Christmas is coming

It was end of term at St James's School today and 500 excited children poured into the church this morning for their end of term Christmas service.

Leo (year 6) played brilliantly on the piano a medley of Christmas songs before and after the service and that had the children joining in 'Santa Claus is coming to town.'

In the service we sang Away in a Manger, Hark the Herald, and It was on a Starry Night, and the Key Stage 1 children gave us reprise of 'Children of the World' from their international-themed Nativity Play.

Paul gave us a real good talk about all the things we enjoy about Christmas, like presents, food, and parties, but not about forgetting Jesus who lies at the heart of it.

Everyone received an invitation to Christmas Eve's Christingle service and then Simon Hughes, MP, our chair of the governors and newly-appointed Minister of State, gave a bouquet, to loud applause from the children, to Pat, St James churchwarden and leader of the school breakfast and after school clubs, celebrating a special birthday tomorrow.

Simon said that to rival Grace Jones, Bermondsey's older resident, Pat would have to keep doing brilliant things for St James for another 40 years. Pat, did a bit of quick mental arithmetic and corrected him: actually 50.

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY AT AGE CONCERN
They were set to go on dancing to nine o'clock tonight at the Age Concern Centre in Southwark Park Road, but first 97 people sat down to a slap up Christmas Dinner at 1.30pm and, as usual the ministers from our two churches were invited to be there and I was invited to say grace and offer Christmas greetings from the churches.

What a marvellous resource the centre is for the local community under its energetic and charismatic manager, Simone.