You’re invited to church this Christmas!

You are very welcome at our Advent and Christmas services and events – bring your family and friends or come along on your own. Whether it will be your first time at church or you have been before, we look forward to welcoming you!

All events Calendar Advent & Christmas

The Advent Procession

for 1 hour, 15 mins
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
Advent? What's that? Its a time of preparation, prayer and reflection before the coming of Christ. The Advent Procession is a very atmospheric service, It is a series of readings and songs - Advent Hymns, some from the Iona Community, some sung by the choir. The sequence of seven readings begins below the tower. At each reading a candle is lit in a series of candles that culminate at the High Altar. Here our written prayers are offered to God, rising in a great column of incense. It is a deeply moving service, and a great way to begin advent.

Advent Journeying

Wednesday 04 December 2024, Wednesday 11 December 2024, Wednesday 18 December 2024 at for 30 mins
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
A simple and reflective service held 8pm on Wednesday evenings during Advent. Making a time of stillness and calm amidst the hectic busyness of all our Christmas preparations

The church is in semi-darkness. We gather at the back of church. Together, holding candles and singing a Taizé or Iona chant we process together to the Lady Chapel. Here there are short readings, a hymn and a meditation or reflection: and then a time of quiet. We then process (singing) back to where we started.

Image ©Jane Ray (used with kind permission)

Just for Advent

Christmas Tree Festival

for 1 day, 5 hours
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
A forest of Christmas Trees decorated by different organisations in our town. The trees and music create a great atmosphere, full of wonder and simple joy. There will also be food and drink, raffles... A lovely community event for the run up to Christmas in Witham.

Carols by Candlelight

for 1 hour, 15 mins
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
One of my favourite services in the year, this is a traditional carol service with readings, carols for us all to sing, and carols sung by our excellent choir. There are seven readings which tell the story of Jesus born among us: the promise of a Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures, the story of Jesus's birth in the Gospel according to Luke, and the significance of Jesus birth including the glorious prologue of the Gospel according to St John.

And its by candlelight (the clue is in the name!)

Christmas Eve Crib Service

for 1 hour
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
Come and share the story of Jesus' birth, as we retell it together. Christmas Carols, Christmas Crib, and then singing carols in the candlelight. Such wonder on the edge of Christmas. I always feel Christmas has truly begun in this service.
A Service for Families and Children of all ages. And if would like to, come dressed as a Christmas character...

Image ©Jane Ray (used with kind permission)

Christmas Eve Midnight Communion

for 1 hour, 30 mins
Witham: St Nicolas
Chipping Hill Witham Chelmsford, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
It's midnight on Christmas Eve. The town is quiet. And we gather in the dark of night to tiptoe into Christmas Day. This is a lovely and ancient service. I remember the first time I was old enough to stay up for Midnight Communion (or Midnight Mass) with its Christmas carols and Christmas story. The songs of shepherds and angels from long ago echo through our service, proclaiming the story of Jesus Born among us. God's living message of hope and faith for our wonderful broken world. And then we emerge into Christmas Day, our faith renewed. Just wonderful.