Monday 2nd December 2024

Sunday
I hope you all had a wonderful time yesterday celebrating Advent Sunday and the start of the new liturgical year! I had a lovely day of annual leave visiting friends with the family. Grateful as ever for Jeremy, Stephen and the Church Wardens for covering everything whilst I was not there. 

This Sunday we continue our journey through advent looking at 'Preparing the Way' with communion at both services.

Prayer Gathering
Tuesday 3 December (tomorrow!) we will be gathering for prayer at 8-9pm at St. Stephen's. Every month we pray together in a variety of ways and seek God for all we are doing here. You don't have to be an 'expert' in prayer to come along, just a willing heart.

Henri Nouwen wrote:
'Prayer leads you to see new paths and to hear new melodies in the air...Praying is not simply some necessary compartment in the daily schedule of a Christian or a source of support in time of need, nor is it restricted to Sunday morning or as a frame to surround mealtimes. Praying is living.'
Join us in living a bit deeper this week!

Christmas Fair
What a wonderful day at our Christmas Fair on Saturday – seeing familiar and new faces, and so many people from our local community.  The atmosphere was fab and you will be pleased to know we have raised over £3,700 for CAP.  Many many thanks to all who moved tables, decorated, baked, cooked, created, served on a stall and talked to our guests.

Christmas Services
The invites are now out for our Christmas services. I remember hearing a survey that said from Tearfund that said 7.6 million adults in the UK go to church each month and one in four attend at least once a year. A further 3 million who have stopped going to church or have never been in their lives would consider going given the right invitation. This is the best time of year to offer that invitation! As well as posting through doors, who can you invite personally to come with you to one of our Christmas services this year? A neighbour, a family member, a colleague?

A reminder of the Christmas offerings at St. Stephen's:15th December - 6pm Carol Service with brass band and mulled wine & mince pies after the service

• Christmas Eve - 4:30pm Family Nativity, Carols & Christingle 
• Christmas Eve - 11:00pm Midnight Communion
• Christmas Day - 10:30am Family Christmas Day Celebration

God bless and have a great week! 

Ruth