Welcome s Church · 2018-12-07 · the Nativity (adults too if you want to!) Christmas Night Communion (11pm) Come and experience a Holy moment before the busyness of the big day.

Christmas Eve Family Carol Service (4pm)

Join us as we do some detective work to find out the true meaning of Christmas! A fun and joy filled family celebration for all

ages.. Young people we’d love you to come dressed as a character from the Nativity (adults too if you want to!)

Christmas Night Communion (11pm) Come and experience a Holy moment before

the busyness of the big day.

Christmas Day (10.30 am) Let’s all come together with Joy to Celebrate Jesus’s birth. A short 45 minute Service for all the generations while the turkey is in

the oven. (Children bring your new presents to show off )

‘Follow the star’ is the theme of the Church of England’s national publicity campaign this Christmas and it’s also the theme of our St Lawrence’s Christmas Services invitation. I guess it reflects a change of tone,… we now picture faith just as much as a journey…as a decision.

The invitation offered is to ‘’Follow the star’ but where does the Star lead?

As it did with the Magi… the star leads to a place of encounter, a place of worship, a place of mystery where eternal truth is revealed. But where does the star lead them today…? Not to a stable but it leads them to us…!

So what will our modern day Magi find as they ‘Follow the star’? How will they find Jesus? How will they see him? They will see Jesus in us! Jesus has ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16), but we are his body (1 Corinthians 12). What an awesome privilege and responsibility we bear of making Jesus known, of not just sharing his story but sharing him. We need to pray.… Let’s pray for all those who come…that they might find Jesus the Saviour. Let’s pray for ourselves that in our worship, our welcome, our every action and manner that we would reflect and share him. What a glorious responsibility.

Welcome to St Lawrence’s Church…

“Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 Living Bible (TLB)

Wednesday 19th December Christmas Communion (10am)

Come and share in this midweek Holy Communion service. Mince pies and drinks follow the service.

Sunday 23rd December Carols by Candlelight (5pm and 7.30pm) Enjoy singing carols and hearing afresh the wondrous Christmas

story in the warm magical, Christmassy glow of Candlelight.

December

Wed 5

10.00am Mid-week Service

10.00am Christmas Café

12.00pm FUNERAL: Louise Sheila Truelove

12.00pm Praise & Prayer (Parish Room)

2.30pm Ladies’ Fellowship: Christmas Party

3.00pm The Mix

8.00pm Together To Pray

Thu 6 1.30pm Home Group (Parish Room)

2.30pm A Mind to Sing

7.30pm Christmas Choir Practice

Fri 7 8.30am Morning Prayer

Sat 8 9.00am Men’s Breakfast

Mon 10 7.00pm Biddulph High School Carol Service

Tue 11 6.00pm Oxhey Carol Service

Wed 12 10.00am Mid-week Service

3.00pm The Mix

6.30pm Woodhouse Carol Service

Thu 13 1.00pm Friendship Club Christmas Meal

7.30pm Christmas Choir Practice

Fri 14 8.30am Morning Prayer

Tue 18 1.30pm Squirrel Hayes Carol Service

Wed 19 10.00am Christmas Holy Communion Service

12.00noon Praise & Prayer (Church)

3.00pm The Mix

Thu 20 2.30pm A Mind To Sing

7.30pm Christmas Choir Practice

Fri 21 8.30am Morning Prayer

Sat 22 7.30pm Singing at the Roaring Meg

Sun 23 10.30am Joint Service

5.00pm Carols by Candlelight

7.30pm Carols by Candlelight

Mon 24 4.00am Family Carol Service

11.00pm Midnight Communion Service

Tue 25 10.30am Joint Christmas Service

Thu 27 7.30pm Music Practice

Fri 28 8.30am Morning Prayer

Sun 30 10.30am Joint Service

January Wed 2 10.00am New Year Holy Communion Service

Thu 3 2.30pm A Mind To Sing

7.30pm Music Practice

Fri 4 8.30am Morning Prayer

Flower Rota

December January

2nd Margaret Smith 6th vacant

9th Anita Charlesworth 13th Sheila Carter

16th vacant 20th Karen Murphy

23rd Emma Wilson 27th Joan Axson

30th vacant

Can you help? If you can, please speak to Yvonne Pointon

Regular Sunday Worship

Sun 9.15am Traditional service.

11.00am Informal service with children’s groups.

6.30pm Quieter, reflective service.

Home Groups

Member of a Home Group? No? Why not join?

Home Groups are a great place to explore the Bible and

grow in faith in a relaxed and smaller group of

like-minded Christians. If you are interested contact

Keith Jones on 244770.

Youth & Children’s Groups (termtime)

Mon 5.30pm NRG (school years Reception - 4) £1.00

Tue 1.30pm Kangas’n’Roos (Pre-school children) £1.00

Mid-weekWorship

Wed 10.00am Midweek Service (45-60 mins)

Church Prayer Chain

If you have a need that calls for immediate prayer

then please contact Revd. Lindsay Clowes Tel: 514413 or email: [email protected]

Morning Prayer Fri 8.30am Morning Prayer

Important! We take safeguarding seriously here!

Mission Support Group Prayer topics for the coming weeks

December 2nd Evangelical Alliance

9th St. Paul’s, Syongila, Kenya

16th SANCTUS

23rd Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS)

30th Citizens Advice Bureau Please make mention of them in your prayers

Did you know? The Church office can do photocopying and

printing for Church members? Black & white A4 copies are 5p per side and full colour A4 is 15p per side. We can also do A3 sizes. We can print from paper, USB drives or email.

St Lawrence’s Bell Tower & Clock The DVD A DVD is available to borrow which gives a guided tour of

St Lawrence’s Bell Tower and Clock. It is on the table at the back of Church.

Please return after viewing. Enjoy!

Saturday 8th December at 9am

Only £3.00

Christmas Quiz with your resident quizmaster

Mr Jeff Hodges Why not come along for a hearty cooked breakfast

and light hearted conversation? A warm welcome awaits. St Lawrence’s Church Hall

Don't forget to book in with Gez

01782 513891 or [email protected]

Together to Pray

Wednesday

5th

December at

8.00pm (In Church).

May my prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like

the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 141:2 (NIVUK)

A time to praise and seek

God. To pray for prayer to

rise up at St Lawrence’s.

Praise & Prayer. 12noon

Wednesday 20th December (In Church)

Don’t forget…...

Thursday 13th December at 1.00pm Friendship Club Christmas Meal

Singing at the Roaring Meg

Saturday 22nd December at 7.30pm

Come and Join us for a great sing song

St Lawrence's Church Biddulph

Midweek Christmas Communion Service

Wednesday 19th December 2018 at 10.00am

Share the wonderful gift of Joy with Mary this Christmastime

Please join us for refreshments

(tea/coffee and mince pies) which will be served in church following

this service.

Contacts Steve Dyson (Vicar) 513247 [email protected]

Lindsay Clowes (Assistant Minister) 514413 [email protected] Jayne Blythe (Children & Families Worker) 07815 181478 [email protected]

The Church Office Tue-Fri 9am-12noon (01782) 513891 Parish Assistant (Gez) [email protected]

www.biddulphchurch.org.uk Copies of CONNECTIONS can be found on the church website www.biddulphchurch.org.uk

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/biddulphchurch

Prayer Ephesians 3:14-16 reminds us we must always start with prayer…

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I

pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Holy Spirit in your inner being.

Let’s pray that we would…

Love Jesus…

Let’s pray that we would make sure that Jesus is at the heart of our celebrations, in the Advent countdown to

Christmas let’s take time out to welcome Jesus afresh into our lives, let’s prioritise worship amongst everything

else...

Follow his teaching….

Let’s pray that we value people not things, that we spend what we have rather than get into debt, we

practice generosity, that we practice ethical principles in the gifts we buy, that we remember the poor and

the hungry…that we look out for the lonely…

Grow the Church…

Let’s pray for lives changed, let’s pray that during all our Christmas events, both our Services and our ongoing

activities that professing atheists, agnostics and spiritual seekers and searchers will come to place their faith

and trust in Jesus.

Serve Biddulph and the world in love…

Let’s pray for all the evangelistic connection points we are blessed with as an Anglican Church at this time of

year.

Let’s pray for our schools as we host their Carol Services…

Let’s pray for our places of welcome for the elderly and the vulnerable… The Christmas Community Café…the

Friendship Club Christmas meal… a Mind to Sing…

Let’s pray for our mission partners… the Foodbank and Sanctus as they love and serve the Church ‘the have

nots’ in our divided society… Alison Talbert and all those other missionaries who in response to God’s call will

spend Christmas apart from loved ones…

An opportunity for children in school years 3-8 to learn, sing and perform a whole 'mix' of songs... show songs, pop songs, gospel and classical songs…

working towards a performance each term.

Every Wednesday 3.45pm-5pm

St Lawrence's church Hall

Book your child's place/Queries: Mob/text/whatsapp: 0775 3383063

Email: [email protected]

If you’d like to be part of the

Music Groups which help lead

worship at our 9.15am and 6.30pm

services, please have a word with

Andrew Shuff (on 01782 514399 or

[email protected]). If you can sing

or play, please pray about whether

you could offer your gift and become

involved. It’s not a

heavy commitment

and the rota is very

flexible.