ChadNet – no 92

ChadNet – no 92 – Sunday 26th December 2021

ChadNet - the eBulletin of St Chad's Church, Pattingham with Patshull

Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.

In this week’s ChadNet:

Face coverings must now be worn in church, except by those who are under 11 or exempt for medical or other reasons. They may be removed while singing.

The church doors will remain closed during services to help to keep the church warm. The PCC has considered the official guidance on the need for ventilation and is content that there is sufficient ventilation with the doors closed. It will, of course, continue to monitor the guidance.

So that those who wish to ensure that they can maintain social distance feel comfortable social distancing must be maintained in the pews by the wall in the South Aisle.

Do not attend church if you have any covid symptoms or are meant to be isolating.

View from the Pews

Iain Coleman

Images of Christmas

They said there’ll be snow at Christmas
They said there’ll be peace on earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the virgin birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winter’s light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire*

(*Greg Lake “I believe in Father Christmas”)

Well! that’s one person’s take on Christmas; interesting images conveyed in a single verse. But what are your images of the Christmas season? Is it beginning to look like the most wonderful time of the year? Do you hear what I hear as Santa Claus comes to town on his jingle bell ride? Who’ll be rocking around the Christmas tree with Santa, Frosty, and Rudolph to the beat of the little drummer boy? Has the pandemic meant there will be no driving home for Christmas and that a socially distancing Santa is not kissing Mummy under the Christmas tree? Gonna be a blue Christmas? or a wonderful Christmas time? As the chestnuts roast on an open fire hopefully you’ll have yourself a merry little Christmas……..

Or…. is it all about that night, whether holy or silent or (midnight) clear. Probably bleak amidst the winter snow?  We might doubt the silence, as the herald angels sing on high, the bells ring merrily on high their carol, the shepherds pipe theirs and remember – all Christians sing on Christmas night. Difficult to imagine the gentlemen resting merry quietly and as for the oxen lowing…… and all those visitors, shepherds and magi and everyone trying to rock the infant Jesus, asleep on the hay. As we Rejoice! in dulce jubilo, let’s remember. Love did come down at Christmas, it was all lovely, all divine. It brought us the Good News of the Gospel of Christ, that wonderful mystery. As G K Chesterton said

Good news: but if you ask me what it is, I know not;
It is a track of feet in the snow,
It is a lantern showing a path,
It is a door set open.

Iain Coleman

Contacts

We do not have a VIcar at the moment. For matters which would normally be dealt with by the Vicar the churchwardens are the first point of contact. The Vicarage phone (01902 700257) is redirected to the churchwardens. When they are not available a message can be left on the voicemail and they will return the call when they are available. Emails to will be received by the churchwardens.

Contact details for church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. You can use if you are nore sure who to contact and the churchwardens will be able to forward it to the correct person.

Notices, which should be received by Friday evening for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to Articles for the magazine should be sent to (note – this is different to the address used before November 2020 which no longer works).

Notices, which should be received by Friday evening for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to

Articles for the magazine should be sent to (note – this is different to the address used before November 2020 which no longer works).

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

On Christmas Eve at 4 pm the Crib Service, which will be led by Lisa Ainsworth, will take place in church. Join Joseph and Mary on the journey to Bethlehem and help us to build our Crib Scene in Church.

On Christmas Eve at 11.30 pm the “midnight” Communion Service, which will be led by Revd Alison Storer, will take place in church.

On Christmas Day at 10 am there will be a Family Communion Service, which will be led by Revd Glynn Watkins, in church. The church will be closed for the rest of the day after the service.

Sunday 26th December – St Stephen’s Day

At 10 am there will be a non-communion Service for St Stephen’s Day, led by the churchwardens,in church. The church will be closed for the rest of the day after the service.

There will be no evening service.

This week

Except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day the church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch. Please observe the instructions in the notice on the door.

The church will be closed after the services on 25th and 26th December and will not be open on 1st January.

The Century Club draw will take place by Zoom on Monday. See below for the link..

There will not be a service on Wednesday morning.

Sunday 2nd January – Christmas 2 / The Epiphany

At 10 am there will be a Family Service in church, led by Elaine Dow, which will be followed by Holy Communion, led by Revd Roberta Maxfield, for those who wish to stay. Coffee (and tea and biscuits) will be available after the service.

Christmas Greetings from the former Vicar

Maureen Hobbs, who retired at the end of May this year, sends Christmas Greetings to everyone in the parish.

She says “Although I am now settling into Neston and a new church congregation, I value the opportunity to keep in touch with Pattingham through ChadNet, and I am thinking of you all as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and all the hope it represents for a happy and healthy New Year.”

Century Club draw

Thus month’s Century Club draw will be held on Monday at 10.00 am and can be seen by Zoom. [The link is available in the edition of ChadNet emailed to subscribers.]

Following the annual subscription round there are now a few vacancies. It you are interested in joining please contact Alan Smith on 07757 688518 or

From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 19th December and 2nd January.

Margaret Alice Gardener – 19th December 2003
Stanley Charles Bentley – 21st December 1989
Elsie May Nickholds – 21st December 1999
Audrey Mary Vaughan – 21st December 2008
John Stanley Scriven – 22nd December 2008
Graham Bartlett Smith – 22nd December 2019
Dorothy Shepherdson – 23rd December 1995
Dorothy Amy Harris – 24th December 1977
Ruby Sampson – 24th December 2007
Thomas Howe Pattison – 25th December 1994
Kim Harley – 26th December 1964
Kathleen Williamson – 26th December 1988
Jane Sarah Dulson – 27th December 1958
Maurice Scarth – 27th December 2005
Evelyn Annie Taylor – 28th December 1982
John Earl Titley – 28th December 1983
A.B. Thorma Bridge – 28th December 1990
Eileen Shelton – 28th December 1999
Iris Postance – 31st December 2011
Percy George Williams – 1st January 1976
Stanley James Potts – 2nd January 1999

You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.

Resources for worship and prayer at home

Some of resources which can be used at home are listed on the Resources Available Online and the Resources Available for Children, Young People and Families pages of the website.

For those who are unable to attend church there are still a number of services which are available online, including a weekly service on the Church of England website.

Giving to the church

Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.

We have a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at www.justgiving.com/pattingham-church. You will be asked if you want to make a contribution on top of your donation. If you do it will go to JustGiving and not to charity. If you do not want to make such a contribution select “other”. If you are a taxpayer please consider gift aiding your donation.

You can make a bank transfer to our bank account (Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 Account No: 50655023).

If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.

ChadNet

This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 103 subscribers but there may still  be some people who are not aware of it and would wish to receive it. The weekly bulletin for each Sunday will normally be sent on the preceding Friday or Saturday. Additional bulletins may be sent if required. It is only being sent to those who have requested it.

If you know of anyone who might be interested please tell them about it and ask them to sign up using the form on the website (www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/chadnet/sign-up-to-chadnet/) or by email to

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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604