Much has happened since our last report including the Christmas Bazaar, the Confirmation service in Tadmarton, our final coffee morning of the year and of course all the Christmas services. The Family Service on 13th January arranged and led by the Rector was a memorable and inspiring service. Future Family services, usually on the second Sunday of each month, are likely to be too good to be missed by young or old.

We start the New Year with a meeting of the Wykeham Council, the meeting of the combined PCCs of all the six Benefice Parishes which will be held in the small Sibford Village Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 30th January. It is hoped that many from the villages who are not PCC members will also be there where there will be discussions on the development of the new Wykeham Website (linked to our own), our Benefice Mission Plan, work with Families and Children and plans for the forthcoming year, amongst other items. The views of those who do not like formal services are just as important as those who do, in many ways more so, and there are many to whom suggestions can be made: Rector, churchwardens and PCC members of whom a list may be found on the notice  board inside the Church.

There will be a meeting in church on Saturday 2nd February at 10am of all Sibford choir members together with any others who, it is hoped, would like to join them. The meeting will consider a possible alteration to the regular choir practice time to suit more of the participants and also the possibility of the choir singing regularly at Sunday services in the village. The Sibford choir is the old benefice choir and there are some members from Epwell and Tadmarton who will not be able to sing at Sibford services on a regular basis as they normally attend their own churches. Some of the choir members are also occasionally away at weekends visiting families and friends so there will be a need for some extra members. Please think seriously about joining our number.

Lent Groups will commence after Ash Wednesday on February 13th. They will be at 10.30am to 12.00 at 32 Danvers Close, Broughton on Thursdays starting 14th, Tadmarton in the Lampet Arms on Tuesdays after 10.00am Holy Communion; Epwell, probably at Dawn’s house on a Thursday evening and Sibford, again possibly on a Thursday evening; please enquire from Evey Boughton (263460) for Sibford or Dawn Castle (788473) for Epwell. All will be led by the Rector. Please join one of them.

Please give a thought or prayer for the sick in the Benefice and the families of the recently departed. All their names will be found in the pewsheets in the church where there is also a prayer board for you to write your own personal prayer requests.