Ibrahim Jaber, a Palestinian Christian living in Beit Sahour, has sent this Christmas message: “The little town of Bethlehem looks gloomy in spite of all the Christmas decorations that the local authorities are adding to it. Yes, wherever one goes in the town one will notice these decorations. But still the JOY of Christmas and […]
The Christmas Spiders
Our young people have been busy decorating our Christmas tree entry for the Festival at St Philip and St James’ this coming weekend (9-11 December). The theme of our entry will be ‘The Christmas Spiders’, based on a story by Stephanie Herbek. The children in Loaves and Fishes and the Little Rainbows group made the […]
Advent
Lord, when You came to us, the world was dark: The land of Israel under Roman rule, Your precious laws obscured by man-made codes And all the people prey to hate and fear. You came, a human child, to set them free And to proclaim God’s grace and sovereignty. Jesus, our world is dark, so […]
Christmas Tree Festival – Come and Vote!
This year, for the first time, we will be entering the Christmas Tree Festival at St Philip and St James Church. Our tree will be designed by Loaves and Fishes and Little Rainbows, and they will also be making the decorations. So we need as many people as possible to come and vote for our […]
Five Gold Rings
“On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me – five… gold… rings…” Adopting this title for her book, Anna Jeffery invited a few prominent people to select their own five gold rings, ie favourite poem, book, place, person, plus their philosophy of life. The result is a very thought-provoking anthology. A […]
Introducing our Interim Moderator
A message from our Interim Moderator, Revd Iain Stewart: Having been appointed as your Interim Moderator, it was thought good that I gave you a little of my background. As you may know, I come from Scotland, a highlander, from Ardnamurchan (you can look it up!). I have served churches in Scotland, as a Church […]
Christmas Stamps
The Royal Mail have recently issued their Christmas Stamps for 2011. These beautiful stamps have the theme of the Nativity. They are inspired by verses from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and recognise that 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. The new stamps are currently available at all Post Office […]
Baroness Helena Kennedy at Mansfield College
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, one of Britain’s top lawyers, has recently taken up the post of principal of Mansfield College, Oxford. Baroness Kennedy has spent her professional life giving voice to those who have least power within the system, championing civil liberties and promoting human rights. Commenting on her appointment, she said: “The glory of […]
Autumn Fair 2011 – Another Great Success!
We were delighted with the success of this year’s Autumn Craft Fair. This is an annual event, held each year on the first Saturday in November, and this year it attracted more visitors than ever before. Elder Meg Nicholson opened the Fair with the following prayer: “Living God, we take a few quiet moments before […]
Autumn Fair 2011 – Photos (1)
Here are just some of the crafts on sale at our Autumn Craft Fair last Saturday: