Good News Parish Magazine December 2020 High Downs
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Good News Parish Magazine December 2020 High Downs Parish Serving the villages of Eastling, Otterden, Stalisfield and Throwley for current and past editions go to: http://www.goodnews.rf.gd CHRISTMAS 2020 A Candlelit Carol Service will be held on Stalisfield, St. Mary’s 20th December at 5pm, We will be holding the following service at at our beautiful church St Mary’s Church and would be delighted for St Michael and All Angels, you to come and celebrate. Throwley. Midnight Mass The Throwley Choir will sing for us Thursday 24th December, (sadly congregations are not allowed to 11.30pm sing at this time) and there will be Covid safeguards will be in place for the Christmas readings. Please would you let safety of all and, for this reason, seating in me (gaynoremoss @hotmail.com) know if the church is limited. We would ask that you will be joining us and how many you inform Jean West if you would like to people are in your group. This will help attend the service by leaving a message on us work out how to arrange the seating 01233 712270 or email: to keep everyone safe. [email protected] We look forward to welcoming you all. Please include in the Also on message how many you Christmas Day at will be and your phone 10.00am n u m b e r i n c a s e o f for Family Communion cancellation. You are required to wear All services are subject to current a face mask in church Covid-19 government guidelines Further information: churchofengland.org/coronavirus EASTLING CAROLS IN THE CAR PARK Christmas Eve at 4.30pm Come and join us in the church car park on Christmas Eve for a service of Carols and Readings in the open air. Our first ever outdoor carol service means everyone can sing the carols providing we all stay in our family bubbles, and keep to the 2m social distance at all times. If you would like to attend please email [email protected] with your name, address and the number in your bubble by Midnight on Friday 18th DECEMBER. You will receive an email back by Monday 21st December if we can allocate places. Words for the carols and service order will be emailed to you to use on your device when you attend, printed sheets will also be available. Please pray for good weather Bring your own torches and wrap up warm. Christmas 2020 or not? I am writing in a week when there has been quite a bit of talk of Christmas. Will the infection rate be down enough to allow families to meet up for Christmas? What will the Government be allowing whilst trying to balance what is happening with Covid? This same week we have been wrestling with what we might or might not be able to do as Churches. Our buildings are currently closed during the second lockdown - will December bring a re-opening? How do we plan Christmas Services in this uncertain time? Will we still be unable to sing? What does that mean for carols? How do we keep safe this Christmas Time? Our friend Hans Hentschel sent me this painting this week: The banner over the road reads: Risk Area Hans made the comment: Christmas is coming - No risk, no faith… Christmas 2020 will still happen in one way or another. December 25th is Christmas Day and is the day we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Whilst God was in control, the whole venture was not without risk surely. A difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in late pregnancy, no place to stay, a baby born in an area where the animals were kept - what happened to those sterile trays So whilst I continue to pray for a healing from midwives use today? - the angels this Covid pandemic, we can still remember appearing to the shepherds - those smelly what Christmas is truly about. shepherds coming to visit - wise men from the East with their gifts of Gold, The gift of that baby boy to the world, God’s gift Frankincense and Myrrh, returning home a to us and somehow remembering that this different way so Herod didn’t know where Christmas seems more poignant than ever. Jesus was - the family then fleeing to God bless you this Christmas time, Egypt to protect the baby. Steve Lillicrap, Rector. Prayer Pointers Hugh Perks Sue, Victoria and Oliver would December 2020 like to say how touched they have been by the friendship, Mondays - Looking ahead to the lives of all babies born this year. kindness and many offers of Tuesdays - Looking ahead to the Corvid - 19 vaccination programme help they have received during worldwide. Hugh’s long illness and since Wednesdays - Looking ahead to businesses as we leave the EU. his death on 27th October. Thursdays - Looking ahead to serving God in 2021. Thank you. Fridays - Looking ahead to the unemployed having work again. Given current restrictions Saturdays - Looking ahead to families being together again. there will be a private Sundays - Looking ahead to glorious HOPE of our new life in Jesus. cremation. High Downs Parish Sunday Services Rector Reverend Canon Dr. Steve Lillicrap 01795 522510 [email protected] Every Sunday at Lynsted 9.00am Morning Prayer Reader Norman Fowler (01795 890412) 6pm Breakthrough 4 Meesons Close, Eastling Reader Caroline Ramshaw (07799 538809) 6th December Advent 2 4 Glebe Cottages, Eastling 2 Peter 3. 8 - 15a, Mark 1. 1 - 8 Eastling 10.30am Holy Communion by ext Churchwardens Eastling Andrew Baxter (01795 890598) 13th December Advent 3 Administrator Janet Payne E mail: [email protected] 1 Thessalonians 5. 15 - 24 John 1. 6-8, 19-28 Stalisfield with Otterden Throwley 10.30am Morning Prayer Jean West (01233 712270) Administrator Sheila Moger (01233 463746) 20th December Advent 4 E mail: [email protected] Romans 16. 25 - 27, Luke 1. 26 - 38 Throwley Gaynore Moss (01795 890995) Eastling 10.30am Morning Worship Parish Office Email: [email protected] facebook.com/highdownsbenefice Throwley 5.00pm Carol Service From The Registers 24th December Christmas Eve Hebrews 1. 1-4 [5-12], John 1. 1 - 14 Sue Gaind Funeral 7th September 2020 at Stalisfield Eastling 4.30pm Carols in the Car Park Interment of Ashes 12th September at Stalisfield Stalisfield 11.30pm Holy Communion by ext CONTACT THE GOOD NEWS EDITOR Christmas Day Hilary Harlow 01795 890338 Titus 2. 11 - 14, Luke 2. 1-14 [15-20] If you would like submit articles or stories, or to advertise in Throwley 10.00am Holy Communion by ext the January 2021 magazine, send your submission by 20th December to: [email protected]. 27th December Christmas 1 Past and current issues of the Good News may be viewed on ccgi.northdowns.plus.com/goodnews or Galatians 4. 4 - 7, Luke 2. 15 - 21 www.goodnews.rf.gd Newnham 10.30am Holy Communion Online Daily Worship Continues Other December services around the Kingsdown and Creekside parish can be As well as the services in our churches, the daily found at 9am Morning Prayer at Lynsted will continue and be live online on www.kingsdowncreekside.co.uk www.kingsdowncreekside.co.uk - also on the YouTube Channel ‘Breakthrough at Lynsted’. More information is updated weekly on St Mary’s Eastling ‘A Church Near You’: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11982/ Churches Open for Private Prayer Throwley and Eastling church buildings will continue to be open for private prayer. St Michael and All Angels, St Mary, Eastling Throwley Tuesdays, Thursdays Wednesdays and Sundays and Sundays 10am till dusk 11am - 2pm Volunteer of the Year runner-up Kent Fire and Rescue Service Congratulations to Tracey Smith, who has been crowned this year’s Volunteer of the Year Runner- up. Tracey has undertaken a variety of roles since joining as a volunteer just over two years ago and has proven to be a very capable, smart, enthusiastic and committed member of the team. A member of the Volunteer Response Team Tracey was nominated for her excellent customer support at a recent incident. She is also recognised for the humanitarian work she carried out with Age UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to deliver meals to those in need. Tracey regularly puts herself forward for volunteer duties and is an invaluable member of the KFRS team - well done! Thank You and Well Done to everyone who has supported Stalisfield Village Hall by registering with Give as you Live With your help The Stalisfield Village Hall Trust has raised another £100 in free funds. They’ve now raised an amazing £605.46 via Give as you Live - this is all down to people like you shopping and raising. Go to www.giveasyoulive.com to register and help Stalisfield village hall as you shop. Eastling Neighbourhoodrhood Watch Village Warden 07794 010 394 !!!Faversham Foodbank December 2020 or 01795 890848 URGENT !!! Thank you for your contributions. The team at Faversham Police 101 Emergency 999 Foodbank have let us know that 45% more people asked for help from September to October and they expect a further increase in requests in the During the months of September/ months ahead. It is dreadful to think of anyone needing help to feed October there were countless themselves and their families at this time of year as many of us tuck in to a reports of hare coursing, driving hearty Christmas dinner. The items the Foodbank is short of are listed below. through seeded fields, poaching Please continue to drop these off at the Carpenters Arms, during open and many other problems around hours, or at collection points in our local supermarkets.