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

Communion

13 December

Communion

20 December

Morning

Worship

27 December

All Ages

3 January

Communion

Cleaning Ray Goodson Lyn Bostock Tracy Crouch Volunteer please Ray Goodson

Welcoming Barbara Goudal Linda Cox Lynne Boulter Volunteer please Barbara Goudal

Reading Ray Goodson

Sue Blakey

Glenys

Edwards

Rev Bill

Carol Had-

graft

Doreen Tre-

zise

Ray Goodson

Glenys Edwards

Ray Goodson

Sue Blakey

Leading

Prayers

Phil Scott Sharon Harley Steve Bostock Jeanette Welsh Steve Bostock

Chalice Jon Abbott

Doreen Trezise

Ray Goodson

Bob Monk-

house (tbc)

Doreen Trezise

Alison Brown

Sidespersons Hilda Parrott

Miriam Knight

Volunteers

please

Ros & Will

Fiennes

Volunteers please Hilda Parrott

Miriam Knight

Refreshments Liz Wood

Lynne Boulter

Alison Brown

Sharon Harley

Carol Hadgraft

Linda Wooloff

Volunteer please

Anne Beveridge

Liz Wood

Lynne Boulter

Sunday Services:

Weekly 8am Holy Communion

Note NOT 27th Dec

Today 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 Hebrews 10:5-10 and Luke 1:39-45 God is doing something new via Mary 6pm Carol Service

27th December—St John’s Day 10.30am All Age Morning Worship (no 8am)

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 Jesus gives us the

gift of new life now as part of eternal life.

Thanks for “Christianity Explored” and all who

contributed in any way.

Pray for:

Those whose faith has been helped by Christi-

anity Explored. For Marie as she is baptised

today as a sign of starting to follow Jesus.

Our preparations for Christmas. Christingle,

Carols, Nativity 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.

The Children’s Society and its work amongst

teenagers in distressing situations. May our

gifts be plentiful and well used.

The Gatehouse Project in Oxford as we give

towards their work with those on the streets.

Those with heavy political responsibilities.

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, David Needham, Eric Pearce, Keith

Pike, Michelle & Cameron Stevenson, Pat

Thomas, Hannah, Chloe Tudor, 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 (today); Alison Ford (9th); Therese Ingram & Shirley Norgan (15th); Tracy Crouch (20th)

Baptism: Marie Cecil—today

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

6 December 2015 —2nd 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,

I hope that you are enjoying the lead up to Christmas. Life has certainly ben busy for many yet it is lonely for others. For some there is just too much to do and for others not enough. Life is like that and for all who love the Christmas celebrations there will be some for whom it is a trial for all sorts of reasons.

For some young teenagers their lives are characterised by neglect which is defined as, ‘the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development’. It is obvious that this can result in all sorts of things that affect the child and society. Some are homeless, hungry and wide open to sexual exploitation. They will represent a significant propor-tion of the estimated 50,000 females aged 16 and 17 who, last year, were victims of a sexual offence. Of these 4,900 offences were reported and 860 prosecuted.

One of the few organisations that helps is the Children’s Society which provides vital confidential support outside of the statutory agencies. We give through boxes and

Christingle to support their work. Please give. 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, Carterton Carpets, Carterton Cobblers,

Carterton 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 Phar-

macy, Morrison's, Peking Chef, Orleans Alehouse, Revolutions Hairdresser, St Andrews

Bookshop, Special Occasions, The Entertainer Witney, The Original Factory Shop, The Piz-

zaria, Witney, Shillbrook Stationers, Wreal Sports

Morrisons are generously supplying the 250 oranges for today’s Christingle Service.

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: Today: Christingle Service (4.00pm) 14 December: Men’s Bible Study @ 2 Brampton Drive 16 December: Midweek Communion followed by Christmas lunch (please sign up) 20 December: Carol Service (6.00pm) 24 December: Nativity Drama (5.30pm) 24 December: Midnight Communion (11.30pm) Christmas Day: 10.00am Morning Service followed by Holy Communion at 10.45am January Events:

9 January: Ladies Breakfast (8.30am) & Coffee Morning (10.00am) 11 January: PCC Meeting (7.45pm) 16 January: Men’s Breakfast (8.00 for 8.30am) 17 January: Messy Church (4.00pm) and Padres Service (7.00pm) 18 January: Men’s Monthly Bible Study @ 2 Brampton Drive (7.30pm) 29 January: Ladies Lunch at Aston Potteries (12 noon there, or 11.30am at church if you

need a lift) Thank you to everyone who helped assemble the Christingles and prepare the church, and to Morrisons for their generosity in providing the oranges.

For the next two 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. 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).

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

Volunteers’ rotas for 2016 are displayed on the noticeboard. If you would like to join any of the teams, please speak to Linda W.

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