In Preparing for Advent & Christmas 2024 we are joining in with the Church of England theme of Follow The Star - Calm and Bright
December can feel like chaos – lots of social events, services, Christmas presents to buy, never-ending to-do lists and the pressure to create the perfect Christmas. But in the midst of this chaos, our churches can offer an opportunity to find peace during this busy time.
The Church of England's theme for Advent and Christmas 2024, Follow the Star: Calm and Bright, draws on the world-famous carol, Silent Night:
“Silent Night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright...”
One of the reasons that this carol is so universally loved is the way it invites us into the still centre of the Christmas story, to contemplate Mary holding the new-born Jesus, the Light of the World.
The angelic messages we encounter in the biblical story of Jesus’ birth typically hold together the need for calm in the present (“Do not be afraid” … “Fear not”) with the hope of a bright future (“for you have found favour with God” … “for behold I bring you tidings of great joy”).
Throughout Advent, we will focus primarily on how to find Calm during this busy period, with reflections offering people a chance to pause during the busy season and tips on how to prepare for a calm Christmas. Then through Christmas, we will focus particularly on Bright, with a series of daily reflections from Christmas Day to the Eve of Epiphany (5 January)
On this page you will find details and links to many ways that you can seek out the calm and Bright with our own church community and beyond.
Prayer
There will be the following prayer gatherings held during Advent:
Morning Prayer
on Mondays at 9am at Holy Trinity
on Thursdays at 9am at Saint Stephen’s
If you would like us to pray for you or your loved ones at this time, please send us your request.
ONLINE WORSHIP
For those who are not able to join us in person, we will continue to live stream or share recorded services on Saint Stephen’s Facebook page.
In collaboration with a range of Christian charities and organisations, the Church of England will produce online services throughout Advent and Christmas. They will all be broadcast on the Church's YouTube and Facebook pages.
serving the community
Trinity Lunch Club will be celebrating the Christmas season with a Christmas lunch on Thurs 14th December. They will also have a short Carol Service on Thurs 21st December.
Christmas Hampers will be distributed to community members who are less able to join us at church for our Christmas events and services.
We will be visiting our local primary schools of Willow Park and Hotwells to deliver the ‘Christmas in a Box’ activity and Hotwells Primary School are hosting their Christmas concert at Holy Trinity on Weds 13th December.
HOW TO SUPPORT WHAT WE DO
We are very grateful to the members of our community for the donations that finance our churches and enable us to continue to offer all that we do. If you would like to contribute in this way please see full details of the various ways you can give on the following page:
Children’s Resources
Here are some resources for family preparations for Advent & Christmas. . .
Join in from 1 December to open a daily family activity on the Church of England Follow the Star: Join the Song Advent calendar.
A calendar-ful of ways to make a difference. All the prompts can be done by kids, either on their own or with their parents – and they all work for adults, too.
Daily Reflections
Click here for the online Follow the Star Advent Calendar, daily reading & activity. Daily reflections are available on the Follow the Star App from 1st December until the Epiphany (6 January), these reflections will help you make space this Advent & Christmas. On each day, a different contributor will share something that speaks of a Christmas invitation for them, bringing the theme to life through a mixture of personal story.
Journey Through Advent with Lectio 365 This year on Lectio 365, their Advent theme is “Breaking the Silence: Voices of Advent.” Join in daily devotionals as we listen to the voices that surround the Christmas story. Together we will pray the Bible every day, exploring the voices of the prophets, men, women, angels and dreams that point towards the miracle of Christ’s birth. Download the free Lectio 365 app