December 2018 CfTW News

Welcome to the December 2018 edition of CfTW e-news. Please pass this information on to others in your congregation or network or invite them to sign up to the mailing list. Details can be found at the bottom of this email. If you no longer wish to be on the circulation list, please unsubscribe at the foot of this email.
This month we are:

preparing our hearts to welcome Jesus at Christmas, and also waiting expectantly for His return in glory,
involved in training for the Tunbridge Wells Churches Winter Shelter (see below) which will open on Wednesday 2 January. Join us for a time of prayer for the Winter Shelter on Sunday 2 December, 4pm at St James’ Church,
praying for people to hear and respond to Jesus – Light of the World through the variety of special Christmas services on offer over the coming weeks.
sadly, saying goodbye to Adam Parkes and his family from TW Baptist Church as they take on a new post in Derbyshire in the New Year. We praise God for the blessing they have been not only to their own church but to the wider Church Body as well.

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for items for the January 2019 e-letter is Monday 9 December.

December Dates

Saturday 24 November: Money Essentials Course at TW Baptist Church from 10.00am to 12.30pm. It's a free course with further details below. It is ideal for newly-married couples, students, anyone whose finances are in a bit of a muddle or even those just trying to save money. Email Mike.ODriscoll@crosslightadvice.org for more information.
Monday 26 November: Fegans are hosting "Understanding this Generation", an event addressing the issues facing our young people today, such as depression, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders etc. How can we, the Church, be a part of the solution? How can we spot the signs and know what to say? How can we help? Join us from 7:30pm-9:30pm at Christ Church, High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1UT. A practical evening of inspirational talks and advice on how we can work together to understand and guide the next generation, transforming the mental health of our children and young people. Lindsay Melluish from New Wine wrote 'If we can address the mental health of our children and young people today we can ensure they have the confidence to draw on their gifts, abilities and strengths as they influence not just their own futures, but the futures of their families, communities, and even our nation, in the years that lie ahead.' Please contact Jo Wild at joanne.wild@fegans.org.uk to register, or visit www.fegans.org.uk/event/generation
Friday 30 November & 14 December: Youth Leaders Prayer Meeting, 9-10am at the YFC Offices, 28 Church Road.
Saturdays 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 December: ‘Men of Prayer 4 Tunbridge Wells’ Prayer Group, 8-9am at The Gatehouse (formerly Calvary Church) in the Market Square. Come and join this great time of prayer and fellowship as men from different congregations gather to pray for the transformation of our town.
Sunday 2 December: TW Winter Shelter Prayer Meeting; 4-5pm at St James’ Church. Join us for an opportunity to pray together for God’s blessing on the Churches Winter Shelter. All are very welcome as we stand together in prayer.
Tuesday 4 December: Find your Voice; 3-5pm at Burrswood. A singing group for those who enjoy a good sing, including those living with Parkinson’s, MS or dementia, or recovering from a stroke. Cost is £4 per session.
Tuesdays 4, 11, 18 December: Lunchtime services at TW United Reformed Church, 1 Mount Ephraim, TN4 8AE, 12.15-12.45pm.
Tuesdays 4, 11, 18 December: Youth Café. Tunbridge Wells Youth For Christ, along with The Gatehouse, have opened a weekly Youth Café at ‘The Gatehouse’ in the Market Square. The Café is free and meets EVERY Tuesday during term from 4.30-6.00pm. The Café features Xbox, table tennis, pool, music, refreshments and much more. For further details, contact 07834 816400 or email community@tunbridgewells.yfc.co.uk.
Sunday 9 December: SANDS Christmas Remembrance Service, 4pm at Christ Church. Sands is a national charity established to provide help and support to all those affected by the loss of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. The service on the 9^th is for families to come together, remember their loved ones and feel less alone at what can be a tough time of year. The service will be followed by refreshments and mince pies. There will be craft activities for children during the service and an opportunity to learn more about Sands and to meet other bereaved parents and families. To find out more, please visit www.tunbridgewellssands.org or the national website www.sands.org.uk
Tuesday 11 December: Quiet Day at Burrswood. For further details, visit www.burrswood.org.uk, or ring 01892 865988. This is held on the second Tuesday of every month.
Friday 14 December: UNITE Christmas Party. 8-10pm at New Life Church, Speldhurst Road, TN4 0JA. Glow in the dark games and disco. Dress – pyjamas or onesies. Tickets are £2 on the door or from info@tunbridgewells.yfc.co.uk
Wednesday 19 December: Prayer Meeting for the Persecuted Church, 11.30am–12.30pm at St Augustine’s Church, Crescent Road, TW. This is an ecumenical prayer group which meets on the third Wednesday of every month.

Mission Emphasis – Street Pastors

Tunbridge Wells Street Pastors have been making a significant difference on the streets of Tunbridge Wells for the past 9 years working in partnership with the local police and the TW Borough Council. This exciting ministry takes the Church out on to the streets in meaningful ways to listen, care and help those who are out on the town on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. Street Pastors provide a quiet and yet dynamic presence on our streets, locally and nationally.
Did you know

Street Pastors are on the National Curriculum for Religious Education GCSE level.
After Grenfell, Rev Les received a letter from the Ambulance Service thanking him for all the Response and Street Pastors that helped out at that difficult time.
There have been university studies on street pastors, showing a reduction in crime and the lowering of suicide levels.
While Street Pastors don’t preach on the streets, they are able to announce the Good News of Jesus in both word and deed.
Locally, at least 25 Churches are involved in the Street/Prayer Pastor Ministry

Did you know that from April to September 2018 our Street Pastors:

Were on the streets of Tunbridge Wells 27 nights
Gave 664 Volunteer hours
Called the police 3 times, the ambulance 5 times and CCTW 7 times
Made contact with 1066 people – what other Church programme engages with that number of people in that amount of time? - the vast majority do not go to Church and do not know any Christians – so Praise God they are able to meet Street Pastors!
- Of those contacts, 57% are male and 43% female
- 75% are in the 18-25yr old bracket – the missing generation in most of our churches
Had faith-based conversations with the vast majority of people on the streets.

Did you know you could be part of the Street Pastor ministry by:

Volunteering to be a Street Pastor – email tunbridgewells@streetpastors.org.uk or being a Prayer Pastor – email cdblackman@btopenworld.com
Supporting the Street Pastors financially – visit streetpastors.org/locations/tunbridge-wells/get-involved/donate
Inviting us to come and speak to your Church or midweek group, email tunbridgewells@streetpastors.org.uk
Pray for the Street Pastors to be safe on the streets and continue to be salt and light to those with whom they engage in Tunbridge Wells.

Courses & Conferences at Burrswood
Wednesday 5 December: Christmas Figures Workshop, 10am–4pm. Clare Pope will teach you how to create Christmas figures and design other decorations to personalise your own Christmas cake. Cost is £65.
Friday 7 December: Julie King Festive Watercolour Painting Day, 10am-4pm. Julie will show you how to paint a snow scene and other festive subjects to create your own Christmas cards. £60 per person includes workshop, refreshments, lunch and tea.
Monday 10 – Tuesday 11 December: Angels of the Lord - An Advent Labyrinth, 10am – 4pm. Just drop in, No charge, but donations appreciated.
Wednesday 12 December: Wreath Making, 10am-4pm. Learn how to create a beautiful festive wreath. £70 per person includes tuition, materials, refreshments, lunch and tea.
Thursday 13 December: Iced Christmas Biscuits, 10am–12pm. Learn how to ice gingerbread like a professional. Cost is £30.
Christmas Cards for Sale: Support Burrswood by purchasing your Christmas cards from us this year. There’s a choice of card size and greeting, plus a range of designs to suit all tastes. All cards come in packs of ten with prices starting from as little as £3.00 per pack. Call in to the Burrswood Bookshop or phone 01892-865996 for mail order.
Burrswood Café Christmas Festive Menu: Serving from Monday 10–Sunday 23 December. Choose 2 courses for £15.95 or 3 Courses for £18.95. All pre-booked tables will receive complimentary Christmas Crackers. Call 01892-865991 to book your table today.
For all of the above, call Reservations on 01892 865988 to find out more or to book your place. www.burrswood.org.uk

Burrswood plea for help? - Can you spare some time this Christmas, from 20-27 December? At Burrswood Health and Wellbeing, our annual Christmas House Party welcomes those who would otherwise be spending Christmas on their own. To enable our guests to have the best experience, we rely on a band of volunteers who come in at different times throughout the week. For more information, telephone 01892 863637 or email haritha.pattabhi@burrswood.org.uk, or visit www.burrswood.org.uk

TW Churches Winter Shelter Information
TW Churches Winter Shelter is back. ALL Training will take place on the following dates, all at St. James’ Church, on the corner of St James' Road and Ferndale.
Thursday 22 November - 7.30-9.45pm
Tuesday 27 November - 7.30-9.45pm
Saturday 8 December - 10.00am –12.00pm

Police Training Dates – all at St James’ Church:
Wednesday 14 November; 7.30pm
Thursday 13 December; 7.30pm
Tuesday 18 December; 7.30pm

Please Note: Returning volunteers are expected to attend a training session if they have not done so in the last 3 years.

Help Required...

Operation Christmas Child is in need of volunteers to pack and check shoeboxes to be sent to children around the world in need at Christmas. Their warehouse is situated this year at Unit 5A-B, Cannon Bridge Industrial Estate, Cannon Lane, Tonbridge, TN9 1PP. They are open from Monday 12 November until Saturday 8 December, from 10am – 9pm Monday to Friday and from 10am – 2pm on Saturdays. You can find out more information by visiting their facebook page - www.facebook.com/groups/1783656428528653/?ref=br_rs

Street Teams need male volunteers on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights. They meet from 8.30pm to 10pm latest at the Town Hall yard car park. If anyone is interested please ring 07958 653814.

St Augustine’s Church offers a free Christmas Day Dinner to anyone on their own (whether homeless, aged, financially challenged or just plain lonely). There is a need for quite a few drivers to collect guests at about noon to take them to the Age UK Hall, Wood Street (off Camden Road) and return for them at about 2pm. If you are able to help then please email your name, telephone number and which part of Town you live to p.querstret@btinternet.com If you know of anyone who would like to be a guest, please telephone St Augustine’s 01892 520117.

Nourish Foodbank 12 Days of Christmas campaign is asking people to put an essential food bag item into a box every day during the first 12 days of December. As an alternative, making a £3 donation is enough to buy someone in need a foodbag meal over the Christmas period.
     Last year, we had our busiest Christmas period ever and during the Christmas week we delivered 129 emergency food parcels, 94 for families and 35 for individuals in crisis. This is over 4,900 meals.
     Suggested items for the collection include tinned vegetables, rice, sauces for rice, tinned tomatoes, noodles, tinned fish, pasta sauce, tinned fruit, toilet roll, tinned spaghetti, cup-a-soup and a Christmas treat. Please no pasta, soup or beans as we have a plentiful supply at present.
     Print off your wall poster here - http://www.nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk/12-days
Once again, the campaign is being supported by Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, which has kindly donated a pop-up shop in Ely Court  which will be open from 12-5pm on the 13^th-16^th December to allow shoppers and visitors to drop off their 12 days of Christmas collections. Alternatively, donations can be dropped off any time at the Big Yellow Self Storage at Longfield Road until December 21st. To find out more about the work of Nourish Foodbank, visit http://www.nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk

Save the Date

Tuesday 8 January: Calling all Women's World Day of Prayer Reps. There will be a planning meeting for next years Women’s World Day of Prayer, 3.30pm at St Luke's Church, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9JH. I f you are interested in helping with the service please come along to this meeting. Any further enquiries please contact Rev Caroline Glass, 01892 521374 or caroline.glass957@btinternet.com. Thank you
Sundays 20 January; 17 February, 17 March: UNITE Youth Service, 6-8pm at the Gatehouse in the Market Square. Also 19 May, 16 June and 21 July 2019.
Saturday 26 January: Street Pastor Commissioning Service at Christ Church, High Street.
Saturday 2 February: TW Youth For Christ Barn Dance - this will be a fun evening, full of dancing and laughter and all for a good cause – to support the fantastic work of Tunbridge Wells Youth for Christ. It takes place at Bidborough Village Hall, 7-10pm. Adults £20, Children £10 and includes food. There will be a cash bar. Tickets from info@tunbridgewells.yfc.co.uk or visit www.tunbridgewells.yfc.co.uk
25 February – 10 March – Fairtrade Fortnight
Friday 1 March 2019: Women’s World Day of Prayer 10am at the Salvation Army. More details in the New Year, but please save the date and time.
Wednesday 10–Friday 12 April 2019: The NOISE youth social action project. More information in the New Year.

Housing Required – A 3/4-bedroom house for a rental for Empathy Action to use for one (or possibly even two) of its full-time staff and their family(ies). Ideally it would be let by a person who would want to support a Christian mission and its workers. Please contact Ben at bsolanky@empathyaction.org should you have, or know of, such a property.