Pause. Reflect. Prepare. Repeat.Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. It is 24 days of preparation. There is no right way — but one of these might just be what you are looking for this year!1. An occasional adventure — Knitted Nativity Posada— offer some hospitality to our knitted nativity characters as they #FollowTheStar around Northstowe. Some will assemble on Christmas Eve… but some won’t arrive until Epiphany! .2 A daily story and reflection for families — “The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Guide” — this traces the beautiful story of God’s great love for us–from the very beginnings of the universe, to the birth of the baby who would rescue the whole world. Cut out a tree ornament each day to build a visual reminder of the story so far.3. A daily Refection — “A Good Advent” — combining art, scripture, and prayer all in a handy app4. A weekly ‘add on’ to link our Sunday Gathering activities into the week — “An Illustrated Advent for Families: Preparing the Way.” — Get in touch (contact@northstowe.church) if you want a PDF copy—we’ve bought enough licenses for everyone. These mindful colouring sheets aren’t just good for children!5. A simple daily creative activity — #ReThinkChurch Photo-A-Day Advent challenge — Each day during the season of Advent, they’ll post a word for reflection. Take a moment (or several moments) of pause and reflection, then share a response to that word through a picture. Post your picture on social media with #RethinkChurch.
As part of Taylor Wimpey’s ongoing commitment to support the local communities in which it builds, the housebuilder donated £70 towards decorations and refreshments for the All Hallows’ Eve events, organised by the residents settling into Northstowe. Trick or treaters searched out houses displaying creatively carved pumpkins and dropped into a candle-lit ‘scare-free’ zone hosted by Pathfinder Church. Costumed children and adults alike participated in autumn crafts including paper pumpkin making, leaf printing and candle-holder decorating which drew on ancient Celtic Christian traditions. One of the organisers of the All Hallows’ Eve party, Revd Dr Beth Cope, said: “Those drinking hot chocolate around the campfire shared a desire to celebrate all that’s good in our community: finding light together as the dark winter approaches. Events like this help us create a welcoming, friendly and all-encompassing environment for the residents of the new Northstowe community, respecting and exploring each other’s traditions. By donating to this local event, Taylor Wimpey has proved it does more than build houses, it helps to build communities. The Northstowe social committee were delighted to have received this donation from Taylor Wimpey and are already planning to reuse the candles at Christmas events where the whole community can come together again.” Caroline Carter, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey East Anglia, commented: “We know that the costs of hosting a party can be very expensive, so we were delighted to support Pathfinder Church and the Northstowe community with their All Hallows’ Eve events. The party provided a fun night for all Northstowe residents and it’s wonderful to see this new unique community continue to develop and grow.”Taylor Wimpey’s Varsity Grange development is located in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, CB24 3DS. For more information on Varsity Grange visit the development Sales Information Office, which is open Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm, and 1:30pm - 5pm on Mondays, or call 01954 770428. Alternatively, for further details about this development, or Taylor Wimpey’s community contributions visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk. Pathfinder Church, Northstowe, is a new Church of England church community committed to ‘praying, exploring, and sharing’, serving Northstowe as part of the parish of Longstanton in the Diocese of Ely. To find out more, visit www.northstowe.church or email contact@northstowe.church.
Two years ago, there were simply fields where the New Town of Northstowe is being built.Last year, a handful of residents had started moving in.This year, the first minister of Pathfinder Church, Northstowe, had just moved into the new Church House... and we wanted to make sure that Northstowe's church got itself on the map.So we decided to open up the garage at Church House to Riders and Striders on the Historic Churches Trust National Ride and Stride.We welcomed a steady stream of visitors -- some locals from Northstowe, others dedicated cyclists on 50 mile tours of historic church buildings.And we invited people to add to our community art installation, asking "How do you look after Body, Mind and Spirit". Northstowe is designated a "health town" after all!As people wrote or drew they thought onto tags, we invited them to tie them onto a bike... building a helpful set of tips and ideas for this new community just getting started.
