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At Christmas we think a lot about gifts. If we have the time and money, we can enjoy carefully selecting things and giving them as presents to family and friends. It can be a joy to watch a loved one unwrap a well-chosen gift, something that is exactly what they wanted and hoped for. The delight on their face can warm our hearts.
 
However, for many, Christmas is a pressure rather than a delight. There is little money or time. Gifts cannot be carefully chosen. There simply isn’t the finance to purchase things that are wanted or hoped for. Instead of joy, Christmas can bring a tinge of guilt or sadness. 
 
The media ramps up our expectations with their image of the perfect Christmas. Often it is set in a dining room with all the family gathered around the table, an abundance of food, drink, and laughter. The room is warm and well lit. The people are beautiful. Everyone is immaculately dressed. All is harmony and happiness.
 
Christmas can so easily become a competition. We measure its success by how well it matches up to the illusion.
 
Strangely, the Jesus we celebrate at Christmas distances himself from all material possessions. He sees loving God the Father as his greatest fulfilment. His life is spent in giving his time, his energy, his whole life for others. By means of his generous spirit, he makes visible the generosity of God.
 
Jesus has special affection for the poor, the sick and the outsider, while the rich he repeatedly warns about the dangers of wealth: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24). His disciples relinquish their possessions and leave everything to follow him. The early church choses to live in community and have all things in common. ‘They would sell their possessions and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need’ (Acts 2:44-45). For them the priority was not having possessions, but placing others needs before their own.
 
I love celebrating Christmas with all the traditions. I especially love the custom of giving and receiving gifts. However, if Jesus were to come to our house this Christmas, I think we might do things slightly differently. Perhaps it’s time I made some changes.

Whichever way you celebrate the festive season, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas, and best wishes for the year ahead. 

Andrew.

Vacancies
King's Lynn Foodbank: Operations Coordinator
Purfleet Trust: Social Supermarket Supervisor


News
King's Lynn Foodbank: The figures speak
Migrant Community: Crafts afternoon 22nd Dec
Pandora: Peer Support drop-in lunch
Linking Lives: Chair of Trustees needed

Linking Lives: Becoming a supporter

Warm Spaces
Discovery Centre: Thursday mornings and evenings
True's Yard: Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm
King's Lynn Churches with Warm Spaces 
King's Lynn Library - Monday to Saturday
Men's Craft
The Bridge for Heroes


Education & Training
CAN: Dementia Awareness
College of West Anglia: Multiply

 
Resources: Cost of Living
NCC: Help with Living Costs
NEA: Electricity Consumption around the Home


Volunteering
School Readers

Funding
Hornsea Three Community Fund
Norfolk Community Foundation
VACANCIES

Operations Co-ordinator at King's Lynn Foodbank

Could you be the person that helps to ensure King's Lynn Foodbank can continue to serve people in food crisis? We're looking to add a new team member to our current band of 3 staff - an Operations Coordinator to oversee the work in the Distribution Centre (20 hours per week).  Closing date is 6th January 2023.
 
More information

Social Supermarket Supervisor

More information
NEWS

Let the Figures Speak for Themselves

Just to give you an idea of the numbers we fed last week, and a comparison to last year.  These are the figures: 

Thank you to everyone who has donated this year. Your generosity has made such a difference.

Happy Christmas

Helen Gilbert
King's Lynn Foodbank Project Manager
Tel: 07582558
 
Our Christmas opening hours are 12-2pm on:

Monday 19th - Friday 23rd

Wednesday 28th - Friday 30th
We are CLOSED at weekends and on Bank Holidays
 
If you would like to know the best way to support us, please check our website for an up to date list of the items we need, or information about how to donate financially:
https://kingslynn.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/ 

Chair of Trustees needed
at Linking Lives

More about the post
WARM SPACES

True's Yard Museum is a new Warm Space

Subsidised hot drinks and a warm space will be available five days a week, from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am until 4pm, at the heritage site on North Street.
More information

King's Lynn Churches with Warm Spaces

Cornerstone: King’s Lynn Baptist Church
Wisbech Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5JS
Community Cafe - free tea and coffee and soup plus newspapers to read. The cafe is open on Wednesday and Friday from 10-2pm and Thursday from 12 noon to 4pm.

Gateway Church
99c High Street, King's Lynn, PE30 1BW
Gateway iCaf - Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30 and 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
A safe and welcoming place for refugees to meet, enjoy coffee and cake and learn English. FREE! Pick morning or afternoon session.

King's Centre
The King's Centre, Wellesley Street, King's Lynn PE30 1QD
The Living Room – Tuesdays, 2 sessions 12:30-2:30pm and 3:30-5:30pm  
 
King's Glory
27 Bryggen Road, North Lynn Industrial Estate PE30 2HZ
Community Cafe – Fridays from 12 noon

St John’s
Blackfriars Road, King's Lynn, PE30 1NT
Welcome Inn (Coffee morning) Tuesdays 11:30am - 1:30pm.
 
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Multiply is a new free fully funded programme to help adults to learn better maths skills run by the Collage of West Anglia.  Adults who are aged 19 or above who do not have a GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in maths can do a short course (for 2 hours a week, for 6 weeks) to help boost their skills and refresh their knowledge.  Click here to visit their website or email for any enquires multiply@cwa.ac.uk
RESOURCES: Cost of living
Download: Help with living costs - West Norfolk
Help on Norfolk County Council website
Read the guide
VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers needed to read one-to-one in local primary school

 

After a turbulent two years of the pandemic with the resultant disruption to education, younger children and those from more disadvantaged circumstances need help with their reading even more than before the pandemic. Schoolreaders charity and its Norfolk county ambassador, Penny Hubbard is putting out an urgent call for new volunteers in West Norfolk to join the scheme to read in the schools which have signed up for the free scheme.
 
“It’s such a simple model but so effective,” she says. “Schoolreaders matches volunteers to schools to listen to children read on a one-to-one basis, focusing on those schools who need the most support for their cohort of pupils. Volunteers need to be able to go into school for 1-2 hours a week during term time and typically listen to around 10 children read per session. They can choose how far they can travel and most go into their local school. I have been reading in Hunstanton Primary School for two terms and it is really rewarding”.
 
For more details email Penny at norfolk@schoolreaders.org
FUNDING

Hornsea Three Community Fund consultation

NCF Funding Newsletter

NCF Funding Newsletter
LET'S TALK...
I would love to hear from you to discuss any of the following things:
  • How you are getting involved in your local community, and any good news stories about the difference this is making
  • Events you are running, which welcome the local community 
  • If you would like me to visit your church, church meeting or group
  • Anything you would find useful in future editions of this letter
  • Just to say hello!
Andrew Frere-Smith
t: 07949 964932
e: andrew.frere-smith@dioceseofnorwich.org

Imagine Norfolk Together is a partnership between the Diocese of Norwich and the Church Urban Fund. We support local churches
creating stronger communities through social action.
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