MINISTER’S MUSINGS

 

_{MAKE MERRY!}

_{"So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them." - Luke 2:16-18}

_{I am writing this in mid-November and everything in me wants to put a brake on Christmas. The shops are playing Slade and the decorations are already up. I have even had my first mince pie. If I am brutally honest, I am not looking forward to the chore of writing Christmas cards, ordering in the food and planning services that try to say something new this year as I try to do every year. If anyone says ‘Merry Christmas’, I’ll probably bite their head off. Bah Humbug! Just call me Scrooge or the Christmas Grinch.}

_{But….. at some point I know those brakes will come off and I’ll be tumbling down that hillside desperate to see the Christ-child and the hope, joy and love that He embodies. Why? Because I need Him. I need hope, joy and love in my life. Don’t you? The shepherds were considered petty crooks and rough and ready sorts by the decent folk in Bethlehem but they were the first visitors to the manger- perhaps because they knew their need of Him.}

_{And the shepherds’ brakes stayed off. I like to imagine them going through the streets, trying to get a party started and telling everyone that the Saviour had been born. ‘Merry’ is an old English word and a bumptious one. It hints of revelry and wildness, of private joy turned into public celebration. The angels sang ‘gloria’ but I like to think the shepherds were the first to carol and wish folk ‘Merry Christmas’.}

_{I hope my brakes stay off. I want to tell of the Saviour in ways that amaze people because Jesus is amazing. Jesus changes lives. Jesus changes communities. I want to be boisterous with the good news so that it echoes into the street, the neighbourhood, the nation, the world.}

_{Find a way, anyway, to tell of Jesus this Christmas. I’ve heard of people leaving knitted angels around the city centre for folk to take home and of pebbles painted with bible verses left in coffee shops. We’ve got of activities planned for this season. How can our merriness overflow?}

_{Merry Christmas.}   

_{Rev Suzanne Nockels.}

Upcoming events

All our current activities at Tapton on our Tapton facebook page  and on the 'Activities page' of this web site.

Tapton Hill Advent Calendar

 

In previous years, during the Christmas period we have a Gift Sunday for nominated charities.  This year the church is trying a new approach by erecting an Advent Wall with 24 boxes and instead of removing surprises we are asking people to bring gifts for two local charities: Ben's Centre in the city centre and The Good Hope Centre for victims of domestic abuse.

Gifts  to include: Tea, coffee, long life milk, rice, pasta, dried food products, ladies toiletries, make up, underwear and socks.

This is not a wall that divides, it unites bringing all users of the church together in making donations.  We hope this will make Christmas a happier or at least more comfortable time for some.

War Memorial

At this time when the country is marking 100 years since the end of WW1, it was recognised that Crosspool did not have a war memorial. Crosspool Forum believe this should be rectified and on Sunday the 11th November the church held a service to launch an appeal towards the erection of a memorial stone in the church grounds.  

This will be a memorial to all who have died or served in any conflict. It will not carry their names but a book of remembrance for Crosspool residents has been opened.

Who are we?

As a Congregational Church we are independently run by the members through our Church Meetings, where Spirit led we can all have a say in how we feel is the best way to worship 

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

We meet for worship each Sunday at 2.45pm for services led by the Rev 

Suzanne Nockels our Minister, visiting ministers or lay preachers.

Everyone is welcome to join us as we also meet for other activities including 

regular prayer and bible study during the week. (see Church Diary page for 

details)

Although independent we belong to the Congregational Federation and are part of Churches Together in Hallam who we occasionally join for ecumenical fellowship 

We are pleased to also offer a home to the Greek Orthodox Community in Sheffield.