There is only one Service in the Benefice on Sunday, December 30th. This will be Holy Communion (Said) led by the Rev Barbara Johnson at St Mary's Church, Hatley Road, Potton, starting at 10.30am. All are very welcome to this final Service of the Old Year. On Tuesday, we welcome in the New Year and a new programme of Services will be announced very soon. Meantime, we wish all our readers and followers, A Very Happy New Year

A quick reminder that tomorrow of course is Christmas Eve, I'm sure you all know that. However we have had a few enquiries as to when the Crib Service and the Midnight Communion Service both start. Here is what you need to know: 4.30 PM The Crib Service. This is mainly aimed at the Younger Children and their Mums and Dads, but is open to anyone, Children of all ages and Adults too. It's a lovely start to Christmas. 11.30 PM The Midnight Holy Communion Service. We hold this service every year and many people come to worship and to welcome the Holy Birth and the Start of Christmas. We hope to see many of you there again this Year. Visitors are very welcome A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE

Next Saturday, December 22nd, St Mary's Events Team are bringing to you, a Victorian Evening in the Church Hall, starting at 7pm. Tickets are £10, payable on the door, and a glass of wine or a soft drink are included. Children are free. The evening will try to re-create a typical Victorian evening of traditional food, games, carols, readings and that great Victorian feature, the Mummers Play! Come and have some Victorian Fun in the last few days before Christmas, and we'll do our best to provide it for you!

Come and join us in St Mary's on Sunday Evening, December 16th, at 6pm, for our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Join us afterwards in the Church Hall for Festive Refreshments.

The first of our special Children's Advent services, was held this afternoon. It was our Christingle service which although is for the Children, it is well enjoyed by grown-up Children as well, their Mums amd Dads! The service as always was very well attended and the Rev Gill carefully explained to everyone what the meaning of each part of the Christingle represented. (A diagram can be found on an earlier entry on this page, or on our website). A few favourite Children's Carols were sung and then came the big moment, receiving a lighted Christingle, and being told how to carry it carefully. Once every one had their Christingle, the church lights were turned off leaving everything in the red

Rev Dave Smith, our former Curate till he retired to Australia a few years ago, has sent us a Christmas greeting, with a little of his latest news. Since arriving in his retirement town, Strathalbyn in South Australia, near Adelaide, he has formed and run Choirs there and really got very involved with other local activities. Dave was also the Choirmaster at St Mary's up till the time he moved away. You can see why his choice of town was a good one by clicking this link: strathalbynsa.com.au Here are a few words from Dave. In the picture, Dave is back row extreme left as you view. Thought you might like to see my current men's choir. Finished our 13 concerts for the year this week and having

4.30pm at St Mary's Church, the Children's favourite Advent Service, next Sunday, December 9th. Each child will receive a Christingle emblem during the service. Most people will know that this is an Orange representing the World and decorated with a Candle, a Red Belt round the middle and little sweets. Most of these get eaten usually before the end of the service! All these symbols are explained in this picture. A candlelit procession round the church using the candle on the Christingle, will take place once every child has a Christingle. A collection will be made during the service for the Children's Society, for the less fortunate children who will probably spend Christmas away from their

The last village column notice for this year, is this Friday. It will return in the New Year. Just as another reminder, here are the service times for St Mary’s until Christmas Day. Keep up to date with other news from your Parish Church through our website and Facebook page. Sunday 9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent 9am Holy Communion (Said) 10.30am Choral Holy Communion 4.30pm Christingle Sunday 16 December – The Third Sunday of Advent 9am Morning Prayer 10.30am Shorter Holy Communion with Treasure Boxes 6pm Carol Service

The morning service next Sunday is Choral Holy Communion to be conducted by the Rev Gill. Later at 4.30pm, it is our extremely popular children’s Christingle Service, so please bring your children so they receive their Christingle. Small donation boxes are usually available from the schools for this service. Our First Steps toddler and baby group meet on Friday as usual in the church hall at 9.30am and this week it is their Christmas party. Details about the Group can be obtained from Group Organiser, Sandy, on 01767 260430. Our Craft and Chatter group will hold their Christmas party, at 7.30pm on Friday evening,in the church hall. A ticket for tonight is £5 and must be purchased in advance

Quite an amazing Friends and Family service last Sunday, but then it was the time to prepare St Mary’s for the Christmas period and we had a really good attendance to do just that, It was pleasing to see more new faces at this already popular service. The Rector, the Rev Gill Smith introduced the service and explained what everyone would be doing, to make and fit decorations and decorate Manger cakes, to decorate the Tree and help with a new Peace on Earth banner that was nearing completion. Our late organist Judith Barker had also made many small, items to decorate Christmas trees but also many other decorations. Some were unfinished but she had asked her two daughters to finish them and pa