Eagle January February 2019
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Christmas Tree Festival Photos by Michael 2 From the Rectory “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people” Dear friends, After a period of waiting and preparation of Advent, we are entering into a season of celebration of the good news - joy and peace of the birth of the Christ child. Christmas often comes and goes with such force these days that it can take an effort even to recognise the ‘good news’ element of it. There is much to plan for, prepare and do, and at the end of it all some sit back and enjoy the accomplish- ment of a ‘great Christmas’ or exhausted from getting ‘Christmas’ right. A lot of what goes around Christmas have significant meanings for many of us – families coming together, times of fellowship, food, music and sharing gifts. At the centre of it all is the good news. The news that leads us from fear to peace and joy. I hope and pray this Christmas is one where we are led to such experiences of meeting the Prince of Peace and one where we seek to lead those in fear to peace and joy. Not everyone gets excited about the festivities of the season. For many, it is a challenging time. Loneliness, inadequacy, fear, grief and guilt are some of the experiences of those who find themselves out of place and left alone. The low- liness of the manger, the uncertainties and fear we see in the Christmas story gives us a glimpse of God’s nature and the nature of the hope Emmanuel brings even from the darkest corners of our lives. The message of Christmas, of joy and peace, is indeed for everyone. The Blue service held in our church in the second week of Advent captured this and provided a peaceful space for those who find Advent and Christmas a difficult season for various reasons. You will see further reflections on the Blue service in Pat Ellison’s article in the latter pages of this edition. Our Christmas events started with the Christmas Fair and Christmas Tree Festival, 3 which were organised for the first time in St John’s. Many members of the con- gregation took active roles in preparing for and organising these events. Months of preparation and planning led to a successful weekend. It was wonderful to see families and individuals coming along to the church and spending time. It was a great occasion for an active engagement with the local community – not only of those who came to see the Christmas Tree Festival and the Christmas Fair but also of those from many organisations, charities, schools and many friends who joined together with us in making it all happen. It was particularly encouraging to see that these events led to significant conversations with some guests who visited. Carol James who spearheaded the Christmas Tree Festival has detailed more in this edition. Hop, Skip and Jump nursery has been busy preparing for their Christmas service. It’s been great fun rehearsing a few carols with the children. I look forward to their Christmas party and nativity. The nursery also took a special interest in our efforts to support the local Food Bank’s Christmas Appeal and spread the news to the parents. This contributed to a considerable increase of items in our collec- tion point. The thoughtful move from the nursery staff and the enthusiasm of the parents and their generosity are greatly appreciated. It is worth reminding ourselves that these small efforts are aimed at addressing local poverty. Looking much wider, we are supporting the Church of South India’s flood relief work in Kerala as part of our global engagement. The collection from this year’s Christmas carol service will be in aid of the efforts of the church in Kerala to re- build lives after the devastating floods a few months ago. The appeal I wrote to the College of Bishops drawing attention to this was circulated throughout the province and several churches have responded with generous contributions. I am pleased that we are joining them and are part of the efforts in making a pos- itive difference in the lives of those in extremely difficult circumstances this Christmas. Keeping children and young people in mind, we are organising a Family Nativity Service on Christmas Eve jointly with the Forres Youth and Family Outreach, a project of the St Leonard’s Church. Again, another first and a lot of unknowns. But I am confident this would be another opportunity to celebrate Christmas and to bring home the message of Christmas to children and young people, hopefully in a language and style accessible to them. This has proved a great opportunity to work closely with other churches in town, a small step in the di- rection of ecumenical co-operation for joint initiatives. There is scope for fur- 4 thering this co-operation, particularly in the area of ministry with children. There are some early thoughts on this subject. So, watch the space! Another development set to start in January is the opportunity of ministry in two of the local care homes. Plans are in place to conduct monthly services in Cathy and Meadowlark care homes. I am encouraged by the warm welcome I have re- ceived in both these places. I look forward to engaging with the residents through these services as we extend St John’s services into the community. Soon we will find ourselves in the New Year, 2019! New opportunities and new challenges await us as we continue our journey with Christ as a community of his disciples. A journey in which there will be continued revelation, as on the epipha- ny of our Lord. May we together as a family of God travel along in this journey, guided by the star of hope, dazzled by the angelic choir and filled with the joy of the sight and presence of Christ child, the Prince of peace! “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy”. Every blessing for a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year. Hamilton. Flower Sponsorship It has been suggested (and subject to discussion in Vestry) that people might like to have a loved one or special event remembered by providing flowers for a particular week; a suggested donation might be £20. A signup list could be made available in the back of church for the scheme; if you are a UK Tax payer, you could Gift Aid your donation in a yellow gift aid envelope (marked flower donation). You can remain anonymous with your donation if you so wish and you will also be able to write a short note about your dedication for the maga- zine, this is an example:- Flower Dedication 12th October ~ Trinity 17 Robert and Margaret Menzies Our Wedding Anniversary Schemes like this are used by a number of churches, and helps to increase the churches income with only a small administrative overhead. Hopefully with ves- try approval this scheme could be up and running early in 2019. Comments to the Editor please, of course this scheme would not operate in Advent or Lent. 5 6 Mothers’ Union Our members and friends will be aware that we have been collecting for Mary’s Meals since October 2017. The exciting news is that with our most recent donation to this worthwhile cause, acknowl- edgment reproduced opposite, we have now raised over £1,500 by the generosity of members’ at our monthly meetings, well as at the Tea/Coffee after the 10.00am Sunday Eucharist and 10am Thursday Eucharist. This means that the St John’s Mothers’ Union initiative has allowed 152 extra children to be provided with a hot meal at their schools throughout the third world. Even more excitingly we learn from Daniel Adams, the Execu- tive Director of Mary’s Meals, UK that they have incredible news! From early December until 1 March 2019, donations to our Double The Love appeal are being matched by the UK government, up to f2 million. What a wonderful opportunity to fill even more empty tummies and to share a world of learning and possibility with vulnerable children across Zambia. For so many children in Zambia today, working, begging or foraging for food to survive is a daily reality that eclipses any dreams of attending school. With your kindness, we are keeping the hope of a brighter future alive for the little ones we serve, including10-year-old Eneless. Amazingly, for one so young, Eneless is able to see beyond the daily struggles and is working hard at school, nourished by the simple mug of hot phala (porridge) she enjoys with her classmates each morning. "Porridge makes me powerful and strong because I know it is good for me. I used to be hungry but know when I eat, I feel good and I'm able to learn," says Eneless. Having discovered a passion for learning and the joy of finding out more about the world around her, this little girl now dreams of becoming a teacher herself. "School is important so I can get educated and be able to care for my parents when I am older. My favourite subjects are maths and social studies. I would love to be a teacher, I want to teach primary maths." What a joy it is to hear Eneless talk with such enthusiasm about the hope she finds in the classroom, full of energy provided by the meal your donation is helping to make possible.