Dear Friends, Christmas is almost upon us, and, as you would expect, there are lots of ways of celebrating this at St Peter and St Paul's Church, your parish church.
        The Christmas season starts with a Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent, ‘Welcome Christmas!’ This is at 6pm on Sunday 30th November.
        The Church Christmas Carol Service is at 6pm on Sunday 14th December, and the Town Carol Service at 6pm on Wednesday 17th December. So there are going to be lots of opportunities to sing well-loved carols and hear well-known words tell of the birth of Jesus Christ.
        Christmas Eve has the wonderful Christingle Service at 3pm: come along to the biggest children's celebration in town. Big kids invited too! And Midnight Mass, a powerful and joyful service at the very heart of what Christmas is all about. This year it will all be by candlelight. That starts at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve.
        Christmas Day itself has a service of Holy Communion at 8am and, at 10am, Family Communion. Come and celebrate the birth of Jesus; and kids... bring a present to show us!
        Other events, too: the annual Christmas Tree Festival is launched by the Chanticleer Singers at a concert, ‘Chanticleer Carols’. That starts at 7.30pm on 12th December, but the trees – each one decorated by a local charity or business – are up in church until 30th December. Refreshments are available in church on 13th and 14th December.
        Whilst Christmas is a happy time for many, it is also often a more poignant time when many of us recall people we have loved and who have died. As a way of celebrating their lives, there is going to be a very special Christmas tree in church covered in hundreds of twinkling lights, each light representing the life of someone special. That is to be lit at a Carol Service on Sunday 7th December at 3.30pm. The name of every person for whom a light shines will be entered in a Book of Blessings and placed near the Tree. The church is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm. Invitations should be going out to every home in Pickering, so you'll get a lot more information from that.
        These are just some of the special services taking place at your parish church, but you're always welcome to all services and events that take place: usual Sunday services are Holy Communion at Sam, Sung Eucharist at 10am and Evensong at 6pm. We have a vibrant Youth Club and Sunday School, and there's a lot happening.

Fr Antony Pritchett, Parish Priest.