Month: November 2017

Why not give an extra special gift this Christmas.  EMMS International Gifts for Life are extra special this Christmas. Your gift will be matched, pound for pound, by the UK government.  Every gift purchased between 3rd November 2017 and 4th February 2018 is doubled as part of the ‘Every Life Matters’ Appeal.  Full details are on the EMMS International website

Crown Court Christmas cards are now on sale, £1 per card, or £5 for 6.  This year we have two attractive designs, so buy yours now before they all go.

We will definitely be holding a Burns Supper in 2018, but at this stage the date remains to be confirmed.  We hope to sort out a date as soon as possible, so please keep an eye on the church notices and the website for further details.

Once again we’ve been allocated the 5 – 6pm slot for carol singing in Trafalgar Square on a Friday, which is earlier than we would have liked, but we hope that it will still be a successful event.  We will need lots of singers and collectors to hand out song sheets and go round the Square collecting money, so keep an eye on the church notices for further details.

The Minister is running a short series of Bible study sessions for Advent on the following dates: Wednesday 6, 13 and 20 December from 6.15 – 7.15 pm in the vestry.  Do come along and join Philip for these sessions.  It doesn’t matter if you can’t commit to attending them all: just come when you can.  You will be most welcome.

The funeral of Reverend James Dowswell  will be held on Friday 24 November at 12.15 pm at All Saints Church, High Street, Staplehurst, Tonbridge TN12 0AX.

This concert, with a Reformation theme, will be given by the West London Sinfonia on Saturday 25 November at 7.30 pm at St Michael and All Angels Church, Bedford Park, W4 1TT.  Tickets cost £14 full price, £12 concessions, £5 child/student and are available from their website or on the door.

Congratulations to Philip for undertaking the Sleepout for Borderline on Monday 30 October.  Thanks to numerous donations, he raised well over £3,000 (including Gift Aid) – well done!  And thank you to everyone who supported him.

This year the annual visit to Westminster of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Dr Derek Browning, takes place from 26 November to 4 December, and once again our Minister will act as Chaplain during the visit.  The Moderator will preach at the morning service here in Crown Court on Sunday 3 December, which is also quarterly communion, and we look forward to seeing a good turnout of members for this service.

The Moderator will also be preaching at the Kirk in the City Service on Tuesday 28 November at 6.30 pm in St Margaret’s Church Lothbury.  This is the third year of these services, organised by ourselves and St Columba’s, which seek to reach out to Scots working in the City who may not know about our two churches or may be unable to get to church on Sundays.  On this occasion, we at Crown Court are responsible for organising the service and providing the refreshments for the reception which takes place after the service.  We will be looking for volunteers to help set up before the service, to serve drinks at the reception and clear away afterwards.  If you are able to help in any way, please speak to the church secretary.  And do come along and support the service in any case.