December 2013

What a busy month! So busy there was no time to post on here - for which, please accept our apologies.

Carol Singing outside Tesco Express, Birkdale

Saturday 7th December: A small group of singers including congregation members and some of our Guides and Leaders sang carols outside Tesco's to set Christmas off and and hand out leaflets advertising the Christmas Tree Festival and Christmas Market, Christingle and Christmas services. 

[Sorry, we didn't remember to take any pictures. This one is just for illustrative purposes! We're still getting used to doing this.]

Farnborough Road Junior School

Tuesday 10th December: Farnborough Road Junior School Years 5 & 6 came to rehearse in the morning and then perform in the evening their annual Christmas Carol Concert. A tremendous celebration, a really joyful occasion. It was useful that the Christmas trees for the Festival were not yet up, because that gave more space for the parents to sit in the aisle pews. (again, no pictures - sorry)

Annual Charity Christmas Tree Festival

Wednesday 11th December: lots of activity as the Christmas trees arrived ready for this year's 8th (?) Annual Charity Christmas Tree Festival. First the boards to set them on had to be put onto the pews (with padding so that they would not damage the pews), then be covered with suitable paper, and then the trees were set up ready for their sponsors or charities to decorate their trees with the appropriate colours and designs. Thank you to everyone who helped with  that. (Pictures borrowed from last year's blog post)

Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December (daytime): Great excitement as the trees were decorated and the Festival started to take shape. Great activity in the church hall as Christmas Market helpers were hard at work preparing for the Christmas Market. The sense of anticipation was becoming palpable. 

Friday 13th December (evening): The Christmas Tree Festival and Christmas Market began at 6pm, opened by Mr Ian Raikes, Head Teacher at Greenbank High School. The Octave Choir sang, followed by Cathy Leffler playing Christmas music on the piano for the entertainment of those staying in church, while bustle and activity were the order of the evening at the Christmas Market in the church hall. By closing time at 9pm it was clear there had been plenty of custom for both, and things were going well. There was just the small matter of opening the next day for part two ...

Saturday 14th December: Christmas Tree Festival and Christmas Market again! There was no formal opening this time as last night was part of the whole. The Farnborough Road Infant School choir came and sang in the church, Cathy Leffler played more Christmas music, and John Cotterall gave a recital of music from his electronic keyboard. So from 10am to 3pm the church and hall were busy with people coming and going, sampling the delights of Christmas trees and the stalls in the hall. Crafts and cakes, tombolas and raffles, face painting and lucky dips, not to mention the famous Christmas cafe serving meals and refreshments ... At the end of the day, almost £3000 had been raised, a "grand" total to reach.

Christingle Service

Sunday 15th December: the morning services took place as usual, but in the evening we had our Christingle. The service was led by Christine Baker, and under her instructions we all made our own Christingles Instead of the usual way, which is to receive them ready-made) as Christine explained the meaning of the orange and its decorations. 

(2 new photos!)

• The orange is round like the earth, representing God's creation and us its inhabitants.
• The red ribbon or tape around the middle represents God's love for us, and that the baby we remember at Christmas grew up and died on the cross so that we may be forgiven our sins.
• The candle represents the light of Jesus Christ who said, "I am the light of the world" (and said to his followers, "You are the light of the world," and, "Let your light shine among people.")
• The four cocktail sticks represent the four seasons and the "four corners of the earth".

• The fruit and sweets represent the fruits of the earth and the good things God gives to all people.
• The tinfoil around the candle as it was put into the orange was explained as the place where the candle (Jesus) and the orange (the world) meet -- in other words, it represents us. We and our relationship with the world may be a bit messy (so is pushing a candle into an orange), but we are the main way in which people come into contact with Jesus. We are also, like the tinfoil, to reflect the light of Jesus for the world to see.

(another photo borrowed from last year)

With some rousing hymns and the usual atmospheric moment as we lit our candles in the darkened church and sang Away in a manger, it made a memorable event.

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[that's all for now -- further updates to be uploaded later in the week, I hope]