Dear Church Family,
The set gospel reading this week refers to light and how John the Baptist was only a witness to the light, whereas “the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1: 9)
I don’t think I would like Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. I can’t imagine having Christmas in the middle of summer on the beach, with long days and hot sun. I also wonder how they cheer up their winter and dark days without Christmas to look forward to and lights to brighten up the dark nights. I love seeing the Christmas lights going up around our towns and estates – even if you do sense the competition in some streets of keeping up with the neighbours. There is something heart warming and welcoming about having Christmas lights up.
If only we could help people see the heart warming and the welcome of the one true light. The light which was born amongst us at Christmas, the one to illuminate our paths and direct our ways. The one to bring comfort, security and hope. I pray that God will give us opportunities this Christmas to share with others the true light of Christmas, that it may be known by everyone.
Sunday’s Service
Deacon Sylvie is preaching in our online service on Sunday and looking at the theme of Joy.
Advent Calendar
Our Circuit Advent Calendar is still up and running. Each day if you click on the picture for that date, you will find a daily reflection, a song and a challenge. If you access these videos through YouTube you will only find the reflection. Please go to the circuit website for the full experience: https://www.chorleyandleylandmethodists.org/advent.htm
Christmas Services
Thank you to those who have already booked in for one of the Christmas services in our church building. Numbers are starting to build but currently we still have plenty of spaces left at all services. Just a reminder of the services we will be holding:
- Tuesday 15th December 2pm: Christmas Bubble worship with 25-30 people
- Thursday 17th December 7.30pm: Christmas Bubble worship with 25-30 people
- Saturday 19th December 3pm: All age bubble worship with 25-30 people
If you would like to book into any of these services, please can you book in by Saturday 12th December
This gives us enough time to rearrange and allocate seats for each individual or family / support bubble and ensure all chairs are Covid safe.
We also have:
- Silent Communion on Tuesday 22nd December between 2pm-4pm. Come and go as you wish and stay for as long as you want.
- Christmas Eve Worship at 6pm where we can accommodate up to 70 people.
If you would like to book in for either of these services, then please use the special worship email address:
leylandworship@gmail.com or give me a ring. Please can you book in by Saturday 19th December.
For further information on any of these services, then see last week’s Weekly Update or just get in touch and ask!
Covid Safe video
Ryan has kindly recorded a video talking us through the safety measures in place at church and giving you an idea of what to expect when you come to church for one of these services. If you are attending one of the Christmas services and you are able to access the internet, then please take time to watch this video in advance. You can find it at:
https://we.tl/t-N7xm5Ze295It will hopefully also be on our Church Facebook page soon.
Thanks to Ryan for doing this for us.
SLEAP
For those of you who don’t know, SLEAP is a charity based in Leyland who provide support and lodgings for young people. For more information see their website:
https://www.sleap.co.uk/en/ This Christmas, they are asking for donations of: food, toiletries, make up, hygiene items, chocolates etc. to help make these young people’s Christmas special. Our Leadership team thought it would be good to support the work which SLEAP are doing at this time of year. So, at our Christmas Bubble services on the 15th, 17th and 19th, there will be a box next to the Christmas tree to collect any donations which you might want to make for SLEAP. These gifts will be delivered to the charity on Monday 21st in time to give them to the young people before Christmas. If you are able to support SLEAP in this way, then please bring your gifts to the service. If you want to support this appeal but are not coming to the bubble services, then if you can get the items to my house before 20th, I will add them to the box. (16 Little Close, PR26 6QU) Thank you
Messy Church Bags
On Saturday 12th December, our Messy Church Team will be distributing Christmas Activity Bags to any of our Messy Church families who would like to come and pick one up. They contain several Christmas craft activities, the Bible society’s Christmas story in rhyme book, and an invitation to a mini-messy-church zoom where the children can share the things they have made. If you know any Messy Church families, please let them know and ask them to contact Megan through our Messy Church Facebook page to find out the details of when and where they can collect their bags.
Christmas Messages for our church family.
The written Christmas messages which you have sent in are being compiled and will be attached next week to the Weekly Update.
Sadly we only received 3 video messages so we will not be able to produce a compilation, but thanks to Dan for enabling that option. Thanks also to those who did produced a video and if you would like to have a written message included instead, then just send them to me as soon as you can.
Message from CTL (Churches Together in Leyland)
Coming up soon – Lancashire Sings Christmas which will be broadcast on Thursday 17
th December on Radio Lancashire at 7pm. We have given it the theme “From Baubles to Bubbles” and this year’s programme will feature good news stories “Baubles” of how church groups have been working to bring hope and relief to our communities in lockdown (Bubbles). There will be a carol sheet available on the websites which can be printed off or (recommended) viewed on devices. See
www.lancashiresingschristmas.co.uk for further details.
Stars
Hundreds of stars and a new banner are now up around our church building and I have included some photos at the bottom of this letter for you to see how it all looks. We also have our nativity scene in the community centre window and thanks to Jeff, it lights up on a night! A huge thank you to all our church family who made stars, and especially to Class 2 and 3 of Bretherton Endowed C of E Primary School who helped us out. Also thanks to Anne and Ryan for putting up the inside stars and to Sarah for helping me put the outside ones up in the snow!
So, enjoy the Christmas lights over this week and remember the one true light of Jesus. May each of us let our lights shine before all people, that they may see our good works and praise God who is in heaven.
God Bless you all,
Gill