Bridge Church Newbury Highlights of 2016

So many good things about 2016 for Bridge Church Newbury - the Alpha Course with Gary Grant CEO of The Entertainer, the church going away together to Westpoint and Sunny Camp, having John and Sue Hosier visit, Guy and Heather Miller coming, Malcolm Kayes coming to our first Leaders Day, 7 baptisms in one day (six men!), working with other churches at Easter, Christmas, in schools and on the streets, meeting with Glendale church, serving the Women's Refuge, seeing individuals flourish and grow...

A poem I wrote for Christmas

Christmas

Toymas

Tinselmas

Treemas

Shoppingmas

Presentmas

Wrappingmas

Rushmas

Stressmas

Turkeyintheovenmas

Yummymas

Drinkmas

Partymas

Hangovermas

Feelingfatmas

Debtmas

Whatmas?

It is CHRIST-mas

Peacemas

Restmas

Timewithfamilymas

FindGodagainmas

Mark's Review of The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

This month for Book Club we are reading The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. Like the best-seller Sophie's World, by the same author, this book has layers (or as the donkey in Shrek would say: "Lay-ers"). Although found in the Children's Section at my local library, The Christmas Mystery has much in appeal to adults, not least because of the time travelling characters who stop at significant times in the history of Europe whilst trying to find their way to Bethlehem for the mysterious birth. The characters are colourful, the premise - well mysterious - an advent calendar, the history of Father Christmas, lots of angels and sheep and a long journey. It's a good after dinner or before bed book for young and old. A festive family read. A highlight for me was the description of "the Glory of heaven being too great to be contained there - it spills out upon the earth".