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12 ways to make the most of Christmas


Some of us are natural scrooges. We're wishing the next month or so away! Does your heart sink at the thought of presents to buy, shops to trawl round, food to cook…? Well think again! Christmas is a great opportunity for us as Christians. Instead of getting fed up, here’s 12 ways to make the most of it this year - if we plan now:

[1] Get to know your neighbours. Maybe you’ve been on ‘hello’ terms for years with the people on the street. Why not get them round for mulled wine and mince pies? I bet they’d come!

[2] Give you neighbours an invitation. Knocking on doors? No thanks! But at Christmas, it’s somehow natural: ‘Hello, I’m from no. 39 - we're involved in St Andrew's at Wellfield, and we're inviting people to come at Christmas...'


[3] Bring people to a Christmas service. Many people who don’t come to church love to come at Christmas - but they just want a friend to invite them. Could you be that friend?

[4] Chat to people. If you’re stuck in a shop queue for half an hour, don’t be sour-faced and miserable like everyone else - give the person behind a bit of the Christmas spirit!

[5] Invite people for Christmas day. Why should it be the same closed family group every year? Encourage someone from church by inviting them to join you!

[6] Enjoy the long evenings. They’re not something to moan about - they’re an opportunity to socialise! Don’t sit alone with the telly in December: have people round for food, drinks, games, films …

[7] Give real presents. Instead of indulging in the greedy materialism of our age, give something that counts: a Christian book, an offer of help, a financial gift to a Christian charity.

[8] Visit someone. Christmas can be a lonely time for some. Bring some cheer by taking time out of the busyness for a visit.

[9] Read a good book. Get something off '10 of those.com' that you’ll really enjoy, and have ‘Telly-free evenings’!

[10] Go to the staff parties. Spend time with colleagues … but stand out as different!

[11] Talk about Jesus … not Santa. Traditions can be fun. But don’t blur truth and lies! And show children the true wonder of Christmas, rather than ‘What are you getting…’

[12] Read your bible. Those accounts of Jesus birth in Matthew and Luke take our breath away. Why not read them afresh, and be thrilled all over again with Jesus?

Remembrance Day

I missed being at Wellfield yesterday morning! I heard you had a great time. As you know, I was at St Andrew's, speaking at the Remembrance Day service. There was a less pompous, quieter atmosphere this year than there sometimes seems to be at these things, I felt - perhaps because 112 more British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since last Remembrance Sunday. I always find it moving, and it is a truly important thing to consider the sacrifice of others on our behalf. But as I looked at the gathered crowd, it broke my heart to think that so many there do not know the wonderful life that Jesus brings.

Earlier this year we had the funeral of Marine Paul Warren at St Andrew's. A lot of his fellow Marines took part in the ceremony; and that evening I happened to be in the Eagle where they were all having a drink. They’d been drinking since the afternoon. And one lad sat on his own in the corner, near us, and made a few tearful phonecalls. Then he sat there quietly chucking up and sobbing, until his sergeant came over to talk to him.

He said, ‘Sarg - is this what it’s all about? I’ve lost two friends now. Is this what we do?’ And the Sergeant said (in a kind voice), ‘We just get up, and we get on with it. I’m going to give you 5 minutes to get yourself together, and get over there with the rest of us. But yes, we just get on and do what we do.’

I know he had to say that. And they were the words of a leader. And I understand that the Royal Marines is a hard living, hard drinking culture. And I am full of admiration for them, for what they do. But I want to say to all the lads like that, ‘We can do better! There is more!’ We can do better than train hard, work hard, and drown our sorrows. There is more to it: because there is a God, who has power over all.

I want to say to every person who feels that emptiness and worthlessness: - come back to God! With him, in the midst of death there is life. Why try and handle life without him, when we can’t? Why try and handle life without him, when what he holds out to us is so good? - Forgiveness; life; a future with no war. Why fight against him, when we could live life with him? Why settle for the pain of this world, when he holds out the gift of perfect everlasting life with him?
In the words of Psalm 46:
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

In a world that seems meaningless, uncertain, even disastrous sometimes - let’s remember that we find hope in the true God.

Humility and Helpfulness


We saw in Romans ch.3 on Sunday how a right view of our sin leads to humility. I've been reading on, and in ch.12 the point is made that humility affects how we relate to one another: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought ... each member belongs to all the others." (12:3-5)


What we do affects all the other people in church. Therefore we need to think carefully before every decision and whatever we say.



  • If I spout off against another church member, I'll damage the relationship between the ones I'm speaking to and about.

  • If I'm negative about some activity we're doing, I'll stop others being involved.

What may seem to me like a casual conversation piece can have a big effect on someone. So let's make sure the effect we have is to build up, enthuse, serve their spiritual good - not drag them down. How could you do that at growth group tonight?

Pudding recipes

I thought you might like to have recipes for the puddings from last week - especially that gorgeous, decadent cheesecake!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

Serves 8, Prep 20 mins Plus chilling

175g digestive biscuits
50g butter , melted
300g cream cheese
200g mascarpone
300g milk chocolate , melted
100g dark chocolate , melted

Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 20cm springform tin. Mix the cream cheese with the mascarpone. Fold the milk chocolate into the cream cheese mix and then stir in the dark chocolate so that it looks streaky.
Spoon into the tin, level the top and chill for 2 hours or overnight.


Mary's Mum's Wholewheat apple cake

4 fresh diced apples
2 cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essense
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups wholewheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Place diced apples in a bowl
Add sugar, oil, vanilla essence, soda, salt and eggs and mix thoroughly
Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture
Pour into greased pan (23cm x 35cm)
Bake at 175degC for about 30 minutes


Cream cheese topping


2 cups icing sugar
½ cup butter
100g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla