Category Archives: Children and families

Messy Church is back!

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From the Messy Church noticeboard February 2015

Messy Church is a fresh expression of what church is and can be. It’s open to the whole community, not only regular church-goers and Anglicans, and it’s not on a Sunday morning. PLEASE NOTE: it’s also not a requirement to be accompanied by children. So, adults and children, come and join us in Amberley — and bring a friend or neighbour.

Basil the Branch

The next Messy Church event will be on Sunday 22nd February, from 4.15pm, in the hall next to Holy Innocents Church in Amberley. Continue reading →

Home rituals in Advent

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What home rituals do you have in Advent? My family is packing to move house a week before Christmas, so Advent is rather invisible at home at the moment. In the past, we have had an Advent candle or an Advent calendar, and rituals such as writing cards and putting up the tree and decorations a week before Christmas. What do you do in this month to get ready for the One whose coming we await?

Below I have re-posted a lovely personal blogpost by another on this subject. It would be interesting to hear in the comments what YOU do in Advent to mark the season.

Gillian

stchrysostoms's avatarSt Chrysostom's Church News and Views

Recovering at home from a recent operation Sandra reflects on home rituals of Advent, and a Posada visit:

Angel 3Several angels have been ministering in this house recently, bringing me cups of tea, hoovering , making me dinner and doing those tasks which the use of double crutches make impossible or at least difficult. But since Sunday an image of an angel has also appeared daily, so far  one hovering over the bread bin , one in a window and two in the hall. And behold sitting on the sideboard between some cards is a wiseman on his camel. Sometime in the next two weeks he will meet the other two wisemen  also in the house perched in unlikely places.

Slowly, day by day, my house is moving towards the climax of Christmas Eve . In the last week the tree will be decorated, the house will be filled with assorted…

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Carols in the Park

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LeithfieldAmberleyOur local version, that is! This long-standing, popular pre-Christmas event organised by the Combined Churches of the district takes place on Friday 5th December at Chamberlain Park, Amberley. From 6pm barbecues are available as well as an ice-cream van and coffee cart. Come along and enjoy a picnic, sit back and be entertained by local choirs and music groups, and join in the community carol-singing—get into the spirit of Christmas!

Creating, celebrating Church

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‘Creating, celebrating Church’ is a good description of Messy Church, a movement that began in the UK and is now 10 years old. In Amberley we started with Messy Church in 2011 and haven’t looked back – it has become a valued link between the parish and wider community and we all enjoy the intergenerational fun. See the Messy Church tab in the menu above for more information.

This Sunday, the creating and celebrating was all about Spring. Continue reading →

Spring 2014 Newsletter

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prophet DanielThe WHAM (Amberley Parish newsletter) for the spring quarter is now out.
To see this, go to the Newsletter page on this site by clicking on the
relevant link in the menu above.

From there you can download a pdf of the newsletter, and if you wish,
send us a contact form to add yourself to the newsletter emailing or delivery list.

Happy reading.

 

Saying goodbye (for now)

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MJ with hat

On Sunday we sadly farewelled our People’s Warden, Mary-Jane (“MJ”) Mumford. She’s returning to Auckland to take up a new and very exciting position. But it’s hard to be sad for long when MJ is around; she has a life-giving energy about her and a wonderful sense of humour. She sees opportunities where others see obstacles, and she has a kind and encouraging word for everyone. She is hospitable and generous.

In the relatively short time she was a member of our parish she instigated our brand of homemade produce — ‘From the Church Gate’ — launched at the A & P Show last spring; and she inspired and helped to organise a variety of social and fundraising events as well as special worship services such as the Pet Blessing service and Flower Power Sunday (to mark ‘Bee Awareness Week’). Also, she has been a great encourager of our foray into social media, here on this blog and on our Facebook page. Mary-Jane is often to be found with her camera in hand, which we are learning is fairly essential if you want to engage in social media!

We will miss her tremendously; but here’s the upside:  MJ has family in the district so we know she’ll be back in this part of the world from time to time. We look forward to seeing her again in the coming years. In the meantime, she leaves a legacy of optimism, encouragement and warmth. Bye for now, MJ! Come and see us soon. God bless you.

 

Leaning into God’s love

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rejoice

Come all you questioners
looking for answers,
And searching for reasons
and sense in it all…*

This Sunday is about worshipping God, about experiencing the joy that Pamela spoke of in last week’s sermon, as we lean into the love in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sounds like a whole lot of words but when you relax into praising God you find soul peace and joy. Come, try it, 9.30am, Holy Innocents, Church Street, Amberley.

Come all you… as our lively ‘Vagabonds’ intro encourages. God calls You.

smiley face

 

Liz, Worship leader this Sunday (6 July).

[*lyrics from Stuart Townend, ‘Vagabonds’]

Oh, and just for fun: Zaptist

 

Welcome, Holy Spirit!

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Messy Ch PentecostAt Messy Church yesterday we celebrated Pentecost a little early. Thanks to Noortje Bruins for the photos at the end of this post — sorry some are a little blurry — taken on her iPad. For more info about our bi-monthly Messy Church services, click here.

We had an excellent turnout of people of all ages, and I mean all. The youngest under 2 years, the oldest ?? let’s say late 80s. Messy Church is inter-generational quality time, Continue reading →