News from Holy Trinity Church Formby
Vicar’s notes.
Our Verse for 2009 is from Chapter 4 of the Letter of James, verse 8 and will be available as Fridge Magnets over Christmas and New Year, at a cost of £1.00 each. “Come near to God and He will come near to you”
Liverpool Cathedral - The Cathedral are running a consultation which I have to respond to by 16th January, mainly focusing on how to use the building and how to increase the congregation. Anyone with any views please speak with me over the next month. The consultation document will be at the back of church. Peter Killen
Churches Together thank those who helped to make the Village Nativity another success. On Sunday 25th January at 7.30pm a Gala Night with Bring and Share Supper will be held at the Gild Hall to thank everyone who was involved in any way and their families. RSVP by 18th January 2009 to June.
A Sincere thank you has been received from Sefton Choice for the toys and vouchers we donated to their annual Toy Appeal. They were genuinely humbled with the quality and quantity. The toys make a very real difference to families in need.
New Audio/Visual system at Rosemary Lane
The
new Audio/Visual system has been installed at Rosemary Lane and
was used for the first time on Sunday.
Our thanks go to the members of the Working Group who have overseen
the planning and installation and, most of all, to the generous donor
who has provided the money to cover the cost.
Edwardian Evening
A
big thank you to all who gave of their time and talents to make
the Edwardian Evening such a resounding success.
Almost one hundred people went home thoroughly satisfied with an evening of food, fellowship and entertainment in keeping with the principles which inspired those who built the Parish Hall a century ago.
Child Friendly Church Award
On
Monday 20th October 2008, the Child Friendly Church Award Assessor
presented us with the Liverpool Diocese Child
Friendly Church Award. A big thank you to everyone, who worked
on the Award, especially present and past members of Committee for
Youth. It was a real team effort. Well done to everyone. This doesn’t
mean we can rest on our laurels! We have some action points to follow
up and we need to constantly keep looking for ways to welcome and
encourage our children and young people. Thanks Janice
Rev'd Writes
‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November’
No you haven’t picked up the wrong month, this is the December/January Parish Magazine. Nor has the Vicar lost the plot – well no more than usual!!
So why refer to ‘Bonfire Night’, rather than Christmas and New Year?
Well this year November 5th was different – there were far fewer fireworks in the days and weeks running up to Bonfire Night and the celebrations didn’t go on for days and days afterwards.
All of which meant that the day itself was much more enjoyable. It was something to look forward to. There was a heightened expectancy, rather than the usual sense of feeling that we were glad when it was all over. There was no unified sigh of relief, come Thursday morning 6th November. Glad that it was all over for another ten or eleven months.
That’s why I started this letter with a quote about ‘Bonfire Night’.
Because, as I reflected on the events of 5th November, I began to
think that maybe there was a lesson to be learnt for Christmas.
Rather than Christmas arriving in Mid September, perhaps it should
be confined to the season of Advent. Maybe that way we will not
be exhausted come Christmas Eve – too exhausted to get ourselves
to church, to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas – Emmanuel,
God with us. So fed up that come Boxing Day, we can’t wait to take
down the Christmas Cards and Tree. Glad its all over for another
year.
As the car sticker perhaps should read...
“Jesus is not just for Christmas”
May God bless you and your family as you prepare to welcome the Christ Child back into your Christmas.
You can be assured of a warm welcome at any of our services, at Rosemary Lane or Redgate. We look forward to welcoming you, as we kneel at the crib, to worship at the feet of Christ the King.
Yours and His,
Keith