50p THE CROSSLET A church sponsored community newsletter for the villages of Landcross, Littleham, Monkleigh and Weare Giffard Foxy Window Cleaning AHJ CURTIS To advertise in this space Reliable Service Please phone YOUR LOCAL RELIABLE BUILDER 25 Years Experience 01237 479210 Est. Over 20 Years All Frames & Sills Cleaned 1 off advert £5 STONEWORK PLASTERING PATIOS ROOF REPAIRS Single £30 per year also ALLGutters WORK CONSIDERED and Fascias Double £60 per year Free Quotes! QUALITY WORK AT ALL TIMES 01237 42062307890 or 34976207977668164 7 Queen St Bideford To advertise in this space Please phone Day centre for01237 the 479210 homeless and those in need. We would welcome1 off advert gifts £5 of tinned food, clothing,Single shoes, £30 per bedding year and Double £60 per year toiletries - and support in any form. 01237 423891 [email protected] To advertiseHair in We this spaceAre To advertise in this space Please phone Please phone Unisex 01237 Hair479210 Salon 01237 479210 Wig consultation and Personalisation1 off advert £5 1 off advert £5 SingleServices £30 per year Single £30 per year Double £60 per year Double £60 per year 21 South Street Torrington Devon WOOD’S ENGINEERING Dunn Farm, Littleham 01237 473338 AGRICULTURAL & HORTICULTURAL SALES & REPAIRS Collection and return of all Horticultural Machinery [e.g. lawnmowers, rotovators etc] for repair or servicing can be arranged if required. 2 DATES FOR YOUR DECEMBER DIARY Tuesdays 6pm till 7pm Gentle Yoga Weare Giffard Village Hall DECEMBER Wed 2nd 5 Parish Advent Course (see p. 5) Thu 3rd Online Taize Service from Landcross Sat 5th Takeaway rolls W.G. Village Hall 10-12 noon Fri 11th Start date for Littleham Lantern Light-up (see p. 14) Sat 12th Takeaway Christmas Rolls W.G. V.Hall noon - 2 pm Wed 16th 5 Parish Advent Course (see p. 5) Sat 19th Knit and Natter W.G. Village Hall 10-12 noon Sun 27th Online service of reflection from St George’s Monkleigh For all services (Online and Actual) see P.28 and be sure to check social media / emails and village websites for alterations / additions. ADVANCE NOTICE FEBRUARY Saturday February 13th Weare Giffard Village walk with David Moore. Everybody welcome. Donations to Holy Trinity Church January Crosslet th NOTE: Deadline for contributions: 10 December Please send your emails to: [email protected] Or phone 01237 479459 3 Dear Friends, We’ll soon be into the preparations for Christmas. As I’m writing this, we don’t know what that will look like, and Christmas is probably going to be difficult for many people this year. In our churches we continue to pray for each other and our communities, for the NHS, for our own United Kingdom and for the world. Advent is the time of preparation for Christians – it’s a very special time of waiting and watching. Christ comes as a light into the darkness of the world – many Nativity paintings echo this theme. Advent looks back to the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Jewish faith and forward to what Christians believe are the enduring promises of God to be with us, and suffer with us, in all things. Just as we commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus in our Eucharist, so we commemorate the joy of his birth, which can’t be dimmed and provides us with hope even in dark days. It’s been a roller coaster for the Ministry team in recent days, with the closure of our churches for a second time and the restriction on Remembrance Sunday and other services. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all our veterans and serving officers who gave up their time so generously to go around the parishes, to help lead the service and to read lessons and prayers for us. Your help and support was very much appreciated. In a mad few days we also pre-recorded a number of our Christmas services in case further restrictions prevented us getting together for services at Christmas time. The introduction of a full- sized (human) inflatable turkey into the Christingle story was an interesting twist… In the midst of everything, we’d forgotten to have fun. It’s prompted us to set up Christmas ‘socials’ for the team and our PCCs. We’re also hoping to set up cribs in our parishes, and if possible, some Covid-safe carol singing. We have planned for some of our Christmas services to continue on-line (see the back page for details) and are hoping that we may be able to have some live services in due course. If you would like to hear the Christmas story in a blend of readings, poems and Carols, then do join our Zoom Carol service(s) to have a good sing-a- long at home (with nibbles and a glass of mulled wine or spiced orange as well). You can get a link from the Church Office on 01237 474078. Andrew and others will keep us updated on community social media about what is happening, so do look out for these announcements in the early part of December. And here we must say another huge thank you to Andrew for all his expertise and support not only with the Crosslet, but so many other projects. Andrew, we would be lost without you, your support and cheerfulness has been invaluable. 4 Christmas will happen in spite of Covid – and the blessings it brings are love, family, compassion and care for others, a marking of the turning of the year from darkness to light, and the remembering of hope. Some will have been hit by loss, bereavement, anxiety or financial worries – we remember you and pray for you. Some will have seen the new joy of a grandchild, a marriage, a new and rewarding stage in an existing relationship. Some may have experienced something of each. God speaks to us in all that we experience: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”’ My hope is that you will find something of the spirit of Christmas to cheer you in these difficult times and that however we find ourselves sharing it with family, friends or others we love we remember to tell them how much they mean to us. So go for it – put up the tree, drape the kitchen in lights, give generously to charity, phone a friend, belt out some Christmas hits, indulge your Christmas fancies – and do join us for Carols, the Crib service and the Midnight Mass on line – we’d love to see you…. If anyone sees an adult-size inflatable turkey disguised as a local vicar, do let us know – we’ve lost one… Rev’d Marisa 5P ADVENT COURSE via Zoom!!!!! On Wednesday 2nd and 16th December you are invited to join the team in watching the Advent sermon from Exeter Cathedral, followed by discussion and Compline together. For details please email Debbie on [email protected] 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, We have decided to keep the Crosslet as an online publication for the immediate future but may review this later next year. Consequently the £5 subscription charge will be waived for 2021. This also means that distributors are not put at any risk having to come round and collect subscriptions in person. I hope you all understand this. On a sad note, I’m very sorry to announce that Reverend Gordon Hansford has passed away. Gordon was Rector of the four parishes from 1986 to 1999. He served these villages well and will be fondly remembered by many of you. We send our condolences to Jean and the family. Andrew ANNOUNCEMENT RE ECCLESIASTICAL INSURANCE SCHEME Many of you will know that our churches have been hit hard financially by extended closures. Our PCCs are working really hard to do all they can, including coming up with some really brilliant and innovative fund-raising ideas. But you can help too, whether by giving a donation or setting up a modest direct debit – or if any insurances are coming up for renewal, by exploring the cover from Ecclesiastical insurance, which covers many of our churches but also provides domestic and other policies. Ecclesiastical is a financial services group that exists to give its profits to charity – you can browse their website here: https://www.ecclesiastical.com/corporate-responsibility For each new home insurance policy, clients can nominate their local church to receive a payment from Ecclesiastical of £130.00. One such payment might cover 50% of the monthly deficit of one of our churches, so do please consider this as a way of supporting the presence of the church in your community.