Hearing the Service
St John’s has an Induction Loop System so if you have a hearing aid, please switch it to the ’T’ setting.
ADVENT 2019
Today is Advent Sunday where we mark the beginning of the season of the preparation for Christmas in a number of ways. Children’s activities will this year be set around the Jesse Tree, and Mary and Joseph will also be in church to be blessed before beginning their journey to stay with the children of the parish each night until Christmas Eve.
Mary & Joseph’s Parish Promenade
This morning we welcome Mary & Joseph into church before sending them on their journey to stay with the children of the parish during Advent. They arrive back for the crib service on Christmas Eve. If you would like to host Mary and Joseph, please speak to Dan or Bryan.
Advent 2019
The first Sunday of Advent this year is 1st December. At the 10am service we welcome Joseph and Mary and bless them as they start their schlep around the parish.
Advent Carols, 1st December, 6pm
This candlelit service always features outstanding music and this year will be no different. The service this year is set around the story of Ruth, ancestor of Jesus, and features Circle of Life from The Lion King, My Heart will Go On from Titanic, Journey to the Past by Anastasia, and several pieces from Handel’s Messiah, as well as the themes from The Godfather, Part 2 and Batman 1989. There will be mulled wine and homemade mince pies afterwards.
Advent Quiet Morning: Saturday 7th December 10.30 – 12.30
Take a break from the hecticness of pre-Christmas preparations and experience a different kind of preparation: in silence, stillness and led contemplation of the Scriptures focus on preparing inwardly to celebrate the joy and wonder of Christ’s coming on Christmas Day. We will meet at a local venue at 10.30am, tea/coffee and biscuits will be available and we will finish promptly at 12.30. Please let Margaret know if you would like to come.
Festival of St Nicholas, 8th December, 4pm
St John’s is celebrating the Festival of St Nicholas (aka Father Christmas) again this year. This seasonal all age service begins with the entrance of a boy bishop and ends with the arrival of Father Christmas and in between there will be storytelling and lots of children’s activities interspersed with all kinds of St Nicholas/Father Christmas music from the choir. After the service there will be a seasonal tea.
Carolling around the Parish
Come join our choristers in singing carols in pubs around the parish on Tuesday, 17th December and help raise money for HIs Church Charity, who organise residual food stocks from major supermarkets in order to redistribute them to support vulnerable people. Meet in church at 6.30pm.
Nativity Play, 22nd December, 10am
Following the surprising improvisation of last year’s play, this year is yet again a closely guarded secret, but we are assured it will involve both adults and children. Casting will again be on the day, so be prepared for a dynamic and unfolding story. Curious? We hope so, but if you’re itching to find out more, please speak with Dan!
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, 22nd December 6pm
Our traditional carol service kicks off the countdown to Christmas. This year the service is centred around Sorenson’s Christmas Dreams. The choir will be accompanied by a multitude of musicians and the service will be followed by a fizz and panettone reception. This is one of the biggest musical treats of the year for all the family. Invite your friends and neighbours to join us for this festive community celebration.
Christmas Flowers
Remember a loved one by making a donation to this year’s Christmas flowers. Complete the slip inside your order of service and leave it with Bryan Sollenberger. A list of those in whose memory donations are given will be displayed in the porch.
Bible Book Club
Bible Book Club meets once a month to read and to discuss the gospel reading for the coming Sunday and concludes with Compline. Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month – the next meeting is on 4th December. For further information, speak to one of the clergy.
Margaret Legg
Sadly for St John’s, after 12 years of wonderful ministry here, Margaret is due to retire from being our Assistant Priest on 2nd February 2020. During her 12 years at St John’s, Margaret has become much loved as a dutiful pastor and friend to so many and has built up Culture Vulture Ventures as an integral part of our communal life together. She has entertained us with her royal tit bits in her sermons and brought her many years of experience to illustrate living out our faith in real life. There is much for which to give thanks and to celebrate and we will be doing so on 2nd February after the 10am service so please save the date in your diaries so that we can give Margaret a positive send off!
Nick Miller
Not only is Margaret retiring but Nick Miller, our organist for the past seven years, is moving on to new pastures. While very sad that he is moving on, we are pleased at his appointment as Director of Music at St Margaret's, Putney. Nick is a gifted organist and we have been very appreciative of the huge contributions he has made to the music at St John’s through his playing, especially his amazing voluntaries, and his arranging of the music for many of our large services. His last service will be Epiphany Carols on 12th January. We wish Nicky well in his new post.
Rainy Day Appeal
Raised: £12,764
Target: £40,000
Two years ago we undertook some very essential repairs to the roof, gutters and parapets. If you look up on the north or south sides of the church, you’ll notice the beautiful new stonework. To fund the works, however, we had to borrow £200,000 from the Diocese of London.
The goal of our Rainy Day Appeal is to raise £40,000 to cover this year’s repayment commitment and interest. There are 160 metres of guttering, which works out at £250 per meter (£200 per metre if gift aided). To clear one or more metres or for more information about Gift Aid, speak to Bryan Sollenberger. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far.
Culture Vulture Ventures
Culture Vultures Venture to the Panto!!
A festive treat for all the family, Sunday, 5th January 5.30pm.
‘Oh yes he did!’ ‘Oh no he didn’t!’ Save the date as the young and the young at heart are sure to enjoy Cinderella at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith www.lyric.co.uk (that’s the Lyric, main entrance on Lyric Square, not the Apollo by the big church) on Sunday, January 5th at 5.30pm. Ticket prices range from £23 - £15. This is the very last performance of the run, so promises to be extra fun! If family commitments allow, meet for a delicious meal/snack from 4.00pm at Byron’s, www.byronhamburgers.com,
opposite the Lyric and to the right as you exit Hammersmith & City line tube station. Kid’s menu, with both healthy and less healthy options, £6.50. Please speak to Margaret to register your interest.
Culture Vulture Ventures Special Treat
A Private Guided Tour of Buckingham Palace: 24th January 2020
CVV have managed to snap up tickets for a Private Guided Tour of Buckingham Palace on Friday, January 24th at 4.30pm - an ideal Christmas or Birthday gift for that special person! Our guide for the tour will explain how the Palace has evolved from a private royal residence to become one of the most famous buildings in the world and will describe the paintings, porcelain, furniture and sculpture as we move through the State Rooms. There will be no barriers in place so we can view the treasures close up and ask questions galore, before enjoying a glass of champagne and doing some royal shopping (20% discount available)! Afterwards we enjoy a 3-course dinner (drinks self-paying) at The Naval and Military Club, known informally as The In & Out, (www.theinandout.co.uk) a private members club with a strict dress code, located at 4 St James's Square, SW1Y 4JU. A big thank you to Andy Beverley for facilitating this. Total cost £115 each. Meet at the Ambassadors' Entrance on Buckingham Palace Rd. Payment to Margaret please (cheques preferred).
St John’s Book Club
St John’s Book Club next meets on 16th December, when they will be discussing Please Look after Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin. For further information, please speak to Michael King.
Mid-week Services
St John’s isn’t just a church for Sunday! There are services at 5.30pm Monday to Thursday. Monday’s service is a eucharist and there is a said evensong Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Services take place in the sanctuary and are open to all.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
School Gate Gossip
St James & St John is a school with a proud history and an aspirational future. It provides both academic and personal development for every child, underpinned by Christian values. To quote Ofsted: "This is a good school. It is strongly supported by parents and carers. The strong provision for development of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities ensures that pupils are kind to new arrivals and respect one another's values. Progress in English and mathematics is good and this reflects the good teaching and curriculum."
School tours are held every Wednesday at 9:30am and members from St John’s are very welcome to attend if they would like to find out more about the school.
Stay and Play
A community playgroup meets weekly in St John’s on Thursday mornings from 9.30-11.30am. Come and stay for a play, a sing-song and to share stories over a cup of coffee. All children and babies are welcome (newborn to 5 years). Suggested donation: £
