'Contact' December 2023 by philmex1

75p

DECEMBER 2023

The Parish of Hythe St. John the Baptist

St. Anne

Isaiah 9 : 6 1

THE PARISH OF ST JOHN’S AND ST ANNE’S, HYTHE Please look at the back page of this magazine for further information about service times. Please note: Please do not attend services if you have Covid symptoms, even if you think it is just a cold. For recordings of morning prayer and weekly Sunday services, simply click on the ‘Online Worship’ tab at the top of the website page and a new menu will appear. You can then select which service you wish to see. Ctrl + click: https://www.stjohnshythe.org/ (our website) https://www.facebook.com/stjohnshythe/ https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-St-Annes-Youth172652072776655/ Worship at St John’s continues to be livestreamed via Zoom so that our church family may worship together. Please contact Sue Blomley if you would like your name added to join the Zoom list. Other acts of worship and activities are available on our church website and Facebook pages. Would you like to contribute to the work of our parish? Please use the QR code on this page to find out how. In church we now have a card machine which is easy to use and saves us handling coins and notes. Please contact office@stjohnshythe.org for help or other alternatives.

Thank you!

VICAR’S LETTER What happened to this year? It seems to have flown by so quickly! Already, we’ve had our outreach as part of the Halloween trail - taking light out into the darkness by giving out bags of hope, invitations to Christmas services and covering the church in light. We had around 700 people stop by our stall and had fun conversations with many of them! We’ve had Remembrance, with a packed church and last-minute alterations to the Prospect Place part of the service. Before that we had All Souls, which is always a lovely moment to pause and remember loved ones (kindly sponsored by Waterside Funeral Home) and now we’re heading very quickly towards Christmas! How prepared are you for this coming season? I’ve already bought some parts of our Christmas dinner. I have two Advent books ready, and the service plan is almost there too!! However, I haven’t bought any presents yet. How prepared are you? This is an incredibly busy season, and I would encourage you to take some time, make some space to pray, read and reflect on the reason for the season. John describes Jesus as being the source of life and light and how God had sent him to testify that Jesus is the light so that everyone might believe. Would you take John’s lead this Christmas and testify of all God has done in your life? You can do this simply by taking five invitations from church and encourage people to come to one of our services and experience something of Him this Christmas.

VICAR’S LETTER ‘More Tea Vicar’ is kind of returning. If you would like me or anyone else to come and visit, please do contact Hannah in the office, and she will make an appointment for you! May God Bless you this Christmas!

Lee Rev Lee Davies

Vicar of Hythe

PARISH OF HYTHE MONTHLY PRAYER LIST

In December we pray especially for: Cliff & Val, Peter & Veronica, Bob & Faye, Rita & Family, Norman & Maureen, Brian, Tony, John, Craig & Debbie.

We pray for families and friends mourning the loss of: Ann and Pat

Come, love of the Lord Jesus and demand everything from us. Come, presence of the Lord Jesus and transform everything around us. Come, breath of the Lord Jesus and heal everything within us. Amen.

Picture from Google Advanced Image Search: Free to use 5

FOOD FOR THOUGHT The tree of life my soul hath seen, Laden with fruit and always green; The trees of nature fruitless be, Compared with Christ the Apple Tree. His beauty doth all things excel, By faith I know but ne'er can tell The glory which I now can see, In Jesus Christ the Appletree. For happiness I long have sought, And pleasure dearly I have bought; I missed of all but now I see 'Tis found in Christ the Appletree. I'm weary with my former toil Here I will sit and rest awhile, Under the shadow I will be, Of Jesus Christ the Appletree. With great delight I’ll make my stay, There’s none shall fright my soul away; Among the sons of men I see There’s none like Christ the Appletree. I’ll sit and eat this fruit divine, It cheers my heart like spirit’al wine; And now this fruit is sweet to me, That grows on Christ the Appletree. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive; Which makes my soul in haste to be With Jesus Christ the Appletree. Rev Richard Hutchins, published 1761 6

Photo by PrestonPix: Sheffield Cathedral

CHURCH FAMILY NEWS Dear Church Family, It is my sad duty to have to inform you that Ann Heslop died peacefully yesterday morning (Monday 20th November) at Southampton General Hospital. Please pray for her close friends and family (many of whom are in our congregation) as we come to terms with our loss. I’m available to talk and pray with anyone who would appreciate a visit, please do get in touch. We will let you know once her funeral arrangements are in place. Ann took great comfort in God's word, and lived a life of prayer and dedication to God. I was able to pray what I now know was her favourite Psalm, Psalm 23 over her yesterday and would encourage you to read it and find comfort in our friend and Father God. Peace be with you

Lee

Ann Heslop 1934-2023

ADVENT CAROL SERVICE

CHRISTINGLE SERVICE

HYTHE 2000 CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL

HELP PLEASE! OLD PHONES NEEDED FOR TECH TEAM Hello everyone! The tech team at St John’s are in desperate need of some old phones so they can continue to offer Sunday services online at a good quality for those who watch services via Zoom or YouTube. The phones which we use at the moment for different camera angles are not working very well, so if you have an old iPhone 6 or above lying around in a drawer and would like to donate it to St John’s the team would be extremely grateful.

Many thanks! God Bless Craig Fowkes - Churchwarden

image by: http://www.freeimageslive.co.uk/free_stock_image/using-mobile-phone-jpg" target="_blank"> freeimageslive.co.uk - gratuit

PHIL’S CHRISTMAS QUIZ 1.Who was the Roman Emperor when Jesus was born? 2. What was the annunciation? 3. Which of Mary’s relatives was expecting a baby at the same time as Mary? 4. True or false—Jesus was born in Nazareth. 5. Which group of people were the first to hear about the birth of Christ? 6. According to tradition, how many wise men were there. Can you name them all and say what gifts they brought the Christ child? 7. Who was King of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth? 8. In which gospels are the Christmas story? 9. Name the governor of Syria at the time of Jesus’ birth. 10. Which carol is named after the second largest settlement in the West Midlands? 11. ‘Adeste Fideles’ is the Latin name for which popular carol? 12. True or false—the carol Silent Night was originally written in French. 13. How many swans were swimming in the carol, the 12 Days of Christmas? 14. Which well-known composer wrote the Christmas Oratorio? 15. Hector Berlioz wrote an oratorio about the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt. Can you name it in French or English? 12

CHRISTMAS HUMOUR •

What do Father Christmas’ little helpers learn at school? The elfabet.

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What is the best Christmas present? A broken drum—you just can’t beat it!

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How did Scrooge win a football game? The ghost of Christmas passed.

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How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas? Deep and crisp and even.

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What did the stamp say to the Christmas card? Stick with me and we’ll go places.

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Why did no one bid for Rudolf and Blitzen on eBay? Because they were too deer.

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Why is it getting more difficult to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered.

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Did you hear about the thief who stole a Christmas calendar? He got 12 months.

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One snowman to another—can you smell carrots?

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What falls at the North Pole and never gets hurt? Snow!

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Why was the snowman looking through the carrots? He was picking his nose.

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I can’t get to the chocolates in my Advent calendar. Foiled again! 13

CHILDREN’S WORK—NOVEMBER 2023 Messy Remembrance In November we had a Remembrance themed Messy Church. We had a fun messy time as you can see from the pictures. We thought about what and who we all remember, tested our memories, and then talked about how God never forgets us. It was lovely to welcome along some new families as well. Thank you to every member of our small but amazing team of helpers with a big shout out to Trish Murphy who once again supplied us with a delicious meal. She never knows how many people will turn up, but always manages to feed everyone.

Hythe Halloween Trail Once again this year we had a station at this massive annual event in Hythe, sharing with children and adults alike the ‘Light in the Darkness’, giving out free Bags of Hope, glow sticks, sweets, details of our services and activities and hot chocolate. We were prepared for 500 children and carers visiting us – 1000 children descended on Hythe for the event! Thank you so much to Kevin, Wendy and Kerry who put up all the lights for us over the front of the church and then took them down in the rain afterwards. Thanks to Lee and Emily for the carved pumpkins, to Sue, David, Val, Tricia, Jane, Craig, Elizabeth, Wendy, Serena and Lee, who welcomed everyone with smiles, a cheery word and handed out too many hot chocolates to count, on what was an extremely damp afternoon.

Chris McMahon

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS...

Wishing all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a Joyous New Year! Love from Phil & Cat 20

WHO LET THE DADS OUT?

FESTIVAL OF CAROLS AT ST JOHN’S

MOTHERS’ UNION Our November meeting was a pre-Advent and pre-Christmas celebratory afternoon. Olive accompanied us on the piano with a medley of popular songs from ‘50s musicals, Jan Dougherty stretched our brains with a Christmas themed quiz, and we enjoyed a shared tea. Many thanks to Olive and Jan, and to Jan Evans for making and serving many cups of tea, to all of us for providing the varied tea, and thanks to Jan, Rosemary, Trish, and others who washed up. We also took up a collection for Women’s Refuge. There is no official meeting in December, as members will be going to St Nicholas’ Church at Brockenhurst on Tuesday December 12th for the 10:30am Deanery Carol Service. A reminder of our AGM on Thursday January 11th when subs will be collected. Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year. Sue Harvey June Smith

CHRISTMAS WORDS OF WISDOM •

Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace. Pope Francis

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Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind. Teach us to be patient and always to be kind. Helen Steiner Rice

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Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. C S Lewis

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Wise men still seek Him. Do you? Unknown 23

CHRISTMAS SERVICES IN HYTHE PARISH

CHRISTMAS COMPLETE: HELP PLEASE!

Christmas Complete – we are a collection and referral point. Please look out for the collection trolley arriving soon in St John’s Hall for donations or speak to Chris regarding a referral. Tel: 80844336 or email: families@stjohnshythe.org 25

ADVERTISEMENTS

Steve’s Piano Tuning and Repairs Steve Robson 19 Depden Gardens, Dibden Purlieu SO45 4RX

Tel: 07476 815497 Mob: 07905 451131

Please note that we are working with our advertisers to update you with good quality adverts. New advertisers are always welcome! Would you like to advertise in this space? Please contact St John’s Hall Office: 023 80844336

A STORY WRITTEN BY NIKKI

A little boy sat by a tree, his little brown eyes watching me. “Hello, can you answer a question for me? My tooth came out, but the fairies never came, they never came yesterday or today. Just like the people who came and said they were my new parents and took me home, but that all changed when they had a baby of their own. They no longer care for me; I wander all alone.” I replied, “Perhaps you should pray to Jesus.” “Jesus? Who is Jesus?” he asked me, so we sat, and I chatted with this little boy all about the life of Jesus and how He died to set people free, free from sin and a life in heaven for eternity. So, he went underneath the tree and asked Jesus to take him home for eternity. I called, “Come my child, come follow me!”

Nicola Higgins

https://www.vecteezy.com/ members/drawingpook437224

HELP PLEASE! CHURCH AND ‘CONTACT’ ANNIVERSARIES 2024 You may or may not be aware of this but next year we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of St John’s Church and the 50th anniversary of ‘Contact’, your parish magazine. We do have some material already including some old photos and back copies of ‘Contact’ dating back to 1974. To add to this treasure trove we are asking for people to share their memories of St John’s with us. If you have old photos of church occasions or events, anecdotes or any memories you could share with us, we would be very happy to publish them to celebrate these important anniversaries. Texts and scans of photos can be sent directly to us at the usual email address (see below) or dropped off at St John’s Hall in an envelope. We will, of course, return any items if you want them back. Many thanks and best wishes. Phil & Cat—philmex123@gmail.com

WHO’S WHO VICAR: Rev Lee Davies (0756 5763803) Vicar@stjohnshythe.org LICENSED LAY MINISTER: Sue Blomley (023 80849482) sue.blomley@gmail.com CHURCH WARDENS: Martin Deadman (023 81782640) mdeadman@gmail.com Craig Fowkes (07546218718) craigfowkes@aol.co.uk PRO-WARDEN: Carol Moody (023 80843559)

cazbam02@btinternet.com

CHILDREN & FAMILIES PASTOR: Chris McMahon via Hall Office (023 80844336) families@stjohnshythe.org ST JOHN’S HALL: (023 80844336) office@stjohnshythe.org ‘CONTACT’ EDITORS: Phil & Cat Preston

philmex123@gmail.com

ADVERTISING: via Hall Office (023 80844336) office@stjohnshythe.org DISTRIBUTION: Maureen Curtis (023 80846861)

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS We hope you enjoy this issue of ‘Contact’: you are warmly invited to contribute items to the magazine.

Contributions by the 14th of the month please! Would you like to advertise in ‘Contact’? Please contact St John’s Hall Office: 023 80844336 Phil & Cat Preston - email: 30

PARISH CONTACT NUMBERS

Bible Reading Fellowship notes Catering Coordinator Children & Families Pastor Children’s Society Choir Master & Organist Church Treasury Team Clergy Secretary Copyright Information Data Protection Officer Electoral Roll Officer Gift Aid Secretary St John's Hall bookings Hythe2000 Management Julian Group Mothers' Union Committee Parish Visitors Coordinator P.C.C. Secretary Prayer Chain Sacristan & Servers Safeguarding Officer Sidespeople Rota St John's cleaning Website enquiries

Pamela Gilson 80842965 Parish Office 80844336 Chris McMahon 80844336 Trish Murphy 80893243 Philip Dowd 80844336 Sue Harvey 80842333 Parish Office 80844336 Norman Curtis 80846861 Phil Preston 80844336 Shadia Aazar 07834820541 Martin Deadman 81290629 Parish Office 80844336 Geoff Read 80848748 Norman Curtis 80846861 Sue Harvey 80842333 Margot Lewis 80844336 Craig Fowkes 80844336 Margot Lewis 80844336 Trish Murphy 80893243 Catherine Preston 07377259012 Rosie Guidery 82062779 Parish Office 80844336 Elizabeth Deadman 81782640

Church website: www.stjohnshythe.org For Weddings and Baptisms please phone the Hall Office (023 80844336)

Have any details changed? Put the kettle on, have a cuppa and a mince pie then email Phil & Cat at: philmex123@gmail.com or phone the Parish Office 023 80844336 and leave a message for the editors. Thank you! 31