St Mary's Monkseaton # 240 December 2024
Vicar: Rev Nigel Taylor email: vicar@stmarysmonkseaton.org.uk
Curate: Rev Claire Lewis email: ctfairgrieve.lewis@gmail.com
Please note: Nigel and Claire are not available on their day off which is Friday.
Find out more about our upcoming Services here. Due to technical problems with our recording and streaming equipment we may not be able to stream Sundays service. We hope to have this rectified but apologise in advance if this is not possible.
If you missed last week's service, or can't make this Sunday, you can catch up online.
Holy Communion: Third Sunday of Advent
8am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
4.00pm Christingle
6.00pm Outdoor Community Carols and nativity followed by refreshments.
Outdoor Community Carols and Nativity
On Sunday 15th December at 6pm we will be holding an outdoor carol and nativity service. We will be using technology to project images depicting the nativity whilst the story of the first Christmas is narrated and we sing traditional carols. As we are outside there will be time to reflect on the night sky, the sky that would have been seen by Mary and Joseph 2000 years ago. We will end with refreshments served outside; hot drinks and biscuits.
Wrap up warm and come and join us!
Journey through the bible
In January we'll be starting a new story based bible study. The aim is to explore the stories that fuel our faith. The course will cover six Old Testament and six New Testament Stories to help us get an overview of the bible. We will hear the stories delivered in a creative way with a bit of time for questions and discussion over a few nibbles. If you're interested please speak to Claire and we will find a time in the week that suits the most people.
Children's Society
As the lights begin to come on,please would you consider taking a Children's Society collecting candle to be something you could do to aid vulnerable young people.These candles would be welcomed back at the Christingle service on Dec 15th or at any time over the Christmas period
Thanks Sue and Rick x
Christmas Collection for Bishops Appeal
If you are able to help with the collection of handbags and toiletries for women who have suffered domestic violence, please speak to Caroline Rose who will be co ordinating our collection. More information is available on the link below.
Justice and Peace
On an annual basis, Justice and Peace identify charities for St Mary's to support financially. They identify local, national and international charities and the congregation are then invited to vote for one charity from each category. The charities with the highest vote from each sector will receive an equal share of £5,000. Please take a look at the list on the table in the lobby and vote for the charities you would like to see benefit.
Food Bank plea for help.
We desperately need your help!
The shelves are emptying quicker than we can fill them! With so many people in need we can't afford to run out.
Referrals are 30% up compared to last year. That’s more than 45 emergency parcels each day (400+ people each week). Yet donations have massively fallen; we simply can’t keep up with demand.
We desperately need Christmas food items. Things like Gravy Granules, Stuffing, Biscuits, Chutney, Custard etc. As well as long life items such as Tinned Meat, Tinned Fruit and Jam/Spread.
Please help if you can. Every donation helps.
Please leave any donations in the box under the table in the church entrance.
Advent Reflection Series
After the success of the Lent reflections shared between churches of Whitley Bay, we are running a series of reflections on Saturday mornings through Advent. This will be preceded by a simple lunch of soup and bread. This Saturday, 7th Deceember we are at St Mary's.
Flowers
A note of thanks for all who have donated to the flower fund over the past year and also to the team who have prepared the beautiful displays of flowers in church for the past 12 months.
Christmas Cards
The Christmas season is fast approaching and you may be starting to think about writing your Christmas cards. Before you do, perhaps you might be interested to know that we will be having our usual Christmas Card Greetings board up in the vestibule from 1st December.
Instead of sending lots of individual Christmas cards perhaps you might think about sending just one card to St Mary’s parishioners. A box will be near the board where you can put your card, and we will see that it is displayed on the Greetings board. Everyone is welcome to read the cards so your greeting will be seen by all your friends at St Mary’s.
This way of exchanging Christmas cards has become more and more popular over recent years. It also adds a festive feel to our church.
Saturday 14th December
10.30am: Community Carols with Whitley Lodge Baptist Church on Whitley Lodge
12.00: Advent Reflection and Soup, St Paul's church Whitley Bay
Sunday 15th December (Advent 3)
8am: Holy Communion
10am:Holy Communion
4pm: Christingle
6pm: Outdoor (weather permitting) Community Carols and Nativity
Monday 16th December
9.00am: Morning Prayer
9.30am: Toddlers Christmas Party
4.30pm: Evening Prayer
Tuesday 17th December
9.00am: Morning Prayer
4.30pm: Evening Prayer
Wednesday 18th December
9.00am: Morning Prayer
10.30am: Holy Communion
4.30pm: Evening Prayer
6pm: Choir
Thursday 19th December
9.00am: Morning Prayer
9.30-11am: Pop in Cafe
4.30pm: Evening Prayer
8pm: Beer and Carols in the Kittiwake, Whitley Lodge
Friday 20th December
Office closed.
Saturday 21st December
12.00: Soup and roll followed by Holy Communion St Peter's Monkseaton
4pm: Blue Christmas
Sunday 22nd December (Advent 4)
8am: Holy Communion
10am: Holy Communion
4.00pm: Cafe Church
6.00pm: Carols by Candlelight
Monday 23rd December
9am Morning Prayer
4.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 24th December/Christmas Eve
11am: Carols in the Crab and Waltzer.
4pm: Crib Service
11.30pm: First Eucharist of Christmas
Christmas Day
10am: Family Holy Communion.
Prayers
Your Prayers are requested for:
Sophie, Martin Cooper, John Hughes, Maureen Price, Suzanne, Ron Stobart, Peter Dunlop and Jill.
Rest in Peace
Remembering also those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:
Charles Ralph Busby, Leslie Arthur Merrison, Tony Tompkins, Zena Bernacca, Riccardo Austoni
We also pray for all who livei n St David's Way
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