Welcome to BIG CHURCH – the one where we’re All – In!
The service this morning will be led by the BIG CHURCH team with help from some familiar friends! A warm welcome is extended to any visitors and you are invited to stay for a cuppa after our time of family worship together.
WHAT?
The theme of today’s service is ‘Christmas Presence’. We will be looking at the story of Jesus’ birth-the outrageous idea that the very God who made everything, humbled Himself to be born as a human in a place where animals eat.
HOW?
Through God’s Word, music, drama, discussion, being still, moving, creating, making, thinking, writing, watching, listening…and more!
PREPARE…
Come ready to meet and be changed by God and grow in relationship with Him.
PRAY…
That the Holy Spirit will inspire and challenge you and that Jesus will be the focus of all our worship.
FINALLY…
Please fill up the church from the front and get ready to ‘Go BIG!’
We hope you are able to make the most of our premises and receive a warm welcome.
Home made mince pies are available for you to have before the service and feel free to linger after our time together. If you need directions to the loo or have any questions then just ask our welcome team are the ones with lanyards.
Christmas Post Box / One Card Scheme
As usual, the Christmas post box (so beautifully crafted by David Rockall) is up at the back of the church. This enables people to put all their cards FOR PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THE BBC into the box, and we will distribute them for you. Alternatively, you can write just one card to all your friends at the BBC which will be put up on show.
Whichever of these you would like to do, we just ask that you make a donation to One Mission, and envelopes will be available for anybody who gift aids, or a One Mission pot for any other donations.
If you put cards into the post box PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make it very clear who it is for — last year there were still cards for Sue or Janet or Paul etc — a surname just helps to ensure the card gets to the correct recipient.
Help please!
The plan is to make the Christingles in the morning of the 24th at Church, 10.00am…
At the service we will need people to light the candles in the church and also distribute the Christingles…
And given all the flames we would appreciate it if we could have 3-4 volunteers to be fire marshals (all that requires is a bucket, water and a dream of being a firefighter, IF NEEDED of course) . Please see Jason if you can assist—thanks.
Alpha
The Alpha course has finished now, and it has been both enlightening and enjoyable. Just to say a very big thank you to Phil Gilbert and Jason for their very interesting talks and challenges . We all took something personal from the programme and would thoroughly recommend the course to anyone searching for answers to their questions about the church and their faith.
I must also thank the amazing volunteers who cooked remarkable meals for us. There is nothing better than sitting down with friends and getting to know them over such lovingly served food!
Thank you all, we are truly grateful.
Julie Moon
All-In Sync
- SING Join the band in singing some traditional and more modern songs on the theme of God’s gift this Christmas (Sanctuary).
- CREATE Join Sharon in making a collage of the nativity scene. Talk about the characters are and what do they mean to us? (Platform)
- MOVE Chris will be leading an exciting game called ‘Jesus is Unchanging’. Can you find Jesus? (Sanctuary)
- WRITE Write a thank you and promise to Jesus for the coming year ahead. Address the envelope to yourself. We will post your envelope to you at some point during the year! How will you be doing? (Sanctuary)
- DISCUSS Join Jason who will be leading some small group discussions based on the questions in the news sheet (Lobby)
- THINK Spend some time being in the presence of Jesus and think about where you will see Jesus this Christmas and how will you be Jesus to others over Christmas (Pews)
All-In Sync: Discuss/Think…
Discuss:
- What are some of the ways that we tell the Nativity story wrong?
- Does it matter if we keep telling the Nativity story the ‘traditional’ way, even if it’s not biblically accurate?
- Are there any important parts of the Christmas story that get overlooked?
- What is the central truth of Christmas?
- How can we show this truth to the rest of the world?
Think:
- Where will you see Jesus this Christmas?