Community Spirit shines bright for Christmas 2021 Vintage Adventure
Yesterday, Caraway hosted the first Vintage Adventure in person since March 2020 where it was wonderful to see so many happy, smiling faces at Highfield Church. Community spirit truly outshone any COVID clouds, with over seventy friends from across Southampton attending for our Christingle celebrations.
The Service:
Welcomed in with a warming mulled juice, Christmas 2021 Vintage Adventure started with a short service led by Erica retelling the Christmas story and focusing on Christingle symbols:
- Candle: Jesus, showing us what God is like
- Orange: The World
- Red Ribbon: Gods love for the World
- 4 x Cocktail Sticks: the four corners of the World (North, East, South, West)
- Sweets: the gifts God gives us
The theme of direction wove its way through the service with prayer, readings, crafts, storytelling and blessings to close the service with the following words…
We have come from the East
We have come from the North
We have come from the West
We have come from the South
And together we ask that the light that we search for may light our way in love this afternoon, this Christmas and in the days to come.
AMEN
With Christmas celebrations never complete without carol singing. Throughout our festive Vintage Adventure, we shared the gift of song loud and proud, with “Joy to the World,” “Hark the Herald Angle Sing” and “Once in Royal David City.”
After the service, our guests gathered for a wonderful tea with sweet and savoury nibbles, cake and lots of chat. Everyone was glad to be there and delighted to catch up with people not seen for some time. Some even asked when the next one might be?
May the smile of God warm us
May the light of Jesus lead us
May the Holy Spirit blaze in our lives and fill us with love
AMEN
Thank yous:
We would like to say a huge thank you to:
- Gary for helping with the set up in Church and all the wonderful volunteers who made it happen.
- Our wonderful team of volunteers that kept the service flowing. They were delighted to see Vintage Adventure return as an in-person event after such a long pause.
You can stay up to date or find more information by:
- Email: caraway@caraway.uk.com
- Phone: 07535164014
- caraway.uk.com