December 2003 - Parish News


ST ANDREWS CHURCH

Services & Events in December

Sun 7th

10.30am

 

6.15pm

Christingle Service with Informal Communion

3-16: Honesty, Family Room

Thu 11th

8.00pm

Footsteps: What’s all this about Christmas? - Family Room

Sun 14th

10.30am

3.00pm

Morning Praise

Carol Service for the Bereaved

No Ramblers this month

Wed 17th

10.30am

 

6.45pm

Pram Service, The Christmas Story

Carol Singing

Thu 18th

2.30pm

 

6.45pm

Christmas Service, Slip End School

Carol Singing

Sun 21st

10.30am

3.15pm

6.00pm

Nativity, with Orchestra

East Hyde Carol Service

St Andrew’s Carol Service

Mon 22nd

2.30pm

Carols at Woodside Home

 

 

 

Wed 24th

 

11.15pm

Christmas Eve

Midnight Communion

 

 

 

Thu 25th

 

9.15am

10.30am

Christmas Day

E. Hyde Christmas Communion

Christmas Morning Praise with New Life Christian Fellowship

 

 

 

Sun 28th

10.30am

Morning Praise

Wed 31st

 

11.59pm

New Year’s Eve

Midnight Payers in church

 

January, 2004

Sun 4th

10.30am

Family Communion

Thu 8th

8.00pm

Footsteps”:  Family Room

Sun 11th

10.30am

2.00pm

6.15pm

Morning Praise

Ramblers meet at church

3:16: 23 Claydown Way, New Year Games & Video

 

Network Groups resume this week

Wed 14th

10.30am

Pram Service

Sun 18th

10.30am

Holy Communion

Thu 22nd

8.00pm

Footsteps: Family Room

Sun 25th

10.30am

6.00pm

Morning Praise

3-16: Rave ‘n Rock, Family Room

Wed 28th

10.30am

2.30pm

Pram Service

Woodside Home Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol Service for the Bereaved
On Sunday 14th December we will be holding a special Carol Service for the Bereaved at 3.00pm. 
If you would like to have a loved one’s name read out in the service, let Joy have it in advance by writing, please. 
Refreshments will be served after the service and a Ministry Team available for anyone who would like prayer or talk further.

Carol Singing
On Wednesday and Thursday 17th and 18th December St Andrew’s, the New Life Christian Fellowship and anyone else who would like to join us, will be singing carols around the village. This will conclude with some warming, seasonal refreshments at the Old Bakery, in Summer Street.
And indoors on 21st, at both St Andrew’s and East Hyde, there will be more opportunity to join in, singing carols. 

“Newcomers”
In the New Year, Joy will be running a group for “Newcomers” at the Vicarage. This will run for about 10 weeks and is for:
· Those who wish to explore the Christian Faith further and ask questions.
· Those who wish to be confirmed.
· Those in need of a “refresher course” on Christian Faith basics.

Anyone wishing to know more should contact Joy at the Vicarage. Tel.  424363.

Faith comes by Hearing
St Andrew’s intend to begin the New Year by getting stuck into the Bible. The Bible Society (www.biblesociety.org.uk) have a scheme to make the Bible really accessible to everyone by listening to it on CD or cassettes to enable you to listen while getting up, getting ready for work, cooking, having breakfast, driving to work, going on family outings, doing housework or DIY or just relaxing. The material can be bought only through a church participating in the scheme and Joy will be explaining further during the Family Communion on 4th January. If you would like to get involved and buy a set of tapes or CD’s so you can listen to the Bible with us, come to church on the 4th or contact Joy on 424363.

Pram Services
Our popular Pram Services are held on alternate Wednesday mornings in the Family Room at St Andrews Church. This is a good opportunity to get out and meet other new mums and their offspring. What do we offer? Well, there are always cups of tea for the mums. For the children we have activities which include songs, stories and creative construction (with a little help for/from the adults!) 
When we next meet on December 3rd we shall be thinking about the Christmas story. Our theme for each session is normally connected to the Christian calendar.


A boy is about to go on his first date, and wonders what to talk about. He asks his father for advice. 
The father replies, “Son, there are three subjects that always work. These are food, family and philosophy.” 
So the boy and his date go to a burger bar, and sit staring at each other for a long time. He remembers his father’s advice and chooses the first topic. 
He asks the girl: “Do you like spinach?”
She says “No” and the silence returns. 
Then the boy turns to the second item on the list and asks: “Do you have a brother?”
Again the girl says “No”, and there is silence again. 
The boy then plays his last card. He thinks of his father’s advice and asks the girl the following question: “If you had a brother, would he like spinach?”



Slip End & District Association
BINGO
Slip End Village Hall
Thursdays 8.00 – 10.00
In aid of Senior Citizens Outings

BOTTLE BANK
For use by residents of Slip End and District, our Bottle Bank is situated in the Frog and Rhubarb car park in Church Road. This is supplied and operated by SBDC to improve and increase glass recycling. 
PLEASE USE IT


A CYPRUS WEDDING
I was lucky enough to be invited to a wedding in Cyprus in October and what a treat it was. My nephew Ian and his girlfriend Kim chose a beautiful little chapel in Paphos to get married, a memorable day and one they will remember forever. The chapel was built in honour of the freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of Cyprus. Together with other monumental works, it serves to perpetuate historic memory and to underline the Christian faith that inspired the freedom fighters of the struggle and which was undisputedly linked to their love of freedom for the fatherland.





The Chapel of St George



Ian & Kim
Happy Wedding Day!

Perhaps some of our readers have memories of an unusual holiday or something memorable that they would like to share with other Parish News readers. If you have please send to Sue or David at the address at the back.
Sue Cowell


ALEY GREEN METHODIST CHURCH
We were pleased to send 24 shoeboxes full of goodies to Romania. The Smartie tubes full of small change, are being collected for ‘Water Aid’. 
Thank you to everyone who came along to the Caddington Craft market, our preserve stall raised £76.00 The collection for Methodist Homes for the Aged raised £34.
It is once again the time of year to wish all fellow villagers a joyful and peaceful Christmas and to thank you all whole-heartedly for your constant support of our little church in Aley Green. Listed below are our Christmas events and the charities we will be supporting this Christmas. Please feel free to come and join us, you will be given a warm welcome.
7th December, 3pm
Sunday School Christmas Worship
and tea collection for Keech Cottage: 
Monday 15th December 7.30pm
Christmas Dinner at Café #7 Manor Road, Caddington (Raffle for NOAH) 
Sunday 21st December, 6.00pm
Candlelight Carol Service in aid of National Children’s Homes, followed by coffee, tea and mince pies.
Christmas Day Service at 10.30am
Rev Jenny Spouge
Collection for Pasque Hospice.
No pretty Christmas toys
Think upon the girls and boys
Who get no pretty Christmas toys
Who suffer want and cold and care
And help them both by alms and prayer.
(poem from a Victorian Christmas card.)
All members of Aley Green Methodist Church wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Ann Meader.


OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
A quick report on how our shoe-boxes are going from St Andrew’s Church and friends. We have been very lucky this year with this worthwhile appeal and everyone seems only too happy to help. 
The people from Markyate have also been very generous and provided over 40 boxes. My mum, Doris Green, and her friend Helen who both sadly died this year worked hard every year to promote and make up boxes. I am sure they would both be extremely pleased to know that the good work carries on. 
We had over 30 boxes from the Birchwood Methodist Church in Hatfield, another group that is keen to help every year with lots of knitted items from their members. Finally the Church family have put their love, prayers and enthusiasm into making up over 50 boxes, even the Sunday School managed to do 6 boxes (see photos). 
Thank you every one of you.


Here’s some reflections from an OCC volunteer, who visited Romania last year
“I met a family with 8 children, all living in one room. The people who are hardest to reach are those whose children have no shoes, because they are so poor, which mean they don’t go out. Sometimes, the children just clutched the boxes. When they started taking things out, the pleasure on their faces was just lovely to watch. They are thrilled even by the basic things like little woolly hats, because they can’t get things like that. Even the wrapping paper on the boxes gives them pleasure. It is so colourful – they don’t have much colour in their lives.” 
Above: ZJB children making up their boxes and cards, here in Slip End. Whilst in Easter Europe, children like this are on the receiving end …


LORRAINE DOES IT AGAIN!
Following success at local level, Lorraine Crossett went on to the Regional Finals of the prestigious School Chef of the Year finals in King’s Lynn last month. She was narrowly pipped at the post into second place! However, Parish News congratulates Lorraine on a fine achievent and look forward to more of her home-made specialities including a her fine Christas Lunch and lasagne verde al forno offerings which will be served up at local events in the coming weeks. Watch this space! Oh, and don’t let’s forget Burns Night, Haggis, neaps ‘n tatties the noo…!


Laughter – the best medicine
A Norwich man called his son in London a couple of days before Christmas: “I hate to ruin your day, but your mother and I are divorcing: 45 years of misery is enough.” 
“Dad, what are you talking about?”
“We can’t stand the sight of each other.” the father says. “We’re sick of each other. Will you call your sister in Luton and tell her.”
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like hell they’re getting divorced,” she shouts. “I’ll take care of this.” 
She calls Norwich immediately and screams at her father. “You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a thing until I get there. My brother and I will both be there tomorrow. Don’t do a thing. Do you hear me?” And she hangs up. 
The father hangs up his phone, smiles, and turns to his wife. “Okay,” he says. “They’re coming for Christmas and paying their own way”…….


BROWNIES
We have been making things to sell at the Craft Fayre and also the School Fayre. Money raised will go towards our Christmas Parties and presents for the Brownies.
Our last meeting before Christmas will be on December17th and we return in the New Year on January 7th.


GARDEN ASSOCIATION
Continue to dig vacant ground only if the ground is not too wet or if there is snow on it or there has been a heavy frost.
In the Vegetable Garden continue to bend leaves over the broccoli curds. Finish pruning fruit bushes, shrubs and roses..
Burn all rubbish and make the vegetable rotation plan for planting and sowing next year.. Check all vegetables in store for any rot. 
Light the fire, pour a beer, get those catalogues and magazines out, sit down and ponder over next years plans. Maybe there’ll be an open garden day, perhaps I’ll scoop the hanging basket prize, maybe we’ll have a brilliant summer again like this year, although it did get very dry and dusty; and what about those shows? Chelsea next year perhaps, at least another trip out to Kew, or further afield perhaps il giardini d’Isola Madre in Largo Maggiore …… … zzzzz


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