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This Week

Vicar: Revd. Dave Thomson, The Vicarage, Ainsworth Hall Road, Ainsworth, BL2 5RY; Tel: 01204 398567; email:
Dave Thomson @vicar_dave Christ Church Ainsworth
OLM: Revd Elaine Larkin, 1 Greenside, Ainsworth, Bolton BL2 5SE; Tel: 01204 388762; email
Churchwardens: Lillian Haworth 0161 761 6187 & Alison Hartley 07952 709041
News Sheet: Polly Ryder, The Vicarage, Ainsworth Hall Road, Ainsworth, BL2 5 5RY; Tel: 01204 398567; email:
Child Protection & Safeguarding: Rosie McMullen 0161 317 2050
Church and Community Hall Bookings Geoff Hampson 07910 817577 www.ainsworthchurchandcommunityhall.co.uk
Web site: www.ainsworthparish.org.uk

November 27th – The First Sunday of Advent

A very warm welcome to everyone joining in worship here today.

Large print versions of the Order of Service are available at the back of church

A loop system is provided for the benefit of hearing aid users. Please switch it to ‘T’. Please switch off mobile phones.

Parents with young children: don’t worry if your child makes a noise during the service – we don’t mind!

If it helps, there are some books, toys and ‘busy bags’ suitable for young children at the back of church.

27th November
The First Sunday
of Advent
(The First Sunday
in Advent) / 8:00am / Holy Communion. Readings (p47) Romans 13.8-14; Matthew 21.1-13 (AC)
10:30am / Family Communion. (Lord’s Prayer: Hymn No 264) Prayers AL
Communion Hymns: TBD
Readings: Isaiah 2.1-5 (LH); Romans 13.11-14 (GW); Matthew 24.36-44
Followed by refreshments in church
2:00pm / Messy Church (In ‘New Room’, Church & Community Hall)
6:30pm / Evening Prayer: Psalms 9.1-8 (pg 354)
Readings: Romans 13.8-14; Matthew 21.1-13 (PH)
Monday / 12:30pm / Funeral of Sandra Jean Bulcock followed by committal at Radcliffe Crematorium
Tuesday / 7.30pm / Mothers’ Union Advent Carols
Wednesday / 2:30pm / Church open for personal prayer
4th December
The Second Sunday
of Advent
(The Second Sunday
in Advent) / 8:00am / Holy Communion. Readings (p49) Romans 15.4-13; Luke 21.25-33 (MV)
10:30am / Family Communion. (Lord’s Prayer: Hymn No 264) Prayers JJ
Communion Hymns: TBD
Readings: Isaiah 11.1-10 (BS); Romans 15.4-13 (JE); Matthew 3.1-12
Followed by the Christmas meal in ACCH
6:30pm / Evening Prayer: Psalms 11 (pg 357)
Readings: Romans 15.4-13; Luke 21.25-33 (JJ)

FOR OUR PRAYERS this week we pray for:

The Church: Our Bishops (David, Mark and Mark), Archdeacon David, Area Dean Alison, our ministry team, our PCC, our Churchwardens (Lillian and Alison), Debra as she trains for Ordination. That others from within our fellowship will answer God’s call to Ordained, ALM or Reader ministry. That all of us might deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Mission: We pray for those who have yet to encounter the love of God in Jesus Christ, that they will respond to his call to follow him. We pray that we will grow numerically, in faith and in discipleship, that all of us might be good witnesses to the love of Christ in our day-to-day lives, that we will have confidence to share the good news of Jesus Christ and that our footprint in the community might grow. We pray for our uniformed organisations, ABC, and Sunday School and their leaders. We pray that Messy Church will continue to grow. We ask for discernment as we revisit our Mission Action Plan and explore additional possibilities for serving the older people of this parish.

Our finances: That we will have sufficient to cover the cost of ministry within this parish and to support the cost of mission within the Diocese generally through the Parish Share. That we can afford to pay for future building work.

Our families, friends, and our local community: Those facing financial or other difficulties. Those who are lonely or homeless. Those struggling with addiction. Those who care for the frail and sick. Those living on Victoria Street.

Our nation & the world: The Queen, her Ministers, our councillors and our MP (Ivan Lewis). Those affected by war, conflict and terrorism. Christians and others persecuted for their faith. Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian sentenced to death in 2010 for blasphemy

Those in need: Those being cared for in local hospitals, hospices and nursing homes. The sick, especially for Louise Singleton, Winnie Horrobin, Adrian Atkinson, Brian Martin, Margaret Bullock. Marilyn Hayden, Barbara Atkinson, Francis Crompton and Stuart Fairclough.

The bereaved: All who have lost loved one, especially the family and friends of Sandra Jean Bulcock. Trusting in God, may they find healing, peace, strength and courage to face the future.

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Christ Church Ainsworth

‘Celebrating, encouraging, proclaiming and supporting faith, hope and love
in Jesus Christ our Lord...’

NOTICES – 27th November 2016

Ø  Festive Lunch: At 12 noon on next Sunday 4th December, we will be having a Festive Lunch in the Church Hall. The suggested donation is £10 (Children 3-12 £5) and tickets are available at the back of church or from Jan. Further details are in the church magazine. The final day for getting your ticket is this Wednesday (30th)

Ø  Christmas Wreaths: The wreaths cost £7.95. To place your order, please see Roy or a member of the Churchyard team. If you wish the wreath to be put on a particular grave in the Churchyard, please let the team know at the time of ordering, otherwise they will be available for collection from 10am to 12noon on Wednesday 14th December or on the following Sunday morning (18th).

Ø  Posada: It is not too late to join in as there are some slots during the week of 12th Dec, so if you want to be involved, please complete the sign-up sheet at the back of Church and return it as soon as possible. For those who have filled in the form, letters giving the detailed arrangements are at the back of church.

Ø  Sweets for Christingle. Donations of sweets would be greatly appreciated – they need to be soft as they have to go onto cocktail sticks – so not dolly mixtures (too hard) nor Jelly Babies (inappropriate to spear!!) Can you please give any donations to the vicar by the Friday before the Christingle (the 9th) Thanks

Ø  Church Magazine Deadline: As the fourth Sunday is Christmas Day, all articles need to be with the editor by next Sunday (4th), so that the magazine will be ready to collection in Church by the 18thDecember

Ø  Reverse Advent Calendar:An interesting idea from Canada. Take two empty cardboard wine boxes, then each day put a can or something in a slot for Porch Boxes. When full, place the tins etc in the box in the Church porch. Much better for you than all that chocolate

Ø  Church Altar Flowers: There are now a few vacancies within the Church Flower Rota. The Altar flowers in Church are provided each week by various people, or a Church group, oftenas a remembrance of a loved one, or to celebrate an anniversary or a meaningful event. The average cost to provide flowers in any week, is £15. If you would like to be added to the rota for the year ahead, please ring Marilyn Wildin Tel:- 0161-764-6739

Ø  2017 Diaries are at the back of Church. Ideal stocking fillers for Christmas. Yours for a donation!

Ø  Concerts. Bolton Cancer Voices, the North West’s first dedicated Choir for cancer patients and cancer survivors, can be seen in concert at The Barlow, Edgworth, on Sunday 4thDecember, 7-15pm, when they are presenting ‘Mulled Wine, Mince Pies and Music’. Tickets priced £8-00, with complimentary refreshments, are available from the Ticket Secretary on 01204 883977 and in person from the Office at The Barlow. And ‘Christmas at the Rock’ will see them joining forces with the legendary Northern folk group – The Houghton Weavers, on Saturday, 10th December at 7.30pm, at Bury Parish Church, The Rock, Tickets priced £10-00 are available from the Ticket Secretary on 01204 883977 or in person from the House on the Rock Café at Bury Parish Church, BL9 0LA

Ø  Facebook: we have a parish Facebook page. Navigate to Christ Church Ainsworth and “Like” for updates.

Ø  The Pastoral Visiting Team visits the frail and housebound and Revd Elaine is happy to visit anyone in hospital or who would like home communion. Please inform Revd Elaine if you know of anyone in any of these situations who would like a visit.

Ø  The Prayer Chain: Prayer requests may be submitted to June Hayes (0161 797 8114) or if she is unavailable, to Jennifer White (0161 723 5537). Please note that, unless renewed, prayer requests will be removed after three months.

Ø  Prayer: One way of praying is to write a short prayer and hang it on the Prayer Tree (next to the pulpit). The Holy Spirit knows exactly what is on your heart so these do not need to be masterpieces of prose! Cryptic prayers will do! Please date them and we will remove them after two months (simply re-date your prayer before the end of two months if you want it to stay up longer).

Ø  The Church and Community Hall is available for private bookings at very reasonable rates. Please ring Geoff Hampson on 07910 817577 or see www.ainsworthchurchandcommunityhall.co.uk for details.

To receive the Pew Sheet by e-mail, send an e-mail to with ‘send pew sheet’ in the subject

Otherwise download from http://www.ainsworthparish.org.uk/pewsheets.html

Collects
Common Worship
Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the
light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Amen / Book of Common Prayer
ALMIGHTYGod, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever.Amen.

If you pay tax, please Gift Aid your offering(s). This enables us to claim back the tax paid on offerings and in 2015 this boosted our funds by £ 8608. Envelopes for occasional givers are in the pews and forms for regular givers are in the porch. The only details that need to be given, are your full name, address and post code and an acknowledgement that you pay tax to the value of the amount to be claimed. Bank Standing Order forms are also available in the Church porch. Completed forms can be put on the collection plate with your offering.