St Mary in Window 3 St Mary's, Fairford

St Mary's Church
Fairford

St Mary's, Fairford Angel in Window 1

The Remembering Service

Sunday 3 November at 3pm. It is a contemporary adaptation of the traditional All Souls service. Families and friends of all those who have died in this parish during the last year have been invited to this service. It is a simple, quiet service during which the names of those who have died are read out; candles may be lit as a symbolic act of remembering loved ones and there will be a time of quiet for personal reflection and prayer. We all deal with our grief and sense of loss in our own ways but many people have found this quiet and unhurried service a helpful part of the grieving process. If you have been bereaved at a time other than the last year (or if the bereavement was elsewhere) you are still most welcome to attend the service; if you wish to have the name of your loved one read out, let The Rev'd Atkinson know.

The Remembrance Sunday Service

Remembrance Poppy 10.55am on the 10th will start with the Act of Remembrance, the solemn occasion during which we remember those who have died in times of war and pray for the peace of the world.

As in previous years the service will include the Royal British Legion and representatives from the Armed Forces and local uniformed organisations; the procession to St Mary’s will leave from outside Hyperion House at 10.30am.

Christmas Stockings

It is that time of year, nights are drawing in, children are back at school and Christmas is beginning to appear in the shops. It is also the time of year when we remember those children who are less fortunate than ourselves. Christmas stockings will again be available for you to fill for Social Services in Swindon to distribute. Christmas Stocking

Margery Youngs arranged and organised this for many years and it is in memory of her that we continue to bring a smile to many children on Christmas Day.

Bags with a name and age of a child on will be available, in Fairford Church, for you to fill from the middle of October. Please could you return them by the end of November to the blue box at the back of the Church in the south aisle.
Thank you.

For further details please contact:
Wendy Graham 01285 711765
Rev Denise Hyde 01285 713285.

Charity of the Month:
ABF (Army Benevolent Fund)

ABF (Army Benevolent Fund)

The Soldiers’ Charity. Very fitting with Remembrance Sunday falling during the month. With continued conflicts in many parts of the world involving our military personnel, is it any wonder our thoughts are continually being focussed on the loss of our brave men and women? Just as important are the injured soldiers and their struggle to get back to some normality in their lives, often having to leave the Services in the process. Much is done by the Ministry of Defence to help them and their dependants but this is where the charity comes in to provide financial help where it is needed and has done so since 1944.

Thousands of soldiers, former soldiers and their families are helped annually. Last year nearly £7M was spent and, in partnership with Help for Heroes some £1.7M was donated by the charity in support of wounded, injured and sick soldiers. It is only through the generosity of supporters and fund-raising activities that the charity is able to be there to help year after year.

Can you help with a donation of some kind? There is literature showing highlights of cases on the top shelf along the south wall, or to find out more telephone 020 7901 8908. You can also find the charity on Facebook and Twitter. Place your donation in the box or send to: Major General Martin Rutledge CB, OBE, ABF, Freepost RRGY-GSCB-HTZX, The Soldiers Charity, Mountbarrow House, 12 Elizabeth Street, LONDON SW1W 9RB.
Website.

Previous Charity Fundraising

Money collected from the south wall box for the August charity, Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, amounted to £31.22 and for September charity, RABI, came to £17.03. The PCC has added further money to these sums.

Charities of the Month for 2014

The Charities Committee will shortly be deciding on the charities to be included in the Charity of the Month list for 2014 and welcomes suggestions from the congregation. The list normally includes charities both in the UK and overseas.

Proposals for charities should be sent either to the Vicar or to myself by November 20th 2013, with support information about the charity and its work.

Jo Williams, Secretary to the Charities Committee, jowil@supanet.com.

Call My Bluff

Saturday 23rd November
7pm The Chapel

Call My Bluff

The gauntlet is down! St Mary’s has been challenged to a joust of Call My Bluff by Fairford United Church. The tournée is scheduled for Saturday 23rd November at the Chapel and will start at 7.0pm.

Each Church will be represented by a team of three who will be supplied in advance with the words to be defined and three definitions, only one of which will be correct. The skill is to make your presentation of the suggested definition sound convincing.

Half-time lemons are to be replaced by ‘Yummy Puds’, both for the teams and the audience as well and will be provided by the Chapel folk.

There is no charge for entrance, nor for the ‘Yummy Puds’, but a donation for the mission work of the Methodist and Congregational churches is invited.

All are invited and if you would like to fight for St Mary’s and be in the team please contact Joanne Roberts (01285 711386).

St Mary’s Christmas Coffee Morning

Saturday 7th December
10am to 12noon
Fairford Community Centre

Christmas Coffee Morning

Gifts of cakes, raffle prizes and saleable items plus offers of help to Kathleen Price (01285 712417) or Barbara Gibbs (01285 712679)

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
A Festival of Carols

Advent Sunday, 1st Dec 2013 at 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, Fairford.

Fairford and District Choral Society. Music will include Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Music for Harp and Organ, Advent Carols (audience participation essential).

Competitive quiz: Quizzical Quarols with PRIZES! (compèred by Rev Brian Atkinson)

For tickets see the website.

Messy Space, Sat 16th November

Messy Space

2.00 – 4.00 p.m. Fairford Community Centre
Crafts and Coffee Bar for families
This month’s theme:Numbers - Now what can you do with them?

Adults and Children (recommended 4 years upwards) - £2 per child (max. £5 per family)
Concessions available.
A project of Churches Together Around Fairford.

Jesus and Me Club, 17th November

JAM Club

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

X:site, Saturday 9th November

6-8pm
Kempsford Primary School

X:cite

X:site is a fast moving, high energy event for anyone who is 7-11 years old. 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 photos. It is organised in each area by a partnership of local churches and Scripture Union.

For further details contact Joanne Roberts - Tel 01285 711386


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St Mary's News Round-Up 2012
St Mary's News Round-Up 2011

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