The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster.

A vibrant inclusive worshipping community

16^thDecember 2018

 

Welcome to Christ Church today, especially any visitors and those worshipping with us for the first time. We hope that within our worship everyone – regardless of age – will have a moment of highlight. This might be the music or a line from a hymn, something from the Bible readings or prayers or sermon. It might simply be worshipping in fellowship with other people. Please do stay for refreshments at the back of church.

 

Useful things to know about us:

• This building is fitted with an induction loop system – please put your hearing aid to the ‘T’ position.
• Magnifying sheets are available – please ask a steward.
• If you prefer not to receive the communion wine, eg if you are in recovery, please feel free to simply return to your seat having received the bread first.
• Mums are very welcome to breast feed babies anywhere in the church where they feel comfortable. Likewise babies can be bottle-fed anywhere. There is a baby-change area at the back of the church.

 

Please remember in your prayers:

Those who are ill:  Sheila Kelly, Abdussabur Kirke

RIP Dick White, Ann Holmes

 

Thought for the week

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

 

Action for the week

Save stamps and Christmas cards for recycling in the new year

 

CALENDAR

Sunday December 16^th    

8.30 am – Said Eucharist

10.30 am – Parish Eucharist with Children’s Church Nativity, toy collection and Christingle!

5-00pm Advent Evensong

Monday

9-15am Morning prayers at the Vicarage

Tuesday

9.30 am – Church cleaning – volunteers welcome

Wednesday

9-45am Christ Church school in church

5.30 pm Meditation and 6 pm Evening prayer

Friday

9.15 am – Ripley year 10 in church

10-30am Tiddlers – last one of the year

10-30am Dolphinlee House Christmas service with Christ Church School choir

11-30am Moorside Hall Christmas service

Sunday December 23^rd   

8.30 am – Said Eucharist

10.30 am – Parish Eucharist

 

CHRISTMAS EVE

4-00pmCrib Service.

11-30pmMidnight Mass by Candlelight. The choir sing carols from   11-10 onwards.

 

CHRISTMAS DAY

8-30amSaid Eucharist

10-30amFamily and Child-friendly service to celebrate Christmas. This will finish before 11-30am so you can cook lunch!

 

Follow the Star booklets These are now with Fr Phil for collection.

 

POSADA The travelling Holy Family have begun their journey around the parish and city. Please remember that you are responsible for taking the characters to the person after you. You will to take a note of that name and phone number.

 

ROOF REPAIRS – APPEALThe extreme weather this autumn led to extensive leaks in the church’s roofs. The most urgent have been repaired, with further emergency work to be done early in 2019. The first phase has cost £6,200, with a further £5,000 needed for the second. This is money the church does not have.  Please consider making a Christmas gift to Christ Church towards the cost of this essential and unavoidable work to enable us to carry on worshipping here without further need for buckets! If you can Gift Aid your donation, that adds 25 pence to every £1 you give. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Eco Group – Theme for January – Recycling!!

We would like to start 2019 by recycling some of the extra things that appear in our houses over Christmas!!  . So please…

1. Save the stamps from your Christmas cards!
2. Save the Christmas cards!

There will be boxes at the back of church on the 6th and 13th of January for your stamps and cards. These will then be sent to charities or recycled by the Church Eco group.

3. Unwanted gifts

If, at the end of the Christmas period, there are gifts in your house that you think someone else could make better use of, please bring those in to church on the dates above. There will be a gift sharing table at the back of church where you can leave your gift and take another item that someone else has left. This is all about reusing and sharing so you don’t need to pay for your gift. However, if you would like to make a donation to the church roof repairs, that would be very much appreciated!

 

SAFEGUARDING The next and final stage of training will take place on Saturday 12th January at Christ Church School. This will be delivered by a member of the Diocese Safeguarding Team. People who need to attend this training are: Church Wardens, PCC members, Children’s Church Leaders, Safeguarding Officer. Start time to be confirmed but it will be it the morning.

 

RECYCLING The recycling drawers in the hall kitchen are filling up quickly at the moment. ANYONE can take away a bag of recycling to put out with theirs – please try to do so. Thank you.

 

GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDPR)

Changes to legislation earlier this year mean that we have to obtain your consent to contact you. This means you signing a form, and affects everyone. It takes less than a minute! We will be doing this on an ongoing basis.

 

TIDDLERSThis group for pre-school children and their parents and carers meets on Fridays at 10.30 am. There is space to play, a craft table and a time of singing children’s action songs. A simple lunch is available for those who wish to stay for something to eat.

 

PRAYER REQUESTS You can send requests for prayer by text to 07980 351855. If you would like to join the prayer group who respond to these requests, or you would like to know more, then talk to Pat.

 

Food Bank As well as the usual items the Food Bank needs donations of lentils, chick peas, vegetable oil and rice.

 

The Bible readings for today …

Zephaniah 3 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. ¹⁹ I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

 

Philippians 4. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Luke 3 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ 10 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ ¹¹In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ ¹²Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’¹³He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.