Following from the wonderful Christmas services which attracted massive attendances from the young and not so young - our grateful thanks go out to David and Gill Bennie for their incredible hard work during this time. Also to Rev Richard Arding who has supported us so valiantly over the past 12 months with regular help for the 8am BCP and 9.30 Holy Communion services. Along with the contributions from both Liz and Alec, our organists and the wonderful Ladies Choir and Baritones, Leigh celebrated well and joyfully during December. Thank you to all of you for making the season so memorable for everyone. Our village School entertained both pupils and their families with the Nativity and end of term services. We look forward to working with them during 2025. As we enter 2025, we would like to thank everyone from the PCC and the large army of volunteers who help to keep St. Mary's the focal point for many in the village. We regularly have Totzone, Film Club, Lunch Club, Coffee Stop and a House Group meeting in the Genner Rooms, all of which are available for everyone in the village to attend whether Church-goers or not. We feel that a great deal is offered to a wide variety of villagers, and all this is in addition to the varied services in St. Mary's which also include the Family Services and Forest Church in the Jessica's Hall twice a month. We are so blessed to have such a magnificent Church here in Leigh and will do whatever it takes to maintain the building - with your help of course - and to preserve many of the Services on which you all depend. In addition, we have Baptisms, Weddings and, sadly, Funerals and Memorial Services. David Bennie is hoping to link with another Church to offer Confirmation Classes this year and more information will become available in a few weeks. 15 So we head into 2025 with the usual round of meetings, discussions about the proposed merger with Weald and all that this involves. We are working our way through the Church of England's lengthy process and hope to be able to report more in a month or so. One glimmer of progress is the diocese have appointed Savills to manage renovations to the vicarage with the aim of letting it on the open market in the next few months. Although the income from this will go directly to the diocese we welcome the building being put to use rather than allowed to deteriorate. May we remind readers that the APCM is on April 14th and we urge everyone with an interest in our church to complete an electoral role form, as this year the list has to be rebuilt from scratch. So even if you were on it previously you need to complete a new form and send it to Julie Porter. For more information, please see pages 20-21. Underpinning everything we do is the love of God and we constantly pray for a good outcome for our future in Leigh and that His Word will prevail at all times. Richard and Lind