All Saints’ Church Weekly Email

Sunday 30th November

First Sunday of Advent

09.45 - Sunday Saints

10.00 - Sung Eucharist

Music:

Setting: Todd (Kyrie) and Aston (Sanctus, Benedictus & Agnus)

Anthem: People, look East Besançon Carol arr. Malcolm Archer

Hymns:

334 – Awake, awake: fling off the night!
29 – Hills of the North, rejoice
24 – Come, thou long expected Jesus
Sheet – Longing for light, we wait in darkness

Voluntary: Chorale prelude on ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’ - J S Bach

Readings for the Eucharist here

After the service - Advent Basket Raffle

17.30 - Advent Carols

Monday 1st December

10.00 - Communion at Newcomb Court

11.30 - All Saints’ Unity Lunch Club

Tuesday 2nd December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

10.30 - Bible Study Group at Paul and Doreen’s house

11.30 - Funeral for Graham Dixon

Wednesday 3rd December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

10.00 0nwards - Coffee and Craft morning at Viv and John

17.30 - Evening Prayer in church

19.30 - Advent Course at The Rectory, Pinfold Lane

Thursday 4th December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

10.00 – Said Eucharist followed by coffee in The Crown

10.00 - 11.30 - Little Saints at Unity Centre

18.30 - Scouts Carol Service

Friday 5th December

10.00 - 14.00 - Coffee bar

15.45 - Junior Choir Practice

18.45 - Adult Choir Practice

Next Sunday - Sunday 7th December

Second Sunday of Advent

09.45 - Sunday Saints’

Notices:

Urgent appeal!

The heating and lighting project is gathering pace. We are enormously grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund who recently awarded us a grant of £219,635 which is almost two thirds of our expected project costs. We have now launched an urgent campaign to raise money locally to meet the shortfall. Details are set out in a leaflet which was circulated last Sunday and is available at the back of church. If you would like to view it on-line you can follow this link. https://mixam.co.uk/share/68ded3e76e6ed450e11b8af8

If you intend to donate please don’t delay, fill in the form in the leaflet and make your donation (preferably to the PCC account by internet banking). If you would like to sponsor something please talk to one of the team about your preferred items, plus there is a separate gift aid form which we would be most grateful if you could fill in.

We are keen that we cast our net as widely as possible so please do send this to anyone who you think has a connection to the church or who would be interested in becoming a member of the proposed Friends of All Saints’. More details on that to follow! The Heating Team

Peregrine Calendars

Stuart Wilson, one of the Peregrines For People team, has produced a Stamford Peregrines 2026 Calendar. They will be on sale at Friday Coffee Bar and ater the service for £10, with £3 from each calendar going to All Saints’ church funds.

Coffee Morning

Viv and John Mitchell are kindly hosting a Coffee and Craft morning on Wednesday 3rd December from 10am at 84 Tinwell Road.

Jigsaw and Games

On Friday 12th and Saturday 13th December we are holding a jigsaw and board game sale in church. If you can donate any complete jigsaws or board games, please bring them along to church over the coming weeks. Thank you

Advent Course

Revd Jenny is leading the Advent Course this year, which will run on Wednesday evenings in place of the Bible study on the 26th November, 3rd, 10th and 17th December. The course is focused on exploring Advent themes through meditations and informal discussions on a selection of sacred art, music, poetry and prose readings. All materials will be provided, no artistic or musical knowledge required. Mince pies and mulled wine will be on the menu as well.

The Advent course will be hosted 7.30-9pm at the St Martin's Rectory (Pinfold Lane, PE9 2LS). If you are interested, could you please message Jenny at curate@stamfordallsaints.org.uk so she has a sense of numbers in advance. If you can only make some but not all of the sessions, that is completely fine too - each session has its own distinct focus. David Bond will be integrating artistic materials from the Advent Course into the Tuesday Bible Study (10.30am at Paul and Doreen’s house) from the end of November as well, so there is another daytime opportunity for any interested participants. If you would like to join that group, please be in touch with David Bond at david@dbond.me.uk.

Finally, Clare has also arranged for copies of the Twelve Joys of Christmas to be made available at the back of church for individual devotions during the Advent/Christmas period. Do pick one of those up, especially if you aren't able to make it to the Advent course on a Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening.

Prayer Diary

Pick up your copy of the revised prayer diary from the back of church. Paul and Doreen have provided some prayer resources to borrow to support your prayers.

Advent Baskets

This Sunday after the service, don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets from Jean.

Please give completed baskets to Jean. Raffle tickets are £2 for five.

Readers for Advent Carols

We are looking for 6 readers to take part in the Advent Carols Service on 30th November at 17.30. Please see Father Neil if you would like to be a reader.

Volunteers Needed – Café Church (Starting January!)

We’re excited to share that plans are underway for our new ‘Café Church’, launching in January, and taking place on the third Sunday of each month. This will be a relaxed, family/child-friendly service designed to welcome newcomers and help people explore faith in an informal, engaging way, over coffee and cake.

To make this vision a reality, we need volunteers to help with a variety of roles, from setting up tables and serving refreshments to welcoming guests, and helping with children’s activities.

If you’d like to get involved we’d love to hear from you! Please speak to Niamh Holman or email niamh.holman@stamfordallsaints.org.uk to find out more.

Christmas Cards

Hannah Dunnett Christmas cards are now on sale at the back of church. All profits to All Saints’ Church.
£2.50 each or 3 for £6.00.

Retreat Day 2026

"PARISH QUIET DAY, SATURDAY 31 JANUARY 2026

Join us for an opportunity to step into silence and a gentle exploration of The Nicene Creed at Edenham Retreat House which is set in attractive grounds that encourage short walks and contemplation. The day will consist of brief talks, discussion, silence and a shared lunch.

Book the date! More details later, including shared transport".

Exciting Coffee Bar News
The Crown have very kindly offered to let us use part of their restaurant to run Coffee Bar while we are closed because of the Heating and Lighting Project . We will operate from The Jewel, the back room at The Crown, on Tuesdays starting on 13th January from 10.00- 13.00. We are also booked in for the 27th January and if it is a success they will offer us future dates.
The Crown are letting us use this room free of charge and will provide the tea and coffee while we sell our usual bakes. We will still sell everything on a donation basis and any money we make will go to All Saints’.
I am so very grateful to The Crown for their amazing generosity.
So cake will continue - hurrah!
Clare

Communion

If getting to the altar to receive communion is a problem, please speak to one of the wardens at the start of the service and you can receive communion in the pew.

When you receive Communion please do not dip the host into the cup. You may receive in one kind.

Father Neil

Monthly Prayer Meeting

The next prayer meeting takes place Monday, 8th December at the Unity Centre at 15.00.

Diary Dates

Saturday 29th November - Children’s Advent Workshop 10.00 - 12.00 in church

Sunday 30th November - Bishop Stephen joins us for the morning service, followed by the Advent Basket raffle

Sunday 30th November - Advent Carol Service at 17.30 in church

Wednesday 3rd December - Coffee and crafts morning from 10.00 at Viv and John Mitchell’s house

Saturday 6th December - Choir Carol Singing at 12pm in St Micheal’s churchyard

Thursday 11th December - Church flowers and decorations from 11.00.

Friday 12th and Saturday 13th December - Jigsaw and Board games sale 10 - 15 in church with Coffee Bar on both days.

Sunday 14th December - Come and be a chorister! at 14.00 followed by Christingle at 15.00.

Thursday 16th December - St Gilbert’s Carol Service at 10.00.

Sunday 21st December - Bellringers will be ringing a Quarter Peal before the Carols

Sunday 21st December - Carols by Candlelight at 19.00.

Wednesday 24th December - Crib Service at 15.00.

Wednesday 24th December - Midnight Mass at 23.30.