Leesfield Parish – 17^th December 2017

If you have toys which you were unable to bring in last week, please bring them whenever you can. We will still be able to get them to children whose families are less fortunate than ourselves.

This evening, Sunday, 17^th December, 6.30 pm at St Thomas’ is the traditional service of 9 Lessons and Carols, with additional musical items. This is a lovely Christmas service, so please come along and join us. Seasonal refreshments after the service.

Tickets are available for the Christmas Hamper Raffle, to be drawn after the service at St Thomas’ on the morning of Christmas Eve. See Lesley for tickets. 

Also, donations for Christmas flowers are welcome, please give to Lesley or Audrey.

The Bible Study group will meet on Monday 18^th December at 1.30 pm. Frank and lively discussions about Scripture and our walk with God. Each Study stands alone...so it doesn't matter if you have missed a few weeks. Please do be encouraged to come along.

Also on Monday 18^th December we will be meeting at 6 pm at St Thomas’ Church to go Carol Singing around Lees, and we’ll be singing at Lees Co-op on Saturday 23^rd December, 12 noon as well.

Families are particularly welcome to join us, as everybody loves to hear the children singing. As well as collecting money for the Booth Centre for the homeless in Manchester, carol singing out and about in Lees is a great opportunity to take the real message of Christmas out to the people around us. Please let Paul & Liz know if you are able to come along, or if you’re at St Agnes’ tell Philip and he will pass it on to us.

Next Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, as well as Christmas Eve. The morning services will be at the usual times at both St Thomas’ and St Agnes’, so please come along as usual. Sunday school at St Agnes’ will operate as normal. There is no Sunday school at St Thomas’, but families are most welcome to join us in church.

Then at 5 pm at St Thomas’ we have the Sunday School Nativity and Blessing of the Crib. The story of the Nativity is timeless, but the children refresh it for us every year.

The First Communion of Christmas is at St Thomas’ at 11.30 pm. This service takes us through midnight into the wonder of Christmas morning as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Christmas morning at 9.15 am we gather at St Agnes’ for our traditional and joyous Christmas Eucharist.

There will be no service on Tuesday 26^th December.

    

There is a vacancy for a foundation governor at St Thomas’ school, if you would like more information please see Edith, Rebecca or Lesley.

Tickets are now on sale for the Rose Queen and Harvest Queen Dinner Dance on Friday 16^th March 2018. The reservation has to be made soon, so names and £5 deposits are needed by the end of December. Please see Colette or Karen.

Advance notice  Confirmation is Sunday July 15^th 2018

St Thomas’ church is open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church. Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

Items for the newsletter, website and facebook pages to Liz (lizzy.dent@googlemail.com) whenever you want to send. Lots of lovely pictures please!

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Sun	17-Dec	9 Lessons & Carols at St Thomas' 6.30pm
Mon	18-Dec	Bible Study Group St Thomas' 1.30pm
Mon	18-Dec	Carol singing around Lees - Meet St Thomas' 6pm
Sat	23-Dec	Carol singing at Lees Co-op - Meet Co-op 12 noon
Sun	24-Dec	Morning services at usual times both churches
		Crib service/Nativity - St Thomas' 5pm
		First Communion of Christmas - 11.30pm at St Thomas'
Mon	25-Dec	Christmas Morning service 9.15am at St Agnes'
Tues	26-Dec	Boxing Day - no Tuesday service
Sun	31-Dec	Parish service at St Thomas' 10am - no service at St Agnes'
Tues	02-Jan	Pastoral Team visit to Avalon Park
Mon	08-Jan	Bible Study Group St Thomas' 1.30pm
Mon	08-Jan	Standing Committee 7pm
Mon	15-Jan	Pastoral Team visit to Ashbourne House
Mon	15-Jan	St Thomas' DCC 7 pm
Wed	17-Jan	St Agnes' Open Forum 8pm