E-Newsletter St Mary's & St Michael's Parish of Shalford & Peasmarsh Advent Week of 6th December 2020
Windows now opening daily.......
on the St Mary's Online Advent Calendar 2020.
Behind today's window a deacon dog Dougan, St Mary's Choir's new 2nd Tenor, warms up the choir for Christmas wtih Oooo Little Tooown (see below). Don't miss opening a window each day on the online calendar to brighten your Advent December as we journey towards Christmas. Thanks to all who've so wonderfull contributed. https://stmarysshalford.com/online-advent-calendar-2020/
St Mary's Online Advent Calendar: behind the window today, Day 5
Dear friends,
Welcome to this week's E-Newsletter, already rather full with news and opportunities to journey through Advent and celebrate Christmas together, so I won't waffle further for you here today!
Just to highlight - we are now allowed to sing carols outside so do come along to St Mary's churchyard for a good sing, wrapped up warm & with umbrella and any fold up chair you wish, to enjoy the safely distanced, St Mary's Outdoor Carol Service 10am Sunday 20th Dec. Do spread the word around the parish and invite all too.
Thanks so much to all who've been preparing Christmas Trees for the festival and are delivering on all your special time slots and days through this week. If anybody else would be willing to sit at the church entrance (inside!) for a 2 hr stewarding shift during the 2 week festival do please email/phone. More news and prayers next week, but if you don't have a copy of the Advent Contemplations Booklet with a reflection a day we are sharing together at home through Advent, please pick up a copy from church or contact us.
When the Lord comes,
he will bring to light the things
now hidden in darkness,
and will disclose the purposes of the heart.
with love and prayers and advent blessings, Rev Sarah Please forward this newsletter to any who you think might be interested, and ask them to email us if they'd like to receive St Mary's e-news regularly.
Wonderful to be able to resume worship in person in church from this Sunday 6th December 10am, and we continue to offer St Mary's online to the very many who worship at home (via the usual zoom and youtube channel links here:
Sunday 6th Dec10am Parish Communion (in person & online) Wed 9th - 12 noon Midweek Communion (in person only) Sat 12th St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival open 'til Christmas Day
Sat 12th Knitivity Trail opens around Shalford ’til Christmas Day Sunday 13th:....... 8am Holy Communion (BCP, in person & online, no booking) 5pm Christingle Service (in person & online - book ahead) Wed 16th - 12 noon Midweek Communion (in person only) Sun 20th 10am - NEW! Outdoor Carol Service All Age
- all around the churchyard, no booking, wrap warm! - Mon 21st - 6pm Blue Christmas (online & in person - book ahead) Wed 23rd - 12 noon Midweek Communion (in person only) Christmas Eve11pm Candle lit Midnight Mass
(online & in person - book ahead for seats in church) Christmas Day - 10am Christmas Communion
(online & in person - book ahead for seats in church) Sunday 27th Online Only - All Age Worship with Guildford Diocese
Bishop Jo preaches on John the Baptist. Be warned: you will find nothing schmaltzy here… it is an ‘Advent begins in the dark’ sermon
Pick up your copy of Advent Contemplations at St Mary's church, or ask for delivery!
Look out for the knitivity characters and posters going up in shop and school windows later this week as our Knitivity Trail opens around Shalford for all to enjoy any day or time you wish. Please spread the word..... further detailson St Marys website here
Young St Mary's
Current gov't and Church of England guidelines make the larger participatory family gathering events and worship planned for this year difficult in person in the way we would wish (next year!), but we hope the following will particularly connect for all young people and families (plus everything else on offer through St Mary's too!):
* Coming soon on the Online Advent Calendar and the in full feature length on Christmas Eve, don't miss the Shalford Nativity: The Movie. Thanks so so many young people, and older people, of Shalford & Peasmarsh for so wonderfully creating and filming scenes in the nativity story. And the animals too...!
* Christingle Service (pre book via website) - 13th December 5pm
* Outdoor All Age Carol Service - 20th December 10am
* Christmas Day Family Communion Service - (pre book via website)
* Shalford Knitivity Trail - every day 12th-24th Dec
* Christmas Tree Festival - every day 12th-24th Dec -Christmas Eve with Nativity film
Held - a new art installation comes to St Mary's Do visit St Mary's between now and Epiphany to experience this wonderful burst of colour, and be held. Please spread the word to all your friends too.
Preview the Christmas Tree Festival crafts stall through Isobel's lovely video here
STOP PRESS!
Please note, that instead of the Shoe Boxes so many of you have kindly prepared for Mary Bowman to kindly deliver for people in hospital over Christmas without visitors, this year (as shoe boxes aren't possible), we are joining with the Royal Surrey Hospital's special campaign - see special Christmas Issue Parish Magazine just out for full details. Thanks Mary for coordinating all so wonderfully.
Join Sunrise + St Mary's Worship Together Every Thursday 3.30pm, all welcome to join from home as we join via zoom with our friends at Sunrise care home in Peasmarsh for an informal time of worship and companionship together.
GIVING TO Shalford Parish Just click on the big blue button below (or the one on St Mary's website) if you would like to donate to Shalford Parish church (St Mary's & St Michael's) life, ministry, serving community. Along with so many other areas of life at the moment, churches have been hit hard financially through the pandemic and we would be so grateful for your donations anytime. The button will take you directly to our Justgiving site for one-off or regular online donations, where we can also receive gift aid. If you would be willing to discuss setting up regular giving through direct debit in the Parish Giving Scheme, that would be a wonderful help - please contact Ann Thomas to discuss. Thank you so much for all your support.
