2024— 120 Years of St Leonard’s Church

Dates for your diary.

3rd February, 10.30am-12pm

Coffee morning, craft and art exhibition

16th March, 12pm-2pm

UNICEF Community Lent Lunch

20th April at 6pm

Quiz Evening

19th May at 10.30am

Benefice Pentecost service, followed by a picnic

26th and 27th May, 10am-4pm

Wedding Dress Exhibition

8th June, 10.30am-12pm

Plant & produce sale at Churchfields, coffee and cake

29th June, 7pm

The Complete Works of Shakespeare, touring production

6th July, 10.30am-12pm

Coffee and cake in the garden at St Brelade’s

20th July, 2.30pm-4pm

Cream tea at St Brelade’s

3rd August, 10.30am-12pm

Knit’n’Natter display, ‘The Four Seasons’, coffee and cake

14th September, 10.30am-2pm

Church and Tower Open Day

19th October

Bellringers attempt a full peal*

20th October at 11am

Harvest Festival and Ploughman’s lunch

15th November at 7pm

A Comic Evening with Bob Blake

7th December, 10.30am-12pm

Christmas coffee morning and handbells

*Other bellringing events throughout the year include four quarter peals, and ringing a ‘touch’ for every bell ringer.

December 2023

December17th 2023

The bells were ringing and the path to St. Leonards Church door was candle lit. A lovely welcome to the Annual Carol Service. On entering, it was a ‘WOW’ experience, - each window beautifully decorated and even the pillars

were festooned. Sherfield English residents certainly showed their talents when given the theme ‘What Christmas means to You’. Red and green being the predominant colours for the foliage, floral arrangements, and

pom poms, but snow was clearly in evidence. A sleigh with reindeer gliding

across the frozen landscape, a beautiful old globe on which sat a dove, depicted ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all men’. Knitted choristers made their way to church, as the bells above glinted in the starlight. A glowing fireside invited one to sit and enjoy the warmth whilst children played with their

toys. The next window showed a mouth-watering feast…..all knitted, including the sprouts and Christmas pudding, and the table adorned with candelabra. Above the altar -:-‘The Angel of the Lord Shone round about

them’…...beautifully displayed. So the service began……… the choir sang the opening verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ followed by the well

attended congregation. Lessons were read and more traditional carols were

sung, as written in our programmes. A very thoughtful poem was read and

‘Gabriel’s Message’ sung by the choir. In our prayers we were encouraged to think of the homeless, refugees and those suffering in child poverty, all

those less fortunate than ourselves. We also thought of the real meaning

of Christmas – Christ’s birth. After meaningful contemplation, a skit followed, - ‘While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night.’…..complete with washing bowl and socks, and the participants were ‘seated on the ground’. Hilarious. Still in light heartedness, the congregation was invited to

participate in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas ‘with all the accessories, dancing shoes, pipes, gold rings and ,YES - A partridge in a Pear Tree! The

service closed with the Benediction read by Vicar James. A cup of wassail and a mince pie was offered to all. Another memorable Carol Service at St. Leonards in 2023.

September 2023

Events and Services

Saturday 2nd at 10.30am Coffee morning

Sunday 3rd at 11am - Holy Communion (Rev’d James Pitkin)

Sunday 10th at 11am Modern Morning Prayer (Clare Durham)

Sunday 17th at 11am Harvest Festival followed by Ploughman’s Lunch

Sunday 24th at 11am Modern Morning Prayer (Julia Noble)

I doubt I’m alone in hoping for a late summer as we head into September. August, at least, has got the hang of the better weather as I write this. Our Songs of Praise family service – which has recently become an August tradition – got a summery twist and became ‘Hymns and Pimms’. A small glass of that most British of beverages whetting everyone’s whistle for the myriad of favourite hymns chosen in advance by several members of the congregation. With over 30 in attendance, it had a real celebratory feel as

we spilled out into the sunshine afterwards.

September will bring Harvest Festival on the 17th, and a ploughman’s lunch will be served afterwards. As always, everyone is welcome but (if you can) please let one of the churchwardens know in advance if you will be coming. There are worse things than running out of cheese, but not many. The Reverend Nick Grew and his wife, Christine, have been invited as guests to that service and I’m delighted that they are

able to come. Nick became our first port of call for important services

during the vacancy (where James was already committed to Thorngate)

and this will be our chance to thank him for everything that he did. On 11th September I am picking up a brand new card reader for the church. This – at the request of some of our younger members – will allow

people to use a credit or debit card for the service collection, informal donation, or payments at the regular coffee mornings or other events. We have been granted the reader by Winchester Diocese at a hugely reduced

cost, but we will have to give it back if it doesn’t get used. It may seem an odd concept in a traditional world, but with an increasingly cashless society

I’m sure it will soon prove its worth.

Finally, we have three baptisms in September – possibly a month

record! We have already had a good number this year, and it is always a

pleasure to welcome families into St Leonard’s. Long may it continue!