Dates for your diary

Sun Dec 7^th         Toy collection during the service at both churches

Sat Dec 13^th        Church open, refreshments available, for decorating trees

Thurs Dec 18^th   Prayers, carols and mincepies at the home of the Atkinsons, 52

                             Spring Lane  7.30pm

Sun  Dec 21^st      Carol service  6.30pm

Mon Dec 22^nd    Carol singing round the parish…. 6.30 at St Thomas (weather      

                                                                                                                       permitting)

Wed Dec 24^th    Crib service/nativity  at St Thomas 5pm

                             First communion of Christmas 11.30pm at St Thomas.

Thurs  Dec 25^th  Christmas morning service at St Agnes 9.15am

Mon Jan 12^th      7pm  St Thomas DCC

Wed Jan 14^th      8pm St Agnes DCC

Mon Jan 19^th      7pm PCC St Thomas

Sat   Jan 24^th      Parish Social event  St Edwards Hall

Sun Jan 25^th       Churches Together  service for week of prayer for Christian

                            Unity  St Agnes 3pm Preacher Bishop Mark

December 14th 2014

Leesfield  Parish    

Next Sunday, 21^st December, we hold our Carol Service beginning at 6.30pm.

This is a great start to Christmas, as we hear readings and sing carols that tell the Christmas story. If you have been before you will know how good it is, if you haven’t been before do come along!

Raffle Tickets are available for the parish Christmas raffle. There are many great prizes, and this is a very important fundraiser for the parish. The raffle will be drawn next Sunday after the carol service.

Thursday 18^th December  Prayers, carols and mince pies at the home of A. Atkinson 52 Spring Lane

Next Monday, 22^nd December, we plan to sing carols around the parish, raising money for the Booth Centre. It is Not true that people pay us to go away! Weather permitting, we meet outside St Thomas church at 6.30pm. The more people we have, the more noise we make and the more fun we have.

Flowers – there are no flowers in church in Advent. At St Thomas’ we are asking for donations towards flowers for Christmas, to be given to Audrey please. At St Agnes we are asking people to put their names on the flower rota, for Christmas and beyond.

Parish Family Fun Social Event – Saturday, 24^th January, 2015 – we are still looking for a small group of people to organize this! Tickets available at both churches £3 each

£8 family.

Psalm response The Lord has done good things for us and we are glad indeed

Parish Family Fun Social Event

Saturday, 24^th January, 2015

at St. Edward’s Function Room, Spring Lane, Lees

The Development Group need your help!!  We are asking for ideas in order to create a really good Social Event to raise funds for the Development   Project and the Church.  At the current time, we have arranged for Mid-Life Crisis to come along – anyone who came to the last event where they played will remember their really good music from 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and    beyond.  We are planning that the event will be a ‘Bring & Share’ but as yet, other arrangements have yet to be confirmed .  With a little bit of help from everyone, we can organise a really good fun event for all the family so if you are interested in getting involved in the organisation of this event, please contact  Jenny Daubney at r.daubney2@ntlworld.com.  

It is hoped that tickets – will be on sale mid December – further information will be included on the Pew Sheet and in the Church Magazine.

Advent and Christmas at Leesfield

Sunday November 30th                         Advent Sunday	9.15am     Holy Communion at St Agnes                                                                  11.00 am  Holy Communion at St Thomas 3.00 pm    Christingle at St Thomas
Sunday  December 7th	9.15am    Holy Communion at St Agnes 11.00am  Holy Communion at St Thomas
Sunday December 14th Advent 3	9.15am    Holy Communion at St Agnes 11.00am  Holy Communion at St Thomas
Sunday December 21st Advent 4	9.15am   Holy Communion at St Agnes 11.00am  Holy Communion at St Thomas  6.30pm   Carol Service St Thomas
Wednesday December 24th	5.00pm   Christmas eve service at St Thomas  (featuring the Sunday schools’ nativity!)                                                            11.30pm  First Communion of Christmas at St. Thomas
Thursday December 25th	9.15am  Holy Communion at St Agnes
Sunday December 28th	9.15am  Holy Communion at St Agnes 11.00am  Holy Communion at St Thomas

Pew Sheet - November 16th 2014

Leesfield  Parish    

DCC meetings take place this week. These are open meetings, PCC members should attend and anyone else is very welcome. Come along and help us discuss matters affecting our own church.

St Thomas meets Monday 7pm in church

St Agnes meets Wednesday 8pm in the school hall

PCC meet next Monday (24^th) 7pm in St Thomas church

Thursday 20^th November  MU  Quiz night in St Thomas Church 7.30p  All Welcome

The popular Mothers Union Christmas Stall begins next Sunday at St Thomas. Good quality donations welcome. Christmas shopping made easy!

Next Sunday, 23^rd, there will a Shoebox service in church, led by Mrs Butt. This begins at 6pm. Shoeboxes may be brought along to the service, or sent into school on Monday 24^th.

Advance notice—Christingle service will take place on Advent Sunday, 30^th November, at 3pm at St Thomas church. Bring along an orange and a donation for the Children’s Society and make a Christingle.

The first Sunshine Corner (for preschool children and parents/carers) took place on Wednesday. This was a very successful start. Thanks to Susan Harrop who is leader and to Margaret Bolton who is helping. The sessions will take place fortnightly, so the next one will be November 26^th 2-3pm in St Thomas Church. All welcome!

Magazine  articles to paulmdent@gmail.com) please.

Items for the newsletter to Edith by Wednesday eve please.

The LAST Project - October 2014

Disappointed but not discouraged  

The LAST Project -  October 2014

Disappointed but not discouraged – that perhaps best sums up the reaction of the working group when we learned in the middle of September that our bid to Veolia for funding had been turned down. Disappointed, naturally, since a great deal of work went into the bid and, because there were a limited number of groups who fitted the criteria of being within ten miles of a the site,  it was one where we felt we had a     really good chance of success. However, not discouraged as the work will not be wasted since it can, with not too much difficulty be adapted and ‘cut and pasted’ to support the further bids we are in the process of and        proposing to make.

In addition to that there is very positive news on the progress we are making with fund-raising – funds from the congregations and our supporters are coming in well, the Sponsored Boundary Walk is expected to yield a very useful sum, and the number of pledges at both churches  continues to grow. Encouraged by this it also enabled us to put in a bid to the National Churches Trust which  will be going off in good time for the next deadline which is early October. 

Continuing with the work which is necessary from our side we have recently met with the architect and set in process the invitation of tenders from    selected firms for the improvements. These improvements can’t start until we have secured sufficient funds to embark on Phase 1 but the tenders will also help to support our applications to   other bodies for funding.  Although we have still much to do on the home front we are aware of a number of charities that we can and will approach but the sums involved are not as large as the grants from bodies like Veolia so it will be a matter of making lots of bids for smaller amounts of money. That we don’t face an impossible task is evidenced by the number of other churches which have managed to raise and secure funding for similar improvements, That we have such a lovely building also helps our cause.

So the work goes on and the message: ...we should never be discouraged... rings true.

Mel Farrar

The Great Leesfield Sponsored Parish Boundary Walk

Well done everybody who took part in the walk on the 13^th September, and many thanks to all who helped to make it such a success by acting as marshals, encouraging others to join in, and most of all checking for cows!

71 people took part in total, 45 adults & 26 children, ranging from Annie who is only just 4 years old to Margaret at 82.

There were scouts, guides, cubs & beavers, children and parents from all 3 schools & Sunday schools, bellringers, Mothers Union members, PCC members and many more!

26 adults including Margaret and several at or rapidly approaching 70 completed the whole walk, together with 11 children including two 6 year olds & one 8 year old. Very well done especially to Aidan, Declan & Jack. When Kingsley sent me the list of beavers, cubs and scouts registered to walk I was amazed to see that three boys so young intended to do the whole route and didn’t really think they could do it.

I think everybody had a good time, and many saw parts of the Parish which they had not visited before or hadn’t been to for several years. We will do it again, hopefully before the summer holidays this year, and are looking at an alternative route, (Margaret’s walk), which will be suitable for those who are good walkers but prefer to avoid steps and fields.

We don’t have a final total for the amount raised as yet, but will let you know as soon as we do.

There are some photos available to look at in St. Thomas’ Church, and there will also be a few on the Parish website. Alternatively Paul could send you some electronically if you  prefer.

Liz Dent

Sunshine Corner

November will see the start of a Praise Group for babies and pre-school children. Painting, Drawing, stories, rhymes and songs will make a fun filled hour.

Please come along and join us. Let your friends /relatives Sunshine Corner is open for all.

Where: St. Thomas Church Leesfield.

When: Wednesday 2.00pm to 3:00pm every other week.

Starting: Wednesday 12th November 2014.

Little hand by little hand sharing fun, friendship & fellowship. Look forward to seeing you.

Susan Harrop

Prayer

This is a subject that often causes difficulties for Christians. However it’s not supposed to be like that, is it? Many of us have a rather narrow view of what     prayer is, and I think that is where some of the difficulties arise.

Prayer is really about communication with God, and there are so many different ways of praying. If you are interested in exploring this subject, and finding new ways to pray, then consider coming to Bishop Mark’s Archdeaconry School of    prayer. That seems to me to be a rather ‘heavy’ sounding title, but it will be an   interesting morning with chances to take part in some different workshops led by clergy from this area. Last year’s session was very successful and this year’s      promises to be worthwhile too.

It will be held on Saturday October 11^th  9.30am to 1.30pm at St Martin’s Castleton. I will be leading a couple of sessions, and I have a few spaces in the car if you would like to come with me.

Edith

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Mon Sept 15^th    St Thomas DCC 7pm  -All welcome

Wed Sept 17^th    St Agnes DCC     8pm  - All welcome

Sat Sept 20^th       Tea and Toast at St Thomas   10.30-noon

Mon Sept 29^th     PCC at St Thomas  7pm

Sun Oct 5^th         Harvest Sunday –Parish Service 11am

                             Followed by Lunch at St Thomas Church …tickets only!

Sat Oct 11^th       Rose Queen at home. St Agnes 2pm

Sat Oct 18^th       Hoe Down in St Edwards Hall

Fri  Oct 31^st        Children’s disco at Springhead football club (Rose Queen)

Sun Nov 2^nd       All age services at both churches (with Parade)

                            4pm  All Souls Service at St Thomas

Sun Nov 9^th        Remembrance Sunday

Sun Nov 16^th      Parish Service at St Hugh’s  11am

Sat Nov 22^nd      Church trip to Llandudno

Please let Edith know if there is anything else to go on this list!

St Thomas Leesfield September 14th 2014

 Thank you to all who supported the Parish Boundary walk in any way!  We will let you know as soon as possible how much was raised>

Mon 15^th September DCC at St Thomas 7pm

Wed 17^th September DCC at St Agnes 8pm

 -Please note these are open meetings. All are welcome!

Saturday 20^th  Tea and toast in St Thomas Church 10.30 till noon. Adults £2 children £1.  All welcome – come and bring a friend.

Future dates

Thursday 25^th September at 7.30pm  MU in St Thomas. Canon Jim Burns will speak about his book on Whit walks. He will also sign copies of his book (£14.99)

Monday 29th September 7pm PCC meeting

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances there will not be a Harvest Queen at St Thomas this year.

Church Trip to Llandudno on Saturday 22nd November. Christmas Craft Fayre will be on this weekend. Leaving Lees at 9 a.m. and returning from Llandudno

at 4.30 p.m. Cost £14. See Audrey Atkinson if you would like to go!

Harvest Lunch  October 5^th at St Thomas Church. Tickets are now available…cost £5 adults £2.50 children. Please make sure you get a ticket –numbers are limited and only ticket holders will be able to attend.

Planned giving – new envelopes are available from Ruth McQuaid at St Agnes or Liz Dent at St Thomas.      

Magazine  articles to paulmdent@gmail.com) please Items for the newsletter to Edith by Wednesday eve please.

St Thomas Leesfield September 7th 2014

Next Saturday is the Great Leesfield Parish Boundary sponsored walk –beginning at 10am. Everyone can take part, walking, marshalling and sponsoring. You can walk all or just part of the route. This is going to be an important money raiser (we hope!) but also a demonstration of our unity!

Future dates

Mon 15^th September DCC at St Thomas 7pm

Wed 17^th September DCC at St Agnes 8pm

 -Please note these are open meetings. All are welcome!

Monday 29th September 7pm PCC meeting

Harvest Lunch  October 5^th at St Thomas Church. Tickets are now available…cost £5 adults £2.50 children. Please make sure you get a ticket –numbers are limited and only ticket holders will be able to attend.

Please note Harvest Queen crowning is now September 27^th at 2pm

Planned giving – new envelopes are available from Ruth McQuaid at St Agnes or Liz Dent at St Thomas. If you don’t yet have envelopes please think about it. Planned giving means you put the amount you feel is right into an envelope each week, so even if you have to miss church your donation still comes to church the next time you attend. Of course if you are a tax payer you should gift aid it, as this increases significantly the amount that comes to church funds.

           

Magazine  articles to paulmdent@gmail.com) please

Items for the newsletter to Edith by Wednesday eve please.