Churches and Religion

St Chad’s Church Notices

Other bits of church news, which may be helpful to you, can be found on our Facebook Page under “St Chads Church Dunholme” or our web page https://weltondunholmescothernchurches.com where you will also find the most up to date information and details of any number of services including “the 4 o’clock service” and other services that you may have an interest.

The 4 o’clock service

The 4 O’clock Service is a form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration, and hospitality.

What’s on in December

3^rd Afternoon Tea

17^th Join in the Carol Service in Church at 6 p.m.

Where is it?

Held at Dunholme, St Chad’s Church of England Primary School and as the name implies it is at 4.00 pm and everyone is welcome. Look at our website shown above and follow the links for more information.

Funerals, Weddings and Baptisms

For enquiries in relation to funerals, weddings and baptisms the first point of contact is St Chad’s Church Administrator, on 01522 931076 or by e-mail at admin@lawres.org

threechurchespray:

During December St Mary’s, St Chad’s and St Germain’s churches in our Benefice will be praying for families living in Lincoln Road (South), Kennington Close and Monckton Way Dunholme.

If you would like to join us or just know a bit more before

you make up your mind, please contact Glyn on 862358 or Dave on 860986.

3rd December Advent 1	00.00	Scothern: No Service*
	10.30	Dunholme: Morning Worship
	11.00	Holy Communion
10^th December Advent 2	00.00	Scothern: No Service*
	10.45	Dunholme: Holy Communion
	11.00	Welton: Morning Worship
	18.00	Welton: Evening Prayer
17^th November Advent Sunday	00.00	Scothern: No Service*
	10.30	Dunholme: Morning Worship
	18.00	Dunholme: Carol Service
	11.00	Welton: Holy Communion
	18.00	Welton: Carol Service
24^th December Advent 4 Christmas Eve	00.00	Scothern: No Service*
	10.30	Dunholme: Holy Communion
	16.00	Dunholme: All Age Nativity
	23:15	Dunholme: Midnight Communion
	16.00	Welton: Crib Service
	23.15	Welton: Midnight Communion
25^th December Christmas Day	10.30	Welton: Morning Worship
31^st December 1^st Sunday of Christmas	09.15	Dunholme: Holy Communion

Letter from the Church

It’s that season again!

Christmas, Yuletide, Noel, the festive season, whatever we call the upcoming season, we all have those traditions that we remember and maybe try to recreate each year. Perhaps it’s a particular day that you must put the decorations up on or a specific colour you must trim the tree with? Christmas may be the only time in the year when families get together and share precious moments together, either in person or via video communication. So, what is it about this time of year that makes it special? I am reminded of a line from one of The Vicar of Dibley’s Christmas specials. You may remember the one where Tristan, the producer of Songs of Praise, asks the Vicar to marry him and his fiancée, Aoife. Aoife says, ‘That’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it, love?’ Indeed, in our Nativity plays, we witness the love of God with the birth of his son, Jesus. However, if we are to believe the Christmas adverts, it is more like the Vicar’s response, ‘It is that and overeating til you spew!’ It seems that food makes the season. We are bombarded with adverts enticing us to buy copious amounts of food because, according to one well known supermarket, ‘When the food’s good, everything’s good!’

I prefer to agree with Aoife, though, that Christmas is centred around love. Of course, this is not to say that we do not experience love throughout the year, but there is an almost magical feeling of love around Christmas, or this may just be the romantic side of me. One of my favourite modern Carols is called Love shone down, by Jo Boyce and Mike Stanley. The imagery of love shining all over the world like a bright light, reaching out to every part of the world, over hills and valleys alike, is very evocative.

Over the last year, we may feel as if we have been living, and continue to live, in a world of darkness, shadowed by war and destruction. When we turn on the tv, the radio, the computer, or look at our mobiles, we are confronted with negative news stories. Perhaps this Christmas, we can dispel some of the darkness by our love for one another. It could be as simple as a smile, an invite to a lonely neighbour or a sympathetic ear. Together, however, perhaps we can look forward to a brighter future where love does indeed shine all over the world.

I would like to leave you with a verse from Isaiah 9, ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’

I wish you a Christmastime filled with love and peace.

Suzanne Maple – Licenced Reader

Welton and Dunholme Methodist Church

Services for December
Everyone welcome to join with us

As we celebrate that 1^st Christmas.

Dec. 3^rd 10.30am Own Arrangement

10^th 10.30am Rev. Martin Amery

17^th 4.00pm Rev. R. Mottershead

Carols by Candlelight

24^th 10.30am Carol Praise

25^th 9.30am Christmas Day

31^st 10.45am Rev. R. Mottershead

N.B. Please note varying times.

Christmas blessings to you all from everyone at Welton & Dunholme Methodist Chapel

Toys for Christmas

Thank you to all who have already contributed to my Toy collection for needy families this Christmas. I will be continuing to collect right up until Monday December 18^th so you still have time. Just a reminder we collect gifts for young people from babies to teenagers and ask that they are unwrapped. Donations can be left at Chapel or at 16 Ryland Rd. Welton.

Film Club

Our last screening was of ‘The Impossible’, the story of a family split up when the tsunami hits their holiday island. Stressful and tearful in parts however like all good tales they all lived happily ever after. Dec 7th is our next Film Club when we shall be back to our normal Thursday slot beginning at 2.00. We shall be showing a Christmas film and eating Christmas food, if you would like to join us please ring 860998 to book a seat at this very popular event.

Ladies Fellowship

We had a lovely relaxing afternoon for our November meeting exploring the mysteries of aromatherapy with Gemma. She is a Welton girl who has set up a company called Perfect Touch offering beauty and wellbeing treatments. Gemma was so organised and instructed us on making some beauty products. We had a great time and I am sure we all look and feel much more relaxed now. We meet again on December 14^th at the earlier time of 1.00pm. We are asked to bring some food to share and also our favourite Christmas Poem.

From the New Methodist Minister

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 -1519) lived during the Renaissance. His paintings of The Last Supper and Mona Lisa are among the most popular and influential paintings of that time. He was not only an artist, but also a scientist, architect, engineer and inventor.

One of his most famous inventions was a flying machine (also known as the "ornithopter"), which is inspired by the flight of winged animals, which he observed with astounding precision. For example, his sketches reveal that he identified that when a dragonfly's front wings are raised, the hind ones are lowered.

Da Vinci drew his inspiration from Creation. Over 500 years after his death, Creation continues to inspire bioengineers as they design wings for aircraft.

A few weeks ago, I enjoyed watching dragonflies flitting over the water. I do not fully understand how hundreds of sensory neurons on each wing work to control their flight, but I was inspired to give thanks to the Creator of such an intricate insect.

As the wind picked up, these delicate creatures coped effortlessly with the change of direction. I don't have the skills to design aeroplane wings that can deal with turbulence, but it doesn't stop me marvelling at how such a small insect can master aeronautics.

Watching the dragonflies, two thoughts came to mind. The first was from one of my favourite poems called Leisure by W.H. Davies (What is this world if full of care we have no time to stand and stare . . . ) The second was from a book by Henri Nouwen (Bread for the Journey) where the author reminds us that, 'everything in creation belongs, with us, to the large family of God.'

Ultimately it's God the Creator who inspires us through the natural world to inventions and developments that enhance our lives.

I wonder what or who inspires you?

Every blessing,

Rev. Richard P. Mottershead – 07771 624 885

Rpm2000.sp@gmail.com

HISTORY OF THE METHODIST CHAPEL

Our Chapel was founded by a young Wesleyan preacher by the name of John Hannah in 1815. He was the third son of a local coal merchant whose parents were both Wesleyan Methodists, so it is probably not a surprise that he became a Minister himself at a young age in 1814, when he began preaching in the villages surrounding Lincoln. He was noted as an impressive preacher and a ready public speaker of unusual eloquence and ability who twice held the office of President of the Wesleyan Conference, first in 1842 and then again in 1851. He travelled extensively, twice visiting the United States with the Wesleyan Conference of Great Britain as a representative of English Methodism along with numerous positions in the United Kingdom, both as a Minister and a theological tutor at parishes as varied as Stoke Newington, Hoxton and Didsbury in Yorkshire.

Dunholme Village

CHURCHES AND RELIGION

ST. CHAD’S

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF DUNHOLME VILLAGE, LINCOLNSHIRE