St Mary in Window 3 St Mary's, Fairford

St Mary's Church
Fairford

St Mary's, Fairford Angel in Window 1

Make a Christingle

ChristingleFamily Service on Sunday 27th Jan at 10.00am


It has become a tradition at St Mary’s to make Christingles in the Family Service nearest to Candlemas, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Christingle communicates the Christian message in an inspiring way to both adults and children alike. The Christingle was established by the Moravian Church in 1747 as a symbol of Christ’s light and love and The Children’s Society introduced it to the Church of England in 1968. The Christingle itself is made up of a lighted candle (symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World), mounted on an orange (representing the world), with a red ribbon or tape around the middle of the orange (indicating the blood of Jesus). Four cocktail sticks bearing dried fruit or sweets (symbols of God’s creation) are also stuck into the orange to signify the four seasons and the fruits of the earth.

Church Pews for Sale

Have you ever been asked to ‘Take a pew’ when visiting someone?
Well, here’s your chance to do it literally!

Church Pews for Sale

We have permission to sell pews from St Mary’s that were made redundant in the reordering of the church. The pews are all roughly 10 feet long and are valued at £75. A local carpenter is able to shorten the a pew to your requirements if you wish.

Full details from The Rev’d Brian Atkinson or Mr Alan Baker: 01285 712002, alanbaker002@btinternet.com

X:site

Saturday January 26th, 6-8pm
Kempsford Primary School

X:cite

X:site is a fast moving, high energy event for anyone who is 7-11 years old.

Everyone that goes has lots of fun whilst learning more about God. They have such a great time that they invite their friends to come too.

Each event combines silly games, live music with a great band, videos, creative prayer, craft, drama, Bible stories and lots more so that everyone can have a good time and learn about Jesus and have fun at the same time!

Visit the website for more information and photo’s. It is organised in each area by a partnership of local churches and ScriptureUnion.

For further details contact Joanne Roberts - Tel 01285 711386

Charity of the Month
Embrace the Middle East

Embrace the Middle East The first charity for 2013 is ‘Embrace the Middle East’ formally ‘Biblelands’. Their income comes from donations and the sale of publications like the ‘Carol Sheet’ that is used in the church during the Christmas period.

The income generated is used to help needy children in the Holy Land, Lebanon and Egypt. Support is given to local Christian groups that care for children, with an emphasis on health and education. Some Children are blind or disabled whilst others come from poor or broken families.

Please help with your prayers and by placing a donation in the box by the south door. Your help will be very much appreciated.

There is information about ‘Embrace the Middle East’ charity is on the book shelf by the south wall or you can write to Embrace the Middle East Ltd, PO Box 50, HIGH WYCOMBE, Bucks HP15 7QU. Tel 01494 897912.
Website.

Previous Charity Fundraising

The amount of monies collected from the box for the November charity, Prospect Hospice Ltd, are not yet to hand so will be given in February.

Second Hand Books

Christian Aid are now collecting second hand books for resale on the internet to help raise funds to help fight against poverty. Non –fiction books are strongly preferred as well as books in good/very good condition and especially if they have a bar code on the cover. They do not want any paperbacks or very old books. Collection boxes for your books will be in use as from January 2013. For details please ring the Parish Office.


FoodBank

The response from you all has been truly wonderful since the appeal for help was started - so much so that the Cirencester Food Bank are hoping to set up a distribution point here in Fairford for local Fairford and Lechlade people. The goods will still be weighed and sorted at Cirencester, but then once boxed up for each individual family, would be returned back to Fairford, for collection. This is still in the planning stage, but you will be kept informed, and should there be any objections or suggestions, please ring me 711765.

The Bank is remaining open with the help of volunteers over Christmas and New Year and will probably help with the town Christmas dinner food I have been told - which is great news. Your out-pouring of love and generosity will have made a great deal of difference over this Christmas period, and with your continuing support, will go on doing so into the new year ahead.
Wendy Graham

Messy Space, Sat 20 January

Crafts and Coffee Bar for Families

2.00 – 4.00 p.m. Fairford Community Centre

Christmas Messy Space
What’s new this month? Come and find out!

Adults & children (recommended 4 yrs upwards). £2 per child - maximum £5 per family.
A project of Churches Together Around Fairford.

13th January Jesus and Me Club

JAM Club

10am St Mary’s Church, Fairford
Stories, craft,
fun and food
Every second Sunday

JAM Club
An Advent Strip made at the Jam Club

St Mary’s Men's Group

At its AGM on 26th November, the group reluctantly decided to disband. With the increasing age and infirmity of its members and ever decreasing numbers, it has become difficult to maintain an active group. We will all miss our fellowship and outings to Cathedrals and ‘Church crawls’ when we visited local churches in the diocese. We are especially grateful to Gary, our secretary, who so efficiently organised these trips.

The group started as a branch of the Church of England Men’s Society during Douglas Bell Richard’s time as vicar. Don Keen was the instigator and it continued under various chairmen until the CMS folded as a National Society. Gloucestershire, however, wished to continue and formed its own diocesan society, with the Bishop as patron.

There were four main branches besides Fairford; Painswick, Lower Cam, Churchdown and Wotton-under-Edge. These thrived for several years with regular joint meetings until dwindling membership and lack of men to run them, forced the Society to close in 2007. Fairford managed to survive until now. We hope to carry on with informal fellowship, meals together and study groups.
Jim Warren


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St Mary's News Round-Up 2011

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