POCKLINGTON PARISH MAGAZINE

Transcription

1 The POCKLINGTON PARISH MAGAZINE December 2013 Price: 80 pence 1

2 THE POCKLINGTON GROUP OF PARISHES The Combined Benefices of Pocklington Wold and Londesborough Wold Ministry Team Clergy Revd. Geoff Hollingsworth, Vicar Revd. Rebecca Haughty Assistant Curate Revd. David Senior Assistant Curate with welcome assistance from Revd. Shelagh Jones, Licensed to officiate Revd. Canon Sylvia Mutch, Revd. Les Slow, Revd. Tony Burdon Revd. Pam Burdon Readers Lay Worship Leaders Mrs. Bronnie Broadhurst, Mrs Paddy Palmer Mr. Mike Bailey Mr. David Rumbelow, Mrs. Liz Stott Ms. Jennie Skedd, Mr. Brian James Mr. Brian Snelson, Mr. David Watson Mr. Paul Taylor, Pastoral Team Co-ordinator: Revd. Rebecca Haughty Mrs Margaret Watson; Mrs Lyn Stanton; Mrs Liz Potter; Mr David Rumbelow; Revd. David Senior Church Wardens: St Giles, Burnby Mr C Soukup Mr J Hewitt St Ethelburga, Gt. Givendale Mr J Goodhart Mrs A Larard St Martin, Hayton Mrs E Thackray St Mary, Huggate Mrs R Braithwaite Mrs S Dawson All Saints, Londesborough Mrs J Fletcher St Margaret, Millington Mrs S Sheard St James, Nunburnholme Mr B James Mrs S Toyne All Saints, Pocklington Mrs H Slow All Saints, Shiptonthorpe Mr S Jones Mrs 2 F Bailey

3 From The Vicarage December ADVENT Sunday is on Sunday 1 st December and starts our season of Advent. This is an important period in our Christian calendar and is marked by various symbols such as using the colour purple in the church vestments, not having flowers in church, the use of an Advent wreath and lighting purple/ red candles on each of the four Sundays. At home we can use an advent candle or calendar to mark the days of preparation. The scripture readings during Advent tell us of the coming of the Christ / Messiah into the world with the birth of Jesus and also of his second coming in the future. They help us prepare. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus and all that this event means to us and the world. It speaks to us of the love of God, His gift to the world and to us - God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Christmas story shows us God s love in Mary, Joseph and Jesus and the adoration of Him by the shepherds and the wise men. His birth is Good News and shows us the extent of God s love. The angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields and proclaimed: Do not be afraid for I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host saying Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests. (Luke 2: 10-14). One of the titles given to Jesus is The Prince of Peace. Jesus said to his disciples Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you (John 14:27). The message of Christmas is one of peace, we are told to fear not and are assured that Christ has overcome the world, despite the tribulations we may face. It is good news which we celebrate. It is like holding a huge birthday party for Jesus at Christmas. 3

4 As we look around for gifts to buy family and friends let us also think about those whom we do not know but for whom it is still Christmas. Perhaps we can make a donation to a charity which brings support to those in need at Christmas. There are so many worthy charities bringing comfort especially at Christmas to the homeless, the hungry, the needy and it would be good to include them in our own Christmas gift list. In this way we can share God s love with others and make Christmas special for them too. It is a joy at Christmas to welcome into our churches and to our services so many people to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Full details of our services are in the magazine and available at the churches. Please do come along and enjoy our celebrations. I take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and Happy Christmas. Geoff Advent Course 2013 There will be a four week course for Advent commencing on Thursday 28th November and continuing on each Thursday for four weeks. It is hoped to have an afternoon and an evening course. The theme will be Waiting and Watching for Advent based on bible passages with prayer. If you are interested in attending the course would you let Geoff the Vicar or Marilyn in the office know please. 4

5 This Holy Day Half price sofas, and you ve got two years to pay! And it is delivered for Christmas, so the salesmen say. But is this the comfort to make our Christmas Day? With tinsel and turkey, and light bulbs gay, And the notes of Jingle Bells which constantly play Alongside neon- lit reindeer and Santa s sleigh? Oh no, our Comfort came to a bed of hay In a humble stable the Lord of Lords lay. He gave Himself - we had nought to pay. Naked babe He came, not in royal array But with a heart of wisdom He came to say, I ve come among you to heal, not to dismay But to show God s love for His world today, To comfort, and forgive all who have gone astray. I ve come with God s love, and I will pay With my life to save you from death s decay. Then in your hearts I will ever stay, For I will never leave you, come what may So rejoice, rejoice without delay! Let bells ring out and merrily play, For our Comforter, our King has come to stay! Let us celebrate His birth this Holy Day And shout with joy, hurrah! hurray! For Christ our Saviour was born this day! PP 5

6 On Tuesday, 5th November Carole Senior opened the meeting with prayers and we then welcomed Mrs. Christine Sawyer, our Diocesan Treasurer. Christine began by giving us an insight into how the money from our subscriptions is used and we then presented her with a cheque for 263, being the donations from the Harvest Lunch. This has gone to Overseas and Disaster Funds. Christine then went on to talk about her work with deaf people and how she had got involved with the sign language. This was most interesting and thought provoking and many questions were asked at the end of the talk. Please note that there is NO Branch Meeting on the 3rd December but there is a Deanery Advent Service in Pocklington Church at 2pm on Tuesday, 10th December. Everyone is welcome to this and any of our meetings. Many Blessings to you all. Josie Penter 6

7 Help someone have their last wish this Christmas! I know we all love to lie back and relax around the fire as the winter months draw nearer and the nights get darker. But there are people in your local communities that need you! Over the Christmas period, Marie Curie Nurses near you will be working around the clock to make sure that terminally ill people and their families receive the free care and emotional support that they need to live their last few days in as much comfort and peace as possible, and get to say goodbye to their loved ones in the comfort of their own homes. But there will be terminally ill people out there that cannot receive the help that they need, and end up spending their last days in a hospital bed surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds. You can do something about this! Help Marie Curie this Christmas and give an hour or two of your time to collect at a local supermarket. Every 20 that you collect will pay for one hour of care from a Marie Curie Nurse. Think about how many more terminally ill people will be given the choice to die in the comfort of their own homes with your help. You can make a real difference this festive season without giving up too much of your time. If you want to do something good this Christmas please contact your local Marie Curie fundraising office on , call Natalie on , or natalie.atherley@hotmail.co.uk. Marie Curie Cancer Care are specialists in end of life care. If you want to get involved by raising money and awareness of the charity please get in touch. You could help more terminally ill people die at home surrounded by the people and things that mean the most to them. 7

8 Christmas Fair This year is in All Saints Church Pocklington on Saturday 14th December From a.m. to 12 noon Lots of stalls including: Books Cafe Bric-a-Brac Toys Produce Tombola Toffee Bottles Whisky squares Basket Raffle etc. PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY! 8

9 Special Services at Christmastide Burnby Fri 20 Dec 7.30 p.m. Carol Service Christmas Day 9.15 a.m. Holy Communion Great Givendale Christmas Eve 7.00 p..m. Carol Service Hayton Sat. 14 Dec p.m. Carol Service Christmas Day 9.15 a.m. Holy Communion Huggate Sun. 15 Dec 4.00 p.m. Christingle Christmas Eve 6.00 p.m. Holy Communion Londesborough Sun. 15 Dec. 4.00p.m. Carol Service Christmas Eve p.m. Holy Communion Millington Sun. 15 Dec. 4.00p.m. Carol Service Christmas Day 9.15 a.m. Holy Communion Nunburnholme Sun. 22 Dec. 3.00p.m. Nativity Service Pocklington Christmas Eve 7.00p.m. Holy Communion Tues 10 De c.2.00 p.m. MU Advent Service Fri 20 Dec. Sun 22 Dec Christmas Eve Christmas Day 6.30 p.m. Scouts/Guides/BHF Carol Service 6.00 p.m. Carol Service 4.00 p.m. Crib Service+ Christingle 11.30p.m. Holy Communion 8.00 a.m. Holy Comunion a.m. Sung Eucharist Shiptonthorpe Sun. 15 Dec 4.00 p.m. Christingle Sun 22 Dec 4.00p.m. Carol Service 9

10 Services within the Group; December 2013 At St. Giles Burnby 1, 8, 22 Dec Morning Prayer 15 Dec Holy Communion At St Ethelburga Great Givendale 8 Dec Morning Prayer 22 Dec Holy Communion At St. Martin Hayton 1 Dec Holy Communion 15 Dec Morning Prayer At St Mary Huggate 1 Dec All-age Worship 8 Dec Morning Prayer No service on Sunday 22nd At All Saints Londesborough 1 Dec Morning Prayer 8 Dec Holy Communion No service on Sunday 22nd At St Margaret Millington 8 Dec Holy Communion No service on Sunday 22nd At St. James Nunburnholme 1 Dec All-age Worship 15 Dec Family Communion At All Saints Pocklington 1, 8, 15, 22 Dec Holy Communion 1 Dec Family Communion 8, 15, 22, Sung Eucharist 29 Dec Holy Communion (Group Service) There will be no services of Evening Prayer in December Every Monday Prayers for Healing Every Thursday Holy Communion At All Saints Shiptonthorpe 1 Dec Holy Communion 8 Dec Family Communion For special Christmastide Services see page 9 10

11 parish registers We have welcomed into the Christian Family through Baptism: 17th November Hannah Jane Desmond (at Huggate) 24th November Riley Jensen Salt (at Pocklington) Sienna Margaret Longley (at Pocklington) We have commended to God s sure keeping with thanksgiving: 24th October Robert Edward Smith (at Octon) 22nd November Tony Richard Staveley (at Octon) 11

12 HOST Could you offer someone a home far from home for just a day or two? HOST; a well-established charity, is hoping to hear from people who enjoy making others feel at home and who would love to meet interesting young adults from other parts of the world who are currently studying at universities in the UK and who want to understand this country better. One host wrote: It is great to welcome these students and to make them feel wanted. They get to see a good side of life in Britain in contrast with what they might see and hear from the media. It is also fun getting to know somebody from another country. Invitations can be for a day, a weekend, or 3 days at Christmas? Sharing Christmas with somebody who has little idea what Christmas is can be really special and for the guest, much better than being on a deserted university campus. Invitations are urgently needed from volunteer hosts, no matter how far they live from a university. To find out more, please see or contact local Organiser Eric Songhurst on

13 Eating with strangers We seldom eat a meal with complete strangers. But on a recent holiday, we were asked to share a table on a short boat trip with another couple. We obliged and found much in common with them, even though we were in the U.S.A. We completely missed the running commentary and were surprised at how fast time passed as we shared experiences with complete strangers. The same can happen in Pocklington and it can also be a most enjoyable experience. During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18 th 26th, Churches Together in Pocklington support the Agapes that I run. An Agape is a simple meal shared between Christians from different traditions in people s homes. There is no cost and the meal can be either at noon or in the evening. The format varies according to the host or leader but incorporates material published by the World Council of Churches. More information about this was in last month s magazine. If you would like to be involved, please put your name and contact details on the sheet at the back of church so that I can get in touch with you. Alternatively you can leave details with Marilyn in the Church Office or contact me directly; paul-taylor@gmx.co.uk and Paul Taylor 13

14 Celebration Weekend - Patronal Festival We have to thank Pocklington Infant School, Pocklington Junior School, Woldgate College and Pocklington School for their wonderful interpretation of Saints which they prepared to decorate the pillars in church. They are spectacular and really entered into the spirit of our All Saints Patronal Festival going up on the Friday of the weekend. Then came the concert on Friday night. Church was full and we were treated to a fun and talent filled evening. The varied programme included very young violinists and a clarinettist who all astounded us. Then six hands on one piano (quite a feat), some fine singing and monologues. The evening raised a wonderful 415 for Help for Heroes and 415 for All Saints. A great result from a very enjoyable evening. Saturday morning s coffee was looked after by The Friends of All Saints and was very busy. During this Phil Gilbank gave one of his very enjoyable tours of the church. The afternoon saw the children s Sparkle Party which was enjoyed by all, starting with a march round church to When the Saints Go Marching In and followed by lots of activities. Sunday saw the church full with our Family Service and our Methodist friends joining us. During this all the Shoeboxes donated were presented and will soon be on their way to brighten the lives of children who would otherwise receive very little in the way of Christmas Cheer. 54 boxes were donated (an additional odd one may appear later). A wonderful gift from us. Thank you to those who took the time to fill a shoebox. There were Cream Teas and organ recitals in the afternoon which were well attended and again a lively tour of the church with Phil. The weekend was rounded off with Evensong There were lots of things happening over the weekend, hopefully something to suit all tastes. Our grateful thanks to everyone who helped in any way and those who supported us. Margaret and David Watson 14

15 Fairtrade Dates: 1st., 8th., & 15th. December after am Service. Thank you for your support. York Food Bank We are making a collection for York Food Bank again this Christmas. Please put food into the box at the back of the church, where there is a list of suitable items. For further information contact Jonathan or Ruth

16 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2014 Is Christ divided? Is Christian disunity a scandal before God? Or is it something we have grown accustomed to, as though it were a creaky door that we never seem to get around to fixing? St Paul's words challenge us as we reflect upon this question. To suggest that disunity is something acceptable is declaring that Christ himself is divided - and that really is a scandal! 2013 was the year in which churches from all inhabited continents of the world gathered in Korea for the 10th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches. We gathered for no other reason than to declare to the world that our disunity is a scandal and that we will go on praying for and working for that unity which is God's gift to the church and to the world. The Churches of French Canada have chosen for us a key biblical text of the ecumenical movement and have invited us to think about what our divisions say to the world and to each other about the Christian faith. They have also suggested that we use the Millennium Goals as a focus for our prayers for the world. Dates The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January - the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. In Pocklington, we shall be organising the popular Agape gatherings of a simple meal, Bible reading and discussion following the theme for the day. We have these at both noon and 7.00 pm and on several days to fit in with people s needs. Christian Aid This year we are again continuing our partnership with Christian Aid which has provided Go and Do action points for each of the daily reflections - linking into the important work of Christian Aid in the relief of poverty and advocacy of justice. If you would like to either host or participate in an Agape, please contact me or at least make a note in next year s diary. The Pocklington Group of Churches If members of other churches in the Group would like me to get materials for them to also run meetings, please get in touch so that I can get sufficient materials. Paul Taylor. 16

17 STAMFORD BRIDGE SINGERS The Stamford Bridge Singers will be making an eagerly-awaited return to the Bar Convent in Blossom Street, York on Friday 6 th December at 7.30pm to perform a programme of music and readings for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany entitled Gaudete!. The beautiful chapel of the Bar Convent is an ideal setting for what promises to be a moving and inspiring seasonal concert. The Singers will be conducted as always by Michael Wiles and the accompanist on this occasion will be Geoffrey Coffin. Tickets, costing 10 to include wine and mince pies, will be available from 1 st November from the Bar Convent on , reception@bar-convent.org.uk. Further details of the event can be found on the website: or by ringing Rosemary Downey on

18 Pocklington Group of Churches Pastoral Team The Pastoral Team is available to visit the bereaved, those who are ill, the housebound, or anyone who would like someone to talk to. This is an important part of the Church s ministry and mission but we can only visit those we know about. So if you, or anyone you know, would welcome a visit from a member of the Church family please contact me on and I will arrange for a member of the Pastoral Team to visit. Many thanks Rebecca (Revd. Rebecca Haughty Assistant Curate & Pastoral Team Co-ordinator) MAGAZINE EDITOR This is the last magazine of the 2013 subscription. The price for magazines in 2014 remains the same; 80pence for an individual copy or 8 for the whole year when paid in advance. If you have your magazine delivered please pay the person who delivers it, as usual. If you collect your magazine in church and want to take advantage of the 8 for 12 copies offer by paying in advance, please fill in one of the forms at the back of the church and place it and your subscription in the envelope provided. Then put it in the wall safe or hand it in to the Church Office. Potential contributors are reminded that the closing date for submitting copy for the magazine is the 3rd Monday of the preceding month. So, for the JANUARY Magazine, it is Monday 16th December. They can be handed in at the Church Office or ed to magazine@allsaintspock.plus.com The weekly Bulletin, the Link magazine, the Diocesan Newsletter and Prayer Diary can all be downloaded from our website: 18

19 PASTORAL SERVICES Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals To enquire about arrangements for these services, please call at the parish office in the Church or phone Office hours are Tuesday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm Scale of fees and charges for 2013 Baptisms There is no fee for a service of Baptism Certificate of Baptism, if required Weddings Publication of Banns 21`.00 Certificate of Banns, if required Marriage Service Certificate of Marriage at registration 4.00 Verger Organist Bells Heating CD Operator (if required) Please note: an additional charge will be made if extra facilities are required. We regret that it is not always possible to come back into the church for additional photographs after the service. Funerals Funeral service (in church, cemetery or crematorium) Verger Organist Heating CD Operator (if required)

20 A prayer for the life of our parishes and churches O God, make the door of this church wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship; narrow enough to shut out envy, pride and strife. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block for children, nor to straying feet, but rugged and strong to turn back the tempter's power. God, make the doorway of this house the entrance to your eternal kingdom. Amen. Parish Church of All Saints Pocklington Church Office office@allsaintspock.plus.com Flower Team Contact Ann Theakston Junior Church Leader Nigel Laws Little Saints Leader Joan Wilson Magazine Editor David Rumbelow Magazine Distribution Rowena Protheroe Mothers Union Secretary Josie Penter Organist and Choirmaster Michael Cooper Parish Administrator Marilyn Hollingsworth PCC Secretary Planned Giving/Gift Aid Margaret Watson Treasurer Tony Farmer Verger Jennifer Bean For all church and meeting room bookings please contact the Parish Administrator at the Church Office. Tuesday to Friday 9.00 to 1.00 For more information about the church please visit our website: 20