There are five weeks to Christmas, a reflection that 2015 is whizzing by at a pace that surely must indicate my ageing process…! Bearing that in mind, here are some of the important dates for the church in December.
- Friday 11th December is the Parent & Toddler group Christmas party from 9.30 a.m. until 11.00 a.m. For regulars, come along with your toddlers for food, games, presents and a chance to win great prizes!
- Friday 11th December is also the Goldthorpe Christmas Market from 4 – 8 p.m., organised by the Goldthorpe Development Fund (proud winner of the ‘Pride of Barnsley’ Community award this year). Come along to join in the fun and browse the stalls, then come inside for refreshments and the opportunity to buy Christmas craft decorations and win various prizes. If you can help in any way (serving, washing-up, making craft items, manning stalls etc.), please let us know! Proceeds from this will go towards the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal, helping to buy presents for children in the local area and to make Christmas special for those in need. At 6 p.m., there will be a ‘Churches Together’ carol service in the car park, so let’s join together to serve our community and show people that we love where we live!
- Sunday 13th December will be the carol service at Cherry Tree Court, starting at 10.30 a.m. Another way to serve our local community and a great opportunity to celebrate Christ!
- There will be a community buffet at the Salvation Army on Friday 18th December from 12 noon until 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
- Sunday 20th December will be our carol service, starting at 6 p.m. Come along for carols, activities, teaching and fun and fellowship! There will be free refreshments after the service.
- If you’re able to give some time on Monday 21st December, we will be helping the Salvation Army to wrap presents and prepare food hampers for local families in need. Come along from 9 a.m. and help to serve those who would otherwise struggle this Christmas time.
- We’ll be holding a short Christmas Day service on Friday 25th December at 10.30 a.m. Take time out from the hustle and bustle of the day to celebrate the birth of Christ!
Other services on Sundays will be as usual, but please note there will be no midweek meetings on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve and no coffee morning on Boxing Day. Don’t forget the New Year’s Day party on Friday 1st January 2016 at 4 p.m.
Finally, ‘Churches Together’ have obtained copies of ‘The Christmas Story‘, a short booklet with Scriptures about the birth of Christ, to give out to all primary school children in the area this Christmas. Please pray for all the churches as they take these booklets into the local schools and for each of the children who receive this. There are almost 2000 children aged 3-11 in our area (Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Bolton-on-Dearne and Barnburgh) and all need to hear the good news of Jesus.