It's coming!
It's almost here!
The BJCC Christmas Tree Festival!
- It's FREE!
- From Saturday 1st December at 4pm
- Then every Saturday and Sunday from 4-7pm
- And every Friday morning from 10-12 noon during Coffee Pop-ins
- In support of the homelessness charities in Nottingham
See what else is happening:
Christmas Tree Festival @ BJ Community Church
Saturdays & Sundays from December 1st, 4-7pm
Preparations are in full swing for the Christmas Tree Festival in the church next month. A wide range of local organisations are each sponsoring a tree. We will be open for the first public viewing at 4pm on Saturday 1st December, after the school Christmas fair and the village lights switch on. Pop in and have a look.
The trees will also be on view at various other times if you want to pop in: for example, on Friday mornings 10am-12 noon during the Friday coffee morning, on Saturday morning December 15th for the Framework coffee morning and during Sunday services, e.g. on Sunday morning December 23rd 10-12.30.
So far, I understand, seven different groups have signed up with a further five pending. And there will be a Memory Tree and a Village Tree. Should I tell you who all the different groups are? No. I think not. You'll have to wait until the doors open on December 1st - unless of course you are a member of one of the groups!
It's going to be great
Trees - check
Lights - check
Decorations - check
More lights - check
Ready
Go
Coffee mornings
Life is all about a good cup of coffee. So put these dates in your diary now.
Friday 28th September
2018
Macmillan Coffee Morning
a special coffee pop-ins
Saturday 15th December 2018
Framework Coffee Morning
10 - 12 noon
including ... Raffle, 'Make me an offer', Cakes & coffee &cakes, etc. etc.
All proceeds in support of the Framework homeless charity
Christmas preparations
The latest update of the Christmas scedule is below.
Keep up to date with developments on the Through the Year page.
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
Sunday services are at 10.30am unless otherwise stated
Saturday 1st December 2018
2pm Community Church stall at School Christmas Fair
4pm Church open for the start of the Christmas Tree Festival
(details to be confirmed)
Sunday 2nd December 2018
Advent Sunday service at 10.30 am
Tea & scones with carols at 3 pm
Saturday 15th December 2018
Framework Coffee Morning
10 - 12 noon
including ... Raffle, 'Make me an offer', Cakes & coffee &cakes, etc. etc.
All proceeds in support of the Framework homeless charity
Sunday 16th December 2018
Carols by Candlelight at 4.30 pm
Note: There will be no morning service on Sunday 16th December
Saturday 22nd December 2018
Carols round the crib at 4.30 pm
Churches Together followed by refreshments in the Community Church
(details to be confirmed)
Christmas Day
Tuesday 25th December 2018
A short service of celebration at 9.30 am
Harvest at BJCC
It's harvest time.
Well, it is and it isn't. Out there, in the fields around Burton Joyce, the combines have been at work. What with the exceptionally dry weather and everything, wheat and barley have been cut even earlier than usual this year. The harvest started in July.
However, in the church here at BJCC, our harvest festival is scheduled for October:
Harvest Festival: Sunday 14th October 2018
Sunday worship with a hot lunch after the service
Are we out of step?
By October, the harvest will have been well and truly gathered in: apples, plums and pears as well as the cereal crops like wheat and barley and maize. You can check out our Harvest Festival and other events on the Throughout the year page.
We have this poster outside our church this week:
Anyway, what does harvest mean anymore in our urban, post-industrial, 24 hour society?
The Wikipedia entry on harvest contains a reminder that crops can fail. Historically, and even today Geographically, crop failure has meant (means) famine and starvation. Even in our 24 hour, post-industrial, urban society, we are still dependent on the harvest, even if we prefer to pretend that we are beyond all that. Harvest, wherever it takes place, and the subsequent arrangements for the distribution of the crops, underpin our daily or weekly visit to the supermarket.
Of course, some people, many people, do not enjoy the privileges we have. They do not have what we call 'food security'. Often, they go without. Often, children go hungry. That is why, as a church at BJCC, we support charities like the local Foodbank and Christian Aid.
We have good reason to be thankful: thankful that the crops grow, thankful for (to) the people who plant, watch and gather them in, thankful that someone transports the crops to us, thankful that someone works in our local store. There is so much to be thankful for.
But this year, more than ever, we have been reminded to be thankful for the rain, and the sun, and the good earth without which we would starve.
And remember, Harvest Festival is on Sunday October 14th. See you there!
Footnote:
Here's a relevant blogpost about looking after the soil from the Easton Estate near Stamford in Lincolnshire. And here's a link to Friends of the Earth if you want to learn more about how we can look after the earth.
Christmas at BJCC
I know it is early to be thinking about Christmas but we are preparing a special series of events and services for Advent and the Christmas period at Burton Joyce Community Church to which you are very welcome.
You can check for any further developments on the Through the Year page of this website.
School Fair & Village Christmas Lights
Saturday 1st December 2018
Church stall at School Fair
Church open: Christmas trees and Nativity sets
(details to be confirmed)
Advent Sunday Carol Service
Sunday 2nd December 2018, 10.30 am
Tea & scones with carols
Sunday 2nd December, 3 pm
Framework Coffee Morning
Friday 14th December 2018, 10 - 12 noon
Raffle, 'Make me an offer' stall, Cake stall + coffee and cakes
All proceeds in support of the Framework homeless charity
Village Carols by Candlelight
Sunday 16th December 2018, 4.30 pm
Note: There will be no morning service on Sunday 16th December
Carols round the crib
Saturday 22nd December 2018, 4.30 pm
Churches Together event (refreshments at BJCC)
Christmas Day
Tuesday 25th December 2018, 9.30 am
A short service of celebration
Christian Aid Coffee Morning
Plant Sale
Don't forget the plant sale at the Christian Aid Coffee Morning this Saturday morning
Place: Burton Joyce Community Church hall on Meadow Lane
Time: 10 - 12
Opportunity: buy plants, drink coffee, eat cake, chat with your friends
Plants on sale include:
- tomato
- courgette
- squash
- pumpkin
- cucumber
- peppers
- brassica
- african marigold
- rudbeckia
- snapdragon
Everything must go!
Burton Joyce Churches Together supporting Christian Aid #StandTogether
