December - Advent and Christmas Xtra Newsletter 2019

THE ZONE

THE NEW YOUTH CLUB FOR 11 to 14 year olds. Contact Elena at allsaints.cfm@gmail.com for more information

Starting in January

Dear all

So it is very nearly a month till Christmas. I don't know about you but I am doing my best to avoid Christmas carols and Christmas pop songs as if you start with them too early by the time Christmas arrives they have lost some of their magic. Don't get me wrong - I am a great lover of Christmas, but in mid to late November it shouldn't be "beginning to feel a lot like Christmas"!

This coming month is going to be a busy one.

OPEN AFTERNOON

Tomorrow, Saturday 23rd November,  we have our Open Afternoon with the highest number of clubs and societies represented to date. I do hope you are coming along!

Here are the details:

It promises to be a great afternoon!



CLEANER/CARETAKER VACANCY

Moving on to other things - please may I draw your attention to our current advertisement for a Cleaner/Caretaker who will work alongside our Bookings Manager Bruce Douglas in looking after our Church hall - a hall which is so well used these days.

The full job description and application forms can be found by clicking HERE

If you cannot access the details then email me at tillotsons@gmail.com and I will send them by email to you. Or if you do not have a printer at home I can post them to you.


CHRISTMAS FAIR

Our Christmas Fair is Saturday 30th November from 10am to 1.30pm at the Church Hall.

Father Christmas will be present as usual.

We need gifts for Tombola and raffle and also lots of cakes  for the cake stall and refreshments.  We do not need books as we have a large store and need to clear them to make space.  We do need people to help on the stalls if you feel able it is a nice sociable event.

There are boxes at the back of the church for your gifts.

Call Carol Sims on 01227 263616 if you can help please or speak to her after the 10am service.

HUSTINGS

It is very important that the church is not detached from the world. As such churches often provide venues for hustings for General Elections and this year is no exception.

Rev Rachel Webbley, the Team Rector of the Whitstable Team Ministry, and I are organising a hustings at St Peter's church from 7pm (doors open) to about 9pm involving all four of the parliamentary candidates for the Canterbury, Whitstable and surrounding villages seat.

Here is the poster of the event - please note no prebooking is possible:

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS

Are as follows

Sunday 1st December 6.30pm Advent Carol Service

(Advent Carols are different from Christmas carols but just as beautiful)

Saturday 14th December 4pm Christingle Service (back to its afternoon time following feedback last year)

Sunday 15th December 6.30pm Traditional Carol Service of Nine Lessons and Carols

Wednesday 18th December 7pm Carol Singing under the Yew Tree (or in the church if weather is poor)

Christmas Eve

Crib Services 3pm and 4.30pm

11.15pm Midnight Communion

Christmas Day

8am and 10am Holy Communion

Thursday 21st November 2019
was 
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day

We lit a purple candle at All Saints during our 10am Thursday healing service. St Alphege Church in the High Street and the Playhouse Theatre were lit by a purple light later in the day.
The purple light is a way of remembering all those who suffer or have died from Pancreatic cancer and to pray for a cure to be found for the future. 
We stand with all victims of cancer of course but I am grateful to Mary Calthrop, mother of Chris Calthrop who very sadly died of pancreatic cancer recently, for bringing this to my attention. Please mark 21st November in your diary next year and put a purple light or candle in your front windows to raise awareness.

https://www.pancan.org/purplelight/

CHRISTIAN AID

The Whitstable Committee is looking for someone willing to take on the very light task of chairing a group that does the following:

•           enables collections at Christian Aid week in May

•           gets people to arrange money raising events for Christian Aid - especially quizzes.

•           generally keeps an open eye on Christian Aid fund raising locally

Please speak to Simon if you think this could be you!

LOOKING BACK

We had a poignant Remembrance Sunday service with over 250 people present. Here are some photos of the peace trees and prayers that the young people and adults wrote:

NOTICES FROM OTHER CHURCHES

Richard Llewellin	Sat, 9 Nov, 14:30 (13 days ago)
to rllewellin

Dear Friend,

I am writing to invite you to the Amos Trust Bethlehem Carol Service at St Paul’s Church, Church St (St Paul's), Canterbury CT1 1NH at 19:00 on Tuesday 3rd December.  Please note that this year it is at St Paul's Church, not St Peter's Methodist Church.

We will be joined by Amos Trust's partner Sami Awad

 from our Holy Land Trust in 

Bethlehem as well as Amos Trust founder and 

singer/songwriter Garth Hewitt.

Sami is a leading Palestinian peace activist, who will be explaining why non-violence is at the heart of the Christmas message, and of his family in Gaza. All proceeds will go to Amos Trust’s 2019 Christmas Appeal for our partners in Gaza and the home and peace-building work of Holy Land Trust.

Refreshments of baklava, mince pies, mulled wine and fruit juice will be served after the service.

For more information and to book click here, but this is, obviously, a free event and you can just turn up.  However, it is helpful to have an idea of numbers where possible. Please do invite others.

Attached is a poster advertising the event.  I would be grateful if you would print out a copy or copies, and advertise the service in your local church and corner shop, etc so that it is widely known about.  Thank you.

Also attached are directions of where to find the church in Canterbury.  There is no parking directly outside the church, but Love Lane and Quenin Gate Car Parks are within walking distance.

[You may be one of those who last year asked to be removed from this mailing list.  I have tried to act on your request, but if you have received this email in error, I apologise.]

I do hope you can come !

Richard Llewellin

Every best wish when Christmas arrives
Simon

November Xtra 2019

Dear all

Here we are in very wet windy weather after what has been a very pleasant summer. I do hope you are coping ok with the transition. I also hope you have not got one of the terrible viruses that are going around at the moment. Many people seem to have picked it up and I must confess I have not been 100% the last few weeks either. Nonetheless there is much to look forward to in November. Even though some of the events are sad events they are still important.

FIREWORKS

The first major event in November is our Fireworks event 

Here are the details:

All Saints Church

FIREWORK NIGHT

& BONFIRE

SATURDAY 2nd NOVEMBER

In All Saints Vicarage Garden

Gates open at 6.15pm

Tickets available from 13th October

After church on Sunday in the hall at about 11.20am and in the church office mornings during the week every day  from 10.30am to 12 noon

£6 adult   £2 child   3 years and under free of charge

No sparklers please to be brought with you

Sorry - No tickets can be reserved by Facebook, text, phone or email.

                      ALL SAINTS PATRONAL FESTIVAL

This is going to take place on Sunday 3rd November and we will have a special guest preacher, the former Bishop of Dover Bishop Richard Llwellin as our guest preacher at our 10am service. I would be really grateful if you can be in attendance if you possibly can as our patronal festival is always a very important event. 
Please note that incense will be used at the 10am service on this occasion. 

It will be followed by a Bring and Share lunch to which all are invited. Please bring some food to share with those present.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE DEARLY DEPARTED

The Annual Service of Remembrance for the Dearly Departed will take place on the same day as our Patronal Festival celebrations but in the afternoon. The service will start at 4pm. We will read out the names of those loved ones who we mourn and there will be an opportunity to light a candle in memory of them. Please let me know if you are intending to come, how many will be in your group attending, and the names of the people you would like to be read out at the service. Please email me at tillotsons@gmail.com.
The service will be followed by refreshments in the church hall.


PEACE DAY - Saturday 9th November 10am to 4pm

I hope you can read the text about the Peace Day. It promises to be a really important day. We will be thinking about reconciliation in our own country and praying for peace between people of different political viewpoints as well as praying for other nations in the world where political conflict has spilled out and become violent conflict. We will be praying that we as a nation may have the maturity to disagree with each other with dignity and maturity - qualities that have been sadly lacking on occasions.

You obviously only need to attend the Peace Day for the length of time that is right for you. Some spend several hours in the church. Others choose just to come in and spend five minutes in the church.


                          REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
All are warmly invited to this extremely well attended service. Please get here early to be sure of a seat. It is one of the most important services in the entire year. Details are below.

That Sunday there will also be Compline at 8pm as well of course as our usual 8am Holy Communion service (Book of Common Prayer).


OPEN AFTERNOON

The Open Afternoon is a unique opportunity for All Sants and the groups that use our hall to showcase their activities.

I strongly recommend this event.

We have heard from the following groups so far - in no particular order
These include (this is not an exhaustive list)


Church Groups or Church Affiliated
Bellringers
Choir
Music Group
Cameo (Come And Meet Each Other) weekly drop in on Monday afternoon
Singing for Fun and Health
Film Club
Mother's Union 
Prayer Shawl Group
Servers

We have had so far that the following non church groups who nonetheless use our hall either for quizzes and fundraising events or as regular hirers wish to have tables at this event, again in no particular order.
These include (this is not an exhaustive list)

Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions
Boxercise
Pilates group
Kent Additional Teaching group for school work
Women's Institute
Beading Worskhop
The Oyster Singers

I am sure more groups will come on board in the coming weeks. If I have forgotten to list your group here and you have already told me that I am coming please bear in mind I am still finalising arrangements but I am sure your group is already booked in and I apologise for not mentioning it now.

Sorry but only organisations which use our hall or church are invited to have a table as I have already had to turn away a number of groups from the community who do not use our hall. We have to set this criteria or otherwise the whole ethos of it being an "Open Day" showcasing the things that go on at All Saints would be undermined. I do hope you understand.

                                     CHRISTMAS FAIR

Later in the month we have our Christmas Fair. Here are the details:

We will be delivering a flyer advertising our Christmas service and the Christmas fair and if you can help please let me know by emailing me at tillotsons@gmail.com. Thank you so much. 


YOUTH MATTERS

Elena Markova has been working very hard at developing Holyballoo. 

Holyballoo continues to run each Thursday in term time but there are now themed events for different weeks in the month. Here are two examples:

Elena is also starting a new youth club in January - details are here:

Please do contact Elena if you wish to find out about any of these clubs on 07719 983363 or allsaintscfm@gmail.com

Christmas Services at All Saints

Church Street

Whitstable CT5 1PG

www.allsaintswhitstable.com

Sunday 1^st December

6.30pm Advent Carol service (NB not Christmas carols but very spiritual nonetheless)

Saturday 14^th December 4pm Christingle Service (back to its afternoon time following feedback last year)

Sunday 15^th December 6.30pm Traditional Carol Servicee of Nine Lessons and Carols

Wednesday 18^th December 7pm Carol Singing under the Yew Tree with Whitstable Brass (or in the church if weather is poor)

Christmas Eve

Crib Services 3pm and 4.30pm

11.15pm Midnight Communion

Christmas Day

8am and 10am Holy Communion

A Merry Christmas to you when it arrives!

Here is our Team November Unity Update

I haven't even begun to tell you about our normal midweek groups but come to our Open Afternoon to find out about them or visit past copies of this Xtra newsletter!

I do wish you all the very best for November and my prayers for less windy and wet weather and less illness going around too!

And prayers for our nation at this time of great political uncertainty. Come to the Peace Day if you would like to pray for our country at this time. 

Every good wish

Simon

Rev Simon Tillotson

tillotsons@gmail.com

October 2019 Newsletter

Back to All Saints Whitstable website click here

Dear Friends

Welcome to our October newsletter for All Saints church Whitstable!

We start this month with the event at St Peter's this Friday which I would like to invite you to. Although this is not an "All Saints event" I am certain many people would find this interesting. 

It features myself in discussion with Pema Deki who is a Buddhist nun. 

Full details are here. There is no charge for this event - just come along!

Sadly Geoff is no long able to host the event so I will host it instead.

Back here at All Saints we have our Harvest Festival service on Sunday 13th October. It is always a great occasion! Do put it in your diaries. At the 8am service that day please bring the food up to the top altar before the service. At the 10am that day please keep the food on you and we will ask you to bring it up during the service.

Please note that we already had our Harvest Barn Dance and Supper in September and my great thanks to the Social Committee for making it such a special evening.

TEN - by J John

I am going to run a new course called 10 or Ten which is in the format of DVD showing the famous Christian J John speaking about the Ten Commandments and how they have relevance to us today.

The course “Ten” or 10 will take place over ten evenings or mornings (choose whether you wish an evening or morning course) starting on Thursday 17th October at 7.30pm to 9.15pm and Friday 18th October 10.30am to 12.15pm and then running every week till Thursday 19th and Friday 20th December.  The course is free of charge and will take place at the Vicarage which is to the left of All Saints church and hall on Church Street, Whitstable CT5 1PG.

Please do let me know if you are planning to attend. You can always come the first week as an experiment and then not continue if it is not for you. 

Email me at tillotsons@gmail.com or call 01227 275947 to find out more (answerphone outside office hours)

(Please note that videos suggested by YouTube at the end of a YouTube video such as this one reflect the viewing habits of the google or Youtube account on which you are watching this video on your computer, tablet or smart device and have no relation in any way to All Saints Whitstable) 

   SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE FOR DEARLY DEPARTED

Sunday 3^rd Nov at 4pm

Light a candle in memory of someone who has passed away either recently or further back in time. The service lasts about 50 minutes. Names must be emailed or sent by post/ delivered by hand to Simon our vicar at tillotsons@gmail.com or The Vicarage, Church Street, Whitstable CT5 1PG.  Please use CAPITAL letters in any hand written note so we get the name right and if you are planning to attend please let us know how many of you are attending. Thank you!

Looking ahead into November - please put this date in your diaries

ALL SAINTS CHURCH HALL, CHURCH STREET, CT5 1PG  AVAILABLE TO HIRE MOST WEEKENDS AND SOME WEEK DAYS - FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL whitstablehall@gmail.com

YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED TO A SPECIAL OPEN AFTERNOON HELD AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH  AND ALL SAINTS HALL  on SATURDAY 23rd November 2019 from 2pm to 4pm

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FROM PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED

We have organized a great afternoon for our community advertising the different groups that meet on our premises. The variety of things on offer is huge from Boxercise to All Saints Church Choir, from Glow Fitness to Sacred Space.  Each group will have a table advertising their activity and giving out literature and a representative will be available to answer any questions that you may have.

You can just pop by for 10 minutes or stay the whole two hours if you like, and stay for the historical talk at 4.15pmEntrance is free. Why not put the date in your diary now?

FEATURING… (not all groups below have confirmed but we hope they will attend)

Boxercise

Pilates with Alison

Painting with Mark

Weightwatchers

Film Club

Beading workshops

All Saints Nursery school (Outstanding Ofsted)

Come and Meet Each Other (CAMEO)

Singing for Fun and Health

Kent Additional Teaching Club (K.A.T. Club)

Holyballoo children and parents’ after school club

All Saints Bellringers

All Saints choir and music group

Tiny Singers for Parents and Toddlers

Weddings and Renewal of Vows at All Saints

Christenings (Baptisms) at All Saints

All Saints Servers and traditions

All Saints church services

Sunday Club for children

All Saints Prayer Shawl group

Sacred Space

We hope other groups that operate from our church or hall will also have a table advertising their groups. Please come along and find out what is on at your local community. We would love to meet you. Sorry no external groups permitted due to space issues

25 years ago this Wednesday 2nd October I was ordained at Rochester Cathedral. If you would like to drop by on Sunday for a glass of Prosecco or red and white wine at the church hall at about 11.25am I would be delighted, and even more delighted if you can come to the 8am or 10am service beforehand. Can I just say that this is not a celebration of myself but of ALL who serve the church in whatever capacity. We are all equally important in God's eyes and I will make this very clear on Sunday. It is not just about me! Sacrificial volunteers are the mainstay of the church and without them where would be?

The Coffee/ Tea rota - after church on Sunday. Please contact Pat Hudgell if you can help - her phone number is 01227 280262. If we do not get new helpers then the current teams will have to do their duties more often so please do consider it.

OUR CHILDREN'S GROUPS HAVE BEEN GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH IN RECENT WEEKS....Do contact Elena for more information

FOR MORE INFOMATION CONTACT
ELENA MARKOVA

Children and Family Minister

allsaints.cfm@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/allsaintswhitstable1/

The remaining dates for Sacred Space for 2019 can be found in this poster

SINGING FOR FUN AND HEALTH

This takes place on the third Wednesday of each month at 2.30pm to 4pm at All Saints Church hall. This is great fun - a chance to singalong to a mixture of all sorts of songs in a relaxed setting in the hall with tea, coffee and cake.

CAMEO

A group that meets every Monday in the Church hall from 2pm to 3.30pm, apart from Bank Holidays. Cameo stands for Come And Meet Each Other. It is a friendly group where you can come and chat and make new friends.




FILM CLUB

The Film club meets on Thursdays from 11.15am to about 1.30pm nearly every week. It runs a mixture of films. Membership is now just £5 till the end of 2019 but we also ask for a contribution of £1 per person per week towards refreshments and heating costs.
The programme for the film club can be found by clicking HERE Send me an email for any of these groups and I will forward it to the group organiser. 
tillotsons@gmail.com

Thank you for reading this and all good wishes
Simon