November Magazine 2023
Please click below for a printable copy of the magazine:
Services throughout the Parish Sunday 5th November 4th Sunday before Advent —Green Micah 3:5-end 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 24:1-14 St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am All Age Service 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 10.30am Communion St James 10.30am Communion St Peter 4.00pm Evening Worship (Book of Common Prayer) Sunday 12th November—Remembrance Day 3rd Sunday before Advent—Red Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24 St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.00am Remembrance Service 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 10.30am Remembrance Service St James 10.00am Remembrance Service St Peter 4.00pm Remembrance Service Sunday 19th November 2nd Sunday before Advent—Red Zephaniah 1:7, 12-end 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30 St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am All-Age Service 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 10.30am Communion St James 10.30am Communion St Peter 4.00pm Evening Worship (Book of Common Prayer) Sunday 26th November Sunday before Advent—White Deuteronomy 29.1-15, Corinth 11:23-34, Matt 18:15-20 St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 10.30am All Age Service St James 10.30am Morning Worship St Peter 4.00pm Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
Treasurer’s Report First Half 2023 (Includes the missing text from the October magazine) This report is designed to update you on how our Finances have fared over the first half of 2023 across the Parish. As a reminder, our income mostly comes from donations, together with tax that we can reclaim on Gift Aided donations, and any income that we generate as a Church from weddings and funerals or renting out our premises. Out of that income, we pay for our own expenses and we make two major contributions to the wider Church of England – firstly we pay an amount to the Parish to cover expenses including the Parish office, outreach and local clergy expenses. We also make a contribution to the Diocese towards their costs of providing us with clergy and the wider Diocesan functions. We knew that 2023 was going to be a challenge due to cost of living concerns, utility costs, inflation, and the fact that those costs impact not only the Parish but also the donors who kindly support us. The table shows you how we have done in each of the churches from 1st January to 30th June 2023. (* St Mary’s expenditure includes £9k for the final payment on the roof project and approximately £1k on other one off project related items) As you can see, it’s good news that in many cases our income has risen and that’s largely down to the generosity of our donors (for which we are very grateful indeed), and partly down to higher interest rates and faster collections of rents and similar sums. However, in most cases our expenses have risen faster than our income and that’s why, when you add in the central parish items such as Youth Work and the St Nix Youth Centre, in aggregate in the first half of the year we saw our total funds drop by £23,723. We did see a slight improvement in that position in July, and we’ve been able to get a few tax reclaim payments in through the door in August so today’s position is slightly better than you see below, but the general financial environment is still challenging. To try and make it easier to attract new donors we now have card machines in most of our churches, we have a Just Giving and Paypal presence and links to the Parish Giving Scheme are available on our Parish website.
Sacred Nature by Chris Ainslie Nature’s relationship with the human race was a reality for thousands of years, as shown in earlier races, cultures and religions. In the old and new testaments there are many references to nature and man’s reaction and bonding with it. The visible world of nature and its spirit was one world with the spirt of man for thousands of years. With the growth of the logistics of science and maths in the last hundreds of years and more recently the dominance of technology on all of us, we have become alienated from nature. The sacredness of nature, God’s creation, has retreated and become increasingly distant from our minds and hearts. The world of nature created before the creation of man, and God’s presence in it just as his presence is with each one of us, makes a Sacred Nature one with us. Do the countless changes and influences in all our lives reflect our changed relationship with nature? We need to recover the respect for nature that human beings carefully cultivated for millennia. If we fail to do this, our concern for the natural environment will remain superficial. To glimpse the sacredness of nature requires a degree of quietness. Indeed, we seem to find silence alien and often deliberately eliminate it from our lives. As a result the sounds of nature have retreated from our hearing and become increasingly distant from our minds and hearts. How can we recover this vision of Sacred Nature? First by altering our perception of God. Instead of seeing him confined to distant heavens we need to embrace the older understanding of the divine as an inexpressible but dynamic inner presence that flows through all things, nature and man. Today that link between nature and humanity has become even more necessary when we consider the damage we have done and are inflicting on our environment and its destruction. If we allow it to enter our lives, nature can inform our minds and become a formative influence. How can we recover our bond with the natural world? We can begin by taking simple steps. Perhaps sitting in a garden or a park for ten minutes a day, without headphones or a mobile phone, simply listening to and registering the sights and sounds of nature. Instead of taking photos of our surroundings, we should look at the birds, flowers, clouds and trees and let them impress themselves on our minds. If we develop a mind that ‘watches and receives’ and discover the fluidity of our natural environment, we may be able to recover some of our ancestors’ vision of a Sacred Nature. Our link with nature is essential not only for our wellbeing but for our survival.
Chris Ainslie
Project Prayers – November 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Abuse start this month. 25th November is the international Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the start of the 16 days and the Global Day of Action against Domestic Abuse. Domestic Abuse takes many forms; it can be subtle and is nearly always hidden from view. Mothers’ Union believes that it should not remain hidden and that we should speak up and campaign against it so that all can live in peace, in harmony with one another and in safety. This year Mothers’ Union have launched a new campaign: RISE UP against Domestic Abuse. It has the backing and support of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Churches are being encouraged to participate and work towards a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award in this area, by regularly praying for victims, survivors and perpetrators; by putting up help posters in all buildings, toilets and elsewhere; and by supporting local places of refuge and support. Watch out for purple and white doves, purple ribbons, and posters. Visit the central Mothers’ Union website to find out more and download resources - anyone can get involved! www.mothersunion.org/riseup Watch out for more info! A Prayer for RISE UP God of justice, peace and compassion, Heavenly Father, Creator, and sustainer of all. We thank you that you gave yourself, your own Son, to give every person the opportunity to turn from darkness to the light of your presence and love. We know that those who endure cruelty and abuse are precious in your sight, that no tear falls without your knowledge and love, and we ask that they may know your presence, strength, comfort and wisdom - even in their fear, confusion and pain.
We commit ourselves to RISE UP against domestic abuse in all its forms. We pray for your compassion as we seek to RESPOND, for your wisdom as we seek to be better INFORMED, for your gentleness as we try to SUPPORT, for your strength as we hope to EMPOWER, and the mark of your Holy Spirit that UNITES us to work and PRAY unceasingly, until situations change and freedom, life and love are restored to all. In your dear and powerful name, we cry out to you. Amen
Remember November by Wully Perks To me November has always been a very special month, the month of memories. On November 1st we celebrate the feast of All Saints. In my Methodist preaching days, a young girl told me “A saint is someone that the light shines through”. St Paul in his letter to Church at Rome wrote: “Paul to Church at Rome”. “To Church at Yate, to you who are called to be saints”. Perhaps the young girl wasn’t far off. In this dark world in which we live we are called to be folk by our lives letting the light shine through making Jesus visible, building bridges and bringing hope into folks’ lives. On November 2nd we celebrate All Souls, a day to remember all those special folk, family and friends, who have touched and enriched our lives and who are now at rest. They are always in our thoughts, but November 2nd is when the church sets aside a special day. Then our churches will be full over the weekend of November 12th as we remember those who lost their lives in the two World Wars and are still giving their lives in the service of others. “We Will Remember Them”. So, to the end of November when we celebrate the feast of “Christ the King”, the last Sunday in the church’s year, when we say farewell to Matthew and welcome to the Gospel of St Mark and the Advent Season. Christmas just around the corner.
MU November 2023
November, in the MU calendar, belongs to domestic violence. Jacky will once again speak on this topic at our 16th November meeting at St Nicholas’ at 2pm. Jacky will prepare the prayers, Teresa the refreshments, but we need someone please to do the Bible reading.
On Saturday 18th November the MU has a table at St Mary’s Soup & Pudding event. Please volunteer to help on our table and to stock it with those wonderful homemade goodies such as cakes and biscuits, jams and chutneys. We will share our net takings between the MU and St Mary’s.
And yes, I did write St Nix for our November meeting!
Blessings, Louisa
Christmas wreaths and Cakes from St James 2023 Place your order by email to:- kathrynmills@talktalk.net or call 01454 318157
Light Party being run by the Youth leaders from Churches Together on Tuesday 31st Oct 6-7.30pm contact Charlie - Youth Missioner for more information Youthandfamilies@yateparish.org.uk
Find out more
about The
Connection and Those Vicar Blokes on our website at yateparish,org
under the heading
Explore our Faith
Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s Church
As I write this article, we are experiencing some incredibly warm autumn sunshine, so Advent still feels far off. But in only a matter of weeks our festival opens, so it is time for us to tell you about what is going on during the festival so that you can keep those all-important dates free.
We are pleased to welcome back our friends the Dixie Belles who will headline our opening evening concert on Friday 1st December, singing a mixture of traditional and seasonal numbers – something for all ages and musical tastes and supported during the interval by Olga’s Ukrainian Choir. Come along to enjoy the singing and be one of the first to view the wonderful trees, each one individually decorated, complemented by a variety of displays echoing this year’s festival theme ‘The Christmas Story’.
The tree festival is just one way in which our church community reaches out to the wider community of Yate and beyond during this special time of year. Since its inception eight years ago the festival’s aim and focus has been to involve and engage with as wide a cross-section of the local community as possible, helping to bring them the true meaning and message of Christmas. The festival is a wonderful opportunity for fun, music and dance where you will meet with friends old and new: it’s also for reflecting and remembering those no longer able to join us at this time. So put the dates in your diary and come and experience the sights and sounds of Christmas with us at St Mary’s – we make a wonderful cuppa and mince pie!! Fundraising during the festival will be shared 50/50 between
* St Mary’s Church Refurbishment Projects – ensuring its use for and by the wider community may continue for many years to come
* From Bristol with Love - local charity enabling the supply and delivery of much needed generators to communities across the Ukraine.
Entry to the Festival is FREE!!
……but we need your help, so throughout the festival there will be opportunities to donate towards our fundraising.
The festival has grown each year and is a fantastic opportunity for individuals, organisations and local businesses to be part of a Christmas celebration and community event whilst raising funds for local good causes. We are always on the lookout for new sponsors. It is very simple to get involved: please contact the parish office at parishoffice@yateparish.org or call 01454 313105.
A New Weekly Group at St Nix Friday Re:fresh runs from 09:30 - 10:30 on a Friday during term-time held at St Nix. A warm and welcoming group for adults and children (babies to school age) to spend time together chatting, playing, singing and pondering a spiritual thought of the day.
Christmas Services around the Parish Sunday 3rd December Normal Sunday Services around the Parish St Mary’s 6.30pm 630 Praise - Advent Focus Sunday 10th December Normal Sunday Services around the Parish St Mary’s 6.30pm 630 Praise – Contemporary Carols Sunday 17th December Normal Sunday Services around the Parish St James’ 4.00pm Carol Service St Peter’s 4.00pm Carol Service St Mary’s 6.30pm Carol Service by candlelight St Nix 6.30pm Carol Service (Fire Brigade Band) Saturday 23rd December St Nix 4.00pm Messy Christmas Sunday 24th December Normal Sunday Services around the Parish St Mary’s 4.30pm Crib Service St Mary’s 6.00pm Crib Service St Peter’s 9.00pm Bethlehem Carol Service St Mary’s 11.00pm Midnight Communion St James’ 11.00pm Midnight Communion Monday 25th December St Mary’s 10.00am All-Age Christmas Day Service St Nix 10.00am Family Communion Christmas Day Service Sunday 31st December St Nix 10.30am Parish Communion
At a Glance Dates for your Diary Friday 4 August—Beetle Drive 2.30pm @ St James Sunday 6 August—1pm Mission Walk @ St Mary’s Saturday 12 August 9-11am Westerleigh Village Breakfast @ St James Sunday 3 September—1pm Mission Walk @ St Peter’s Frampton Cotterell Saturday 9 September—9-11am Westerleigh Village Breakfast @ St James And from 11am Ride+Stride Walk for St James & St Mary’s Saturday 16 September—7.30pm Harvest Auction @ The New Inn, Westerleigh Saturday 14 October—7-10pm Autumn Supper & Quiz @ Westerleigh Village Hall
Morning prayer in Yate Parish
Do you find prayer a little difficult? Would you like some inspiration? Go to the Yate Parish Facebook page to join in Morning Prayer led by our ministry team. You can watch live at 7.30am Monday to Saturday, or watch at any time later in the day. Many people have found it a great start to their day.
Weekly at St Mary’s
Thursday Communion at 10.00am
Compline @8pm
Before the lockdown happened, we had recorded the saying of Compline. We ask that each evening at 8pm we light a candle in our window and pray together for our nation using the words of the Compline service - it takes just over 5 minutes.
Visit the parish website and click on the recordings to listen; you will find the words of the service there too.
Comments