Royston Parish Church (Herts)

Royston Parish Church News - Sunday 7th December 2025

2025-12-07 notice sheet.pdf Download

ROYSTON PARISH CHURCH - where all are welcome and God's love is shared

You can download the paper copy of our news sheet from the link at the side of this page.

If you would like regular copies of the Notice Sheet emailed to you please email the parish office at admin@roystonparishchurch.org.uk.

Diary

Wednesday 3rd December

11:00 - 11:25 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective, followed by refreshments

13:00 - 15:30 Knit and Natter (where all are welcome to meet and chat)

18:00 - 19:15 Chorister Practice

18:30 - 20:00 Choir Practice

19:00-21:00 Men's Group at Wetherspoons (turn up at any time, all men are welcome to meet and chat)

Thursday 4th December

09:00-11:00 Tots in Church

13:00-16:00 Ladies Group "Bring and Share" Christmas Lunch

19:00-21:00 Bell-ringers Practice

Friday 5th December

NOTE: Celtic Prayer will not be taking place in this slot this month

Saturday 6th December

10:00-11:30 1:30 Church Café (Tea / Coffee / Hot Chocolate only £2 - Free Biscuits)

14:30-17:30 St Mary's School Concert

Sunday 7th December

09:00 - 09:45 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective

10:30 - 11:40 Communion Service with music/choir, children's groups/toy area, followed by refreshments

15:30-17:00 Christingle/TTP

Monday 8th December

19:00-21:30 Somewhere 2Sing

Tuesday 9th December

09:00 - 09:30 Morning Prayer (incorporating prayer requests that have been left in church)

10:00-11:00 Studlands Rise Primary School, Nursery & Reception Christmas Service

13:30-14:30 Tannery Drift Christmas Service

Wednesday 10th December

11:00 - 11:25 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective, followed by refreshments

13:00 - 15:30 Knit and Natter (where all are welcome to meet and chat)

18:00 - 19:15 Chorister Practice

18:30 - 20:00 Choir Practice

19:00-21:00 Men's Group at Wetherspoons (turn up at any time, all men are welcome to meet and chat)

Thursday 11th December

09:00-11:00 Tots in Church

19:00-21:00 Bell-ringers Practice

19:00-20:00 Julian Prayer Meeting at 11 Middle Drift

Friday 12th December

10:00-11:00 Studlands Rise Priamry School's Christmas Service for Years 1-4

13:00-14:00 Funeral of Olive Wilson

Saturday 13th December

10:00-11:30 1:30 Church Café (Tea / Coffee / Hot Chocolate only £2 - Free Biscuits)

12:00-17:00 Royston Choral Society Set up

19:00-21:00 Royston Choral Society Christmas Concert

Sunday 14th December

09:00 - 09:45 Communion Service that is quiet and reflective

10:30 - 11:40 Communion Service with music/choir, children's groups/toy area, followed by refreshments

Dates for the Diary/Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS :There are a number of events coming up over the next few months to look forward to.

9th February 2026 - The work of Guy Stagg, a local author , the event being organised byBow Books

14th February - Church Quiz

18th April - Cheese and wine evening

2nd & 4th May - Book Fayre

19th June - Hymns and PIMM’s

20th June - Concert

Intercessions

We pray for all Christians worldwide:

For all Christians in Myanmar, Thailand
For all who are worship at Bassingbourn Parish Church; Revd Helen Orr
For the work of our mission partners: Orchid Project: FGM 28 Too Many

We pray for the community of Royston:

For our local health centres
For all who work on our local farmers and land workers

We pray for our world and ECO projects:

We pray for mountain communities in this week in which International Mountain Day is celebrated on 11th December.

We pray for the sick and suffering:

Lee Cockerill
Pat Pritchard
Jackson Herbert
Maria Turi
Chris Christou
Paul & Pat Tidey
Mike Brown
Marion
Val Brown
Angie & Ken Rushall
Paula Walker
Keith & Elaine Edwards
Peter Coates
Emma & Phil Heath
Peter Foster
Gwen Simmons

We pray for those who have died in the faith of Christ:
Deceased Bereaved
Annie Mulcahy Anette and Paul, family and friends
Olive Watson Lisa Watson-Wilde, family and friends

We pray for those whose anniversaries fall at this time:
Adrian Winter, Sheila Dunn

NOTICES

CHRISTMAS CARDS: As in previous years, we have a board in the South wall for us to write one Christmas card for the whole church family so that everyone is included and we lessen our impact upon the environment at the same time. Please do read the various greetings and messages from members of our church family.

BUBBLE WRAP: If anyone has any spare bubble wrap, we would be very grateful of it. When the baubles get packed away on Candlemas, it will be very useful to protect the glass baubles. Please leve in box under the preserves, and we will pick it up. Thank you

CHURCH HOSPITALITY: Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to be in church during Advent to meet people who come into church to write a message and place it on the tree and to offer a drink or soup. We have the following dates and time that we still need people to sign up for:

Monday 22nd December 12.30-4pm
Tuesday 23rd December 12.30-4pm
Wednesday 24th December 9am-12.30pm

Please let Joanne know if you are willing to sign up for any of these slots

WEEKLY ENVELOPES – Looking ahead to next year, if you no longer require a set of weekly envelopes or if anyone else would like a set, please would you contact me (tel: 245273) as soon as possible or have a word with a member of staff. I will have the new sets available for collection by Sunday, 7 December. Many thanks. Brenda Strangleman

CHRISTMAS RAFFLE TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE. They'll be available after church services (with the exception of the Remembrance Sunday morning service), Saturday Coffee, and during events at the end of November. Tickets are £1 each, prizes include Christmas Hampers, and all proceeds go to church funds.

MINCE PIES- The Events committee is seeking donations of boxes of mince pies for events throughout Advent. Please make sure they have a good shelf life. They can be left in the kitchen. Many thanks.

SUNDAY READING SHEET 7th December 2025 2nd Sunday of Advent

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:1-10

GOSPEL

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

Matthew 3:1-12

STAFF TEAM

Vicar: Revd Steven Sivyer (rest day MONDAY)

Telephone no. 01763 580242

Email: [email protected]

Curate: Jaime Roberts (rest day FRIDAY)

Telephone: 01763 580241

Email: [email protected]

Assistant Priest: The Reverend John Fidler

Telephone no. 01763 241886

Email: [email protected]

Reader: Emma Sivyer