Christmas at Eastington Church

You are warmly invited to join us at Eastington Church to celebrate Christmas 2015.

 Come along to our Christmas Carol Service by candlelight, our Midnight Communion Service, or our Christingle Service.

Friday 11th December 2015

7.30pm – Cotswold Youth Singers Christmas Concert

Sunday 20th December 2015

4pm – Christmas Carol Service

Singing supported by the Church Choir and the Cotswold Youth Singers

Festive refreshments served afterwards

Thursday 24th December 2015 (Christmas Eve)

6pm – Christingle Service

Details below..

11.30pm – Midnight Mass

Singing supported by the Church Choir

Sunday 27th December 2015

10am – Benefice Birthday Service

Refreshments served afterwards

Benefice Website: www.cotswoldedgeparishes.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cotswoldedgeparishes.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cotswold_edge.

Our mission is: to show God’s love for His people, and nurture His people’s love for God

News from Eastington Church

Pastoral concerns: Angela Reeder (01453 827446)

Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals: Alec Jeakins (01452 883403)

Churchwardens: Mike Naylor (01453 828682) & Jill Simmons (01453 825303)

Church Services in December and January

St Michael and All Angel’s Eastington

Christingle Service

At 6pm

On Christmas Eve

Lasting for about 40 minutes, the service is suitable for all ages, and each child who brings a collecting candle will be given a Christingle – an orange decorated with sweets and a lighted candle.  All money raised goes to the Children’s Society, a national charity who uses the money to help disadvantaged children.

Further information be will distributed during November through Eastington School where you can also get a collecting candle, which you will need to receive the Christingle orange. For more information, please contact Eastington Primary School on 01453 822933 or Mike Naylor on 01453 828683.

French Evening at Cleeve Cottage held on 31st October

Jacky and Mike Naylor opened their house at the end of October for a French Evening in aid of church funds. Over 50 attended, who enjoyed a delicious 2 course meal, wine tasting, raffle and French quiz. Thank you to Jacky and Mike for allowing the event to be held at their house, and to everyone who helped made the event happen. Just under £600 was raised for church funds.

Eastington Church Choir

We are an RSCM-affiliated adult church choir serving the church of St Michael and All Angels, Eastington.

The choir sings regularly at church services, and are looking for anyone who would like to sing and be part of the choir for our upcoming church services including:

 Carol Service (Sunday 20th December 2015 at 4pm);

 Midnight Mass (Christmas Eve at 11.30pm);

 Birthday Service (Sunday 27th December 2015 at 10am);

 Baptism of Christ (Sunday 10th January 2016 at 10.45am);

 BCP Evensong (Sunday 17th January 2016 at 6pm).

The choir would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to sing with the choir.

Please contact Shirley at shirleyjb2015@gmail.com

                                  or Chris at chris.amys@hotmail.com or on 01453 821656.

Cello and Piano Concert at St Michaels held on 17th October

A musical treat performed by Benjamin Dry Cello, accompanied by Geoffrey Poole on piano.

If you thought that Dry and Poole was an unlikely combination to produce harmony you would have been very wrong. Those who came along to the concert in church were treated to some truly lovely playing by Benjamin Dry on cello accompanied by Geoffrey Poole, who worked wonders with our rather tired piano. Their performance included Beethoven's Sonata in A, some Fantasy Pieces by Schumann, and a Schubert sonata.

Among the comments received after the concert were that the standard of cello playing was the best ever heard by some. Also how refreshing it was to have a performance of live music.   There was no charge for admission but the size of the retiring collection was ample evidence of the extent to which the audience enjoyed the performance.

If you would like more information on either of these musicians, you can get this from their respective web sites at www.benjamindry.com and www.geoffreypoole.com/events.

Eastington Christmas Tree Festival: 27th-29th November 2015

After many months of planning, the first ever Christmas Tree Festival will be held at St Michael and All Angels Church Eastington

                                  between Friday 27th and Sunday 29th November.

The spectacular Christmas Tree Festival will take place in the village’s 600 year old historic Church, with over 25 beautiful trees which have been individually and creatively decorated by local families, businesses and organisations.

Festival director Jacky Naylor says: “The Christmas Tree Festival is a new venture for the Church, and will bring together a wide range of local companies, families, charities and other organisations in a festive spirit. It will be a great example to showcase that Eastington is a vibrant village.”

A Preview Evening will be held on Friday 27th November between 6pm and 9pm, where for £5, visitors will be able to get a sneak preview of the Festival, as well as festive drinks and nibbles.

Festival Exhibition opens on Saturday 28th November between 10am and 6pm, and Sunday 29th November between 10am and 4pm. Entry to the Festival is free.

Visitors will be asked to vote for their favourite Christmas tree, with prizes awarded to the most popular. Voting discs and Festival programmes can be purchased for £2.

During the weekend, festive refreshments including mince pies will be available in the church, as well as a raffle, and for the first time in over 10 years, the church will be floodlit throughout the Festival.

An Advent Carol Service will conclude the festival at 4pm on Sunday 29th November in Eastington Church. We will celebrate the Christmas Tree Festival, the start of the season of advent and our preparation for Christmas. The Cotswold Youth Singers will perform during the service, with festive refreshments available afterwards.

The Festival is being run to raise funds for Eastington Church. Following a report that was commissioned by the church earlier this year, the church discovered that thousands of pounds would need to be spent on maintenance repairs within the next 5 years. These are essential to the conservation and enhancement of the church building for the enjoyment of others for future generations.