Maghull: St Andrew

Advent 4: some words that can be sung to the tune of ‘Angel voices ever singing’:

Advent candles tell their story as we watch and pray, longing for the Day of Glory, ’Come, Lord, soon,’ we say. Pain and sorrow, tears and sadness, changed for gladness on that Day.

Mary’s gift, beyond all telling, was to give Christ room. She gave God a human dwelling in a mother’s womb. Who could guess the final story? - cross and glory; empty tomb!

And for Christmas Day:

Advent candles tell their story on this Christmas Day. Those who waited for God’s glory: they prepared the way. Christ is with us: loving, giving, in us living, here today!

And the alternative collect prayer for this 4th Sunday of Advent: Eternal God, as Mary waited for the birth of your Son, so we wait for his coming in glory; bring us through the birth pangs of this present age to see, with her, our greatsalvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And for Christmas Day: Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you, our Saviour and our eternal God. Amen.

SERVICES

SUNDAY 21st December

St Andrew's : 10.00 am Holy Communion (in church hall due to ongoing heating situation) AND 4.00 pm Carol Service (in Parish Hall)

St Thomas' : 10.00 am Carol Service

St James' : 11.15 am Knitted Nativity and Holy Communion

St Peter's : 11.15 Holy Communion AND 4.00 pm Church for All: Nativity, Carols & Christmas jumpers

Wednesday 24th December Christmas Eve 2.00 &. 4.00 pm Christingle Services at St Andrew’s: come wrapped up warm for a fun and special service as we celebrate the light of Jesus at this Christmas time. 11.30 pm Midnight Holy Communion Service in the church hall at St Andrew’s.

Thursday 25th December Christmas Day St Andrews: 10.00 am Christmas Morning Prayer St Thomas: 10.00 am Christmas Morning Prayer St James: 10.00 am Christmas Morning Prayer St Peters: 10.00 am Christmas Morning Prayer

Sunday 28th December 10.30 am 4th Sunday of the month Team Service altogether at St James’ on Green Lane, so no services this morning at St Andrew’s, St Peter’s or St Thomas’s. St Peter’s: 4.00 pm Church 4 All

SUNDAY 4th January: Epiphany

St Andrew's : 10.00 am Holy Communion

St Thomas' : 10.00 am Morning Prayer

St James' : 11.15 am Morning Prayer

St Peter's : 11.15 Morning Prayer AND : 4.00 pm Church for All

Bible Readings Sunday 21st December: Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-end Christmas Eve: Preacher's choice Christmas Day: John 1:1-14 Sunday 28th December Team Service: preacher's choice

Sunday 4th January: Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12 Sunday 11th January: Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-end Sunday 18th January: Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42 Sunday 25th January Team Service: preacher's choice

TEAM PRAYERS

Team Prayers will now be taking place ahead of our monthly team service on the 4th Sunday of each month at whichever church is hosting that month’s service, at 9.45am. So the next one will be at St James' on Sunday 28th December at 9.45am . All welcome.

We’re also going to be intentional now about having a short informal time of prayer at each church before the Sunday services each week - so the person leading the service will pray with others who are there for 10 mins or so half an hour before the start of the service, so 9.40 ahead of 10am services and 10.55 ahead of 11.15am services. Everyone is very welcome to join in with this. St James usually has a time of individual prayer and reflection helped by two worship songs from about 5 minutes before the actual start of the service.

News

Thank you!!! A fantastic amount of toys and gifts were donated across our churches for last weekend's Toy Services and were very gratefully received by The Maghull Lions at St James’ and by SWACA (Sefton Women’s & Children’s Aid) from St Andrew’s, St Peter’s and St Thomas’s to support the great and important work they do. Thank you everyone!

Carol Services

Sunday, 21st December. 10am at St Thomas Melling, 11.15am at St James (the Knitted Nativity) and 4pm at St Andrew’s Maghull (though in the Parish Hall across the road from the church). Do come along and join us and bring friends and family with you as we sing our favourite carols, hear the Bible readings and celebrate the wonder and joy of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Christingle Services & ‘Midnight’ Holy Communion Christmas Eve as normal: a repeated Christingle service at 2 & 4 pm, at St Andrew’s. Come wrapped up warm, but do come! Always a fun and special way to celebrate the light of Jesus together at this special time. And a slightly quieter way to do this as well at our Team Midnight Holy Communion Service 11.30 pm in the Church Hall at St Andrew’s

Parish Giving Scheme The new system is now available to access. Should you at any time require information, please contact your parish representative, or contact PGS directly by Post: 76 Kingsholm Road, Gloucester, GL1 3BD; Phone: 0333 002 1260 or 1271; Email: info@parishgiving.org.uk; Website: https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/

Weekly Giving Envelopes at St Andrew’s Church: For anyone who has Weekly Envelopes and is near to requiring a new box for 2026 please let Geoff Walker know 0151 526 5366 / 07724881207 Thank You.

St Andrew’s Heating Just a quick note to say that while efforts to get everything needed in place to replace our broken boiler continue and the colder weather really starts to kick in now, services are going to temporarily move into the church hall which can be heated still! We are working hard to get the boiler replaced and situation resolved as soon as we possibly can.

Children’s Society Collection Boxes For those at St Andrew’s with these, its the time of year to bring them in to church to give to Jim Entwistle. Thank you.

Stamps

A request from St Thomas’ for your used stamps, as they are collecting them to support training guide dogs. Please do pass any you have in to your church, and the clergy will ensure they get to St Thomas’. Thank you.

Request for Wool Donations - also stuffing material for toys & pillows

Wool donations for our craft and chat group wld be very gratefully received! Whether whole or part balls of wool, any colour etc. Also, at the moment, donations of stuffing material for toys & pillows would be much appreciated. If you are able to drop off to the craft & chat group between 12.30 and 2pm on Thursdays at St James’ Church Green Lane, that would be great, but collection can easily be arranged. Please contact Pat Dunbar by text message on 07795147109 or email at patcol@blueyonder.co.uk Thank you!

WEEKLY EVENTS

Craft and Chat : every Thursday 12.30pm until 2pm at St James in the fellowship room. Knitting, crocheting or any craft, you are assured of a very warm welcome so please do come and join us. please note that this will have a break for Christmas and New Year after the session on Thursday 11th December (on as normal that day, but not on 18th December). Pat

Hot lunch, tea and cakes every Thursday afterno on at Melling Tithebarn ……12.00pm to 2.00pm. A plate for donations will be available. You are assured of a very warm welcome so please do come and join us. This will not be on on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, but will be on as normal again on Thursday 8th January.

MONTHLY EVENTS

St Peter's Tea and Scones : everyone is welcome to join us for tea and scones on the first Friday in every month from 2pm-3pm. The next one is on Friday 6th February . Expect lots of friendly chats and live music by our resident Michael with his keyboard.

Prayer & Worship - monthly get together Each month we are going to be gathering for a time of prayer & worship together at St James Church, Green Lane. This will be a relaxed and informal time, but led and with songs, reflection on passages of scripture, pointers / themes for prayer etc. This is following on from the Prayer Course that a number of us did through Lent & Easter time, but is absolutely open to everyone, not just those who came to that course. The next of these will be on Wednesday 14th January, 7.30pm and we would be delighted to see you there. Please do speak to Rev. Simon or Claire Sherman for any further information.

Bereavement Support: at St Andrew’s Church. Further enquiries, and if there are any particular requests for bereavement support, from anywhere across our 4 parishes, please contact St Andrew’s Parish Office 0151 531 8972.

Other notices

Bulletin items for inclusion Please send an email to revsimonelliott76@gmail.com stating ‘for bulletin’ in the email ‘subject’ box / email title by midday Thursday of the week you’d like items included.

Foodbank : the Foodbank is based at St George's United Reformed Church on Northway opposite Iceland, on Tuesdays 10.00am-12.00 noon .

Tins, packet foods and toiletries are always useful. They will gratefully receive donations from 10-12 on Tuesdays at St George’s URC on Northway (easiest access is via the car park on Larchwood Avenue). Alternatively please do drop any donations off before Tuesday on the vicarage doorstep at 23 Green Link. Thank you.

CONTACT DETAILS

Please contact us …

If you know anyone who would like to receive this email

If there is anyone who needs prayer

If you know anyone who needs a phone call

Contact details :

Revd. Ian Hopkins 07914 505437 or ianfee100@gmail.com

Revd. Simon Elliott 07919 464348 or revsimonelliott76@gmail.com

Maghull: St Andrew

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