Newsletter January 2024

CALENDAR
7th	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers
9th	Tuesday	12.30pm	Guild Lunch
10th	Wednesday	9.30am	Elders’ Meeting
14th	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship led by Rev Heston Groenewald, All Hallows Church, Hyde Park and Rainbow Junktion Café
18th – 24th			WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
21st	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers
		12 noon	CHURCH MEETING
24th	Wednesday	6.30pm	Worship for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at St Michael and All Angels, Headingley
28th	SUNDAY	9.30am	At Headingley Methodist Church

We shall be joining West Park URC for services throughout the year both at their church and at ours. This month they will join us for worship on the 14th January. Please note that we shall be worshipping at West Park URC on 25th February at 10.30am when the Service will be led by Rev’d Geoff Ellis and will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

An amazing amount of £1,015 was raised from the Gift service – £510 for the Salvation Army and £505 for Leeds Women’s Aid. The toiletries and toys from our previous parties were also distributed between the two charities.

I have received a card of thanks from the Salvation Army ‘Thank you for your kind donations. Love from the Family Plus Team.’

A letter from Leeds Women’s Aid is as follows:-

‘On behalf of Leeds Women’s Aid, I would like to thank you and everyone at St. Columba Church for the very generous donation and Christmas gifts you collected for the families who reside within our refuge. We are absolutely blown away by the generosity and support.

Thank you, it means a great deal to the women and children we support to know that people are thinking of them at Christmas.

Wishing you all the best for the festive season.’

I distributed gifts to the family we support which were enthusiastically received and they wish everyone a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

I add my grateful thanks and good wishes to you all for supporting these worthwhile charities.

Susan Bollon

And (via Joan McShane) :- “ To the faithful folk of St. Columba’s”.

Thank you for putting your love and hope in to Action this year by supporting our work towards a fairer and more just world. Your support is truly appreciated. Festive Wishes, Sarah Jane Meyers (Christian Aid)

CHURCH CHARITIES

This year the fund-raising group have raised a total of £1207 for the five charities with £840 being donated by July and the remaining £327 sent out at the beginning of December. We are, as always, very grateful to the donors of the goods which sell off the corridor table and the book stall. A big thank you is due to all those who buy the generously donated items – without those purchases nothing would be donated to the charities.

The group does not forget that donations in the Sunday Tea basket, the Festival Chorus Tea Bars, the Venison Burger Sale and the sale of redundant church equipment have also contributed greatly to this year’s total.

So, on we go into 2024…..

Margaret Madill

GUILD LUNCH

Our lunch comes early in the month this January, so please make a note of the date – Tuesday 9th January. We meet at about 12.30pm with lunch at 1 o’clock and please think about joining us if you would like a change of scene – and a hot meal – at one of the dreariest times of the year.

Verses from: