Weekly Announcements
Thought for the week from The Vicar … The church sometimes uses Latin words and the season of Advent comes from a word meaning ‘waiting the arrival of a notable person or thing’. For us, the season of Advent is our preparation for the arrival of our Lord in Bethlehem. The 4 weeks of preparation have been drowned out by all the noise of Santa as we await the big day. Christmas is certainly a time for celebration, but it is also good for us to have a time when we can reflect on themes of hope, peace, joy and love. New Year is a time for resolutions and promises to ourselves to better our lifestyles. Advent marks the beginning of the new year in the life of the church. It gives us an opportunity to examine our spiritual lives and see what we can do better to strengthen our walk with Jesus in the coming weeks and months. In all the rush towards the big day, let us not miss out on what is behind all this fuss – Immanuel, God with us.
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For the foreseeable future, all services will take place in the Parish Centre |
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| Sunday 30th November | ||
| 8.30 am | Holy Communion | |
| 11.30 am | Advent Carol Service | |
| [Creche available in the Worship Room] | ||
| 12-12.45 pm | Funday Club, in the upstairs hall of the Parish Centre | |
| – sharing fun and faith for kids | ||
| 7.00 – 9.00 pm | Next Steps | |
| NOTICES for the week ahead: | ||
| Wed 3rd | 11.00 am | Holy Communion in Parish Centre |
| 2.00 pm | Bowling Club – everyone welcome | |
| Fri 5th | 9.30-11.00 am | Tots ‘n’ Us Playgroup |
| Next Sunday – 7th December | ||
| 8.30 am | Holy Communion | |
| 11.30 am | Holy Communion | |
| [Creche available in the Worship Room] | ||
| 12-12.45 pm | Funday Club, in the upstairs hall of the Parish Centre | |
| 7.00 – 9.00 pm | Next Steps | |
| Dates for your diary: | ||
| Thu 4th Dec, 7.30 pm | Lagan Camerata choir – ‘The Waiting Sky’ | |
| Christmas Concert in Belfast North Salvation Army Hall – retiring collection | ||
| Tue 9th Dec, 1.00 pm | Evergreens – Christmas lunch | |
| Tue 9th Dec, 7.30 pm | Antrim Choral Society Christmas Concert in | |
| First Antrim Presbyterian Church hall – tickets: £15 pp | ||
| Thu , 11th Dec 7.30 pm | Mothers’ Union – everyone welcome | |
| Bible Readings for the week: | |||
| MONDAY | Psalm 49 | Isaiah 42: 18-25 | Matthew 12: 1-21 |
| TUESDAY | Psalm 50 | Isaiah 43: 1-13 | Matthew 12: 22-37 |
| WEDNESDAY | Psalm 51 | Isaiah 43: 14-28 | Matthew 12: 38-50 |
| THURSDAY | Psalm 52 | Isaiah 44: 1-8 | Matthew 13: 1-23 |
| FRIDAY | Psalm 53 | Isaiah 44: 9-23 | Matthew 13: 24-43 |
| SATURDAY | Psalm 54 | Isaiah 44: 24 – 45: 13 | Matthew 13: 44-58 |
| Advance notice – Christmas services: | ||
| Holy Communion is available at 8.30 am on each Sunday during December | ||
| Sun 14th Dec | 11.30 am | Family Service with youth organisations |
| Sun 21st Dec | 11.30 am | Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols |
| Wed 24th Christmas Eve | 10.00 pm | First Holy Communion of Christmas |
| Thu 25th Christmas Day | 8.30 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.30 am | Family Christmas Service | |
2026 Flower List (January to June) – The Flower List for January to June 2026 is available for parishioners who wish to donate towards the church flowers on a particular Sunday – whether in memory of a loved one or to mark a special anniversary. You can find the list in the foyer of the Parish Centre or simply speak to one of the churchwardens.
Extra Mile Bucket update: We’re delighted to share that £1,028.84 has now been raised since the launch of the Extra Mile project in support of ShelterBox. This generous amount is nearly enough to fund two standard ShelterBox kits at £590 each. By providing emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster, the ShelterBox teams are transforming despair into hope.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to the Extra Mile collection for ShelterBox. Your support is making a real difference.
FIRE DAMAGE REPAIR FUND – there is a GoFundMe link available on the Parish Facebook page [https://www.gofundme.com/f/all-saints-parish-church-antrim-repair-fund] for anyone wishing to donate to this fund. As an alternative, if you are a tax paying parishioner, we can claim Gift Aid if you make your donation through the Fabric Fund. Please speak to Brian Neill for more information.
OASIS FOOD BANK – please consider donating an item or two to support the local food bank project. This is a marvellous way of showing God’s love in a practical way. Please leave items in the box in the Parish Centre [eg pasta, tinned soups, tinned vegetables, cereal, toiletries, etc]