TODAY - Sunday 1st December, 1st Sunday in Advent Theme: Gift of peace; Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7 At the Centre 10.30am Morning Worship (Ken speaking, Martin Hallett leading) At the Parish Church 9am Holy Communion (Malcolm Haigh speaking, Nikki Eastwood leading) 1st December 2019 11.00am 2G@11, Baptism & Toy Service (Steph Warrell speaking, Nikki Eastwood leading) Sensory Sunday (Church Hall) We welcome everyone to our services today. Please do come to say ‘Hello’ to the 6.30pm Sundays @ 7 with Lynn Connolly Welcome Team at each of our services.

For Your Diary this week: Mon: 8-8.30am Start the Week with prayer in Church So this is Christmas…. 9.15am Tots’ Spot at the Centre This week is the first week of Advent, a time of preparing, looking forward and waiting. At 12.30pm Monday Makers in the North Room the doors of where we gather for our Upton and Massie worship this Sunday 7.45pm PCC Meeting in the West Room there are some booklets about what Christmas really means and why Christmas matters.

Tue: 10.15am Reading Group at the Centre The booklets start like this: 2pm Bible Study Class in West Room ‘So I woke up, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and announced to my wife: 3pm Advent Songs of Praise in Church Hall “Happy Christmas! We’re going to Bethlehem!” Wed: 11am Holy Communion followed by sandwich lunch in the West Room Bethlehem was only seven miles from our Jerusalem guesthouse. We would get to stand 4pm Open Hour with Clergy in the Welcome Area there and imagine a pregnant woman and her husband arriving 2,000 years ago, right 6.30pm Faith Building/Building Faith Prayer in Church there in these streets, looking for somewhere to stay as the labour pains started. Thur: 9.15am Dots to Tots in the Church Hall 10am Our Place Cafe at the Centre We’d get to look at the fields and imagine the shepherds out there with their sheep , in those very fields. 10.15am Meet at St Mary’s for Elderbranch Christmas Lunch 10.15am Reading Group in the West Room 1.30pm Babble and Bounce in the West Room It would be marvelous. What could go wrong? 4pm Fuse in the Church Halls Here’s what went wrong. I had forgotten there was a field in the way.’ Fri: 1.30pm Friday Friends in the Garden Room Sat: 3.30pm So THIS is Christmas in Church Building To find out the rest of the story, open the book ‘So this is Christmas’. They are free and made to be picked up, read and given away. Simples. Take one, read it and then give the NEXT WEEK - Sunday 8th December, 2nd Sunday in Advent booklet to someone else who wants to know the meaning of Christmas. Theme: Gift of name; Reading: Matthew 1: 1-24

At the Centre Thanks be to God for his gift of Jesus – the King in the straw. For to us a child is born, to 10.30am Morning Worship (Nikki Eastwood speaking, Jill Mills leading) us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders . And he will be called At the Parish Church Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 9am Morning Prayer (Steph Warrell speaking, Graham Morris leading)

11.00am Morning Worship (Steph Warrell speaking, Graham Morris leading) Grace and peace this Advent 6.30pm Holy Communion (Dave Wood speaking; Nikki Eastwood leading) Revd Nikki Eastwood (Vicar)

We offer gluten free wafers and non alcoholic wine at our communion services. Please ask Our vision: the person offering the bread and wine if you would like to receive communion in this way. Making a difference wherever we are as we share ‘Faith for Life’ in Jesus. The collect for the 1st Sunday of Advent Almighty God, St Mary's Parish Church, 2 Church Road, Upton, Wirral. CH49 6JZ.Tel: 0151 677 1186 as your kingdom dawns, turn us from the darkness of sin to the [email protected] Web: www.stm-upton.org.uk. light of holiness, that we may be ready to meet you St Mary’s Centre, 127-129 Saughall Massie Road, Upton CH49 4LA in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

ST MARY’S VERSE FOR THE YEAR Welcome to St Mary’s and The Centre May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith, and may we be rooted If you are a visitor, a special welcome, and we hope you enjoy your and established in love. EPHESIANS 3 :17 time here as we worship God together. Please make yourself known to us and complete one of the Visitor Cards. EVENTS AND INFORMATION FOR CHILDREN We can then contact you if you would like us to. AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Our next Messy Church will be held on TODAY from 3-5pm in REMEMBER to start the week with prayer in church on Mondays 8-8.30am. the Parish Church. This time, we are going with the theme of Also the Faith Building/Building Faith prayer time every Wednesday 6.30-7.30pm. 'Messy Christingle.' If know of a family who would enjoy coming A SELECTION OF CHRISTMAS ITEMS from the Christian Bookshop will be available for sale until along, why not invite them? There will be the usual mixture of TODAY. Monies to be placed in an envelope (provided) and posted into the metal box at the activities, games, a Bible story, and picnic- style tea. side of the cupboards. *************

ADVENT SONGS OF PRAISE - CAROLS AND CAKE will be held on Tuesday 3rd December from FUSE Volunteers needed 3pm until 3:30pm. Everyone is very welcome. Any queries please contact ruth@stm- Are you free on a Thursday afternoon? Would you like to come and help primary upton.org.uk. 677 1186 ext 1025 school children learn about Jesus, and build relationships with them through

SUNDAYS AT SEVEN: TODAY our guest at Sundays@Seven is Lyn Connolly. Lyn is a Liverpool games, craft and chat? Then Fuse could be the perfect opportunity for you. Fuse girl who lost her beloved son Paul (aged 28) in a horrific knife attack in Liverpool in 2002. She is runs from 4pm to 5pm every Thursday in term-time and we would love to have a a deeply committed Christian who with her husband Mick has tried to show love and couple more people on the team in 2020. Please email [email protected] if compassion by visiting offenders in prison in the area. Come and listen to Lyn's you'd be interested (this role would require a DBS certificate, which the church story of forgiveness and hope for the future. would organise for you). Thank you :)

So THIS is Christmas: We will be running our usual Christmas Event called - So THIS is Christmas- on Saturday 7th December, 3:30-6:30pm. We’ll be screening the 2018 animated For your prayers film The Grinch and the OffPitch choir will be performing. There’ll be great food, mince pies This week’s Missionary Prayer Link: ARocha Portugal / Marcel & Paula Felgueiras and mulled wine - do come along!

HELEN BRAY WRITES - Residents of Upton, , Saughall Massie, Overchurch & roads Those acutely ill at home or in hospital: off Manor Drive & others affected by the reduction in local bus services to bring them into the Dennis James, Stephen Beard, Peter Halliwell, Peter Harris Village, are invited to join members of Upton Village Community Group, at St Mary’s Church John Platt (Vida’s husband), Louise Simms (Terry & Ruth Stonley’s daughter) David Wood (Dave’s father) . on Wednesday 4th December, from 5.00 - 7.00 pm, with refreshments available from 4.30. ‘The Last Bus to Upton’ is a project developed by local people, from Upton & Woodchurch, Those recently bereaved working with 3rd year degree students from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, who are The family and friends of Miranda Harris, Chris and Susanna Naylor, on the ‘Theatre for Democracy’ Course. The performances will prompt a discussion, between Alec Clark and Daniel Evans interested parties, about what Upton has to offer & how it can be better promoted & made Memorial Flowers more accessible for all. For more information please see flyers available at The Centre & on the Welcome Desk. This week are from Joan Clark and family In loving memory of CAROL SINGERS NEEDED…Wednesday 11th Dec: in the Willows pub 4.30pm. Alec Clark Saturday 21st Dec: through the Overchurch Estate to the Centre. 1-2.30pm. Saturday 14th Dec: at the Centre, Community Concert 2- 3pm. Please give names to the office or Fiona THE CHURCH CHRISTMAS CARD will be available for you to sign at all services.The concept of 07762594475. Many thanks, Fiona. this church family card is that your donations (reflecting savings on individual cards) enable us to send a meaningful gift to a specific world church link. This year all the money raised will go to supporting medical and dental students who attend Karen and Stush Nyongesa’s church in the Gambia.