Monthly News
Merry Christmas to you all from St John’s Church Bracebridge Heath.
Two of my favourite jobs over the festive season involve Christmas trees. Coming first I think is helping decorate the church Christmas tree over mulled wine and mince pies. Second to that is gathering to sing Carols and switch on the lights of the Bracebridge Heath Christmas tree. This years switch on will be at 4pm on Sunday 3rd December straight after the Christingle to be held in church at 3pm.
At this time of year we see Christmas trees all around us, in public places and private homes. This simple tree offers us an opportunity to reflect as we look ahead to the season of Advent and to Christmas day.
Firstly we might notice the lights and shiny decorations. Bright and colourful, shining in the darkness. We consider the things that bring light and joy into our lives. The things that go well and make us smile, the opportunity for giving that Advent and Christmas bring.
Next we consider the branches covered with needles. We think about the things in our lives that are difficult. We may consider also the people in difficulty in our community, our nation and our world, particularly this year.
When we look at the whole tree, the lights, decorations, branches and needles all working together to create something beautiful. We remember the reason for the tree being displayed. That at Christmas we celebrate the story of Jesus being born as a baby, God coming among us, working alongside us guiding us and showing us his love. We’d love to celebrate Christmas with you why not come along to one of our services and events.
Christmas blessings, Revd Jacqueline
It was great to welcome so many of you in church for the Messy Harvest during October half term. Watch this space for news on the next one.
We look forward to you join us at some of our Worship and events in December.
• Christingle 3pm 3rd December and Village Christmas Tree lights and Carols 4pm.
• CHRISTMAS EVE 2PM Carols round the crib.
• CHRISTMAS EVE 8PM Bethlehem Mass.
• CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE 10 am.
• All at St John’s Church, Grantham road Bracebridge Heath (opposite Tesco, next to the school).
Every Sunday, Worship 10am. Informal and formal services. Sunday 31st December 830 am Communion and 10am Café Church.
CHRISTMAS Community Coffee Morning with Hamper to win and children’s activities to enjoy - 10 am Saturday 2nd December.
Well being café in December Tuesday 5th 2-4pm. To begin again after the Christmas break 30th January.
Weekly Wednesday night church with Advent Course 7pm 6th, 13th and 20th December. To begin again after the Christmas break 10th January.
Prayer Breakfast 9am Saturday 9th December
Thursday 14th December- Monthly 11 am Mid Week Holy Communion.
Elevenses 11 am Tuesday 12th and 26th December- Social Prescribing Drop in- with cake
Night Light Café in St John’s Church EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT FROM NOVEMBER.
Partnered with the NHS Night Light Cafés offer ,throughout Lincolnshire, a place to come if life gets hard. There are people to chat to and offer support and information if needed. There is space to just be quiet too. Lots of refreshments and it’s warm.
For further information on Night Light Cafes please ring 0300 011 1200
Or visit Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nightlightcafelincoln
Vicar: Revd Jacqueline Bell : 01522 244751
Email: [email protected]
Churchwardens: Sue Manders 01522 537350
Josie Moreton 01522 534672
As the Anglican Church in Bracebridge Heath we are here for you as you encounter the joyful and sad times of life. Please do get in touch if you think we can help with baptisms, weddings and funerals. You can contact us on the details provided.
MONTHLY NEWS JANUARY 2021
St John The Evangelist Parish Church Bracebridge Heath.
While under tier 3 restrictions, and out of concern for safety due to covid, we celebrated Christmas in traditional and new ways in Bracebridge Heath. It was lovely to see so many of you come along to our Christmas Day service in church and to the outdoor nativity scene at St John’s car park on Christmas Eve. Thank you to all who donated to Branston Foodbank, and to our churchwardens John and Sue and all who worked so hard to make the outdoor nativity happen.
We are now in the 3rd lockdown, and as safety is even more of a concern, we have made a leadership decision to temporarily suspend services of worship at St John’s. We will review this regularly.
As your parish church we are here for you and appreciate your support in the service to the community we are involved in. You can connect with us on the church Facebook page, Achurchnearyou.com and by telephone, 244751.
Though not printing and delivering the Bracebridge Heath Parish News during current restrictions. If you would like to receive a copy each month by email please contact me: [email protected]
Love and prayers, Revd Jacqueline
Thank you Sue for the following:-
Not in that possibly neglected, smelly stable behind an inn in the small town of Bethlehem so many years ago, but outdoors on a bitterly cold, windy night at St. John the Evangelist Church we celebrated that wonderful Christmas Eve when our Saviour was born into our world.
Following a challenging year of being unable to celebrate so many special occasions, especially our Carols Round the Crib, Christmas Eve Service, we took our illuminated nativity scene outdoors with carols playing between 4 – 6 p.m.
Not only did it remind us of that true meaning of Christmas but also that action of giving. So many of you so generously gave donations for the Branston Food Bank – for which we thank you and we were able to give out Christingle packs and all needed (following all Covidguidelines!).
Trusting that that Light of the World is now shining in each of your hearts and homes - and did you see that once in a lifetime experience which appeared after sunset on December 21st when the two planets Jupiter and Saturn shone as one, the Bethlehem Star? Sue Shaw
MONTHLY NEWS
As lockdown 2 ends and we enter tier 3 restrictions Sunday 10 am services resume in church and continue on our church Facebook page. Details of Christmas service released as soon as possible.
Now, more than three months on, most of us will be reflecting on this time: what it has meant; what has kept us going; what we’ve missed and what we have so very quickly come to appreciate more. The positives come to mind quickly: time to garden, to craft, to just ‘be.’ And those are Good Things.
But there are, of course, things about this pandemic that have etched deeper, which are harder to process, more difficult to articulate. It may be some time before we are able to really voice what all of this has done to us and meant to us. That’s if we ever find meaning at all. But it must surely be important to try. As Christians our faith will help us in the meaning making.
We are thankful to be able to tentatively and carefully find our way back to worshiping together in church at St John’s. We are now open every Wednesday between 10 am and 4pm for private prayer. We will begin opening for one service at 10am each Sunday from the 9th August.
We really look forward to welcoming you, however, careful is the word - coronavirus has not gone away and there is no less need to protect the more vulnerable among us and protect our NHS. Church services will look very different, and may not go back to how they were before the pandemic for many months. Familiar faces will be absent as some people decide it is safer for them or their loved ones if they worship at home at present. (At this point, I cannot emphasize enough that if you have any concerns about gathering to worship in the church building, you must not feel under any pressure to return.)
To misquote Churchill, the reopening of our church building for worship will not be the beginning of the end of this crisis, but perhaps the end of the beginning. For a long time into the future, being Church - both in worship and in serving our community - is going to require imagination and love and a willingness to make the best of difficult circumstances. I have seen all these things in evidence in the congregation and community in Bracebridge Heath, so I am not asking you for anything new. I am simply encouraging you to continue being your loving Christian selves, as we work out how we can continue to love God, love one another and love our community in a time of coronavirus.
But those who follow Jesus know about love. And on the days when we find love hard, the God of love is there to help us, strengthen us, comfort us and guide us. If we trust in God, God will show us how we can be God’s church in these peculiar days.
With love, Revd Jacqueline
St John’s Church Bracebridge Heath August 2020 News.
We are here for you, our parish community, during this unprecedented crisis. Revd Jacqueline and others pray at 9am and 5pm each day, please email any prayer requests to her.
Due to closure of all churches we are saddened that our thriving activities, Butterflies, Crafty and Games Club, After School Messy Church and our Sunday worship and fun are cancelled for now.
We continue to minister and serve you and those from our church who are able to be are part of the Bracebridge Heath Voluntary service. For further information on our continuing ministry we invite you to join us on our busy Facebook page or contact Revd Jacqueline.
After any trauma there comes a time in our lives, church and community for recovery, for healing, and we hope that we at St John’s church can be part of this.
When this is all over there will be a time for reflecting, consolidating and reshaping the ways we look after one another.
It’s been heart warming to hear and see the ways in which people in our community have stepped up to help others in so many ways.
When the time comes we at St Johns will pick up once again the things that were going well in our service and worship and perhaps begin new things.
We are now open for private prayer between 10am and 4pm every Wednesday. We begin a gradual return to public worship on Sunday the 9th August and every Sunday for a 10 am service.
If you would like to be part of something new when this is all over please contact Revd Jacqueline.
With love from all at St John’s Church.