All Saints’ Church Weekly Email

Sunday 7th December

Second Sunday of Advent

09.45 - Sunday Saints

10.00 - Sung Eucharist

Music:

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

Anthem: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen - Michael Praetorius

Hymns:

34 – On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
37 – The Lord will come and not be slow
234 – Sing we the praises of the great forerunner
444 – God is working his purpose out

Voluntary: Praeludium in e - Nicolaus Bruhns

Readings for the Eucharist here

Monday 8th December

11.30 - All Saints’ Unity Lunch Club

15.00 - Monthly Prayer Meeting at Unity

18.00 - St Gilbert’s concert in church

Tuesday 9th December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

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

18.00 - St Gilbert’s concert in church

19.30 - Visiting bellringers in church

Wednesday 10th December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

11.00 - Wedding of Adam Dearden and Katie Howard

13.15 - funeral for John Ward

17.30 - Evening Prayer in church

19.30 - Advent Course at The Rectory, Pinfold Lane

Thursday 11th December

09.00 - Morning Prayer

10.00 – Said Eucharist followed by coffee in The Crown

10.00 - 11.30 - Little Saints at Unity Centre

14.30 - Whitefriars communion

Friday 12th December

10.00 - 14.00 - Coffee bar

10.00 - 15.00 - Jigsaws and Board Games Sale in church

15.45 - Junior Choir Practice

18.45 - Adult Choir Practice

Saturday 13th December

10.00 - 14.00 - Coffee bar

10.00 - 15.00 - Jigsaws and Board Games Sale in church

Next Sunday - Sunday 14th December

Third Sunday of Advent

09.45 - Sunday Saints’

10.00 - Sung Eucharist

15.00 - Christingle

Notices:

Help needed!

Please can I have a couple of helpers after a wedding rehearsal on Sunday to help put the stage up for the St Gilbert’s concerts?

Sunday in church about 12.45?

Father Neil

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.

Arrangements for January - March

Starting on Thursday 8th January the Said Eucharist will take place in the Conference room at 10am at The Crown Hotel. Access will be through the side gate.

From Sunday 4th January Sung Eucharist will take place in the Stamford Endowed Schools’ Chapel. The staff team have visited the site which is warm and leak free. We have been planning the move and resources to make sure that the services will be as welcoming and as joyful as usual. Tea and coffee will be served as usual after the service provided, very kindly, by the school.

There is step free access from the car park on East Street - marked 3 on the map below. This is the best car park for those with limited mobility. Regular parking please use Star Lane or Brazenose Lane, either on the road or, if spaces, in the school car park - marked 4.

We hope to see as many of you as possible on the 4th January. Please talk to any of the staff team if you have concerns.

Advent Basket Raffle

Many thanks for all who donated a basket or bought a ticket, much appreciated. There’s an unclaimed Advent basket. If ticket number 780 is yours please see Jean to claim your prize.

Jigsaw and Games

Please join us for our two day Jigsaw, games etc sale. There will be coffee bar on both days - Friday 12th and Saturday 13th December between 10.00 and 15.00. There’s still time to drop off a puzzle or two into church.

Thank you.

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

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.

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".

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.

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.

John Bungay Painting

We will be selling the original John Bangay painting of All Saints' Church at Christmas to raise funds for the heating and lighting project. See the photo below.

John was a member of our congregation when he died in January this year.

The painting will be on display in church this Sunday. If you are interested in buying it, please place your bid, along with your name and contact details, in a sealed envelope and hand to one of the church wardens by 12th December.

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 6th December - Choir Carol Singing at 14.00 in All Saints’ churchyard

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

Friday 12th and Saturday 13th December - Jigsaw and Board games sale 10.00 - 15.00 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.