St Thomas à Becket Parish Weekly News Sheet Sunday 4th December 2022
Sunday 4th December
9.30 am Service of the Word at Colerne
10.30 am Morning Worship at Box
6 pm Zoom Compline – please see below
6 pm Compline at Chapel Plaister
6 pm Evensong at Ditteridge
Collect
Almighty God,
purify our hearts and minds,
that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our Lord and our God. Amen.
Please pray for those who are ill
Karen Goodall Brown
Harry Barstow
Roger Bolton
We remember those whom we know,
who are suffering in sickness or adversity,
and those who especially need our prayers at this time.
Also the families and friends of those who have died.
St Thomas à Becket Weekly Calendar
Monday 5th December
8 am Morning Prayer – please see below
Tuesday 6th December
6.30-7.30 pm Prayers of Hope: Light a Candle for the World, Box Methodist Church – please see below
7-8 pm Carol Service Choir Rehearsal – please see below
Wednesday 7th December
10.30 am Holy Communion at Box
Thursday 8th December
9.45 am Holy Communion at Colerne
Sunday 11th December
10.30 am Christingle Service at Box
10.30 am Holy Communion at Ditteridge
4 pm HEART 4 Rudloe
6 pm A Village Christmas at Colerne
School in church for Rehearsals/Nativity
Monday 5th - afternoon
Tuesday 6th - afternoon
Wednesday 7th - morning
Thursday 8th - afternoon and evening
Morning Worship Sunday 4th December
This coming Sunday (4th December) is the first Sunday of the month, so the Morning Service will be lay-led. This month it will be led by Nicky Krikorian and Bronwyn Oborne.
They will explore the need for the bridge between Man and God i.e. Jesus! as well as the need to build bridges between nations, cultures, and each other – especially in this post-Covid era. This theme will be explored with music, declaration, reflection and prayer.
Morning Prayer on Monday 5th December
A reminder that Morning Prayer will continue on Monday mornings at 8 am, praying for Matt as he prepares to join us, and the Lidbrook Group as we prepare to welcome him.
Warm Spaces and Soup in Box!
The Box Methodist Church Thursday Café are offering new extended autumn/winter hours! They are keenly aware of the need to support everyone during the hard months ahead. Their Thursday Café regularly attracts 15-20 folk (of all faiths and none!) who enjoy meeting up throughout the year for a chat. As the colder autumn/winter months approach, the Café opening hours are being extended to 9.30 - 2.30 pm. Also, on alternate Thursdays they are offering home-made soup and a roll! Everyone is welcome ? and they would welcome volunteers to support this very kind and worthwhile venture. The next Soup Day is 15th December.
Also, on Mondays between 9.30 – 12 noon, the church will again be heated and everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the Warm Space.
Mince Pies and Candles!
All contributions of mince pies will be gratefully received to accompany the mulled wine which will be served at the end of the Carol Service on Sunday 18th December – please bring to the kitchen area before the service.
Any help with lighting the candles in church from 5.10pm onwards would be much appreciated. Also it would be lovely to have some of these candles lit for the First Holy Communion of Christmas on Saturday 24th December. The service starts at 11.30 pm. Please contact Charles Freeman 01225 744155 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Christmas Choir
We are planning to gather a choir together to sing at the St Thomas' Christmas Carol Service on Sunday 18th December at 6pm. Rehearsals will take place in the church on Tuesday evenings 7-8pm starting on 8 November. If you would like to sing in this, then please get in touch with Andrew Clark: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Tel: 01225 742128.
Prayers of Hope: Light a Candle for the World Tuesday 6th December
6.30-7.30 pm Prayers of Hope: Light a Candle for the World.
Prayers of Hope are now on the 1st Tuesday of each month: the next evening is on Tuesday 6th December. The time and place remain the same: Box Methodist Church, 6.30 - 7.30 pm. Come and light a candle for the World! Everyone welcome! For further details, please contact John or Alice Sumner on 01225 743537.
The Community of the Sisters of the Church Christmas Appeal
It has been a difficult couple of years, and Christmas may not be something that all of us are looking forward to. For those who come to us for help, Christmas is often difficult. With the price increases on everything, life can be particularly hard on those who are on benefits or a very low income. So with your help we would like to be able to offer our visitors something to make Christmas more celebratory.
As we have done over the past couple of years, we will be (and have already started) gathering food items that will amount to 3 large bags of ambient food per household. We are asking if you could once again help by providing the following for each of our callers:
*GIFTS for both men and women please: toiletry sets, gloves, warm scarves, hats and socks
*£15 ARGOS VOUCHERS for children: either donations towards £15 vouchers or the vouchers themselves, so that we can give one per child to all the families that we know are in need, as we have done in previous years
James Symons will kindly take our gifts to the Sisters in Bristol on Monday 12th December.
Are you alone this Christmas?
Join us for Christmas Day Lunch at Corsham Scout Hall!
(The Laggar, Corsham SN13 0DE)
Pre-booking essential, as limited spaces.
Please advise of any dietary requirements Transport to/from this Lunch can be provided.
To book this free event, please phone us on 07467 248273
or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.companyforchristmas.com
Advance Notice: The Filling Station on Tuesday 13th December 7.30 pm – Christmas Special!
Our guest speaker this month is Bronwyn Oborne, who lives in the village and is a gifted, encouraging and sensitive speaker.
Our musical worship will be led by James Collie, worship pastor at St Swithins, Bath, and we will have some well-known carols as well as contemporary Christian worship songs. Most important – we will have coffee, cakes and mince pies!
The Filling Station is an informal “café style” evening in the Box Methodist church building on Box High Street. Come from 7 pm for coffee and cake, to start at 7.30 pm with musical worship, followed by Bronwyn’s talk and an opportunity for prayer, concluding at about 9.30pm
Further details from Jamie Hay This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 07427 493422 www.thefillingstation.org.uk/box Facebook TFS Box
Nativity Figures
The Nativity figures for the St Thomas’ crib have been refurbished for their annual appearance! In order for them to be stored safely and without damage in future, they would appreciate donations of bubble wrap – any size or condition. Please pass bubble wrap to Angela or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she’ll gladly collect it from you.
Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust – Ride and Stride 2022
Those who took part in the Ride and Stride on September 10th would very much like to thank their sponsors for their money and encouragement. As a result, the WHCT has been able to raise over £48k this year (before disbursements and including estimated HMCE Gift Aid): more than in 2021, despite the number of participants being down 12% on 2021. The Lidbrook Group has therefore received £350 (this comprises half of the amount raised by the Group) plus £10 for 3rd Prize in the Most Inspiring Photo Category!
Renew, Refresh Resource - Lee Abbey Weekend Women's Retreat. (20th-22nd January)
This has been planned by the Colerne Women’s Homegroups, but is open to all women in the Lidbrook Group. To book your place just click on the link below. We would LOVE you to join us for some time together, time with God and time to yourself in a beautiful place on the Devon Coast. Lifts may be available. For further information, please contact Karen Brzezicki This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
https://leeabbeydevon.org.uk/programme/renew-refresh-resource-163/
Zoom Compline Sunday 4th December 6 pm
Rob Featherstone is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Lidbrook Zoom Service 4 Dec 22
Time: Dec 4, 2022 06:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83071142528?pwd=bGtnaDBpYXpodTFxN1dFR0Q4ekMzdz09
Meeting ID: 830 7114 2528
Passcode: 152680
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Meeting ID: 830 7114 2528
Passcode: 152680
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Regulations around Public Worship Please don't enter the building if you have symptoms of COVID-19 and sanitise your hands when you enter. The area in the Hazelbury Chapel will continue to be a 'lower-risk' zone during Sunday services where face coverings should be worn, this is to provide an area for those who are vulnerable or wish to exercise more caution. Communion will be distributed by the president by intinction.
Angela M. Dew
Parish Administrator for the Lidbrook Group The Benefice of Box with
Hazelbury and Ditteridge and the Parish of Colerne
Telephone: 07842 129161