Christmas newsletter
As it is December this is a busy newsletter and there is a lot for you to enjoy. However, if you would like to jump to anything in particular then click on the bookmark links and you will be taken straight to the relevant section.
In this month's newsletter:
Vicar's Christmas Message
"While they were there the time came for Mary to deliver her child" is how our translation of Luke 2:6 reads. It gives us a picture of Mary and Joseph spending some time in Bethlehem before the birth. Maybe we could imagine they spent the time doing a bit of shopping, a nice meal out, visit a few relatives etc. Then after getting the manger sorted, having a bit of a stable tidy and after getting everything prepared, Mary had a painless birth with the animals obediently averting their gaze at the far end of the stable.
We know that Mary spent the six months previous with her cousin in the Judean Hill Country and now the couple are in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is also in Judea so maybe Elizabeth's house is less than a day away. Mary and Joseph could have gone there and been welcomed - the birth would have happened in a familiar place with another mum there who knows what's involved. It seems that they can't make it that far, the search for a place to stay must have been desperate - the stable was the place for Mary to give birth because they needed somewhere and they needed it now. Perhaps we could better translate our Bible verse "They had only just made it to Bethlehem when Mary's time to give birth arrived." It's little wonder that Mary never forgot this day, treasuring it and its events in her heart.
There is always a danger of over sentimentalising the events of that first Christmas and air- brushing out the dirt and anxiety in the imagining that making it less everyday (less real) makes it more Holy. This is actually the reverse of the truth. It is exactly because God comes to us in the frailty of a child, in an occupied land, in the "just in time" squalor and dirt of a stable that we recognise the enormity of his love and just how much he is willing to give so that we can be born anew.
With Christmas Blessings
Patrick.
Vicar of Prestbury
Christmas Special Services
Details of all the services for the month are later in the newsletter but the key Christmas dates for the diary are below so you can invite friends and family along.
St Peter's, Prestbury
Date
|
Time
|
Service
|
Sunday Nov 30th
|
4.30pm
|
Advent Carols & Readings
|
Sunday Dec 7th
|
5.30pm
|
Street Party Carols
|
Sunday Dec 14th
|
10.30am
|
Young Church Nativity
|
Sunday Dec 21st
|
6.00pm
|
Nine Lessons & Carols
|
Wednesday Dec 24th
|
3.00pm
|
Carols Around the Crib 1
|
Wednesday Dec 24th
|
5.00pm
|
Carols Around the Crib 2
|
Wednesday Dec 24th
|
11.30pm
|
First Communion of Christmas
|
Thursday Dec 25th
|
10.30am
|
Christmas Day, Family Communion
|
|
|
|
|
St John's, Adlington
Sunday Dec 14th
|
11.00am
|
Brass Band Carols
|
Sunday Dec 21st
|
11.00am
|
Community Carols
|
Wednesday Dec 24th
|
4.30pm
|
Nine Lessons and Carols
|
|
Thursday Dec 25th |
10.00am |
Christmas Communion |
Church News
The Big Sing
It's back! For one night only - The BIG Sing! On Thursday 18 December we will be Carol Singing around the Village - and whether singing is usually your thing or whether you would just consider yourself 'enthusiastic', put the date in your diary and come along!
This year we are doing things slightly differently. We will all meet at 7pm by St Peter's Church tower and then disperse in groups to sing at different parts of the village before re-emerging into a truly BIG Sing at the Shirleys before heading into St Peter's Rooms for warm drinks and mince pies. Each group will have a lead who will supply you with carol words, but please bring your own torches.
The primary aim of the Big Sing is not to raise money (but any we do will go to charity) but to take church into our community and especially to those who will be unable to make it to Church this Christmas.
It's a Church event but also a great event to invite friends who sing and those who just like to make a cheerful noise. We will also be joined by our friends from the Methodists.
There will be a sign up sheet at the back of Church. But you can let us know you would like to join in by calling the Parish Office or sending us a message on St Peter's Facebook page or Instagram.
The Empty Chair
Will you have an empty chair this Christmas?
Maybe your year has been hard – for whatever reason - bereavement, illness, estrangement, worry – and Christmas seems to highlight the difficulties.
Whatever the reason, whatever the need, you are welcome to visit our Empty Chair prayer space.
Here you can:
Tell… the God who longs to bind up those who are broken-hearted, about the losses that you are feeling at this time.
Acknowledge… your feelings by tying a ribbon to the empty chair.
Offer… your mixed emotions to God by lighting a candle.
Leave behind…a written prayer, a thought or just a name and tie it to our prayer tree.
Take home…a fir cone from the jar. Put it in your pocket, keep it safe and remember that God is holding you safe too.
A prayer for those who find the Christmas season difficult
God of comfort, come gently among us; hear our prayers, restore our souls.
Piece together our loose ends; smooth over our rough edges; restore our souls.
When lights and decorations fail to delight our senses, and serve only to deepen our pain and grief, restore our souls.
Amen
Monday Fellowship Group
Monday 12 January 2026
2.00pm St Peter’s Rooms
The Monday Fellowship Group (formerly Prestbury Mothers’ Union) warmly welcomes everyone from any church, or from outside the church community.
We offer a short service of worship, a talk or activity, refreshments and friendship.
Future meetings: 9 March at St Peter’s, 11 May at Prestbury Methodist Chapel
Young Church Nativity
Sunday 14 December at 10.30am at St Peter's
Our all star children's cast will this year be performing "A Donkey's Christmas" at the heart of our young church nativity service. The familiar Christmas prayer invites us to "go once again to Bethlehem and see the things that have come to pass, the babe lying in a manger".
We do so with the awe and excitement of our youngest church members, let them open our hearts to the wonder of this special time.
With carols and prayers this is a service for all the church family. Invite your friends and family and come and join the celebration!
Stage moving
On Saturday 13 December we will need to move the staging from out of the Norman Chapel into Church in preparation for the Young Church Nativity. If you are able to help please gather at St Peter's Rooms at 10.30am. It should take about half an hour to move and assemble it but many hands make light work and there is always the lure of good company and mince pies and biscuits as reward for the volunteers!
St Peter's Church, Sensory Station
Attending church can be difficult; the lights, the sounds, the crowds of people can cause sensory overload and this can be often be misinterpreted as bad behaviour in children or young people.
There are also many social expectations that come with church attendance, such as sitting still or the need to be quiet. Having supports in place, such as a sensory toolkit or station can help those who would otherwise struggle to fully participate in our worship without over load or exclusion. Creating a welcoming environment for individuals with unique or special needs means being prepared with the right sensory tools.
To help facilitate this I am putting together a sensory station with a few well-chosen tools to help our church be as welcoming as it can be for every child or teen who walks through our doors.
Monique Angier
If you would like to know more about this, talk to Monique.
Christmas Pram Service
This year our Christmas Pram Service special will be on Thursday 11 December at 10.15am in Church, with refreshments and play to follow in St Peter's Rooms. Pram service is a short, interactive and fun service for pre-school children and their chosen grown ups. All welcome.
Your shape for God's Service
This January why not forget about shedding the Christmas pounds or going dry for January and instead take 'a new year, a new me' to a new level?
Over five Monday evenings in January and February we will be exploring our own unique God-given shape both as individuals and as a church community. We will be identifying our gifts, considering our hearts-desire, our abilities and talents, our personality and our own unique experiences - and discovering how we can use these in God's Service. Quite possibly the ultimate new year, new start!
Your shape for God's Service: 12th, 19th, 26th January and 2nd & 9th February in St Peter's Rooms at 7.30 - 9.15pm. Invitations will be going out soon! Meanwhile get the dates in your diary.
If you would like to know more get in touch with Bev on 07779516048 or via Exploring@Stpetersprestbury
Christmas songs
It's now a quarter of a century since the church carol book was produced and there are many of them which we we don't sing. There are also a number of newer songs that have become part of our Church repertoire over the last few years. As in previous months below are links to some of those songs which we will be singing to watch on YouTube or add to your worship selection on Spotify.
Matt Maher: Glory (let there be peace)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW4c6DcxgGc&list=RDQW4c6DcxgGc&start_radio=1
Lauren Daigle: Light of the world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cLhaZIBSpo&list=RD_cLhaZIBSpo&start_radio=1
Sidewalk prophets: O What a Glorious Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aGLV5CfoTU&list=RD6aGLV5CfoTU&start_radio=1
The McClures: Heart Sings Hallelujah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzcBK0hFlBA&list=RDEzcBK0hFlBA&start_radio=1
Let us know which ones you are singing along to or which new worship songs you use in your daily worship with God.
Diary Dates for December
Monday 1st
Tuesday 2nd Wedding surgery 1.00pm, Re-play 7.00pm
Wednesday 3rd Bell ringers 8.00pm
Thursday 4th Holy Dusters 9.30am,
Friday 5th Prestbury Bowling Club Christmas Party 7.30pm
Saturday 6th Litter Pickers 10.30am, Holy Gardeners 10.30am, Church Decorating
Sunday 7th
Monday 8th
Tuesday 9th Funeral 12noon, Re-play concert in Norman chapel 7.30pm
Wednesday 10th Wednesday Communion Christmas Lunch, Bell ringers 8.00pm
Thursday 11th Pram Service 10.15am, Holy Dusters 11.15am,
Friday 12th Beech Hall carol service 4.30pm Choir Practice 7.30pm
Saturday 13th Stage Moving for Nativity 10.30am
Sunday 14th
Monday 15th
Tuesday 16th School carol services 9.20am & 6.00pm
Wednesday 17th Funeral 2pm, Bell ringers 8.00pm
Thursday 18th Holy Dusters 9.30am, The Big Sing 7.00pm Meet at St Peters
Friday 19th Choir Practice 7.30pm
Saturday 20th
Sunday 21st 
Monday 22nd
Tuesday 23rd
Wednesday 24th Christmas Eve
Thursday 25th Christmas day
Friday 26th
Saturday 27th
Sunday 28th
Monday 29th
Tuesday 30th
Wednesday 31st
PARISH Sunday Worship
We are one Church, with six congregations and four venues. To help which service is where they are colour-coded by venue and special Christmas services at any venue are in gold:
St Peter's Church Christmas specials, St John's Church Christmas specials
|
|
8.30am
St Peter's |
10.30am
St Peter's |
11.00am
St John's |
4.30pm
St Peter's |
Sunday
Dec 7th
|
Holy
Communion
|
Holy Communion
Behold the Lamb
|
Holy
communion |
5.30pm
Street Party
Carol
Praise
|
Sunday
Dec 14th
|
Holy
Communion
|
Young Church Nativity Service
|
Brass Band
Carols
|
4.30pm
Candlelit Advent
Evensong in Norman Chapel
|
Sunday
Dec 21st
|
Holy
Communion
|
Holy
Communion
|
Community
Carols |
6.00pm
Nine Lessons and Carols
|
Wednesday
Dec 24th
Christmas
Eve
|
10.30am
Holy
Communion
(Said Service)
|
3.00pm & 5.00pm
Carols around
the Crib
|
4.30pm
Nine lessons and Carols
|
11.30pm
Midnight
Communion
|
Thursday Dec 25th
Christmas
Day
|
|
10.30am Christmas Day
Family
Communion
|
10.00am
Christmas Day
Communion
|
|
Sunday
Dec 28th
|
No Service |
Holy
Communion
|
No Service
|
No Service
|
January
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday
Jan 4th
|
Holy
Communion |
Holy Communion
Behold the Lamb |
Morning
Worship |
Cathedral
Evensong
|
Sunday
Jan 11th
|
Holy
Communion |
Family service
with Baptism |
Holy
Communion
|
Cathedral
evensong |
Every Wednesday 10.30am Holy Communion St Peter's
Followed by coffee and biscuits
Daily Prayer
It's been great that congregation members have been able to drop in on morning and evening prayer both in person and online.
With Christmas, New Year and the cold weather, the pattern is slightly changed:
Evening prayer on Mondays and Tuesdays will be in St Peter's Rooms. Wednesday morning prayer will continue in Church. There will be no morning or evening prayer in church or online from 22 December to 5 January.
Community News
Prestbury Church of England School Fayre
Saturday 7 December 1-4pm
This annual event run by the school PTA is always a most enjoyable afternoon. With a wonderful mixture of stalls and activities there is something for everyone.
Christmas Concert
Replay Strings Ensemble on Tuesday 9 December in the Norman Chapel
The Replay Strings ensemble invite you to join them in the Norman Chapel at 7.30pm for a concert of Christmas music followed by mulled wine and mince pies.
Bollington CAFOD Fun Run
Saturday 27 December 2025 starting at 11.00am
Last year the Fun Run raised over £3,000 thanks to your incredible efforts. Since 2011 the Fun Run has raised in excess of £50,000. All the details are in the link below (including a link to register to take part). This also gives you an option to “fundraise” but you can simply sign up to take part and make your donation online. If you do decide to raise sponsorship the link also has a form for you to access, print out and use.
https://cafod.org.uk/news/events/bollington-fun-run
Chris Pimblott (BFR25 Co-ordinator) 07954 409065 (day) 01625 611374 (evening)
Christmas Lunch
Friday 12 December 12.00-2.00pm at Together, Lake View, Lakeside, Cheadle SK8 3GW
An organisation called ‘Together’, with offices in Cheadle but with links to Prestbury, invites any older people from the village to their free annual Christmas lunch. Celebrating Christmas with food, festive cheer, live entertainment and a visit from Santa! RSVP: by 5 December to 0161 956 3255. Please let them know if you would like transport, or have any dietary requirements.
Prayer Resources
Prayer Focus for December
It's a season where we are reminded of the need for shelter, for warmth and food and the basic needs of life. So pray for those working to provide those in our community, in our country and across the world. There is a deeper need too, the need for people to encounter the God who loves them, who came that they might have life in all its fullness. So let's pray for boldness in inviting people to Church, for services to be full of people and overflowing with joy and love and the presence of God.
A Collect for the New Year
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
whose years never fail
and whose mercies are new each returning day:
let the radiance of your Spirit renew our lives,
warming our hearts and giving light to our minds;
that we may pass the coming year
in joyful obedience and firm faith;
through him who is the beginning and the end,
your Son, Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
Those who are sick
Steve Murphy
Les Manchester
Those who have died
John Ackerley
Julie Whittaker
Those whose ashes are being interred
John and Audrey Burgess
Closing Thought
A Moment in Eternity
A moment in Eternity
A silence in the storm
A glimmer of new hopefulness
A world suddenly warm.
The coming of sweet majesty
A wound that turns to balm
An inkling of all holiness
A life that’s freed from harm.
We look into the manger
We search to find the star
Mystified like the Shepherds
Or the Kings who’ve travelled far.
Yet each Christmas Eve we find ourselves
Remembering who we are.
Keith Ravenscroft
Newsletter Information
Information to be included in the monthly newsletter for the following month should be emailed to the Vicar by the last Wednesday of the month. To register for the newsletter please visit the church website at https://prestbury.churchinsight.com/ and click on the Register button then follow the instructions.
All images are from our in church photography team or our Shift Media account.