A big thankyou to all who contributed to our Christmas gift bags appeal this year. We made 30 gift bags for Messy Church, Baptism and 9.15am families, with a Christmas story booklet from the Bible Society, a Christmas bauble, a sparkly cardboard Christmas tree with a message from Blackwood UC on the back, balloons and candy canes for the children, and a Christmas Grace written for them by Rev Sarah Agnew. We also gave the Christmas trees to all families who came to Playgroup on Monday. Your donations also helped meet the cost of wonderful crafts at both Messy Church and Playgroup, and a face-painter at the Playgroup Christmas break-up.

The message on the trees said:

As the Wise men travelled for miles to bring the Christ child the first Christmas presents, with love, so may we, too, remember with thankful hearts the love that comes with each present we open. 

Happy Christmas from the people at Blackwood Uniting Church

 If you would like a copy of Sarah’s Christmas Grace I have some copies left over.

Many thanks also to the musicians (Neville, Bruce and Alex) who played for our carols at Playgroup on Monday. We had 20 families and 32 children along with a heap of extra dads, mums and grandparents and at least one great-grandparent! We farewelled 8 children who are moving on to Kindy, school or Day Care in 2018, two of whom have been with us since they were 5 and 10 months old. Thanks to Rev Phil for coming to present the certificates. I wasn’t quite with it and didn’t think till too late to give Phil a graduation certificate too! But that can be remedied…

Next Sunday (17^th) a family from Mainly Music is having their children baptised at the 11am service. Yours prayerful support would be appreciated, and anyone who would like to support them in person at the 11am service would be most welcome.