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mag

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eThe Sodbury Vale Benefice

Chipping Sodbury, Old Sodbury, Horton & Little Sodbury

Nativity

Crib FestivalSt John’s Church, Chipping Sodbury

26th November until 4th December 2011

FreeEntry

An Inspiring Collection of nativity cribs,contemporary and traditional,

from around the world

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ContactsRector The Rev. Canon JaneKenchington, 01454 313159email jane@kenchington.plus.com

Assistant Curate The Rev. Val Bexon,01453 521417email:valeriebexon@onetel.com

Regular Weekly EventsMonday 8.45am Morning Prayer,

St John’s Chipping Sodbury7.30pm Bell Ringers’ practice

Church Tower Chipping SodburyWednesday 8.30am Morning Prayer,

St John’s Chipping SodburyThursday 8.45am Morning Prayer,

10.00am Holy CommunionSt John’s Chipping Sodbury

7.00pm Choir Practice,St John’s Chipping Sodbury

Friday 10.00am Tubbie TotsChurch Centre Chipping Sodbury

7.00pm Youth Club (age 11-18)Baptist Church Centre

ChurchwardensChipping SodburyPaul Jones-Williams1 Meadow Mead, Yate01454 324970Keith Stanley132 Harescombe, Yate01454 319467

Old SodburyVal Walker16A Melrose Avenue, Yate01454 318286Tony Dixon16 Chatterton Road, Yate, BS37 4BJ01454 321 528

Little SodburyNigel RawlinsLittle Sodbury House, Little Sodbury,BS37 6QA01454 312 269Nancy NagleWinchcombe Cottage,Little Sodbury End01454 319798

HortonTina Hildick-SmithKirrin House, King Lane, Horton01454 320380

Church OfficeOpen during term timeMonday, Tuesday & Thursday mornings9.00 - 12.00 01454 325160Emailsodburyvalebenefice@gmail.comWeb Sitewww.sodburyvalechurches.wordpress.com

AdvertisingSylvia FranklinSt. John’s Church Centre07788 111 726

January DeadlinePlease can you have all editorial to

Michelle by December 10th.

On a Church's notice board:"7 days without God makes

one weak."

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Dear Friends,What did you see at the Nativity Crib Festival? Did you see anything that inspired you orcaught you unawares or made you see the Christmas event in a fresh light?

U. A. Fanthorpe, a local poet who lived in Wotton-under-Edge until her death in 2009wrote a poem entitled :-

What the Donkey saw.

Rev. Canon Jane, Kenchington, 01454 313159, email:jane@kenchington.plus.com

No room in the inn, of course,And not that much in the stable,What with the shepherds, Magi, Mary,Joseph, the heavenly host –Not to mention the babyUsing our manger as a cot.

You couldn’t have squeezed another cherub inFor love nor money.

Still, in spite of the overcrowding,I did my best to make them feel wanted.I could see the baby and IWould be going places together

As the centuries have passed, the Christmas stories have taken on a more sentimentalimage. Even the mention of the donkey can be puzzling actually, because there’s no referenceto the donkey in scripture! But somehow, the donkey has become a key player in thepictures that we have of Christmas. Over the years, it’s been easy for us to fall into thetrap of quite unrealistic associations with the coming of Jesus into the world. Let’s remindourselves of some stark facts: when Jesus was born, 1 in 4 women died through childbirthand 1 in 3 babies died as they were born. Giving birth was a risky business – not that youwould know that from the pictures we see of Mary smiling over a silent, immobile baby! Ithink the Kibera crib, which is in the exhibition, where Mary is lying down might be a morerealistic picture. Perhaps we ought to accompany this scene with the sounds of a cryingbaby!

As you ponder the birth of Jesus this year, try to get in touch with what it might have reallybeen like at that time. Ponder the huge risk God took in choosing to come and live amongus – a risk in even being born, let alone the risk God took with us which ended up withhumanity rejecting Jesus – God’s only Son.

Trying to follow Jesus is a risky business as well. But God continues to call each of us tofollow Jesus. It is a risk because we don’t know where it’ll lead, but it’ll be the most life-givingrisk you’ll ever decide to take.

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…..Nativity CribsAs we go to press nativity scenes and cribsare arriving for our International CribFestival – yes we know that one is on its wayfrom Sweden and many others have beenmade in countries around the world.

A little nearer home here are two that youwill see on display from November 29thThis Nativity Bread scene, “The Bread ofHeaven” has been crafted and baked with avariety or organic flours by Shipton Mill’screative baker Clive Mellum.

And from the shores of Dorset, these stoneshave been fashioned into an iconic nativitytheme from the Chesil Beach. Other seasidenativity’s will follow.

ConsortSinging Music for the Advent

Season.

Saturday 26thNovember

7:30pm

Tickets £10Available on the

door

100 miles for a cuppa!Mike Watts, AKA ‘Mike the Hike’,

decided to walk downthe Monarch’s Wayfrom Stratford-onAvon to Wick thissummer, a distanceof 100 miles. He did itto raise money forthe Sue RyderFoundation andstayed with clergy

and congregations along the way.Donations were made and a part of thiswas given to the churches whichprovided food and shelter – including StJohn’s. Money is still coming in and is

likely to exceed £1,000 for the 10 daypilgrimage.

Joining us for a communion, thenenjoying a cuppa after completing 92miles, he set off in heavy rain to walk thelast 8 miles to Wick. In the Rose &Crown he met his family and enjoyedcelebratory refreshment – anddiscovered that his youngest daughterhad passed her ‘A’ levels to go touniversity and study Physiotherapy – agreat double celebration!

Mike wrote:“The whole walk was a wonderfulexperience. Obviously beautifulcountryside and, on the whole, lovelyweather, which enhanced the experience.I stayed with some very kind andwelcoming hosts on the way. I canparticularly recommend a B and B inChipping Sodbury called "ChezJennChris"!Thanks again Chris and Jenny for such awarm welcome.

The biggest high however was to have tenwhole days to walk and talk often out loudwith my Lord.

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Christmas Unwrapped

(Imagery supplied with permission and copyright of Bible Society)

Ever feel the real message of Christmas islost in a festive flurry of Santas, shopping,tinsel and mince pies? If you long to sharethe real story of Christmas, then use TheBible Society’s Free stickers.

Stick them on your festive post to directfriends and family to the ChristmasUnwrapped web site (link below) where thestory unfolds in a short animated video

Order your stickers using the link below,and help bring back the real meaning ofChristmas this year. You can tell yourfriends how to get their free Christmasstickers too, simply send them this link –www.christmasunwrapped.org.uk

And if you’re looking for a specialChristmas gift for a friend or relative, ouronline shop has a great selection of Bibles,books, DVDs and CDs. Have a look athttp://shop.biblesociety.org.uk

Email OutlookYou can see this issue, together withpast editions of Outlook in vibrant colourby going to our web site.http://www.sodburyvalechurches.wordpress.comand click on Magazines

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The Bishop’s ChristmasMessage

I sometimes get frustrated at how oftenwe hear that “Christmas is for thechildren”.Clearly it is for children, but its message,its good news, is equally for adults too.Where children are greatly at anadvantage, of course, whether atChristmas or at any other time, is thatthey have a beautiful sense of wonder.They stand in awe and delight insomething that entrances them with afacility we sometimes seem to lose whenwe grow older.

There are several key messages in theChristian gospel for Christmas time.Jesus is born in a stable among the poorand, at the end of a year that has seeneconomic bad news dragging manypeople down into poverty and others leftthere, that is gospel. The birth of Jesuswas heralded by angels greeting thearrival of a Prince of Peace and, in aworld where there is violence andtyranny, that is good news too. And thereare more such messages.

But none of these, however, important asthey are, get to the heart of Christmas.The heart of Christmas is Emmanuel,literally, God with us. It is the truth that inJesus it was God, the Creator of heavenand earth, who became one of us  -didn’t just look like one of us, butbecame one of us, lived our life, joinedheaven and earth. Looking at all therepresentations of that birth in cribs andChristmas cards, singing that story incarols, watching children re-enact it intheir nativity plays, ought to bring us all,adults, as much as children, back to asense of wonder, full of gratitude,

awestruck by a profound and life-givingmystery.

I wish you a happyand wonderfulChristmas.

+Michael (The Rt. Revd. MichaelPerham Bishop of Gloucester,)

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email:info@funerals.uk.net www.funerals.uk.net

Private Chapels of Rest at Coalpit Heath & Yate

Local Family Cremationand Funeral Directors

118-120 Station Road,YateTel: (01454) 320005 24hr Service

Tel: (01454) 778838 24hr Service192 Badminton Road. Coalpit Heath

Billy’s backThe Billy Graham Evangelistic Associationis now offering an internet facility for allyour searching questions about Jesus. It isa site packed with information andtestimonials - http://www.billygraham.org/- well worth a visit. You can even browsethrough some of his most memorablesermons on video.

F. WOODRUFF

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Baptisms: We welcomed into the Church:Arno, Anja & Calli Turner on Sunday 23October in St John’s, Old SodburyMarriages: We send our congratulations to:Peter Veale and Margaret Stoner on Friday28 October in St John’s, Old SodburyFunerals:We extend our sympathy to the familyand friends of:Kenneth Pople -17 October at St John’s, OldSodburyNora Paget -19 October at St Adeline’s, LittleSodburyAnthony Morris - 28 October atWesterleigh Crematorium & St John’s, ChippingSodburyChristopher Hatton - 3 November atWesterleigh Crematorium –

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Lynn Edwards MA, MCIEH, MCIH

Domestic Energy AssessorTel: 07973 166 692or 01454 323 340

Email: office@lenergy-assessor.co.uk

Energy Performance Certificates for:

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The Nativity FactorThe Nativity Factor is a short film competitionfrom ITN Productions and JerusalemProductions, the goal of which is to re-tell thestory of the Nativity creatively in three minutesor less, with the winning entry taking home£5,000 (or £1,000 for under 16s). It is free toenter and open to everyone. You can find outmore about the competition athttp://www.thenativityfactor.com

Banking greed drives City Czarto GodThe minister appointed to sort out Britain’sbanking industry has vowed to turn his back onthe City and study theology. Lord Myners said,“in the financial community, money hasbecome everything. The absence of clear moralpurpose is very troubling.” Myners said he mayhave neglected the moral purpose of life. Whenhe steps down as a minister, he plans to studycomparative theology to see how differentfaiths treat moral questions.

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Bible: Body and Soul

The OlympicGames are fastapproaching andwe’re limbering upto champion theBible.

With our innovative Bible: Body and Soulventure, Bible Society will be setting uptwo ‘5k Trails’ in central London to guidetourists, visitors and residents throughcultural highlights that will demonstratethe impact of the Bible on our society.We’ll be producing digital guides forparticipants to follow, and challengingthem to look for signs of God’s Word ineveryday life. We’ll also be equippingchurches to set up their own trailsaround the country.

And to helpindividualsengagespiritually withthe world ofsport, we’vecome up with amarathon actionplan! We’reproducing aGood News

Sports Bible, we’re running a series ofsmall group discussions under thebanner of Sports Lyfe, and we’recreating a thought-provoking comic foryoung people.

Bible: Body and Soul will be launched inJanuary 2012.

You can find out more now at the BibleSociety shop: http://shop.biblesociety.org.uk

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For a lovely selection ofcards for

every occasion

Two floors of quality cards & gifts54 Broad Street, Chipping Sodbury

Tel 01454 273999

Cards • Giftwrap • Balloons

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Mrs. E.J. GauntlettM.Ch.S.

HPC REGISTEREDCHIROPODIST / PODIATRIST

6 Beaufort Mews7 Horse Street

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Telephone: (01454) 319083

Tuesday, Wednesday,& Saturday Mornings

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63-65 Broad Street, Chipping SodburyBristol, BS37 6AD

Tel: 01454 850096 Fax: 01454 851174Email: the-george.2004@tiscali.co.uk

From the Holy Land toLand’s EndProfessor Nicholas Williams’ translation ofthe New Testament into Cornish waspublished in 2002, and he’s now finishedthe whole Bible. “An Beybel Sans” wastranslated from the Hebrew and Greek intostandard Cornish, called Kernowek,including 10 maps.

Professor Williams, an expert on Celticlanguages, taught himself Cornish at theage of 15. It took him six years to translatethe Old Testament. He said: ‘One of thereasons we lost the language was becausethere was no Bible in Cornish … it is one ofthe defining books of our culture. Once youhave the Bible you have created yourliterary heritage.

The 69 year old said he began by doingthe ‘boring’ bits first, starting with Leviticus.

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Kibera CribBeing born – even in Britain – has somerisks. Being born in a stable inBethlehem would have been riskier. Butbeing born in Kibera is riskier still. In thisvast slum in Nairobi, Kenya, if you can’tafford hospital you make do with helpfrom family or neighbours. A millionpeople live here, in squalid shacks, withraw sewage running through the streets,polluted water, and only a charcoal stoveto boil it.

Some of the young people from ourchurches have built a “Kibera Crib” froma variety of recycled materials. Theyneeded ingenuity, creativity, and somelateral thinking! This crib scene illustratesthe poverty in which Jesus was born andinto which millions of the world’s babiesare born, in places like Kibera.Having survived the trauma of birth, lifequickly got more dangerous for the infantChrist when King Herod massacred allBethlehem babies. And in Kibera, therisks to children increase as they growup in a disease-ridden environmentwhere just getting enough food each dayis a struggle and many end up on thestreets.Ten years ago Jon & Jo Parsons movedfrom Surrey to Nairobi to set up theTurning Point Trust where they arebringing hope to hundreds of Kibera

children. Feeding hungry kids,supporting them to go to school,teaching them about Jesus. There arenow three Kibera projects supportingchildren, as well as a thrivingMicrofinance scheme to encourageparents to run small businesses. And apioneering venture has helped somefamilies to move out of the slum to afarm, where, after training, they get theirown plot of land to support their family.

And you can help! You could give analternative Christmas gift (£6 buys a pairof school shoes, £60 pays for a child’slunches for the whole of their primaryeducation). What is most needed isregular giving – the backbone of financialsupport comes from monthly standingorders. For further information, go towww.tptrust.org or pick up a leaflet fromchurch.

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Nativity Plays & CribsChristmas is the celebration of thebirth of Jesus. The word nativity comesfrom the latin word 'natal' which meansbirth (and is also where we get theword 'native' from).It is traditional in the U.K. for Primaryschools to put on a Nativity Play for theparents and local people associatedwith the school. The Nativity Playrecreates the scene of Jesus' Birth, inthe stable and tells of how Mary andJoseph were visited by the Shepherdsand Wise Men. The parts of Mary,Joseph, the Shepherds and the WiseMen are played by children. If theschool is attached to a Church, theplay often takes place in the Church.Sunday Schools in Churches alsosometimes put on Nativity Plays.In the past live animals including an oxand donkey and other farm animalswere used in the plays. Sometimes

they still are, but it is now morecommon for children to dress up as theanimals in costumes or to have animalprops. But in Chipping Sodbury we usea real live camel and donkeys!.The first Nativity Play was notperformed by Children in the UK, but ina cave by Monks in Italy! St. Francis ofAssisi and his followers acted in thefirst play in 1223 to remind the localpopulation that Jesus was born forthem, as he was born into a poorfamily like theirs and not to a richfamily.St. Francis told the part of eachcharacter in the story himself usingwooden figures in the play. After acouple of years, the play had becomeso popular that real people played theparts of the characters in the story.Songs were sung by the people takingpart and they became what we callcarols today!

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Disaster fundingThe Disasters Emergency Committee(DEC) have just announced that theirappeal for funds to help with the AfricanDrought has reached £72m – one of thehighest in their history. Only the Tsunamiand Haiti attracted more funds.

Three out of four Brits claimto be ChristianNearly 70 per cent of Britons still identifywith the Christian faith, according to theOffice for National Statistics. TheIntegrated Household Survey found thatwhile the number of people saying theywere not religious rose from 20.5 % lastyear to 23.2 %, in 2011, the proportiondescribing themselves as Christian wasstill 68.5 %.An Evangelical Alliance spokesmanaccepted that not many of those whoself-identified as Christians would bedevout believers, but the ChristianInstitute said it was about time that thenominal Christian majority was reflectedin government policy and broadcasters’output.

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Telephone: 01454 324888E-mail: richard@kenchington.plus.com

Richard KenchingtonRichard Kenchington

St. John The Baptist Church,Old Sodbury. Coffee Shop

Come and join us to singChristmas Carols around the

pianowith Graham and Margaret

Newman

at Old Sodbury Village HallWednesday 21st December

10.am - 11.45am

In a Vets waiting room:"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"

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Portcullis Carvery Monday – Friday only £5 perperson

Sunday Carvery £6 per personChoice of 3 meats and all freshly cooked

locally sourced meat and vegetablesWe also offer the option of taking your

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Meals on wheels service Monday – Saturdaystarting from £5.95

Home cooked food delivered to your door.

Throughout December warm yourselves byour log fire with a glass of mulled wine or

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You are warmly invited to experience the joy and beauty of Christmas services in the glorioussurroundings of Gloucester Cathedral.

For more details of carol services, concerts and children’s activities throughout the festive season visitour web site at www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk

Enjoy something special for free this Christmas...

Saturday 10 December11.00am-4.00pmChristmas Carols on the HourFriday 23 December6.00pm Christmas Carol ServiceChristmas Eve3.00pm Family Crib Service with the

lighting of the Christmas Trees6.00pm Christmas Carol Service11.30pm Midnight MassChristmas Day8.00am Holy Communion10.15am Sung Matins leading into10.45am Sung Eucharist4.00pm Evening PrayerBoxing Day8.30am Morning Prayer9.00am Holy Communion3.00pm Carols for All

(Gloucester Choral Society)4.30pm Evening PrayerFriday 6 January5.30pm Eucharist for the Feast of EpiphanySunday 8 January6.00pm Epiphany Carol Service

GLOUCESTER CATHEDRALCHRISTMAS SERVICES

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Sodbury Vale Benefice Calendar December 2011Thur 1st 10.00am

10.45amAll Day

Holy CommunionCoffee ShopCrib Festival Activities

St John’s, C/SChurch Centre, C/SSt John’s C/s

Fri 2nd All Day Crib Festival Activities St John’s C/S

Sat 3rd 9.00amAll Day

Benefice Prayer MeetingCrib Festival Activities

Church Centre C/SSt John’s C/S

Sun 4th

2nd Sunday ofAdvent

8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) St John’s C/S9.30am St John’s Praise Messy Church St John’s, C/S11.15am Mattins (BCP) St James’ Horton11.15am Family Communion St John’s O/S6.00pm Evensong (BCP) St Adeline’s L/S7.00pm Contemplative Reflection St John’s C/S

Wed 7th 1.30pm Women’s Fellowship Church Centre C/SThurs 8th 10.00am Holy Communion St John’s C/S

10.45am Coffee Shop Church Centre C/SSat 10th 9.00am Benefice Prayer Meeting Church Centre C/S

Sun 11th

3rd Sunday ofAdvent

9.30am Parish Communion St John’s C/S11.15am St John’s Praise St John’s O/S5.00pm Carol Service St James’ Horton6.00pm Evensong (BCP) St Adeline’s L/S

Mon 12th 12.30pm Mothers’ Union Christmas Lunch Church Centre C/SThurs 15th 10.00am Holy Communion St John’s C/S

10.45am Coffee Shop Church Centre C/SSat 17th 9.00am Benefice Prayer Meeting Church Centre C/S

Sun 18th

4th Sunday ofAdvent

9.30am Family Communion St John’s C/S11.15am Morning Prayer (CW) St James’ Horton11.15am Holy Communion (BCP) St John’s O/S5.00pm Carol Service St John’s O/S6.00pm Evensong (BCP) St Adeline’s L/S7.00pm Carol Service St John’s C/S

Wed 21st 10.00am Coffee Shop Village Hall O/SThur 22nd 10.00am Holy Communion St John’s C/S

10.45am Coffee Shop Church Centre C/SFri 23rd 6.00pm Carol Service St Adeline’s L/S

Sat 24th

Christmas Eve9.00am Benefice Prayer Meeting Church Centre C/S3.00pm Christingle St John’s C/S3.00pm Crib Service St John’s O/S4.30pm Christingle St John’s C/S8.00pm Midnight Mass St James’ Horton11.15pm Midnight Mass St John’s O/S11.30pm Midnight Mass St John’s C/S

Sun 25th

Christmas Day8.00am Holy Communion St John’s C/S9.30am Family Communion St John’s C/S11.15am Family Communion (CW) St John’s O/S

Thurs 29th 10.00am Holy Communion St John’s C/S

10.45am Coffee Shop Church Centre C/S

Happy Christmas from

www.countryproperty.co.uk

Happy Christmas from Everyone at

www.countryproperty.co.uk 01454 321339