Windsor Team Ministry

2010 Christmas Services at Holy Trinity, Windsor

Download HT Christmas 2010

2009 Christmas Services

New Windsor Team Ministry is pleased to announce its Christmas Services.  These are in additional to usual worship patterns, it's unlikely the times below will change but we suggest you check our weekly service times nearer the time.

• Sunday, 29th November – 3.00pm Christingle at St Stephen
• Sunday, 29th November – 2.30pm Carols in the Parish Hall at All Saints
• Thursdays, 3rd & 10th December – 1.15pm Advent Reflections at St John the Baptist preceded by Lunches at 12.15pm
• Friday, 18th December – 6.00pm Carols on the Hill (Castle Hill)
• Wednesday, 16th December – 5.30pm Town Centre Carol Service at St John the Baptist?
• Sunday, 20th December – 6.00pm Carols by Candlelight at Holy Trinity
• Thursday 24th December – 3.00pm Christingle & Crib Service – All Saints’
• Thursday, 24th December – 3.00pm Crib Service – St Stephen
• Thursday, 24th December -11.30pm Midnight Eucharist – St Stephen
• Thursday, 24th December – 11.30pm Midnight Communion – Holy Trinity
• Thursday, 24th December – 11.45pm Midnight Communion – All Saints
• Friday, 25th December – 8.30am Holy Communion at Holy Trinity
• Friday, 25th December – 10.00am Family Communion – All Saints
• Friday, 25th December – 10.00am Sung Family Eucharist – St Stephen
• Friday, 25th December – 10.00am Family Service – Holy Trinity
• Friday, 25th December – 11.30am Holy Communion – St John the Baptist
• Saturday, 26th December 11.00am Patronal Festival Eucharist – St Stephen
• Sunday, 27th December – 10.00am Family Communion – All Saints (only service in NWTM)

 

Rev June Faulkner's update on the Christmas Day lunch in All Saints

 

On Christmas Day over 40 people who would have spent the day alone were entertained to lunch in the Parish Hall at All Saints’, provided with a small gift and enjoyed some musical numbers ably performed by Windsor’s answer to Flanders & Swan.  The best for me was the way the very competent chefs happily accommodated seven extra guests whom one of the helpers had found outside Holy Trinity Church.

The way people worked together under the guidance of Hazel and ‘Jock’ Cooper spoke volumes and their hard work, commitment and thorough planning certainly bore fruit

A big thank you to all who contributed in any way with prayer, time, talent and treasure.

Services on Christmas Day

 

8.30am Holy Communion - Holy Trinity

10.00am Family Communion - All Saints

10.00am Sung Family Eucharist - St Stephen

10.00am Family Service - Holy Trinity

11.30am Holy Communion - St John the Baptist

 

Services on Christmas Eve

 

10.00am Holy Communion - Holy Trinity

3.00pm Christingle & Crib Service - All Saints

3.00pm Crib Service - St Stephen

11.30pm Midnight Eucharist - St Stephen

11.30pm Midnight Communion - Holy Trinity

11.45pm Midnight Communion - All Saints

 

No room in the inn

 

Dear Friends,

As a child I remember vividly the Christmas story, the shepherds and angels, Mary and Joseph and the Baby... but the bit of the story that really got me, really struck home to my childlike sense of injustice was the heavily pregnant Mary and the rather bewildered, yet faithful Joseph, travelling all that way to Bethlehem and giving birth in a stable, not because it would make a lovely Christmas card or biscuit tin scene but because THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN!

As a child, I imagined that no one should have to give birth in a stable... years later, as a community worker on the docks of Liverpool, I thought no one should have to live in a flat where it was so damp water trickled down the walls and you needed to keep a brick on the loo lid to stop the rats coming up; but they did...

At a recent school assembly the children were singing a song that brought all this back to me, here are the first couple of verses:

         

No room at the inn!

All reservations were made in the spring.

We're full to the brim, sorry we can't let you in.

No room at the inn! We're fully booked and the party's in swing.

Please, pardon the din! Sorry we can't let you in.

CHORUS         Mary, Joseph, tell me what you're going to do?

There is no way you'll be getting bed and breakfast for two!

No room at the inn!

I'd say your chances are probably slim.

We've not got a thing, sorry we can't let you in.     

No room at the inn! Just take a look at the state that you're in!

Say, where have you been? Sorry we can't let you in.

  Mark and Helen Johnson 1994 & 2006 Out of the Ark Music, Surrey KT12 4RQ CCLi Song No. 1095439

The injustice of the Nativity story, the birth in a stable because there was no room at the inn, echoes down to us today, here in Windsor, in those sleeping rough on the benches at Holy Trinity, those seeking refuge in the Parish Church, those who sleep in the porch at St Andrew’s, Clewer... but the Spirit is moving, perhaps very quietly at the moment... what else could be motivating a group of Christians in Windsor to offer Christmas Lunch to anyone who will be alone this Christmas at All Saints’, Frances Road on Christmas Day (supported by the Society of St Vincent de Paul working Ecumenically) or seeking to heighten awareness of homelessness at a Team Service for Homelessness Sunday, again, at All Saints’, Frances Road 10.00 a.m. on 25^th January 2009, or why should people from across the town, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, URC, be seeking to set up a support project for those who are homeless or struggling with other problems ?... The Spirit is moving.

What about our churches this Christmas? At the Carol Services and Midnight Eucharist/Communions in churches across the Team, will we see an opportunity to welcome in those who we don’t normally see, or do we see it as an intrusion to our cosy celebrations? – LET’S SWING WIDE THE DOORS AND SHOUT “COME IN; THERE IS ROOM...”

Not only is there injustice in having to give birth in a stable but for the Christian story the huge irony is that this baby born in injustice because there was no room... was God. What are we going to do with God this Christmas? Will we let God in to our churches... or will we be too busy with our preparations, even our church services, to hear him knocking at the door?...

Fr Ainsley.

Photos from Christmas Messy Church

   

A wonderful time was had by all who attended the Christmas Messy Church event in Holy Trinity at the end of November.  Activities ranged from making cards and christmas decorations to the all-time favourite, biscuit decorating !

All resulting in messy, happy children and a not so messy church.  To see more photos, please click on the link below. 

http://windsorteamministry.typepad.com/photos/messy_church_christmas_20/dpp_0015.html

Calling all carol singers

 

 Please come and swell the ranks of the Choir at one or more of these carol services:

· Parish Church - Town Centre Civic Carol Service 6.30pm Tuesday, 16th Dec

· Holy Trinity - 6.30pm Carols-by-Candlelight Sunday, 21st December

· All Saints - 6.30pm 22nd December: Celebration of Christmas - a fresh look at the Christmas story with some favourite carols.

If you would like more information, please contact John Halsey on 01628 602706  or Susan Hinds on 01753 858123

Carols on the Hill

  

More "Messy Play" in Holy Trinity