Vicar’s Blog – Christmas at St John’s

Christmas is always a busy time in Church, and one of the highlights is welcoming so many of our friends and neighbours to the various services.

This year we welcomed Grasmere Academy’s Early years and Badger Class for their nativity service, along with their parents and friends, they also decorated a lovely Christmas Tree for our Festival with the Theme Silent Night, including the Makaton signs!

We also welcomed pupils from Percy Hedley for their Christingle Services, we heard all about the symbolism of the Christingle and shared the Christmas Story with Actions! Their Beautiful Christmas Tree was a living one, so I had to remember to keep it watered!

christmas tree display inside the church they are all lit up it looks warm and welcoming
an orange with a lit candle and two lollipops sticking out of it with a child's drawing of it in the background

We were joined by Amberly for their Year five and Year six classes led their Christmas services with excellent singing and pupils playing the organ, Amberley also brought a Eco Tree for our display, made from recycled and recyclable materials and with Christmas tree seeds to take home and plant.

Our last school visitors of the year were West Moor Primary who got us into the Christmas Spirit with their singing and readings!

This year we held a Christingle Service in Church for the first time, raising money for the Children’s Society who work with disadvantaged children and young people in this country bringing them hope and opportunities.

Thank you for your support it really makes a difference.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Carols and we had several opportunities to sing our hearts out at both our Carols by Candlelight (with Mulled Wine) and our Christmas Eve Carol service.

One of my favourite Carols is In the Bleak Midwinter, and the words I find I return to and think about are from the last verse:

What can I give Him
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
yet what I can I give Him -
Give my heart.

parishioners at the carol service holding hymn sheets and lit candles
the nave of the church looking towards the altar

We might think we have nothing good enough to give to God, no Gold or frankincense or myrrh, but what Christina Rossetti reminds us is that what God wants of us is our love, to return the love God has for us, the love that saw God in Jesus give up all the riches of heaven to be born a poor child in Bethlehem. Love for our neighbours, our friends and our families; love which inspired us to be the family of the church here in Killingworth.

If you want to find out more about this inspiring love do get in touch!