Stewards Scribblings - December 2023

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. I expect you've heard it before, but I thought it warranted repeating!

Have a happy and peaceful Christmas, Everybody, and may 2024 be a good year for you all.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

I think at different times we can all be Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, or Nobody. There are many jobs at Christchurch, some big and some small, where Nobody is doing what Anybody could have done!

Could YOU do something that Nobody's doing at the moment, or help Somebody in order to spread the load? Could you, for instance, join the stewarding team? (This is the main point in my telling you this little story, as you might have guessed!)

At present, David, Sarah and I are your stewards. We do work hard as a team, and would really welcome Anybody to share the work. Have a word with any of us to see what's involved. Be a Somebody!!

God bless

Chris

Chris Cox,
Senior Steward

Money & Property Matters – and Barry’s Babblings
December 2023

How the time flies! As you read this Messenger, we will have reached Advent and start to open all those Advent Calendars! This is a wonderful time of the year, but I realise that for many it is also a difficult and worrying time. In a sense exactly how Mary and Joseph must have felt on their journey with the baby Jesus.

Speaking of journeys - we will be welcoming back our Minister at the start of Advent and I am sure that he will have plenty to tell us about his time of refreshment and recreation. Yes - that will be three months that Crawford has been away from us. In terms of worship, we all look forward to seeing him on Sunday 10th December 2023 when he leads our service, and shares Holy Communion with us all. (Sadly, I will not be with you as I will be leading worship at our Ninfield chapel).

However. I have been invited to lead our Advent Sunday service on December 3rd as we embark upon the journey that leads to the arrival of the Saviour. You will find details of all the services in this Messenger and we hope to see all who are able to come.

As with last year, we have again been invited to join in carol singing on Wednesday 6th December at the Orangery at the top of Buxton Drive - arrive at 10.45am for an 11am start. Please do try and come and support the singing. The Christchurch Singers are this year conducting a number of carol singing sessions at various Care Homes (well done, Chris). They may not be giving a concert this time but they are still singing!!

This reminds me to ask that you enter in your 2024 diaries, their next Concert in our church on Saturday June 15th 2024 at 6pm. See you there, I hope!

There is quite a lot of work to decorate our church for this season and if you can help, please make an offer. Our church looks beautiful with the candles, flowers and decorations but folk are needed to help - even if you only make the workers a cup of tea!!

I will leave with two observations - first do read hymn number 207 in our Singing the Faith book as it emphasises that 'Jesus is the heart of Christmas'.

Secondly, an interesting point:
Whenever angels appear in the Christmas story they never fail to say 'don't be afraid'. In fact, this happens four time during the events of the birth of Jesus. Someone has counted the number of times we read 'don't be afraid' in the Bible. It amounts to 365. That's one for each day of the year. God does not want us to live in fear.

Have a wonderful Advent and Christmas, and may you feel the presence of Jesus in your lives. God bless you all.

Barry Turnwell
Church Treasurer and a Property Steward

Christchurch Messenger Website

You may know that much of the content of the Christchurch Messenger also ends up on the website - www.christchurchmethodist.org - but not all of it. So it is well worth your while to read the Messenger, but also to keep a watchful eye on the website, which is updated every month.

Winchelsea Methodist Chapel
www.winchelseachapel.org

December 2023

The next main event at the Chapel is the Christmas/Advent celebration. This will be on Saturday December 16th at 11am preceded by seasonal refreshments from 10.30am. The worship will be led by the Rev Philip Wagstaff, and there will be plenty of singing of the Christmas hymns. Please do try to come along and join with us.

It is encouraging that we are having various people and groups asking to view the chapel and hear about its history. Only recently a Methodist Minister and his wife were on holiday in Eastbourne and asked if they could visit - I was delighted to show them around, and we even shared a reading from John Wesley's journal.

A local Historical group has also visited, and committee member Ken Hatch was able to tell them all about the Chapel's history, and the group were delighted. If you are involved in such a group do let me know and a visit can be arranged - we can even provide a cup of coffee!!

We hope to see you at the Christmas celebration - 16th December 2023 from 10.30am!

Barry Turnwell, Publicity Officer