News and Coming Up

Advent Prayer Week 3, Saturday 15^th to Friday 21^st. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end (Isaiah 9). Your prayers for those who find this time of year really hard would be much appreciated.

The estate of Octavia Roberts has finally been settled and I am delighted to say she left us a very generous amount of money.

The Leadership Team met on Monday (10^th) and discussed the following: finance, Christmas fayre, CTK, having a summer photographic competition based around a church day out, praise and play, safeguarding, DBS checks, lent study & liturgy, P. J.s 4 churches working together, preaching plan for March, April & May 2019 and ideas for themes for P. J. to preach on.

The Junior Church have again produced a Christmas Card that will allow us to donate to the charity CRISIS. Please send Christmas greetings to everyone at KMC by signing the card and putting a donation in the box. CRISIS was formed in 1967 as a response to the growing homelessness problem. Since then they have helped thousands of people out of homelessness. But the problem remains as there are currently an estimated 160,000 homeless households in Britain.

The Bristol Methodist Centre is asking for these items for their Christmas Appeal. squash, coffee, tins of minced beef, steak, ham, corned beef, potatoes, tomatoes and vegetables, custard, evaporated milk, chocolate bars, biscuits, instant mash, stuffing, hot chocolate, milk powder, UHT milk, sugar, chocolate spread, peanut butter, stock cubes, writing pads, boxer shorts (m/s only), socks, thermal hats/ gloves/ scarfs for men, shampoo, roll on deodorants and razors. These are the only items needed, please do not give anything else. Please leave the items outside the doors of the church with Foodbank items left in the normal place. A copy of their latest newsletter is at the back of the church. The donations will be delivered sometime during the week commencing 17^th December so next Sunday will be your last chance to donate.

The Christmas Saturday Lunch made a profit of £87 which will go to Christian Aid. Thank you very much to all who supported it, to Carol and Bob, without whom it would not happen, and to everyone who helped clear up afterwards. If you would like to host a Lunch in 2019 please see Mollie Burnham.

This is the last day to contribute to the Bristol Methodist Centre Christmas Appeal. The donations will be delivered sometime during the next few days.

A safeguarding training course is being held at KMC on Saturday 26^th Jan for members of P. J.s churches. Do you have involvement with children and/ or an adult who could be regarded as ‘vulnerable’? Have you done any safeguarding training in the last 4 years? If the answers are ‘Yes’ then ‘No’ then you really should do this training. Please let Sue Parker know. 

The total raised by the Christmas Fayre has now risen to £1175, £109 more than last year.

Carols in Kingswood Park on Monday 17^th at 6pm. It will last for 45 mins and refreshments will be served afterwards. You will need to take a torch. Also, at the New Room, Carols by Candlelight at 1pm and 6pm on Wednesday 19^th.

We have received a letter of thanks from the Kingswood Foodbank for the donations we have given them this year: KMC is the biggest donor in terms of weight. Those donations have helped feed 1183 people so far this year whereas the figure at the same time last year was 963. The letter is on the wall at the back of the church.

The Advent Study group is following a daily schedule prepared by P. J. If you would like to do it in your own time, there are copies of it at the back of the church for you to take if you wish.

With our next Panto (1^st and 2^nd February 2019) we are hoping to have a Saturday matinee performance. The songs for the panto are being recorded on Wednesday and they include versions of Daisy Daisy, yellow submarine, nobody loves a fairy when she is 40 and bye bye love.

The 2019 KMC Bible Holiday Club will run from Monday 29^th July to Friday 2^nd August. This is a different week to which we normally hold the club.

Wesley Cottage Creative Days are happening on these Thursdays: 17^th Jan and 21^st Feb. For more information see the downstairs noticeboard or pick up one the leaflets at the back of the church.

KMC is now a designated Trussell Trust Foodbank Referral Agency. This means that if, someone comes onto the premises looking for food, they can be given a voucher to exchange at the Foodbank located in the Bourne Christian Church, just down the road. Or it can be exchanged at any other Trussell Trust Foodbank. There are strict rules on the issue of these vouchers and the only people who can do it are Liz Marks, Lynda Stone and Peter Shears.