The livestreams are continuing with the following services being made available via the St Ed's Facebook page:Sunday 27th December 9:30 am Rev Paul and RachelWednesday 30th December 10.30am Rev Paul/Rev PhilWatch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyServices in church We received a message from the Bishop on Christmas Eve advising churches as we begin Tier 4. The church will be open each day for private prayer. Our priority is for safety as the infection rate continues to rise, and it is likely physical services will not be able to start again for some weeks. Our livestreams will continue.Confirmation we are intending to hold a livestreamed Confirmation service on January 10th, time to be confirmed. Please hold the candidates in your prayers at this time.Paul and Rachel “We have now ended our period of isolation. We praise the Lord that we are well and have remained well. Thank you for your prayers for our family”. 12 Days of Christmas encouragement Bishop Graham has launched a series through social media with twelve local contributors from across the diocese offering a thought on ideas to offer support to those who are lonely, isolated or who need their spirits lifting, starting on Christmas Day. You are able to access them via all the diocesan social media channels; on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.Sale of craft and Christmas Decorations raised an amazing £615. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed items for sale and to Sue Elmes for organising the sale. Connie's Christmas Cake raised £55, Daphne's Masks and Christmas Gifts £317 and Frances' Stained Glass £63. £80 came in donations and £100 for the Christmas Decorations for the Food Ministry.An Appeal We have launched an appeal for the money needed for St Peter’s for investigation works into the structure of the building, and for the annual payment for the roof alarm. Any help is very much appreciated after this difficult year. Further details of the appeal is available at St Ed’s.
This year we are having to do things differently in lots of ways – one of which is how we can join each other for our 2020 Christingle service. At St Ed’s we are having a virtual Christingle service via our Facebook page at 3:30pm on Christmas Eve so all can join from their own homes.The celebration is named after the Christingles that are lit during the service. Christingles are made from an orange decorated with red tape, sweets/fruit and a candle. All the family will enjoy this feast of candles and oranges as part of their preparation for Christmas.From the morning of Tuesday 22nd December 2020 we will have Christingle packs in the porch at St Eds which you are welcome to come and collect.Please be mindful of others who may be doing the same – remember to keep your distance and, if other people are around, wear a mask when entering the porch.The pack contains everything you need to participate in the service.If you are unable to visit to the church before the service on Christmas Eve then you can find the service sheet attached to this notice. Also if you have the items for the Christingle mentioned above please have them ready – or simply have a candle on its own so it can be lit when we light the Christingles.We hope you can join us live or maybe watch later ‘on catch up’.Note: the image on this item is from The Children Society website as this service normally supports their activities
Welcome to this week’s prayer hub for the fourth week of Advent. As we light the fourth candle of our Advent wreath we are reminded of LOVE. As we get ever closer to Christmas Day we are getting close to the Christ candle. When we light the central candle on Friday we will rejoice because in Christ hope, peace, joy and love come together in the person of Jesus ~ Emmanuel, God with us.John in his first letter, says, ‘God is Love.’ The former Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins, once said, ‘God is. And he is as he is in Jesus.’ As we prepare to celebrate the wonder of God with us in Jesus, let’s remind ourselves of the incredible, unconditional, self-sacrificing, cross shaped love with which God has poured out in Jesus.Sunday: Today we remember Mary and her trust in her loving God. As we worship today we pray that we may grow in love and trust like her, and share Christ in the world.Monday: Tonight sees the conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn - the Christmas star which astronomers believe may be the star that led the Magi to Jesus. Take some time to pause and wonder at the enormity of God’s love for everyone that call us to worship and adore.Tuesday: Pray today for all those who feel unloved or unlovable and for all who feel alone.Wednesday: The outworking of love is seen in justice, compassion and grace. Pray for the leaders of the world that they may govern with God’s heart of love.Christmas Eve: Pray for our virtual Christingle service at 3.30pm today.Christmas Day: Joy to the world! The Lord has come. Let earth receive her King!Boxing Day: Christ is born, Christ is here, God is LOVE!!!!!!Attached is a sheet of the above in case you prefer to print a copy for reference
The livestreams are continuing with the following services being made available via the St Ed's Facebook page:Sunday 20th December 9:30 am Communion Rev Paul/Rev PhilSunday 20th December 11:15am (service sheet attached)Sunday 20th December evening 6.30pm Sunday Club CarolsTuesday 22nd December 10am Tiny Tunes (music for all young people)Wednesday 23rd December 10.30am Rev Paul/Rev PhilWednesday 23rd December 9pm Rachel’s Rectory RamblingsChristmas Eve 9am Reflection with prayers - Rev PaulChristmas Eve 3:30pm virtual Christingle service Christmas Eve Midnight Carols and prayers Rev Paul with RachelChristmas Day: Family communion service 10:30amWatch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyServices in church Sign up sheets are at the back of St Eds for our services on Christmas Day. The church will also be open each day for private prayer from Monday 20th.Wednesday 23rd 11am Carol singing at St Peter'sChristmas Day 9:30am Holy communion St Peter'sChristmas Day 10:30am Holy communion St Ed'sCare Homes Thank you so much to everyone for your kindness and generosity. The bags have been greatly appreciated by those who received them.Christian Aid Carols Many congratulations and thank you to everyone who took part in the Christian Aid livestream on Friday 18th. It was a wonderful and moving event, and for many our only chance to hear live Carols this year. There is a Christian Aid display at the back of church, together with envelopes that can be used for donations. These have details of where to return them. If you have friends, family or neighbours who would be interested in having an envelope, and have the chance to make a Christmas donation, please take an envelope for them. Nativity scenes display Sadly in the light of the Government’s announcements and the rising number of virus cases we have decided to postpone the Nativity scenes display until next year. We are disappointed, but our priority is to keep everyone safe.An Appeal We have launched an appeal for the money needed for St Peter’s for investigation works into the structure of the building, and for the annual payment for the roof alarm. Any help is very much appreciated after this difficult year. Further details of the appeal is available at St Ed’s. Paul and Rachel are having to isolate this week after contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid. We are all well (no symptoms). We will continue to isolate until Boxing Day, but will appear on various livestreams. We hope and pray you will all have a peace- filled and hopeful Christmas. The Lord bless you.
