Services given below are all in Duns Tew, unless stated otherwise.  Details of all services in the benefice can be found at www.bartonbenefice.org.uk. 

01.12.19	5pm	Benefice Advent Carol Service followed by Advent Supper at 6pm in the Village Hall
08.12.19	4pm at Sandford St Martin	Benefice Christingle Service
15.12.19	4pm	Service of Lessons & Carols with baby, donkey and sheep
21.12.19 (Sat)	6pm	Carols in the Churchyard in aid of the Children’s Society
22.12.19	3pm at Steeple Barton	Benefice Service of Lessons & Carols with Choir
24.12.19 (Tues)	4pm at Westcote Barton 11.30pm at Duns Tew	Benefice Crib Service  Christmas Eve   Midnight Mass
25.12.19 (Wed)	11am	Christmas Day Eucharist
29.12.19	9.30am	Benefice Eucharist
31.12.19 (Tues)	5 pm at Westcote Barton	New Year’s Eve service Followed by drinks at the Rectory

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Benefice services over the Christmas period

This Month’s Events

Sunday 1 December at 5pm – Advent Carol Service with benefice choir, followed by Advent Supper in Village Hall at 6pm. If you would like to join us for supper then please contact Martin & Karen Fairfax-Cholmeley (347106) (karencholmeley@yahoo.co.uk). 

The supper is in aid of Romanian Foyer Trust which supports young people who receive no state help on leaving orphanages in Romania. Adults £7.50, Children £4.00, Family £20 (2 adults+2 children).

Saturday 7 December at 9am – Churchyard Clear-Up Come and help us tidy up the churchyard for Christmas, a time when many come to visit their loved-ones who are buried there. 

Sunday 8 December at 4pm – Christingle Service The benefice’s Christingle Service will be held at Sandford St Martin.  Gifts donated will be given to the Sunshine Centre in Banbury and the offering will be shared between the Sunshine Centre and the Children’s Society.

Saturday 14 December at 10am – Decorating the Church Christmas Tree Do come and help us decorate our tree for Christmas. All welcome.

Sunday 15 December at 4pm – Service of Lessons and Carols Come and join us for this very popular Christmas Carol Service.  Watch the Christmas story being acted out by local children, helped by a baby, George the donkey and some sheep, and accompanied by the recorder group, ‘Fumb and Forefinger’.  Then stay afterwards for mulled wine, mince pies and other refreshments!  

If you are under 18 and would like to take part, please contact Stephanie Lacey (stephanielacey@btconnect.com or 347350). The actors just have to dress up and walk about and we also need some children to read some short passages from the Bible.   

Saturday 21 December at 10am – Christmas Decorating The flower arrangers will be decorating the church for Christmas.

Saturday 21 December between 6pm-7pm – Carols in the Churchyard in aid of the Children’s Society.  Instead of singing at different points around the village, we will be inviting everyone to gather in the churchyard either to listen to or to sing their favourite carols. Mulled wine and other refreshments will be available for a suggested donation of £3 (in aid of the Children’s Society).  Carol sheets will be provided but do bring torches and wrap up warm. If it is raining on the night, we will sing inside the church. If you could donate mince pies or any savoury food for the event, please contact Clare Burgess (contact details below).

**Calling all musicians: it would be wonderful if we could have some musicians to keep us all in tune, if you could help please contact Clare Burgess 347382, clarebugress@gmail.com.

Don’t carry cash?
  
Try out our new Debit Card Reader!

The Children’s Society supports vulnerable young people, young carers and runaways (https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/).  For more information about the event or if you would like to donate to the Children’s Society but are unable to attend, please contact Clare, who has gift aid envelopes for the Children’s Society. Clare Burgess 347382, clarebugress@gmail.com. 

Monday 23 December– Deadline for bringing your reverse Advent Calendar Boxes to church. In other words – the reverse of those Advent Calendars where there’s a chocolate behind each door.  These boxes will be donated to the homeless and vulnerable through Polly. The idea is to remember those who don’t have as much as we do by finding them a gift for every day of December. All you need to do is get a bag or box and fill it with items for the homeless and those in need, who are helped by Polly in Banbury. Feel free to decorate the bag/box, but please don’t gift-wrap the items. Anyone can join in – just pick up a list of suitable gifts (such as an item of food or toiletries) from the table just inside Duns Tew Church. The list of suggested items will also be available on www.dunstew.com, under the Church tab. 

All help will be gratefully received – whether it’s one gift or twenty-four – all you need to do is take them to the church by Monday 23rd December and they will be delivered to Polly for her to distribute before Christmas. Thank you for your help. For more information, contact Clare Burgess 347382.

Our Charities

Church Charitable Giving during December

The Collection Plate cash collection taken during the December services will be donated to the following charities:

Carol Service, 15 December: Open Doors is an international ministry serving persecuted Christians; our donations will go particularly to support families in Syria and Iraq.
Midnight Mass, 24 December: Home-Start (Banbury & Chipping Norton Branch) 

Home-Start is a voluntary organisation offering support, friendship and practical help to families at home with at least one child under 5Christmas Day, 25 December: The Children’s Society which fights child poverty and neglect, and helps all children have a better chance in life.

Charity of the Quarter – Katharine House Hospice 

In December we will be supporting Katharine House Hospice, Adderbury (www.khh.org.uk). This charity provides specialist palliative care for adults who live locally with life limiting conditions as well as support for symptom management and pain relief.  Please give generously – the charity plate is available for donations at the end of each service. If you wish to donate at any other time please place money in an envelope marked Katharine House Hospice and give to Carol Rigby (Nonesuch, Hill Farm Lane).

Polly

As always you can leave in-date food donations, or shampoo/toothpaste etc, in the basket in church or take part in our Reverse Advent Calendar Boxes for Polly (see above).  Thank you to everyone who supports Polly’s work with the homeless. Clare Burgess 347382  

Combat Stress and the Royal British Remembrance Sunday

Following the Remembrance Sunday service, donations of £66.85 each have been sent to Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion.

Christmas Cards

In support of St Mary Magdalene, Duns Tew by local artist Ann Weighell

5 cards for £2.00

‘3 Kings’ A6 Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year	‘Snowdrops’ A6 Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

Order form in the Church or contact: Carol Rigby nonesuchcarol@gmail.com (01869 340632) or Stephanie Lacey stephanielacey@btconnect.com (01869 347350)