12 december 2012 - christ church€¦ · hanukkah wednesday 12th€december 2012 7.30 p.m at christ...

PARISH MAGAZINE

December 2012 30pOr donation

HanukkahNOT TO

BEMISSED

NOT TOBE

MISSED

Who’s Who!Pastoral AssistantsCoffee rotaThrough the kitchen doorMustard SeedFirst StepsChristmasTree FestivalSemiquavers 1st year reportWinter FayreRemembrance SundayNoticesFlower arrangingCalendarSoroptimist Quiz evening

Deadline for magazine:Middle of the month prior to publication,ie: 16 December for January.

E-mail [email protected]

hand to a Churchwarden, or Mike Cubitt

Page 3Page 6Page 8Page 9Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 20Page 24Page 26Page 29Page 30Page 32

Inside this magazine

www.christchurchgravesend.org.uk

Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend Page 2 December 2012

Who’s Who atChrist Church

Vicar Sue Brewer [email protected]

Associate Priest Jacqueline Littlewood 560106Curate Jo Drew 364367

Pastoral Assistant Pam Kilby 332693Pastoral Assistant Jasmine Humphries 392713Pastoral Assistant Colin Parsonson 359713Church Warden Jan Osborne 740763Church Warden Ian Brown 356339PCC Secretary Julie Hill 568265PCC Treasurer Steve Humphries 392713

Reader Rosemary Austin 358702Reader Sheila Brown 356339Reader John Hougham 352138Reader Betty Martin 352696Reader Martin Sewell 745443

Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend December 2012

Pastoral AssistantsChrist Church is extremely lucky to have three commissioned Pastoral Assistants.And what, and who are they, you may wonder? Pam Kilby, Jasmine Humphries andColin Parsonson have all undertaken training that led to their authorisation as PastoralAssistants approved to provide all with care, support and encouragement. Pam waspreviously authorised as a Pastoral Assistant in the Diocese of Southwark and hertraining and work experience as a nurse has resulted in a particular expertise in bothcare and emotional support. Jasmines love for working with children and families(further enhanced by her employment at Ifield School) also includes a particular desireto support the bereaved. And Colin, as a member of the Pastoral and SocialCommittee, feels particularly called to serve the older person.The Pastoral Assistants are easily identified by their badge, which displays theRochester Diocese shield and Bishops mitre. I was privileged to support, and attend,both Colin’s and Jasmine’s recent celebration service’s where they were authorisedand presented with their Certificate. Both were moving occasions that outlined andaffirmed the Ministry of a Pastoral Assistant as below –Pastoral Assistants are called to respond to the great commandment to love God andour neighbour. Through prayer, love and the desire to stand alongside, theycommunicate to others the message of Christ through caring action. In the light of theBible and Church tradition they reflect on the dilemmas of modern life and walk withthose on their Christian pilgrimage. Pastoral Assistants are those with pastoral giftswho will exercise a leadership role, acting as an example, and encouraging others tojoin them in serving Christ in the community and the Church.Please do not hesitate to speak to members of the Pastoral Care Team. Their contactdetails follow –Pam Kilby 01474 332693; Colin Parsonson 01474 359713; and JasmineHumphries 01474 323515 Jo Drew, Curate, Christ Church

HanukkahWednesday 12th December 2012

7.30 p.m at Christ Church"I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness,but shall have the light of life." - John 8:12

Birthed out of the tumultuous Inter-Testamental Period, Hanukkah is a keycelebration in the Jewish tradition. For many Christians, this near-Christmas,

Jewish holiday carries a darkness of ignorance. Allow Jews for Jesus theopportunity to shed some light on the Festival of Lights. Discover the roots ofHanukkah, its current significance to the Jewish people, and what believerscan learn from it today. More than a simple historical lesson, this message is

also a call to purity and stresses the importance of letting "your light shinebefore men" (Matt:5:16


Christingleat Christ Church

Sunday 2 December at 4 pma magical start to Advent for all the family,

with oranges, sweets and candlesThe meaning of Christingle: the orange represents the world Godcreated, and the sweets all the good things in God’s creation. Thecandle represents Jesus, the light of the world, and the red ribbonthe love of Christ for his world

Sunday 9th December4.00pm

ELLENORLIONSLIGHTS OF LOVE

SERVICEChristmas time can be a very difficult periodfor those who have lost loved ones. TheEllenorLions Hospices organise services onthe first full week of December which givepeople an opportunity to remember someonewho has died.


So much happens atChrist Church!Have you ever wondered what happens during aSunday 10 am service? Vicar Sue (or anothermember of the clergy) leads the worship, but somuch more happens.In this article are just a few notes about whathappens, often behind the scenes. If you haveany questions let the editor know and an answerwill appear in a future magazine.

Sides-man. A sides-man (male and female) isthe person who greets you as you enter thechurch for one of the main services (Wednesday10am; Sunday 8am, 10am and evensong).Sides-men at the Sunday 10am service work in ateam of four, with a different team each Sundayof the month. They set up and organise thepractical workings of the church - putting thehymn numbers on the boards, giving out theservice sheets, news sheets and other items;they show people to their seats; listen to yourquestions (and answer them or point you to theperson most likely to have an answer); take thecollection; during the Eucharist you will see asides-man assisting people negotiate steps; atthe end of the service some of the sides-man canbe found in the Parish Office counting andbagging the collection, while others tidy thechurch getting it ready for the next service,usually a baptism or two.

Bell. Most churches have a least one bell andChrist Church is no exception. During theEucharist you will hear someone ring the bell:watch what happens in the sanctuary at thesame time. Bells have traditionally been and arestill used to remind parishioners that a churchservice is about to begin. The bell is rung 15minutes and 5 minutes before the starting time ofa service. Now at Christ Church one of thesidesman will also light a candle in front of the

chancel steps just after ringing the 5 minute bell,and you may then see a member of the clergyspending time in St Faith's chapel or at the frontpreparing themselves spiritually for the service tocome. We hope you will take a few moments toprepare yourselves.

Churchwarden. Each church has twochurchwardens - here at Christ Church JanOsborne and Ian Brown currently fill thepositions. Churchwardens represent the parishon the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and areresponsible for the day to day management ofthe church buildings and grounds.

Flowers. I amsure youappreciate thesplendid flowerarrangementsthat adorn thechurchthroughout theyear. JaniceStevensmastermindsthese. EachSunday thereare usually twopedestalarrangements in the sanctuary (the area wherethe altar is situated). Janice does somearrangements as do members of thecongregation sometimes as a way to remembera significant moment in their lives. If you wouldlike to commemorate something or someone butdon't feel proficient enough to do thearrangement then you can pay for the flowersand someone will do them for you. There aresome days when there are no flowers in church -why do you think this happens? There is acalendar in the south porch giving details.Next time I will mention other aspects of “WhatHappens at Christ Church”.

Ian Brown

Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend December2012

Sunday Morning Coffee Rota

Maureen Fittill

Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5

02 Dec09 Dec16 Dec23 Dec30 Dec

Vena Croydon, Julie Hill, Jill SampsonSandy Barden, Jenny Shoesmith, Joan BennettAngela Kirby, David Williams, Martin RobinsonMargaret Davies, Julieann Bodle, Pam LovelaceBarbara Bunyan, Audrey Price, Mary Sergeant

Because of various special events going on this summer and autumn,the dates of some of the “All age Services” have changed. Below arethe dates of all the “All age Services” between now and December-please put these in your diary! December 9.After that back to 2nd Sunday of month as usual

Gravesend Historical Society

Footpaths Committee

All are welcome to join us as we explore our landscape, local history andfolklore in the company of interesting people. Please note that these walksare steep in places, have stiles and uneven surfaces, please dress and act

appropriately.

Thursday 27th December 2012: Circular guided historical walkfrom Chalk Church to Shorne

Meet: 10am at Chalk Church, Church Lane, Chalk DA12 2NL

(Refreshments available afterwards)

Guide: Christoph Bull 01474 320156 Donations welcome

Small charge for refreshments Plenty of car parking atChalk Church

The Winter Warmer walk is a well established annual event allowing everyone to walk off theChristmas experience and to enjoy the history and folklore of their local area in the company oflocal historian Christoph Bull.Please remember that all walkers are responsible for their own health and safety – and that oftheir children and dogs.


WordOn theStreetGemma Evans joined WOTS at TheCommunity House in September to workalongside Albert Frroku. The two energeticyouth workers have increased the numberof groups meeting at the House.During the summer young people weretreated to a range of activities and enjoyeda day out to Chessington World ofAdventures in conjunction with WOTSGillingham.To be able to offer a continuing range ofactivities at The Community House inWarrior Avenue volunteers are alwayswelcome. Richard Martin the new vicar atHoly Family helps out at the club for 12+year olds on a Wednesday and Ian Gowa minister from the URC is finding newskills (he recently beat an 11 year old onthe play station) working with the club ona Monday.What we oldies call ‘half term’ saw groupsof young people painting and decoratingthe inside of the house and enjoying eachother’s company.During this new term extra club sessionsstart and on a Thursday Gemma and

Albert are involved in ‘detached work’ atthe recreation ground next to Kings FarmSchool giving support to Charlton AthleticFootball coaching sessions.To ensure the future of The CommunityHouse it is hoped that local peopleparticularly from the churches (HolyFamily, Christ Church, Emmanuel Baptist,St Paul’s URC, St Mary’s are allrepresented in their support of the project)will form a management committee whichwill morph into the Trustees of the project.The aim is to look for and secure fundingto allow the good work started to blossom.Gemma will be speaking at theEcumenical service at Holy Family onSunday 25th November, so come alongand find out at first hand and be inspiredto volunteer, either for the managementcommittee or hands on work with theyoung people.As well as being a safe haven for youngpeople The Community House also hostsa toddler group, coffee mornings and dropin sessions. The Local PCSO is planningto hold regular sessions and MoteHousing (who are supporting the project)who are building the new houses in thearea have an office based in the house.If you are interested in finding out morespeak to Ian Brown or drop in to TheCommunity House and speak to Albertand Gemma (they make a mean cup ofcoffee!).

Some people find it useful to have a set portion of the Bible to read each day.The Bible Reading Fellowship have a booklet called “New Daylight” which setsout a short Bible reading and explanatory notes. These booklets are priced at£3.90 (they do go up each year) for a four month period.If you would like to try one of these booklets please let Julie Hill know.


Through the kitchen doorNothing like a homemade cake at Christmas try this one.

Dundee Cake (7” - 8” or 18cm to 20 cm tin)Ingredients 5 oz (150 g) butter, at room temperature 5 oz (150 g) caster sugar 3 large eggs 8 oz (225 g) plain flour, sifted 1 level teaspoon baking powder milk, if necessary 6 oz (175 g) currants 6 oz (175 g) sultanas 2 oz (50 g) glacé cherries, rinsed, dried and cut into halves 2 oz (50 g) mixed whole candied peel, finely chopped 2 level tablespoons ground almonds grated zest 1 small orange grated zest 1 small lemon 2 oz (50 g) whole blanched almondsMethod Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C).1. Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoonuntil light and fluffy – or an electric mixer will do this much more quickly.2. Whisk the eggs separately then, a little at a time, beat them into thecreamed butter and sugar.3. Using a large tablespoon, carefully fold in the flour and baking powder. Yourmixture needs to be of a good, soft, dropping consistency so, if it seems too dry,add a dessertspoon of milk.4. Carefully fold in the currants, sultanas, cherries, mixed peel, ground al-monds and orange and lemon zests. Then spoon the mixture into the preparedcake tin, smoothing it out evenly with the back of the spoon.5. Next arrange the whole almonds in circles on top of the mixture, but do thiscarefully and lightly; if they are pressed in they will sink during the baking.6. Place the cake in the centre of the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours or until thecentre is firm and springy to the touch. Let it cool before taking it out of the tin.

This cake keeps very well in an airtight tin and tastes all the better if kept for a fewdays before cutting.

December 2012Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend

The Mustard Seed aims to provide an informal and friendly tea at three onthe third Thursday of each month in Christ Church Hall. It is a new venturewhich offers the opportunity to meet new friends and chat about old times.The Mustard Seed, as the parable says (Mark 4: 3-32), is very small – likedust – but has the potential to develop into one of the largest plants.

The official Mustard Seed launch took place on May 17th. Members of ourPastoral Care Team set out tables with tablecloths and vases of flowers. Akind parishioner generously provided us with a beautiful ‘Mustard Seed’ cakedecorated and designed with our new logo and the launch date. But as thepeople came in it soon became clear that people did not want to be separatedon different tables and they were drawn together into one which enabledapproximately twenty people to mix and make new friends.

The Mustard Seed was officially opened by the Vicar of Christ Church; thecake cut; and wine distributed to toast the new venture established by thePastoral Assistants Team. The Mustard Seed’s mission statement is to assistin the development of new friendships and enhanced fellowship for all whilstgently offering care and support throughout the good and more difficult timesof life - when a cup of tea and chat about life and old times can be just whatis needed.

Reflections on war time ‘evacuation’ experiences, a weekly raffle with adonated prize, and donations of homemade goodies are some things thathave already happened at the two Mustard Seed teas!

All are warmly welcomed to join the newly planted The Mustard Seed and tohelp it flourish. You are so welcome.

For further details please contact any member of the Pastoral CareTeam. Pastoral Assistants – Pam Kilby, Colin Parsonson and JasmineHumphries or Curate - Rev Jo Drew.

THEMUSTARDSEED


A date for your diary—

Saturday 15th December12.30 pm—1.00 pmwe will be singing carols in

St. George’s CentreFor Christian Aid. Please come along and join in

A BIG thank you to all who contributed tomaking the Winter Fayre such a hugesuccess the total raised so far

2043Conscience money accepted

With Christmas fast approaching we are all asked to takegreater care around the security of our homes and cars.

At this time of the year there is an increase in opportunistthefts and burglary.

It only needs a small window left open on the ground floor to enable access to a propertywhether the occupants are in the building or not.Remember to lock your doors when not in the room or busy elsewhere in the house.An un-secure house or garage is a thieves paradiseIf ever you see anything suspicious as always please contact the Police - with your help,we hope to keep our area a safe, and happy place to live.

REMEMBER to dial 999 if you see an offence in progress


FIRST STEPS14/11/12

GETTING READY FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL

Our naughty little sheep is up in good time and gazing intently out ofthe window. It’s a grey chilly morning but at least it’s dry, which is a plus.If a sheep can have his fingers crossed, our naughty little sheep has gotis his fingers crossed that it will stay dry for our First Steps service thisafternoon. As he and his friends walk up to church with me, it has turnedinto a BEAUTIFUL day with sunshine and a clear blue sky. What asurprise! Those sneaky animals aren’t hiding today because they want tosit with the children. They’re looking forward to going into the hall afterour service, to help the children to make Christmas tree decorations. With everything ready, Mums, Dads, Grannies and lots of childrencome into church to join us. Our naughty little sheep is sitting on our littlealtar and I can see that he is positively bristling with excitement. He doeslove to see everyone! Finally, when the animals have been scooped up,jingle bells chosen and everyone is sitting comfortably, our service begins.We light our candles and sing songs that tell of God’s love for us and wethank Him for that love and for sending Jesus to be our Saviour. I can seethat our naughty little sheep and his friends are singing along and tryingvery hard with all the actions and the children are doing very well, too.They are all very lively!

We sing, “My God is so BIG”, a favourite, and we thank God for ourbeautiful world, for the love of our family and friends and the happy timesthat we spend together. Then it’s time for a quiet moment as we say ourprayers. When our service is over we all go out in to the hall to help makeour Christmas decorations. Oh what fun it is! Baubles and stickers, glitterand glue, Santas and snowmen; what a smart Christmas tree we’re goingto have! We’ve all had a go and somehow our naughty little sheep hasmanaged to get glue and glitter on his wool. Very festive! Bath nighttonight, I think! Oh, we’ve had such a good time together and our naughty little sheepand his friends and I hope that everyone will join us again on 12th

December when we will be telling “the Christmas story”, a story that wenever get tired of hearing. And the church will be full of pretty twinklyChristmas trees. Lovely!Wishing you all a very happy and holy Christmas.

God Bless Rosemary Austin.

DECEMBERSaturday 8th

10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Sunday 9th

11.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m.Mon10th to Fri 14th12 noon - 4.00 p.m.

Saturday 15th10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Sunday 16th11.30 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

CHRIST CHURCHCHRIST CHURCHCharity CHRISTMASCharity CHRISTMAS

TREE festivalTREE festival

Old Road EastGravesendDA12 1NR

RefreshmentsAvailable

Charity No.1130741


As our wonderful children’s choir is now a yearold I thought it would be a good idea to giveyou a report of everything we have achievedthroughout our first year.Helen and I are extremely proud of all oursingers and cannot quite believe how luckywe have been to have such lovely youngstersjoin our choir. They have all showncommitment, enthusiasm and flexibility andsurpassed our expectations at every level.As to the future, well we are going to go fromstrength to strength as far as I can tell. Wewill be getting more technical and intend tointroduce the Voice for Life badges, which arean accreditation from the Royal School ofChurch Music. This will mean some focussedwork on technique so will involve someSaturday workshops. These workshops willalso give us an opportunity to go over pastrepertoire with new members and those who

have changed group since first joining thechoir.We hope as time goes by we will have moreopportunities to sing with our church choir andalso with other choirs and musicians.In the beginning….Our first rehearsal saw 14 children walkedthrough the ‘devil’s door’, which was heartwarming.On the 7th November 2011 Semiquavers hadtheir first service at Christchurch Gravesend.The term continued and we learned amongstother things The Carol of the Children by JohnRutter. At the end of November theSemiquavers tee shirts were in productionready for the Christingle service.The choir went on to sing at our first concerton the 20th December 2011 when we werejoined by flautist Becky Jewis who played aduet with Helen. The ‘Cat’ duet also mewedit’s way into the programme. Withrefreshments afterwards in the hall, thisconcert was very well attended and raisedover £200 for the choir funds.Semiquavers then took part in two greatannual events at Chirstchurch, the ChristingleService where they provided a ‘loop’ of musicwhilst children created their own Christingle’sin the hall, and then helped to lead a hugecongregation with carols. It was then our jobto sing at the Christmas Eve Crib Service.This is always a beautiful service, and the

Report on the firstyear of the brandnew music groupat Christ Church


MonthlyWORKING PARTY

‘In order to save on expensive cleaning and maintenance, we hold a monthlyworking party on a Saturday morning starting at 09.30.Together we clean and tidy the church, do a bit of necessary DIY or garden-ing, have a coffee and often some home-made goodies – and finish by about11.30.We are enormously grateful to the few loyal helpers who turn up month aftermonth – but we desperately need a few more.Please consider putting the dates into your diary and coming along. All arewelcome – if you can do basic DIY please let us know in advance so that thechurchwardens can plan jobs in advance.

Working party is almost always on the 2nd Saturday of each month…NOTE the next one will be on 22 December 2012.

See you there,

Brand New Youth Choir inGravesendIf you are aged between 7 and 17and enjoy singing then comealong!

� Join a friendly group of singers

� Learn great music of differentstyles and

� Perform at concerts andservices

For further information visitwww.christchurchgravesend.org.uk

� Or call 01474 534517

Join the

New youth choir inGravesendWe meet weekly forRehearsalsat Christ ChurchTuesday evenings6.30 pm to 7.30 pm


Continued from page 13singing this year more than added to thecelebrations.Happy new year! Hallelujah!2012 started with some HARD work from thechildren. We had entered the Gravesham ArtsFestival and had a competition to prepare for!We took two pieces to the festival, Hallelujahby Lenard Cohen and All Things Bright andBeautiful by John Rutter. This involvedlearning the pieces to a very high standard,which for a new choir with inexperiencedsingers was a big ask, but the singers all roseto the occasion.We had some very constructive and positivecomments from the adjudicator and wereawarded a merit. This was a very proudmoment for all of us, especially those parentsand members of the congregation who came

to support them at the girl’s grammar school.Our first soloist ever was Eleanor Williams whohad made great strides with her singing sincejoining semiquavers. Eleanor has gone on tosing solo with us at a concert and is one of ourmost hard working and loyal members. Thankyou Eleanor.Those two competitions plus the Disney Medleyhad an airing at a last minute concert we wereinvited to perform at for the Medway Brassband at Saint George’s church Gravesend.Although we were a few down due to illnessand tickets to see Bear Grylls the choir sangbeautifully. We then realised we may need toinvest in an amplifier for singing outside ourhome.After the competition Helen and I went on acharm offensive at Holy Trinity School andKings Farm School. We visited both and did

Early days as the Semiquaversprepare for their first concert


Continued from previous page

some singing with Key Stage 2 at Kings Farm,and the whole school during worship at HolyTrinity. The Head Teacher of Holy Trinityasked us to come back with the choir to singagain, which we did later in the year (more ofthat later!). We gained some extra membersfrom these visits, we certainly know our profilewas raised in the community and we madesome good links for Christchurch.

Christ is arisen indeed!Easter Sunday was a red letter day for us aswe joined with the Christchurch Choir and theMusic Group to sing an anthem to celebrateEaster “Christ is arisen indeed” which isarranged for full choir and children’s choir.Everyone sang beautifully and it gave us a

picture of what we can do when we worktogether.Preparations then went on for the Springconcert featuring our competition songs alongwith Rockin’ Robin and Here Comes the Sun.This started a trend which one of our mum’shas pointed out to us, that Marks & Spencerhave a habit of using the songs we are singingto advertise their products! I think we shouldask them for some kind of donation!The Spring concert introduced three moresoloists from the ranks in Emily Portway,Tanya Hills and Samuel Carter. All three sangbeautifully Emily singing Morning has broken,Tanya singing Amazing grace and Samueltaking on the persona of Fagin in the ensemblepiece Pick a pocket or two. Both of these girlshave lovely strong voices and I am sure wewill be seeing much more of them in the future.Samuel is our only Baritone and although he

All dressed in the matching choir teeshirts for concert rehearsal


b

Continued from previous page

is now at college is a very loyal and committedmember of the choir. It is always a pleasureto hear him sing. We were also joined byNoriko Shorney who accompanied us and alsoplayed the organ. Noriko is extremely talentedand can make everything she plays(effortlessly) sing and dance! Thank youNoriko for your time and talents. Over 130people came along to this concert, and onceagain a goodly sum of money was raised tokeep us going.Olympic effortsThe summer was fast approaching, and withit the Queen’s jubilee and the Olympics! Webegan to learn the London Medley by GarethMalone in readiness for this momentousoccasion.We returned, with the choir, to Holy TrinitySchool. They were the last school in theborough to break up for the summer, so ontheir first day of holiday our singers met atchurch and walked down in a crocodile to HolyTrinity. They sang well to the whole school(who weren’t out on school trips) and then wewalked back. They sang THE ENTIRE WAYHOME regardless of onlookers!The choir sang at two outside events; firstly atthe EllenorLions Hospices event at SaintGeorge’s School called Twist and Shout. I wasunable to attend with this so Helen flew solo!All reports are that the singing was wonderful,even though we were not at fully strength, dueto holidays, and we used our newly purchasedamp purchased from our semiquaver fundsand church funds. The amp came in veryuseful as the EllenorLions Hospices’ soundequipment was not working so they borrowedours for the remainder of the afternoon. Thisevent was not as well attended as theyorganisers had planned but this did not deter

us. We hope to be able to sing for the hospiceagain in the future. The second outside eventwas at Cascades leisure centre for theirOlympicnic. This was on one of the hottest daysof the year and very well attended. The choirsang well and the organisers were very pleasedwith them. This was a real community eventand it was great to be included.We’re all going on a summer holidayWe broke up after a summer party in the halland pleasance including games, food andsinging. Thank you to all the parents and friendswho came along to this. The summer breakgave us a chance to take stock and prepare forthe new term. We came back full of vigour andlearned our first piece in Latin to sing at theOrgan Restoration Concert. The singerslearned this piece off the page very quickly andperformed it beautifully. They gave a rousingperformance of the Queen Medley. Wediscovered that the stage blocks give a verysatisfying bang when you stamp on them!!The autumn term has come upon us quickly andwe are preparing for an Autumn concert. Thisconcert will feature more solos from within thechoir and give you a chance to hear some ofour summer repertoire.Thank youThere are many people we need to thank formaking our first year so enjoyable andproductive.Firstly I would like to thank the children in thechoir. Some have come and gone, and weenjoyed their company whilst they sang with us.They will always be welcome at Christchurch atany time and we hope they go on to sing in thefuture. Most of our original singers who camethrough the ‘devil’s door’ are still with us. Theyare extremely generous with their time andenergy and are all very talented young people.Secondly the parents and carers, friends andfamily of our singers, who have encouraged

Gravesend Entertainment and Musical Society

present

Sing ChristmasCome along and join in

With Christmas carols and songs

St Andrew’s MissionRoyal Pier Road, Gravesend

Friday 21 December at 7.30 pm.

Tickets £5 - contact 01474 363778Tickets strictly limited


GEMS (Gravesend Entertainment and Musical Society)

SING

Christmas songs and carolsat

St Peter and St Paul Church MiltonEast Milton Road Gravesend

Friday 14 December at 7.30 pm.With audience participation

Tickets £5 - available On the DoorRefreshments available

Continued from page 17 their children, ferried them to church on 2nd

Sundays and supported us at all our events.We hope they feel part of the Chirstchurchfamily, which we feel they most definitely are.Thirdly thank must be given to the PCC andclergy at Christchurch in supporting our ideasand accommodating us in all our ventures.This was a new project for the church and onethat came somewhat out of the blue. Sue andJo have been extremely supportive and sohave the congregation as a whole. Somepeople have been surprised at the standard ofthe singing, not expecting, especially fromsuch young singers, such a wonderful sound,and that they sing everything “off the page” i.e.from memory.Fourthly I would like to thank our team ofchaperones and helpers. Chaperones allowus to get on with the music and not worry aboutthe administrivia like registers and drinks andare an extra pair of hands on stand by, andoften an extra voice to help the singers learntheir part. We would like to thank GillCampbell for all her help and support. Gillorganises the rota of chaperones and keepsall our administration up to date, creatingletters for parents and organising everythingfrom 1st aid kits to squash supplies forrehearsals. Without her help Semiquaverswould not run half as smoothly. Gill makesour jobs easy as we can concentrate on themusic knowing that everything else is undercontrol, especially selling of tickets in church!Thank you Gill.Finally I would like to thank Martin Carling andNoriko Shorney who have accompanied us onthe piano and organ at our concerts. This hasbeen a great benefit to us as we rehearse withrecorded music through the laptop andklavinova. Your playing is always wonderful

and we hope we can call on you again in thefuture.The futureThe future is bright! We have somecollaborations coming up with the church choirand music group at Christmas time and in thenew year we will be holding some Saturdaywork shops. This will be to take the singersthrough the Royal School of Church Music(RSCM) Voice for Life scheme, when they willbe awarded special RSCM badges, which aretransferrable should they join a robed choir, tothe choristers medals that are worn. We willalso then have a chance to look at techniqueand go over past repertoire. There will beanother Gravesham Arts Festival in the earlypart of 2013 and we would also like to beinvolved next summer in the Gravesend BigDay Out and are investigating this at themoment. If you have any suggestions ofevents where Semiquavers would be able tosing please do let us know by sending us anemail or messaging on facebook. Also if youhave any friends or relatives that you thinkwould enjoy singing with us, please doencourage them to come along. The more themerrier!

This report on the first year of theSemiquavers has been written by

Debbie Carter



Just a FEW OF THE MANYhelpers at the Winter Fayre


Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put on one of our best Fayre's to date!With a theme of Winter, we had a church and hall full of snowflakes and Winter cheer, Santa inNarnia, delicious mulled wine and star biscuits, a glittery snowy Christmas cake to win and allthe usual stalls, sideshows, raffles and refreshments. Best decorated stall was won by 11thMilton Brownies with their polar bears and home made snowflakes: well done!Thanks also to the approximately 200 adults and numerous children who enjoyed the fayre andhelped us to raise over £2000, almost as much as last year!


A BIG thank you for all who cameand contributed to our coffeemorning at Christ Church 14th December

10.30am-12 30pm

EllenorLions

ChristmasCoffeeMorning

AtColdharbour Road,

Northfleet

Come and Sing!As usual, we will be going around the parish onone or two days before Christmas, singingcarols at Care Homes and other hostelries…put Friday 21st December in your diary –meeting at 7pm in Church, and watch out forother dates to be announced in the News sheet.


Christ Churchpeople whohelped with thePoppyCollection atvarioussupermarkets inthe area andgave up hoursof their time

Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend February 2012

GravesendRemembranceDay ServiceHer Worshipful the Mayor ofGravesham, councillor Lyn Milner,along with members of GraveshamBorough Council, The Royal BritishLegion, Gravesend Sea Cadets,Army Cadet Corps, 402 SquadronAir Training Corps, Gravesend andDistrict Scout Association,Gravesend and District Girl GuideAssociation, St John AmbulanceBrigade the British Red Cross andother voluntary organisations alongwith members of the communitymade up the huge attendance atWindmill Gardens War Memorial onSunday 11 November


Just a portion of the more than 500 strongcongregation that attended the

remembrance day service at the WarMemorial on Sunday 11 November

Reverand JaquelineLittlewood preparesfor the start of theRemembrance Day

Service


(During this service, there will be an opportunityto remember loved ones who will be missed this

Christmas)Followed by mince pies and mulled wine

CHRISTMAS EVE 4.00 p.m. CRIB SERVICE

– A Service especially for families.Bring unwrapped presents for the

children at the women’s refuge

Monday 24 December

4.00 p.m. – Crib service11.30 p.m. – Midnight Mass

Holy Communion for

Christmas Dayat 8.00 am and at 10.00 am.


THE MUSTARD SEEDTHE Mustard Seed aims to provide an informal and friendly tea at 3.00 pmon the third Thursday of every month in Christ Church hall.

It is a new venture that offers the opportunity to meet new friends andreminisce about old times.

The Mustard Seed, as the parable says (Mark4; 3-32) is very small - likedust - but has the potential to develop into one of the largest plants.

Please join us as we plant the Mustard Seed and assist to make it flourish.Who knows what may happen!

The launch of the first Mustard Seed took place in May, and the nextgathering will be on Thursday 20 December. You are so welcome.

For further details please contact any member of the pastoral careteam. Pastoral assistants Pam Kilby, Colin Parsonson, JasmineHumphries or Curate Jo Drew

November 30 at 11.00 a.m.

Service for St Andrews Tideat St Andrews Arts Centre, Pier Road, Gravesend

FIRST STEPSIs a service especially designed for families with pre-school children, althoughall children in the family are welcome to come.We meet in the church at 1.45 pm on the second Wednesday in each monthfor a short service and then to enjoy a chat over a cup of tea.We are finished in plenty of time for parents to meet their other children fromschool.Why not come along with your children, you will be very welcome.Next date is Wednesday 12 December


Sandwiches, Toasted sandwiches,Homemade cakes, Fresh fruit, Snack bars,Fruit juices, Hot chocolate, Tea, Fresh filter

coffee

View our FAIRTRADE Goods standsThe cost of your lunch will what you consider to be a

“Fair” price for what you eat

Come and enjoy a Christmas Fairtrade Lunch at

EMMANUAL BAPTISTCHURCH

WINDMILL ST. GRAVESEND

14 DECEMBER12 noon to 2.00 p.m.

All donations will be shared between Tearfund and Tradecraft

Fairtrade Lunchstop is very grateful to the many Supermarkets andlocal & national organisations for their generous donations

THIS IS THE FINAL FAIRTRADE LUNCHSTOP Thank youfor your support

FAIRTRADELUNCHSTOP


Have you ever noticed thebeautiful flowers that deco-rate the area behind thealtar Sunday by Sunday? Ateam of flower arrangers,led by Janice Stephens,make sure this happensweek by week. To ensurethat it continues, your helpis needed. There are 2ways you can help.

· You could volunteerto arrange the flowers onthe rota – maybe you have aspecial event or celebrationyou like to remember?· You could offer to payfor the flowers for a particu-lar Sunday or Sundays –Janice or one of her teamwill then arrange them onyour behalf.Please let us know if youcan help.

Sue Brewer

3008.00 Service

10.00 Service

208.00 Service

10.00 Service

16.00Christingle

908.00 Service10.00 All age

ServiceTree Festival

16.00 Lights ofLove

16

08.00 Service10.00 ServiceLast day of

Tree Festival18.30 Lessons

and Carols

23

08.00 Service

10.00 Service

3108.00 Service

308.00 Service16.45 Service

Brownies

1008.00 ServiceTree Festival16.45 Service

Brownies

17


Brownies4 07.00 Service

16.45 ServiceCubs16.30

Semiquavers

11 07.00 ServiceTree Festival16.45 Service

CubsSemiquavers

18 07.00 Service16.45 Service

Cubs16.30

Semiquavers

25Christmas Day08.00 Service10.00 Service

510.00 service16.45 Service

Guides20.00 Mothers’

Union

1210.00 service

13.45 First Steps16.45 Service

Guides19.30 Hanukkah

1910.00 service16.45 Service

Guides

607.00 Service16.45 ServiceChoir Practice

BrowniesBeavers

1307.00 ServiceTree Festival16.45 ServiceChoir Practice

BrowniesBeavers

2007.00 Service16.45 ServiceChoir Practice

BrowniesBeavers

713.15 Parentand Toddlers16.45 Service18.30 Office

HoursScouts

14Tree Festival13.15 Parentand Toddlers16.45 Service18.30 Office

HoursScouts

2113.15 Parentand Toddlers16.45 Service19.00 Come &Sing aroundthe parish

1508.00 ServiceTree Festival

2208.00 Service9.30 Working

Party

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Highlights this month !

December


27

28

808.00 Service

Christmas TreeFestival

26


23.30Midnight Mass

29

Sunday 2 Christingle 16.00Saturday 8 Christmas Tree Festival OpensSunday 9 Lights of Love service 16.00Monday 24 Crib Service 16.00

108.00 Service

World AidsDay

Weekday ServicesHoly Communion (said)

Monday and Saturday 8am.Tuesday & Thursday 7.00am.

Wednesday 10.00am

Regular activities and youth organisationsThere are a wide variety of clubs for you:-Daily Christ Church Pre-school (2½ upwards)Monday Music Group; BrowniesTuesday Cubs and SemiquaversWednesday Guides; Mothers Union (1st Wednesday)

First Steps (under 5’s and carers) 2nd Wednesday 1.45pm

Ifield Ladies (every third Wednesday)Thursday Beavers/Brownies; Choir Practice:3.00 p.m. Mustard Seed (every third)2 - 3.30 Forgetmenot Singing 2nd & 4th Thurs afternoonFriday Scouts; Parent and ToddlerSaturday Working Party (9.30 a.m. every second)

Sunday Services8.00 am Holy Communion (said)10.00 am Communion with crèche & God’s Gang

On the 2nd Sunday All-Age serviceEvening Service - see inside magazine fordetails.

Office hoursFriday 6:30 pm until 7:30 pm

December 2012Christ Church Milton-Next-Gravesend

Registered Charity no. 1130741

For further informationContact

The Church Wardens

% .............................................................................................................................................Soroptimist International Gravesend & District – Annual Quiz – Saturday 12th Jan’ 2013Please let Sheila Knight know how many Tickets are required (Admission by Ticket only)Contact Name................................................................Tel No.....................................................Total Number attending.......................................................................................................….…..

Return to Sheila Knight, by 1st January to 2 The Downage, GRAVESEND Kent, DA11 7NBTel/fax 01474 564234 E-mail [email protected]

PLEASE INCLUDE A STAMPED ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AS TICKETS MUST BEBOOKED IN ADVANCE — SEATING IS LIMITED

A Fun Evening on Saturday 12th January 20137.00 for 7.30 p.m Prompt Start.

At Christ Church Hall, Old Road East,Gravesend. DA12 1NR

Soroptimist International ofGravesend & District

Teams -

Maximum

6 in each

Proceedsto support our Link Club

Freetown, Sierra LeoneBring yourown Snacksand Drinks

Admission by Ticket only£5.00 entry per person

Raffle

12 december 2012 - christ church€¦ · hanukkah wednesday 12th€december 2012 7.30 p.m at christ...

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