PARISH NOTICE BOARD

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OCTOBER 2008 MAGAZINE - is HERE

NOVEMBER 2008 MAGAZINE - is HERE - please pick your copy up and extra copies if you need to.

St. John's Gift Day - Today we hope you are returning the envelope which you received last week. If you did not get an envelope, please claim it for the table. There are spares if you want them. As we begin a new church year, our gift is a sign & signal of our commitment to God for the coming year.

CHRISTMAS HAMPER - once again we are collecting items for this - please place your (non-perishable) items in the box at the back of the church. The draw will be held on 14th December. Three prizes - Hamper, wine and a christmas arrangement. Tickets £1 per strip

>>>DON'T FORGET <<< - Agape Fellowship. There is study time together in addition to the Fellowship time. Fr. Jeff will be taking us through a series on the Bible and the Liturgy of the Church. The aim is to get us very familiar with the reasons we do what we do in our weekly and daily Masses. We want to fully support this ministry of our church as an opportunity for families and individuals to come together to study the Bible and grow in love for one another as we share time together. Please come and bring a nibble and/or a drink and we will break bread and grow in the teachings of the Apostles together. Please invite ANYONE who may wish to come. Give Fr. Jeff a ring if there is need for a lift.

ST. CATHERINE'S GRAND DRAW - there are books of raffle tickets at the back of church. Please try to sell these to family and friends. First Prize is £50. The draw will take place at the
ST. CATHERINE'S CHRISTMAS FAYRE - which will bw held in the church at 10a.m. on 6th December. We need bottles, cakes, bric-a-brac and Tombola items for the fayre. Please try and support the Fayre and try and sell some draw tickets.

PARISH CHRISTMAS MEAL - for a number of years, we used to go for a meal at the Bay Horse in Brandon village between Christmas and New Year. Now under new management, the food there is excellent, so we are proposing to go at 7pm on Monday 29th December. Please sign the list. The cost is £16, and you can choose your courses. Their restaurant can hold 40 people and we are inviting all our congregations to come along.

THANK YOU - to the ladies at St. Catherine's who catered for last Monday's festival. There was 27 at the Mass and the evening was a fitting tribute to the Patron Saint.

SUNDAY SCHOOL - Rhea Steel will take the children into the vestry for part of the Parish Mass, so that they can do some more structured learning - and not just be stuck in the children's corner.

Mother's Union Events -
Monday, 8th December - in place of the usual meeting we are having a Christmas lunch at the Bay Horse, Brandon Village. If you have not signed for this please see Win or Margaret Miller. Menu's available.
Thursday, 11th December - 2p.m. Deanery Carol service at St. John's, Neville's Cross. Please bring mince pies and gifts for the homeless. We shall get there by car or service bus.
CHRISTMAS QUIZ - is on sale as a fun way to support Durham Diocese, including A.F.A.I. - a scheme to give holidays to families suffering adversity. There are 10 prizes of £10 going to the winning answers.

GRACE HOUSE CHILDREN'S HOSPICE - Sunderland. There is an appeal for support for this Hospice which is under construction and will serve mid-Durham - which includes us. This coming Friday, 21st November, there will be an informal service in Durham Cathedral, lasting only a half hour. This will be at 6.30 p.m. and parking for the disabled will be possible on Palace Green. There is an urgent need for another such Hospice in the North-East and they hope for good support at this service. If you require any further details, please contact Heather McClean - 0191 5166302. It would be helpful for them to know numbers, so please let Heather or your clergy know if you plan to be there.

D.I.Y. COFFEE MORNINGS - at the PCC, it was suggested that a lot of smaller events could make a significant contribution to the life of the Parish. Why not invite some of your neighbours to your home for coffee, and so involve people beyond our congregation. If you also manage to raise some money by selling cakes, then that will help us to pay the Quota to the Diocese.

DATES -
30th November - return of Gift Day envelopes at St. John's.
6th December - St. Catherine's Christmas Fayre. 10 a.m.
14th December - Draw for the Christmas Hamper at St. John's.
21st December - New Brancepeth Village carol service in the Village Hall.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CHRISTMAS SERVICES<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>                                                                                                                                                          <
> CHRISTMAS EVE:                                                                                                                          <
> 6 pm - Crib Service, at St. Luke's.                                                                                                       <
> 11.30 pm - MIDNIGHT MASS with carols at St. John's.                                                                      <
>                                                                                                                                                          <
> CHRISTMAS DAY:                                                                                                                          <
> Parish Mass with carols - 9.30 a.m. at St. Catherine's                                                                            <
>                                    10 a.m. at St. John's                                                                                        <
>                                                                                                                                                          <
> 4th January - Epiphany Carol service at Ushaw College. 4 p.m.                                                              <
>                                                                                                                                                          <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

SOCIAL COMMITTEE MEETING - At the last PCC meeting, there has been a Social Committee formed to help put together an active social calendar for the church as well as opportunities for fund-raisers. The committee is chaired by Fr. Jeff. Please pray for this committee as we look for ways to grow and develop our pastoral care and growth within our our church family. If you have any good ideas, please pass these on to Fr. Jeff.
Day: Second and Fourth Sunday of each month.
Time: 5 p.m. till about 8 p.m. but you may leave when you need to.
Contact: 0191 3757290
Directions: Get directions from Jeff.

FORWARD PLANNING - Darlington Civic Theatre - Monday 5th January 2009. "VIENNESE SPECTACULAR" - £17 plus coach fare. The money will need to be paid at the beginning of October; so don't delay too long in signing up for this if you want to go. The money is now due £17 plus £6.50 coach fare.

THE SICK LIST - at St. John's is, once again too long. Please let us know if anyone can be taken off the list to make it more manageable. We try to remember people in the congrefation/community or close friends/relations who are seriously ill in hospital or at home.

CHASTE (Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking Across Europe)
"Trafficking for sexual Exploitation is the movement of people across borders for the purposes of prostitution. It involves the active recruitment and transportation of mainly women and children by means of deceit, threat or coercion. It is always an abuse of power and is now global in scale.
CHASTE - provides healing, support and safe housing to survivors of Trafficking, works to shape policies, addresses the sourch of the problem, effectively lobbies governments and informs the public and raises awareness. Leaflets about CHASTE are on the table at the back of the church - please take one and get involved. More leaflets are coming soon - so if leaflets have run out, please ask 'Tasis if you're interested.

>>>2009 Walsingham Pilgrimage is from Friday 19th June until Sunday 21st June<<<

DURHAM COMMUNITY CITIZENS AWARD 2008 - This is a scheme for unsung heroes. Do you know anyone who who freely gives their time for others; or works tirelessly for a particular cause, or does thinhgs for the benefit of the community?
Excluded:councillors and local government employees and religeous/political groups.
Full details are on the forms at the back of the church as well as the application form to send off.

Flower Money - there is a tin for donations at the back of church. If you prefer, you can give your money direct to the clergy, Mary, Margaret or Win. With four Festivals during May, the flower funds need topping up. Thank You.

THE PEOPLE OF THE EUCHARIST - If this is what we are, then being at Mass on Sundays and weekdays is a vital part of our life as Christians. We can grow in our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus only if we take every opportunity to hear his Word in the Scriptures and receive his grace through the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. If this worship is at the heart of our life outside the four walls of any church will be shaped by the love of God. It is when the Eucharist is so important a part of our life that we shall feel more able to invite a friend to come to Mass with u. Have you done this recently?? Personal contact is the best way of bringing others t know Jesus through his Church.

ANYONE MISSING - Do you keep an eye on your neighbour?? In the pew, as well as along the road. Please try to help anyone in church who is not familiar with our service; as well as letting the clergy know if people are ill, and not just having a day off.

WHEN YOU MISS MASS - on a Sunday, do you make up for it by coming to Mass during the week??