Those we are praying for….. Valerie & Richard Comer, Rev'd Father Robert Britton, Max Barton, Betty Hedges, Christine Lovering, Margaret Bolley, Derek Seville, Diane and Pete Ellis, Wyn Moore, Pat Wadham, Mary Gully, Lilah James, Paul, Carly Hicks, Robin Nash, John Smith, Mary Russell, Wynn Evans, Steven Thomas, Rex Parry, Judith Hutton, Dexter Liebow and John, Karen and Rosalind.

Please keep Amy updated as to who needs prayer. We commit to praying for one month unless otherwise advised.

We would like to encourage you in your prayer and invite you to focus specific prayers for 5 people by praying in this way….

Prayer using the BLESS acronym to help as prompts for what to pray forB Body Health, protection, wellbeingL Labour Employment/unemployment/retirement/adequate incomeE Emotional Inner peace, joy, wisdom, insight, patienceS Social Healthy relationships with friends/family/colleaguesS Spiritual Repentance, salvation, obedience, faith, grace

Pray for our Growth TogetherPlease continue to pray for growth in our Christian community

Eternal Father, look with your love on your people of this benefice and the wider Partnership, and pour upon us the gifts of your Spirit. Draw us to you and one another that our growing unity may bring healing of life to all, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Priest-in-Charge of Benefice – Rev. Jordan Ling 0117 3304953Focal Minister for St Aidan’s – Rev. Canon Trevor Denley 07960 329127

Focal Minister for St Michael’s – Rev. Nicola Callen 0117 9658833Assistant Curate – Rev. Michelle Martin 07804 610929

East Bristol Partnership Office Tel: 0117 9586412 Email: eastbristol.org@gmail.com

All notices for the following Sunday to be sent to Amy Donaldson, East Bristol Partnership Administrator by midnight on Tuesday.

News from the Pews

4 Churches working together in East Bristol as part of the East Bristol Partnership

St. Aidan’s St John’s St Michael’s St Ambrose ‘Reaching Out to ‘Serving the ‘Serving the & St Leonard’s Welcome In’ Community Community ‘At the heart Worshipping God’ of Two Mile Hill’ of the Community’

Welcome Sunday 11th December

Our Collect Prayer for today – The Third Sunday of AdventGod for whom we watch and wait, you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son: give us courage to speak the truth, to hunger for justice,

and to suffer for the cause of right, with Jesus Christ our Lord.

What’s happening this morning:St Michael’s Church 10.00am – Eucharist with Rev. Nicola CallenSt Ambrose Church 10.00am - Eucharist with Rev. Canon Paul Denyer

St Aidan’s Church 10.30am – Eucharist with Rev. Canon Trevor Denley leading and preaching and Rev. Canon Stephen Purvis presiding.

St John’s Church 10.30am – Eucharist with Rachel Greaves leading, Rev. Nicola Callen presiding and Richard Hanford preaching

Readings: Isa. 35.1-10; Jas. 5.7-10; Matt. 11.2-11;

www.staidanbristol.co.ukSunday Service 10.30am

Special notices….We are looking for donations towards the cost of the flowers needed for Christmas. Please can you give the donations to Sue or Carol.

The Play’s the Thing!This afternoon there will be a run-through of the play about Saint Aidan which will be performed October 13th/14th next year. If you are interested in acting or

getting involved on the production side, we’d love to see you! The run-through takes place at Saint Aidan’s Church, Fir Tree Lane, BS5 8TZ at 4 p.m. Rehearsals

begin after Easter next year. If you know someone it would be good to encourage, bring them along too! Any questions, please ring Paul on 967 8375.

The Carol Service will take place on Sun 18th Dec starting at 6.30pm. Everyone is warmly welcome!

Carols in The Precinct is on Mon 19th Dec starting at 7pm in Kingsway Shopping Precinct. Everyone welcome!

Regular weekly events….

EVERY 1ST SUNDAY IN HALL 9.45am – 11am

Sundays fortnightly 3pm - Deaf @ St Aidan’s

Tuesdays 7.00pm - Evening Prayer in the Lady Chapel

Wednesdays 3.30pm – Messy Church, Air Balloon Primary

Thursdays 9.15am – Morning Prayer in the Lady Chapel

Thursday mornings 10am – 12pm in the Café area of Church

Advent Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent…..Advent Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent…..God our Father,you gave to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old agea son called John.He grew up strong in spirit,prepared the people for the coming of the Lord,and baptized them in the Jordan to wash away their sins. Help us, who have been baptized into Christ,to be ready to welcome him into our hearts,and to grow strong in faith by the power of the Spirit. We ask this through Jesus Christ,

the light who is coming into the world.Amen.

Thought for this week….by Rev. Jordan Ling On the third week of advent we reflect on John the Baptist. “Make way! Prepare!” he cries. We hear these words as John’s own but they

were originally the words of the prophet Isaiah; John’s audience hear these words they know very well, words form their holy scriptures – Johns decrees their imminent fulfillment. John lights the way with his grand oratory so others may grasp the profound spiritual truth that God is involved in our lives as much as he was in the days of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. It is a vulnerable place for John to be - he is speaking out against the rulers in many ways, declaring the time of a Saviour who will free them from these same rulers. His daily declaration is nothing less then a call to an uprising and perhaps John’s understanding of Jesus coming is that an uprising will occur. It must have been a strangely half- revealed story John received from God; he knew to speak out and call people to prepare, and he did so with conviction. And yet he also knew Jesus as his cousin, very probably his childhood playmate. John goes on later to experience doubt and sends a question from his prison cell to ask Jesus if

he really is the Messiah. John may well have expected a mutinous uprising lead by a strong and wise battle leader just as the kings of old were, Kings like David. He saw the beginning of Jesus’ ministry but not the end, he had died before Jesus fully revealed himself through his death and resurrection and in those final acts Jesus did pave the way to mutiny, but not a mutiny as John might have expected but, a mutiny of the soul. A call to arm ourselves with love, to love even when it is costly, even when it requires immense sacrifice. A call to vulnerably but simultaneously, with conviction, to hold fast to the prophet’s words of old; that the Messiah will change things forever. John did that even though he may not have seen the way ahead, even to death itself. John’s is a call to hear but also to commit to faithfulness in every circumstance despite the way ahead being unclear, Jesus is coming, he has died, he has risen, he will come again.

Special notices and upcoming events for all…….The Play’s the Thing!

This afternoon there will be a run-through of the play about Saint Aidan which will be performed October 13th/14th next year. If you are interested in acting or getting

involved on the production side, we’d love to see you! The run-through takes place at Saint Aidan’s Church, Fir Tree Lane, BS5 8TZ at 4 p.m. Rehearsals begin after Easter

next year. If you know someone it would be good to encourage, bring them along too! Any questions, please ring Paul on 967 8375.

St Ambrose and St Leonard’s ChurchSunday Service 10am

Special notices…..This year’s Carol Service will take place on Sun 18th Dec during the normal 10am Service. Everyone is warmly welcome!

Future items for the pew sheet should be given to Joanna – joannaphillips@blueyonder.co.uk or Alison Cann who will pass them on to Amy, EBP Administrator. Many thanks.

Regular weekly events…..

HOLY COMMUNION Wednesdays at 10am

followed by coffee morning at 10.30am

Monthly on 1st Tuesdays 7pm – Healing Eucharist

Beehive Centre weekly events….. Weekly on Mondays 11am - Bereavement and Support

Weekly on Mondays 2pm-4pm - Ping pong for over 55’s Weekly on Tuesdays 10.30am - Level 1 Walking GroupWeekly on Tuesdays 12.30pm – Lunch Club Weekly on Tuesdays 1.45pm - Film Club Weekly on Wednesdays 1.30pm-4pm – Arts and Crafts Weekly on Thursdays 9.30am Parent and Toddler GroupWeekly on Fridays 10.30am-11.30am – Line DancingWeekly on Fridays 12.30pm - BingoFortnightly on Tuesdays 10am-1.30pm - Foot Care SessionsFortnightly on Wednesdays 10am-12pm - Holistic Massage

Please call the Beehive direct on 9354471 for enquiries on these and other activities….

www.stjohnsfishponds.comSunday Service 10.30am

Special notices….On Mon 12th Dec there will be Carols at The Spotted Cow from 7pm. The actual singing will start at 8pm. Everyone welcome!On Sun 18th Dec there will be real bread.Carols by Candlelight including the Sing 4 Christmas performance will take place on Sun 18th Dec starting at 6.30pm. Everyone is warmly welcome!Christmas Raffle. We have been given a bottle of port, bottle of whiskey and a bottle of champagne to raffle for Christmas. Tickets will be £1 each and we will draw the raffle on Sunday 18th December. Are you feeling lucky?CHRISTMAS CARD TO SHEEP at St. John's - Instead of buying lots of cards for your church friends why not just place one card on our special notice board this year and put the money you saved into the "counting Sheep" appeal box? This will help us reach our target to provide 20 sheep to families in the developing world by the end of 2016. Thanks. Pauline Lovering.A big thank you to everyone who contributed at the Christingle Service. At the moment the total stands at £300, £200 down on last year. If anyone has any candles outstanding please let Joan know. Many thanks.

SAVE THE DATE

Nicola and Claire are organising another great meal (Greek)On Saturday 18th February

In aid of EBP Charity, Unseen, a charity for modern slavery7pm in the hall. Watch this space for more details!

Regular weekly events….Tuesday 9.15am - Morning Prayer

Saturday 10.00am – Bible Study in the ChurchMonthly on 1st and 3rd Sundays 7.15pm – GENERATIONS

St Michael’s ChurchSunday Service 9am

Special notices…..The nativities will be on display again this year. The Church will be open to view them on Sat 10th/Sun 11th and Sat 17th/Sun 18th Dec. Saturdays from 10am - 5pm and Sundays 11.30am - 5pm. Everyone is welcome.

Carols by Candlelight will take place on Sun 18th Dec starting at 5pm. Everyone is warmly welcome!

Regular weekly events….. HOLY COMMUNION

1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 10am with Prayers for Healing

Coffee afternoon in Church every Friday 2pm-4pm (including tidy up of

Churchyard on 1st Friday of each month) & Coffee morning every Saturday

10am -12pm. Everyone welcome!

Do you enjoy company, refreshment and entertainment?Then why not come and join us in St Michael’s church hall at our

Friends and Neighbours group.We meet on the last Wednesday of every month 2pm-4pm.

Admission is just £2 and we will welcome you with tea, coffee and cake. Do come along - we would love to see you.