St Neots and Huntingdon

Methodist Circuit

NEWSROUND
JANUARY 2010

Happy New Year to all NEWSROUND correspondents.

As I have only a few items for this month’s circuit NEWSROUND, I hope, with this
weather keeping us somewhat housebound, that individual churches will be
advertising their own events locally and helping members and friends to attend.

I look forward to soon having a bulging Inbox with items for February and on in to
the year and wishing you a positive, productive and special year for you in God’s
work.

Adrian Besant

CIRCUIT CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL

It seems such a long time ago that the Festival took place, but it is less than a
month since it all happened and this is the first opportunity to say a big “thank
you” to all those who contributed in so many different ways to this our second
Circuit Christmas Tree Festival. As the host church, much of the work in
setting everything up in the days leading up to the Festival fell on Huntingdon
Methodist Church, so a special “thank you” goes to them.

Hopefully many of you came along to see the 45 trees all decorated around
the theme of Christmas carols and songs and whilst we might all have had our
particular favourite it was no surprise that the tree receiving the most votes
was the one decorated by Godmanchester Primary School with “Angels from
the Realms of Glory”.

During the Thursday afternoon and evening and the Friday morning the
church was full of people from many of our churches and from a wide range of
both voluntary and business groups from within the local community all busy
setting up their trees. The excitement on the faces and in the voices of the
children as they added their decorations to a tree was worth all the effort
alone.

The opening ceremony on the Friday evening saw a crowded church and
everyone was well entertained by the Godmanchester School Choir and the
HMC Puppet Team before Dame Norma Major formally opened the
proceedings. With so many trees obstructing the view we took advantage of
modern technology to show the proceedings on our big screen so ensuring
that nobody had to miss anything.

Then it was all systems go for the rest of the evening, all day Saturday and
finally Sunday afternoon for the catering teams providing bacon butties, soup
and rolls, jacket potatoes with a variety of fillings, teas, coffees and cakes,
and for those looking after the stalls selling bulbs planted in hand-decorated
pots, home-made jams and preserves, cakes and a variety of Christmas gifts.
At 5.00 pm on the Sunday afternoon the Festival closed with a short service
led by Rev David Shaw and so the second Circuit Christmas Tree Festival
drew to a close.

Each day had begun and ended with a prayer and at a subsequent Sunday
service at HMC all the prayers hung on the prayer tree were blessed and
offered up to God. Every child who attended was given a booklet telling the
Christmas story and everyone who came was invited to sign a visitor’s book
and write their comments or thoughts about the Festival. And once the
financial side had been finalised, £2,040 was divided between three very
deserving charities, namely Huntingdonshire Young Carers, East Anglian
Children’s Hospice and the Woodlands Centre at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

Sawtry

Annual "More Tea Vicar" concert on 30th Jan. Doors open 7p.m. for 7.30
start. Details from John Steeden : 01487 834375.

Eaton Ford

Lunch time services 12:30 - 1pm for 'Week of Prayer for Christian Unity' at
URC St Neots (18 - 25 Jan)
Plus a service on Sunday 24 Jan at 6pm at URC
(the material is produced by church in Scotland to celebrate the Centenary of
Edinburgh Mission).