Monthly Notice sheet of Services and Events with latest weekly update
SATURDAY 29th NOVEMBER
HAPPY ADVENT!!
First and foremost please note that this is a Fifth Sunday so there is only one service in the Benefice and we are all invited to Gt Blakenham for the Benefice Communion at 11am. Please note later time for many of us as well as the venue.
We now know that Gladys Hiskey's funeral will take place at Barham Church at 10:30 on Thursday 18th December. Please continue to remember Clive and the family in your prayers.
With Advent starting this week, the Tuesday evening Advent Group and the Wednesday Compline services start - see posters attached. My apologies in getting it wrong last week in saying both Advent Groups would have a Celtic theme - this only applies to the Wednesday afternoon group which started last week.
When you read this, Anji and Chris Dawkins should have arrived safely back from their work in our twinned Diocese of Kagera in Tanzania. We look forward to seeing them again and to hearing the inspirational stories that they are bound to relay from a place that is poor in material possessions but rich in faith.
I am pleased to be able to report that there is a lot of outreach to young people happening in the run up to Christmas so please remember this vital work in your prayers. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week Rev Tracey is taking her puppet into the the reception classes at Claydon and Henley Primary Schools and into Claydon Pre-school to tell the Nativity story. On Monday and Wednesday the Open-the-Book group plus others are going into Claydon Primary School to tell the Advent and Christmas story and do some Christmas crafts. Then next Sunday we welcome the Smuppets back to Families@430 which has a theme of Christmas Around the World. Then on 15th we welcome the Claydon Preschool into Barham Church to perform their Nativity to their parents. Then on 17th December Rev Jenny, who is chaplain to the Stowmarket Air Training Corp, will be hosting their carol service in Barham Church. We give thanks for all these opportunities to reach young people in this very busy world.Although there is no service at Barham this Sunday, The FIND Christmas is still there so, if you haven't already, please pop in to collect a label to help a Family at Need this Christmas.
And finally, please do all you can to support the Henley Tree Lighting and the Claydon & Barham Christmas Experience at the end of the week.Message from Jenny and Gill for Claydon & Barham readers:"We would be very grateful for any help you can offer on the morning of Friday 5th December from 9.30am onwards to prepare for the Christmas Experience helping stallholders be ready for a 10.00am start on Saturday 6th and to decorate the church. Stallholders will need to be ready for our first visitors who are booked in at 10.00am to see Father Christmas. Thank you"
