Eucharist - Advent Sunday 29 November

A new year in the Church’s Calendar begins as the Revd Martin Jackson presides at the Eucharist in St. John’s Church, Castleside - on behalf of the parishes of Benfieldside and Castleside, and for all who join us in an online community of faith.

Advent Calendar - from Messy Church

It is so long since we all met up at St. Cuthbert’s Messy Church and we are missing you!

So, the Messy Church Team has made an Advent Calendar, with an activity for you to do each day of Advent.

Starting on December 1^st there will be craft activities, puzzles, challenges and experiments for you carry out.

We have tried to limit the materials you will need, to things you will probably have around the home, but here is a list to help you get ready. You don’t need them all straight away!

Things from the recycling bin – cardboard tubes; boxes – different sizes for stable, manger, houses etc – yogurt pots

string                                         coloured craft paper                     

coloured and white card            glue stick                               

2 wooden clothes pegs              scissors

paper plate                            crayons – eg sharpies                  

lard                                        dried fruit                               

bird seed – nuts                    pine cone ( not essential)

wool (not essential)               pipe cleaner OR candy cane         

oranges                                 straw                                       

flat stones                             elastic band

cotton wool                           paper straws                                  

red ribbon                             dolly mixtures or similar      

small white candle

It looks a lot, but we are sure you will be able to use your imagination and improvise for some of the tasks!

However, there is one activity in particular which we would be overjoyed to share with everyone, and that is painting a stone.

If you could find a fairly smooth stone and either write a simple Christmas message on it with crayon (sharpies are probably best for this), or maybe even paint/draw a Christmas picture or symbol  and come along to the churchyard and place them in the bit of garden at the end of the path near the main door into St. Cuthbert’s Church. We are hoping to make a Christmas Garden and would love to have your contribution!

This is the link to take you to the Calendar

Eucharist for the Feast of Christ the King

Parish Eucharist offered for our communities and the wider world, celebrating the last Sunday of the Church’s year, the Feast of Christ the King.

Eucharist for Remembrance Sunday 2020

Parish Eucharist for Remembrance Sunday, 8 November 2020 - the Third Sunday before Advent. Including an Act of Remembrance

Remembrance and Friendship - Two church windows and why they are there

We can’t have public Acts of Remembrance this year, churches can’t meet for services - and I’m missing being able to go into school for assemblies (and to have visits from our schools to our churches). So I recorded this video in St. Cuthbert’s Church, Shotley Bridge with our children in mind, but hope it might help people of any age.

We’ve also made another video of an Act of Remembrance, recorded in St. John’s Church, Castleside just before Lockdown.

Act of Remembrance - Castleside 2020

A short Act of Remembrance recorded in St. John’s Church, Castleside just before Lockdown. You may wish to come back and view this video on Remembrance Sunday 8th November or Armistice Day 11th November.