Getting in touch with us: The Church office is not currently staffed regularly, except Monday mornings when volunteers come

in to pay bills. If you have a claim for expenses or a bill that the Church should pay, please make

sure it is left in the church office by then.

Publicity. If you would like to publicise an event in the newsletter, please leave in the Church office or

email the church mailbox by Thursday lunchtimes. Please put “newsletter” in the title line.

Church emails : office@stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk

Team Rector: The Rev’d Bill Blakey Email: “rector@stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk”

Church and Rectory Phone number; 01993 846996 Clergy mobile number: 07504 824 822

Churchwardens: Mike Cox (tel: 841069); Doreen Trezise (tel: 843080)

PCC Secretary: Linda Wooloff (tel: 840133) office@stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk

Team Vicar: The Rev’d James Madden (vicbrizecarterton@btinternet.com) tel: 844175

Websites www.stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk and www.achurchnearyou.com (search for Carterton) Ideas, comments and contributions (including pictures) welcome.

ROTAS

Today

Morning Worship

6 December

Communion

13 December

Communion

20 December

Morning Worship

27 December

All Ages

Cleaning Volunteer please Ray Goodson Lyn Bostock Tracy Crouch Volunteer please

Welcoming Volunteer please Barbara Gou-

dal

Linda Cox Lynne Boulter Volunteer please

Reading Ian Harley

Jon Abbott

Ray Goodson

Sue Blakey

Glenys

Edwards

A N Other

Carol Hadgraft

Doreen Trezise

Ray Goodson

Glenys Edwards

Leading

Prayers

Jeanette Welsh Phil Scott Sharon Harley Steve Bostock Jeanette Welsh

Chalice Jon Abbott

Doreen Trezise

Ray Goodson

Bob Monkhouse

Sidespersons Ray Goodson

Linda Wooloff

Hilda Parrott

Miriam Knight

Volunteers

please

Ros & Will

Fiennes

Volunteers

please

Refreshments Volunteers please Liz Wood

Lynne Boulter

Alison Brown

Sharon Harley

Carol Hadgraft

Linda Wooloff

Volunteers

please

Sunday Services:

Weekly 8am Holy Communion NOT 27th Dec

Today Advent Sunday 10.30am Morning worship +SC Jeremiah 33:14-16 & Luke 21:25-36 Signs of the coming of Christ the Messiah 12.30pm Baptism Service

6th December 10.30am Holy Communion + Baptism + SC Malachi 3:1-4 & Luke 3:1-6 “The messenger of the Messiah“ 4pm Christingle Service

13th December (Rev Wilbraham leading) 10.30am Holy Communion + SC Philippians 4:4-7 & Luke 3:7-18 “The fruit of repentance in practice”

20th December 10.30am Morning Worship + SC 6pm Carol Service

Thursdays (not 17th Dec) 10.30am - Holy Communion + coffee Bill & James alternate on Thursdays BUT

The Week before Christmas the service will be on WEDNESDAY 16th followed by Xmas lunch -Book

Sunday 10.30 services are usually webcast. See the website to view. SC means Children’s Activity

Prayer priorities this week:

Praise God that His Son came to

deal with sin and to deliver us from

judgement and to give us eternal life.

Thanks for the Christmas Fayre

Thanks for “Christianity Explored” and all who

contributed in any way.

Pray for:

Follow-up to the “Christianity Explored”

course. Visit of J John and a meal.

Our preparations for Christingle, Carols, Nativi-

ty play and Christmas worship.

The church to be a safe haven for those who

are hurting and who have suffered at the

hands of others.

Besom and other local food banks as they

respond to families in severe need as we

approach Christmas.

Those with heavy responsibilities in a war-torn

world and for those in Paris and Brussels.

For RAF crews on operations, for their families

and for our work with the Padres.

Pray for God’s healing and wholeness for those

who are unwell or in ongoing pain and those

giving thanks for recovery. Anita, Lyndsay

Baker, Joyce Baskerville, Jean Brown, Liz Bull-

ock, Mary Calcutt, Dot, Ken Edwards, Jan Fleet-

wood, Barbara Furnival, Emma Goodson, Leon

Goudal, Victoria Gulley, Sarah-Louise Jordan,

Mike King, Kelly Langley, Alan Lewin, Matthew,

Mervyn, Eric Pearce, Keith Pike, Michelle &

Cameron Stevenson, Pat Thomas, Chloe Tu-

dor, John.

Pray for bereaved families, especially the fami-

ly of Germaine Butcher-Davies who died sud-

denly. Her funeral is on 10th Dec at 12.45pm.

The prayer list will be regularly reviewed and updated. If

a name needs to be put back, please advise the office

Birthday Congratulations: December: Alan Carter (6th); Alison Ford (9th); Therese Ingram & Shirley Norgan (15th); Tracy Crouch (20th)

November Baptisms: This Sunday 29th

Ethan Toulson & Mason Griffiths

2015 Text: (1 Peter 4:10)

We should use whatever gift we have

received to serve others, faithfully admin-

istering God’s grace in its various forms

The Church of St John the Evangelist, Carterton

www.stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk

29 November 2015 —First Sunday of Advent

Welcome to worship!

Please stay and join us after the service for refreshments!

Let’s Sing! Thursday evenings at

7.30pm—all welcome!

Dear All,

What a great answer to prayer. The Christmas Fayre was very busy and over £2400 was raised

for Church funds. A big “THANK YOU” to all who worked so hard and to all the businesses and individuals who supported us with gifts and their creative talents.

Advent Sunday is the start of a period of preparing for Christmas. Two millennia ago people were living in a world that was violent and unsafe. The Holy Land was occupied by the Romans and the Jewish people were hoping for the Messiah who, they thought, would rescue them for all of this. It all sounds horribly familiar as we live in similar times as the people of the Middle East, Paris and Brussels can testify.

The signs were around and we believe that the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testa-ment did come. But what they hadn’t understood were the words of King Darius the Mede ruler of Babylon after Daniel had been saved from the lions. He said ( see Daniel 6:26 ) "For he is the living God and he endures for ever; his kingdom will not be de-stroyed, his dominion will never end”. He is saying that God’s Kingdom is different from worldly kingdoms. We are part of the Kingdom of God through the cross of Christ.

Best wishes Rev Bill Blakey

Our vision is to be a growing church, rooted in Christ, that reaches out with love and service to the whole community.

Fellowship Together is a vital part of the Christian life

Why not ask one of the leaders about joining our Tuesday home group? Tuesday evenings 7.30pm at the Rectory. Talk to Sue Blakey or Linda Cox

Also, hosts David & Sue Edgar, 69 Elmhurst Way, Carterton OX18 1GQ (tel: 845801) alternate Wednesdays @ 8.00pm

Monthly Men’s Bible Study at 2 Brampton Drive led by Padre Al Nicoll (895644) Third Monday of the month from January 2016

Fellowship Breakfasts: Bi-monthly Saturday events starting @ 8.30am for the Ladies and Men. Book by emailing office@stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk or sign up on the board

The Monthly Coffee Mornings will resume on 2nd Saturday of January 2016

For the Children & Young People

DROP-IN (school term time only) for pre-school infants & parents Fridays

(9.00—11.00am)

Messy Church: 4.00-5.00pm 3rd Sunday of the month Next meeting :

17 January (4.00-5.00pm)

The following local businesses very generously supported our Christmas Fayre and Raffle.

We extend our grateful thanks to: Adam’s Farm Shop, Barista Coffee, Barry’s the Butcher,

Carterton Barbers, Carterton Building Supplies, Carteton Carpets, Carterton Cobblers, Carter-

ton Fish Bar, Carterton Nails, Carterton Opticians, Chancellors Estate Agent, Darcy Bear,

Dean’s Barbers, Domino’s Pizza, Kutting Krew, Kebab House, ICE Café, Lloyd’s Pharmacy,

Morrisons, Peking Chef, Orleans Alehouse, Revolutions Hairdresser, St Andrews Bookshop,

Special Occasions, The Entertainer Witney, The Original Factory Shop, The Pizzaria, Witney,

Shillbrook Stationers, Wreal Sports

2015 Text: (1 Peter 4:10) We should use whatever gift we have received to serve others,

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms

Notices

December Events:

5 December: Christingle Factory & Church Set Up (from 9.30am). A big THANK YOU to Morrisons for donating the oranges.

6 December: Christingle Service (4.00pm)

14 December: Men’s Bible Study @ 2 Brampton Drive

20 December: Carol Service (6.00pm) 24 December: Nativity Drama (5.30pm)

New carpeting will be laid in the Old Chancel and Meeting Room areas on 1 and 2 December. We need your help to clear the floor space. Please can those who are able-bodied stay behind after the service TODAY to help. See Mike for more information. Open Church Night—Thank you to everyone who helped. A reminder for those attending “Christmas Unwrapped” at Witney Methodist Church (7.30pm) on Tuesday, 1 December and who need a lift, please meet at St John’s by 6.15pm at the latest on the night. For the next three Sundays, there will be a Retiring Collection the proceeds of which will go to-wards providing Gatehouse with the means to purchase warm winter clothing for their clients. A massive thank you to everyone for a terrific combined effort for our very first Christmas Fayre. It surpassed all our expectations, we are delighted with the amount raised (£2488.35 was what we counted on Sunday night). We are hoping this will be even more after Open Church. We have a lot of creativity within the church, and we are so thankful the way everyone worked together and how people gave of their time & talent in making the things and all the donations generously given. Thank you and we give thanks to the Lord. St John’s Church now has an account with the RAF B-N thrift shop. If anyone would like to do-nate items for sale with the proceeds going to church funds (90% of sale price to the church), please see Nicky Witt (845194). Electrical items cannot be accepted unless brand new and boxed.

Messy Church desperately needs help in the following areas - organise a simple craft activity, supervise an activity, help to set up (3pm-3.45pm) / clear away (5.30pm-6pm). If you can help in any way please speak to Lyndsay (840509). If you would like to contribute towards buying this year’s church Christmas tree, please speak to Mike.

Looking Ahead Pick up an Activities Calendar sheet from the Foyer for details of all our regular events in 2016

If you have a celebration, like a birthday, we can all share or an event to publicise, please tell the Office (office@stjohnschurchcarterton.org.uk)

Our church facilities are available to hire for private events. See Sue for details