15/12/24
Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team.
Click below to read this week's information and latest news.
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Dates for your Diary
16 Dec
12pm - Christmas dinner at St James
6.30pm - Carol service at St John's
19 Dec
6pm - Charity auction at St James
24 Dec
4pm - Crib service at St Margaret's
11.30pm - Midnight mass at Ven Bede
25 Dec
10am - Christmas morning service at Ven Bede (no other services this day)
29 Dec
11am - Team service at Ven Bede (no other services this day)
12 Jan
11am - hub service, Feast of the Baptism of Christ, with baptism of members of the Farsi speaking group.
2 Feb
11am - Candlemas Team service at Ven Bede (no other services this day)
Services this week
Sunday 9.30am - St John's Holy Communion
9.45am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11am - Hub service (Parish Eucharist) at Ven Bede
Tuesday
4.30pm Bible Study with Farsi translation at St James
News
Advent and Christmas 2024
Christmas Dinner
Monday 16 December
12pm, St James Benwell, NE15 6RS A traditional Christmas dinner for anyone who would like to come. Free (donations encouraged), please speak to Chris Foskett to book your place.
Carols from St John's
16 December
6.30pm, St John's Benwell Village, NE15 7PL
A traditional service with all the Christmas carols you could want to hear. Come along to St John's for a warm welcome on this festive occasion.
Christmas Charity Auction
Thursday 19 December
6-8pm, St James Benwell, NE15 6RS
This year we will have a big charity auction to raise money for the church to keep us open and caring for our community. There will be plenty of lots, big and small for all budgets. Grab a bargain and join the fun!
All are welcome whether your bidding or not. There will also be mulled wine, festive snacks and some carol singing as well.
Crib service
24 December (Christmas Eve)
4pm, St Margaret Scotswood, NE15 6AR
Join us at a service that is fun for all the family. We tell the story of Jesus’ birth, place the figures in the nativity scene and sing some of your favourite Christmas carols.
Midnight Mass
24 December
11.30pm, Venerable Bede, NE4 8AP
One of the most beautiful services of the year. By candlelight, just before midnight on Christmas Eve, we gather to celebrate the coming Jesus Christ with Holy Communion. You are welcome whether you have been before or not.
Christmas Day Service
25 December
10am, Venerable Bede, NE4 8AP
Join us on Christmas morning to celebrate the birth of Jesus with Holy Communion. You are welcome even if you have never been before.
Embrace - Gaza appeal
The people of Gaza are living through an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Israel’s response has led to indiscriminate civilian suffering, with residents forced to move from place to place in search of safety. Food and medical supplies have all but run out; water, electricity, and fuel have been cut off.
The people of Gaza were already on their knees with 80% of residents reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. Please, can you make a donation into help in their hour of need?
You can donate online, by clicking below, or by calling 01494 897950. Your gift will support Embrace’s Christian partners in the immediate aftermath of this humanitarian crisis and to help to heal the wounds it’s caused across Israel – Palestine.
Sunday Worship
Advent Sunday
Purple
Readings
Isaiah 12.2–6
2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say on that day:Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Luke 3.7–18
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’
10 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ 11In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ 12Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ 13He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ 14Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Intercessions
Prayers for others:
John Nicholson
Malcolm Smith
John Peterson
Maria Hawthorn
Herbert Agbeko
Ellis & Pauline Nelson
Michelle & Peter Wilson
Alan & Maureen Taylor
Irene Foskett
Pat Law
Moe and Mary
Christina Wilson
Diane Humphrey
Other
Those affected by the tragedy at Violet Close
If you would like to add someone to the prayer list please email church@benwellscotswood.com
The name will stay on the list for 1 month unless requested to be long-term.
Sermon
The Very Revd Lee Batson, Dean of Newcastle Cathedral