TODAY, ADVENT 4
8am MORNING PRAYER in Church
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube
4pm CHURCH AT 4 MEETING in the Church Hall
All ages welcome.
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday 20th December 9.00am Morning Prayer in Church
Thursday 22nd December 9.00am Morning Prayer in Church
SATURDAY 24TH DECEMBER 2022
CHRISTMAS EVE
3pm & 5pm CHRISTINGLE SERVICE in Church
11.30pm MIDNIGHT HOLY COMMUNION in Church
SUNDAY 25TH DECEMBER 2022
CHRISTMAS DAY
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
Preacher: Revd Phill Harrison
Sidesperson: TBC
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube.
Preacher: Revd Chris Hunter
Intercessor: Peter Ferguson
Reading: Hebrews 1. 1-4
Reader: Lynn Hezlett
Sidespersons: Ross Fralley and Jean Ford
SUNDAY 1ST JANUARY 2023
THE NAMING AND CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS
8am MORNING PRAYER in Church
Preacher: Tracy Mason
Sidesperson: Alan & Christine Wrixon
10am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube.
Preacher: Tracy Mason
Intercessor: Marion Colton
Reading: Numbers 6. 22-end
Reader: Alan Gregory
Sidespersons: Alan & Kathy Gregory
6pm EVENSONG in Church and on YouTube.
Preacher: Sally Hunter
Intercessor: Dr John Godfree
Reading: Deuteronomy 30. 11-end
Reader: John Henderson
Sidespersons: Carol Brown and Trish Green
SUNDAY 8th JANUARY
EPIPHANY
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
Preacher: Revd Chris Hunter
Sidesperson: Joan & Ron Reader
10am MORNING WORSHIP in Church and on YouTube.
Preacher: Revd Chris Hunter
Intercessor: Sheila Tubey
Reading: Isaiah 60. 1-6
Reader: Judith Alexander
Sidespersons: Rose Humprhries and Pat Herring
4pm CHURCH AT 4 MEETING IN THE CHURCH HALL All ages welcome.
Small Groups
If you would like to join a small group, please contact the leaders of the groups below and find out where there is space. We would love to have everyone involved in a small group.
| 22 Kellsborough Avenue | Mondays 10am-11.30
Resumes Monday 9th January 23 |
Lillian Wicks
Louise Bessent |
| 12 Artis Avenue | Tuesdays at 7.30pm | Carolyn Kirk |
| Church Hall | Alternate Tuesday evenings | Nick Orman |
| The Vicarage | Wednesday evenings during term time. | Karen & Phill Harrison |
| Church Hall | Saturday men’s breakfast | Mike Mason |
Live streaming the 10am service
The 10am service will be live streamed on You Tube. Please visit our YouTube Channel on https://www.youtube.com/@WroughtonWichelstoweParChurch (or search for Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish church) and press the ‘subscribe’ button.
Churchyard Closure
On 14th December King Charles met with his Privy Council and made the final closure order for our churchyard (yes, it really does need an order from the King!). This means that it is no longer possible to create any new graves. However, we are still allowed to bury additional family members in existing graves (provided that there is space). We are also able to bury ashes, either in existing family plots, or in the Garden of Remembrance. There has been church on the site since Saxon times and in all probability burials have been taking place for just as long; we have reached the end of an era. Going forward, we intend to manage the site in a way that balances the needs of visitors and wildlife and we hope that it will remain popular with both.
Christingle making!
For the first time since the pandemic we will be returning to indoor Christingle services at 3pm and 5pm on Christmas Eve. How many people will come? We just don’t know, but we hope it’s a lot because we have ordered 360 oranges! If you can spare an hour from 9am on Christmas Eve to help us assemble all these Christingles then do please join us in church. Many hands really do make light work. Thank you.
Warm Space on Sundays in the Church Hall
From 8th January we will be opening up the Church Hall as a Warm Space between 2pm and 4pm on Sunday afternoons. The hope is that this will provide a social place for people to drop in and chat, have a cup of tea and maybe some cake. There might be board games and jigsaws for those that want to use them, but all very informal. Everyone is welcome, regardless of how warm your home actually is and whether you are a churchgoer or not. There will be a short voluntary act of worship at 4pm, but there is no pressure or obligation to stay for this.
Transforming Church. Together (Diocesan strategy)
During 2021 and 2022 we have been going through a process to discern and develop the next five year vision and strategy for the Diocese of Bristol. Implementation of the strategy will bring additional support to ministers and parishes, so that both can thrive and grow. This will be paid for through our parish share, fundraising, grant giving bodies, and the National Church; the Diocese of Bristol expects to receive significant National Church investment from the start of 2023.
We are now being encouraged to review and reflect on the plans going forward; to determine what it means at parish level and to discern which elements of the strategy are relevant – and possible – in a local context. PCC will be discussing the at its January meeting. For more information, please visit: https://www.bristol.anglican.org/visionandpriorities/transforming-church/
Infants school visit to Church
All of the infants school children and several parents visited Church on Monday to sing Christmas songs they had practiced and recite poems they had learned. Barbara told them a Christmas story to round off a joyful morning.
Junior School Christmas Assembly
We also went to Wroughton Juniors to lead their Christmas assembly. They were brilliant with the songs and poems they had rehearsed, and reacted very well when I asked for some to come to the front as I threw costumes at them to make a very quickfire Nativity. Lots of laughs and lots of very astute comments about Christmas. They are a wise bunch.
Community Christmas Card
At Here Comes Christmas we made a card that we can all sign so that we don’t have to
give individual cards to each other. Please sign the card and make a donation to Childrens Society.
Knitting for charities.
Thanks to those of you knitting squares for GWH’s End of Life unit. We are now sewing together a blanket in autumn colours and have already got 40 other squares -halfway to the next one. 6 inch squares in any colour DK wool are most welcome. Please do not use glittery wool and please thread the ends of your squares in.
Last week I heard from Mission to Seafarers that they can accept hats, gloves and scarves again. I have two large boxes of hats and scarves waiting since early 2020 to be sent off. If you would prefer to knit these rather than squares then now is the time to get started again. I will put some patterns in the box by the choir vestry in church. If you would like to contribute but cannot knit then donations of Double Knitting wool are always welcome. These can also be left in the box in church. Many thanks. Janet Henderson.
Eco Top Tips – practical ways to take better care of God’s creation
December – Christmas Crackers
- Watch your shopping trolley. In the UK our food spend increases by 16% in December, make sure you are not over catering and that extras are not going to end up in the bin.
- Celebrate the joy of Jesus coming to be with us. Wonder at his incarnating, He embraced being human, vulnerable and very much part of the creation that He made to restore it all back into peace with God.
Floodlighting
The Church will be floodlit on:
Monday 19th December by David & Julie Mantell in memory of Sheila Ann Mantell;
Wednesday 21st December by Rebecca Sarjent & Rosemary Nassie in memory of Rex and Joan Sarjent;
Thursday 22nd December by Julie Gabe in memory of Eric Whyte on his birthday;
Friday 23rd December by Joyce Symonds in memory of her dear friend Pauline Kershaw;
Saturday 24th December by Joan Gorringe and Chris Pearce in memory of Ray Gorringe and Peter Pearce both missed very much;
Sunday 25th December by Janet Burchell and family in memory of her Dad, Jack Bamford;
Friday 6th January by John Stow, Chris Stow and Nikki McMahon in memory of their Dad, Maurice Stow on his birthday.
Funerals
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have, died recently. We pray for all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
The Church Office
The Office will be closed from Thursday 22nd December and will reopen on Wednesday 4th January 2023.
Merry Christmas to everyone. Janet Burchell
| The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm
01793 812050 office@wroughton.com Revd Phill Harrison – Vicar 01793 812301 vicar@wroughton.com Revd Chris Hunter – Curate 01793 814987 curate@wroughton.com Church Twitter Account – @WroughtonWichel Find us on Facebook – Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish Church Please follow us for all the latest updates from Wroughton Parish Church.
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CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Wroughton & Wichelstowe Parish Church
Christmas Eve – Christingle Service
3pm and 5pm
Join us at either 3pm or 5pm in church for our popular Christingle Service.
We will be singing carols, hearing the Christmas story, having fun and lighting our Christingles.
Car parking is limited, so please walk up the hill if you can!
Christmas Eve – Holy Communion
11:30pm Midnight Holy Communion Service
Christmas Day
8am A quiet Holy Communion service using traditional language
10am All-age Holy Communion
For more information please email or phone the church office: 01793 812050 or office@wroughton.com
