Sword January 2010
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Christmas 2009 New Year 2010 S W ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CHURCH (Anglican) Mildred Ave. / Durban Rd. O Watford R D L E P PARISH MAGAZINE WEST WATFORD FREE CHURCH (Baptist) Price ‘Church opposite the shops’ 60p Tolpits Lane, Watford 1 Wishing all our readers a Joyful Christmas and Peaceful New Year A Pastoral Letter....... Dear beloved, Christmas is a time of happiness, and nobody is an outsider to this happiness, because we all have common cause for rejoicing the arrival of God among us. It is the most wonderful time of the year and, for many of us, it is made even more special by the time we get to spend with the people we love, the fun we have together and the festive traditions that are part and parcel of it all. For example if you are travelling this Christmas to friends and family, it is likely that you may join the army of people taking the train; there is something very festive about sitting in a carriage full of fellow Christmas travellers all with cases and bags loaded with carefully wrapped Christmas presents. Others will be loading up the car and taking to the road as soon as they finish their work on Christmas Eve which is a bit of fun. Again if may be everyone is heading over to your place for Christmas break, you may be anxiously awaiting the sound of a car pulling up outside or a call asking to be picked up from the train station. But when you all come together, be sure to make the most of this special time of the year. Relax, and take time to realize just why your friends or family are so special. So as a Christian what does Christmas mean to you? Like Anna and Simon before us it is a time for our hearts to leap for joy as we celebrate God’s coming in Christ, it is a time for celebrations and reflecting on God’s love. Again it is a time to remember the past, so that we might discover God in the present and find faith for the future. Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year From, Fr. Geoff, Martin, Violet and Me. Fr. George 2 Funerals 17th November 2009 GILL STANLEY grew up in Harrow and spent most of her working days in banking, working as a cashier. She met her future husband, John at a dance in Watford Town Hall and they married in 1966. They lived first of all in West Watford, later moving to Knutsford Avenue. She was a very vivacious and out going lady who was specially interested in painting, making cards, seeing her family - and in Boxer dogs. Gill leaves two daughters, Jackie and Yvonne, and we send them and their families our sincere sympathy. Violet MONTHLY BRING AND BUY SALES We would like to thank Bob and Iola Bilson and all who supported these sales this year. You helped raise the sum of £526 – which is £108 down on last year, but it is money that helps the church a lot, so your support is most welcome. If you are interested in statistics – this is the twenty-fifth year of Bring and Buy sales. In that time £14,150 has been raised. It has gone to the Major Works Fund and the Church General Fund, some also went towards the Organ Fund in the early 1990’s. this figure doesn’t include the money for the Christingles. Where those years have gone we don’t know, but without your help that sum wouldn’t have been raised, so thank you so much. Yours most sincerely, Sylvia Moring & Norma Twitchin ST MICHAEL’S MOTHERS’ UNION DIARY Thursday 21st January Corporate Communion in the Lady Chapel followed by a meeting in the choir vestry for coffee. Bring along to the meeting something you treasure for it’s ‘historical’ or ‘sentimental’ value and be prepared to tell the group why you keep it (this is just for fun). Pat Gandy 3 CHOIR GIRLS RECEIVE THEIR RSCM RIBBONS As reported in last month’s SWORD December 6th was a special day for our 4 young choristers as they received their first RSCM certificates and ribbons . This followed their regular training sessions with Kristine, to whom we owe a big thank you for giving of her time, her knowledge, and her skills. It is a long time since we had young people in our choir and it was interesting to note that one of the girls is now wearing the blue cassock bearing a name tab which reads - Peter Adams ! As many of you will now Peter is now in his first year at Bristol University reading Music. How time flies. Anusha, Manjula, Tina and Rachel will now continue working with Kristine on the next stages of the RSCM Voice for Life scheme and we look forward to the changing of the white ribbons to light blue and the light blue to dark blue. There is a lot for our girls to learn to be an active part of the choir, various mass settings, hymns, worship songs and anthems. This on top of their various in school, and out of school, activities. It has been good to watch them gain in confidence and take a greater part in our regular services. Being part of a choir is a wonderful training in many ways and we would love to have more young people joining us - boys and girls - so if you know anyone please encourage them to give us a try. We still have Lesley Rees, not too far away, ready to get out her sewing machine for some more cassocks and surplices.! Pat Beach 4 ANOTHER EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT ! SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2010 Following our article in last month’s Sword Kristine and I are anticipating a flood of responses as soon as the Christmas and New Year festivities are over. (by 23rd January at the latest - PLEASE!) We would love to hear from those of you who would:- (alone or with others) - !) Be able to offer a MAXIMUM of 5 minutes entertainment - singing, music, poetry, story, juggling, magic, something else?! - whatever talent you may have been hiding ! 2) Would be prepared to help with setting up/clearing away. 3) Buy a ticket - £5 - (free for children with an accompanying adult). We need an audience! 4) Advertise the event to friends/neighbours/relatives - invite them to join us . Posters and handbills will be in church shortly. Food - a pot luck supper - just make something or buy something and be prepared to add it to the supper table for all to share. Drink - bring your own - we may be able to provide tea/coffee if we can find 2 willing volunteers. Please come along and share some relaxing and enjoyable time together - all talk of credit crunch and bad weather is banned ! Pat Beach and Kristine Jenkins - 01923 247982/463263 5 St Michael & All Angels Church Mildred Ave. Watford,WD18 7DY www.stmichaels-watford.org.uk 11.15 Service Sunday 10 January 11.15am Simple Eucharist Service of Thanksgiving & Praise for Epiphany 6 ADVENT WORKSHOP, November 28th 2009 A group of adults and children gathered in church on a cold, clear Saturday morning for the Advent workshop. The theme was the Three Wise Men, but the children also heard a story about Advent and waiting. There were various activities for the children to get on with when they first arrived. They made Advent stars with Vanessa Kimberley out of twigs which were sprayed gold; iced biscuits with Anne Eccleshall; a lovely, big collage with Sarah Dunning of the Three Wise Men; table decorations with Gillian Heath in the shape of crowns; and shiny, glittery crowns with Kristine Jenkins. The workshop finished with a short service; Fr Geoff told us a story about waiting and said some prayers with us. We sang some songs and Jane did a quiz about the Three Kings. Afterwards, Pat Ricketts and Pat Gandy had prepared a lovely spread which was greatly enjoyed by us all. By the time we had tidied up, the weather had turned to heavy rain. Still, it was lovely to be in church with the sun streaming through the windows during the morning. Both adults and children enjoyed each others’ company; the fruits of our labours can be seen around the church. Kristine Jenkins FINAL COPY DATE FOR FEBRUARY SWORD:- Midday on Sunday 24th January 2010 Please submit copy before this date if possible - hard copy, floppy disc or e-mail to [email protected] 7 A DATE FOR YOUR 2010 DIARY On Saturday 6th March 2010 Radlett Choral Society will be returning to St Michael and All Angels Church for their spring concert. Accompanied by the New Mozart Orchestra and professional soloists they will perform a programme including Schubert: Stabat Mater Brahms: Alto Rhapsody Mendelssohn: excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Further details later - for now just a date for your new (2010) diary. PUBLICITY At the last meeting of the Publicity Committee we were discussing ways in which we could make St Michael’s and its various activities better known across the Parish. To this end we are aiming to set up a list of places where we could display a poster about our regular activities, or about special events, leave handbills, etc (preferably free of charge!). We are asking everyone to share in compiling such a list and, where possible, to undertake the placing of items as they are made ready. So .... If you have a window which can be seen by passers- by, know a friendly shopkeeper, hairdresser, dentist, doctor, school, etc.