Tag: #Christmas

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Christmas 2025 you’re invited!

Christmas Invitation 2025


Saturday 29th Nov—Christmas Chill-out 14:30-16:30 at The Chapel (Wharf Rd) Join us for festive fun, cake sale, hotdogs, raffle, free kids craft, hot chocolate and more.

Saturday 6th December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk. Set off from The Chapel (wharf Rd) at 16:45pm, for an atmospheric lantern walk to St Mary’s on Vale Rd, visit St Nicholas at St Mary’s from 17:00 and enjoy the food, friendship and fun. Text to book: 07730 609446


Sunday 14th December Carols by Candlelight 18.30 Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at this very special service at St Mary’s, (Vale rd) followed by mulled wine (alcohol free available) and a mince pie.


Wednesday 17th Dec Carol Singing at Ash Vale Station Come and bless our commuters with carols! 18:15-19:15


Saturday 20th December Christingle Journey Event (time slots every 10 minutes from 16:00-18:00) Make a Christingle, visit the Innkeeper for a drink, see the Wise Men, follow the star, enjoy the bonfire with the shepherds, and see baby Jesus. Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing food! A Christmas adventure at St Mary’s (Vale rd) in aid of The Children’s Society. Text to book 07730 609446


Christmas Eve 24th Dec Midnight Mass 23:30 Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas. Let’s rejoice!


Christmas Day 25th Dec: Christmas Service 10:30 Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’ birth. Children welcome, bring along your favourite gift to show & tell!


Christmas Generosity: This year we are asking for donations of Christmas treats and toys for the Foodbank please, also fundraising to support vulnerable communities in Uganda, and donations to bring some Christmas cheer to local Asylum Seekers & Refugees. To donate for any of our projects you can follow the link to see the projects donations list, donate in church, bring items in when we are open, or
contact us on 07730 609446.
Donations link: https://givealittle.co/c/61UABfqeCHjdTftgDlrsnD Thank you!


Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas

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Christmas Chill Out at The Chapel 29 Nov 2025

Christmas Chill-out at At The Chapel
Saturday 29th Nov 2:30-4:30pm
The Chapel, Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY

Pop in and join us for Christmas Craft Activities, Hot Chocolate bar, Christmas Bakes, and some fundraising fun for The Chapel and Foodbank. Try your luck with the Golden Bucket, guess the weight of the Christmas Food Hamper, have a go at Christmas Card Stamping and Make a Lantern for the St Nicholas event on 6th December. Hotdogs for tea, before you go to see Santa switch the lights on in the village. Why not visit Ash Fantasia too, before you come to us? Don’t miss it, come and support The Chapel!
https://www.ashvalechapel.com Facebook @AshValeChapel

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Christmas Foodbank Parcels 2024

Would you like to support the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project this Christmas? We are appealing for Christmas essentials ( veggies, potatoes, chickens or trukeys, gravy granules), Christmas treats (biscuits, mince pies, puddings, custard, crisps, crackers, sweets, etc), winter warmers for the adults (hot water bottles, gloves, hats, socks, blankets etc),  and new toys & games for the children (art materials, new toys, family games etc). Anything you are able to give will be gratefully received on or before Sunday 15th December.

We really appreciate your generosity, as it really does make a huge difference to the local people we support. If you like, why not make it into an advent calendar? Put one item per day in a box during Advent and bring the box once it is full? Contact the Project Manager or drop your donations off at The Chapel on Wednesdays 9am-2.30pm in term time when she is in. We do need all Christmas items by Sunday 15th December please to be in time for the parcels to go out.

We really appreciate funds donations too, as this enabls us to fill any gaps and buy things to finish off each parcel. Your funds will buy meat or veggies or whatever we are missing once all the donations have been counted on the 15th December. This is the donations link: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY

Whatever you decide to do this year, whether you donate some items, send funds, or give us your prayer support, we do thank you as it all makes a difference.

If you are a local business, scout group, team, group of friends, school, book club etc and would like to sponsor a specific item (e.g. 60 puddings or 60 tubs of chocolates, 60 tins of custard…. we would love to hear from you! We would be happy to put a sticker “merry christmas from xyz” if you would like to sponsor a specific item in each parcel.

Thank you for your support!

With lots of love and our best wishes from the Ash Villages Food Parcels Team.

Do you need to make a referral? If you are an agency and wish to add a household to our parcels list this Christmas please contact the Project Team on 07730 609446. We take referrals from local churches, citizens advice, local schools, social services, Homestart, health visitors, and similar agencies. We cover Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. The cut-off for Christmas Referrals is Sunday 15th December.

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Christmas 2023: You are invited!

Saturday 25th Nov—Christmas at The Chapel on Wharf Rd: Join us 2pm-5pm for festive fun, amazing cake sale, raffle, free card making craft, second hand toys, clothes and more. Free admission.

Saturday 2nd December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk (time slots start from 4pm): An atmospheric lantern walk from The Chapel on Wharf Rd to St Mary’s on Vale Rd, finishing with a bonfire party, hot chocolate and sweets from St Nicholas! Text / WhatsApp to book: 07730 609446

Sunday 17th December Carols by Candlelight 6.30pm: Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at this very special service at St Mary’s. Let’s rejoice! (free / donations)

24th Dec—Christingle Journey (time slots start from 3pm): Make Christingle, visit the Inn, see the Wise Men, stoke the shepherd’s bonfire, and get a selfie with baby Jesus! Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing pizza! Text to book 07730 609446 (Children’s Society donations welcomed)

24th Dec—Christmas Communion 11.30pm: Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas.

25th Dec: Christmas Day Service  Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’s birth. Children welcome, why not bring along your favourite present to show & tell?

Christmas Donations: This year we are asking for donations of Christmas treats & gifts for local food parcels please, and we are fundraising for tree planting in Uganda as well as local refugees. To donate items for any of our projects please contact us, or you can follow this link and select a project to support by donation. Thank you!  https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p

Keeping in touch: Visit us at Community Cafe on Fridays 10:00-13:00, Sunday services at 10:30am  Email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk | Facebook @StMarysAshVale | Church Blog is available online here: www.ash-vale.org.uk and includes The Parishioner Magazine. Project Manager Tel.: 07730 609446

Have a blessed and happy Christmas!

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Christmas Letter from the Vicarage 2023

‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’)

Matthew 1v23 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like you’re on your own? Just you, no one else…  Do you ever fell like no-one is interested, that no-one sees you or hears you? Well, I’ve got news for you! Because, as we learn in Matthew chapter 1, God is with us: Immanuel.

The truth is, you are never on your own, and as it says in our communion prayer:

“Though we chose the path of rebellion, you would not abandon us.”

In fact, you became us! Again, as it says in our communion prayer:

“embracing our humanity, Jesus showed us the way of salvation; loving us to the end”

Have you noticed that it says “God with us” rather than “God with me”? That’s important. We are a family, and especially at Christmas we come together to celebrate the fact that God is with us. ALL of us, not just people who go to church.

And as we remember at Christmas that God actually IS with us, we realise that He is here, even at a time in our history where we see wars, famine, uncertainty about our future—not only our future but the future of the world. Christmas is something we do together with God. And it’s not just for children, it’s for everyone.

Our resident composer Matt Weeks wrote a beautiful song which we will be singing this Christmas called ‘Emmanuel’. Here is the first verse:

Expectantly we wait for you

You are a faithful God in all you do

Your promises have been fulfilled

When a baby boy was born to us

Was born to us

Lord Jesus Christ…

You can find the whole song and listen to the melody here:

We would love you to join us to celebrate the truth that God is with us and has not abandoned his own. One of my favourite parts of Christmas is our Christingle event on Christmas Eve in the afternoon, and the Midnight service, as we wait with anticipation and celebrate the greatest love of all, the love of God for us. Emmanuel.

There is a warm welcome waiting for you at St Mary’s. Our Christmas events are below, come and join us!

Neil

Revd Neil Lambert: revneil@me.com

Christmas 2023: You are invited!

Saturday 25th Nov—Christmas at The Chapel on Wharf Rd: Join us 2pm-5pm for festive fun, amazing cake sale, raffle, free card making craft, second hand toys, clothes and more. Free admission.

Saturday 2nd December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk (time slots start from 4pm): An atmospheric lantern walk from The Chapel on Wharf Rd to St Mary’s on Vale Rd, finishing with a bonfire party, hot chocolate and sweets from St Nicholas! Text / WhatsApp to book: 07730 609446

Sunday 17th December Carols by Candlelight 6.30pm: Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at this very special service at St Mary’s. Let’s rejoice! (free / donations)

24th Dec—Christingle Journey (time slots start from 3pm): Make Christingle, visit the Inn, see the Wise Men, stoke the shepherd’s bonfire, and get a selfie with baby Jesus! Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing pizza! Text to book 07730 609446 (Children’s Society donations welcomed)

24th Dec—Christmas Communion 11.30pm: Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas.

25th Dec: Christmas Day Service  10:30am Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’s birth. Children welcome, why not bring along your favourite present to show & tell?

Christmas Donations: This year we are asking for donations of Christmas treats & gifts for local food parcels please, and we are fundraising for tree planting in Uganda as well as local refugees. To donate items for any of our projects please contact us, or you can follow this link and select a project to support by donation. Thank you!  https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p

Keeping in touch: Visit us at Community Cafe on Fridays 10:00-13:00, Sunday services at 10:30am  Email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk | Facebook @StMarysAshVale | Church Blog is available online here: www.ash-vale.org.uk and includes The Parishioner Magazine. Project Manager Tel.: 07730 609446

Have a blessed and happy Christmas!