.Calendar for December 2001
Services in Kingscote
Sunday 2nd 9.30 am Parish Communion - BCP
Sunday 9th 11.00 am Family Service
Sunday 16th 9.30 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1
Thursday 20th 7.00 pm Service of Lessons and Carols
Sunday 23rd 11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1
Tuesday 25th 11.00 am Christmas Day Communion - CW Order 1
Sunday 30th 11.00 am Matins - BCP
Services in Horsley
Sunday 2nd 8.00 am Holy Communion - BCP
11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1
Sunday 9th 9.30 am Holy Communion - BCP
Sunday 16th 11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1
& Sunday School
Wednesday 19th 6.00 pm Festival of Lessons and Carols
Sunday 23rd 9.30 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1
Monday 24th 3.45 pm Christmas Eve Crib Service
11.45 pm Midnight Communion - BCP
Tuesday 25th 9.30 am Christmas Day Communion - CW Order 1
Sunday 30th 9.30 am Matins - BCP
The Taize worship meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on Thursday 6th December in the Lady Chapel.
Clergy have been engaged for all of the normal Kingscote services in December. However this may not always be possible in future months. When it is clear that we cannot find a minister for a future service, this will be indicated in the Forerunner. The editor will try to ensure that the services in Horsley are correctly advertised, so that if there is not a service in Kingscote then parishioners can attend there in confidence. Please make a special effort to support these services as the clergy are severely stretched by local demands at this time.
The next PCC Meeting will be held on Monday 3rd December at 8.00 pm at the home of Jane Nichols.
Forerunner Internet Site www.geocities.com/forerunneruk/
Diocesan Internet News Site www.glosdioc.org.uk
The First Christmas - taken from Luke 2 verses 1 to 20
At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first census took place Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone then went to register himself, each to his own town.
Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judaea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendent of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger - there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terrified, but the angel said to them, "Don’t be afraid ! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your saviour was born - Christ the Lord ! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared together with the angel, singing praises to God:
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased."
When the angels went away from them, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. "
So they hurried there and found Mary and Joseph, and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the shepherds saw him, they recounted what the angel had told them about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.
Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all that they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel told them.
The members of the PCC wish all parishioners and other readers a Joyful Christmas and a Happy and Fulfilling New Year.
Church Flowers
Dec 2nd to 24th (Advent-candle) Mrs S. Padden
Dec 25th and 30th Christmas Altar Guild and helpers
Jan 6th and 13th Mrs C. Hatherall
Jo Spash
Sunday Club
Come and join us on the 2nd December at 11.00 am in the Village Hall. We shall be making Christmas gift boxes and filling them with sweets, as well as creating a display of pictures for the church.
Janet Davies and Elin Tattersall
Harvest Gifts
Thank you all for your generous gifts of non-perishable goods at the Harvest Thanksgiving service. They have been gratefully accepted by the Gloucestershire Emergency Accommodation Resource project, which supports homeless people. You may help them further by calling Tel. 01452 501 085.
Elin Tattersall
Altar Guild
We wish to thank all the people who gave us assistance and support on November 17th at our annual Coffee Morning. A total of £550.00 was raised towards the church Fabric Fund. The draw winners were:
1. A Kerry - Christmas hamper 6. T Townsend - Wine
2. P Day - Whisky 7. N Terrett - Basket of fruit
3. D Highfield -Sherry 8. C Trace - Brace of pheasant
4. B James - Port D Attwell - Christmas cake
5. D Highfield -Brace of pheasant E Nichols - Daisy the duck
Our next meeting will be in the church on Wednesday Dec. 5th at 2.30 pm.
Vida Sutton
Grumbolds Ash Group
The next meeting will take place on Tuesday December 11th for Christmas dinner at the Amberly Inn at 7.00 for 7.30 pm. Travel arrangements to be made between members. Everyone please bring along a small gift as usual.
Vida Sutton
Post Office
The Post Office is open on every normal working Tuesday and Thursday :
from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.
Appeal 2001 for Church Restoration
The PCC wishes to thank all who have contributed generously to the total of £11,737 (before Gift Aid) which has been raised to date. Whilst we are still well short of our final target, this allows us to apply for grant aid and tackle the most urgent work on the church tower, and we are most grateful. A total of 52 donations have been received, of which half were from residents of the parish.
The appeal will run to the end of this year, and a further leaflet is enclosed for anyone who still wishes to contribute or who knows someone else who might. Those who are contributing with Gift Aid need to remember to record their donation when they fill in their 2001/2002 Tax Return.We thank especially Rebecca and Robert Whitworth who provided the teas, which made the final afternoon so enjoyable for those present. We also acknowledge the excellent value for money and service provided by JSM Signs Limited of Stroud.
The PCC
Tetbury Hospital
The hospital supporters are running a fundraising scheme next year in which people are asked to donate any small change they have left over in the currencies of countries which are converting to the Euro in 2002. When accumulated into larger amounts, these otherwise redundant notes and coins can be converted into Sterling which can go into hospital funds. Any one wanting to dispose of their foreign change in this way please contact me on
Sue Bradley-Jones
Mobile Library
The mobile library will be by The Walled Garden from 9.40 am to 9.55 am on Thursdays December 13th and 27th.
Waste Recycling
The boxes will be emptied as follows:
Newington and Bagpath - Mon. 10th and 24th December.
Kingscote - Tues. 11th and 27th December.
Magazine
Contributions for the next issue of the Forerunner please by 20th December to Harry Tubbs, 3 The Walled Garden, Tel. 860 194, Email .
The Editor
Kingscote Park - The opening of the Maheo Centre
Several parish residents attended the formal opening of the new well-being centre at Kingscote Park on the evening of Saturday 17th November. We have all watched the centre grow from the outside during the past few years, and now that it is complete Geoffrey Higgins, founder of the Centre, was particularly keen to let village residents see it from the inside as well !
The Centre was originally envisaged by Geoffrey and his first wife June, who sadly died in 1998 before much progress was visible. It has since, with support from Geoffrey’s family, work colleagues, friends and new wife Annie, risen as a unique space dedicated to helping people achieve holistic life balance through the reconnection of mind, body and spirit.
"We have created an environment which encourages new thinking and innovation; engaging people’s competences and passions through dialogue and new experience," confirmed Geoffrey. "The Centre takes its name from Maheo - the Native American Cheyenne tribe’s first spirit of creation. This spirit is reflected in all aspects of the Centre in order to entice inspiration, creativity and self-expression."
The objective of the Centre, and the courses, workshops and conferences taking place there, is the release and deployment of people’s inner talents and abilities to help create harmony, satisfaction and meaning in their lives.
Certainly the place is very beautiful: the combination of traditional high quality materials with bold architecture, space and fine workmanship is stunning. Two courtyards enclose naturalised water-gardens which add to the feeling of peace and tranquillity.
After the reception, we were treated to short talks about the philosophy behind its development, followed by a delightful performance by Miha Pogacnik on the violin accompanied by pianist Diana Baker. To call this simply a concert would miss half of what he put across !
On Sunday morning we were also given a short public recital by Miha in the church, which was a happy occasion appreciated by young and old. We thank Geoffrey for this kind gesture to the community.
The Editor
Village Hall Yoga Classes
Commencing on Wednesday 9th January, yoga classes for all levels of ability will be held from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm in the Village Hall. To find out more, and make bookings for the programme of 10 sessions costing £40, ring Christine Hewett on
For your notes:
Carol Singing - 6.00 pm Wednesday 19th December
Join us at the Village Hall and as we wind our way through Kingscote, singing Christmas carols and raising money for Christian Aid to support projects in Britain and abroad.
Sue Bradley-Jones.