Christmas 1 News

Priest-in-Charge Fr John Ainslie (revjohnainslie@gmail.com; 01628 629827)

A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael's. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us for refreshments in the Vestry Hall after the service so we can welcome you properly.

PRAYER REQUEST SLIPS are available at the back of church if you want to request prayer for yourself, for someone else or for a particular situation.

SERVICES THIS WEEK: Thursday - Mass at 10.30am; Saturday 4th January - Mass of Our Lady 10.30am; next Sunday is the Feast of the Epiphany – Sung Mass at 10.30am. All services followed by tea, coffee and refreshments.

CHRISTMAS THANK-YOU. A very big Thank You to all who supported our Christmas services in whatever way – but particularly those who cleaned, dressed, and decorated the church so beautifully; those who welcomed at the door; Malcolm our organist and the choir, who sang marvellously across many services in a short period of time; and those who arranged, prepared and served refreshments including the fantastic hospitality after our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Thank you all so much. And Thank You to all who attended our Christmas Services – I do hope you found them moving and uplifting and found within them a glimpse of the love and blessing of God.

COLLECTIONS AT CAROL SERVICE AND CRIB SERVICE. I am delighted that the collections for Maidstone Homeless Care have totalled £264-46 (Nine Lessons and Carols £189.91, Crib Service £74.55).

THE CRIB. Our Crib in church is particularly beautiful and evocative. It is sited near the entrance to the Ascension Chapel, and I suggest that you find an opportunity to spend a little time whilst in church to pray and contemplate at the Crib. If you stand by the Crib and look, you are gazing in on the scene. But, as I discovered to my amazement after our Christmas Morning Mass, if you kneel at the prayer desk you are on a level with the figures in the scene – and you are immediately drawn into the Crib to be alongside Mary and Joseph and the Christ Child. I urge you to experience that for yourself. I have placed a small number of prayers by the Crib that you might like to use.

CHRISTMAS CARDS. At the end of Mass on Christmas Day I noticed there were a number of Christmas Cards left at the back of church for named individuals. Do please look when you are next in church in case there are Christmas Greetings for you waiting to be collected.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We pray for Malcolm and our choir, and give thanks for their contribution to our Christmas Services. For our team of sidespeople and welcomers, and those who provide and arrange flowers and decorations in Church. For peace across the Holy Land and the Middle East. For all families, for the homeless and for refugees. For the work of Maidstone Homeless Care, for staff, volunteers and clients.

We pray for those in need, and especially Paul Jones, Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Jessica O’Sullivan, Lindsay Wheeler, Martyn Nash, Fran, Ellie Tomlinson, Sara Dray, Robert Hill, Michael, Alan, Beryl Haigh, David Green.

We pray for the recently departed. We remember those who have faithfully served God in this Church in previous generations, and we pray for those whose year’s mind occurs this week: Elsey Clark, Phillip Storr-Venter (Pr), Douglas Vaughan.

FROM THE BELLTOWER: Sunday, 22 December 1287 Grandsire Triples 1 Jane L Kostelnyk 2 Mike Birkbeck 3 Jacqueline Barlow 4 Emma Jarvis 5 Philip Jarvis 6 Rupert Cheeseman 7 Neil Jones (C) 8 Mark Elvers

Rung on the 4th Sunday of Advent prior to the Carol Service.