By Rev. Gareth Erlandson

​On the afternoon of Saturday 14th December about 50 children came to church with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to experience the interactive Stable Trail. Their journey around church, led by one of the wise kings, included visits to the box decorating station, Bethlehem market place, Herod’s palace, the sleepy shepherds’ hillside (where sheep biscuits were made) and the stable where they met Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus and received a present. 

Refreshments were available courtesy of our wonderful Welcome Afternoon team

A joy-filled time was had by all. 

​At 4 pm on Advent Sunday a large congregation joined Mary and Joseph in Hope Church for the first carols of the Christmas season.  In the photos below you can see other familiar characters from the story of the first Christmas together with two less familiar!  We saw how Mary discovered she was to give birth to Jesus and how she and Joseph were forced to make the arduous journey to Bethlehem.

We journeyed with Mary and Joseph outside and across the road to the Inn where we joined in singing 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'.  We watched as Mary and Joseph found shelter in the stable as the first Advent star on the tower and the other lights were switched on and the bells rang out in celebration.