The month of December is nearly upon us and people are continuing to prepare themselves frantically for Christmas.
In the life of the church though we are in the Advent season from Sunday 29th November which is a time of preparation for the return of our Lord. It is a time to assess our lives afresh. Where are we in need of changing our lives so that we might lead holier lives closer to Christ and the path he asks us to follow?
How can we better balance our lives so that we are not always swept along by the tide of consumerism and rush that so typifies our culture?
That said, the first event I wish to draw you attention to is a "busy" event with lots happening that is good and wholesome and I hope you will be able to come along to it. This poster says it all:
I do hope to see you there.
Then this Sunday 29th November we have our special
ADVENT CAROL SERVICE at 4pm.
Please note that this is an Advent Carol service so the carols are Advent ones and not Christmas ones. Nonetheless, please do not let that put you off coming to what normally is a most uplifting event in the life of the church.
Oyster Singers Concert of Festive Songs
will be held in the All Saints Church on Tuesday 8th December at 7.30pm
The Oyster Singers will be accompanied by Adrian Bawtree
Refreshments will be served during the interval
Tickets costing £6 (free for school-age children)
are available by phoning : Kath 274802 or Greg 369095 - TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT OF THE CONCERT
FAMILY SERVICE
On Sunday 13th December at 10am we have our monthly Family Communion service. Attendance at these has been very encouraging over the last few months and this does obviously help the atmosphere too. I will be trying to explain how Advent links in with Christmas.
THANK YOU
May I take this opportunity of thanking all of you for your hard work with the Fireworks in November. It was a tremendously succesful occasion and I am very grateful to Christine and Phillip Williams and their team of helpers for all the hard work which went into it.
BLOG
We have all been greatly shocked by the terrorist attacks in France and the generally very serious international situation. If you would like to read my reflections on this please read my latest installment from my blog at http://simonsblogallsaints.blogspot.co.uk/
SACRED SPACE TAKES PLACE ON 22nd DECEMBER
From past experience this is a wonderful time to attend as we have carols in the background so please put it in your diary now
Singing for Fun and Health takes place on Wednesday 16th December from 2.30pm to 4pm in the Church hall. It continues to go from strength to strength with a wonderful team of volunteers.
The new Film Club programme can be found at this link http://www.allsaintswhitstablefilmclub.blogspot.co.uk/
CHRISTMAS SERVICES ARE AS FOLLOWS!
Please note that I am looking for helpers to make the Christingles as usual in the Church hall from 9am on Saturday 19th December. Please can you email me at tillotsons@gmail.com if you can assist
Wednesday 16th December
7pm Carols around the Yew Tree.
Accompanied by Whitstable Brass
Wrap up warm and bring a torch and some money to give to the Homeless charity "Catching Lives" which is based in Canterbury.
This takes place just outside All Saints church main entrance and is followed by mince pies and mulled wine/soft drink in the Church hall afterwards. A wonderful Christmassy event suitable for all. Approximately 30 minutes of carol singing.
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4pm Christingle service for children
Our annual and popular Christingle service for children and adults. Lasts about 40 minutes. Each child will be given a Christingle and an explanation will take place of what it symbolises. There will be an opportunity to give to the charity "The Children's Society" during the service.
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Christmas Eve - Thursday 24th December
3pm and 4.15pm
Two identical Crib Services for children, one after the other. Please come to one or the other. During this service the crib is put together and we sing a lot of carols. All welcome.
Each service lasts about 45 minutes.
--
Christmas Eve - Thursday 24th December
11.15pm Midnight Communion, also known as Midnight Mass.
The service includes Holy Communion, a sermon, singing of carols, and usually concludes at about half past midnight
--
Christmas Day - Friday 25th December
8am Holy Communion for Christmas Day
10am Holy Communion for Christmas Day.
Two services, the latter of which has carols, as we celebrate Christmas Day. Please note there is no Sunday Club provision for children at either service though children are most welcome.
--
December 27th - First Sunday of Christmas
8am Holy Communion (BCP) - Canon Chris Morgan-Jones
10am Sung Holy Communion - Rev Tony Crowe
6.30pm - Choral Evensong
MESSAGES FROM OTHER CHURCHES AND ORGANISATIONS
St Peter's Contemporary Theology Group
2016 Programme
The St Peter's Contemporary Theology Group
is an ecumenical gathering that meets (usually) on the third Wednesday of each month from January to June at St Peter's Methodist Church ,
Canterbury Westgate
Towers Pound Lane
Our meetings are open to all who are
interested in honest and lively discussions on contemporary themes in theology and religion.
Whatever your interests or viewpoint, you will be most welcome to join
us. There is a
charge of £3 at the door to cover the expenses of our speakers and an
honorarium. A season ticket of £12 is also available, covering all the lectures (therefore two lectures
are free), either at the door or by writing to Jane Gallagher at 193B
Wincheap, Canterbury, CT1 3TP and enclosing a cheque
made out to Contemporary Theology Group
and a stamped addressed envelope.
Wednesday 20 January
Adrian Thatcher: Honorary Professor,
Department of Theology and Religion, University of Exeter, specialising in
theologies of sexuality and gender, marriage and family, and biblical
interpretation.
Redeeming gender: a theology of gender
Wednesday 17 February
Ian Hartland: formerly Senior Lecturer in Religious
Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University and tutor in Christian
doctrine at the South East Institute for Theological Education (SEITE).
If Jesus saves, how does
he do so?
Wednesday 16 March
Rachel
Muers: Senior Lecturer in Christian Studies,
University of Leeds; author of Testimony:
Quakerism and theological ethics and other works on theology and
ethics.
Knowing experimentally: themes in Quaker
thought and practice
Wednesday 20 April
Heather
Norton and Nicholas Papadopulos: Heather Norton is a judge
at Canterbury Crown Court, and Nicholas Papadopulos is Canon Treasurer at
Canterbury Cathedral.
Freedom of Speech: Words without Consequences? Law,
theology, and the right to offend
Wednesday 18 May
Mark Oakley: Chancellor
of St Paul's Cathedral; visiting lecturer at King's College London; broadcaster
and writer on spirituality, poetry and literature.
God – in the world as
poetry is in the poem
Wednesday 22 June - please note that this is the fourth Wednesday of the month
N. T. (Tom) Wright: formerly Bishop of Durham; now Research Professor of New
Testament and Early Christianity, University of St Andrews; frequent
broadcaster and author of around 80 books.
'Cruciform Theocracy’? The Challenge of the
Kingdom in Tomorrow’s World
For
further details about any of these meetings please contact any of the
following:
John Bown: 01227 764876, j.bown230@talktalk.net
Jane Gallagher: J.M.Gallagher@kent.ac.uk
Clare Nicholson:
01227 472188, cnicholson@john-lewis.com
Richard Llewellin:
01227 764645, rllewellin@clara.co.uk
Stephen Prickett: stephenprickett@stephenprickett.co.uk
Doreen Rosman:
01227 452242
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Cathy Brown
Fundraising Support Officer for Porchlight, is looking for people to help with collecting money in Whitstable (standing with a bucket in the street - not door to door) on Saturday 12th December. Contact her if you can assistPorchlight18-19 Watling Street
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2UA
T: 01227 813199
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Every good wish
Rev Simon Tillotson
