We have plans for a great range of services and activities during the season leading up to Christmas, so do browse below. Also, we give a summary of all the services for Advent and Christmas in all three churches, which you can download here.
Advent
On Advent Sunday we begin again the Advent journey of anticipation and hope that leads us to kneel at the manger and gaze on Christ as he gazes on us. In these four weeks we prepare ourselves inwardly to meet God in the daily reality of our lives. The God we follow is a God who cares about our lives and gets involved with us – not just at Christmas but always. As we prepare inwardly so we also ask ourselves how our lives can change outwardly in response to his love for all his people and our world. That is the task of the Advent journey. May we travel it well.
As Advent approaches we think of some of the “jobs” we have to do – like writing Christmas cards. Would you like to do these sociably with other people whilst enjoying a cup of tea/coffee and a chat? We hope to arrange a time for this as last year, details to be confirmed. Everyone will be welcome – even those who are so organised they haven’t got any jobs left to do!
We start the season with Advent Sunday on 1st December. As usual at our morning services we will be gathering Christmas gifts to be distributed to families in our area who might not otherwise receive any. These will be dealt with by the Bicester Children & Family Centre, which covers Kidlington etc. While any gifts are very welcome, the centre does recommend supermarket vouchers, saying “I just wanted to get in touch as your congregation was so generous again last Christmas in providing supermarket vouchers for our Home-Start supported families. We are looking to gift families the same this year as the vouchers were so well received by families who so desperately need support, especially over the Christmas period.” Apart from supermarket vouchers, they would really appreciate books, ideally board backed, suitable for children age 0-5. Unwrapped would be brilliant. Please bring your gifts to any of the three churches on Sunday 1st December (Advent Sunday). Thank you
The All Together 10am service at St John’s is always a special celebration of children and families, and this month will include the making of Christingles.
We are also delighted that our choir and choristers will be leading our Advent Carol Service – a service of music and readings, at 5.30pm in St Mary’s Kidlington.
This Advent the Posada will be travelling round the village again. For those unfamiliar with this it is the Virgin Mary, Joseph and a donkey in a small basket. We celebrate their journey to Bethlehem by welcoming them into our homes for a night or two before moving them along to the next house on the list. It will start from St Mary’s Kidlington on Advent Sunday and end at St John’s on Christmas Eve. If you would like to be included please send your name, address, email/phone number to Margaret Dee by email dave_marg@btinternet.com asap but no later than Friday 22 November.
Another opportunity for you to get together for Christmas preparations is offered by the Making Group who will be making two trees for the Christmas Tree Festival. They will meet in St Mary’s Refectory from 2.30pm to 4pm on Fridays 22nd November, 29th November, 6th December. All are welcome; please let Rosemary Meara know if you are interested: rosemary.meara@gmail.com
Sunday 8th December, 5.30pm, St Mary’s Kidlington
‘Presence and Absence’ is a very special Christmas service where we are able to acknowledge that Christmas time brings great grief as well as great joy. It’s OK to feel down at this time of year; you are not alone. In this service we can remember those we love who are no longer with us, or all the other situations that can seem hard for us in this season. You are very welcome.
Details still to be confirmed.
Saturday 14th December & Sunday 15th December
Following last year’s successful first festival, St Mary’s Kidlington will once again be hosting its Christmas Tree Festival in December for two days – 14th & 15th December, concluding with the Community Carol Service at 5.30pm on the 15th. We are hoping that organisations and individuals will sponsor and decorate their own tree and fill the church with Christmas joy. The money raised will go to this year’s chosen charities, SANDS and EDUKID. SANDS seeks to reduce the number of babies dying and supports anyone affected by the death of a baby, during or shortly after birth: www.sands.org.uk. EDUKID, a charity set up by a former youth worker in the parish, works to remove the barriers to education faced by children living in poverty and conflict: www.edukid.org.uk.
Edukid have kindly sent us some beautiful handmade woven bird houses which will be for sale at the festival to raise funds for their important work.
Refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.
If you would like to take part or support this event in any way please contact Malc, our Administrator, office@kidhp.org.uk
After the Advent Carol Service in St Mary’s Kidlington on 1st December there will be a number of other carol services:
- Saturday 14th December, 5pm, St John’s
- Sunday 15th December, 5.30pm, St Mary’s Kidlington – Community Carol Service
- Sunday 22nd December, 5.30pm, St Mary’s Kidlington – Nine Lessons and Carols
- Christmas Eve 24th December, 5pm, St Mary’s Hampton Poyle
As last year we will also have a few evenings Carol Singing round the Streets:
Do you love singing Carols in the open air? Are you good at knocking on doors with a charity bucket? These evenings are for everyone of all ages and whether or not you can sing. Each evening we will cover a few streets who have been leafleted in advance. We will sing under the lamp-posts and try to finish in a pub or a house for mulled wine and mincepies. Everyone is welcome. Any brass players out there who would like to come along and accompany us? Please be bold and invite your friends. Please contact Felicity if you are interested.
Monday16th December, meet at 6pm at St John’s.
Tuesday 17th December, meet at 6pm, in Hampton Poyle, location tbc
Thursday 19th December for Church St end of village, meet at 6pm at The Kings Arms
Children and young people are always welcome to any of our services, but over this season there is a lot planned especially with them in mind.
Advent Sunday 1st December
- Christingle Making in the All Together service, 10am at St John’s
Sunday 22nd December
- Nativity Play in the Parish Holy Communion service, 10am at St John’s
Christmas Eve
We do hope that many families will be able to join us for one of these services.
- Christingle service at 3pm at St Mary’s Kidlington
- Crib Service at 4pm at St John’s
- Carol Service 5pm at St Mary’s Hampton Poyle
Also
Do see the above items on Posada and Christmas Tree Festival, both of which are great for all the family.
We are introducing a new event this year – Bruce Forman, Director of Music at St John’s, will be offering a short organ recital in St John’s at 3pm on Sunday 8th December: “French Organ Music for Advent”. The programme, including music by Boëllmann, Guilmant, Dupré and Tournemire, explores Advent themes using compositions from the musical tradition of Parisian organ playing. This will be followed by refreshments (of course!) All welcome.
Christmas
See “Children’s Specials” above for Christmas Eve services for children and their families.
On Christmas Eve there will be Midnight Mass services at St Mary’s Kidlington, starting at 11pm, and St John’s, starting at 11.30pm.
Christmas morning will see services for Christmas Communion at 10am in St Mary’s Kidlington and St Mary’s Hampton Poyle (but not St John’s).