Monday 23 December 2013

Barnet Refugee Service End of Year Party

This afternoon, St Matthias Hall hosted the Barnet Refugee Service End of Year Party, providing festive food and entertainment for lots of children. Volunteers from our church, along with people from a local synagogue, secular groups, and others helped get the hall ready and tidy up. Des from St John's did sterling work as Santa Claus!



Here we see Father John joining battle with a balloon sword:



Barnet Refugee Service provide vital support for refugees and asylum seekers in Barnet and neighbouring boroughs, and are based just up the road from St Matthias Church. You can help their work in various ways; see here.

We are hoping to begin a food collection for the Service at St Matthias in the new year. More details to follow!



Christmas Mass Times - Colindale and West Hendon



MIDNIGHT MASS (24th DEC) - 11:30pm
DAYTIME MASS (25th DEC) - 10am

At both churches.

There will also be short crib services, aimed at children,
at 6pm on December 24th.

St John's, Algernon Rd, NW4
St Matthias, Rushgrove Avenue, NW9

Have a merry Christmas!

Saturday 21 December 2013

SMSJ. Carol concert

A wonderful re telling of the Christmas story with traditional carols and the choir performed " when love came down" reminding us that the Christmas story is a. A love story between God and humanity.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

West Hendon Pre school nativity



The children put on an amazing nativity to a full church

The Second Part of Advent

Today we enter the second part of Advent, preparing more urgently to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas.

During the next seven days, the Church's prayer focuses on the longing of God's people for the promised Kingdom, and on the hope of all people of good will for a world of justice and peace. We enter into the often tragic reality of the world, but we do so on the basis of hope: "Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel".


Sunday 15 December 2013

Gaudete Sunday - Rejoice!




Today, the 3rd Sunday of Advent, is sometimes known as Gaudete, or rejoicing Sunday.

It has a more relaxed feel than the other Sundays in Advent. In some places rose coloured vestments are worn, and we ourselves lit the rose coloured candle on our Advent wreath.

Advent is a time for rejoicing - not for a superficial happiness, but for a fundamental joy that sustains us through the difficult times in life. As Christians, we know that history is in God's hands, that Christ will return and fulfil the promises of his Kingdom. Our joy is the joy of people who know that they are loved, and that their Beloved will not abandon then.

So, rejoice!


Thursday 12 December 2013

Nativity play at Colindale primary school


120 children from year 1 at Colindale primary school retell the Christmas story. Clearly new research has uncovered lost sources that st Matthew and st Luke were not aware of, for example "the grumpy sheep"-brilliant