Dear friends at All Saints,
I thought it might be helpful to list the things which are happening over the next month as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, Christ the Lord.
This Saturday 5th, many of us will be up bright and early (well, early anyway!) to hang up the angels all over the parish. Thank you so much to everyone who has knitted the angels! They will be taking the good news to the community that we don’t need to be afraid, whatever we are facing this Christmas, because God is with us.
Christina is also organising a Socially Distanced Christmas Fair between 10-12 on the 5th with stalls in the streets all around Hoole. Do support that, buy your stocking-fillers and, you never know, you might even win a prize.
Each Sunday at 5.00pm we are posting a short Advent video on our Facebook and YouTube channels in addition to the normal 10.45am service. Again, they bring to the community the message that we don’t need to be afraid because Jesus is our Peace, our Joy, our Hope and our Love. Do watch these – they are high quality – and do share them with your friends and neighbours.
Then, on Saturday 12th, there is the Goodie Bag Give-away as we present Christmas in a bag with items to help all ages to hear the true meaning of this season. They will be available at several sites in Hoole, including one on the Groves, and again we’re very grateful to everyone who has made pasta angels, cooked shortbread, and put the bags together.
We may not be able to hold our usual services in the church building this Christmas – although there will be a 9.00am service each Sunday and on Christmas morning – but we are busy filming various services to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. The children and young people are working hard with their leaders to prepare a Nativity Service which will go out online at 10.45am on the 13th December. Vicki has got a choir together to sing at our Online Carol Service with carols, readings and choir items in addition to the prayers and a short talk from Sam. You can watch that from 10.45am on Sunday 20th December. And then the Crib Service will be premiering at 5.00pm on Christmas Eve – not quite the same as being in a packed church building to sing and remember God’s coming among us, but we hope that many in the community will join us in that. And finally, on Christmas Day, there will be the virtual All Age Christmas Celebration at 10.45am – please choose a gift to wave when we ask ‘What did you get for Christmas?’ and come and see what bizarre gift Sam has bought this year. Can he beat the duck-billed platypus costume from last year?!
And finally, a big thank you to the team who have had the ideas, planned and made this year’s celebration so full of imaginative events.
With love and prayers in Christ,
John