15 December 2024

Sunday 15th December 2024

Third Sunday in Advent

Preacher 14:00:  Mr Stephen Colling

Steward: Lesleyanne Goulding

The flowers this week are donated by

 Lynne Indian in memory of Brenda Snowdon

and arranged by Ruth Colling

Dates for your diary w/c Sunday 15th December

 Sun Dec 15th.         10:00- 12:00. Sunday Club Practice

Mon Dec 16th     09:00-11:00 Parents & Carers

                             13:5-15:15 Taiji Qigong

                       18:30 Carol Singing & Pot Pie supper

Tue Dec 17th           10:00- 14.30 Child Minders

Wed Dec 18th          14:00 – 17:30 Film & Aft Tea

Thu. Dec 19th       09:00. Sch. Worship in Ch. Mark

                              10:30 – 16:00 Child Minders

                              19:30 Blackburn /District Cyclists

Fri.  Dec 20th            19:30-22:00. Acc. Camera Club

                                 Rishton Methodist school close.        

Dates for your diary w/c Sunday 22nd December

Sun Dec 22nd        16:00 Nativity service

Wed Dec 25th.      10:30 Circuit service Rishton

Sun Dec 29th.            12:30 Sunday Club hosting

                               Christmas Film Pizza and popcorn

                               afternoon.

Christmas services and events 2024

Sun 15th Dec       NO MORNING SERVICE. At Rishton

                           10:00 Sunday Club Nativity Practice

                           2.00pm Christmas service with the band, based on favourite carols.   

                             Followed by refreshments.  

Mon 16th Dec       Carol Singing 6.30pm

                            Followed by potato pie supper

Sun 22nd Dec.     NO MORNING SERVICE

                       4.00pm Carols & Nativity Service at Rishton.

  (Festive Christmas and Cake stall organised by Sunday Club)

Tues 24th Dec.      6.00pm Circuit Christmas Eve Communion service at Trinity

Wed 25th Dec.      10.30am     Circuit service at Rishton

Sun 29th Dec.         10.30am   Circuit service at Trinity

Sunday 29th Dec. from 12.30pm - 2.30pm.

Sunday Club hosting Christmas Film, Pizza and popcorn afternoon.

Dates for Camera Club and Cyclists

Final date for Camera Club 20th December.  Return on 10th January.

Final date for Cyclists 19th December.  Return on 9th January

Postage stamps.     

Used Postage stamps.  Now is the time that we are receiving Christmas cards through the post, so please save your stamps, (leave a generous paper border around the stamp), and put them in the box on the foyer table.  They will be given to the East Lancashire Hospice, who can exchange them for cash.  Thank you.

Mince pies for 15th and 22nd Dec.

A request from the stewards for donations of mince pies or cake for after the carol service on the 15th Dec and mince pies for the 22nd for after the nativity. Many thanks!

Eco Christmas card greetings

As we did last year, as well as the usual Post Box being available, the Mobile Notice Board will be available for Communal Christmas Greeting Cards to all in our Church Family, for those who would like to do this rather than sending individual cards.

Cards from the post box will be delivered by our post delivery people as usual, to Rishton addresses, for those who still want to send individual cards to folk in our community.(Please put full address)

Donations will be appreciated and will go to the Benevolent Fund.

Carol singing in the Rishton Streets

This will take place on Monday 16th December, leaving the church at 6.30pm. This is an open invitation to anyone, of any age who is interested in joining the event, but children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The brass band will lead the singing as the group walks around an area between the church and Eachill Gardens, before returning to the church for a potato pie supper.  There is no charge, but donations towards the cost would be appreciated. Thank you, 

The stewards.

  Church Flowers .

Margaret and Jill now coordinate the arranging and distribution of Church flowers, but it would be helpful if everyone could be more involved following Sunday morning services. Flowers not only go to our own congregation but should go out into the community. If members of the congregation know of friends and neighbours who are ill, having troubles or who are celebrating a special occasion please speak to Margaret, Jill, a steward or one of the flower arrangers and they will wrap the flowers and attach a card, so they can be taken on behalf of the church. This will be a witness to the community and hopefully show that we are a caring church.

Our thanks to Margaret and Jill for organising all this.

Afternoon Tea & Film

Rishton Methodist Church.

 Wednesday 18th December 2024 at 2pm.

 “Christmas at Downton Abbey”

Written by Julian Fellowes and Directed by Brian Percival.  Christmas at Downton Abbey, is the ninth episode, Christmas special, and final episode of the second season of Downton Abbey.

Starring : Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley,   Jim Carter as Charles Carson, Brendan Coyle,  Michelle Dockery,  Joanne Froggatt as Anna,  Rob James-Collier as Thomas Barrow.

Christmas 1919. Downton Abbey is hosting a lavish Christmas party, yet despite being the season of goodwill, tensions are rife and Bates' arrest has cast a shadow over the festivities.

Share tea and a chat with friends

The films will start at 2pm and afternoon tea served about 4pm.   Come for both or just for tea!

No charge just donations towards

the cost of afternoon tea.

Closing date for notices

It would be helpful if all notices for Sunday 22nd December could be in by the evening of Wednesday 18th December. Please send them to: steveruth.colling@gmail.com 07958 036736 or tunstallsharon2@gmail.com mobile 07930930514.

NOTE ALSO:  The notices on 22nd December will also include 29th December and 5th January.

Preacher 22nd December

The preacher on Sunday 22nd December at 16:00 will be: Stephen Colling.  This will be a nativity service.  Steward: Margaret Brankin.

AND FINALLY..    ( A literary meandering.!). 

I went to the library today, and sitting at one of the tables was this Swede reading ….I thought  Hey, that’s a real turnip for the books..!.  And Norway did he Finnish reading it !.

Advent liturgy (See below)

This will be introduced at the beginning of each service in Advent.  Each Sunday, one verse will be sung or spoken, from StF 165. “Advent candles tell their story”.

Sunday December 15th.  Joy

Today we light a candle of joy.

The true joy of knowing God and the joy shared with the world through the birth of that special baby Jesus.

As we light the candle we focus on the joy in our lives and take a moment to reflect on something which we rejoice in and feel happy about this week.

Light three candles and be quiet for a moment.

Remind us Lord that there is much in life which makes us full of joy and happiness.

Response – Lord we come to you to give thanks for all we have and for all those we love. Remind us to be sharers of this joy and thankfulness so that all might feel it in this advent season. Amen

We now read verse 3 from Hymn 165 “Advent candles tell their story.”

John the Baptist, by his preaching

and by water poured,

brought to those who heard his teaching

news of hope restored:

“Keep your vision strong and steady,

and be ready

for the Lord.”