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www.stivesmethodistchurch.org.uk

December 2009 Newsletter

Sunday Services

6

th

December 10:30am

Rev Matt FinchHoly Communion

13th

December 10:30am Derek Rutherford

20th

December 10:30am Rev Matt Finch andRuth Horton

FRIDAY25

thDecember

11am Christmas Day Serviceat the Free Church, St Ives

27th

December 10:30am Leonore Charlton

3rd

January 10:30am Rev Matt Finch

A loop system is in use in this church.In order to use this please put your

hearing aid to the T position.

St Ives Methodist Church

27, The Waits,

St Ives,

Cambridgeshire.

PE27 5BY

Minister: Rev Matt FinchTel: 01480 462293

Mobile: 07968 692390Email: matt.finch@simc.co.uk

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A warm welcome to anyone who is visiting

St Ives Methodist Church for the first time. Please stay for

a free cup of tea or coffee in the church after the service.

Childrens cornerActivities are available at the back of church. Please

feel free to join us at any time during the service.

Church MeetingsSt Ives Methodist Church (SIMC) run various groups that meet on

different days of the week. For more details of a specific groupsevents, please pick up a leaflet from the leaflet rack in the

corridor opposite the kitchen.

Day Time Meeting

Mondays(alternate weeks)

2-4 pm House GroupFellowship and Bible

Study

Tuesdays 9:3010am

Morning Prayers /Communion

A special time ofreflection

Tuesdays10-

11:30amToddlers Group

Meet other parents,

have a chat

Tuesdays10 -12

noonOpen Door

Drop in for a cup of

tea and a chat

Tuesdays 2 pmAfternoon

Fellowship

Hymns, prayer,

various speakers.

Thursdays(1

stand 3

rd)

7:30 pm Open CircleVarious speakers on

topics of interest

Sundays 7:30 pm Phos Young Adult group

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A letter from the Minister...Will your turkey taste like Delias? Will your

roast potatoes be a beautiful as Jamies? Will

your presents be wrapped as beautifully as

Good Housekeeping? As much as we strivefor the perfect Christmas, I fear, many of us do

not get there!

If we look to the first Christmas it is not about

perfection but God coming to the real world

with all its struggles. Soon we will sing of the season of peace, goodwill,

love for all and of giving. These are words of hope for a messy

complicated world that cries out for the love of God. A proper Christmas

is not about the tree being just right but fathoming that God chooses to

come to our fragile world to heal and renew it.

The Christmas story is not just well meaning words but it is Gods action.

In the birth of the Jesus we see God not ignoring the world but becoming

one of us to change it. God with us means more than an abstract

presence somewhere that we can feel if we think about it. It is the truththat Jesus knows what we are feeling because he experienced it. Just

think Jesus was born into an occupied territory, without a home to call his

own, born to a teenage mother, and lived as a refugee as he grew up!

Jesus knows our world is not easy.

At this festive time may you know the message of hope that comes

wrapped up in cloths and laid in a manger. In the weakness of this child

God comes to challenge the way this world works and offer a way totransform it; a liberation to the captive; a love for the unlovable, a peace

to the distressed and wholeness to the broken.

Whoever you are and whatever faces you may you know that the baby

born in a manger is born for you.

Every blessing this Christmas and New Year,

Matt finch

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Church Events

Christmas Services with St Ives Methodist Church

This December we are organising and participating in various

Christmas services and events. We would love to invite you, your

friends, neighbours and families to any or all of the events. You

will be most welcome.

Wed 9th

7pm

Remembering Service

A special service to remember those whoare in our thoughts at Christmas time.

Wed 16th

7pmTaize Healing and Wholeness Service

A reflective and meditative worship service.

Sunday 20th

4pmCarol Service

Come and join us singing traditional carols.

Thurs 24th 4pmNativity for Children

The Christmas story for children.

Thurs 24th 11pmChristmas Eve Communion

At the Free Church, Market Hill, St Ives.

Friday 25th 11amChristmas Day service

At the Free Church, Market Hill, St Ives.

All of these dates can be found on our Christmas services

postcard available at the back of church. Please take a postcard

to give to friends and family.

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Christmas Tree Festival

Thank you to all of you who have been involved in making the

Christmas Tree Festival a success. If you havent been able to

attend and would like to, it will still be open on Sunday 6th

December from 12:30 5pm at Huntingdon Methodist Church.

CATS Carol Service

Folk from St Ives CATS regularly join our church on a Tuesday

morning for an enjoyable social time. We are pleased to be

hosting a special Carol service for the learning disabilities group in

the Church on Tuesday 15th

December at 1:30pm. All are very

welcome. A light lunch is available for anyone who would like to

join us, and tea and cakes will be served afterwards.

Open Circle Carol Service

On Thursday 17th

Dec at 7:30pm, Open Circle would like to invite

you to a Carol Service, followed by mince pies. All are welcome. A

collection will be made in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

A Nativity for Children

This year we are doing a special Christmas Eve service for children

and their families. At 4pm we will gather in the main church, sit

on real straw bales, and hear the Christmas story with the help of

puppets, crafts and carols! Please come along with your children,

grandchildren or even great-grandchildren! Children are invitedjoin in and come dressed up as either a shepherd, angel or king. If

you are planning to come please let Wendy Williams know

(830597), so we can make sure we have enough crafts to go

round. There will be a mince pie and drink at the end.

Churches Together Carol Singing

Meet outside the Free Church at 11am on Friday 18th

December

to join CTSI Carol Singing, in aid of Christian Aid.

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Breathe and Phos

You may have seen events called Phos and Breathe in the notices

or heard on the grapevine of such things and perhaps wondered

what on earth they are. Well to put your mind at rest they are

two expressions of faith with in the life our church that seek toconnect with people in their 20s and 30s. Phos meets every

Sunday evening at Matt and Yazs- where we drink coffee, eat

biscuits, share together in bible study, discussing questions about

life and faith. It is a place for people of similar age to grow

together. Breathe is a service that will be happening every other

month in the new year. It is an act of worship that seeks to use

multimedia, engage the senses and again make the Christian faithrelevant to 20s and 30s who would not be able to understand

what happens on a Sunday morning. If you have any more

questions or would like to come along ask Matt Finch or a

member of the Leadership Team.

Church Family NewsWe were delighted to welcome into the family of the Church, bybaptism on Nov. 15th, Rory Edward Fabian Harris- Sullivan. We

were also enchanted by his two sisters sharing in the service,with

Anushka playing the piano, and Alenska reading the lesson. What

a talented family!

We would like to extend a warm welcome to those who have

recently joined us. It is good to see new faces in our midst and we

look forward to getting to know you more in the coming weeks.

Do speak to Matt, or one of our Stewards, if you would like more

information about any of our Church activities.If you have news or announcements that you would like to share

with the church family in the January Newsletter please contact

Stuart Wilkinson.

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Please Pray...As a church we believe that prayer makes a difference because

God listens and answers.

We continue to remember in our prayers all those who are

housebound and unable to get to Church any longer. Particularly

we remember Jim Dale, Ted and Jenny Woolford, and Connie and

Ray Rogers.

We also remember in prayer those of our fellowship who areunwell, undergoing tests and treatment, and all worried and

anxious about their own health or that of loved ones. During the

past months we have been mindful of David Turner, Bill Purvis,

Bill Gurry, Nan Duplessis and Margaret Harris, but we also know

there are many others who need the love and support of our

Church family at this time.

We pray for those who will be attending The Remembering

Service this month, and for everyone for whom Christmas can be

be a difficult time, especially those who are facing their first

Christmas without a loved one.

Please pray for those who have little this Christmas time. We

think of families locally who are facing times of hardship, andthose around the world who will receive no gifts. We are thankful

for the help our church has been able to provide through

shoeboxes and black bin donations, and we pray these gifts may

be received as an outpouring of Gods love to a needy world.

If there is anything that you would like to be prayed for please

write it in the Prayer Book at the back of the church, let the

Leadership Team know or contact prayer@simc.co.uk .

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NoticesThe Black Bin

St Ives Methodist Church would like to help families in need in

our local community this Christmas time. If you are able to

donate any of the following gifts they will be gratefully received:

dry or tinned food, nappies, baby items, new toys/books, toiletries

or cleaning products. Please place them in the black bin at the

back of the church. If you missed it, listen to the church sermon

from 15th

November for further information.

Church Christmas Card

If you would like to leave a Christmas message for members of

our church family there is a communal Christmas card at the back

of the church. Any Christmas donations will be gratefully received

and will be used to support the work of The Methodist Churchs

childrens charity, Action for Children.

Open Circle

The Open Circle group would like to invite you to come along.

Open Circle meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month,

are open to both men and women and would be delighted to

welcome new members. For more information please pick up a

new programme at the Open Circle Carol Service or contact the

President, Audrey Hedger on 01954 200418.

Thank you

We would like to thank members of Open Circle for leading our

worship on 22nd

November. If you were unable to visit church for

that service or if you would like to hear it again, please visit the

church website or ask Stuart Wilkinson for a CD copy.

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Foyer Project

On Sunday 29th

November Rev Matt Finch formally launched The

Foyer Project, a major redevelopment of the front area of the

church. Matt shared some of the thinking and theology behind

the ideas for the front of the church. If you were not able to be atchurch on 29

thNovember, please do listen to the recording of this

message, either on the website, or CD copies are available to

borrow. If you dont already have one, please also pick up a Foyer

Project booklet from church, or if a friend cant collect one for

you we can send you a copy in the post.

The Leadership Team hope that this will be a time of renewal andexcitement for the church. It is not simply an idea for making the

church prettier. It is about finding Gods plans and purposes for

us. To this end we encourage you to reflect and especially pray

about the plans, keeping an eye on important meetings, and

communicating your thoughts to the Leadership Team.

If you would like to pray about the project and discuss the plans

further there will be two meetings: Thursday 17th

December

7:30pm or Wednesday 20th

January 2010 7:30pm at St Ives

Methodist Church. All are welcome. Please dont worry if you

cant make one of the meetings as they will both be the same

material and discussion and two dates are simply to enable more

people to be involved. There will be more meetings in the future

to share any significant developments or to discussion decisions

that need to be made.

The Leadership Team would welcome your feedback on the

project. Please complete the blue feedback form inside the foyer

booklet and place it in the box at the back of church. Please

remember to write your name on your form as this will help us toreply to your comments.

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Autumn Fayre

So many church friends contributed gifts, produce, time and

energy to make this a very successful event. It all came together

on the day and resulted in a fantastic 932.30 being raised for

church funds.

Wendy Ware would like to say a big thank you to Ruth for

opening the Fayre, Jean and her helpers for producing the very

popular lunches and everyone involved in any way. It wouldnt

happen without you.

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox AppealA grand total of 158 shoeboxes were collected! Thank you to

Madge Harrison, Kay Hender and all who were involved in

organising, wrapping, filling and collecting shoe boxes, including

Thorndown School, the Tots Group and many many others. Thank

you, everyone, for the tremendous difference that your hard

work will make to many children this Christmas.

Church Theatre Trip to see Les MisrablesA huge thank you to Wendy Ware for organising the trip to see

Les Misrables. All who went had a fantastic day out.

Mince pies for Christmas

We are hoping to serve drinks and mince pies after our Carol

service on Sun 20th Dec and after the Childrens Nativity on 24th

Dec. Any contributions or offers of help would be appreciated,

particularly on Christmas Eve. Please speak to Barbara or

Maureen if you are able to offer any help. Many thanks !

Weekly Offerings for November1

st

November 529.118

thNovember 474.50

15th

November 672.75

22

nd

November 483.1429

thNovember 426.29

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The Church Leadership TeamThere are several members of the church who have been appointed as

Leadership Stewards of the church. These individuals meet together with

our minister to discuss matters of development within the church.

Areas of specific responsibility have now been allocated to members of

the leadership team to reflect the gifts and talents they are able to offer

to the church.

Rev Matt Finch

Minister

(01480) 462293

matt.finch@simc.co.ukDon Moorman

Property and Finance

(01487) 842002

don.moorman@simc.co.uk

Pat Paddon

Spirituality and Discipleship

(01480) 496439

pat.paddon@simc.co.uk

Margaret Harris

Ministry to the Advanced in Years

(01480) 436885

margaret.harris@simc.co.uk

Yaz Finch

Mission and Evangelism

(01480) 462293

yasmin.finch@simc.co.uk

Wendy Williams

Children and Families

(01480) 830597

wendy.williams@simc.co.uk

Stuart Wilkinson

Communications

(01480) 389623

stuart.wilkinson@simc.co.uk

Your Leadership Team aims to be approachable if you wish to discuss

any matters relating to church affairs. Please do get in touch with them!

The Leadership Team usually meet approximately once every six weeks,

and beginning in next months newsletter, a summary of relevant issuesdiscussed will now feature in this newsletter to keep the wider church

informed of matters arising.

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Newsletter Feedback

In the summer, following wide consultation with the church, it was

agreed to replace the magazine and weekly notice sheet with a monthly

newsletter for a 4-month trial. Last month, a feedback form was

included with the newsletter to gauge opinion of whether the monthlynewsletter should continue. An overwhelming 92% of responses were

favourable towards the monthly format continuing. The feedback has

been valuable in knowing how to move forward with the newsletter.

Our Leadership Steward with responsibility for communications, Stuart

Wilkinson, addresses some points raised.

Can we have different coloured paper to tell issues apart?What a good idea! This was always the intention, but due to initial supply

difficulties obtaining differently coloured recycled non-bleached paper the early

issues were all variations of yellow! Youll happily see this matter has now been

resolved and should provide distinction between issues.

Can we include the first week of the following month on the front?

Yes, from the November issue this has now been included so it is always clear who

will be preaching the following weekeven if its the last week in the month.

We need better quality printing it is not always easy to read.

Unfortunately, we have been plagued with photocopier problems for some copies

of the newsletter and used an ink-jet printer to get some copies printed in time.

This printing was grey-looking and not as clear and high-contrast as photocopied

printing which we will always aim to use each month, as it is both clearer and

cheaper to print.

There needs to be information from the Leadership Stewards and the

Church Council in the newsletter.

I couldnt agree more! We need clear and effective communication across the

whole church. This matter is being addressed currently.

We need a Whos Who section with contact information.

This is certainly one piece of information that was in the old magazine that needsto still be available somewhere. This matter will be addressed in the new year with

a new publication. Details to come next month.

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I am unable to attend church some Sundays so am unable to collect a

monthly newsletter.One of the intentions behind the monthly newsletter is to specifically be more

inclusive to people who cant turn up every week. The monthly newsletter is

available throughout that month from the church, either from the stewards on the

door on a Sunday morning, or throughout the week from the leaflet racks in the

corridor. You may be able ask a friend or your pastoral visitor to pick up a copy for

you. If this isnt possible, and you dont have access to our website or email then

we are more than happy to post a copy to you every month.

The articles are good. I like the please pray page.

Prayer is an important part of our church and that should be reflected in the

newsletter. Several positive comments were made about the prayer page. Pleasedo send in items for prayer so these can be included and the prayer part of the

newsletter can grow.

It is clear and easy to find information.The newsletter is intended to be as accessible as possible, using fonts and layouts

which are easy on the eye and not burdensome for those with restricted sight.

Large print copies are also available, and thezoom feature on the website allows

text size to be increased even further on-screen if desired.

The Leadership Team have decided to continue with a monthly

newsletter following the positive reception of the trial-run. The

newsletter will continue for the foreseeable future.

As our church continues to grow and develop, should it be felt that a

weekly bulletin of some description is more appropriate then this will be

reinstated. Our church communication will hopefully constantly change

and adapt to suit the circumstances we find ourselves in at any given

point.

Should you have any comments youd like to make about the newsletter,

or church communication generally, do let the Leadership Team know. Itis feedback like this that helps us to make sure we are being effective.

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December:feature

Each month the newsletter will include a special feature about one

particular part of our church. This month, we look at how you can

make sure you have a FAIRTRADEChristmas.

St Ives Methodist Church is an accredited

Fairtrade Church. Many members will know

that for many years, St Ives Methodist

Church ran a regular Fairtrade stall and

Mary Gatehouse, Ann Collingwood and

others worked tirelessly to keep Fairtrade on all our minds.

Due to the success of churches across the country doing the same

thing, Fairtrade has become a well known recognised brand, and

rather than need to run our own stalls we can direct people to the

huge range of fairtrade products available from our supermarkets and

high street shops, and the excellentJust Sharing Fair Trade shop atThe Free Church in town.

Well be serving plenty of fairtrade

tea and coffee this Christmas time

as we do all year round but

what else can we buy this year to

make our Christmas a FairtradeChristmas?

Waitrose and Co-op both sell

excellent Fairtrade Mince Pies

but the great news is that theyre

already selling fast. We can show

the supermarkets they need moreFairtrade stock for next year!

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The Co-ops Fairtrade Fruit Christmas Pudding also comes highly

recommended. According to Zest Magazine, ...there's enough dried

fruit in this to count as a fruit portion. There's also a higher proportion

of raisins than in many other puds, which makes it slightly higher in

iron - one portion supplies 7% of your RDA. With 60% Fairtradeingredients, this is a good choice for an ethical Christmas.

If youre looking for fairtrade crafts and

gifts, the Just Sharing shop has many

ideas, including hand-crafted decorations,

nativity scenes, wooden toys and a

selection of handmade cards includingthose made of paper made from water

hyacinth or even elephant dung!

Traidcraft have been pioneering Fairtrade since 1979. Founded as a

Christian response to poverty, they have been at the forefront of the

Fairtrade movement and still are today.

St Ives Methodist Church now even have their own online Fairtrade

shop at www.simc.co.uk/fairtrade - with over 700 Fairtrade products!

However and wherever you shop this Christmas, make it Fairtrade!

Forthcoming notices:If you would like a notice to go into the next monthly

Newsletter, please contact Stuart Wilkinson.

Email: info@simc.co.uk

Telephone: 01480 389623

Write in the purple notice book at the back of the church.

Deadline for the next issue: 11am Tuesday 29th

December

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Sun 6th

7:30pm Phos

Tues 8th

9:30am Morning Prayers / CommunionTues 8

th10 11:30am Parents and Toddlers

Tues 8th

10 12 noon Open Door

Tues 8th

2:00pm Afternoon Fellowship: Own arrangements

Tues 8th

3:30pm-5pm Circle of Light (drop in session)

Wed 9th

7pm Remembering Service

Sun 13th 7:30pm Breathe service, St Ives Methodist Church

Mon 14th 2pm House Group (3 Clare Court)

Tues 15th

9:30am Morning Prayers / Communion

Tues 15th

10 11:30am Parents and Toddlers

Tues 15th

10 12 noon Open Door

Tues 15th 1:30pm CATS Carol Service

Wed 16th

7pm Taize Healing and Wholeness Service

Thurs 17th

7:30pm Open Circle: Carol Service and Mince PiesThurs 17

th7:30pm Foyer Project Prayer and Discussion meeting

Sun 20th

4pm Christmas Carol Service

Sun 20th

7:30pm Phos

Thurs 24th

4pm Nativity for Children

Thurs 24th

11pm Christmas Eve Communion at the Free Church

Fri 25th 11am Christmas Day Service at the Free Church

Printed on non-bleached

100% Recycled Paper

Church activities resume in the new year

We wish you and your family a peaceful Christmas and New Year..