Sundays are FUN DAYS!

It was 19th December, six days til Christmas, and it wouldn't surprise me if almost everyone is suffering from 'hurry sickness'. For anyone running around attempting to buy presents, wrap presents, see people, send cards, make food, and put up decorations as well as a billion and one other things, yesterdays morning service was pretty applicable. 

Guy spoke to us about how to deal with 'hurry sickness' at Christmas, and with Sean leading worship, we had a great morning celebrating Jesus. With joy and dancing, we worshipped for much of the morning as the snow fell outside. It was a lovely time of seeing some people who are often at a different service, and there was a great buzz in the building, as the festive atmosphere, and the joy of God filled the place. 

With lots of students away back at their home towns and churches, and several twenties away doing fun things, or being ill, we were few in number. A few of us cooked a roast dinner, I think some people just had a nice and chilled extended afternoon as church had started at 10.30am!

The evening saw the wonderfully talented Citygate Choir out, as well as lots of us, and a good few guests too. In fact, the building was packed, and everyone sang some beautiful carols and Guy spoke about the answer to Christmas, and to suffering, and the hope that we have in Jesus. Good stuff it's safe to say!

With mulled wine, tea, coffee and bucket loads of mince pies and marshmallows everyone gathered in the Shaw Suite and outside with big bonfires to socialise and catch up with each other. Under the snowy trees with mulled wine in hand, and a mince pie, stood before a hearty fire it was rather impossible to not feel festive. 

A trip to the Lynton finished the day of nicely, and it was packed with lots of people all very chatty! Was great to see some the faces of new people amongst us yesterday, braving the snow, and the faces of some people we don't see very often! In fact it was pretty great to just see people...

Anyway, with snow still on the ground, I know some people are struggling to get home, or where they want to for Christmas, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE message me if that's the case for you and you find yourself stranded in Bournemouth! 

If there is anything we can do for you over Christmas, let me know. We're here to help, in good times and bad so just contact me. We're your friends, and love you, so whatever it is, make sure you give one of the student team a shout!

So, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (and also January 2nd) there will be just ONE MEETING. At 10.30am!!

If you're around we'd love to see you to do some serious celebrating of the things that God has done in our lives over the past year. 

Whatever you are doing over Christmas, whichever city you find yourself in, whatever traditions you may have, whatever food you eat, I hope that you do it knowing the love and joy of the King. 

I would just like to personally say, I wish you all an incredible Christmas. This past term has been an amazing time for me, and hopefully for you too as we've seen so many join us, and so many stepping into more of what God has in store for your lives. 

You are a blessing to be around and I hope that the coming 2011 brings blessings to you and those that you love. I hope you continue to meet with us, and I encourage you, continue to seek God in your life, and for your town. We're on the edge of something of great, great magnitude, so lets not lose it because we ate to much at Christmas and got a little apathetic.

So, have a very, very, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

With lots of love 

Vicki xxxxxxx

PS hopefully see some of you at the final PPP of the year tonight! x

That Time of Year Again

If you're anything like me, 2010 has flown past, and the fact that Christmas is only 10 days away, is seriously scary pyjamas...I am actually yet to sort out any presents, and due to lack of time, people may be getting old recycled socks or something.

Still, with Christmas around the corner, and 2011 very much on the horizon, there is a lot to be thankful for, and a lot to do. 

Tonight is Engine Room, the monthly prayer meeting of Citygate Church. It really is the engine of us as a body of believers; time to get together and thank God for what He's been doing, and seek Him for more of his heart. If you want to see what we're truly about, blood sweat and tears, Engine Room nights are important and as Students and Twenties, and a great number of people in the church, it's your responsibility to get along - cell groups aren't running on Engine Room weeks so you've got no excuse for business!

(I do hope you appreciate my nice photo of an engine...seemed pretty fitting to me...)

This Friday, I'm hopefully going into Bournemouth to hand out some flyers and chat to people about Jesus (as long as I can get hold of some flyers!) If you're around and would like to come and join me, I'd love the support. Our town needs us to speak truth at this time of year.

Sunday morning, we've only got one morning meeting at 10.30am! So, turn up at your usual time and you'll either be an hour early (unlikely for you students and twenties, lets be honest) or an hour late (and you don't want to be the one making noise at the back and trying to find a seat in a packed building!)

For lunch we're planning on heading to the Cat and Fiddle Pub in the New Forest.Click here for more details!. Hopefully people with cars will be pleasant enough to drive everyone out there - if they do, make sure to give them some petrol money, just to make things fair. Afterwards we're going to go for a a wander around the New Forest and walk off the calories we've consumed over a hearty lunch. If anyone can suggest a good walk, I'm all open to suggestions!

Then it's back to St Swithuns for the Traditional Carol Service at 7pm. Again, click here for more information. Last year, this was an absolute highlight. For some reason., regardless of personal beliefs, everyone loves a good sing-song to some carols when it gets near to Christmas. Take the opportunity to invite people along and meet your friends. We want to let people see that Jesus is alive and amongst us and Christmas is much more than mulled wine and minced pies (although we'll be having some of those and some fire pits like the 5th too!)

Make sure to respond via Facebook and maybe use the event page to invite your own friends! We'd love to see as many people there as possible, coming under the sound of the Gospel.

To those of you who've gone home, I wish you the happiest of seasons, hopefully filled with rest, relaxation and some great times with family and friends. Most of all, I hope that Christ is at the centre and you are mightily blessed by Him. 

For those of you that leave Bournemouth for most of the year and are on your way back for a few weeks, we look forward to seeing your smiling faces and catching up. Make sure to be around for socials!

For some, Christmas can be a really hard season, so make sure to message me or James via email (jdruce@citygatechurch.net or vcavolina@citygatechurch.net)
or Facebook if you've got things going on that you'd like prayer for, and if there's anything we can do, we'll be right on it!

I look forward to seeing you all very, very soon and remember - let me know about FRIDAY!

Lots of love

Vicki

x

The result of some hard work

was an incredible Citygate performance tonight at 'He Will Be Called'.

Tonight saw 'The Ella Bewsey' show sharing all sorts of news stories, views, and some beautiful truth about who Jesus is to hordes of people, of all different shapes, sizes, ages, nationalities and backgrounds.

With stage lighting, and a TV set as the back drop, the building was packed out with people there to hear the Gospel and to bring guests along. If you invited people, well done, and I hope that if they came they had a great time!

Ella did a stunning job as TV presenter, with Mr Sam, her roaming reporter, and Reuben and Steve Walls as a snapshot of what people watching the show really thought. You had to be there to experience it. Russell shared a  short Gospel talk on who Jesus is and the names he is given in the book of Isaiah.

Wonderful Counsellor 

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

Titles that should inspire awe and wonder in those who know this incredible God. Citygate members, attacked a few weeks ago following an Engine Room, were interviewed by 'Mr Sam' and shared some testimonies about what God has done for them, and what he continues to do. From freedom of panic attacks, to provision of finances, it was clear to all tonight that Jesus is alive, and a Mighty God, worthy of worship and praise.

Sean and the band, otherwise known as the 'Ellerettes' led us in some worship and some Christmas Carols and the sound of worship filled the room. The lovely Student & Twenties team served mulled wine, mince pies and marshmallows afterwards, and big fire pits were lit outside for guests to warm themselves around.

Christmas is here, and it's not quaint, or boring. Jesus is alive and we have grace and hope to celebrate and tonight was a great start to a big season full of worship.

Next Sunday morning will be 'The Pursuit' which continues with the Christmas message, and the following Sunday will be one morning service and a Traditional Carol Service in the evening. In all of our guest services we are totally expecting God to break in and change hearts, so continue inviting those who need to hear the hope of our Glorious Saviour. 

Tomorrow night is PPP and as God refreshes us and speaks to us, we can be sure to expect a great night. And maybe the leftover mince pies from today...if you're lucky!

I am not around for the next week so to anyone who heads back to your home towns, for the holidays, lots of love and Christmas wishes and I hope you have a fantastic time away. Can't wait to see you all buzzing and bold, ready for an exciting 2011. 

Just a reminder that you can begin to book for In Bude, our weekend away, so start discussing who you'd like to stay with. I want to see as many students AND twenties there, it's going to be a great weekend!

If you've just started coming, or have only just decided you'd like to stick around at Citygate, we run an Adopt a Student scheme, where you attend cell groups (which we love btw) and get fed once a month, as well as getting looked after by some lovely Citygate couples. Get in touch if you're interested. 

vcavolina@citygatechurch.net is where I'm at!

Good Night and God Bless 

Vicki

x

He will be called...

By telephone? Over loudspeaker? Maybe by owl noises?

Mmmm not quite. Actually we're not talking about communication methods. 

How about....

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 

   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

If you want to know more about these titles and the one who holds them, you need to be at the St Swithuns Centre at 7pm on Sunday 5th December.

We're celebrating Christmas in style, with 'news, views and reviews', all hosted by our very own lovely Ella Bewsey. 

Lots of students and twenties will be getting involved and it is definitely not something to miss. Mince pies, mulled wine and fire pits will all follow the service before we make our way to the Lynton Court pub.

This is an amazing opportunity to invite your non-Christian friends to see a little of church...and hopefully to see that it's not quaint and irrelevant!

If any of this tickles your fancy, or even if it doesn't I definitely expect to see you Sunday evening.

With lots of love

Vicki x

Mangoes and Mean Girls

So, although by default of gender, half of you couldn't make it, the fresher girls had a great time last night creatively cooking, chatting and watching a film. 

For those of you who've been around a bit you may notice that there have been rather a few new faces over the last couple of months, and a large number of these have been girls. So, hopefully helpfully, some of us got together last night to do 'ready, steady, cook'. Everyone brought two ingredients, something fairly normal and something a little bit more crazy... these ranged from rice, to curry, to jelly, to potatoes, to leeks etc...

Our task was to cook a delightful dinner out of the variety of ingredients before us. Chaotic? A little... Lots of fun? I think so! We ended up with huge amounts of pasta and rice, as well as a yummy chicken, bacon, creamy tomatoey cheesy sauce, and some potato and chickpea curry with mango. We may not be as talented as Delia Smith, but we certainly cooked ourselves a treat.

With food in our bellies and chocolate in hand we sat down to watch Mean Girls, and no, the evening wasn't as cheesy and girly as it sounds. In fact, you could almost have called us civilised! 

Now I can't speak for the boys, but I have heard rumours of early morning prayer meetings and Wednesday breakfast. Pester James and I imagine he'll be all too happy to tell you more!

We believe it's really important to build close friendships. We're not about surface level 'hi, hello, how was your week?' although obviously we love to ask those questions. We want to see a community of students AND twenties gathering to care for each other in love, to enjoy friendship and to encourage one another. 

We're hoping it doesn't feel as if we're running lots of events for new students, because, just to let you know, you twenties...we love you too. And in fact, we love what you bring; your willingness to get stuck in, your wisdom and obviously the way which you look out for each other. Do take the chance to get to know some of the newer people. You may not naturally gravitate outside of your comfort zone, but take it from me, they're worth knowing, and I don't doubt that you have much to offer them as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

With that nice little message and an update for the day, I'm off to finish putting up the Christmas decorations in the office! Enjoy this rather freezing but festive day! December is HERE! Woop!

Lots of love to you lovely people!

Vicki x