Worship at Home for the Second Sunday of Advent. A Christingle service with the Children’s Society.
Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website.
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Dear Friends,
Suddenly it’s December and Christmas will be upon us before we know it. This week we have the famous Capel Christmas trees being lit at 5pm, and a concert this evening at Capel Church at 8pm, entitled Midwinter Revels where Green Matthews will entertain us with carols, folk songs, weird and wonderful instruments, wit and humour. Tickets are still available on the door or through Capel Box office: www.capelboxoffice.co.uk/product/green-matthews-midwinter-revels/
Tomorrow we have the following services:
9.30am. Matins at Ockley – taken by Graham Everness
10.30am Family Communion at Capel taken by Rev Liz.
Please note there will be Traidcraft for sale after this service – including Christmas cards and festive chocolates!
4.00pm Christingle service at Ockley Do bring your children and grandchildren along to this lovely event.
2-4pm Capel Choral Society Christmas concert at Capel Church – ‘Carols and Cakes’. The choir will be singing some of our favourite carols and there will be tea and cake, plus a raffle. A poster is attached.
Whilst you are in church make sure to pick up the new copy of Inspire, full of interesting articles and news.
The final figures for the first Capel Christmas Fair are now in, we raised £3,246.96 which will be split between our two charities, the churches of Capel and Ockley and MNDA. Thank you for all your help and encouragement – we couldn’t have done it without you. If you see or hear of any interesting stalls that might work well at next years fair please do let us know.
Finally, this week’s picture – another lovely view of Leith Hill tower taken on a bitterly cold afternoon this week with the sun just beginning to set.
With love and prayers
Debbie von Bergen
debbievonbergen@icloud.com
07774 784008
Post expires at 6:47pm on Sunday December 4th, 2022
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Christ became what we are that He might make us what He is.
Athanasius
Another packed issue with Christmas articles, News from the Pews including an update on how much money was raised at the Christmas Fair and the Royal British Legion 2021 appeal. Also an insight into Eglantyne Jebb – Founder of ‘Save the Children’ and a special article on ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’. There are the regular puzzle pages, Junior Inspire for our younger readers and much more! Happy Christmas to all our readers!
Post expires at 7:22am on Friday December 2nd, 2022
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Worship at Home for the First Sunday of Advent from St Thomas’ Newcastle, led by Rev Ben Doolan with Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York preaching.
Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website.
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Dear Friends,
Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent! This is such a special time of the year for many, children are practising their carols for the end of term concerts and nativity plays, others are busy making decorations and sending cards, and even I am beginning to think about decorating the house. I do though, realise that for some this is a difficult season, for many reasons, our thoughts are with you, may you find moments of solace and calm in all the rush.
On behalf of Suzanne and I, may I say thank you for all your support over the last few weeks whilst we prepared for the Capel Christmas Fair. Many of you were kind enough to volunteer and many more came to what I hope was a fun occasion. Still others helped us before the event listening to our plans and helping us refine them. To all of you an enormous thank you. We were really pleased to have raised approximately £3,000 for our chosen charities The Motor Neurone Disease Association and our two lovely churches. The exact figures won’t be known for another week or so as we are waiting for the last bits of income to come in from our stallholders. We’ve already booked the date for next year’s fair 19 November 2022 – please put it in your diaries!
This week sees the start of our Advent services. The following will happen tomorrow:
9.30am Matins with baptism of Caleb Cole at Ockley
10.30am Family Communion at Capel led by Rev Jo Elvidge.
This will be the first service Jo has led in Capel – so please give her a big welcome
3-5pm Church teas at Capel – we will be selling Christmas puddings at these teas so pop in and do some shopping!
Next Saturday we have the annual decorate the Christmas trees at Capel, as normal it will start at 9.30 and we will serve tea and coffee.
5pm will see the traditional lighting of the trees followed by carols outside – do wrap up warm!
This will be followed at 8pm by a concert by Green Matthews in the church. Please do book your tickets for this festive occasion at: www.capelboxoffice.co.uk/product/green-matthews-midwinter-revels/
Lastly, the photo of the week is a picture of one of the sculptures at Leith Hill where we had a lovely walk in the sunshine followed by coffee at the tower – what nicer way to spend a winter morning.
With love and prayers
Debbie von Bergen
debbievonbergen@icloud.com
07774 
Post expires at 2:24pm on Sunday November 27th, 2022
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Worship from St Margaret’s Lee, London. The service is led by Rev Canon Tim Goode and Rev Daniel Walker preaches.
Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website.
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As I write this letter Doug and I are delighted to have become grandparents once again. We have a new little granddaughter just a couple of days old. Her parents are staying with us in Capel while their new house is being sorted out which means we are sharing in this wonderful new born phase of their first baby’s young life. It has taken me right back to nearly 40 years ago when our first child was born in Kingston Hospital – to the 8 days or so spent in those big old fashioned wards when Sister ruled and babies went to nurseries at night! These days of course new parents are home very much sooner and things have no doubt changed for the better but one thing doesn’t change – that it is such an overwhelming, vulnerable time for all concerned isn’t it as not only is a child born but new parents are born as well. And then there is the baby who is completely dependant on their parent for absolutely everything…
This vulnerability we remember was the same for Jesus as a new born to his parents, teenager mother Mary and her husband Joseph. And how vulnerable they must have felt away from their home and in very temporary accommodation shared with the animals most probably. It was a vulnerability God called these two to embrace as he sent his Son to be born among us; to live among us; to be one of us, yet without sin although knowing and experiencing life as a human being. A mystery indeed yet it was a revelation foretold through scripture and continuing to be fulfilled as we worship and celebrate his coming into the world.
As this festive season approaches there are many different services and events planned in order to help you worship and celebrate throughout December. The month begins as usual with the decorating of the community organisation Christmas trees lining the path and front of our Capel Church and later the same day we regather for the grand switch on of the lights and an opportunity to sing some carols outside as usual. The lovely Crown Pub will be offering supper I know and then there is a wonderful concert to enjoy inside church as Green Matthews entertain us with some ‘Midwinter Revels,’ songs, tales and carols from yuletide past! A busy day indeed!
Then the following afternoon at St Margaret’s Ockley we have the first of our annual Christingle services where we discover through the making of the Christingle Orange that Christ is the light of the world. All children are welcome of course whatever age you happen to be! We are all God’s children…
Talking of children of all ages – on the following Saturday, over in Ockley on the Green, there will be more carols and a surprise visit from a bearded gentleman in a red costume riding on a sleigh. I wonder who that might be?! The next day if you fancy something a little bit different again why not come along on Sunday morning to our Christmas Cafe Church where we will enjoy more songs, carols, poems and laughter – again an opportunity for all the family to join in, courtesy of Bob and the Cafe Church Band. I can’t wait! Later that day we have the last of the Capel teas for the season. I think there may well be some of Joy’s famous Christmas puddings there too….
The Saturday before Christmas there is more carol singing to enjoy at Ockley Village Hall for the Ockley Cricket Club. If you have any more energy for carol singing the following evening we will be holding our traditional Nine Lessons and Carols at St John’s Church Capel. A lovely prelude to Christmas Eve with our Crib service and Midnight Communion which begins at 11pm!! This means by 12 midnight we are singing Silent Night in candlelight and wishing one another the first “Happy Christmas!”. Which leaves us with the great day itself where we join as our two churches to welcome the new born King at our Christmas Day service of worship and celebration at St Margaret’s Ockley. Then for the first time in an age the following day is Boxing Day and we drop down a gear slightly as both our churches are able to offer you a traditional Matins at Ockley or a said service of Holy Communion at Capel – both services offering a time to quietly reflect on all the busyness of the lead up to Christmas, a sacred quiet time of space as the year draws to a close.
So there it is! Sounds exhausting but don’t let it be so. As we reflect on the vulnerability of the Christ child remember how vulnerable we are especially at this busiest of seasonal times, when expectations can run high and pressure builds. We are vulnerable too of course as the pandemic continues so choose your services and events carefully; remember that we are watchful over helping to keep you safe. Christmas although a time to celebrate is a difficult time for many, particularly for the bereaved and lonely. Please know that we wish to pray for you and serve you as your parish churches in the best way we can. We will have the prayer trees inside both churches for you so that you can write down your hopes and dreams and prayers for whoever or whatever you feel so called. Place them on the tree and they will be prayed for throughout the month at our regular weekly services. I pray that during this month you may find peace amidst whatever and wherever you find yourself in your life and may I wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year. I pray too that you will realise that however vulnerable Jesus himself once was, like we all were once when we were newly born into this world, and as we still very much are, God is our heavenly parent and will see to our every need if we trust and depend on him.
With my love and prayers
Revd Liz
PS – look out for the appearance of the Holy Family who are planning to pitch up on the Vicarage Lawn again!
Post expires at 11:22am on Sunday November 20th, 2022
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Dear Friends,
This email is coming to you a couple of days earlier than normal this week as I shall be involved in the Christmas fair for the rest of the week. More importantly though it allows me to give you the wonderful news that:
Rev Liz had a new grandchild yesterday (Wednesday) evening. Our congratulations go to Jack and Vicky on the birth of little Elsie!
It is wonderful news and I’m sure you will join me in including them in your prayers of thanksgiving.
This week we have the following services:
9.30am. Holy communion BCP at Ockley
10.30am Family communion at Capel
Jo Elvidge will be leading the communion at Capel – an enormous thank you to Jo for this, her first time preaching at Capel.
I’m sure all of you are fed up of me talking about the Christmas fair, but one last reminder – it is this Saturday 12-4, do come if you can.
This weeks photo is Fourwents Pond early this morning – such a beautiful light
With love and prayers
Debbie von Bergen
debbievonbergen@icloud.com
07774 784008
Post expires at 11:19am on Sunday November 20th, 2022
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A Service for Remembrance Sunday, and marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion. Led by Rev Oliver Coss from All Saints’ Church, Northampton.
Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website.
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Dear friends,
As I write this I am also printing the programme for our Christmas Fair next week. Suzanne and I have spent months planning, organising and occasionally agonising over this event, please come and support us next Saturday, we so hope you like all the stalls which we have carefully selected for you. Each entrance includes a free cup of coffee or tea and their are some lovely food stalls for you to try so you won’t go hungry! As an aside, if you would like to volunteer on the day and haven’t yet received an email detailing what you are doing, please let me know and I will contact you directly.
This Sunday of course is Remembrance Sunday. Both of our churches have services marking this occasion. These services will be outside so please wrap up warm and are at different times to normal, so read carefully!
The programme is as follows:
10.30am Cafe church – now inside St John’s for the winter to allow social distancing
10.45 am Annual Service of Remembrance Outside at St Margaret’s, Ockley
This service will be followed by coffee at the village hall where there will be a display of memorabilia connected to those who lost their lives from Ockley
3.00pm Annual Service of Remembrance Outside at St John’s, Capel
For the Christmas fair next week we are asking all those attending to wear masks and there will be a one way system in operation in the Memorial hall. However, if you are at all concerned, may I suggest you come between 3 and 4pm when the fair is likely to be quieter.
Thank you to all those who have already signed up to bring produce for the Christmas hampers in Capel. If you would like to do so the lists are on the table just inside the door. Please don’t bring the produce yet, from the start of December would be lovely.
Many of you have already heard but for those who haven’t you will be delighted to know that the Community Fridge which visits our villages has won the Queen’s award for voluntary service. Congratulations to them and everyone who helps them.
The picture of the week this week is of a beautiful maple which lights up the sky on our walk around Holmwood Common at the moment.
With love and prayers
Debbie von Bergen
debbievonbergen@icloud.com
07774 784008
Post expires at 2:39pm on Sunday November 13th, 2022
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Readings-5.12.21.pdf