1st December 2024

Advent 1

TODAY

8.00am                  HOLY COMMUNION in Church

10.00am               HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube

6.00pm                 EVENSONG in Church

NEXT WEEK

Tuesday 3rd December –  9.00 am Morning Prayer – Church

Thursday 5th December – 9.00 am Morning Prayer – Church

Saturday 7th December – 11.30 am to 1 pm – ‘Here Comes Christmas – Church Hall

 

SUNDAY 1st DECEMBER 2024

Advent 1

 

8.00am                  HOLY COMMUNION in Church

                                  Preacher:             Revd Phill Harrison

Reading:               2 Kings 22. 1-20

Sidespersons:    Ron & Joan Reader

 

10.00am               CHRISTMAS POP UP NATIVITY in Church and on YouTube

Sidespersons:    Jean Ford and Lynn Hezlett

 

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.

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 Kellsboro Avenue Mondays 10am-11.30 Lillian Wicks & Louise Bessent
12 Artis Avenue Tuesdays at 7.30pm Carolyn Kirk
Church Hall Alternate Tuesday evenings Nick & Joan Orman During Advent we will meet weekly.
The Vicarage Wednesday evenings during term time. Karen Harrison
Church Hall Saturday men’s breakfast Mike Mason

 

‘Sunday Club’ dates

Our Sunday morning group for primary school aged children takes place in the Vicarage during the 10am service, usually on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. Future dates are:

Date                      Adults – lead/support                                    Date      Adults – lead/support   

1/12                      Joan / Helen                                                        2/3         Phill / Karen F

15/12                   Karen H / Lynn                                                  16/3      Barbara / Carolyn

5/1                          Karen H / Miriam                                               6/4          Karen H / Lynn

19/1                       Tracy / Beth                                                         20/4       Easter Sunday – No session

2/2                          Hannah / Holly

16/2                       Joan / Helena T                                                  

Christmas reflections

This year we’re recommending the book ‘Women of the Nativity – An Advent and Christmas journey in nine stories’ by Paula Gooder. Each story is seven or eight pages long and is a piece of creative writing, backed by Paula Gooder’s work as a biblical scholar. We hope that they might help us to see the very familiar stories of Christmas through fresh eyes, perhaps noticing things that we hadn’t spotted before. Each one is accompanied by some questions for reflection or discussion and several of our small groups will using these. The stories will also be covered by our Sunday morning readings, so they will complement the messages from our preachers. The book is available for £10 from Church House Publishing (www.chpublishing.co.uk) and all good online bookshops. If online shopping isn’t your thing and you’d like us to order a copy on your behalf, then please speak to Janet in the church office.

Instant Nativity 8th December

It’s dressing-up time again! As you were all such good actors last year, we’re having another instant nativity play at our 10am morning worship service on 8th December. There’s no rehearsal, just join in as the character of your choice (multiple Marys, Josephs etc can be accommodated….). We’re encouraging as many people as possible, of any age, to come dressed up. This can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like; a string of tinsel can be turned into an angel halo, dressing gowns and tea towels are great for shepherds or with a cushion under your coat you could turn yourself into a pregnant Mary and keep yourself warm too!  Karen Harrison

Here comes Christmas

We will be running an activity morning on Saturday 7th December from 11.30am to 1pm in the Church Hall. If you would like to help there are lists at the crossing to sign up as a helper, or to provide food. Helpers will just need to come along and chat to our visitors. Details from Barbara

French Concert

I am pleased to report that last Sunday’s concert in aid of Prospect raised £656. Many thanks to those who attended and those who helped on the night.  John Henderson

TearFund

Thank you to everyone who came and helped at the quiz last Saturday we raised £480.00 for Tearfund.

Church Flower Guild

Are you interested in getting involved in arranging the Church flowers?

We are looking for more volunteers to help on a monthly basis.  We are a friendly group and you would be working within a team.  If you are interested please contact Margaret Hurst on 01793 814290. 

Knitting for Charity

I recently sent 30 hats and 4 scarves to The Mission to Seafarers and received a lovely email saying how much they appreciated them.

This week I have two more blankets washed and with their butterflies attached to take to GWH. The light coloured one was made entirely by one of you great knitters and the blue one has been assembled by me from donated squares. If anyone would like to join squares together to make a blanket please let me know.

Thank you to all our knitters. Please keep knitting hats and scarves (patterns in the box at church) and 6inch squares in Double Knitting wool. Janet Henderson 525856.

 

Churchyard Hedgehog (& Wildlife!) Camera

Wroughton is one of five areas in Wiltshire which is piloting a National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, and our churchyard was asked to take part.  A camera was installed in late September, in the upper churchyard, and operated continuously for 30 days, capturing images of any animal that entered the field of view.  The footage from the camera has been uploaded to a dedicated online platform called ‘MammalWeb’ where volunteers are helping to identify the animals in the images.

The photos you see here are examples of what was found – muntjac and roe deer, badgers, foxes and squirrels- it’s joyous to think all this wildlife is meandering around our lovely churchyard while we’re asleep!  You’ll note that there are no photographs of hedgehogs …… but don’t despair – this was only a first look at the footage.  I’ll update you once all the images are reviewed.

We were one of 30 locations in Wroughton to have a camera – and the programme runs for 3 years, so next autumn the camera will be back…….. to capture nature & biodiversity on our doorstep!  Eco Church Group

 

Eco Church  – Lifestyle Survey Results

Back in February we asked you to take part in an environmental lifestyle survey.  Apologies for the long wait…… but we have now collated the results, which you can see by clicking on the link here: (The results will also be available to see in church for the next 2 or 3 weeks, for those who can’t use the link)

It’s a long list but an encouraging one. Do have a look and see all the ways in which our church members are caring for creation in many small ways – thank you to all those who responded, and for all you do to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.  The Eco-Church Group will be using your responses to suggest activities that might help us all to care better for God’s Creation.

 

Wildflowers of Wroughton – Calendars 2025

Following the success of last year’s calendar, 2025 contains twelve new colour photographs of flowers from around the parish – including four orchids.

Available as a Wall Calendar           £9.00

Desk Calender                                     £7.00

Produced by Wroughton Monthly’s wildlife writer Boz.

They can be bought at the Parish Church, Country Market or directly from Dr Keith Hooper.

07884 108434 Home delivery available.

 

Funerals

We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died, Susan Barrett and Elizabeth Boulton.

We pray for all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.

 

The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT – 01793 812050  office@wroughton.com

Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm

Revd Phill Harrison – Vicar 01793 812301 vicar@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 & Wichelstowe Parish Church.

 


Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish Church

Invite you to

 

‘HERE COMES CHRISTMAS’

In the Church Hall, Priors Hill

Saturday 7th December

11.30am – 1.00pm

Games, Craft, story and food for all the family

Sorry we cannot look after unaccompanied children

No need to book – more information from

Revd. Barbara Abrey 01793 633024


 

CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Wroughton & Wichelstowe Parish Church

 

Sunday 8th December

          10am         Pop up Nativity

 

Sunday 15th December –

 Christmas Carols and Readings

6pm                Join us for our Christmas Carols and Readings

 

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

  8am              A quiet Holy Communion service using traditional language

11:30pm       Midnight Holy Communion Service

 

Christmas Day

10am             All-age Holy Communion

For more information please email or phone the church office:01793 812050 or office@wroughton.com