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Issue #4 of Wheatley Area Newsletter
Horton cum Studley Oakley
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Beckley CHRISTIANS | | IN
| |
Stanton St John +----+ +----+
| | Worminghall
Forest Hill +----+ +----+
| | Ickford
Holton THE | | COMMUNITY
Wheatley | |
Horspath | | Tiddington
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Cuddesdon Great Milton
Garsington Great Haseley
Little Milton
A monthly newsletter for Christians in the Wheatley Area.
To join or to send news: email Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
Please forward to those who may be interested, or print off
for them if they have no email.
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HEADLINES: Wheatley Area Festival, 2004 Olympics, Anglican
Team Away Day, Children's Christmas Party, Praise Psalm
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"Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to
Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place
where the child was. When they saw the star, they were
filled with joy! They entered the house where the child and
his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and
worshiped him." Matthew 1:9-11
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| ><> EPISTLE <>< |
| to the Wheatley Area |
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Thank you for supporting for the newsletter over the first
few issues. Your editor has certainly learnt a lot about all
the great things going on in the area, through the news that
has been sent to him, and through a little bit of research of
his own. Just in this short time, there has been a new
Anglican rector for the Wheatley Team, changes in other
churches, the first festivals by Fusion, among other
happenings. Is there something new happening? Your editor, as
a relatively new arrival to the area cannot be sure, but this
time of Advent is all about expecting, awaiting, looking and
hoping for some unknown good news just around the corner -
what could God be bringing for us in 2004? Are we searching
like the wise men, are we ready for it?
May God bless you this Christmas and in the new year,
Your editor
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| ><> GOOD NEWS <>< |
| Building the Kingdom Locally |
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><> Wheatley Area Festival on Saturday 8th November at
Wheatley Primary School by Lucy Betts
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We started the Festival at 3pm and had a wonderful afternoon
and early evening celebrating being part of Wheatley
community and also the arrival of James Watson, the new Vicar
at St Mary’s Church, Wheatley. Everything was free and we had
a fun afternoon for all the family with face painting,
Karaoke, children’s crafts and games. This was followed by a
free Sausage Sizzle BBQ and a barn dance. Apricot Pie played
the music and directed us in the barn dance, which was quite
exhausting! James Watson was presented with various local
treats such as local honey, an ASDA jacket and a Wheatley cap
as well as a mock key to the Wheatley lock-up! The whole
event was rounded off by a magnificent display of fireworks.
Everyone who came was given details of when the Church
Services are on of all the local Churches.
This event was attended by 300-400 people and was run by
Fusion in the Wheatley Area. Marty and Jen Woods, who have
moved to Wheatley from Australia and work for Fusion (an
Australian Youth and Community organisation), helped to
facilitate the Christians and Churches in Wheatley to get
together to organise the Festival.
God really blessed us with this event. There were many
positive comments from people who live in our community –
especially the fact that everything was free! People did ask
who was putting this event on and one lady said if church was
like the Festival she would come! The children certainly
enjoyed all the craft and balloon sculpting as well as the
outdoors games and Karaoke. The barn dance certainly went
with a swing and there were Karaoke finals during the breaks.
Such an event needed lots of volunteers to make it work as it
was very intensive and friends and family turned up in
surprising ways and were able to help out where there was a
shortfall. We were grateful too for the support from Wheatley
Primary school and for the people who contributed financially
towards the day. The Festival was a great way of showing
Christians working together and building a sense of community
and it would be great to continue with this in the Wheatley
Area.
An important part of the festival, which made it stand out,
was that everything was free and the costs were covered in
all by donations from people who really want to reach out in
Wheatley and show God’s love in a practical way.
Please pray for the Children’s Christmas party on 13th
December, which is being organised by Sarah Turner and Kath
McNee. Also thank God for sending Marty and Jen Woods to
Wheatley and for inspiring this work. Ask God what role he
may have for you to play in reaching our communities. Thank
God that we had such a fun day on 8th November and that we
got to meet our neighbours.
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><> 2004 Olympics in Greece by Marty Woods
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Marty & Jenny Woods over a number of years have been running
Festivals across Australia with Fusion. During the 2000
Olympics they helped run 120 Festivals that made contact with
a quarter of a million people. They have been invited by the
Churches across Greece to assist them in running Festivals
during the Olympics next year. They have visited Athens a
number of times to help prepare the Churches for the
Festivals. Over the years the Churches haven’t worked co-
operatively. Festivals however work best when all the
Churches are involved and thankfully that is now beginning to
happen. They have helped with forming a Youth network where
many of the young people will be trained to be part of the
Festivals across Greece. Marty & Jenny will be moving to
Greece for 3 months next year. If you want to know more about
what they are doing then please talk further with them on
01865 876596
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><> Anglican Wheatley Team Away Day by Jennifer Newton
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On Saturday 22 November James Watson, the new Team Rector,
led an 'away day' at Thomley Hall, where members and clergy
from each of the 12 parishes across the Team were asked the
question: 'What can we do to share the Gospel across the
parishes and how can the Team help?'.
It was a day of lively discussion looking at practical,
realistic and specific ways of being a presence in the
communities in which we live. There was a tremendous buzz as
people shared their ideas, and plans made to go 'back to the
coal face' and put many of these into action.
We pray that God will bless these initiatives as the 'good
news' is shared in the community and may His Kingdom Come.
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| ><> EVENTS <>< |
| Signs and Wonders |
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Dec 6 (Saturday)
><> 3-5pm - Planning/rehearsal for ASDA Carols - Granary
- Gordon Ewbank
Dec 7 (Sunday)
><> 2-4pm - St Bartholemew's Christmas Bazaar
- Holton Village Hall
><> 3-6pm - Advent Pilgrimage to St Leonard's, Watlington
- Contact St Mary's, Wheatley
><> 8pm - Airstar Acoustic set - Bullingdon Arms
Cowley Road, Oxford
Dec 9 (Tuesday & every 2nd Tuesday each month)
><> Wheatley Primary School Prayer group - Kath McNee
Dec 13 (Saturday)
><> 2-4pm - Childrens' Christmas Party - Wheatley Primary
- Karl & Sarah Turner - 01865 876118
Dec 14 (Sunday)
><> 3-6pm - Advent Pilgrimage to St Leonard's, Watlington
- Contact St Mary's, Wheatley
><> 4pm - Christingle Service, St. Mary's, Wheatley
families with young children are particularly welcome
Dec 20 (Saturday)
><> 10am - Noon - Carols - Merry Bells, Wheatley
Come along and join in the carol singing outside the
Merry Bells. There will be plenty of Christmas cheer with
mince pies and refreshments served inside the hall.
><> 2-4pm - Carols - ASDA, Wheatley - Gordon Ewbank
Dec 21 (Sunday)
><> Joint Wheatley Area Carol Service - St Mary's, Wheatley
Dec 24 (Wednesday)
><> 4pm - Crib Service, St. Mary's, Wheatley - children are
invited to help prepare the nativity and experience the
real meaning of Christmas
Dec 28 (Sunday)
><> 10am - Joint Service at the URC, Wheatley
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Monday
><> 2:30pm House Group - Wheatley URC
Jennifer Newton - 01865 876066 or Marian Brown - 01865 872245
><> 8pm Home Group - Wheatley - Lucy Betts - 01865 875436
Tuesday
><> please advise
Wednesday
><> 7:45pm House Group - Wheatley
- Jennifer Newton - 01865 876066
Thursday
><> 7:30am Prayers & Breakfast at Wheatley URC
Friday
><> Wheatley URC House group in Thame
Saturday
><> 9:30am - 10am - Prayer - Merry Bells, Wheatley
><> 10am - Noon - Meeting Point - Merry Bells, Wheatley
- Cyril Newton - 01865 876066
><> Also...
The Four Parishes Fellowship Group meets once a fortnight in
Stanton St John. All are welcome. For details see:
http://oxford-consultants.tripod.com/4PNLWEBapr2001.htm
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| ><> REQUESTS <>< |
| Ask and you will receive |
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><> Children's Christmas Party by Kath McNee
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Sarah Turner and Kath McNee are still looking for volunteers
to help with the Children's Christmas Party planned for
Saturday afternoon, December 13th at Wheatley Primary School.
There are three areas of need:
1. Cooking of Mince pies / shortbread / fruit cake
2. People to be proud to 'own' & help on each of the
Christmas activity tables:
Snow ball (ex - juggling ball) making!
Kids Carpentry - (wood supplied. NEED hammers & nails)
Stain glass making (see Jen Woods)
Christmas Biscuits
Play dough Table
Clove Balls (see Jen Woods)
Giant Mural (see Jill Ewbank)
Face painting
Christmas Craft (See Sarah Turner)
3. Needing an OVERSIZED BIGGER THAN LIFE costume of a
Christmas 'character'?? e.g.. Christmas tree / star /
sheep / donkey ?!?! And someone to play the part!
Otherwise - please PRAY for the event, particularly for the
message of Christmas to be prominent!
Please contact Sarah on 01865 876118 if you can help.
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| ><> LET US PRAY <>< |
| He is listening... |
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><> Praise Psalm by David Herring
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Praise the Lord! Let all voices and instruments be tuned to
sing His praises!
Let those who are sad, rejoice! Let the lonely be brought
hope, as they pray and sing to the Lord, their Heavenly
Father and their Friend.
Let those in pain be comforted and healed, as they hear the
songs of God's people. Let the music of instruments bring
them healing balm, and may the Power of their Creator restore
their minds and bodies. May their spirits rise, and let them
take heart, for the Lord is greater than pain and disease,
and has overcome death, that all may live. His Kingdom stands
for eternity.
Let the songs of angels be joined with the music and song of
earth to bring joy to the Lord Most High! May His love gifts
be returned to Him in love, from those who worship in the
Light of His freedom; yet also from earth's dark places,
where His Light is always present. Even though it be as a
candle flame, it will never be extinguished.
Let the labours of the days be filled with the gentle songs
of God's peace, and let their melodies fill the hearts of
those who rest. Let all commit their ways to the Lord, for He
will never disappoint them, and their Life in Him will never
end.
Bring to the Lord His due! Fill His House with gifts of all
that He has given to us, His creatures. May the poor, the
ill, the weak, the homeless, the despairing and the addicted
find refuge and hope in the House of the Lord. May those
caught in a web of their own making be set onto the paths of
peace, as they hear the songs of the Lord, which stir the
heart, and the words spoken in His Name, which bring Life!
For the Lord is a Friend to the empty, the lost and the
friendless, that they may rejoice. Sing His praises, all the
earth! Let none remain in the jaws of death, but may Life and
hope be within them, breaking the chains of tyranny and
injustice both in and around them, and causing them to sing
the everlasting songs of Freedom! Praise the Lord!
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| ><> LOCAL LINKS <>< |
| wwjd.com |
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Biography of Edward King, Wheatley curate, Bishop of Lincoln
(read 7th para onwards) http://snurl.com/2ydk
Keston Institute
http://www.keston.org/
Airstar
http://www.airstar.org.uk/
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| ><> REVELATIONS <>< |
| And finally... |
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Give a Christmas present to your friends - encourage them to
sign up for the newsletter for 2004 if they haven't already
done so - 12 issues absolutely free! No commitment necessary!
Especially those that worship exclusively outside the area -
the Wheatley Questionnaire shows that there are at least 100
people in this category in Wheatley. Send them a Christmas
card and include the newsletter!
Have a very happy Christmas! Peace on Earth...
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| ><> SMALL PRINT <>< |
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Christians in the Community is a digest of Christian
happenings in the Wheatley area and beyond. It is compiled by
Kevin Betts from information he gets sent. Submissions
deadline for next issue is 2nd January.
(Un)subscribe or News to Email: Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
Phone: 01865 875436
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