Help Christian Aid and save yourself time, money and the environment by sending one card to all your friends at St Mary’s! Write one card to everyone and add it to the display at the back of the church, then pop some of the money you saved on cards, into the envelope which you won’t need and place in the collection plate or give to Mary Baker. If you are able to Gift Aid it please write your name on the envelope.
Happy Christmas!

Many thanks to Marion, Pat, Brenda and Mark for a super Christingle service at St Mary’s on 9th December. Pat’s talk, in the dark, of her experience, a few years ago of being on Brownie Camp and needing to get out of the tent in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom was very entertaining and seemed to keep even the youngest members of the congregation enthralled; her appreciation of the power of a torch to light the world was a great way of introducing and explaining …

Please do take time out of the inevitable hectic activities to stop, reflect, bring friends or family, and celebrate the festival of hope that lies at the very heart of it all. You will always be most welcome!
The Following Services are in addition to our regular Worship at St Mary’s and St Barnabas.
(details of weekly services can be downloaded from the Weekly Bulletins in the News section.
Sunday 2nd December 4.00pm
United Advent Service
This is a traditional service, a meditation on Carols and Lessons. Thoughtful and reflective. Please come!
Saturday 8th December 9.30-11.00am.
Christingle …

4.00pm Crib Service
For all the family, please come and join us.
10.45pm Carols round the Tree
11.15pm Midnight Communion

Times and seasons
December can feel like a funny time of year. For the Church, Advent is the beginning of the year, waiting for Jesus to come, and Christmas is the celebration which launches us forward to live and tell the story of Jesus as it becomes real in our lives. It is the beginning, and we tell that wonderful story from John’s Gospel – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God – that unfinished story which draws us in and …

You are warmly invited to any of our Services of Carols and Readings for Advent. All are welcome.
All at St Mary’s Church…
Advent Carols
Sunday 27th November 6.30pm
Carol Service – For the League of Friends, West Berkshire Community Hospital
Thursday 15th December 7.30pm
Civic Carol Service
Sunday 18th December 4.00pm

Find out all the Services taking place in the Parish…. Dates here.

When you are choosing Christmas cards do you have the same  problem as me? The problem is that I look at the selections and think what does that have to do with Christmas? There will be the Mouse in a waistcoat and hat eating a Christmas pudding, or a robin skating on an iced up pond. Then there are the ones with fat relaxing people flopped in large armchairs with all the clutter of Christmas day around them. And not forgetting the bells, holly, mistletoe, reindeer, the Father Christmases, stars, …