ALL SAINTS KESGRAVE NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO 42 2.12.18 CHRISTMAS EDITION THOUGHT FOR THE DAY In order to get the most out of my Christmas Thought you need to read Jennie s brilliant ASK Journal article first! Anything we can do to enter into the first Christmas is always a good thing. You don t need me to point out that amongst all the (much of it good) hype about Christmas we mustn t lose sight of the real message. Open an Advent Calendar and reflect on God s greatest gift. Join in with Posada (contact Charlotte quickly) and reflect on the amazing journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Listen to the story and sing the Carols to allow the words to transport you back (normally helpful words but don t start me on Away in a Manger verse 2 ) Bring a present on Christmas Day and reflect with us on the many-faceted message of the most stupendous day in history GOD IS WITH US!! Robin
READINGS Sunday 2 nd December 08.30am (HC) 10.00am (HC) 6.30pm (ES) Sunday 9 th December 08.30am (HC) 10.00am (HC) 6.30pm (HC) Sunday 16 th December 08.30am (HC) 9.15am (Nativity) 5.00pm Sunday 23 rd December 08.30am (HC) 10.00am 10.00am 6.30pm Ecclesiastes 3 v.1-8 As 08.30am As 08.30am 1 Thessalonians 2 v.1-8 As 08.30am As 08.30am Isaiah 9 v.6-7 & Luke 1 v.26 38 As Above Community Carols Micah 5 v.2-4 Luke 1 v.39 45 Carol Service FIG Family Christmas Carols by Candlelight 24th December 2018 Christmas Eve 10.00pm (HC) Ezekiel 34 v.11 16 & Luke 2 v.1-14 11.00pm (HC) As 10.00pm Dec 25th 2018 Christmas Day 08.30am (HC) Ezekiel 34 v. 11 16 & Luke 2 v.8-21 10.00am (AA) Luke 2 v.8-21
DATE TIME WHAT & WHERE - If not Church Sun 2 nd Dec 8.30am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion 10.00am FIG Family - Hall 4.00pm Christingle 6.30pm Evensong Mon 3 rd Dec 2.00pm Silver Games Tues 4 th Dec 10.00am Sing, Sign & Play - Hall Wed 5 th Dec 9.30am Morning Prayer 10.30am Coffee and Craft Thur 6 th Dec 11.00am Holy Communion Chapel Sun 9 th Dec 8.30am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion 10.00am FIG Family 6.30pm Holy Communion Tues 11 th Dec 10.00am Messy Church Hall 2.15pm Mothers Union Carol Service Wed 12 th Dec 9.30am Morning Prayer 10.30am Coffee and Craft Thur 13 th Dec 11.00am Holy Communion Chapel 2.30pm Ladies Bible Study 56 Bell Lane 3.30pm After School Church - Gorseland Sun 16 th Dec 8.30am Holy Communion 9.15am Breakfast Special with Nativity-Hall 3.30pm Silver Cafe 5.00pm Community Carols Mon 17 th Dec 2.00pm Silver Screen Tues 18 th Dec 10.00am Sing, Sign & Play - Hall Wed 19 th Dec 9.30am Morning Prayer 10.30am Coffee and Craft Thur 20 th Dec 11.00am Holy Communion Chapel
Sun 23 rd Dec 8.30am Holy Communion 10.00am Carol Service 10.00am FIG Family Christmas - Hall Mon 24 th Dec 3.30pm Crib Service - bring a torch 4.15pm 11+ Crib Service Hall 5.30pm Crib Service - bring a torch 10.00pm Midnight Communion 11.30pm Midnight Communion Tues 25 th Dec 8.30am Holy Communion without hymns 10.00am All Age Service bring your favourite Present Sun 30 th Dec 8.30am Holy Communion 10.00am All Age Communion FUNERALS 12 th November 2018 - Melvin Woods DONATIONS FOR FIND As you may be aware at All Saints we collect donations for FIND throughout the year, and they are very grateful for our support. It anyone has any festive treats that may help to make a family in needs Christmas a little bit special if you could bring them into church by Sunday 16 th December at the latest. MOTHERS' UNION Our December meeting will be on Tuesday 11 th December when we will have a Carol Service with carols and readings. Jenny SILVER CAFÉ Our next Silver Café will take place before our Community Carol Service on 16 th December at 3.30pm. All welcome.
SILVER GAMES Our final Silver Games of the year will take place on 3 rd December 2018 from 2.00pm -4.00pm, come along and enjoy an afternoon of traditional games, test your skills at Shove Halfpenny or dominoes etc. Or how about a game of draughts or scrabble. Whatever your interest there is sure to be something for everybody. If you don t get too engrossed in your game there will also be tea, coffee and cakes For more info contact Chris or Mike Bryer on 01473 611143 THE CHILREN S SOCIETY A big thank you to all the box holders for collecting for The Children s Society again this year. In total our Church members collected 531.42 which has been much appreciated by the charity. If there is anyone else who would like to have a collecting box please contact Daphne Rayment 01473 623486. THANK YOU TO OUR KNITTERS To all the knitters out there who knitted or crocheted poppies for the poppy project THANK YOU you out did yourselves as you may recall the original thought was that we would only need 100. Well you smashed that target we had 424 poppies on the net and it looks superb. Once again thank you to everyone who knitted or crocheted poppies. It will be stored safely and used again. Chris Bryer
SILVER SCREEN Come along and join us in the church on 17 th December 2018 from 2.00pm 4.00pm for our final Silver Screen film of 2018. Showing Whale Rider. With the usual good company, tea, cake & festive themed snacks. On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs have always been the first-born and male. Many generations later, the contemporary tale revolves around a young mother whose male newborn twin dies in childbirth. Her young husband flees New Zealand in grief, leaving grandparents Koro and Nanny Flowers to raise the sole survivor, a feisty little girl named Pai, who radiates with life and energy. It's no wonder that her grandmother and the entire community love her, but alas, the grandfather she worships is too busy mourning the loss of the baby boy he expected would lead the tribe to better days. If you are able to RSVP it would be very helpful - contact Charlotte on 07711013614 cha.markham@btinternet.com ONLINE PRESENCE A Church Near You/Facebook/Website. We want to ensure that everyone has the most up to date information of what is going on in our Church at all times and in the quickest convenient way possible for all concerned. We have been doing lots of work updating our online presence to assist with this. Please check out the above using the links found at the end of this newsletter and let us know what works best for you or how we could improve on any of these.
THE ASK JOURNAL Last issue I wrote about Advent and how the All Saints Posada travels from house to house during this time of expectant waiting, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Hopefully all those who wished to welcome Mary, Joseph and the donkey into their homes have signed up to the rota and been allocated a date. This past weekend we went to the Bury St. Edmunds Christmas Fayre, and in the Cathedral shop, Advent Calendar purchases were made for our two children! Since they were little, we ve always had calendars with traditional nativity scenes, and bible verses behind each door, with the promise of a bag of sweets so that they can have a chocolate each day too! As a family we also have an Advent candle, marked with the days of December up to Christmas Eve, and try to light it each evening as we gather together to spend some time in reflection. Some days it seems to burn more quickly than others, and I remember that last year we were two and a half days ahead of schedule by mid-december, as someone had forgotten to blow it out! I love this Advent time, and the traditions we ve formulated as a family, and it got me wondering what others within church do in the run up to Christmas. Last year I recall the Reverend Claire Ling suggesting the idea of a reverse Advent calendar a calendar that gives something back. Instead of opening a door to a picture or chocolate on your own calendar, you put aside a donation each day of advent, so that a collection of goods is ready to deliver to someone in need or a local food bank for example. Charlotte, church administrator, says that she purchases an advent calendar from UNICEF. Behind each window you discover an Inspired gift such as a blanket, school supplies and vaccines which will be supplied to children that are in need. Also mentioned was The Bible Society s #Adventchallenge, where you sign up online to receive daily scripture and reflections and
agree to complete 24 acts of kindness during the Advent period, which enables you to share the meaning of Christmas with those around you in a practical way. Perhaps one of these ways of celebrating Advent strikes a chord with you? Maybe it s something that you ve done for years, or perhaps we ve inspired you to try something new and different this year? Whatever your traditions, and despite the hustle and bustle of this busy season, may we all find time to pause and reflect for a while during this time of preparation and waiting. Jennie Fidler ALL SAINTS CONTACT DETAILS Vicar Rev Robin Spittle 623388 robinspittle@btinternet.com Assistant Priest Paul Darbyshire 07938861643 pauldarbyshire19@gmail.com Assistant Priest Chris Nunn 622363 revchrisnunn@gmail.com Parish Administrator Charlotte Markham 07711013614 cha.markham@btinternet.com Deacon Gary Jones 412329 Lay Readers Martyn Shakespeare 610367 Sally Wainman 414853 Youth Worker Ollie Scase 07484 254534 Children s Worker Jennie Fidler 07584420729 jenniefidler@yahoo.co.uk Church Wardens Helen Wittgreffe 07825 004585 helen.wittgreffe@btinternet.com Bob Bullamore 729586 Bob.bullamore@gmail.com
Hall Bookings Bob Theobald 620709 Prayer Chain Sybil Holbrook 805304 KESGRAVE LIBRARY NEWS Sunday Crafts (11.00 12.00 noon) The following craft activities will be taking place during December: 2 nd It s our Christmas Fayre today. We are making 3D elves out of cardboard tubes. What colour hat will you chose for your elf? 9 th Why not pop along and make a Christmas tree card for someone special this Christmas? 16 th Make a snowman decoration out of an old CD disc for your Christmas tree at home; 23 rd Have you ever seen a Christmas polar bear? Make a polar bear picture out of newspaper; 30 th It s nearly 2019. Design a calendar for the New Year showing the seasons, to brighten up your room. Activities are free. Parents must stay with under eights. There s no need to book just turn up and have a go. Free BookStart Sessions every Thursday. Tot Rock - 9.45am 10.15am. BabyBounce - 10.30am 11.00am. Free Story Time Sessions every Friday 9.45 10.15am (term Time Only). This session combines stories and rhymes. All welcome. Why not pop along? Other Library Events for December 2018 Every Tuesday afternoon (Term Time) 3.45pm 4.45pm. Lego Club. Parents must stay with under 8s. The themes this month are 4 th Santa s Sleigh, 11 th Elves Workshop, 18 th Christmas Wonderland. No need to book. Just pop along! This is a free activity.
Knit and Natter - 5 th & 19 th - 2.30 pm. 1.00 - tea, coffee and mince pies provided. Welcome to all new members. Afternoon Book Group - 6 th - 2.45pm. They are currently reading Exposure by Helen Dunmore. Evening Book Group 20 th 7.00 p.m. Book to be decided on. If you are interested in joining any of the groups, please ring or speak to a member of staff. Cards for Good Causes Charity Christmas Cards, Suffolk Wildlife Christmas Cards and Cards sold in aid of The Somersham Ward at Ipswich Hospital are available until Sunday 23rd December (during library opening hours). This year there is a wider selection of designs for each charity. Every purchase also supports Kesgrave Library. Why not pop along and see the selection of cards available? We are also selling Christmas stamps please speak to staff. Scout s Post Box this service is at the Library until Tuesday 11 th December at 5pm. Christmas Fayre Sunday 2 nd December 10.00am 12.00noon. There are loads of stalls with fun games, including a free craft activity for the children and a visit from Father Christmas. A raffle and refreshments are available plus homemade cakes. Christmas Opening Times at the library:- Sunday 23 rd December: 10.00 a.m. 3.00 p.m. Monday 24 th December: CLOSED Tuesday 25 th December: CLOSED Wednesday 26 th December: CLOSED Thursday 27 th December: 2.30 8.00pm. Friday 28 th December: 9.00am 12.00 noon & 2.30 6.00pm. Saturday 29 th December: 10.00am 5.00pm. Sunday 30 th December: 10.00am 3.00pm. Monday 31 st December: 9.00am 12.00noon Tuesday 1 st January: CLOSED Wednesday 2 nd January: Normal hours resume
Normal Kesgrave opening hours: Monday 9.00am to 12noon Tuesday 9.00am to 12noon & 2.30pm to 5.00pm Wednesday 2.30pm to 6.00pm Thursday 2.30pm to 8.00pm Friday 9.00am to 12noon & 2.30pm to 6.00pm Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm Sunday 10.00am to 3.00pm Maggie Lusher Kesgrave Library Manager Tel: 01473 626103 www.suffolklibraries.co.uk Kesgrave Library, Kinsey House, Kays Close.
FINAL WORD Thanks for taking the time to read this edition, please don t forget to provide us with feedback. Due to the new legislation on May 25 th we can only continue to send you information by email if you have granted permission. If you have previously received this by email and had not replied to say you wish to continue to receive it then you will no longer receive it in this way. If you would like to receive this Newsletter by email please email cha.markham@btinternet.com to be added to the distribution list. You will be welcome to unsubscribe at any time. Your e-mail address will not be passed on to third parties. Alternatively it is available on our website (see below) or, in paper form from either the Library or the 2nd Stop Shop. For a further explanation of any of our activities please contact Rev Robin Spittle (623388) or robinspittle@btinternet.com Visit our website www.askesgrave.org.uk You can also like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/all-saints-church- Kesgrave/583167891794217?fref=ts Or keep up to date with news and services on our A Church Near You Page https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2061/ Issue 43 available from 30 th December 2018 please note should you wish to have something included in this issue the deadline is 11 th December 2018.