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Parish Diary and Notices, December 2009

Diary

Tuesday, December 1
  • 9.00am Day of Prayer to mark World Aids Day, St John's
  • 12noon Food for thought, St John's Vicarage
  • 7.30pm Holy Communion at St John's
Wednesday, December 2
  • 10.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 10.30am Wednesday Retired Club with lunch, St Mary's
  • 2.15pm Under 5s at St John's
  • 7.30pm Travelling the Way of Faith, St John's Vicarage
  • 8.00pm St Mary's Committee, Refectory
  • 8.00pm Wednesday Fellowship Group
Thursday, December 3
Friday, December 4
  • ----- Bible Reading Fellowship, St Mary's K
Saturday, December 5
Sunday, December 6
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 9.30am Parish Communion at St John's
  • 10.00am Parish Communion at St Mary's K
  • 3.00pm Christingle, St Mary's HP
  • 6.30pm Advent Prayers at St John's
  • 6.30pm Glebe House Service
  • 7.00pm TIG at St John's
  • 8.00pm Healing Service at St Mary's K
Monday, December 7
Tuesday, December 8
  • 7.30pm Holy Communion at St John's
Wednesday, December 9
  • 10.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 2.15pm Under 5s at St John's
  • 7.30pm Wednesday Fellowship Group
Thursday, December 10
Friday, December 11
  • 9.45am MU Meeting, St Mary's Refectory
Saturday, December 12
  • 10.30am Julian Group, 12 Barn Close
  • 7.30pm Adderbury Ensemble Christmas Concert, St Mary's K
Sunday, December 13
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St John's
  • 9.30am Parish Communion at St John's
  • 10.00am Parish Communion at St Mary's K
  • 6.30pm Advent Prayers at St John's
  • 7.00pm TIG at St John's
  • 7.30pm Kidlington Concert Brass, St Mary's K
Monday, December 14
  • 5.00pm Police Carol Service, St Mary's K
  • 7.30pm KAOS Rehearsal, St Mary's K
Tuesday, December 15
  • 12noon Gosford Hill rehearsal, St Mary's K
  • 7.30pm Holy Communion at St John's
  • 7.30pm Gosford Hill carol service, St Mary's K
Wednesday, December 16
  • 10.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 1.30pm North Kidlington carols, St Mary's K
  • 2.15pm Under 5s at St John's (last before Christmas)
  • 8.00pm Wednesday Fellowship Group
Thursday, December 17
  • ----- Gatehouse collection day
  • 1.45pm Edward Feild carols, St Mary's K
Friday, December 18
Saturday, December 19
  • 10.00am Sunday School rehearsal, St Mary's K
  • 6.30pm Carols by Candlelight, St John's
Sunday, December 20
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 9.30am Parish Communion & Nativity at St John's
  • 10.00am Parish Communion & Nativity at St Mary's K
  • 12.30pm KAOS Rehearsal, St Mary's K
  • 6.00pm Carol service, St Mary's HP
  • 6.30pm Advent prayers at St John's
Monday, December 21
  • 7.30pm KAOS Concert at St Mary's K
Tuesday, December 22
  • 7.30pm Holy Communion at St John's
  • 7.30pm KAOS Concert at St Mary's K
Wednesday, December 23
  • 10.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 2.15pm NO Under 5s at St John's
  • 8.00pm Wednesday Fellowship Group
Thursday Christmas Eve
  • 4.00pm Christingle at St Mary's K
  • 4.00pm Crib Service at St John's
  • 11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Mary's K
  • 11.30pm Midnight Mass at St John's
  • 11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Mary's HP
Friday, Christmas Day
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St John's
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 9.30am Christmas Communion at St John's
  • 10.00am Christmas Communion at St Mary's K
  • 10.00am Christmas Communion at St Mary's HP
Saturday, December 26
Sunday, December 27
  • 8.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 9.30am Parish Communion at St John's
  • 10.00am Parish Communion at St Mary's K
Monday, December 28
Tuesday, December 29
  • 7.30pm Holy Communion at St John's
Wednesday, December 30
  • 10.00am Holy Communion at St Mary's K
  • 2.15pm NO Under 5s at St John's
  • 8.00pm Wednesday Fellowship Group
  • ------ Visiting bellringers at St Mary's K
Thursday, December 31

Notices

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General Notices

WORLD AIDS DAY
Thank you to all who shared the prayer vigil on December 1st and to Gillian Straine for organising it. Masi Makhalemele (Cowper) has sent all of us a message of sincere thanks for the donation from our parish to her organisation " Tsa Botsogo". Recently she and her team spent a weekend training the Youth Group at "All Saints", Montshiwa. The training went so well that one of the young women has now moved to work in Johannesburg with Masi as an accountant, and speak at a World AIDS Day Rally there. At the same time one of the young men Eleanor and I met in August offered to lead a similar march in Mafikeng. We commend them for their courage and dedication. Masi feels that 2009 is ending on a great note of encouragement as she begins to fulfil her goal of inspiring action and greater awareness of the HIV/AIDS situation in this part of South Africa. All of this means that our work against the fatal stigma attached to AIDS is beginning to make a mark in the Kimberley and Kuruman Diocese. Your support is greatly appreciated by our link parish and by Eleanor & Kathryn.
THANK YOU
On behalf of the Friends of Glebe House I would like to thank all who supported or helped in any way with the Charity Lunch, and to those who gave donations for cakes on Sunday morning. It was a great success and a good team effort. The total sum raised was £240.55. Pam Cooper.
CHRIST CHURCH OXFORD visitor passes
The passes to enable members of the Diocese to enter Christ church cathedral without being charged are due to expire. However, rather than issue new passes, they have decided to make existing passes lifelong. Please see the new poster in church.
GIVING AS MISSION - using our parish funds to support those in need.
The Outreach and Mission sub-group of the PCC has made the following allocation of funds:
  • USPG - Anglicans in World Mission, £300
  • Barnabas Fund - providing help to Christians in Muslim environments - £300
  • Edukid - education for a brighter future, supporting children and young people in Cambodia and Uganda - £300
  • The Leprosy Mission (TLM) - ministering to the physical, mental, social, spiritual needs of individuals and communities disadvantaged by leprosy - £300
  • Tsa Botsogo - South African community development and support centre for those living with HIV/AIDS - £300
  • The Porch Steppin' Stone Centre - providing day long support for homeless and vulnerably housed people - £200
  • Dystonia Society (Oxford Support Group) Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that affects over 40,000 people in the UK. - £200
  • Age Concern Oxfordshire offers a wide range of services to help older people in Oxfordshire and their carers make later life a fulfilling, enjoyable experience. £200
THANK YOU
I would like to thank all my friends in the congregation, who came to the confirmation service at St John's on Sunday evening, for your support, good wishes and for welcoming me into this new fellowship. The service was truly a wonderful experience. The joyous memories will always be treasured. Bless you. Malcolm Sturges.
BOOKS OFFER
£3 off any order of £15 or more on Books, CDs or DVDs at the Christian online resource store Eden.co.uk. Delivery is free on orders over £5. The discount order code to use is TZPP-ESA-UM9 . Orders can be placed online at www.eden.co.uk or by telephone on 0800 612 2186. The expiry date of this offer is Monday, 7th December, so just in time to order your Advent reading. This offer is to all members of our congregations, because we have a Churches Together in Kidlington account with this company. Further information and a voucher with the above code and phone no. available from Sue Mills (Tel. 376546, email: sue.mills@ntlworld.com).
FUND A FOOTBALL
At the time of writing the "Fund a Football" appeal stands at £1714 - representing 144 footballs - only another 106 to go!! Our sincere thanks to everyone who has generously contributed so far. We have now moved into a second phase, as word spreads through the Kidlington community, and plans are afoot to make collections during the Christmas season. Perhaps you too could consider asking for donations at private gatherings and social events, in token of our comfortable circumstances in comparison with the children we hope to help. We have found a source which will deliver the balls to Kimberley and Kuruman. "Alive and Kicking" is a charity which employs HIV Positive people to make footballs bearing educational messages in Lusaka, Zambia. If we raise enough money we hope to employ another charity "Tackle Africa" to send out a coach to come with the footballs and incorporate HIV/AIDS messages into basic football training. Thank you so much for getting us this far and please comtinue to think of ways of helping. Terry, Margaret & Kathryn.
FACEBOOK
There is a new facebook group for the Parish. If you are a member of the Facebook Community, then search for The Parish of Kidlington with Hampton Poyle. It is a great place to share information, discuss church matters and celebrate everything good about our Parish life.
Dated Notices

The MU Diocesan Winter Meeting Dec 1st
The MU Diocesan Winter Meeting will take place at Benson Village Hall from 10.30--3.30pm on Tuesday, December 1st. The Speaker will be The Right Reverend John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford (who is also a member! Those who heard him at the Confirmation Service will know he is great!)
DAY OF PRAYER FOR WORLD AIDS DAY Dec 1st
To mark the beginning of a year where we, as a parish, concentrate on prayer and spirituality, there will be a day of prayer to mark World AIDS day. This will take place on Tuesday 1st December in the lady chapel at St. John's at 9am with Morning prayer, and it will end at 7.30pm with an Iona Communion. Please put it in your diaries and try to pop in even just for a few minutes during the day. For more information see the Revd. Gillian Straine.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Dec 1st
the lunchtime bible discussion group, will be meet again on Tuesday 1st December beginning at 12 noon - 2pm, at St John's Vicarage (come to side door of vicarage next to church) We are stepping into a book that has intrigued, mystified and attracted many: the Book of Revelation, beginning with chapters 1 to 3. It is a book full of poetic writing, said to be Emily Dickinson's favourite book of the Bible. It is a book of visionary excess with stars and swords and angelic beings, a beast rising out of the sea, voices sounding like thunder or trumpets, four horses heralding an apocalypse. In 'Revelations: personal responses to the Books of the Bible', the writer and poet Kathleen Norris writes: '.. i/t is also an ordinary human vessel, a letter meant to be read aloud. It begins and ends with a blessing upon those who read it to others, and those who hear and heed it.'/ Come and join us. Bring sandwiches with you, drinks provided.
The WAVE, London, Dec 5th
The Wave on Saturday 5 December, will be a carnival style procession through the streets of London to call for international action on climate change.

Midcounties Cooperative is providing free (limited) transport: leaving Exeter Hall 8.30am, returning from London 4pm, first come first served, for members. If you are not a member (yet) you can join on-line or sign up on the coach but do look on-line first to see what you would be signing up to! To book your place email Member.Communications@midcounties.coop giving your name, pick up point (Kidlington), membership/reference number or intention to sign up on the coach. For the subject line please use "Join TheWave in London on Saturday 5 December". When the free coach is filled there is still the option to take a Cooperative/Oxfam coach from Beaumont Street, Oxford, for £5, also leaving at 8.30am - book at here . Enquiries to janetwarren@talk21.com 376266

ADVENT GIFT SERVICE Sunday Dec 6th
Can you help to make Christmas brighter for a family in Kidlington? Next Sunday, December 6th, we will be collecting Christmas gifts for local families in need. The gifts can be for a baby, a young child or a mother. Please wrap your gift and attach a label indicating for who they would be most suitable. Kaleidoscope will distribute the presents. Thank you for your generosity.
GLEBE HOUSE SERVICE Dec 6th
This short afternoon service will take place on Sunday, December 6th at 3pm and will be led by Malcolm Bromhall, Pastoral Worker at the Methodist Church. We hope that members from all the Churches will come along to support it. That is why we call this 'ecumenical' as opposed to the rest of the year, when each Church finds people within their own denomination, to take the service. So, we hope to see some of you there! Many thanks to those who regularly support us. Pam Cooper & Sue Mills.
ADVENT Evening Prayers Dec 6th,13th,20th
Advent is a time to reflect. Take time out to reflect this Advent at Advent Evening Prayers, in St John's Lady Chapel, 6.30pm on Sunday evenings December 6th, 13th and 20th. This is a short time of prayer and reflection using the wondering of Godly Play on the Advent season.
FOODBANK IN KIDLINGTON Meeting Dec 8th
Churches Together in Kidlington, in association with the local cluster of Baptist churches, are looking into the possibility of establishing a foodbank in Kidlington, which would provide non-perishable food items for people in emergency need. The foodbank works by agencies within the community (eg churches, health centres, etc) providing vouchers to those in need, who then go to a distribution centre to be given a nutritionally balanced parcel of food. Similar provision exists in Bicester and in Oxford city. We need a small group of people from across the churches to begin to work through the stages of making this happen in Kidlington. The co-ordinator for the group will be Joyce Rice (from Woodstock Baptist cluster) tel: 01869 249860 email joyce@parkfarmcottage.co.uk and the group is planning to meet on Tuesday 8th December, 8pm at 119 Oxford Road, Kidlington (home of Amy Thakurdas, from St Thomas More church). Please talk to me if you are interested, or contact Joyce directly. Thanks, Hilary.
CHRISTMAS DROP-IN AT ST JOHN'S VICARAGE Dec 10th
If you're free, you'd be very welcome. Thursday 10th December from 7.30pm to 10pm, Christmas Drop-in at St Johns Vicarage. Set aside the card writing and present buying for a moment (and please don't tell me you've done it all!) Please come and enjoy each others company and some light refreshments. If you'd like to bring a food contribution that would be gratefully received - but it isn't a requirement for entry. Hilary.
MOTHERS' UNION- Christian Care for Families Dec 11th
Please remember our next meeting is on the SECOND Friday, December 11th in the Refectory. We are pleased to welcome our Curate, the Revd Gillian Straine, who will lead an informal Advent Service. This will be followed by coffee and mince pies. All are welcome.
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL, Dec 11th, 12th, 13th.
At Kidlington Methodist Church on Friday 11th December 3.30pm-7pm, Saturday 12th December 10am-7pm, Sunday 13th December 11.30am-4pm. There will be 20 or so Christmas trees all decorated and lit by various businesses and organisations. There will also be Refreshments, stalls, and Carol Singing. Admission: Adults £1.50, Children 50p and children under 5 free.
CTK COMMUNITY CAROL SINGING
in the Kidlington Co-operative Food Store - Thursday, 17 December, at 8pm, organized by Churches Together in Kidlington by courtesy of the Manager, followed by refreshments provided by Co-operative Travel. Unfortunately, BBC Oxford is not holding its "Big Christmas Carol" this year, so we will be providing our own accompaniment. Please come and join in this opportunity to bring the message of Christmas through song to our community - there is no choir! (Further details from Sue Mills, 376546, sue.mills at ntlworld.com )
GATEHOUSE CHRISTMAS GIFTS Sun 20th Dec
There will be a box in church on Sunday 20th December for you to put your gifts in. Needed – Scarves, Gloves, Socks, Hats and Pants and large bars of chocolate. No need to wrap them, they will be made into individual gifts by volunteers at Gatehouse. Any queries please phone Pat Bruder on 374067.
Looking Ahead

SPIRITUAL JOURNEYING TOWARDS LENT Wed 6th Jan
Epiphany is an ancient church feast which, in the Western church, celebrates the coming of the Magi to visit the Christ child. In this great season, the implication of Christmas resonances through our life and we begin, once again, to realise what ‘God with us’ truly means. In this series of five evenings you are invited to join us in exploring different ways that we can respond to God in our lives, and look at a variety of ways to seek him through prayer as we continue our spiritual journeys. The first session is on Wednesday 6th January in the refectory of St. Mary’s from 730pm until 9pm. There will be a simple soup supper and a time for discussion and prayer. If you are interested to join us, please sign up at the back of church so that we can have an idea of numbers. Please see the Revd. Gillian Straine for more details.
EPIPHANY PARTY, Fri 8th Jan 2010
7 for 7.30pm. Tickets will be on sale for the above, today and other Sunday mornings in Church, or ring Philippa Burrell on 378444 or Pam Cooper on 372983 if you wish to come. Cost £3. There will be entertainment. As usual, would members be kind enough to bring a savoury or a sweet dish and let us know which you will provide. Anyone is welcome to buy a ticket. Thank you.
LINKS WITH KIMBERLEY AND KURUMAN Sat 30th Jan
There will be a get-together of representatives of parishes linked with Kimberley and Kuruman on Saturday, 30th January, at All Saints' Church Hall, Marlow, beginning at 10am and ending with a "Bring and Share" lunch until 1pm. If you are interested in coming to hear of how other links are progressing, as well as our own, please let me know in good time so that we can share travel arrangements. Kathryn Ellis.
Regular Lecture Series

None notified
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