New Sunday School building dedicated at St Andrew's, Swavesey

The new Sunday School building at St Andrew's, Swavesey, was dedicated and put straight into use by St Andrew‘s Sunday School on Sunday 14th October. Thank you to all who have helped to make this development possible. New chairs and tables have now been provided and we are looking forward to the growth of the Sunday School in the coming months.

Next term's meeting for parents and helpers will take place on Monday 8th January. Further details of St Andrew‘s Sunday School can be found on the Sunday School pages of the Vicarage Website.


Harvest Appeal for Children in Distress

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the special harvest appeal for Children in Distress. A total of £580.74 was sent from the churches of the benefice. When contributions made under Gift Aid are taken into account, our gifts will be worth significantly more.

Dermot Lamb, Operations Director of the charity, writes: 'Your generous donation will allow us to continue to support our three children‘s hospices in Romania and our special treatment centre in Bulgaria.'

The special cash appeal was organised this year in lieu of collecting items for use at the Children in Distress hospices because the charity‘s depot at Thirsk was at the centre of a foot and mouth hot spot and it was not possible to make the usual countrywide collection of goods this year.


New Bookstall for St Andrew's, Swavesey

Visitors to St Andrew's, Swavesey, will find a new bookstall to greet them as they enter the church. A variety of Christian books and cards are available for purchase. We hope that the bookstall, which is being organised and run by Liz and Colin Kennedy, will prove a useful addition to the facilities provided at St Andrew's.


St Andrew's Choir

St Andrew's Choir contributed a short anthem to the service on Remembrance Sunday and the singers are now busy with Christmas music. We look forward to seeing a good number at the Carol Festival at St Andrew's at 6.30pm on Sunday 30th December, with the nine lessons, congregational and choir carols.

The choir will also visit St Mary's, Conington, for the festival on Sunday 23rd December, also at 6.30pm. We are grateful for the regular help on Thursday evenings of singers from Willingham, but we do need more regular singers from Swavesey. >

Keith Lofts


New Service Time at St Andrew's, Swavesey?

It has been suggested that the time of the mid-morning Sunday service at St Andrew's, Swavesey, should be altered from 10.45am to 11.00am.

Because the clergy need to travel from 9.30am services at other benefice churches, the 10.45am service never begins on time. The revised schedule would allow an 11.00am service to begin promptly at 11.00am each week.

If you wish to comment on this proposal, please have a word with the Vicar or write to him atjdyule@argonet.co.uk


Charity Card, Gift and Book Sale

Thank you to everyone who helped with and attended the Open Day on 17th October at St Mary's, Conington, with its sale of Charity Cards, Gifts and Books.

Nearly £640 of sales and orders were taken for the various charities exhibiting and the event was a great social occasion too.

Gill Henderson


CHCT Cycle Ride

This year's Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust Sponsored Cycle Ride on 9th September was a most enjoyable event. Thanks are due to all who cycled from church to church across the county to raise money for the trust and their local church, to meet other cyclists and to keep fit. I always seem to spend more time talking to people than cycling - especially this year as I had timed my journey to arrive at the Lolworth Fête at its 2.00pm opening.

Final results from the day in terms of money raised are not yet in, but in the mean time, Wyn Oakman wishes to thank her sponsors for the £245 they contributed.

The Vicar


Toy Sale 2001

Thank you to everyone who contributed to St Andrew's Toy Sale in November. The sum raised was £263.


Communion at Home

The Vicar is always happy to offer the sacrament of holy communion to the housebound at home, particularly at Christmas and Easter. Please ring him 01954 231903 to arrange dates and times. A regular monthly or bimonthly pattern of visits can also be established.

Alternatively you may like to join the regular monthly communion service in the Community Room at Thistle Green, Swavesey. This usually takes place on the first Monday of a month, but please see the Diary pages for details of planned dates.


Fen Drayton Prayer Group

A prayer group meets informally at 24 Oaktree Road at 7.30pm on the second Friday of each month to offer to God in prayer issues in the life of Fen Drayton.

This is a good opportunity for fellowship as well as for prayer. All are most welcome to participate.


The Children‘s Society

This year's annual box opening realised the sum of £340.18, an increase of £46 over last year in spite of having lost two contributors. If anyone would like to have one of the now spare boxes, please contact me.

The total money raised from St Andrew's in the last financial year was £449.37, an increase of £62 overall. I do thank all the box holders and those who contribute at the Christingle Service. I know our efforts are much appreciated by the Society.

The Society has issued a message about this year's Christingle appeal: ''This year the focus is on one urgent cause - the plight of young runaways. Every year 100,000 children run away from home or care to escape violence, abuse or neglect. Some are sleeping rough, frightened and alone in back alleys, graveyards and among rubbish bins. Every £150 raised could give many young runaways hot meals and warm showers as well as clean clothes. It could also provide warm gloves, toiletries and a bar of chocolate. These simple things are often the first steps in building a child‘s trust. We can then begin helping them to resolve the problems which led them to run away in the first place as well as ensure a safe place to stay.''

The Christingle Service on 2nd December raised £105.06 for the work of the Society and this will go to make Christmas brighter, happier and safer for some runaway children. Thank you.

Dorothy Gilbert


Faith Comes by Hearing

'Faith Comes by Hearing' is a programme organised by The Bible Society which provides a daily portion of Scripture on tape for each day of the year.

With ever busier life styles, even Christians sometimes find it difficult to make space for regular study of the Bible every day.

'Faith Comes By Hearing' has recorded the whole of the New Testament on cassette which can be listened to at home or in the car on the journey to work and help us daily to ground and grow our faith in the Scriptures.

We hope to launch a 'Faith Comes by Hearing' programme in the parishes in the new year. For further information, please contact the Vicar.


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