Christmas Fair: Next Saturday (9th) is the morning of our Christmas Fair. This is an important fund-raiser for us. Everyone can help in some way. Please sign up on the sheet at the back of church if you can offer to bake or donate cakes or mince pies. Please also do what you can to promote the event amongst your friends so that we get a good attendance. There are some lovely stalls this year including a beautiful scented candle stall and Jim will have this year’s hand-crafted pieces in wood made from local trees; come early for the widest choices! Early bird offer: tea and toast 9:00-10:00!
Remembrance Sunday Collection: Our offertory for the British Legion amounted to £281.41.
Taplow Choirs: On Sunday (3rd December) at 5:00pm, the wonderful Taplow Girls’ Choir conducted by Gillian Dibden will be joined by the Maidenhead Suzuki Violin and Viola Group led by Helen Styles. They will perform a very varied programme of music including some Christmas pieces. Then next Sunday (10th December) at 5:00pm, it is the turn of Taplow Children’s and Boys’ Choirs conducted by Ben de Souza, with Guest Choir, the Chamber Choir of Castleview School, Slough (Conductor: Emma Steele). They will sing a programme of songs includes some Carols for the Audience. Tickets for both concerts are available at the door (cash only please): Adults £10. Students under 16 £8. In addition to these two concerts, fans of these wonderful choirs will be pleased to hear that Taplow Youth Choir is performing in a Christmas Gala Concert at St Mary’s, Maidenhead next Saturday (9th December) at 7.00 pm, with Ascot Brass. Proceeds for The Thames Valley Hospice.
Hope Café: Next Wednesday is the first of the month so it is Hope Café day. All are welcome to call in between 2:00pm and 3:30pm.
Follow The Star:Daily Advent reflections are available in the Follow the Star app. from 1st December and run until 24th December. The reflections include a Bible reading, short reflection, activity suggestion and prayer. Audio of the reflections is also included in the app.Full details of different ways you can access this programme are on our website together with appropriate links.
Patronal Festival: Next Sunday is our Patronal Festival. After our service, we will celebrate with hot soup, sherry & mince pies as well as the usual coffee and biscuits. In addition, following our Christmas Fair next Saturday (see overleaf), Jim will have what is left of this year’s woodwork items for sale.
TAPLOW VILLAGE LUXURY ECO TEA TOWEL: At last, our 100% organic cotton tea towel is available to purchase. Designed using Ann King’s beautiful paintings which show-case our magnificent village of Taplow, this generously-sized luxury tea towel has been printed and sewn in Lincolnshire. £12in aid of St Nicolas’ Church.
‘Open the Book’: following our Annual Parochial Church Meeting, you will recall that the first of our three aims going forward is “to increase our relevance to the younger generation including to younger children and families”. One way we do this is through our involvement with St Nicolas School. On Thursday mornings, Jim and some parents work with Jenny Dobson at the school to act out Bible stories in our ‘Open the Book’ morning assembly. The school would welcome some more of our church community who might like to join in this work which is from 08:45 to 9:15am weekly. If you think this is something you might like to know more about, please talk to Jim about it. It is good fun and much appreciated by the children.
Zoom Meeting to Pray; 10:00am Wednesdays Weekly: our Deanery now offers a half hour Zoom prayer meeting hosted by St Paul’s Church, Slough. You can join this Zoom call any Wednesday by going to meeting ID: 523 com. 327 5615 Passcode: 2022 The meeting also goes out on Facebook.
Prayer for the Homeless of Ukraine
Almighty and merciful God, whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own; look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger, homeless and hungry. Bless those who work to bring them relief; inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts; and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St Nicolas joins the REFILL REVOLUTION!: We are reducing our plastic waste by refilling used plastic bottles instead of sending them to be recycled or wasted. We have teamed up with the REFILL HUB (see advert in our Christmas newsletter) to supply the church with cleaning materials that createPLASTIC WASTE. We already have products in church which you can try. Look out for our supplies of:
Liquid Hand Soap(French Vanilla)
Hand Sanitiser Gel 70% alcohol(French Vanilla)
Anti-bac All Purpose Cleaner(French Lavender)
Washing Up Liquid(Rhubarb and Lemon)
Toilet Cleaner(Spearmint and Peppermint)
The REFILL HUB visits Burnham Market on Wednesday mornings 8.30 – 13.00, and several other venues. Times and prices are given on their website.refill-hub.co.uk. If you wish to reduce your own plastic waste you can either take your empty plastic bottles to the Refill Hub, or bring them to church and Hilary will get them filled for you. Chat to Hilary for more details.
Parish Giving Scheme: Our treasurer, Jessie Cooper points out to us that the very best way to contribute to the work of our Parish Church is to use the Parish Giving Scheme. If you do not yet use this way of donating to church and you would like to know more about it or ask any questions, please contact Jessie Cooper (Parish Treasurer) in confidence… by email: jessie.stnicolas@gmail.com or phone: 01628 603187
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