News update 28th December

Hope you had a great Christmas! Just a couple of updates and reminders now before we get back to the proper newsletters next weekend.

This Sunday there is no service at St Agnes' but there will be a Parish Eucharist, 10 am at St Thomas'. No Sunday school but children are most welcome to join us in church.

The carol singing around Lees and at the Co-op raised £150 for the Booth Centre - well done to all who came along. We'll be taking a cheque down to them at the end of next week, along with your gifts of toiletries, food and warm clothing. Donations of items will continue to be welcomed all year round.

If you signed up to receive daily #FollowTheStar emails but haven't got them, try checking your SPAM.

St Thomas' Church will be open to visitors as usual from 10.30 am to 1 pm on Saturday, but not on Tuesday as it's New Year's Day. 

And if you don't follow the parish facebook pages and have missed all the photos - here's a little compilation picture of what our youngsters have been up to during Advent and Christmas.

Best wishes for the new year!

News update 21st December

News Update – 21st December 2018 

This Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Advent, with services at the usual times at both churches. 

Monday is Christmas Eve, and at 5 pm we have the Nativity and Crib service with our Sunday Schools at St Thomas’. This is a lovely service for all the family, when the Posada figures of Mary and Joseph return to church after their long journey, and the infant Jesus is laid in the crib. 

Then at 11.30 pm we gather in the still of the night to await the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Our traditional Midnight Eucharist is a service of great joy and wonder, to which all are warmly invited.

Our Christmas morning Eucharist is at St Agnes’ Church at 9.15 am, where everyone is welcome to celebrate Jesus’ birth together in a lovely service for all the family.

Next Sunday, the 30th December, there is no service at St Agnes’, but we have a Parish Eucharist at 10 am at St Thomas’.

Well done to all our Carol singers, musicians and collectors. On Monday evening we sang around the houses in Leesfield, and raised a fantastic £80.89 for the Booth Centre for homeless people in Manchester. We’re singing again on Saturday from 1 to 2.30 pm at Lees Co-op, so please do come and join us. As well as the money which we collect, we also take your generous gifts of socks, hats, scarves, gloves, food and toiletries there to support their Christmas appeal, so please do buy a little extra Christmas present to help them.

On St Stephen’s Day, the 26th December, St Thomas’ Church will be open from 11.30 am to 1 pm so that anyone who needs company or just a break from all the hustle and bustle can drop in for a brew and a chat, or just some peace and quiet. The church is open to all visitors, as well as people who attend our services, and they are free to explore the church and to view our very special Christmas tree display. 

Also on display for a limited period is a Book of Remembrance, which St Thomas’ Leesfield School has kindly agreed to loan to us, so please do have a look at it when you’re next in church.

The Church of England invites us all to follow in the footsteps of the Wise Men from Christmas Eve to Epiphany. It’s not too late to sign up for emails, with daily readings and prayers for the Christmas season.

For more information please visit                       https://www.churchofengland.org/followthestar

 

Newsletter 16th December

Leesfield Parish – 16th December 2018 

Our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols is at 6.30 pm this evening at St Thomas’. This is a very special service for all the parish, with readings, carols and musical items, and refreshments with mulled wine afterwards in the community room. Please do come along – children are welcome too as it’s not a late service. The raffle for the Christmas Hamper will be drawn after the service, so if you haven’t already got your tickets today is your last chance. 

A group of us will meet at 6 pm on Monday the 17th to sing Christmas Carols around the village, which is a brilliant way of taking Christmas out to people who may not be able to get to church, and then at 1 pm on Saturday the 22nd we sing at Lees Co-op. Families are especially welcome to join us, as the older people especially love to hear the children sing – and they are far better at collecting money too! All of the money which we collect from our carol singing goes to the Booth Centre, which provides essential support for homeless people in Manchester. We also take your generous gifts of socks, hats, scarves, gloves, food and toiletries there to support their Christmas appeal, so please do buy a little extra Christmas present to help them.

If you haven’t already seen the information at the back of each church about what may be the best way for you to donate towards our work, please do have a look. Many people no longer carry cash, so you may wish to consider alternative ways of giving to support us.  

There will be no printed newsletter for the next couple of weeks, although there will be some updates to our website, facebook pages and by email with all the latest news. Services for next Sunday the 23rd December will be at the usual times, and all of our Christmas services are shown below. The Tuesday Holy Communion services at St Thomas’ will not take place on either Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, but lifts up to St Agnes’ for the Christmas morning service can be arranged. On Sunday the 30th December there will be a Parish Eucharist at St Thomas’ at 10 am – no service at St Agnes’ on this day.

Items for the newsletter, website and facebook pages to Liz (lizzy.dent@googlemail.com) whenever you want to send. Lots of lovely pictures please! There are so many really wonderful events happening at this time of year, and it would be great to share them with everyone.

Newsletter 9th December

Leesfield Parish – 9th December 2018 

This afternoon at 4 pm, there will be a Taize Service at St Thomas’. This is a short, quiet and reflective service, with no teaching or preaching, just prayer and music intertwined. Everyone is welcome to come along as we take a little time out from the busyness of our everyday lives to join together in peaceful worship.

During Advent the collection plate will not be passed around for a trial period. Instead there will be a plate or collection box at the back of each church, along with donation envelopes, gift-aid forms and details of how to give to church directly from your bank account. Please do have a look at the information, and think about what may be the best way for you to donate towards the work of the church. There will be people around at both churches to help you with anything you want to know.

On Thursday 13th December at 7.30 pm, in place of their regular monthly meeting, the Ladies of Leesfield are having an evening of Prayers, Carols and Mince Pies at Audrey’s home, 52 Spring Lane, Lees. All are invited to come and join them.

Our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols will take place at St Thomas’ Church, 6.30 pm next Sunday the 16th December. This is a very special service for all the parish, with readings, carols and musical items, and refreshments afterwards in the community room.

Please do come along – children are welcome too as it’s not a late service. If you would like to take a more active part in the service by reading one of the lessons please see Edith.  

During that week we will be singing even more Christmas Carols. We meet at 6 pm on Monday the 17th to sing around the village, which is a brilliant way of taking Christmas out to people who may not be able to get to church, and then at 1 pm on Saturday the 22nd to sing at Lees Co-op. Families are especially welcome to join us, as the older people especially love to hear the children sing – and they are far better at collecting money too!

All of the money which we collect from our carol singing goes to the Booth Centre, which provides essential support for homeless people in Manchester. We also take your generous gifts of socks, hats, scarves, gloves, food and toiletries there to support their Christmas appeal, so please do buy a little extra Christmas present to help them.

To find out about the Church of England Christmas campaign #FollowTheStar, please click on the following link -   www.churchofengland.org/followthestar

Items for the newsletter, website and facebook pages to Liz (lizzy.dent@googlemail.com) whenever you want to send. Lots of lovely pictures please! There are so many really wonderful events happening at this time of year, and it would be great to share them with everyone.

Newsletter 2nd Decembet

Leesfield Parish – 2nd December 2018 

Today is Advent Sunday, and this afternoon at 3 pm there is a special Christingle Service for the children at St Thomas’. They will make their Christingles (please bring your own orange), learn what they represent, light the candles and sing in candlelight. Donations from this service will go to the Children’s Society, which supports vulnerable children and young people throughout England and Wales. 

During Advent the collection plate will not be passed around for a trial period. Instead there will be a plate or collection box at the back of each church, along with donation envelopes, gift-aid forms and details of how to give to church directly from your bank account. Please do have a look at the information, and think about what may be the best way for you to donate towards the work of the church. There will be people around at both churches to help you with anything you want to know.

On Wednesday 5th December from 7-9 pm the Diocese is delivering Safeguarding Training at St Barnabas’ Church, Clarksfield. The training is for Sunday School teachers and all who have safeguarding responsibilities. Booking is required to ensure that there are sufficient handouts, certificates etc. are available, and can be made by visiting bookings@manchester.anglican.org . 

Next Sunday, the 9th December, at the usual service times at both churches, will be the Toy Service. If you can, please bring a toy in good condition, which will be passed on to children who may not receive any toys at all this Christmas.

Also next Sunday, at 4 pm, there will be a Taize Service at St Thomas’. This is a short, quiet and reflective service, with no teaching or preaching, just prayer and music intertwined. Everyone is welcome to come along as we take a little time out from the busyness of our everyday lives to join together in peaceful worship.

The annual White Hart Dinner Dance is on Friday 8th March, and tickets are now on sale. We need to get numbers and deposits by the end of December to secure our booking, so please see Jacqueline or any of the retinue mums at St Agnes’ for more details. This is a great social evening for all the parish, and also one to invite our friends to.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated items for sharing with organisations helping homeless people and others in need. Please keep your gifts coming, especially during the cold winter weather. Underwear and socks should be new, but other warm clothing will be great as long as it’s clean. Toiletries are a big help to those organisations which are able to offer showering facilities, and moisturisers, lip balm etc. are essential for people who spend so much time outdoors. So whilst you’re shopping for Christmas presents please think about whether you can afford to buy a little extra one.