SVB
Outlook
December 2019 - January 2020
Jesus the Light of the World
The magazine of the churches of The Sodbury Vale Benefice: Chipping Sodbury, Old Sodbury, www.svbcofe.org.uk Little Sodbury and Horton. 1 1
Our Team
The Rector
Assistant Priest
The Revd. Canon David Bowers 01454 313159, rector@svbcofe.org.uk
The Revd. David Powe 01454 777745
Day off Monday
Churchwardens St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
St James’, Horton
Joy Gibson 01454 319288
Tina Hildick-Smith 01454 320380
Paul Jones-Williams 01454 324970
Richard Needs 01454 329890
St Adeline’s, Little Sodbury
St John’s, Old Sodbury
Linda Hurst 01454 319183
Vacancy Safeguarding Nominated Person
Administrators
Hannah Saunders 07515 915976
Michelle Jenkins, Trish Gailey and helpers
Hcsaunders.hone@talk21.com
Advertising
Contact Hannah if you have a concern about suspected abuse of a child or a vulnerable adult
Volunteer required
Published by The Sodbury Vale Benefice, Church Office, St John’s Church Centre, Wickwar Road, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6BQ, 01454 325160, sodburyvalebenefice@gmail.com, Open in school term time, Mon - Tue - Thu mornings 9.00 - 12.00. Editor - Michael Stephenson outlook@svbcofe.org.uk
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A Word from Peter Christmas is a Hello, but it is also a goodbye Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, into this world over 2000 years ago. It was the most momentous and incredible historic event that Jesus, the Son of God, “did not cling to His status as God, but set aside the privileges of deity” and was born of ordinary human flesh to Mary who humbly obeyed the will of God. We can’t miss the fact that Jesus lived on earth for 33 years in human form and loved us so much He died on the cross, a Roman instrument of torture, overcame death, said goodbye and returned to heaven.
Why Jesus Came
“Jesus the Light of the World” is a theme of hope in the darkness of the world.
Goodbye
We can’t separate Jesus’ arrival from the purpose of His coming which was not to judge us for the things we have done which are wrong, but to save us from our guilt and shame. This is the basic good news message of the Church. The theme for our Nativity Crib festival this year is Jesus the Light of the World. It is a theme of hope and of Jesus entering into the darkness, confusion and brokenness of the world to give us a clear way for a life in its fullness. It speaks of truth, patience, compassion and presence in the most unpretentious ways. Jesus provides a model of humility and hope that shines on us and reflects off us to others. It is a great joy to receive the love of Jesus and share it with others.
Linda and I are moving on this year to our next posting in Lower Cam and Coaley, near Dursley. We would like to thank you for accepting us into the fellowship of the four churches. It has given us more than three years of your reflected Christ light on our ministry in Sodbury Vale Benefice. It has reflected off church members and people we have got to know in Chipping Sodbury, Old Sodbury, Little Sodbury and Horton. We have laughed and cried and worked in the fields together. We have prayed, sung, shared the Bible and worshipped together. But above all Jesus has been the common light that has blessed our ministries and illuminated the path forward. Each of us have our common and scattered commissions in the places we live as Christ’s ambassadors and reflectors. We will always have you in our hearts and we will continue to pray for you. 3
Market
Cross
Baptisms: We welcomed into the Church: Sienna Elizabeth Janet Lewis 15 September at St John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury Darcy Ann Harris 22 September at St John the Baptist, Old Sodbury Evie Rose Sweeting 22 September at St John the Baptist, Old Sodbury Daisy Joan Lewis 6 October at St John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury Harry James Hildick-Smith at St James the Elder, Horton
Marriages: We send our congratulations to: Reece Anthony Manning and Robyn Louise Jefferies on the 19 October at St John the Baptist, Old Sodbury
Funerals: We extend our sympathy to the families and friends of: Margaret Willis on the 20 September at St John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury Albert (Bert) Gough on the 30 September at St James the Elder, Horton Andrea Sayer on the 15 October at St John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury Guy Patrick Harvey on the 16 October at St James the Elder, Horton Richard Fred Kingscott on the 21 October at St John the Baptist, Old Sodbury
F. WOODRUFF Local Family Cremation and Funeral Directors 24 Hour Service 2 High Street, Winterbourne Tel: (01454) 773776 118-120 Station Road,Yate Tel: (01454) 320005 192 Badminton Road. Coalpit Heath email:info@funerals.uk.net Private Chapels of Rest at Coalpit Heath & Yate
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We started with a problem! The church centre has an open tread staircase leading to the first floor where the office and a second meeting room are situated. Over the years the space under the stairs has been filled with all sorts of bits and pieces although the space was never intended as a storage area. Following a health and safety assessment we were told that nothing could be stored under the stairs as this would be a fire risk – and the staircase is the only way out of the building from the upper floor. We needed to clear the space, some things could be taken to the tip, but several large items of kit such as the barbeque which are used occasionally needed a safe place to be stored. A shed on the small patio at the rear of the centre seemed a great solution. In a huge leap of faith we ordered the shed and paid a deposit and organised a fundraising quiz hoping that we would make enough money to cover the cost of over £600. We sold 50 tickets for the quiz so the centre was at capacity on the night – a good job the shed had been delivered and we were able to use the extra space we had cleared! Those attending exercised their brain cells with some success and everyone enjoyed a ploughman supper with wine or juice. There was a lot of laughter, a little competitive rivalry, and some excellent raffle prizes. With some various generous donations of money, prizes and time we managed to raise just over £1000 which not only paid for the shed, but enabled us to secure it with a good quality lock and left a little over which will fund a new vacuum cleaner for the centre. There are so many people to thank, everyone who helped, donated, encouraged, and came along. I can’t believe I am so excited about getting a shed! We forgot about taking photos on the night – with so many other things to think about but here is a photo of what we achieved! The office staff, Michelle, Trish and Madeleine 5
The New Shed
“I can’t believe I am so excited about getting a shed!”
Christmas Coffee Morning. Old Sodbury Village Hall, Friday December 13th 10.30am onward. Raffle Christmas Pop up Shop (items donated by Break Charity, Chipping Sodbury)
Everyone Welcome!
Richard Kingscott (22nd April 1937 –29th September 2019)
We were all terribly shocked and moved at the news of Richard’s sudden death on that Sunday morning. It was just two days earlier that Frank Gray took this photograph at Old Sodbury Church, shortly after Richard had been on the roof admiring the refurbishments to the lead and stonework that he had directed on our behalf. With his architect’s eye for detail he made sure that all aspects were given full attention! Richard was a very active and devoted member of the church, involved in many aspects of church life: He was a key member of the PCC showing his leadership on many topics. He was a devoted member of The Fellowship Group and The Friends Committee where he had such good times; and of course he enjoyed church services and the By Catherine Coster fellowship of all of his friends here and throughout the Benefice.
STORKIES
Richard will be remembered as a very loving, generous and special person who inspired us all. He always had a smile and a helping hand for everyone, even though personally he was busy all the time. Through this he placed his family What is Storkies? first and loved the occasions when he Storkies is a baby, toddler and preand Jill would have special times with school group run by members of St his daughters and grand-children. John’s Church for parents/grandparents I think the Photo captures our memories and carers from Yate and Chipping Sodbury. All are welcome. of him: smiling and enjoying life to the full. When and Where do we meet? On Behalf of Old Sodbury PCC.
We meet in St John’s Church, Chipping Sodbury every Tuesday morning in term time from 9.15- 11.15. 6
Why do we meet? Our aim is to provide a warm and welcoming place for members of our local community where parents and grandparents can enjoy each other’s company and share news and useful childcare tips. We aim to provide educational and creative play and craft activities for children aged 0-4. As soon as they arrive the children are happily engaged in creative and imaginative play. Firm friendships have been made for both children and adults and all are welcomed and introduced to others. What do we do? From 9.15 to 10.30 the children can choose from a variety of activities which include the opportunity to play with sand and water, small tabletop toys, puzzles, modelling material, home corner and construction toys. We also have the space for larger push along toys, scooters and cars. The babies have a special area where there are baby toys; there are always several craft activities on offer with the opportunity to be creative with paint, crayons, felt tips and glue. Books are enjoyed in quieter moments. The staff meet each term to plan themes that we think are of interest and relevant to the children and the stories and craft activities are related to these themes. At 10.30 toys are cleared away and we share food together, which includes healthy snacks and a drink provided by the Mothers Union. Following this there is story time session with singing, poetry and music. We end with a shared prayer of thankfulness for what we have learnt, shared and done. Our programme includes visits to the park for games and teddy-bears picnics, visits to the Mothers Union helping support Storkies local library and elderly residents’ home. At Christmas we make a walk around Chipping Sodbury learning about the journey undertaken by Mary and Joseph, ending up at a local inn. After banging on the big oak door we are welcomed in for mince pies and drinks. We We would love to see you also have a Christmas party. Is all this for free? We would like it to be but we have to replenish our resources and pay for the food so we make a nominal charge. 7
at Storkies. Drop in and see if this friendly group is for you!
ISingPOP At the start of October, the children of St John’s Mead School had a joyful week of praise with iSingPOP, a primary school music project that brings together school, church and community. iSingPOP is a nationwide company that combines pop songs with positive lyrics, focused on appreciating one’s own worth and that of others through faith based music. The week began on Monday morning, when the children met the tutors, Jake and Emily. Both of these young leaders had a passion for exploring faith through music, and it did not take long for the children to be completely enthused by them. Over the course of the start of the week they were introduced to engaging, catchy and motivational songs with actions, which they learnt incredibly quickly. The tutors encouraged the “The climax of the children to let go of their inhibitions and have fun! week were two The buzz at school during this week was wonderful, and everywhere you turned there was a child incredible concerts humming, singing or dancing! On Thursday a held at St John the sound technician arrived, and the songs were Baptist, Chipping recorded to create a school CD, which the children Sodbury. “ were able to purchase. The climax of the week were two incredible concerts held at St John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury. The Church was transformed into a concert venue, with staging, lighting, sound and screen. The performances were magical to watch- children aged from 5 to 11 were engaged and performing their hearts out! The smiles across the stage and audience were infectious and it was incredible to see some of the children who are often reluctant to perform or be in the limelight, really shine. It really was an experience that they will never forget. The project was enabled by the generous contributions of the PCC and members of the church congregation, and the whole school community are hugely grateful for this. Further thanks go to Reverend David for being a driving force and support for this project, and to Paul Jones-Williams for his help on concert day. Website (if you would like further information)- isingpop.org Rachel Clarke, SEN/DCo, St John’s Mead School 8
‘Bon appétit!’ The autumn celebration organised by the Friends of Old Sodbury certainly lived up to its name, as almost one hundred guests arrived, attired as French maids, characters from “It was a night ‘Allo, Allo!’ or in Breton-style striped sweaters. In to remember.” the village hall bedecked with tricolore flags and blue, white and red balloons, they enjoyed a delicious five-course meal of duck pâté, baked Camembert, bœuf bourguignon, cheeses, apricot clafoutis and petits fours, accompanied by a superb selection of French wines selected and served by our wonderful and dear friend, Richard Kingscott. An accordionist played throughout the evening and everyone exercised their little grey cells with a fun quiz based on French facts, before joining in with well-known songs such as ‘Under the Bridges of Paris’, ‘Beyond the Sea’ and ‘Frère Jacques’. £1200 was raised towards the maintenance of the church, with a further £200 (proceeds from the raffle) being donated to the Sisters of St Paul’s. As one of the guests commented in a thank you letter to the Friends, “It was a night to remember.”
Gospels and Prayer Following the success of the reading of the gospels and the prayer day at Old Sodbury recently, it has been decided to continue the idea on Friday March 6th from 8am to 4pm at Old Sodbury Church. It is the same day as the Women’s Day of Prayer so we will have a stand with Leaflets displayed amongst others. David Powe 9
Only one chance to hear this Christmas concert! There is only one chance to hear Yate Choral Society’s wonderful selection of seasonal songs and
Outreach Prayer Meeting There will be the second outreach prayer meeting for all churches in our benefice at Old Sodbury Church on
Monday December 2nd at 2.30pm. carols this Christmas, as they are not performing at this year’s Lion’s concert, and that is at their concert on Tuesday 10th December at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. So come along and listen to a selection of old and new Christmas pieces and sing some of your favourite carols along with the choir. Also joining in the performance is the Apollo Wind Band. You can look forward to a great evening with mince pies to follow.
A Christmas Concert with
Yate Choral Society and
The Apollo Wind Band
Tuesday 10th Dec. 7:30pm Chipping Sodbury Town Hall Tickets £8.00 Tel 01454 313907 or from Tourist Information Centre or Choir members
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All welcome to attend. They usually last about 30 minutes. David Powe
Advent by John Betjeman 1955 The Advent wind begins to stir With sea-like sounds in our Scotch fir It’s dark at breakfast, dark at tea, And in between we only see Clouds hurrying across the sky And rain-wet roads the wind blows dry And branches bending to the gale Against great skies all silver pale The world seems travelling into space, And travelling at a faster pace Than in the leisured summer weather When we and it sit out together, For now we feel the world spin round On some momentous journey bound – Journey to what? To whom? To where? The Advent bells call out Prepare Your world is journeying to the birth Of God made man for us on earth
We raise the price of things in shops, We give plain boxes fancy tops And lines which traders cannot sell Thus parcelled go extremely well We dole out bribes we call a present To those to whom we must be pleasant For business reasons. Our defence is These bribes are charged against expenses And bring relief in income Tax Enough of these unworthy cracks! And how, in fact, do we prepare The time draws near the birth of Christ The great day that waits us there – For the twenty-fifth day of December, A present that cannot be priced The birth of Christ? For some it means Given two thousand years ago Yet if God had not given so An interchange of hunting scenes He still would be a distant stranger On coloured cards, And I remember And not the baby in the manger Last year I sent out Twenty cards To people that I scarcely know – They’d sent a card to me, and so I had to send one back. Oh dear! Is this a form of Christmas Cheer? Or is it, which is less surprising, My pride gone in for advertising? The only cards that really count Are that extremely small amount From real friends who keep in touch And are not rich but love us much Some ways indeed are very odd By which we hail the birth of God 11
In Praise of…Hobbies One person’s hobby is another person’s torment. Spending a Friday evening staring at cars certainly isn’t my idea of a good time. However, gatherings like this happen all over the country, often attracting hundreds of car owners and enthusiastic spectators. Hobbies are flourishing. A recent study on behalf of American Express claims that 11 million adults in the UK plan to take up a new hobby. ‘Calming’ pursuits such as drawing, painting, and sculpture are the most popular – perhaps an understandable response to the stresses and strains of everyday life. Whether archery or zumba, hobbies have certain things in common. Perhaps most significantly, a hobby is something we do simply for the pleasure that it brings. Hobbies give us the opportunity to gain knowledge or master a skill, and to build friendships and community. They bring welcome relief from the targets, deadlines, competitiveness, and pressures to produce and perform that can besiege our everyday lives. Look into the faces of the pianist, foodie, or car enthusiast and see simple pleasure and pride. Perhaps their faces reflect the face of their Creator: delighting in that which is good. It is well worth taking the time to discover the hobbies of the people around us, whether at work or elsewhere. Be prepared to be amazed. Mike from accounts turns out to be a yoga instructor. Holly from sales blogs about being a parent. Sandeep is the go-to person for great recipes. If we’re not careful, our impressions of the people around us become onedimensional. This is a particular risk in the workplace, where people are largely defined by their role and position. Discovering their hobbies opens up their world to us. We see something of their God-given talents, and we understand what energises them. We are reminded that each one is uniquely and marvellously made by a loving Creator, who knows them inside and out. As for ourselves, the pursuit of a hobby we love will give us a fleeting but undeniably real experience of God’s creative pleasure. And then, as we talk with friends and colleagues about their hobbies, let’s be open about what brings us a sense of fulfilment, peace, and hope, and about who we believe holds all of these things together. Nick Tatchell (Nick is an HR Consultant) 12
Christmas is about relationships There’s nothing like Christmas to get you thinking about the past: the nostalgia of seasonal traditions, the awareness of another year passing, the memories of celebrating Christmas as a child. Growing up, I remember many Victorian Days in Chipping Sodbury, carol singing ‘round Horton and wintery walks with that stunning view across the Severn Vale. Looking back, Christmas was all about relationships and presents: seeing family and friends and making a wish list for Santa. I didn’t used to think too much about Jesus in a manger. When I came to understand the Christian faith better, however, I realised that Jesus in a manger is the relationship and the present at the centre of Christmas. At its heart, the Christian faith is about relationship: friendship with the God who made us and loves us. At this time of year, Christians celebrate their belief that in the person of Jesus, God came into our world to have relationship with us. And Christianity is about a present too: the gift of God’s Son. Sadly, Christmas can shine a spotlight on things in this world that are fractured and messy. It can be a season of unspoken issues, stifled tears and strained relationships. Likewise, our relationship with God can feel strained or non-existent. However, God gave his son to come into the world, to take on himself the pain and the punishment of all that’s wrong so that we can be forgiven and friends with him. As the carol goes: ‘Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled’. I love coming back to Horton for Christmas and the memories it brings. After all these years, this season is still very much about relationships and presents! But the older I get the more I see it’s also about Jesus in a manger: the true present and relationship with God that Christmas offers all of us. Frankie Knight Frankie grew up in the Sodbury Vale Benefice. Her mother, Tina Hildick-Smith, is one of the Church Wardens of Horton Church
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The History of Silent Night The words of the carol ‘Silent Night’ (“Stille Nacht” in the original German) were written about 1818 by Father Josef Mohr, who was the assistant pastor of the church of Saint Nicholas in the small town of Oberndorf in the Austrian Tyrol.
Josef Mohr
Late one afternoon, just before Christmas, Josef Mohr was called out to bless a new-born baby. As he walked home, he thought of the child he had just visited and wondered; was it on a night of such peace and stillness that the holy babe was born? When he reached home, he put his feelings into words.
A few days later, whilst discussing a forthcoming Christmas service, Father Mohr showed the poem to his friend Franz Gruber, the church choirmaster, and within a hour Franz had composed a simple tune around it. That Christmas Eve the carol was sung in the church and everyone was delighted with it! After Christmas an organ builder came to repair the church organ and Franz Gruber Franz Gruber played the song to the organ builder who was enchanted by it and asked if he could write it down and play it at his church in the nearby town of Zillertal. Soon it was a favourite of the churchgoers there who called it ‘The Song from Heaven’. Gradually the carol made its way to Leipzig where it was eventually heard by the Queen of Saxony who requested that it should be played in the palace on Christmas Eve 1832, so that her children could learn it. Some twenty years later the King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm IV, heard the song performed by the choir of the Imperial Church of Berlin. Immediately he declared that the song was to be sung at all Christmas concerts in his country and that a search should be established to discover the name of the composer. Soon after, Franz Gruber’s son heard about the search and recognised his father’s music. After thirty-six years the carol that was loved by millions had come back to those who had written it. Over the years, because the original manuscript had been lost, Mohr's name was forgotten and although Gruber was known to be the composer, many people assumed the melody was composed by a famous composer, and it was variously attributed to Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven. However, a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohr's handwriting and dated by researchers as circa. 1820. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the only one in Mohr's handwriting. Silent-Night-Chapel in Oberndorf . On the site of the first performance of Stille Nacht.
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It’s been a bad year… ..but it’s been a good year too None of us know what’s around the corner, which is just as well. In 2008 I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. It was caught early, quickly dealt with and I was told that the chance of a recurrence was very small. I was discharged from the 10 year follow up programme last year, 2018. My routine breast screening mammogram came up in April this year. And it was only a few days later that I received a letter calling me to Southmead for further tests just two days after that. The mammogram had picked up a tumour on the previously clear side, but whilst I was having a scan and biopsies on that side, the very diligent radiologist said that she was not entirely happy with the other side, and wanted to take biopsies that side too, as she said “just to satisfy myself”. A week later the results came through, and it turned out that I had cancer in both breasts. So began a 6 month journey of tests, scans, surgery and treatment. And there were times when the results were not either as expected or as hoped for. Both tumours were initially thought to be very small with no spread. But lumpectomies revealed larger tumours than expected, and cancer cells in one of my lymph nodes. I ended up having a mastectomy one side, where it was discovered that “Sometimes we the tumour had spread much further into the breast learn much more tissue, even though this had not been picked up on in times of trial the initial mammogram. I was offered chemotherapy, than we do when but declined when told that there was only a 3% chance of it actually being of any benefit to me. But in life is easy.” September I went through 15 sessions of daily radiotherapy over 3 weeks, and travelled into the centre of Bristol every day for this treatment. At the time of writing, I have completed all this treatment, have one more follow up appointment at Oncology in mid November, and an open appointment plus annual checks at Southmead. I am feeling fit and well, and as far as can be established, am cancer free. 15
In the midst of all this, in mid May my brother died quite suddenly, and as his closest family, and executor, I had to take on responsibility for his funeral in Devon and all other arrangements with his house etc. I am thankful for the support of all my family, and his church, who rallied round to help
It sounds like a pretty awful year! So, why do I say it’s also been a good year? Sometimes we learn much more in times of trial than we do when life is easy. And above all, I have learnt the power of prayer. Right from the start of this journey, I chose to share it with people in the church, and with a number of close friends. I am so grateful to David Bowers, Peter Fewings and David Powe “I know very who have all at different times seen me strongly that the personally and prayed with me and for me, and anointed me with oil for healing. And also for so Lord has walked many others within the church who have hugged beside me me, shown me love and care, and I know have throughout this prayed for me throughout. I am grateful for all journey” the cards, flowers and messages of support. Steve is also grateful, and we can both say that we have known that “peace that passes understanding”. I also had a WhatsApp group of ‘Praying friends’ which consisted of 17 Christian friends from around the country, some from way back in my past, with whom I was able to share my journey, knowing that they would “I want to take this opportunity be praying for me. And it became a to thank all of you in the group for mutual prayer and Benefice who have supported encouragement, with others sharing prayer needs as they arose. Friends me in so many ways this year.” from all different Christian traditions - Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Independent Evangelicals - all got together in this group to share prayer and praise. It is truly ecumenical! I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you in the Benefice who have supported me in so many ways this year. I know very strongly that the Lord has walked beside me throughout this journey, and that I can place my future, whatever that may be, in His hands, safe in the knowledge of His loving care. Sue Mills 16
Calendar December 2019 No service at Chipping Sodbury due to set up for Crib Festival Sun 1st First Sunday of Advent
Mon
Tue
2nd
3rd
11.15am
Mattins
St James’, Horton
11.15am
Family Communion
St John’s, O/S
6.00pm
Evensong {BCP}
St Adeline’s, L/S
9.00am
Crib Festival School Visits by Arrangement
St John’s, CS
2.30pm
Outreach Prayer Meeting
St John’s, O/S
9.00am
Crib Festival School Visits by Arrangement
St John’s, CS
9.15am
Storkies
Special event
Wed
4th
9.00am
Crib Festival School Visits by Arrangement
St John’s, CS
Thurs
5th
9.00am
Crib Festival School Visits by Arrangement
St John’s, CS
10.00am
Holy Communion
Church Centre, C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre, C/S
Fri
6th
10.00am
Crib Festival Public Viewing
St John’s, CS
Sat
7th
10.00am
Crib Festival Public Viewing
St John’s, CS
9.30am
Parish Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Holy Communion
St James’, Horton
11.15am
Toy Service
St John’s, O/S
6.00pm
Evensong
St Adeline’s, L/S
Sun 8th Second Sunday of Advent
Mon
9th
12.30pm
Mothers Union Christmas Lunch
TBA
Tues
10th
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s, CS
Thurs
12th
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre C/S
9.30am
Family Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Holy Communion {BCP}
St John’s, O/S
6.00pm
Carol Service
St James’, Horton
6.00pm
Evensong {BCP}
St Adeline’s, L/S
Sun 15th Third Sunday of Advent
Mon
16th
7.30pm
Global Prayer Meeting
Church Centre, C/S
Tues
17th
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s, CS
2.00pm
Christmas Tea and Chat
Church Centre, C/S
10.00am
Holy Communion
Church Centre, C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre C/S
Thurs
19th
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Calendar December 2019 (continued) Fri
7.00pm
Carol Service
St Adeline’s, L/S
9.30am
Parish Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Holy Communion{CW)
St James’ Horton
5.00pm
Carol Service
St John’s O/S
7.00pm
Carol Service
St John’s, C/S
Tue 24th
3.00pm
Crib Service
St John’s, O/S
Christmas Eve
3.00pm
Christingle
St John’s, C/S
4.30pm
Christingle
St John’s, C/S
8.00pm
Christmas Communion
St James’ Horton
11.30pm
Christmas Communion
St John’s C/S
20th
Sun 22nd Fourth Sunday of Advent
Wed 25th Christmas Day Sun 29th First Sunday of Christmas
9.30am
Family Communion
St John’s C/S
11.30am
Family Communion
St John’s O/S
10.30am
Benefice Communion
St Adeline’s L/S
Regular Weekly Events Monday
7.30pm
Bell Ringers’ Practice CS
Church Tower, Chipping Sodbury
Tuesday
8.30am
Morning Prayer
Church Centre, Upper Room,Chipping Sodbury
9.15pm
Stor'k'ies
St John's Church, Chipping Sodbury
8.30am
Morning Prayer
St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
7.30pm
Bell Ringer’s Practice Horton
St James’, Horton
8.30am
Morning Prayer
St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
7.00pm
Benefice Choir Practice
St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
8.30am
Morning Prayer
St John’s, Chipping Sodbury
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Note: No Morning Prayers on Bank Holidays
Copy Deadline Please send all copy for the February-March issue to the Church Office by Friday January17th Front Cover - Collage of
past Crib Festivals 18
Calendar January 2020 Thurs
2nd
Sun 5th Epiphany
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s, C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre, C/S
8.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s, C/S
9.30am
St John’s Praise
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Mattins
St James’, Horton
11.15am
Family Communion
St John’s, O/S
6.00pm
Evensong {BCP}
St Adeline’s, L/S
Tue
7th
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s C/S
Thurs
9th
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s, C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre, C/S
Sat
11th
10.00am
Baptism Preparation Morning
Church Centre, C/S
9.30am
Parish Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Holy Communion
St James’, Horton
11.15am
Family Service
St John’s, O/S
6.00pm
Evensong
St Adeline’s, L/S
Sun 12th The Baptism of Christ
Mon
13th
2.00pm
Mothers Union
Church Centre, C/
Tues
14th
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s, C/S
Wed
15th
7.30pm
Faith Questions
Church Centre, C/S
Thurs
16th
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre C/S
9.30am
Family Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Morning Prayer
St James’, Horton
11.15am 6.00pm
Holy Communion {BCP} Evensong {BCP}
St John’s, O/S St Adeline’s, L/S
Sun 19th Third Sunday of Epiphany
Tues
21st
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s, CS
Thurs
23rd
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre C/S
Sun 26th Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
Tues
Thurs
28th
30th
9.30am
Parish Communion
St John’s, C/S
11.15am
Holy Communion{CW)
St James’ Horton
11.15am
Morning Praise
St John’s O/S
6.00pm
Holy Communion
St Adeline’s, L/S
9.15am
Storkies
St John’s, C/S
2.00pm
Tea and Chat
Church Centre, C/S
10.00am
Holy Communion
St John’s C/S
10.45am
Coffee Shop
Church Centre C/S
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Christmas Services 2019 Chipping Sodbury, St John the Baptist Church Sunday 22nd December Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
7:00pm Carol Service 3:00pm Christingle Service 4:30pm Christingle Service 11:30pm Midnight Communion 9:30am Family Communion
Old Sodbury, St John the Baptist Church Sunday 22nd December Christmas Eve Christmas Day
5:00pm Carol Service 3:00pm Crib Service 11:15am Family Communion
Little Sodbury, St Adeline’s Church Friday 20th December
7:00pm Carol Service
Sunday 29th December
10:30am Benefice Communion Service
Horton, St James the Elder Church Sunday 15th December Christmas Eve
6:00pm Carol Service 8:00pm Christmas Communion
This magazine is brought to you Free by the four churches of the Sodbury Vale Benefice. If you would like to make a small donation towards printing costs which are 65p a copy that would be most welcome. Thank you. 20