This Week

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Hello Christ Church, 🎄

As you know, last Sunday we were planning to hold the first ever outdoor Carol Service at Christ Church; it was to be held outside because that meant we were allowed to sing Carols together, because what is Christmas without carols? Sunday dawned with non-stop rain and high winds, not a great day for gazebos or outdoor electrics (or people for that matter), and by 4pm it was very much looking like it wasn’t going to happen, which would have been a huge disappointment, especially to all those who had worked so hard to pull it all together in a very short space of time. Well, I am now a very firm believer in the power of prayer, as at about 4.15pm, the rain just stopped, and the wind died down leaving us with the perfect conditions to go ahead! Our new Bishop of Chester, Mark came along, game to accept Graham’s invite to a Christmas Kazoo-off (if you weren’t there ask Graham or +Mark for details) and we all sang our hearts out for the King of Kings!

About 160 people attended the service, many of whom were not part of the Christ Church congregation but members of the Newtown community, which was just lovely and very rewarding to see. If you missed this service don’t worry, from now on we will pray our socks off and Christ Church will be holding an outdoor Carol Service every year!

Things you need to know:

  1. Sunday’s Services – 20th December
  2. Children’s Groups & Crèche   
  3. Carols on your Doorstep
  4. Christmas Services – 24th & 25th December Hosts needed for Christmas Services please! If you can help, please reply to this email as soon as possible 😊
  5. Blue Monday Quiz

This Sunday’s Services

This Sunday 20th December Christ Church will be open for both of our regular Sunday services 9.00 and 10.30am. We will be continuing our ‘Christmas Series’ with some thoughts from our very own Rosie Jones, and here come the pre-service safety checks: Masks should be worn, details will be taken for track and trace purposes, or use the NHS app to register your attendance. Pews are socially distanced, and you will be asked to sit either in your bubbles or at either end to maintain the statutory 2 metre rule. Again, please leave the building after the service via the one-way system and outside, there will be designated areas to gather and chat for a short while. As before, please do not move between groups and keep group sizes to a maximum of 6.

For those not able to attend in person, the 10.30am service will be livestreamed as usual at www.facebook.com/christchurchchester/live.

Please note that there will be no services on Sunday 27th December.

Children’s Groups & Crèche

This Sunday, Gems will not be running, but Rocksolid and Crypt will meet as usual at the Mission House. Entry will be at10.25am.

Also this Sunday, the Crèche facility will be available in the vestry for socially-distanced play and /or feeding. There is room for two households, but only one adult from each household. Please bring your own toys and refrain from sharing them. The service will be available to follow on the screen.

Carols on your Doorstep

On Sunday 20th December at 5.30pm, the whole city is joining in to take part in this event. All you need to do is tune in to Chester’s Dee Radio 106.3FM, download a mobile-friendly Carol sheet found here: https://www.linkup.uk.net/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=271575 and sing along on your own doorstep with your neighbours! Let’s spread a bit of Christmas joy in our communities!

Christmas Services

These services will all look different this year as CofE, and Government guidance is followed:

  • Christingle – Thursday 24th December at 4.00pm
  1. We will be making our own Christingles during the service: everything you need will be provided
  2. Towards the end of the service, we will be heading outside so we can sing a couple of carols together – so bring your coat or whatever you need to survive the weather!
  3. Take a nativity scene photo at home and send to Anna anna.leyden@christchurchchester.com or WhatsApp 07704 036 785 by Monday 21st December
  4. If you would like to, come dressed as a character from the Christmas story
  • Christmas Eve Communion – Thursday 24th December at 9.00pm. This service mirrors the usual “Midnight Communion” in that it is a reflective service where you are invited to share Holy Communion together.
  • Christmas Day Celebration – Friday 25th December at 10.30am, also livestreamed on www.facebook.com/christchurchchester/live.

This is a Christmas Day celebration for all ages and remember to bring a Christmas present you opened that morning (if it’s a new puppy, maybe just bring along a photo…?).

After each of these services we are hoping to be able to go outside to sing a few carols together so please bring appropriate footwear and clothing.

Also, as in previous years, prizes will be given to those who attend all three services!!

Blue Monday Quiz

Did you know that Blue Monday is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) claimed to be the most depressing day of the year? The concept was first published as part of a 2005 press release from holiday company which claimed to have calculated the date using an equation. It takes into account weather conditions and thus only applies to the Northern Hemisphere. By coincidence, the date in the United States almost always coincides with the celebration of Martin Luther King. Jr Day, a federal holiday, and so the concept of Blue Monday is not widely known there.

Anyway, at Christ Church we are going to banish the blues that Monday as the wonderful Eli Mitchell is hosting another of his world-famous Christ Church Quizzes! Zoom details etc to follow nearer the time but put this date into your diary: Monday 18th January 2021 at 7.30pm.

As ever, please do keep an eye on our website www.christchurchchester.com, Facebook www.facebook.com/christchurchchester, Twitter www.twitter.com/ChChChester and Instagram www.instagram.com/christchurchchester pages for regular updates.

Thanks for reading!

God bless,

Carys