Happy Christmas from St Mary and St Lambert
STONHAM ASPAL and MICKFIELD
ALL THE SERVICES ARE BENEFICE SERVICES. YOU ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND ZOOM SERVICES OR SERVICES IN ANY CHURCH BUILDING
There may be changes to services due to Covid 19 regulations. More up to date information can be found on the weekly Pew Sheet. If you would like to be added to the email circulation please send your email address to lizandjohnince@gmail.com
ZOOM SERVICES
| Sundays | 9.30am | Morning Worship |
| Wednesdays | 9.00am | Morning Prayer |
| Fridays Sunday 20 December Monday 21 December Thursday 24 December Christmas Eve Friday 25 December Christmas Day | 6.30pm 6.30pm 7.00pm 4.00pm 10.00am | Evening Prayer Carol Service Longest Night Crib Service Morning Worship for Christmas Day |
In order to attend please email reader.ruthdennigan@gmail.com and Ruth will send you the link.
BENEFICE SERVICE IN STONHAM ASPAL CHURCH
| Thursday 24 December Christmas Eve | 11.30pm | Midnight Eucharist | ||
For services in the church building masks must be worn, social distancing will be practised, there will be no singing or refreshments. Please let Rev. Philip know by 6pm Tuesday 22 December if you intend to come to Midnight Eucharist on 01449711684 or revphilippayne@btinternet.com He will need your name, contact details and the number of people with you.
CAROL SERVICES
With the constraints of Covid we are still unable to sing in the church buildings, so we are planning two carol services across the Benefice. The first of these are Drive In Services on Sunday 13 December at the carpark by Gosbeck Village Hall at 2pm and 3.30pm. As the carpark can only hold a limited number of cars two services are planned. They will be identical, so you are only able to come to one or the other. The church band will lead the singing and you will be able to join in to your hearts content, but you will need to stay in your car which will be parked at a distance from the next ones. Booking a place will be essential so you will need to contact Philip by 6pm on Friday 11 December, informing him which service you wish to attend and giving him your name and the number of people there will be in your car.
There will also be a Zoom Carol Service on Sunday 20 December at 6.30pm. As you will be joining this service from your own home you will be able to sing as loudly as you like! Ask Ruth for the link by emailing reader.ruthdennigan@gmail.com if you are not already on her email list.
BLUE CHRISTMAS on the LONGEST NIGHT – 21 December
There will be two services on this day, the first at 2.30pm in Earl Stonham Church. The second will be a repeat of it on Zoom at 7.00pm. This is a new venture and is for those who may be finding this Christmas difficult for whatever reason. It will be a short service of readings, prayers and music. Hopefully, it will bring some comfort and joy. There will be no singing in Earl Stonham Church, but you can join in with singing on the Zoom service. Everyone welcome, but please ensure you book with Philip two days before for the physical service or with Ruth, if you are not on her mailing list, for the Zoom service.
CRIB SERVICE – Thursday 24 December, Christmas Eve
A crib service with a difference! This time it will be on Zoom as we are still not able to accommodate large numbers in the church building. So, meet us at 4pm on Zoom and we will be telling the Christmas story in words and song. If you have your own nativity set have this with you so you can put the characters in place as we go along. If you would like to bring your teddy, dressed as a character from the story, with you please do and you will be able to hold them up to your screen during the service. It will be different, but hopefully fun! See you there. Don’t forget to let Ruth know you want to come to get the link!
MIDNIGHT EUCHARIST on CHRISTMAS EVE in church
11.30pm will see the church building brightly lit as we gather inside for our Midnight service of Holy Communion. There will be music, but no singing, In line with Covid regulations and masks will be worn. During the service there will be the opportunity to receive Communion, but only the bread. You will be able to remove your mask when you have returned to your seat in order to eat the bread. Everyone welcome at this very different Midnight service.
MORNING WORSHIP FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
There will be two Christmas day services, one at Earl Stonham church and one on Zoom. Both will start at 10am. Please attend whichever you would like, but remember to book with Philip for the physical service or to let Ruth know you would like the link for Zoom if you are not on her regular mailing list.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHURCHWARDENS
As we come to the end of the church’s financial year, we would like to give you a ‘state of the union’ report on how we feel your church of St Mary and St Lambert has coped with the interruption of normal activities. We have all missed the opportunities to meet in the church building to pray, sing and socialise together. The Zoom services have been well attended and have been vital for collective worship to continue. Some folks have enjoyed them so much that they will probably continue even when a new normality returns. For the infirm and non-drivers, they have been a lifeline and have enabled us to meet people from other parishes and look forward to Benefice services in the future.
We remain hopeful that our congregation will return when we are again allowed to hold services and social gatherings such as Coffee Inn. But we have to face the possibility that some people will be unable to play as large a part in church life as they have done in the past. We need some younger volunteers to help in the running of the church as many of us who are active in the work are well into our twilight years. The next ten years will see enormous changes as the super tanker of the Church of England responds to post Covid life. The survival of the C of E worship in Stonham Aspal and Mickfield will depend on folks well under pensionable age, not the current organisers.
Finally, could we ask you to consider finance. We have been unable to hold fund raising events this year. Many have made extra donations to help us pay for insurance, heating, electricity and maintenance, plus our parish share, which funds our clergy, is approaching £800 a month. We have a deficit of about £2,000 at present and we will probably not be able to resume normal services for several months. Any donations would be very welcome, especially a regular contribution by standing order to:
- Stonham Aspal and Mickfield P.C.C.
- Sort Code: 20-82-75
- Account Number: 70836389
If you pay UK Income Tax, please consider Gift Aiding your donation. This will enable the church to reclaim a further 25% from HMRC, details from James as below.
Treasurer – James Mackintosh, Longshaw, The Street, Stonham Aspal
Tel: 07780 575505 email: mackintosh429@btinternet.com
Thank you all and every blessing for what we hope will be a Joyful and Memorable Christmas
David Tydeman and Alex Pratt (Churchwardens)
200 CLUB FUNDRAISER FOR STONHAM ASPAL VILLAGE HALL AND CHURCH
Congratulations to the October 200 club draw winners.
- 1st prize £50 no 62 Mr Cage
- 2nd prize £20 no 207 M Jones
- =3rd prize £15 no 60 J Mitson
- =3rd prize £15 no 138 Mr Timms
And congratulations to the November 200 club draw winners.
- 1st prize £50 no 247 C Warren
- 2nd prize £20 no 94 Southgate
- =3rd prize £15 no 29 G Yates
- =3rd prize £15 no 229 H Gardiner
It is really good to be handing out more winnings, and the December draw will be the usual doubled prize money, with lucky winners receiving £100, £40, £30, £30.
On writing this we only have around twelve subs outstanding, thank you to everyone who has paid direct into the bank, or put cash and cheques through my door. A special big thank you to those who have set up standing orders to pay for their subs each year, please, please if you wish to save paperwork, why not set one up ready for next year!
For more details on joining this fundraiser please contact me on alexjenkinson@btopenworld.com or 01449 711393
Alex Pratt
Lock Down Ladies ……that once enjoyed Brunch!
Hello, here we are again, zooming to keep in touch. In November I once again started up a zoom evening so that we can chat, see friendly faces and keep in contact. It’s open to anyone, just as the Brunches were, but this is great because I don’t have to clean up beforehand…… but I am so looking forward to squeezing you in around the dining room table again…. and making Chelsea buns…… and cooking a big fry up. It will be very special when it does happen!!
Never Zoomed before? It is easy. I send out an email on the day of the zoom which contains a link for you to click on. The first time you use zoom it will give you some extra details, but it is very straightforward. Why not give it a go. Contact me on alexjenkinson@btopenworld.com for you to be added to the email list.
The zooms will be held on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, probably alternating between and it will last 40 minutes. You can join now and again, whenever it fits in with you.
Bring along your cup of tea or a glass of good cheer as we keep in contact, keep supporting and growing a bigger circle of friends.
Alex Pratt