as a time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and looking ahead to His return to the earth in glory at the Second Coming. An Advent Wreath, or Advent Crown, will be displayed in churches leading up to Christmas. This tradition was introduced into Britain from Northern Europe in the nineteenth century. It is typically made of evergreen branches which do not lose their leaves in winter and represent the promise of eternal life through Jesus. The circular shape of the wreath represents the eternal nature of God - His never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness. The wreath has four candles on the outside and one in the middle. One outer candle is lit each Sunday marking the progression of the four weeks of Advent. There are several different ways of understanding the meaning of these candles including the representation of Biblical figures - the Patriarchs, the Prophets, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, and the representation of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. The first candle will be lit at church services on Sunday 1st December. On Christmas Day, which marks the culmination of the Advent season, the central Christ Candle will be lit to symbolise the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. Advent is a time to remember Jesus’ birth and to prepare for Christmas, a great time of celebration, but it also provides us with an opportunity for renewal of hope as we pray for peace and love to fill the world and are mindful that God has promised that Jesus our Saviour will return to Earth.
The Hucclecote Foodbank Centre, based at St Philip and St James Church, is part of the Gloucester Foodbank which is a Christian based charity supported by The Trussell Trust. It is open every Wednesday 11am to 1pm for collection of food parcels and is staffed by a friendly team of volunteers from St Philip and St James, Hillview Evangelical and Hucclecote Methodist Churches.Hucclecote Foodbank Centre provides compassion, support and emergency provisions for people in crisis who are struggling to afford essentials such as food, toiletries and cleaning items. To get help from the Foodbank a referral voucher is required from a community organisation such as a GP practice, Citizens Advice, GL Communities or a church, all of whom can assess individual specific needs and provide appropriate support. At the Foodbank the volunteers use the voucher in conjunction with a food allocation form to ensure that the food parcel will be suitable, taking into consideration the number of adults and children it needs to support and any dietary requirements. If a person is unable to collect their food parcel arrangements can be made for it to be delivered. When a person arrives at Hucclecote Foodbank Centre they are guaranteed a warm welcome and a listening ear. The volunteers can also advise on where further practical support and guidance can be obtained to help with moving out of a crisis. Gloucester Foodbank has highlighted that the need for Foodbank provisions is increasing, and it is struggling to meet this demand. The donations currently being made are very much appreciated, but more support is required from individual donors and through local and national business partnerships. Working with Foodbank is a great way for businesses to support and promote their company’s objectives whilst helping Foodbank to achieving its overall aim to ‘combat poverty and hunger across the UK’. Donations for Foodbank can be made at the foodbank warehouse on Great Western Road and are also collected by supermarkets, schools and churches. Many of these schools and churches are currently celebrating harvest festival, and they are being asked to focus on donating a designated product, to help the Foodbank to address their urgent need for certain stock items. St Philip and St James Church has been nominated as the ‘custard champion’ and we are hoping to have a mountain of ready-made custard (in cartons and tins) at our Harvest Festival Services!
We welcome Joe Mottram as our new priest-in-charge, following his licensing service at St Philip and St James on 5th September. Joe is married to Kirsty, and they have two children Arthur (9) and Dougie (4). He is already busy settling into his new role, but hopefully he will still have time to pursue his hobbies such as cooking family meals and supporting the England cricket team!Joe was born in Boston Lincolnshire; his dad was serving as an engineer in the RAF and this meant that his family moved home quite a lot. In his early years Joe lived in Scotland, Hong Kong and South Wales. When he was a teenager, his mum resumed her career in primary school teaching and the family settled in Fife. He went on to study Physics and Astronomy at Leeds University and completed a PhD. He continued his travels over the next ten years, as a researcher in Exeter, Leiden and Heidelberg.Joe has always been involved in church life and his grandfather was a Church of England vicar. Whilst in the Netherlands Joe joined a worship group, which expanded into leading worship and joining the PCC and Standing Committee. This is where his journey to ordination began following an inspirational visit from the Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese in Europe; his chaplain helped him to explore this calling, and he received further encouragement from a lay reader and vocation adviser whilst living in Germany.Having trained for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham, he then spent two and a half years as assistant curate in the Parish of Cirencester. Starting his curacy during Covid, Joe reflects positively on how this provided him with the opportunity to walk alongside people during this difficult time and to open the door to doing things differently. An advent calendar, designed by children, was displayed in the windows of a local church. A window was revealed daily and shared online, engaging people in the advent story at a time when they could not go into church.Joe spent his third-year placement with the Stroud Ministry Team. He recalls a very positive experience where he was involved in the first year of the Festival of Wonder at St Laurence Church. This included spectacular circus acts based on bible stories and brought churches and the community together in a buzzing environment to inspire hope and wonder. He was then seconded to the Thameshead Benefice in 2023, where he encouraged lay leaders and helped them to find and release their calling.Joe is looking forward to helping our church to find their identity in Christ and explore what we are now being called to do. A bible passage that particularly resonates with him is John Chapter 9: after only a brief encounter with Jesus a blind man is physically and spiritually healed and becomes a role model of discipleship and stands up in faith. This encouraging passage reminds us that although we may not be able to see Jesus physically, he is with us in spirit to guide us.We extend a very warm welcome to Joe and his family, and pray for them and our church family as we serve our local community and look forward to the plans that God has in store for us as we journey together.
Remember the film 'Chariots of Fire'? It's exactly 100 years since Eric Liddell won a medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics against all odds. Read his thrilling story here and consider what running the race of life means for you.raceofyourlife.co.uk/read
