A small donation of 20 pence would be most welcome - Thank You

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Julian Floyd
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1 A small donation of 20 pence would be most welcome - Thank You

Every year at about this time I face the same problem: how do I find something new to write about in the Christmas magazine? But this year, I ve realised that is the wrong way to look at it!

2 Every year at about this time I face the same problem: how do I find something new to write about in the Christmas magazine? But this year, I ve realised that is the wrong way to look at it! The Christmas story doesn t need a new angle every year. It doesn t need something to make it stand out from the rest of the festivities: it is the reason for the festivities. It s a story that is known to millions across the world, and retold in places as diverse as Arctic Greenland and the jungles of Borneo. But is a story that we perhaps take for granted? When was the last time that you sat down and read the two opening chapters of either St Matthew s or St Luke s Gospel? The two writers tell the story of the birth of Jesus in their own way, but together those two narratives combine to give us the full account of Jesus birth. And as we perhaps tell stories around our Christmas trees, of a jolly fat man in red clothes, do we even think of the little baby who was given to be our Saviour long before a certain Nicholas was made Bishop of Myra, and later became a Saint? The truth is, to coin a phrase, Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. Even the very word Christmas is a joining of the words Christ (the anointed one, meaning Jesus) and mass (the celebration of ). So although it s really the wrong time of year to be the actual birthday of Jesus, perhaps it could be thought of as the feast with which we remember Jesus birth. Even if we use the sometimes hated Xmas, Jesus is still there. (In the Greek alphabet, Χ is the symbol for the letter chi, the first letter in the Greek word for Christ. If you know the code, Christmas and Xmas essentially point to the same thing.) All of this means that if we take any part in the celebrations of Christmas, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. There is simply no getting away from that fact. And who wants to remember the birth of a stranger, someone that they don t know? So why not come along to one of our services this Christmas season, and hear afresh the story about the birth of one who was being talked about long before his earthly birth, and who is still remembered and celebrated long after his death Jesus Christ, the Son of God? 2 (Rev Marcus Bagg)

Following the service, hot fruit punch and mince pies will be served. Calling all children!

3 The pupils from Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, will be performing their Nativity Play in the church on Wednesday 13th at 2pm. St Olave s Carol Service will take place on Sunday 17th and starts at 6.30pm and is a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Following the service, hot fruit punch and mince pies will be served. Calling all children!! We do hope you are a going to come to the very special Crib Service in the church on Christmas Eve (Sunday 24th) starting at 4pm! The Rector, Marcus, will tell us, with your help, the wonderful story of Jesus's birth in a stable, about his very first visitors and about the presents they brought for him. We have lots of costumes so you can all dress up and act out the story. Would you like to be a shepherd and bring Jesus a lamb? Or would you like to be a king in rich robes and a crown or a turban on your head? If you look at the colouring page you will see the strange and grown up gifts that they brought for Jesus. Perhaps you would like to dress up as Mary or Joseph? Or maybe an angel and be part of the heavenly host of angels that appeared in the sky? Or maybe the innkeeper - a very important part of the story. We have lots of costumes to choose from. We will also be singing all our favourite carols, especially the much-loved, Away In A Manger. So even if you don't like dressing up, you could come and sing or help read out part of the story? The church will be decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree and there ll be Christmas flowers in the windows - it will be looking especially festive and Christmassy. Do come and join us to celebrate the eve of Jesus's birthday! 3

A Midnight Communion Service will be held this year at St Mary s Church, Carisbrooke on Christmas Eve. The service starts at 11.30pm.

Audience participation is especially encouraged as we choose which carols to sing as we go along! We will be asking for willing volunteers for the readings too! Children (and maybe adults as well!

Marcus Bagg can be contacted on 01983 718908 about any issues and welcomes enquiries about baptisms and marriages. His usual day off is Friday, but if you leave a message for him, he will contact you.

4 A Midnight Communion Service will be held this year at St Mary s Church, Carisbrooke on Christmas Eve. The service starts at 11.30pm. Our Christmas Day Service at 11am will be a short and very informal celebration for people of all ages. Audience participation is especially encouraged as we choose which carols to sing as we go along! We will be asking for willing volunteers for the readings too! Children (and maybe adults as well!) who have already opened their presents can bring one or two along to show us. Let's make it a really fun celebration of our Saviour s birth! Rev. Marcus Bagg can be contacted on about any issues and welcomes enquiries about baptisms and marriages. His usual day off is Friday, but if you leave a message for him, he will contact you. While you are food-shopping for Christmas, please spare a thought for those who may need to use the FoodBank over the festive period. Not everyone is going to have turkey and Christmas pudding. There are collection points in all the big supermarkets, but if that is impossible, it can be arranged to take donations in from the church. Remember, no fresh food, as all the donations have to be sorted in the warehouse before being distributed. 4

5 The three Wise men, olso known os the three Kings or the Mogi, brought these gifts to boby Jesus when they travejjed from the eost fojlowing the specioj stqr which herolded his birth.,6old is still precious todoy. Fronkin cense was expensive and sweet smelling ond wos burnt os incense in churches. Myrrh, olso expensive, wos used os o speciol perfume during ceremonies qnd to anoint bodies before burial. Stronge ond ve?y grown up gifts f or o new boby. 5

6 A beautiful and moving Remembrance Sunday Service was taken by Elizabeth Peace. The service started early so we could observe the two minutes silence, and continued with an appropriate selection of hymns, though sadly not Onward Christian Soldiers or Oh Valiant Hearts, as they are both deemed unsuitable nowadays. I m sure we sang them in the past with no hint of encouraging earthly warfare, but encouraging strength in faith, but of course they could be misconstrued. Elizabeth read out the Roll of Honour and Michael Terry spoke the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyan s poem, For The Fallen. Elizabeth s sermon began with her reading out a very special poem written by the residents of Blackwater Mill Retirement Home for this Remembrance Sunday. Trudge, trudge through endless mud. Love to you all back home. Rats running through my feet, I m feeling so alone. Air raids light up the sky, sadness in my heart. We must prevail, march strong and proud To bring them all back home. We pray for peace and calm, no more fear and pain, Working effortlessly making tools Till we see them all again. Elizabeth s sermon continued on the theme of peace in the world, taking the quotation from Micah, They will hammer their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation. We sang Jerusalem, always a favourite, and the service ended with the National Anthem - sometimes a feat to remember the second verse without recourse to a hymn book. We Will Remember Them. During the service, a collection of was raised for The Royal British Legion. Thank you. 6

close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

A Memorial Service for was held at the IW Crematorium on The Funeral of was held at Gatcombe Church on Have you bought your 2018 diary yet?

This year we enjoyed a Nearly-New Clothes Sale, a Christian Aid Soup Lunch, a Produce Sale and Coffee Morning, our Harvest Celebrations, a Cake and Loo

7 close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. teach us to be merry with clear heart. A Memorial Service for was held at the IW Crematorium on The Funeral of was held at Gatcombe Church on Have you bought your 2018 diary yet? Is it looking rather empty? Fear not!!!! In the new-look church news sheet will be all the exciting coming events for 2018 for you to look forward to. This year we enjoyed a Nearly-New Clothes Sale, a Christian Aid Soup Lunch, a Produce Sale and Coffee Morning, our Harvest Celebrations, a Cake and Loo Stop for Children In Need, the Christmas Market and, of course, our World Famous Tea Ritz-Style. How many did you come to? Did you miss out because they weren t in your diary? This coming year, don t forget to look out for our plans for 2018, and come along to support us and have fun too!! 7

What a success our Craft Fayre in church was! Over 800 was raised for St Olave s Church thanks to Liz Taylor s brilliant organisation, aided by the A Team.

8 What a success our Craft Fayre in church was! Over 800 was raised for St Olave s Church thanks to Liz Taylor s brilliant organisation, aided by the A Team. To all those who man-handle and woman-handle the church furniture (no easy task for ageing bodies, creaking joints and bad backs!!) bake, knit and refresh, a huge thank you. A big thank you to the many people who came along to support the event too. The stall holders displays created a colourful picture. The smell from Christmas cinnamon sticks was divine and the atmosphere buzzing. St O s coffee shop, selling rolls, cakes, teas and coffees, did a roaring trade. St O s own stall, selling jams, preserves, cakes, sweets, knits etc., was almost sold-out, and very few people escaped without buying a raffle ticket or two (or three)!! The weather was kind to us, the stall holders were happy with their sales and the occasion was joyous. As always, it was good to see the church full of people, with either an opportunity to introduce ourselves or as a reminder that we are there...(and if anyone has ideas as to how we can create better parking space then we would like to hear them!!!). 8

(baptisms, weddings and funerals). All the Fund Raising activities will feature in Coming Events with short reports afterwards.

9 Very exciting news!!!! From February 2018 the St Olave s News will be in a BRAND NEW FORMAT. A very user-friendly A4 sheet will be printed on both sides with coming events and news. All your favourites will be there; the Rector s Letter, the service times, In Your Prayers, meeting times and short reports from the Prayer Group and The Bible Study Group, along with announcements (baptisms, weddings and funerals). All the Fund Raising activities will feature in Coming Events with short reports afterwards. Reminders of Churchyard Clean-Ups and Church Spring-Cleaning will not be forgotten. Chillerton & Rookley School is proposing to put a copy in every child s book-bag, so attached, for the children, will be an activity sheet with puzzles, colouring pictures and word searches on a seasonal Bible theme. The new-look news sheet can be printed in house, so we will not be asking for 20p for each copy. We are also looking forward to having extra pages with more News & Views from St Olave s in the quarterly Chillerton & Gatcombe News in order to reach out to more residents in our parish. Look out for this too. Please tell us what you think about these changes. They will run for a trial period and then all comments and suggestions will be looked at, and the format reviewed by the PCC. Personally I am very excited about it all and hope you will all give it a chance and come to love it!!! The deadline for all items for the February Newsletter is Friday 19th 2018 Please send your articles for the newsletter to - Editor - Jill Webster, 1, Springvale Cottages, Main Rd., Chillerton. PO30 3EP Tel or jill.webster@outlook.com On behalf of everybody at St O s, a big THANK YOU goes to faithful newshound Harriet Robinson for all her hard work for the church newsletter!! Enjoy your well-earned rest, Harriet!! 9

The Chillerton & Gatcombe News The C&G News is a quarterly publication which is delivered free -of-charge to all residents of Chillerton & Gatcombe Parish.

10 The Chillerton & Gatcombe News The C&G News is a quarterly publication which is delivered free -of-charge to all residents of Chillerton & Gatcombe Parish. It already includes lots of news and information about St Olave s Church, and with the proposed changes to St Olave s News imminent, there will be even more information, reports and updates from church included in the C&G News. The C&G News is also available to people who live outside this parish in either soft or hard copy format. The soft copy (in PDF format) is available free of charge via . The hard copy can be obtained in person (Chillerton) at a cost of 2.65 per annum, or by postal delivery via Royal Mail at a cost of 5 per annum (includes P&P). Cheques made payable to Chillerton & Gatcombe Community Newsletter. If you would like to receive either a soft or hard copy, please contact:- Elizabeth Peace (Tel: or ep.wight@gmail.com) by March 1st Dear All Thank you, on behalf of St O s, for all your hard work and strenuous efforts at the recent Churchyard Tidy. It s great to be able to get everything up together before the winter sets in. A brilliant job was done by all, and Elizabeth provided the much needed cake - thank you. See you all again in the Spring. Kind regards, Thanks also to everybody who swept, dusted and polished after the scaffolding came down, to get the church to sparkle again. We also thank those who helped with the Church Clean-Up at the end of November, with special attention paid to the windows, in readiness for Christmas. Printed by Beardsalls of Shanklin and Ryde. Tel

11 Sunday 3rd Sunday 10th Saturday 16th Sunday 17th Sunday 24th (Christmas Eve) 6.30 pm 6.30 pm 4pm 6.30 pm pm Parish Communion Darkness to Light Parish Communion Evensong Seven Lessons and Carols at St Nicholas-in-Castro Christingle Parish Communion Christmas Carol Service Midnight Communion Monday 25th (Christmas Day) Christmas Family Communion Sunday 31st Parish Communion Sunday 7th Sunday 14th Sunday 21st Sunday 28th 6.30pm 6.30 pm 6.30 pm 11 Evensong Evensong All-Age Worship Evensong

12 Sunday 3rd Monday 4th Sunday 10th Wednesday 13th Sunday 17th Sunday 24th (Christmas Eve) Monday 25th (Christmas Day) 11 am Isaiah 64:1-9 Mark 13: am Prayer Meeting 11 am All-Age Worship Mark 1:1-8 2pm School Nativity Play 6.30 pm Carol Service 11 am 4 pm Crib Service 11 am Informal Family Worship Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 Sunday 31st 11 am Community Worship Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:15-21 Sunday 7th Monday 8th Sunday 14th Sunday 21st Sunday 28th 11 am Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2: am Prayer Meeting 11 am All-Age Worship John 1: pm Plurality Evensong Genesis 14:17-20 John 2: am Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Mark 1:

THE LANTERN ~DECEMBER 2017~

THE LANTERN ~DECEMBER 2017~ NEWS OF THE PARISH OF ST ANDREW S BREDFIELD Cutoff for JANUARY issue: 20 th DECEMBER 2017 Please submit entries to Alison Cannard lantern.bredfield@gmail.com 01473 737707 Inside